Spring digging ahead? A locate comes first
Spring project season is here, and property owners and contractors are reminded to make safety a priority by requesting free utility locates before starting any digging project. By contacting Ontario One Call to “click before you dig,” you help protect yourself, your property, your community, and essential services. It’s not just smart – it’s the law.
“There are numerous underground hazards that could cause serious injuries. Some cables and lines lie just below the surface,” says Robert Bowen, Supervisor, Inspection & Support Engineering at Utilities Kingston. “Striking a gas line, electric cable or high-pressure pipe could result in property damage, service disruptions, or worse, serious or fatal injuries.”
Each year in Ontario, underground utility lines are damaged more than 3,900 times, about 17 incidents every workday (Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance, 2025). Many of these incidents are preventable by requesting locates to identify the utility lines below ground.
Ontario One Call’s 2025 research highlights ongoing gaps in safe digging awareness:
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57% of homeowners did not request a locate before their last digging project, despite it being required by law.
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80% either do not realize or mistakenly believe that small projects, such as planting shrubs, do not require a locate.
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66% of homeowners are planning to dig this year, significantly increasing the risk of damage to underground infrastructure.
Prevent unnecessary damage and avoid safety risks by contacting Ontario One Call before starting any project that involves digging.
Understanding request types and timelines
When requesting locates on the Ontario One Call website, you will see two request types: single address and advanced requests. Choosing the correct request type helps avoid delays or suspended tickets. Infrastructure owners are required to complete locates within different timelines depending on the size and scope of your project:
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5 business days for a single civic address request.
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10 business days for an advanced request, which includes projects affecting two or more properties or parts of properties, each with its own municipal address, or projects involving one or more properties where at least one has no municipal address (for example, road work).
Not sure which locate request to choose? This helpful video will show you how. By selecting the correct request type for your project, you can help prevent delays and suspended tickets.
Whether it’s planting a tree, installing a fence, building a deck, digging a garden, or a larger project such as road construction, a public utility locate is required. The service is free, easy to request, and helps keep everyone safe.
To request a free locate or learn more, visit OntarioOneCall.ca.
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City of Kingston
City Hall
216 Ontario Street
Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3
Canada
contactus@cityofkingston.ca
Phone: 613-546-0000
The City of Kingston acknowledges that we are on the traditional homeland of the Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat, and thanks these nations for their care and stewardship over this shared land.
Today, the City is committed to working with Indigenous peoples and all residents to pursue a united path of reconciliation.
Learn more about the City's reconciliation initiatives.
