I hope this message finds you all in good spirit and health. We are in full blown Christmas mode at our house. The tree has been up for a while now. I am looking forward to spending some special times with my family. Valerie and I really enjoy our tradition of opening gifts on Christmas morning. It was so much fun when our boys were little and now we have young grand children who bring such good energy and joy to Christmas morning. Whatever your traditions are, Valerie and I would like to wish each and every one in our MCAC family the very best this holiday season. May you all have a safe and happy break from the pace of the world that surrounds us. Valerie and I will raise a glass of wine to toast to a healthy and happy New Year for our families, and all of our extended family that is MCAC. Take the time to enjoy this time. I leave you with this quote:

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,
And behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

The Canadian Construction Association’s (CCA) pre-budget submission focused on supporting apprenticeship training and increasing labour mobility, increasing industry productivity through the use of tax incentives, and creating a more efficient system of getting infrastructure funding to projects. The House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance recently published a report on pre-budget consultations. CCA was happy to see many of its recommendations in the Commons report (e.g., recommendations 21, 88, 90 & 99).

In the seven months since the previous general meeting, our executive board has focused on improving the performance of the World Plumbing Council (WPC) and addressing fundamental questions about the council’s mission and its focus on outcomes. I am pleased to report we have taken important steps in identifying, and pursuing worthwhile contributions to the global plumbing industry and the broader community.

Let me begin by wishing everyone a very happy Christmas on behalf of my wife Judy Lynn and myself. Hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a short break to celebrate the season with family and friends. Having just begun my chairmanship of CEC a month ago, I have already seen firsthand the tremendous support and effort of all the volunteers and staff involved in our council. I look forward to the discussions we will have and the projects we will work on together.

The Construction Education Council (CEC) proudly presents the exclusive Gold Seal and Blue Seal Accredited Project Management Program. The highly acclaimed program is offered in partnership with the University of Waterloo. The program takes place over a 10-day period and is split into two five-day sessions. This will mark the 40th session offered with nearly 900 industry managers graduating from the program.

Take a look at eight startups developing cool futuristic toys like exoskeletons, mapping drones, and self-driving earthmovers that will propel the construction industry into the future.

1606: The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery depart England carrying settlers who founded Virginia, the first of the 13 colonies that became the United States.
1813: Col John Murray leads the pre-dawn capture of Fort Niagara from the Americans.
1813: James McGill dies. His legacy of land and £10,000 leads to the founding of McGill University.
1846: Toronto and Hamilton mayors send greetings to open Canada's first telegraph service.
1904: Dawson City hockey team starts a nine-day walk to get a boat to Seattle, to catch a train to Ottawa to play in the Stanley Cup.
1917: The NHL starts its inaugural season with games in Toronto and Montréal.
1918: Robert Ripley starts his, Believe It or Not column in The New York Globe.
1972: The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, returns to Earth.
1984: Scotty Bowman becomes NHL's all-time winningest coach.
1984: Wayne Gretzky scores his career 1,000th point on an assist in a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings at age 23.
1998: President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives, becoming the second president to be impeached.
2012: Chris Hadfield blasts off to serve as first Canadian commander of the International Space Station.

Scheduled for May 30–31, Energy Summit 2018 brings together Canada’s energy efficiency experts to grow momentum for your business. Energy management is crucial to maximize profitability and combat climate change. This conference offers customer connections that will give you the power to save. Learn about realistic, turnkey solutions to help your organization thrive in today’s competitive environment.

With the holiday season 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 always, please consider making Operation Eyesight your charity of choice—as it is ours.