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.

Time is running out to sponsor MCA Canada's 76th Annual National Conference. Already, many of your fellow members have come forward with their support of this event. If your firm would like to also sponsor the event, don't delay. Sponsorship opportunities are running out. Learn more in the ‘Events’ section of our website.

MCA Canada invites our associate members to once again participate in our New Product Showcase & Happy Hour. This three-evening event allows suppliers to introduce their latest products and services to the conference delegates. In an effort to expand the interaction with the contractor members, MCA Canada, in consultation with your Associates Council, will host a one-hour showcase on each of November 6, 7 and 9 from 5 to 6 p.m. prior to our major social events. To find out more and to register your company, download the registration form.

More than 60 organizations from across the country, including MCA Canada, have come together to form the Coalition for Small Business Tax Fairness. The coalition opposes the federal government’s tax proposals that would dramatically change the way incorporated small businesses are taxed in Canada. These changes, announced in July 2017, would impose strict new regulations on tax measures that allow small business owners to invest in their business, save for retirement and support their families. For example, changing the rules on income sprinkling and changing the ability to convert earnings to capital gains. Learn more, and read the coalition's letter to the Minister of Finance at www.smallbiztaxfairness.ca and see the ad directed at Members of Parliament in the September 18 edition of The Hill Times.

There is also a survey we would ask you to look at related specifically to this tax issue. Complete it in English
or en français.

Are you interested in broader insurance coverage? Substantial discounts on insurance premiums? Real potential to receive dividends? If so, look no further than MCA Canada's Group Insurance Captive Initiative. What is an insurance captive? It's similar to an insurance company, but owned by an organization to insure its own risk.

MSCC is proud to welcome Randall Plumbing & Heating Limited, from Winnipeg, MB to the growing list of MSCC Gold Standard Contractors. This designation signifies your organization is an elite contractor in Canada. It verifies your company implements best practices in competencies such as technical excellency, safety, training, documentation, security, customer service and business acumen. Congratulations to Rick Korving and the entire team at Randall Plumbing & Heating!

Congratulations to MCA Manitoba and the University of Manitoba for launching the newest MCA Student Chapter. Events are already in the works to engage students with the mechanical contracting industry. As a result of our industry's changing demographics, there is an urgent need to attract the best and brightest students into mechanical contracting. One of the proven methods to achieve this is by orientating students into our field so that they make mechanical their career choice. Thus, the emergence of the MCA Canada Student Chapter Program.

The CanaData East Construction Conference is well known for providing construction forecasts, but this year's event will also offer insights into the political climate south of the border with political analyst and journalism icon Carl Bernstein sharing his views on a "muddled political environment."

BuildForce will host its second National Construction & Maintenance Industry Strategy Summit on October 5 in Ottawa. Join your colleagues, learn from their experiences, and discuss key industry issues like worker retention, marijuana legalization, safety and productivity. You'll also get a preview of the BuildForce 2018 forecast.

Join Skills Canada at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta on November 7 to kick off a week of activities that celebrate and improve the essential skills of Canadian youth entering the workplace.

The goal of National Skilled Trades and Technology Week is to promote and host awareness-raising events around the many career opportunities in skilled trades and technology in Canada. During the week, organizations from across Canada get involved with Skills Canada in a "hands-on” way to promote skilled trades and technology careers to youth, parents and the public.

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) recently announced that the employment insurance (EI) premium rate for 2018 is $1.66 per $100 of insurable earnings for 2018. This represents a 3-cent increase for employees over the 2017 rate, and 4 cents for employers who pay 1.4 times the employee rate.

According to a recent survey by recruitment firm Hays Canada, 74 percent of Canadians are willing to take a pay cut for their ideal job, as money is taking a backseat to career fulfillment concerns.

The Construction Education Council is pleased to report that the 10-day project management course at the University of Waterloo in November and December is now completely sold out. If you have employees that want to take this important and very useful training program, contact Tania Johnston at the CEC at 613-232-5169 or tania@mcac.ca to be put on the waitlist. If there is enough additional interest for this program, CEC will offer a new series of dates in the spring.

MCAC members are invited to attend two free webinars to learn how to create online customer service that will help you earn new customers and keep existing customers around for a long time.

BuildingSMART Canada has released a new practice manual to serve the design, construction and operations sectors of the Canadian built environment in the adoption of lifecycle Open Building Information Modeling. Watch the webinar on September 20.

Representing companies and brands that have over 100 years of experience in the Canadian marketplace, Masco Canada brings relevant, smart solutions for plumbing-related goods to their consumers and business partners. Responsible for manufacturing, product management, product development, sales and marketing, they meet the needs of our uniquely Canadian marketplace. To find out more, visit www.mascocanada.com.

The latest batch of numbers from the 2016 census suggests Canadians are a little more flush with cash than they were in 2005, but a lot depends on where they live.

1356: In a landmark battle of the Hundred Years’ War, English Prince Edward defeats the French at Poitiers.
1692: Giles Corey is pressed to death for standing mute and refusing to answer charges of witchcraft brought against him. He is the only person in America to have suffered this punishment.
1783: The first hot-air balloon is sent aloft in Versailles, France with animal passengers including a sheep, a rooster and a duck.
1841: The first railway to span a frontier is completed between Strasbourg and Basel, in Europe.
1893: New Zealand becomes the first nation to grant women the right to vote.
1948: Moscow announces it will withdraw soldiers from Korea by the end of the year.
1955: Argentina’s President Juan Peron is overthrown by rebels.
1957: The first underground nuclear test takes place in Nevada.
1970: The first Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (originally called the Pilton Festival) is held near Pilton, Somerset, England.
1982: The first documented emoticons, :-) and :-(, are posted on the Carnegie Mellon University Bulletin Board System by Scott Fahlman.
1985: An earthquake kills thousands in Mexico City.
1985: The Parents Music Resource Center which was formed by Tipper Gore (wife of then-Senator Al Gore) and other political wives lobbies for Parental Advisory stickers on music packaging.
1991: German hikers near the Austria-Italy border discover the naturally preserved mummy of a man from about 3,300 BC; Europe’s oldest natural human mummy, he is dubbed Otzi the Iceman because his lower half was encased in ice.
2006: A military coup in Bangkok revokes Thailand’s constitution and establishes martial law.

Canadian Construction Innovations is hosting its first conference on November 3. This is an exciting opportunity for the Canadian construction industry to come discover what's going on regarding technological shifts, sustainability, innovative solutions, smart cities and so much more!

The Lean Construction Institute of Canada’s (LCI-C) 2018 conference will take place April 24–26 in Vancouver. The theme of the conference is Leaning Forward: Reducing Waste and Working Smarter. Sign up to receive updates and read the latest issue of the LCI-C newsletter.

• 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 11-13: CEC Estimating Conference, Halifax, NS
• 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

Members enjoy significant discounts on Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge trucks, SUVs, minivans and passenger vehicles through Chrysler Canada’s large-account fleet discount program. Save thousands! Simply talk with your local dealership to determine the vehicles you require, then contact the MCA Canada office to access your Fleet Account Number and receive a letter confirming your membership in the association. For more details, contact the MCA Canada office or visit www.mcac.ca.

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: