The MCAC Whistler Conference features a great number of very high-level speakers and panelists whose knowledge will give you an opportunity to change, adjust or perhaps even reinvent some of your practices.

Topics that will be covered include: high building performance, industry performance through best practices, the impact of cannabis legalization on workplace policies, perception vs. reality in the decision-making process, and the industry’s growing dependency on mobile apps.

Networking is also a key component of the conference. Make new acquaintances whose backgrounds can also be impactful for your operation.

See you in Whistler!

As you are likely aware, parts of British Columbia are being affected by wildfires. At the moment, we have no news to report about fires in Whistler that could affect our hotel venue. We will continue to monitor the situation. Please stay tuned for further details.

Join Julie Zulich, senior vice-president of TESC Contracting, for the launch of the Women in Mechanical Construction forum during the MCAC Annual Conference on September 21.

MCA Canada’s Associate Members are hosting an exclusive Reception & New Product Showcase prior to each evening social event during this year's Annual National Conference. Join them for drinks, discussions, association information, several door prizes and much more at this fun-filled event.

Schedule:
September 19 – 5:00pm–6:00pm
(Associate Awards to be presented at this time)
September 20 – 5:00pm–6:00pm
September 22 – 5:00pm–6:00pm

Looking for savings on your fuel consumption? Check out our partnership with Shell Canada. Sign up now to take advantage of discounts of five cents per litre on fuel purchases. Also included are discounts on car washes, bonus Air Miles rewards, discounts at Jiffy Lube, and discounts on roadside assistance.

Quebec will implement a pilot project this fall that will regulate late payments on public contracts in the construction industry.

Legislation is expected to be introduced this fall to update the decades-old federal labour standards.

According to the recently released ManpowerGroup 2018 Talent Shortage Survey, 41 per cent of Canadian employers report having difficulty filling jobs, with skilled trades being the hardest to fill, followed by sales representatives and drivers.

As a female in a male-dominated industry, Kate Campbell acknowledges that it can feel like you stand out constantly. So in fields like skilled trades, where women represent just 7 percent of the workforce, it can be intimidating to not only walk into a job site, but to get involved in that career altogether. That’s why Campbell is passionate about using her platform as a famous contractor and TV personality to inspire young women to explore skilled trades.

The latest edition of CEC's acclaimed Estimating Conference is scheduled for October 17 to 19 in Toronto. Have you registered?

The conference focuses 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. Act now!

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.

The Construction Education Council’s latest webinar series, Get Your Ducks in a Row, teaches the basics of adopting and managing information technology assets. Studies show that more than half of corporate IT projects fall short of expectations. Using IT effectively to increase efficiency and boost productivity is an art. This free, five-part series gives participants insights into trends and traps facing companies as they design and deploy IT solutions.

With drastic change underway, the industry is tasked with finding ways to stay ahead of the curve and keep pace with demand. Despite construction’s sluggishness in adopting technology — a 2015 McKinsey Global Institute study placed construction ahead of only agriculture and hunting in terms of digitization — technology can help the industry stay ahead.

One might assume that digital disruption has infiltrated all the industries today. But it turns out that construction has some serious catching up to do. There is no shortage of business to be had. The construction industry, in fact, ranks as one of the fastest growing sectors globally.

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

1666: The Great Fire of London is extinguished after two days.
1664: After days of negotiation, the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam surrenders to the British, who will rename it New York.
1792: Maximilien Robespierre is elected to the National Convention in France.
1816: Louis XVIII of France dissolves the chamber of deputies, which has been challenging his authority.
1870: Author Victor Hugo returns to Paris from the Isle of Guernsey where he had lived in exile for almost 20 years.
1878: Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Bill Tilghman and Clay Allison, four of the West’s most famous gunmen, meet in Dodge City, Kansas.
1910: Marie Curie demonstrates the transformation of radium ore to metal at the Academy of Sciences in France.
1958: Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested in an Alabama protest for loitering and fined $14 for refusing to obey police.
1969: Charges are brought against U.S. lieutenant William Calley in the March 1968 My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War.
1972: “Black September,” a Palestinian terrorist group takes 11 Israeli athletes hostage at the Olympic Games in Munich; by midnight all hostages and all but three terrorists are dead.
1977: Voyager 1 space probe launched.
1984: The Space Shuttle Discovery lands after its maiden voyage.

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