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CGA Newsletter – February 2009

As I begin this report, I am surprised that my first year as president has been completed.
This year we have made some critical decisions to move our association
forward. We really have to develop a method to raise revenue to help
our association grow. This is our number one priority.

Dave Husson
Richard Verdon, from Ontario, has been appointed to CGA first vice-president.

President’s report
By David Husson, CGA president
As I begin this report, I am surprised that my first year as president has been completed.

This year we have made some critical decisions to move our association forward. We really have to develop a method to raise revenue to help our association grow. This is our number one priority.

I am also sad to say we are losing two important directors this year in Dennis Haatvedt and Ken Kassian. Both gentlemen have been involved since the beginning of the CGA and will be sorely missed. I have appreciated all the help and commitment that both these gentlemen have made to the CGA and I wish them both all the success in the future.

I thank Steve Petersen, from Alberta, who stepped forward to volunteer for the second vice-president position and Richard Verdon, from Ontario, who stepped forward to volunteer for the first vice-president position. These two individuals have been active with their provincial associations for several years and will bring a tremendous amount of expertise to the board.

At this time our industry is facing an uncertain future. It is in difficult times that our industry develops a leaner approach and systems to make our industry more competitive so that projects can move forward.

With the automotive industry in North America suffering and all the doom and gloom, remember this:

In the early 1990s how many people owned a laptop computer? How many people had heard of a BlackBerry?

Think of all the spin-off industries these two innovations have created. We live in really exciting times. Sure we face stiff competition from offshore companies, but instead of ignoring it why not embrace it and use it to the best of our abilities? Use your time to do what we do best and that is to develop new products or systems to make our industry better.

We have proven our abilities in the construction industry in North America. The standards developed by the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) today were principally developed by the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Association of Canada (IGMAC). The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and our A440 Standards are now accepted for North America.

I am quite certain that the people of our industry will continue to make the innovations necessary to help our industry grow.

AGMCA
By Dennis Haatvedt
The association has had a relatively busy and successful year, however, there was great amount of uncertainty given these difficult economic times with a number of major building projects taken off line. The AGMCA has served an important role with its Labour Relations mandate. The association represents contractors in Ontario who are signatory to the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. AGMCA has a long-standing interest in trades training. The association was the main catalyst of Ontario’s Glazing & Metal Mechanic Apprenticeship program, which began in the early 1970s. Currently, Trade Apprenticeship and Training is offered at the association’s state of the art Ontario Industrial and Finishing Skills Centre in Toronto, with satellite Training Centres in Ottawa and Ancaster, Ontario.

Other highlights include: important initiatives put forward by the Ontario Government, namely the “Armstrong Task Force” to qualify the possible expansion of compulsory trades, AGMCA, supported by the Ontario Glass Association had put forward a major brief to the government to support compulsory certification for the glazing trade in the industrial, commercial, institutional and hi-rise building sectors.

As a member of COCA (Council of Ontario Construction Associations) the AGMCA participates in numerous forums and representations to the Ontario government on a myriad of topics and issues, including occupational health and safety, apprenticeship training, the underground economy, workers compensation, taxation, construction lien legislation, as well as others. Currently of great concern to association members are amendments to the Workplace Insurance and Safety Act which will expand premium coverage to include all company officers and specifically, excluding the renovation/housing contractor. This amendment is also being driven by Ontario Building Trades Unions. Also on the burner of discussion by Ontario contractors are changes to Ontario’s Construction Lien Act. For the most part provincial governments do not seem to want to take up this discussion. Changes are needed to help sub-contractors get their money quicker, and with less bureaucracy in the system, a system that should ensure contractors get paid.

The AGMCA, with the Ontario Glass & Metal Association, has participated in the Ontario Glazing Systems Specification Manual project. Committee members: Steve Gusterson, Dieter Ringler, Barrie Eon, John Mastrofini and Zana Gordon were instrumental in this accomplishment.

