Lot 145
Presentation 'Gold' Construction Helmet to Toronto Mayor Philip Givens, May, 1966
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Toronto mayor Philip Givens is historically linked to a significant push for better construction standards and labour protection in 1965. Givens championed the crusade to force the provincial government into establishing a Royal Commission to investigate deadly working conditions on major infrastructure and building sites.
When Givens served as Mayor of Toronto from 1963 to 1966, he and other advocates pressured the province. Their crusade successfully resulted in the creation of the Royal Commission on Safety in Construction (the McAndrew Commission). The resulting recommendations radically transformed Ontario's labour and safety laws, ultimately leading to the foundation of the Construction Safety Association of Ontario and the implementation of mandatory, strict on-site health and safety regulations for construction workers.