Waves of Discovery – Join us for our 76th National Conference, November 6 to 9 at the wonderful Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa in Maui, Hawaii. The Sheraton Maui is located on 23 oceanfront acres on legendary Ka’anapali Beach. This year’s conference will feature exceptional educational content, amazing featured speakers and spectacular social events. A couple of new additions are general sessions for all delegates with interesting guest speakers and a new reception and tradeshow. We look forward to seeing you. Register early to save money. Aloha!

Hotel rooms are going fast, so book your room today. Just imagine yourself in Hawaii waking up in one of the 500 rooms and looking out the window at paradise. Have your meals in one of the four onsite restaurants, drinks at one of three bars/lounges or stay cool in one of the two poolside bars. Be sure to reserve your room with the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa for the preferred conference rate of $239/night. This special rate is available to conference attendees only and reservations can be made from the MCAC website.

Where else can you increase your corporate brand while enjoying face-to-face interaction with Canada’s top decision makers and industry influencers from across the country in a relaxed and social atmosphere? There are still a number of excellent sponsorship opportunities to match your particular corporate profile. You can view and download the sponsorship brochure on the MCAC website or get your copy by emailing daryl@mcac.ca or calling 613-232-0492. Mahalo.

The MCAC Member Multimedia Information Program delivers timely and valuable information to our entire membership via email (Just The Fax), the internet (www.mcac.ca) and direct mail. The program’s goal is to provide every MCA member with regular information on upcoming events, programs and projects. In addition, each communication will feature one of our Membership Advantage Programs, which can save you thousands of dollars each year.

This month's program is brought to you thanks to the generosity of our featured associate member, HOLDRITE.

• MCA Canada’s 76TH Annual National Conference - Room Block 78% sold! – The MCA Canada 2017 Conference Planning Guide was mailed to all member companies in last month’s mailout, and we received a great response with an abundance of conference registrations and resort reservations. If you have not yet made your reservations with the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, act now! Also, be sure to register for the conference at www.mcac.ca.
• Membership Advantage Program: FedEX – As an MCA Canada member, you are eligible for member discounts on select FedEx shipping services. Whether you’re shipping within Canada, to the U.S. or around the world, count on FedEx to deliver peace of mind and reliability. For more details, visit www.mcac.ca.
• This month's program brought to you by HOLDRITE – HOLDRITE has established a reputation as a leading manufacturer known for innovative products and services in such categories as pipe and equipment support systems, acoustical plumbing solutions, water heater accessories, and water and firestop sleeving systems. HOLDRITE also offers value-added no-cost services to the contractor, wholesaler and engineer to assist with multiple stages in the project. These VIP services include specification and submittal assistance, 3D product drawings, custom detail application pages, and material take-off assistance to help plan for product inventory levels. As always, HOLDRITE will stay at the forefront of the construction industry by offering innovative and cost-effective products that are optimized to be the best solution for the total application.

MCA Canada would like to recognize our contractor and associate member companies that are celebrating 100 years in business. If your company is commemorating its centenary in 2017, please contact the MCA Canada office. We would very much like to acknowledge this tremendous achievement in our newsletter and at our national conference in November. Download the submission form, and send the completed document by email to daryl@mcac.ca or fax to 613-235-2793.

The Donald Trump administration has released a summary of objectives for the upcoming North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations, and while it is vague, Canadian construction industry stakeholders are concerned the U.S. is proposing to retain Buy America provisions and that Canada and Mexico will have to provide concessions to the U.S.

Federal funding has been announced for two projects as a way to help advance gender equality in Alberta's and Canada's economies.

Executive director Rosemary Sparks will retire effective August 31 and Bill Ferreira will be taking over the reins beginning August 8.

Top civil servants in Ottawa worry that a massive infrastructure spending program in the U.S. may drive up costs for materials and services in the medium term and potentially dampen any economic spin offs.

A Notice of Intent was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on March 4, 2017 indicating Natural Resources Canada's intent to proceed with the development of Amendment 15.

CEC is pleased to announce that it will once again offer its highly acclaimed Estimating Conference in Halifax, NS from October 11 to 13. This is a unique conference focusing not on how to estimate, but rather project procurement and strategies. Sessions covered will include deal breakers, project risk and go/no go strategies, putting together a proposal, and what a general contractor looks for in its selection process to name a few. The conference is led by Jack Wilhelmi and Tim Wentz from MCA America with a special session held by Dan Leduc from Norton Rose Fulbright.

Registration is now open. Class size is limited to 30 so do not delay in registering for this program.

The federal government has announced a new pilot project as part of its Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) to encourage innovation in protecting infrastructure along with two other targeted populations.

This looks at 12-month moving totals of the civil and non-residential building categories in Canada.

Medicine Hat leads the way among the eight municipalities included in the Conference Board's report on the economic health of mid-sized cities, all of which are expected to experience growth this year.

The International Monetary Fund expects Canada to lead the G7 for economic growth this year.

30 BC: Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of Rome.
1498: Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to visit what is now Venezuela.
1534: Jacques Cartier sights the mountains on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He will claim Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the lands adjacent for France.
1774: British scientist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen gas, corroborating the prior discovery of this element.
1824: John Galt proposes founding the Canada Land Company for settlement in western Upper Canada.
1834: Slavery is abolished in the British Empire as the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into force.
1837: Queen Victoria proclaimed Queen in Canada.
1885: Louis Riel found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
1907: The first Scout camp starts on Brownsea Island, the origin of the worldwide Scouting movement.
1911: Harriet Quimby takes her pilot's test and becomes the first U.S. woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator's certificate.
1914: The German Empire declares war on the Russian Empire at the opening of World War I.
1936: The Olympics opened in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler.
1944: Parliament passes Family Allowances Act, which provides monthly baby bonuses to parents of children under 18.
1957: The United States and Canada form the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
1981: MTV begins broadcasting in the United States and airs its first video, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.

Natural Resources Canada will hold a webinar on August 23 to present the details of new technical bulletins on commercial electric water heaters and commercial gas and oil-fired water heaters.

• September 14: Modern Hydronics Summit 2017, Mississauga, ON
• September 21: CIPHEX Roadshow, St. John’s, NL
• September 27-29: Women in HVACR 14th Annual Conference, Fort Worth, TX
• September 29: CANS 155th AGM, St. Andrew's By-The-Sea, NB
• September 29-October 1: MCA Toronto AGM, Collingwood, ON
• October 2-4: CCA Meetings, Niagara Falls, ON
• October 15-18: MSCA Educational Conference, Boca Raton, Florida
• October 17: CIPHEX Roadshow, Edmonton, AB
• October 19: CIPHEX Roadshow, Regina, SK
• November 6-9: MCA Canada’s 76th National Conference, Maui, Hawaii

As you know, Operation Eyesight is MCA Canada's Charity of Choice. The organization does important work across the developing world to provide people in need with the basics of life: access to clean water and sanitation. Their work has improved, and even saved, the lives of countless people in these regions.

MCA Canada is always accepting donations to this important cause from its members, but did you know that you can donate more than just cash? Here are five more ways you can show your support: