Ottawa approves ordinance requiring its contractors to prove they have apprenticeships

Ottawa’s city council this week approved the responsible bidder ordinance put on file last month. The ordinance requires contractors who bid on city projects to prove that they have apprenticeship programs. Mayor Dan Aussem said last month, it’s easy for contractors to claim they have such a program without having one. The ordinance requires a bidder to show it has turned out one or more apprentices every year for five years. Aussem feels that’s a low enough bar to include all serious contractors.