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CGA Newsletter October 2018

National activities of the Canadian Glass Association are on hiatus pending discussions of a new direction for the association.

The association will be meeting at the upcoming WinDoor show in Quebec City in December to explore options going forward. To help chart this course, please contact David Langton at dlangton@compglass.com

Fenestration Association of B.C.
October 24 is the date for the FenBC Industry Conference at Sheraton Guildford in Surrey. We are working on our agenda at this time. Please visit our website at fen-bc.org to get updated information. If you are interested in sponsoring or being an exhibitor check out the link on our website.

 At the FenBC Annual General Meeting in February, David Langton reported to the attending FenBC membership that the FenBC board had to make the decision to let the FenBC Red Seal Glazier Apprentice Training program fold. This decision was not made lightly. It was a decision made based on finances and industry support. Simply put, there was just not enough industry support to keep the school going. Financially, it would continue to be a considerable strain on the association resources.

With the help of a few FenBC members we were able to get some interim funding in 2016 which helped us get this far. But it would not and could not last without the industry, and by industry we mean available apprentices that could fill 48 seats per fiscal year. After much consultation it was realized that this was just not achievable. August 31 marked the official end date for the FenBC Red Seal Glazier Apprentice Training Program.

FenBC has maintained the curriculum for future uses. Journeyperson upgrading, Level 1, 2 and 3 challenge support programming, apprentice specific training, webinars and seminars are just a few of the ideas being considered by your FenBC board of directors.

I [Zana Gordon, executive director] would personally like to thank all the FenBC and Glazing Contractors Association of B.C. contractors who supported the program over the years. We were successful in training 140 Level 1 apprentices, 110 Level 2 apprentices and 72 Level 3 Red Seal Journeypersons. It was a great run while it lasted.

Provincial Glaziers Association of Alberta
With summer seemingly behind us and fall’s grip already upon us, our members are back to work trying to end a mediocre year on a strong note. The PGAA did hold a golf tournament in Lacombe in August. Our numbers were down this year, as no one had time to organize or attend events, but all in attendance had a great day. An uninvited guest, B.C. Smoke, left a bit of a damper on the skies but it was a good day nonetheless.

For the past few months, in conjunction with the Alberta Construction association, we have met with the Alberta government to battle changes to the Labour Act, OH&S and WCB that are having a detrimental effect on business and costs. While the NDP believes that these changes will have positive lifestyle changes for workers, the reality is that they will result in less jobs, less hours, less benefits and employers taking less risks. There will be no winners here.

On the Master Glazier Program, after years of work, it is now on hold. In the end, a delivery method of ongoing education paid for by employees and employers on personal time has not been well received or supported. So it is back to the drawing board. Perhaps we can alter the delivery to resemble an enhancement of the existing Red Seal program (like a Master Electrician’s designation), but time will tell.

Hopefully we will have more to report over the coming months.

Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association
From time to time the AGMCA will use this space to turn the spotlight on its volunteer directors or its member companies. This month, we celebrate the 90th birthday of long-standing director and treasurer of the AGMCA, Al Jones.

Our association officially gained designation from the Ontario Ministry of Labour as the employer bargaining agency for the unionized glazing contractors of Ontario in 1979. It wasn’t long afterwards that Al joined our board as a director. Al started in the glass business in the late 1940’s as a draftsmen for Pilkington Glass in Toronto.

Following some time spent with Scarborough Glass, Al joined Fred Fulton Sr. at Sealite as a sales rep. Al bought Jessup Glass in 1971 and changed the name to Parkway Glass, where he, along with his son, Steve, successfully carried on business for 47 years until his retirement this year.

Anyone who has met or dealt with Al in his over 70 years in our industry will always comment on his kind demeanor, his professionalism and his quick wit, which remains intact to this day. Well-wishers can reach Al by emailing our association at noel@agmca.ca. All emails will be presented to Al on your behalf.

For more information on our association, please contact us by email or through our website at agmca.ca.

Ontario Glass and Metal Association
We will be notifying members of the details of our fall seminar to be held in mid-November in the next while. Topics planned for this event include the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program as well as the new bonding provisions contained in the Ontario Construction Act.