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Canadian Glass Association: June 2009

As I write this report I am planning for the upcoming semi-annual
meeting of the Canadian Glass Association (CGA). By the time you get
this issue in June the meeting

President’s report

By David Husson, CGA president

As I write this report I am planning for the upcoming semi-annual meeting of the Canadian Glass Association (CGA). By the time you get this issue in June the meeting, which took place in Vancouver, BC., on May 29, will be over and board members will be busy following up on the various initiatives that came out of it.

Your directors have set out an aggressive agenda to move the association forward. Some of the major items discussed are fund raising, the Glazing Systems Specifications Manual and the interaction with other national associations.

The CGA is looking to expand its volunteer base to include a committee structure such as a Technical Committee and perhaps a Marketing Committee.

We are also going to be looking into expanding the service of the organization by reaching out to those areas which are not represented by a local organization.

I can finally report that we have concluded the Glazing Systems Specifications Manual for Ontario. One of the items we will be discussing is how we can make the manual generic and perhaps have the local building code references as a separate area so that we can decrease the expense of re-writing it for every jurisdiction in the country.

In closing, I would like to extend everyone a safe and healthy summer.

By Richard Verdon, CGA vice-president

As the first vice-president of the Canadian Glass Association (CGA) I would like to introduce myself to the readers of Glass Canada and thank previous directors Dennis Haatvedt and Ken Kassian for the volunteer work they performed while serving this association. Like any other industry association, the CGA is only as strong as the members who support it and the directors who volunteer countless hours to make it all possible.

 First, I need to address something. As many glass trade professionals in Ontario know, the National Capital Glass Association (NCGA) based in Ottawa folded last year.

 It was a sad day when we had to shut down the association after many years of success. We tried very hard to keep it going by calling out for help to our local industry after we ran out of volunteers to sit on the board of directors. The response was nil and the team that was left: Garry Parsons, Pete Fridgen, Bill St-Amand, Jason Sears and I were all moving on to new things.

Garry and I were dedicated to keep it going because we had been doing this since day one and we would of helped out new volunteer board members but there was no one left to recruit.

I would like to take the time to say ‘thank you’ to the founding members of the NCGA and to all the volunteers who helped us make a difference. On this note I am calling out to the industry again. I am not a quitter and I don’t give up easily. But I can’t do everything alone.

I am sending another challenge to the glass companies in Ottawa to get this association started again for their own benefit. There are several associations across the country doing great things for their members. I think the nation’s capital should be a part of the Canadian Glass Association and the only way to be a part of this is by re-starting it.
 The CGA meeting at the end of May was held in B.C., and one of the main topics on the agenda was finding a way to get industry associations started in provinces that do not currently have one.

I have been soliciting some prospects in Quebec to get this going. We need to grow together to make our country a player in the glass industry and all provinces are an important part of our growth.

I would like to help out anybody from Quebec and the Maritimes who has an interest in starting an association.

What about the good news?
Changing gears I want to give you my opinion about the economy. Now I know this is not for everybody but think about it. Things really are not that bad. It only sounds like it because the mainstream media is rushing to out-scoop each other on the doom-and-gloom stories before the recession comes to an end. These stories tend to outweigh the positive stories, but the positive stories are still out there. Glass Canada magazine highlights these stories and you can read about them in every issue despite the recession. Whether it is a unique glazing application or a new product launch, there are new, exciting, and do I dare say, positive things happening in this industry.

Well, I have not listened to a radio broadcast or a TV newscast for at least a year now but I have read a lot of news about our industry…and a great percentage of it is positive.

I see a bright future in the glass industry in Canada no matter what the headlines read. I think that Canada stands out by its commitment to stay strong and healthy. I wish all of you a positive outlook on the success of your companies because during times like this we really need to pull together as a group. I am delighted to be a proud Canadian and to be able to pass on my optimism to the rest of the glazing industry.

PGAA/GTA

By Steve Petersen, PGAA president

The Glazing Apprenticeship Program is alive and well in Alberta. It is being delivered by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, and now in Edmonton as well. There are more than 330 glazing apprentices who are active in the program. This has been due to the hard work of members of the glazing associations in Alberta. This bodes well for the future of the whole glazing industry in Alberta, because it will help alleviate the lack of skilled labour in our trade.

Recently the Calgary Construction Association organized a trades industry Career Day. More than 2,000 students were bused to the Calgary Roundup Centre, to be educated by all facets of the construction industry. The Glass and Architectural Metals Association (GAMA) exhibited at this job fair with a huge booth to promote all areas of the glazing industry.

