Reaching your peak performance!

MCA Canada's 2018 Annual National Conference is less than two months away. Have you registered? As you know, our destination for this year's event is the fabulous Westin Whistler Resort and Spa in the Coastal Mountains. We have a fantastic lineup of speakers, courses and social events planned for the conference, and beyond those activities, you'll find plenty to do: fine dining, nightlife, shopping, golf – and more. See you in September!

We look forward to seeing you in Whistler for the 77th MCA Canada Annual National Conference. To ensure you have space at the conference hotel, please ensure you book your hotel room before August 8.

The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, BC
September 19, 20 & 22, 2018

We are pleased to invite all MCA Canada Associate Members to participate in our 2018 Reception & Product Showcase to introduce your latest products and services to our conference delegates. In an effort to expand your interaction with the contractor members, MCA Canada, in consultation with your Associates Council, is very proud to provide you with our 2018 interactive showcase format. Download the registration form for more information.

MCA Canada has always placed a significant emphasis on the importance of education. With that in mind, the Construction Education Council, in partnership with many of Canada’s top companies, has created an extensive list of substantial scholarships. Each is unique and we would encourage everyone to pass these opportunities along to any staff who have children enrolled in a post-secondary graduate program. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is tomorrow—August 1—so please don’t wait to get these into your people’s hands. Visit the CEC website for details.

• MCA Canada Associates Council – Student Chapter Member or MCA member’s son or daughter studying mechanical or related construction field.
• Taco – Women in a mechanical construction-related program
• Franke Kindred – Students enrolled in skilled mechanical trades programs
• Wolseley Canada – Students enrolled in skilled mechanical trades programs
• Federated Insurance – Student Chapter Member or MCA member’s son or daughter studying mechanical or related construction field
• Masco Canada/Delta Faucet – Student Chapter Member or MCA member’s son or daughter studying mechanical or related construction field
• Uponor – Student Chapter Member or MCA member’s son or daughter studying mechanical or related construction field
• Bradford White Canada – Student Chapter Member or MCA member’s son or daughter studying mechanical or related construction field, business management or computer science
• OS&B – Recognized post-secondary institution with a goal of entering the mechanical trade upon graduation (office or tools)

The construction sector is operating at full throttle in most parts of the country, a recent Statistics Canada report on industrial capacity utilization rates has shown, with a rating of 92.4 percent, continuing a trend of growth and marking the highest capacity score since 1990.

In order to press the government to mitigate the effects of the recently instituted tariffs, the Canadian Construction Association would appreciate your help in quantifying the impact on our member companies. We have designed a short, seven-question survey that we are hoping to get responses by July 31.

The Construction Education Council and Wolseley Canada have established The Wolseley Canada Scholarship Program to provide support for dependents of MCA Canada company employees while they pursue their apprenticeships in a mechanical contracting trade.

CEC is pleased to announce that it will once again offer the highly acclaimed Estimating Conference from Oct. 17-19 in Toronto. This conference focuses not on how to estimate, but rather on project procurement and strategies. Sessions covered will include deal breakers, project risk and go/no-go strategies, putting together a proposal, and what a general contractor looks for in its selection process — to name a few. Jack Wilhelmi and Tim Wentz from MCA America will lead the conference; Dan Leduc from Norton Rose Fulbright will deliver a special session of his own. Registration is limited to just 30 people, so register today!

More than 1,000 students have completed the 10-day PM CEC/University of Waterloo course since its inception in 2000. This latest session is sure to be another sellout. If you have new hires or people looking to upgrade or refresh their PM skills, this is the course for them! As a bonus, the program is Gold Seal-accredited for those who wish to pursue their certification.

As with all courses, be sure to look into the Canada Job Grant for funding assistance.

The wireless world is waiting for 5G technology to elevate the capabilities of mobile devices. While the first iterations of the new mobile technology will utilize the old 4G infrastructure, realizing the full potential of the new system will require the efforts of a team of engineers and skilled tradespeople, from electricians to tower erectors and cable installers.

Since 1916, Oatey has provided reliable, high-quality products for the residential and commercial plumbing industries. Today, Oatey operates a comprehensive manufacturing and distribution network to supply more than 6,000 products for professional builders, contractors, engineers and do-it-yourself consumers around the world. The company has continued to meet customer needs for more than a century by offering innovative plumbing solutions that deliver results the first time. Its solutions are now being enjoyed by thousands of users – all from within the construction industry – to improve efficiency and drive revenue.

Click below for the latest prompt payment in the construction industry payment tables.

Investment in non-residential building construction totaled $14.3 billion in the second quarter, up 1.4 percent compared with the first quarter. The commercial (+$123.7 million) and industrial (+$103.4 million) components were up, while the institutional component declined. Spending on institutional building construction was down 0.9 percent (-$35.3 million) compared with the first quarter. The decrease follows four consecutive quarterly gains.

781: The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji.
1613: Samuel de Champlain and Nicholas de Vignau start their exploration of the Ottawa River.
1790: The first U.S. patent is issued, to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.
1832: Lt Col John By inaugurates the 200-kilometre long Rideau Canal from Kingston to Ottawa.
1914: Empress of Ireland sinks in Gulf of St. Lawrence with loss of 1,024 lives.
1917: The Battle of Passchendaele begins near Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.
1950: Henry Larsen arrives in Halifax; first ship to circumnavigate North America.
1964: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen.
1987: Founding of the Reform Party of Canada, with Preston Manning as the leader.

Work is well underway to organize the CAF-FCA's first-ever Supporting Women in Trades Conference. Scheduled for November 6–7, the conference will highlight the great initiatives, programs and strategies being undertaken by leading organizations across the country to help address the challenges faced by women working in the skilled trades.

• September 7–9: MCA Toronto Conference & AGM, Muskoka, ON
• September 19–22: MCA Canada Annual National Conference, Whistler, BC

Commercial Credit Adjusters Ltd. is the preferred supplier of debt collection and receivable management solutions to MCA Canada members. CCA is one of Canada’s most respected suppliers of debt collection services and is licensed and bonded in all provinces and territories in Canada. MCAC members will receive preferred pricing on the full suite of receivable management tools to help mitigate bad debt write-offs.