Glass Canada • February 2017 • Canadian Glass Association

The CGA’s Glass Connections event is booked. Be sure to join us June 7 to 8 at the Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Center in Vancouver, B. C. The program is nearly complete; registration and sponsorship opportunities will be available in February. Stay tuned and visit CGA’s website for updates (canadianglassassociation.Com). Did you know CGA is a member of the Glazing Industry Code Committee (GICC)? This organization is a Committee within partner organization, the Glass Association of North America (GANA). GICC advocates on behalf of its member organizations, including CGA, at North American code hearings such as the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IRC) and energy code bodies such as ASHRAE and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). You can count on CGA to keep you informed of updates and changes that may affect your building practices.

In addition to continuing to champion the interests of our industry in pursuit of Prompt Payment legislation and changes to the Ontario Construction Lien Act, the OGMA has a lot to offer its members coming up in 2017. Please mark the following event dates in your calendar and plan to attend.

In case you missed it, companies had until the end of 2016 to put accessibility policies and procedures in place for the communication of all of your information and your employment practices. To find out your legal obligations, go to ontario.ca/page/accessibilitylaws, then contact WSPS to help you put it in place.

On Thursday, January 19, 2017 at the Richmond Hill GC, Geza Banfai, a member of the advisory group to the Ontario CLA review team, presented a captivating discussion on the changes being proposed to the Construction Lien Act, the benefits of the changes to our industry, and how this new law will affect our businesses in the future once the legislation has been enacted.

At our Spring Seminar, Sergei Mihhailenko, P.Eng and Les Szcepanski, P.Eng. will be presenting an informative talk on the application of the new CSA A500-16 Building Guards standard that will soon be adopted into building codes across Canada governing the use of glass in railings and balustrades. The lunch-and-learn will take place on Wednesday, April 12 at the Richmond Hill Golf Club. The OGMA extends its appreciation to our cosponsors for this event: Trulite Glass and Aluminum Solutions and Kuraray America. Please see Frank Fulton’s You Bet Your Glass column in this issue of Glass Canada for information about the new standard.

OGMA members have had nothing but rave reviews for the Pipers Heath Golf Club so we’re going to be holding our spring golf tournament there again on Thursday, May 25. Watch out for the flyer and make sure to book early. It’s always a sell out.

Back by popular demand, plan on attending our annual fishing derby in August. Watch your mail for details.

The OGMA will once again hold our fall golf tournament at the prestigious Country Club in Woodbridge on Thursday, September 21. Mark your calendar now. Details will follow as the date approaches.

Protect your business and support our fight for prompt payment legislation by becoming a member or as an associate member if you are a consultant to the industry. Please visit the OGMA website for more information.

After a year of preparation, the safety manual is now ready for use by the metal and glass industry. The manual was created by qualified health and safety professionals and is a timesaving tool enabling glass shops to establish their own company program. Not only will this support a company’s efforts to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses, it will also lower costs and time related to WSIB claims. Additionally, WSPS and the health and safety manual will get your company compliant with the new OHSA Regulation 297/13 as well as AODA requirements.

The PGAA board met last on January 11. We are in great shape for 2017. At the meeting we discussed our Master Glazier Program, where our second course Doors and Related Hardware is finished and should be offered by the end of Q1. Two more courses will be developed in 2017, which will leave us with five more to do in 2018 and beyond. Our war chest is strong, but we will still need you to have strong golf tournaments in 2017 and 2018 to meet our commitments with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. As we have historically been a non-political association, we have ratified a motion to join the Alberta Construction Association as an associate member, joining a myriad of industry associations, representing construction. This will extend the PGAA voice in issues such as the Worker’s Compensation Board, Occupational Health and Safety, prompt payment legislation, other legislation and other issues affecting our industry.