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Board Meeting
May 9, 2017
9:30-1:00
Gordie Howe Bowl
1525 Ave. P South
Saskatoon, SK
All members
are welcome and encouraged to attend.
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AGM 2017
Our AGM was held on February 28th in Regina. The following Board members were approved and will serve as your representatives for the next 2 years.
Executive
President: Come Prefontaine, Alliance Energy Ltd.
Vice President: Randy Lovegrove, Aim Electric Inc.
Treasurer: Barry Iles, Iles Electric
Directors:
Allan Gibb, Amtech Electric Ltd. (Past President)
Brent Timmerman, Tech Electric Ltd. (SECA Rep)
Brad Ross, Active Electric (ECAR Rep)
Glen Gerow, Humboldt Electric Ltd.
Joe Mignon, Joe's Electric
Wes Saworski, Concept Electric
James Wishart, SOS Electric
Kelly Timmerman, Tech Electric Ltd.
Rob Istace, Alliance Energy Ltd.
Garnet Connolly, Triad Power (2004) Ltd.
Complete minutes and agendas can be found in the "members only section" of our website.
Presentations were made to two long term Board Members and thanked on behalf of the Association by incoming President Come Prefontaine.
Come Prefontaine (left) presented Allan Gibb with an appreciation plaque for his service as out-going President
Come Prefontaine (left) presented Ken Pickering with an appreciation plaque for his service as a Past President and retiring long serving Board Member
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Scholarships
The Board approved two scholarships for current apprentices employed by member companies. The scholarships are $500 each and will include a $500 Klein Tool credit, compliments of Jim Modjeski at Titan Marketing. The scholarships were awarded to apprentices who have achieved a very high standard in their course work and testing. Congratulations to the following individuals and member companies:
Morgan Wilson L& I Electric Moose Jaw
Morgan Wilson (left) pictured with owner Larry Munroe
Devon Young Joes' Electric Regina
Devon Young (right) pictured with owner Joe Mignon
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ECAS is always looking for ways to bring our members increased value with their membership.
We have partnered with ESPS Electrical Safety Program Solutions INC. (ESPS) to offer an effective standalone eLearning training solution for your entire workforce.
- Affordable and cost-effective
- Effective standalone training solution for your entire workforce
- Training for workers across large geographic areas and remote locations - train anytime, anywhere
- Increase productivity by training workers during down times or off normal business hours
- Track student progress and maintain accountability
- Repeatable, interactive experience with state of the art multimedia, rich 2D and 3D graphics, and virtual simulations
Having a reputation as a contractor who operates with the highest level of safety in mind can make a big difference to a company's bottom line - especially when many contracts often involve working with energized electrical equipment and Arc Flash & Shock hazards.
- Do your employees know how to recognize and manage electrical hazards?
- Are they taking the appropriate precautions when working with energized equipment?
- Are they wearing the appropriate level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the task?
- Do they know what to do if an incident were to occur?
Are your employees properly trained in Arc Flash & Shock? Is their training up to date?
Regular, compliant Arc Flash & Shock training is an important part of a company's operations and OH&S due diligence regulations. When your employees have the skills they need to be safe while working with energized electrical equipment, it can greatly reduce serious risk of injury to workers, and serious risk of legal and ethical ramifications to companies.
The ECAS is pleased to provide an innovative, cost-effective Electrical Safety Training System (ESTS) for both Electrical and Non-Electrical Workers to its members.
For more information on the company and their products
click here for a promotional card.
