On October 29, representatives from MCA Canada and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) met virtually with senior federal government representatives to discuss a variety of issues of interest to the mechanical contracting sector.

Discussions focused largely on training and skilled trades, as well as how new technologies and retrofits in the mechanical sector can play a key role in meeting the government’s environmental objectives.

In the coming weeks, MCA Canada and CIPH will continue these discussions with Members of Parliament and showcasing the important role that the mechanical contracting sector can play to the Canadian economy.

CIPHEX Virtual is officially underway, and any MCA Canada member who wants to access the first-ever virtual edition of the show can do so using a special promo code for free registration and access to two free webinars.

Use the promo code CVtwo to access this great content and more.

This year show runs through November 27, and will be open 24/7 so you can visit whenever as you like. The event will also feature three live days of programming and 21 webinars.

Join us on December 9 and February 3 for a special two-part webinar series on Pathways to Success, presented by MCAC and CIPH. In our first session, our industry panel of manufacturers, wholesalers and contractors will share their insights about how to attract and retain top talent.

A new group of panelists speaks in the second session about personal branding, networking and advocacy.

Learn more about each session and register at www.ciph.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1432535&group=

It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of one of MCA Canada’s Past Chairman (1988–1989), Ron Marcotte.

Ron who hailed proudly from Hamilton, ON, passed away on November 1.

MCA Canada sends its deepest sympathies to Ron’s wife, Rosemary, and his friends and family. Ron was admired and respected by many.

More details will be shared next week in Just the Fax.

Held on October 22, this CanBIM session showcased innovative start-ups, entrepreneurs and how each delivers game-changing solutions for the building and infrastructure industry.

Watch it, and other recorded webinars at www.canbim.com/events/fall20#videos.

MCA Canada (MCAC) and the Construction Education Council (CEC) are pleased to announce a series of courses that we have planned for the remainder of the year.

• On December 1, join us for Planning with Purpose, where you’ll learn about how to plan jobs using the agile construction work breakdown principle.
• On December 10, we will host Creating Highly Effective Foremen/Project Manager Partnerships. This seminar will identify and explain the Top 10 components that define a great partnership and demonstrate how these components specifically apply to critical project management topics.
• In Change Order Management: Best Practices for Success on December 17, participants will learn how to navigate the challenges presented by change orders.

For a full listing of these online courses—and more—available through MCA Canada and CEC, visit mcac.ca/education/online-training/

Each week in Just the Fax, we will profile one of the recipients of our 2020 Richard McKeagan Scholarship Series. This week’s recipient is Makenna Isfjord.

Makenna, who is a student at the University of Manitoba in the fifth year of the mechanical engineering program, received scholarships from sponsors Uponor and the MCAC Associates Council. She has developed an interest in heat transfer and fluid mechanics which, coupled with her industry experience, allowed her to complete two HVAC design projects.

Makenna is an active member of MCA Manitoba’s Student Chapter at the University of Manitoba, and the current president and former vice-president of the University of Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering. The group “advocates for student involvement in the MCAM chapter and holds joint promotional activities to generate interest and involvement in the mechanical and contracting industries,” says Makenna.

Makenna is looking forward to beginning her career in the mechanical contracting industry with a position in engineering technical sales.

Source: HistoryNet.com

1493: Christopher Columbus arrives at the Caribbee Isles (Dominica) during his second expedition.
1507: Leonardo da Vinci is commissioned to paint Lisa Gherardini ("Mona Lisa").
1868: Ulysses S. Grant elected the 18th president of the United States.
1883: The U.S. Supreme Court declares American Indians to be "dependent aliens."
1892: First automatic telephone exchange goes into operation in La Porte, Indiana.
1896: William McKinley is elected 25th president of the United States.
1912: The first all-metal plane flies near Issy, France, piloted by Ponche and Prinard.
1918: The German fleet at Kiel mutinies. This is the first act leading to Germany's capitulation in World War I.
1921: Milk drivers on strike dump thousands of gallons of milk onto New York City's streets to protest the drink's varying prices on the market.
1935: Left-wing groups in France form the Socialist and Republican Union.
1957: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik II with the dog Laika, the first animal in space, aboard.
1964: Robert F. Kennedy, brother of the slain president John F. Kennedy, is elected as a senator from New York.
1964: For the first time, residents of Washington, D.C., are allowed to vote in the U.S. presidential election.
1964: Lyndon B. Johnson is elected the 36th president of the United States.
1967: The Battle of Dak To begins in Vietnam's Central Highlands; actually a series of engagements, the battle would continue through November 22.
1969: U.S. President Richard Nixon, speaking on TV and radio, asks the "silent majority" of the American people to support his policies and the continuing war effort in Vietnam.
1973: NASA launches Mariner 10, the first probe to reach Mercury.
1992: Arkansas Governor Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton is elected 42nd president of the United States.