A BRIEF HISTORY

In 1952, the rights to the Red Seal trademarks were licensed to the Canadian Adequate Wiring Bureau for all areas of Canada, except for Ontario. The term “Red Seal” has since been adopted for the program that sets common standards to assess the skills of Canadian trades people. When the Red Seal appears on a provincial or territorial trade certificate, it means the tradesperson has demonstrated the knowledge required for the national standard in that trade – still a sign of reliability!

In 2018, the OEL’s lobbying efforts proved to be instrumental in helping pass legislation to allow one-to-one journey person to apprentice ratios. In 2020, OEL contractors met with Premier Ford and several Members of Provincial Parliament at Queen’s Park to discuss Fairness in Labour Relations. These are just some examples of how we have continued to engage with and amplify our concerns to the Ontario government, whom we’ve established a constructive relationship with to bring change that will keep Ontarians safe.