The Career Day was a huge success and will be repeated in the future.

Photo by Gord Germiquet, Glass Unlimited.

AGMCA

By Barrie Eon, AGMCA executive manager

Peter Neudorf

The Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association (AGMCA) held its Annual General Meeting in December 2008 in conjunction with the Construct Canada Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ont. As usual, the Annual General Meeting dealt with the business and day-to-day operations of the association, including the election of the new board of directors for the association.

The AGMCA welcomed its newest board member, Peter Neudorf Jr.  Peter is director of field operations with Neudorf Glass Industries Ltd. and Ferguson Neudorf Glass, a family and operated business with headquarters in the Niagara Peninsula. The firm is well recognized for a myriad of high profile projects in Canada, U.S., and the Caribbean. Peter brings to the association some 30 years of experience in the glass industry and has been serving the industry as a volunteer to the National Occupational Analysis Committee (Red Seal Trades), as well, a recently appointed member of the Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) for the Architectural Glass & Metal Technician Trade.

AGMCA directors, from left, Dennis Haatvedt, Al Jones, Richard House, Kline Holland, René Vlahovic, George Scullion, Joe Buck, Shawn McHale and Tony Menecola.

Peter joins the following industry volunteers for 2009:
Tony Menecola, president, Applewood Glass & Mirror Inc.; Dennis Haatvedt, vice-president, AGC Flat Glass; Al Jones, treasurer, Parkway Glass And Mirror Ltd.; Kline Holland, director of labour relations, AGMCA; René Vlahovic, past president, Albion Glass Company Limited; Joe Buck, Merit Glass Limited; Richard House, Glass Houses Inc.; Shawn McHale, Ottawa Valley Glass Enterprises Ltd.; and George Scullion, Millenium Glass & Metal Inc.

Congratulations and thanks are in order to those fellow industry practitioners who have committed themselves to serve their association and its many volunteer committees for 2009. These people spend hundreds of hours away from their businesses and families on matters that benefit the industry at large.

After three years of collaboration between the Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association (AGMCA) and the Ontario Glass and Metal Association (OGMA) and, with the guidance and assistance of one of the most respected industry experts, John Matrofini, P.Eng., there is now available, a relevant reference guide of standards and practices for the glazing industry.

The new Ontario Glazing Systems Specifications Manual serves as a comprehensive reference to architectural aluminum and glass products, as well as, technology, building code requirements and relevant design and performance issues. It is directed to several audiences, including architects and specifiers, offering aid in understanding and specifying the kinds of products supplied and installed by contractors. For contractors working in the glass industry, it serves as a reference guide to related issues that affect their suppliers and customers.

For more information, or to order the New Ontario Glazing Systems Specifications Manual, contact the AGMCA office 905-420-7272 or by e-mail: info@agrnca.ca.

OGMA

By Ennio Rea

Ontario Glass and Metal Association (OGMA) will hold its fall golf tournament on Sept. 16, 2009 at BraeBen Golf Course in Mississauga, Ont. The popular Lifetime Achievement Award will be handed out at this tournament.

The OGMA would like to remind members that they can order a copy of the new Glazing Systems Specifications Manual for Ontario which is now available at
www.ogma.ca

The Glazing Systems Specifications Manual (Ontario Version) is a comprehensive reference to architectural aluminum and glass products, as well as technology, building code requirements, and relevant design and performance issues. It is directed towards several audiences, including architects and specifiers, offering aid in understanding and specifying the kinds of products supplied and installed by contractors. For contractors working in the glass industry, it serves as a reference guide to related issues that affect their suppliers or customers.

The manual concept was created by the Glazing Contractors Association (GCA) of British Columbia. The manual was then adjusted by glass associations in Alberta to serve that province’s building and construction market.

The Architectural Glass & Metal Contractors Association (AGMCA) and the Ontario Glass & Metal Association (OGMA) agreed to work together to bring to fruition a Glazing Systems Specifications Manual for Ontario.

With the guidance of one of the most respected industry experts, John Mastrofini, P.Eng., the task of altering the British Columbia and Alberta manuals for use in Ontario began. Mr. Mastrofini engaged a number of other specifiers and designers in the project to assist in producing an up-to-date, relevant reference guide that maintained uniformity with British Columbia and Alberta manuals.

The manual was launched in Ontario last year and featured as a cover story in the October 2008 issue of Glass Canada.