An electrician in Alberta, who got his original Certificate of Qualification in Ontario, sent us a letter about how, when he contacted the Ontario College of Trades recently, he got some pretty disturbing news.
Here’s his letter. (The lobby group against the College of Trades has a website at www.stopthetradestax.ca.)
Dear Editor:
The new Ontario College of Trades is the worst thing that could happen to tradespeople, and not just in Ontario.
I’ve been an Alberta resident for 22 years, after moving from Sarnia. I received my inter-provincial license in Ontario 33 years ago. I’ve always renewed my electrical license with a simple $60 fee every 3 years to the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities. I heard from the Ontario College of Trades for the first time last week when I received a letter stating I must pay them $360 every 3 years. When I contacted the client services department of the College of Trades asking them to explain the benefit of the 500 per cent increase, they said it was to manage the Ontario program. I was told I would have no benefit and no say in the Ontario program. Either I pay money for nothing, or lose my inter-provincial electrical license. It’s ransom, plain and simple.
Ontario’s costly membership fees are a major deterrent to young apprentices. My advice to young people considering the trades as a profession is to come to Alberta. Keep your hard earned dollars, and get your license here. It’s good for life, with no ongoing fees, issues or hurdles.
Sincerely,
John MacMillan, Electrician
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
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Mark Johnson
March 20, 2013
I am an electrician in BC. As far as I know once you recieve your interprovincial ticket there is no fees to renew it.
That ticket is like graduating from school. Once you finish you are done. No one I know pays fees like that.
Mark
John Billwiller
March 20, 2013
I am a ticketed Automotive Service Technician (1977) and a ticketed Heavy Duty Mechanic (1995).
While they aren’t Red Seal, I have never had to pay the provincial government or any trade organization any fees after getting my trade tickets. Sounds like a cash grab for executive salaries at the College of Trades.
mike
April 22, 2013
That’s exactly what it is….I am a carpenter apprentice who is struggling enough as it is in Ontario and for them to put this college of trades together and charge trades people fees without them getting a say as to weather they even want a college of trades is a joke they will be gotten rid of soon because no one in the Ontario trades wants this
Derek
March 20, 2013
I’m surprised that he has needed to renew his license. Was that to be able to work in Ontario?
I pay a yearly fee in British Columbia as a refrigeration mechanic for a contractor’s license, I believe it is similar with electricians. But my red seal qualification is not up for renewal. If I moved to another province excluding Quebec I could work in my trade. I may have to get provincial permits for other aspects of the trade, or to set up as a contractor, but not the basic qualifications.
I think in BC that the Field Safety Representative license that certain electricians hold requires renewal. I’m not an electrician so the details are not clear, but I believe this license is required by those who pull the permit and call for inspections. They have to pay $114 every 3 years.
mike
April 22, 2013
Ontario is the highest taxed province and the most expensive place to live in Canada. They tax us for everything and drive fees up so high…that’s what we get for people voting Liberal
REG Russell
March 20, 2013
I also received my electrician inter provincial license in Ontario back in 1980. I had been paying renewal fees there until I moved home to NS in 1994 and now use my NS certificate to pull permits. If the Ontario College of Trades needs extra money then they should be providing some type of service for these fees. I don’t need an Ontario license here in NS because that is what the inter provincial agreement was set up for.
Dave
March 20, 2013
They have to pay for those offices on Bay St.
Jc
April 6, 2013
This is very interesting. As far as I know the red seal certification does not require a renewal or an annual fee
I believe in Alberta the only annual fees are for master electricians . And I believe in British Columbia the annual fees are for the contractors license. In both of these provinces these fees are for the ability to pull permits
I would love to hear more about this Ontario stuff….. Honestly if I needed to pay a yearly fee I would just incorporate that into my billing
dustin
April 9, 2013
hi there. Yes unfortunatley this is whats going on in Ontario. It always was $60/3 years for your trade license. Now this apparent College says they will be handling the traded for Ontario and the new cost will be $120/ 1 year. A 600% percent increase, we had zero say in this and its extremely dissappointing. They are also hitting young apprentices with this same fee structure. I called the college and was simple told “if you dont pay you cannot legally work”. Who i reached seemed more like a call center only to take your credit
card info.
If anybody reads this please take 2 seconds and chexk out
dustin
April 9, 2013
hi there. Yes unfortunately this is whats going on in Ontario. It always was $60/3 years for your trade license. Now this apparent College says they will be handling the traded for Ontario and the new cost will be $120/ 1 year. A 600% percent increase, we had zero say in this and its extremely disappointing. They are also hitting young apprentices with this same fee structure. I called the college and was simple told “if you dont pay you cannot legally work”. Who i reached seemed more like a call center only to take your credit card info.
If anybody reads this please take 2 seconds and check out STOP THE TRADES TAX.com check out the website and sign the petition, from here you can also sign onto prewritten letters which you send to your MP from the website and to the media, Great site.
Also as a last resort anyone know what is required to transfer your Ontario Red seal license to Alberta? I also work in Alberta but my license is issued out of Ontario.