Last month, MCA Canada launched a national survey of its membership. The aim of the project is to discover more about who you are and the work you perform, and the information we collect will be used for our internal purposes only. The survey contains just six questions and really does take less than a minute to complete. We hope you'll take the time to complete this important exercise.

MCA Canada is proud to announce our new partnership with Shell. Members can enroll now and save 5¢ per litre on every purchase with their new Shell Fleet Navigator Card program until October 15 and 3¢ thereafter. Use it at over 1,300 Shell stations, as well as any other service station or maintenance location where MasterCard is accepted. Take advantage of this extraordinary discount by contacting MCA Canada at mcac@mcac.ca, visiting mcac.ca/memberships/members-benefits or calling 613-232-0492.

The Construction Education Council would like to expand its list of Canadian instructors. Do you have a passion for teaching and would like to give back to the industry? Please contact Tania Johnston (tania@mcac.ca and 613-232-5169) if you or someone you know would be interested. Please include your area of expertise and any experience that you may have.

MCA Canada staff wears jerseys on April 12 in support of all those affected by the Humboldt Broncos tragedy. Keeping everyone in our thoughts and prayers.

Trade contractors and association leaders from across the country came together in Toronto on April 4 to discuss the progress that has been made both federally and provincially in adopting prompt payment legislation. The National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada Prompt Payment Summit heard from members to give presentations on new developments, hear from political champions, and to discuss strategies to advance the issue.

On April 11, Manitoba Prompt Payment (MBPP), a coalition of 29 construction unions and associations throughout the province, welcomed the introduction of a provincial bill introducing prompt payment legislation. Reg Helwer, MLA from Brandon West, introduced Bill 218, The Prompt Payments in the Construction Industry Act. The coalition expects this legislation to find strong support across party lines.

The seminars are conducted by CCDC members who have worked on the development of the documents, reports the CCA, and will provide background on, “key provisions, significant changes to previous documents, and deliver valuable takeaways for those in attendance."

As part of the CEC legal webinar series, Dan Leduc of Norton Rose Fulbright will present a free webinar to MCA Canada members on managing risk contractually.

Registration and sponsorship opportunities are now open for the 14th Annual CEC Fundraising Golf Tournament at the Royal Ontario Golf Club in Milton, Ontario on July 11. All proceeds from the event go to support CEC’s ability to provide the mechanical contracting industry with innovative education programming. Learn more at CEC's website, or by contacting Tania Johnston at 613-232-5169 or tania@mcac.ca.

The use of drones on construction sites is increasing, as are the applications for the technology, which range from measuring the movement of materials on-site to tracking the status of the entire project. However, drone data is only as powerful as the software that processes it. Moreover, drones can only capture a building’s exterior.

Taco is much more than a manufacturer, it is a way of doing business. Whether you are a commercial or residential installer, an engineer, architect, or building owner, registration opens the door to our vast training and support network. The FloPro Team, Taco University, webinars, blogs, videos, and free system design software are just some of the value-adds we provide for our customers. Learn more at www.tacocomfort.com.

1397: Geoffrey Chaucer tells The Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II.
1610: Henry Hudson sets sail to look for the Northwest Passage, but he enters and explores Hudson Bay where he dies, cast adrift by mutineers.
1851: Launch of Marco Polo, the fastest ship in the world circumnavigating the globe in only 5 months and 21 days.
1961: A group of Cuban exiles financed and trained by the CIA lands at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.
1969: Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
1982: Queen Elizabeth signs The Canada Act 1982 into law officially ending British authority in Canada

The value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities fell 5.8 percent to $7 billion in March, marking a second consecutive monthly decrease. Nationally, the decline was mainly the result of lower construction intentions for multi-family dwellings. The value of building permits for non-residential structures edged down 0.5 percent to $2.4 billion in March, a second consecutive monthly decline. Lower construction intentions for commercial buildings led the drop. In March, construction intentions for commercial structures fell 7.6 percent to $1.3 billion. The institutional component climbed 9.1 percent to $658 million in March. The value of building permits issued for industrial structures rose 10.5 percent to $440 million in March.

• 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 15: CanBIM Satellite Session, Dartmouth, NS
• May 31–June 3: MCA Alberta Conference & AGM, Kananaskis, AB
• June 4–5: 24th Skills Canada Competition, Edmonton, AB
• June 10–15: UA National Skills Competition, Edmonton, AB
• June 17–19: CIPH Annual Business Conference, Whistler, BC
• July 11: CEC Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Milton, ON
• September 7–9: MCA Toronto Conference & AGM, Muskoka, ON
• September 19–22: MCA Canada Annual National Conference, Whistler, BC

Check out the latest issue of Sightlines, the official newsletter of Operation Eyesight. In its Spring 2018 edition, the charity highlights several success stories where its work has impacted the lives of ordinary people. The other big news is that Operation Eyesight was again named among the Financial Post’s top Canadian charities in 2017. MCA Canada is proud to support Operation Eyesight, and we encourage you to donate to this very worthy cause.