Dear fellow TIAC members,

It has been almost a year since I became the TIAC president. Since then, I’ve been actively engaged with a remarkable group of board members in serving the interests of TIAC through attending various meetings and industry events. The first event I attended as president was the MIA’s golf tournament that took place in August 2009. It was a great turnout and $75,000 was raised in support of mesothelioma research.

As is the case with any professional organization, TIAC can never take its relevancy for granted. Currently, we are involved in a few important initiatives.

The committee working on the Ottawa Initiative has been continuing its efforts to determine what kind of impact mechanical insulation can have in helping Canada reduce its energy consumption. This will result in property owners saving money, which will ultimately help our industry be more competitive on the world stage. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will also be a benefit.

The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers  has already started to bend a few ears in Ottawa, meeting with elected representatives at a recent Building Trades Council meeting. The reception was warm and should serve us well when we hope to start our full-court press.

In addition, we have met with Natural Resources Canada officials about taking our story to the energy saving groups, operating under their umbrella. Recently, officials of the Canadian Industrial Program for Energy Efficiency (CIPEC) asked us to make a pitch at their internal monthly meeting in Ottawa. Expecting a 15-minute time slot, we lasted a full hour with the presentation and  a question and answer period. An article on mechanical insulation and how audits could help their members benefit from savings as well as government grants, has already been written up. A further meeting was held with one of CIPEC’s customer groups in Toronto where we addressed approximately 30 persons, most of who are already implementing other energy-saving measures.

These government contacts will continue to be invaluable as we go further toward our objective of getting government support to promote ourselves as well as offer tax breaks to insulate more efficiently and effectively.

As we go, we also uncover opportunities that were not originally planned for this stage. We have been asked for our input to a group that is looking at updating the Model National Energy Code for Buildings. The challenge here is that those who vote for any changes do not have direct experience with mechanical insulation, but we will push on to get our message understood.
On the committee side, we are at the point where we are comfortable with our estimates to define ourselves in terms of market size in dollars as well as employment. We are finalizing our attempt to quantify our contribution in terms of potential energy savings as well.

Throughout the last year, we’ve also been busy planning the 48th annual TIAC conference that is quickly approaching and will be here before we know it. This year we are headed to Kelowna, BC – the opposite coast of Newfoundland where we found ourselves the year before. Always highly anticipated, the conference is sure to provide a great opportunity for our members to make important new contacts and to learn more about cutting-edge solutions pertaining to the mechanical insulation industry. This year’s informative conference also provides an opportunity to reconnect with old friends in one of the country’s most beautiful and warmest provinces. In between presentations and meetings, we’ll take our business out on the golf course and throughout the many vineyards and orchards in the area, ensuring the weekend is one-part business, one-part post-summer get-away.

Don’t forget to register online before Aug. 23 to take advantage of special convention rates. Looking forward to seeing everyone in September!

Michael MacDonald,
TIAC President