Dan Leduc, a partner with Norton Rose Fulbright, has been speaking for the MCAC Education Council and MCA Ontario for a number of years at various conferences and events. During a special presentation at our Annual National Conference, Mr. Leduc will update delegates on the Ontario Bill 142, An Act to Amend the Construction Lien Act. The proposed legislation deals with the province’s lien act, prompt payment provisions, and a dispute resolution scheme through adjudication. By attending this session, Ontario delegates will get a better feeling for what the bill contains. Since many feel that Bill 142 could be used as a template for prompt payment legislation in other jurisdictions, delegates from across the country will be able to bring the knowledge they gain back to their respective provinces.

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

Learn more about how you can become a 'Gold Standard' Contractor.

MCA Hamilton employers announced the recipients of their 23rd annual scholarships earlier this week. Each year, the companies donate $20,000 worth of scholarships to exceptional students who are also the children of salaried employees of their contractor member companies.

For three days, members of MCA Canada and CANS converged in Halifax, Nova Scotia to take part in the CEC's Project Procurement and Strategies Conference. It was another highly successful program, nearing a sellout, and speakers received the highest ratings possible. Students were able to take away real-life scenarios and tools that will assist them in preparing bids, deciding when to walk away from bids, evaluating risk, and building client relationships – to name a few. Thank you to our sponsors, without whom events like these would not be possible. They are: CANS, Victaulic, Black and McDonald, Allpriser, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Fastest Inc. If you missed out and would still like to attend, the program will be offered in 2018. Watch for an announcement early in the new year.

Tax experts say Finance Bill Morneau’s plan to adjust his controversial tax proposals is easier said than done. Morneau has tried to calm the anger surrounding the federal government’s small business tax package with some hints on how he might address some of the concerns.

With the legalization of marijuana less than a year away, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how to deal with cannabis on construction project sites.

Download the attached document for a summary of the major initiatives discussed during the Canadian Construction Association’s most recent board meeting on October 3 and 4 in Niagara Falls, ON. Topics of interest include prompt payment legislation, a new procurement guide, and an enhanced educational initiative.

The second National Construction & Maintenance Industry Strategy Summit was held on October 5 in Ottawa. Building on the National Industry Strategy that was developed based upon stakeholder input at the June 2015 Summit, this summit served as a forum to share and inspire industry action to continue to address the challenges outlined in 2015 – specifically in the areas of safety, productivity and retention.

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.

CEC is pleased to announce dates for the following training programs. Click the course name for a full description, dates and registration information. Or click through to the CEC programs page for a list of all the courses.

Dispatcher Training Program – Toronto, ON – October 25-26
Agile Construction Program – Toronto, ON – November 29–30

Wolseley Canada is the country's leading national distributor of plumbing, hydronic, HVAC/R and PVF products and solutions to professional contractors, retailers, and industrial users. With a network of over 220 branches coast to coast, and a national team of sales and service specialist, the Wolseley team is known for the knowledge and expertise that customers have come to rely on for their ever-changing needs.

1541: Jean-François de Roberval given seigneurial ownership of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador.
1663: Jean-Baptiste Legardeur de Repentigny elected first mayor of Quebec City.
1671: First auctioning of furs from Hudson Bay at Garroway's Coffee House in the City of London. Leads to founding of the Hudson's Bay Company.
1860: First Open Championship (referred to in North America as the British Open).
1875: Icelanders set out in scows down the Red River from the wharf at Notre Dame Avenue East toward Gimli, Manitoba.
1878: John A. Macdonald sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada for the second time replacing Alexander Mackenzie.
1910: The Royal Canadian Navy becomes a reality when HMCS Niobe, bought from the British Admiralty for £215,000, docks at Halifax.
1931: Al Capone is convicted of income tax evasion.
1956: The first commercial nuclear power station is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in Sellafield, in Cumbria, England.
1969: Pierre Trudeau introduces the Official Languages Act in Parliament. The legislation requires all federal departments, commissions and agencies to offer both English and French languages.
1970: Front de libération du Québec Chénier cell members Paul Rose and Francis Simard murder Québec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte.

The Washington-based International Monetary Fund is now estimating Canada's gross domestic product for 2017 will be 3.0 percent, half a percentage point higher than its July estimate.

A surge in full-time work fuelled a 10th-straight month of net job gains to match the economy’s longest monthly streak since the financial crisis nine years ago, Statistics Canada says.

• October 19: CIPHEX Roadshow, Regina, SK
• November 6-9: MCA Canada’s 76th National Conference, Maui, Hawaii
• November 22: CEC webinar: Increase Your Revenue by Clobbering the Competition
• December 13: CEC webinar: Get out of the Truck and Go Online to Own Your Customers

MCA Canada is proud to offer our members an update to the corporate rate when using Choice Hotels. Choice Hotels includes Comfort, Quality, Clarion and a few others like the upscale Ascend Hotel Collection. There are over 325 Choice locations across Canada, and more than 6,300 worldwide. Hotels are conveniently located near major airports, key highways and business districts. You'll also be able to connect easily with colleagues using free high-speed Internet, and jump-start your day with free breakfast at most locations. Contact the MCAC office for your discount code by emailing daryl@mcac.ca, calling 613-232-0492 or visiting www.mcac.ca.

With the holiday season soon upon us, Operation Eyesight is saying "thank you” to everyone who has contributed to this very important cause. Learn more about some of the people in the developing world whose lives your donations have changed. And as we start to look ahead to the holiday season, please consider making Operation Eyesight your charity of choice—as it is ours.