Why Choose a Red Seal Mason?

Choosing a Red Seal Mason means choosing a highly skilled and competant Journeyperson that has achieved an interprovincial standards Certificate of Qualification.

A Red Seal Certified Mason has undergone thousands of hours of registered jobsite training under the guidance of a licensed Journeyman, and has studied hundreds of hours of theory/practical training in a provincially recognised Masonry Training Institution. The Red Seal signifies a professional, well-versed and highly motivated craftsman in their respective trade.

Compulsory vs. Non Compulsory Trades

In the province of Ontario, there are 144 recognized skilled trades with apprenticeship programs. They are categorized into compulsory trades and non-compulsory trades. A compulsory trade requires by law, that an individual practicing said trade have a registered training agreement with a licensed Journeyman and must obtain a Certificate of Qualification upon completion of training in order to legally continue working in that trade. Non-compulsory trades do not legally require any sort of training agreement or Certificate of Qualifcation.

Brick and Stone Masons in Ontario

Oddly enough, the Brick and Stone Mason (code 401A) trade in Ontario is a non-compulsory trade. This means that it is not legally required by the province for a mason to have undergone any sort of apprenticeship training, schooling or standarized testing in order to practice the trade. Nevertheless, there are many incredible masons out there that have had no formal training or hold any recognized qualifications. However, for a homeowner looking for a Masonry Contractor, it means they could be hiring literally anyone of the street. The contractor could have little knowledge of local codes or have low quality workmanship. This could potentially lead to hiring someone for a masonry project or chimney repair that fails to meet basic standards for the craft.

The Journey of a Mason's Apprentice-What it Takes

For a new apprentice to embark on the path to obtaining a Brick and Stone Mason Red Seal Certificate of Qualification, they must first enter a Training agreement with a Journeyman mason willing to train and pass down their skills/knowledge to a new apprentice. A new apprentice must become a member of the Ontario College of Tades. During this time, Journeyman Masons must be helping the apprentice complete their skill log book. The Log book for masonry lists over 54 pages of skills an apprentice must prove their competancy in. These skills range from proper use of mason's hand tools, to safe scaffold erection, to demonstrated competancy in all masonry crafts (like parging, repointing, chimney repair, laying brick, block, and stone units).

Once approximately 1,400 hours of on the job training are complete, an apprentice must attend the Level one masonry schooling program at a provincially recognised institution. There are three levels of schooling totalling 960 hours. The school days are typically 9 hours long broken down into 1.5 hours of theory, followed by 7.5 hours of in-shop practical skills building and excercises.

Here is the curriculum training standard course breakdown by level:

Level 1 (1,400 Jobsite hours required for admission)

• Masonry Glossary

• Tools and Equipment

• Jobsite Preparation and Layout

• Mortar

• SI Measurement

• Clay and Concrete Products

• Cleaning Masonry

Level 2 (2,800 Jobsite hours and brick/block laying timed assessment required for admission)

• Blue Print Reading

• Wall Systems

• Arches and Decorative Bonds

• Reinforced Masonry

• Introduction to Refractories

Level 3 (4,200 Jobsite hours and brick/block laying timed assessment required for admission)

• Glass Block and Paving Stone

• Fireplaces and Chimneys

• Stone Masonry

• Restoration

• Communications

Upon completion of all 3 levels of jobsite/schooling training, a now 4th year apprentice mason must take a final year to complete their Skills Log Book and accumulate a total of 5,600 hours in the trade. At this point an apprentice may qualitfy for the Journeyperson Canadidate Class.

Journeyperson Candidate Class

When an apprentice has achieved this level of training, they have approximately one year to challenge the Certificate of Qualification Red Seal Test. The test is a 125 question written examination covering all aspects of masonry and jobsite problem solving. Upon a passing grade of 70% or higher, a Journeyperson candidate has now achieved the status of Red Seal Certified Brick and Stone Mason. The Certificate is interprovincially recognised allowing for mason's to find work all across Canada.

Conclusion

By selecting a Red Seal Mason for your chimney rebuild, brick repair, repointing or whatever your next masonry project may be, you can rest assured that you are hiring a highly trained and qualified professional. Kavanagh Masonry is proudly owned and operated by an experienced Red Seal Certified Brick and Stone Mason. For more information or to request a quote, please fill out the form on our Request a Quote Page to get the process started today! We look forward to working with you.