The MCAC Member Multimedia Information Program delivers timely and valuable information to our entire membership via email (Just The Fax), the internet (www.mcac.ca) and direct mail. The program’s goal is to provide every MCA member with regular information on upcoming events, programs and projects. In addition, each communication will feature one of our Membership Advantage Programs, which can save you thousands of dollars each year.

This month's program is brought to you thanks to the generosity of our featured associate member, JONAS SOFTWARE.

• National Bulletin – The upcoming edition of MCA Canada’s National Bulletin includes updates on important association and industry programs, services, projects and events. See what the Education Council is doing and what’s next for the Service Division.
• 2018 National Seminar Program Catalogue – Check out a listing of all the seminars that the Construction Education Council has to offer. This year there are over 160 courses with 50 additional seminars added. CEC will bring courses to your firm or your MCA, simply contact Tania Johnston at 613-232-5169 or tania@mcac.ca for further information.
• Membership Advantage Program: Park’N Fly Canada – MCA Canada is pleased to offer your Membership Advantage Program, Park’N Fly Canada. As an MCA Canada member, you, your employees and families are entitled to a number of incentives including our new corporate discount off parking rates, 24 hour shuttle services and so much more!
• This month's program brought to you by JONAS SOFTWARE – Jonas Software is the leading
  provider of enterprise management software solutions to the club, leisure fitness & sports, salon & spa, foodservice, construction, attractions, metal service centers, moving & storage, education, radiology/laboratory information systems, consumer product licensing and retail industries. Within these vertical markets, Jonas boasts 52 distinct brands, all of which are respected and longstanding leaders within their own domain.

It is with great sadness that we inform our members of the passing of George Froese. George was an honored Pioneer, and valued member of MCAM, through Federated Insurance. On behalf of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Manitoba, we share our sincerest condolences.

Check out the new 2018–2027 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward provincial and national reports and data.

CCA has asked the government to extend the time for review of the CCCI transaction to allow for more fulsome input from industry. Additionally, since the review is well underway, CCA is urging its members to make their views known by writing to the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector, Paul Halucha.

Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel, independent experts, have been contracted to seek input from the construction industry to identify the elements required to develop a robust federal prompt payment regime. The federal government will use the proposed recommendations to inform the development of an effective legislative solution that will direct terms of payment and provide for an adjudication process for federal construction contracts.

New arrivals in Canada face additional vulnerabilities on the job, according to studies by Institute for Work and Health (IWH) in Toronto.

If you or your staff are interested in attending this spring’s Gold Seal and Blue Seal accredited CEC Project Management Program, don’t delay. Space is limited to just 24 participants, and slots are filing up quickly.

As always, the program is offered in partnership with the University of Waterloo. Participants learn valuable skills, including how to improve their company’s bottom line, how to take a project from bid to final payment and how to sharpen their project management skills—among many others.

The program takes place over a 10-day period and is split into two five-day sessions. Week one is scheduled for March 22 to 26, and week two from April 12 to 16. This year marks the 40th session offered with nearly 900 industry managers graduating from the program.

We are pleased to share with you that this year we have 160 courses, 50 of which are new programs available for booking. We have adjusted the supervisory course so that it is now five individual programs, have added a series of lean courses and added to our pool of Canadian instructors. Check out the full listing of courses and programs. If you would like to book courses for your MCA, your firm or if you have any questions, contact Tania Johnston at 613-232-5169 or tania@mcac.ca.

60: The earliest date for which the day of the week is known
1865: Confederation Debates begin at the Quebec Conference.
1948: Barbara Anne Scott wins olympic gold medal at St. Moritz
1952: George VI dies while Princess Elizabeth is touring Africa; she accedes to the throne as Elizabeth II.
1959: Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
2006: Stephen Harper sworn in as 22nd Prime Minister of Canada.

A senior economist at the bank says the coin's low purchasing power and manufacturing cost will soon send it to the dust heap.

Scheduled for February 21 in Toronto, Marijuana in the Workplace: Best Practices for Your Company and Employee Expectations is a symposium for occupational health and safety leaders and decision makers across all industries. The symposium will bring together a panel of experts and industry leaders who will address hot-button issues regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana and its implications on workplace safety in Canada. Attendees will gain insights on compliance, rights and learn best practices in ensuring fitness for duty, manage worker expectations and balance compliance/enforcement with employee privacy.

• March 12–15: CCA Conference, Banff, AB
• March 15: MCA Saskatchewan AGM, Regina, SK
• March 25–29: MCA America Convention, San Antonio, TX
• 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 31–June 3: MCA Alberta Conference & AGM, Kananaskis, 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

As we turn the calendar to 2018, it's important to reflect on our achievements. In that spirit, the fact that MCA Canada, its members and partners have raised more than $155,000 to date in support of Operation Eyesight is a feat worth celebrating. Operation Eyesight celebrated a number of achievements of its own in 2017, and these are highlighted in a special new year's message from the charity. Check it out to see how your donation dollars are being used to save lives in the developing world.