February 17, 2017 (OTTAWA)—The National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC), of which MCA Canada is a founding member,  met in Ottawa on Monday, February 6, 2017 with senior representatives from Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) Prompt Payment Task Force. The task force is exploring ways to improve the flow of payment and is developing payment principles. Then on Tuesday, February 7, the NTCCC participated in a "Day on the Hill” event meeting with numerous Members of Parliament, Senators, and senior advisors soliciting their support for Bill S-224: Canada Prompt Payment Act. Finally, on Wednesday, February 8, the NTCCC appeared before the Senate Banking Trade and Commerce Committee providing testimony again, in support of Bill S-224. Other organizations and individuals also provided testimony on February 2, and February 8. To watch the Senate Committee hearings, visit the MCA Canada website or click here. 

On Monday, February 13, 2017, MCA Canada met with the Assistant Deputy Minister and senior representatives from Public Services and Procurement Canada regarding the federal government's new "procurement modernization initiative." The purpose of the meeting was to share developments and provide feedback on ways to improve the government's buying processes and make it easier for companies to do business with the federal government. The procurement modernization integration team is looking for your input, as industry practitioners, on the procurement process. Specifically, they would like to know, from your perspective, how they can make the bidding process faster and easier. Please send your comments to daryl@mcac.ca for submission to the integration team.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 – Book it in your calendar today! That's the date for this year's annual 2017 CEC Golf Tournament. This year it will be held at a new location, the Royal Ontarion Golf Club in Milton, ON. This is a fun and important fundraiser for the Education Council so please add this event to your calendar. Registration and sponsorship will be available shortly.

Congratulations to MCA Saskatchewan Executive Director, Carolyn Bagnell who has just received her CAE (Certified Association Executive) designation. After more than two years of hard work, she has received a professional designation in not-for-profit leadership. Designed to meet the needs of leaders in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive market, CAE courses provide critical transferable skills overlaid with sector-specific knowledge. Way to go, Carolyn!

World Plumbing Day is an international salute to the quality of life that modern plumbing brings to the world. It is an opportunity to celebrate those who are responsible for providing it and to bring attention to those areas of the world where lack of access to reliable plumbing is hindering economic and social development. In Canada efforts to recognize this event are led by the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada as well as the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating. The two organizations coordinate resources. To find out more on World Plumbing Day you can visit the MCA Canada website at www.mcac.ca.

The Canadian Design-Build Institute 2017 National Design-Build Conference is being held October 12-13, 2017 in Calgary, AB . They are calling for anyone who would like to delivery a presentation. The due date for submissoins is March 15, 2017. The CDBI invites knowledgeable and well-expressed individuals willing to share their expertise and hands-on experiences to submit a presentation proposal. For further details please go to the CDBI web site...Click here.

The Canadian Industrial Energy End-Use Data and Analysis Centre (CIEEDAC) has published a fact sheet and a report on the energy use in the Canadian construction industry 1990 – 2015. It can be downloaded for the CCA website.

The Construction Education Council (CEC), in partnership with MCA Canada and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH), is pleased to offer this all-new three-part webinar series on the "Industrialization of the Construction Industry." The construction industry is reaching an inflection point, beyond which things may never look or be the same again. Like many industries, the construction industry is under constant pressure to improve productivity and reduce cost and waste. In this presentation, Dr. Perry Daneshgari will explain the three forces leading to the construction industry's inflection point:
• Week 1 – March 28, 2017: Industrialization of Construction® – What's happening & how to get ready for it.
• Week 2 – April 4, 2017: Disruption of the Construction Industry – How will it happen & what should you do about it?
• Week 3 – April 11, 2017: Shift in the Construction Market – How to deal with the new realities.
* Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
* Cost: $129.00 per single webinar or $300.00 for all 3 webinars

Looking to upgrade your Project Coordinator to a Project Manager? CEC offers a Gold Seal Project Management program with a focus on several different competencies including but not limited to project administration, scheduling, safety (a management perspective), change orders, job cost controls, meetings and communication, labour relations, meetings and communication and project completion. The next course will run March 30 to April 3 and April 20-24, 2017. The cut-off date for registration is March 14th, 2017.

MCA Canada is developing an online database so that our members can search for suppliers by the category of products(s) and services they provide. To ensure your company is included in this complimentary listing, please click here.

April 26 - 27, 2017 at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, PQ - The biggest Canadian event for the HVACR, plumbing, electrical and lighting industries is coming to Montreal this spring. With thousands of new products, technologies and ideas, MCEE 2017 brings the entire industry together under one room on April 26 and 27 at Place Bonaventure in Montreal.  Visitors will have the opportunity to see displays from more than 400 exhibitors from Canada, the United States and around the globe. Registration is free before April 25 at www.mcee.ca. Want to avoid line-ups at the door?  Register before March 31 and your badge will be mailed to you before the show. Register Now.