As you probably know by now, MCA Canada President and CEO Richard McKeagan has announced his retirement. At the association’s Annual National Conference in November, the Board of Directors named Pierre Boucher, the former president of Canadian Construction Innovations and former chief operating officer of the Canadian Construction Association, as McKeagan’s replacement. Boucher will join MCA Canada on January 29.

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, CANPLAS.

• MCAC Associate Members Annual Calendar: MCA Canada members will be able to track events throughout the year thanks to our Associate Member Annual Calendar. This is the 15th anniversary of the calendar provided by our member manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. The hard copy version of the calendar includes important association meeting and conference dates such as MCA Canada’s 2018 Annual National Conference, September 19–22. Please enjoy this calendar and remember to support those who support your association.
• Membership Advantage Program – AON Home & Auto Insurance: Aon Risk Solutions has been a longstanding partner of MCA Canada on the commercial and bonding side of the insurance business. We have expanded that partnership to include group purchasing power for personal home and auto insurance. Available to all members and their entire staff, you can now offer complete home and auto rates of up to 20 percent off home and 13 percent off auto rates based on Aon’s already low rates. (Please note that due to provincial auto legislation, the auto insurance program is not available in BC, SK and MB). You can find all the information you need at www.mcac.ca. You can also call 613-232-0492 or email mcac@mcac.ca.
• This month's program brought to you by Canplas Industries: Canplas Industries Ltd. is a member of the Aliaxis Group of companies, a global leader of plastic solutions for fluid transport in the field of building materials. The Aliaxis Group provides products for both residential and commercial building markets, in new build and renovation segments, as well as a wide range of solutions for industrial and public utility applications. www.canplas.com

JBKnowledge, markers of SmartBid, is partnering with Pix4D for a free live webinar on how drone mapping can save you time and money on your construction projects. Join them on January 16 at 2 p.m. EST.

On-Site spoke with CCA’s president emeritus Michael Atkinson, Michael Burt of Conference Board of Canada and Peter Hall of Export Development Canada. Atkinson said stabilizing energy prices are a positive sign, but ongoing government commitment to infrastructure investment makes a huge difference. “We expect to see more of that in 2018,” he says. “Some of the programs reach out seven to ten years, so that’s something we believe will provide some spin-off and be a major mainstay of construction demand in the ICI sector going forward.”

The #MeToo movement and looser marijuana restrictions will shake up the legal risks to businesses, a leading Canadian law firm breaks says.

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.

Once reserved for the realm of science fiction, self-driving trucks could transform supply chains across the country, but also threaten to make 300,000 Canadian jobs obsolete.

Read about greener asphalt, 3D-printed concrete bridges, virtual reality in preconstruction, augmented reality, circular business models, self-healing concrete and solar roadways and smart highways.

Microsoft recently announced that a HoloLens hard hat accessory is in the works and will be released early 2018. In addition to the accessory, the HoloLens has also passed some important safety and durability tests. These tests have recently confirmed that the headset meets the requirements of ANSI Z87.1, which allows them to be used as safety glasses, and it has also been rated IP50 for dust protection.

One of the world’s oldest industries faces increasing attacks from a 21st century threat.
Construction has been practiced since early man could form permanent shelter and unlike most other industries, it has up until now resisted digitization.

The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in more than 40 years as Canada closed out a calendar year that saw it produce jobs at a pace not seen since 2002.

1431: Judges' investigations for the trial of Joan of Arc begin.
1613: Samuel de Champlain publishes two volumes of his Voyages.
1805: Lower Canada parliament starts session dealing with prohibiting Sunday shopping and assessing a tax to pay for jails.
1813: Britain officially declares war on the United States.
1867: British North America Act gets first reading at Westminster.
1941: Maiden flight of Canadian built Avro Lancaster military bomber.
1998: Clean-up starts after ice storm affecting millions of homes in Québec & Eastern Ontario.
2007: Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the original iPhone at a Macworld keynote in San Francisco.

Scheduled for February 21 in Toronto, Marijuana in the Workplace: Best Practices for Your Company and Employee Expectations is a symposium for occupational health and safety leaders and decision makers across all industries. The symposium will bring together a panel of experts and industry leaders who will address hot-button issues regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana and its implications on workplace safety in Canada. Attendees will gain insights on compliance, rights and learn best practices in ensuring fitness for duty, manage worker expectations and balance compliance/enforcement with employee privacy.

• March 12–15: CCA Conference, Banff, AB
• March 15: MCA Saskatchewan AGM, Regina, SK
• March 25–29: MCA America Convention, San Antonio, TX
• April 18: MCA Manitoba AGM, Winnipeg, MB
• April 22–29: MCA Ontario Conference, St. Lucia
• May 3–6: MCA British Columbia Conference, Whistler, BC
• May 7–9: MCA Canada Midyear Meetings, Ottawa, ON
• May 8: MCA Canada & CIPH Day on the Hill, Ottawa, ON
• May 31–June 3: MCA Alberta Conference & AGM, Kananaskis, AB
• June 17–19: CIPH Annual Business Conference, Whistler, BC
• July 11: CEC Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Milton, ON
• September 19–22: MCA Canada Annual National Conference, Whistler, BC
• September 27–29: MCA Toronto Conference & AGM, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
• October 1–3: BOMEX 2018, Calgary, AB

As we turn the calendar to 2018, it's important to relfect on our achievements. In that spirit, the fact that MCA Canada, its members and partners have raised more than $155,000 to date in support of Operation Eyesight is a feat worth celebrating. Operation Eyesight celebrated a number of achievements of its own in 2017, and these are highlighted in a special new year's message from the charity. Check it out to see how your donation dollars are being used to save lives in the developing world.