OGMA
By Ennio Rea
The association is doing well and membership remains stable. It held two successful golf tournaments in 2008 with the OGMA Fall Golf Tournament held at Carrying Place Golf and Country Club generating $5,000 in donations for the Children’s Wish Foundation. Cathy Greg of The Children’s Wish Foundation, Brian Wiles, treasurer of the OGMA and Ennio Rea, president of the OGMA gathered for a cheque presentation. The OGMA contributed to the committee putting together the Glazing Systems Specifications Manual for Ontario and the association is now looking at methods to distribute it to members. The OGMA has organized a joint meeting with the CSC and the association is looking at other educational programs to offer to its members. The Glazing Systems Specifications Manual will help be a vehicle for that. The association hopes to launch it in the spring in conjunction with an educational seminar.

Steve Petersen from Alberta has been appointed to CGA second vice-president.

PGAA/GTA
By Steve Petersen
The economy in Alberta is starting to show signs of slowing down but glass companies are still busy. The GTA has undertaken an extensive project to reach out to glass companies in more remote areas in northern Alberta and is considering offering them associate membership. The SAIT apprenticeship glazing program in Edmonton has been very successful. Sales of the Glazing Systems Specifications Manual in Alberta have slowed considerably and the association is working on amendments to it with the Glazing Contractors Association in B.C., which holds the patent on this publication.

GAMA
By Margaret Townsend
GAMA held a meeting in September featuring guest speaker Dave Edwards from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) who gave members an update on what’s going on with the SAIT program. 

SAIT has a lot of things going in the glazing trade. In Calgary, there is a class of second year apprentices, with another second year class and a third year class started in the end of October. SAIT’s satellite facility in Edmonton has started its second class of first year apprentices with plans to run a second year class in May 2009.

Ed Dalzell, an instructor with the program reports that the new Edmonton satellite facility is going very well. He acknowledged the support of the GTA and GAMA for all of the support received. Dalzell also commented that having the second venue brings more people into the glass industry, secures the entire program and strengthens the industry overall.

The GAMA golf tournament in June 2008 was a success.  The rain was kind enough to hold off until all golfers were off the course.  This year’s tournament will be at the same venue and is tentatively scheduled for June 12, 2009.

The annual North/South challenge was held on Aug. 22, 2008. There were 48 golfers, and Calgary took the win by a close margin of 40 strokes overall.

The GAMA Annual General Meeting took place in November 2008. At this event, the association recognized the members who have shown leadership and commitment to the industry and the association. The top apprentices are also honoured at this event. The association awards one apprentice from each year with a gift certificate for tool supplies from GAMA and Calgary Fasteners.

The Annual General Meeting is when the association elects its new executives and it is actively looking for members to help.

GCA of B.C.
By Zana Gordon
The Glazing Contractors Association of B.C., (GCABC) begins the New Year by staying in line with its new strategic plan. It has started 2009 by creating three chapters.  There will be one chapter in the Lower Mainland, one on Vancouver Island and one in the Interior. The Lower Mainland chapter will replace the usual general meetings of the association. The objective of having chapters in the outlining areas is to provide opportunities for members outside of the lower mainland to participate in and have the same advantages as those members based in the Greater Vancouver area and Fraser Valley.

Members should mark their calendars for the GCABC/WDMA-BC 18th Annual Golf Tournament on May 28, 2009. We will be holding the tournament at the same location – Hazelmere Golf and Country Club.

GCABC is finalizing the revisions of the Ontario version of the Glazing Systems Specifications Manual.  If this stays on track the manual should be delivered by February.

The GCABC Technical Committee is working on revising the glazing specifications manual to reflect the national building code standards and specifications. Once the newly revised version is completed it will be distributed as a national standard. This will allow each of the provincial associations to add appendices to the manual that will reflect the provincial regulations. The timeline for completion of this revision is early 2010.