Toronto Contractor Pleads Guilty After Striking Enbridge Gas Pipeline in 2024

Orin Landscaping Inc. was fined $30,000 after striking a gas pipeline in Toronto, the Ontario Court of Justice announced. Regulators say the incident highlights the risks of excavation near underground infrastructure.

(P&GJ) — Orin Landscaping Inc., a Vaughan-based contractor, has pleaded guilty to damaging a natural gas pipeline in Toronto and has been fined $30,000 plus a 25% victim surcharge, the Ontario Court of Justice announced on Aug. 20.

The incident occurred in December 2024, when the company struck a four-inch Enbridge gas main on Bathurst Street while using a mechanical excavator for a drainage installation project. No injuries were reported.

Ontario law requires contractors to obtain locates before digging and to follow strict excavation practices. Although Orin Landscaping had the required locates, the company violated safety rules by using mechanical equipment within one metre of the pipeline. Regulations only permit vacuum excavation or hand tools at that distance.

“Enforcement is one of our key tools to protect public safety as Ontario’s safety regulator. This marks the second guilty plea for gas pipeline strikes so far this year,” said Owen Kennedy, director of fuels at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).

Pipeline strikes remain a leading cause of fuel-related incidents in Ontario, accounting for 70% of all reported cases in fiscal 2024, according to TSSA’s Public Safety Report. Such incidents can lead to gas leaks, explosions, fires, property damage, and service disruptions for homes and businesses.

In March 2025, another Ontario construction company was fined for damaging multiple gas lines in Ottawa, which caused outages for six homes and a retail mall.

Contractors and homeowners are urged to contact Ontario One Call before digging to identify underground utilities and reduce the risk of damaging pipelines or other services.