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CGA Newsletter: February 2016

Canadian Glass Association
As the CGA begins 2016, its committees and board of directors are hard at work on a number of fronts.  Among other projects, the CGA board is working on an extensive overhaul of the CGA website, canadianglassassociation.com, which will include a publication store and an updated project showcase.

The CGA Glass Connections Committee has confirmed that Glass Connections 2016 will be held Sept. 13 and 14 at the Westin Ottawa. Topics will include code updates, electrochromic glass and sustainability. The CGA Technical Committee is meeting quarterly and recently released a Wired Glass Advisory. This committee will be representing CGA in its membership of the Glazing Industry Code Committee (GICC).  GICC, which is a committee under the Glass Association of North America (GANA), advocates for industry code positions on energy, structural, and safety building codes.

In late 2015, Bill Yanek was named the new executive director of the CGA.  Bill also serves as the executive vice president of GANA. By working in both roles, Bill will be better able to coordinate joint efforts between CGA and GANA.

Provincial Glaziers Association of Alberta
After a successful offering of the first course in our Master Glazier Program – Reading Division 8 Plans – the PGAA and SAIT Polytechnic are pleased to announce that all 12 students achieved the 80 per cent minimum pass mark. This speaks to the quality of the students upgrading their skills in the Master Glazier Program. Congratulations to all of you. A second offering of Reading Division 8 Plans will start Feb. 26 and is now open for registration at sait.ca. For complete details on the MGP go to pgaa.ca and link to education. The second course in the MGP, Doors and Hardware Installation, is nearing completion. We expect to be able to offer this course in late spring or early this summer. These courses are currently being offered only at the SAIT campus in Calgary. However, for the convenience of those Northern Alberta students wishing to take the MGP courses and unable to travel, SAIT will offer them on at the SAIT Edmonton Glazing campus. Please go to pgaa.ca and click on About Us and send an email to the PGAA with your name, contact info and course you are interested in. The PGAA will put you on an “Edmonton” list. Given sufficient interest your course will be offered in Edmonton. You will be contacted with the date to see if that works for you. Remember, you do not need to be a journeyman glazier to take these courses. You may simply want to upgrade your skills. You do however need to be a journeyman glazier to obtain Master Glazier Certification. This program is also available to journeyman glaziers outside of Alberta. Please contact the PGAA and we will walk you through the process.

Participation in our Certificate of Leadership program was successful again this year. Thank you to Brad Simpson from Cal-Tech Glass Services in Calgary for the success of this program. You can view the recipients on our website.

Brent Harder from Ferguson Glass in Calgary attended the first GICC (Glazing Industry Code Council) meeting via conference call. The committee prepared an advisory on Wired Glass that was given to the CGA board for their approval. It was approved and will be available on the CGA website in the near future.

The PGAA is in the process of updating our website with a new platform. I would like to thank Al Ryland from Alumicor Calgary for heading up this project. We should go live early this spring. That’s it from Alberta.

Ontario Glass and Metal Association
The legal review of the Construction Lien Act is now well underway, an information package has been completed by the legal review group for distribution, and the review group is preparing their recommendations for the Ontario  government.  Their submission has been delayed until March, 2016. The OGMA has teamed up with the Prompt Payment Ontario (PPO) group to represent our interests in bringing fair payment terms into law.  PPO had its’ day at the table with the review group at the end of October.  Updates on the status of the review will be distributed as they become available.

Our Winter Seminar took place on Jan. 21 at the Richmond Hill Golf Club. Geza Banfai, a leading construction law expert, presented an up-to-the-minute update on the status of the Ontario Construction Lien Act review, discussed the legal pitfalls encountered and remedies available to glazing contractors and suppliers and held a lively question and answer period. [See full report on page 24.]

The OGMA will once again be asking members to submit a presentation on a project they are particularly proud of and would like to brag a bit about. Keep your eyes open for your submissions package and don’t be shy about blowing your own horn.  Winners will be presented with a beautiful plaque that you’d be proud to display in your office at the Top Glass Conference on April 20.

Mark your calendar on May 26 and plan to be at the outstanding Pipers Heath Golf Club for our Spring Golf Tournament. Then mark your calendar again on Sept. 22 and plan to be at the renowned Country Club in Woodbridge (formerly the Board of Trade Golf Club).

If you are conducting business in the glass industry in Ontario, the OGMA is the voice that represents your interests at the provincial and federal level. Protect your business interests by becoming a member or as an associate member if you are a consultant to the industry.  Please visit the OGMA website for more information.

After a year of preparation, the safety manual is now ready for use by the metal and glass industry. The manual was created by qualified health and safety professionals and is a timesaving tool enabling glass shops to establish their own company program. Not only will this support a company’s efforts to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses, it will also lower costs and time related to WSIB claims. Additionally, the health and safety manual provides proof of compliance with the new OHSA Regulation 297/13.