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On behalf of the Saskatchewan Construction Association,
we
would like to personally invite you to two upcoming special events we are co-hosting during the first-ever Saskatchewan Construction Week (both are free of charge for construction companies):
CONSTRUCTION ENTREPRENEURS ROUNDTABLE
Have you founded or taken over taken a construction-oriented business in the past 10 years? Join us Wednesday, April 5, from 7:30 - 9 a.m. in Saskatoon, for a morning of shared learning and peer mentorship. You will hear from industry experts on construction law, succession planning, and workforce diversity - and will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and insights with other entrepreneurs. Click below to
register:
2017 SASKATCHEWAN CONSTRUCTION SAFETY SUMMIT
Open to construction executives, senior managers, and business owners, this forum - hosted Thursday, April 6, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Saskatoon Inn & Conference Centre - begins an important conversation on safety outcomes and how we improve construction safety in our province, taking a closer look at policies, programs, and industry best practices. Speakers include: Murray Sawatzky, Q.C., Fellow, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers; Murray Totland, City Manager, City of Saskatchewan; Bekk McDonald, Drug and Alcohol Program Lead, Wellpoint Health; and Collin Pullar, President, Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA). Click below to register:
For more information,
or to take a look at all the other events happening during construction week, visit www.constructionweek.ca
Please don't hesitate to contact myself or Derek Lothian directly via e-mail or telephone (306-380-3765). A big thank you to our Saskatchewan Construction Week title sponsors: MNP LLP, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and Merit Contractors Association of Saskatchewan; as well as to our Safety Summit partners: SCSA and the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board.
Regards,
Mark Cooper
President & CEO
Saskatchewan Construction Association
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Implementation of PST changes for the Construction Sector
On Wednesday, March 22nd the Saskatchewan government released its 2017-2018 provincial budget which set out a number of changes relating to Provincial Sales Tax (PST), including an increase in the PST rate (from 5% to 6%) and the removal of a number of PST exemptions.
One of the most significant PST changes arising from the budget is that, effective April 1, 2017, PST will apply to construction contracts and other service contracts in relation to real property improvements in Saskatchewan.
On April 1, 2017, PST will apply to construction labour services in Saskatchewan.
These are the steps you need to take today and things you need to know now:
PST REGISTRATION
- Ensure you are registered as a PST vendor. You can register online.
- If you are already registered, the Ministry of Finance will be sending letters advising of required changes shortly.
CONTRACTS
- April 1, 2017 is a hard cut-off: contracts signed before this date will remain tax exempt with caveats for a cumulative maximum 10% change order price increase per project and exclusion of ongoing service contracts, among others.
OWNERS
- PST is only charged to end users, so understand who you are billing and charge accordingly.
- If your customer is a General Contractor or another trade contractor, you do not need to charge PST. When billing consultants it will depend on the contract.
SUPPLIES & INVENTORY
- After April 1, 2017, contractors will be able to purchase supplies PST exempt. The PST will be paid by the end user when they are billed further down the chain.
- If you carry inventory, take stock and value your inventory as of March 31, 2017. Those items will be PST paid and if you are charging PST to your customers, you can claim a PST credit for that inventory.
A meeting was hosted by the Saskatchewan Construction Association on March 24, 2017 and attended in person, online and video conference by representatives from a significant number of trades based associations (including ECAS), general contractors, engineers/architects and home builders. Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance Taxation deparmtent were invited to present the changes and seek input from the assembled members on the implementation process.
The meeting was considered successful and productive by both sides. Key items you should be aware of coming out of that meeting:
- The government is providing informational bulletins here. You can subscribe to specific bulletins to receive automatic notifications when they are updated.
- Contractors can contact the government with questions directly at 1-800-667-6102 or sask.tax.info@gov.sk.ca.
- If you have a concern that will impact a business decision and your answer is not in a bulletin you are encouraged to ask for a written ruling from the Ministry of Finance. These rulings will typically be made within a week and are binding, so offer protection for your business.
- The Ministry and the industry are forming an ad hoc committee to work on transition rules and manage details of the implementation.
- The Ministry has also committed to information sessions across Saskatchewan which will be organized through the ad hoc committee.
The SCA will have
more details and information available in the coming days.
As of today, the Ministry of Finance is not certain of some issues and you are not alone in wanting more information. But some of the answers our industry needs are dependent on decisions that haven't been made yet. We are fully engaged to ensure these decisions are made with your concerns in mind.
The following is an overview of the meeting.
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IES Training
As part of our continuing education program we invite you to join us for our upcoming Lighting Calculation Terms & Methods course to be held April 5th in Saskatoon and April 12th in Regina. The training will take place from 8:00am - 12:00pm, with coffee and snacks provided. Please click here for more information.
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Member
Recognition
Has your company received special recognition from industry or business related agencies? Let us know. We want to recognize you and make sure your colleagues and other business associates are informed of your achievements. Upcoming newsletters will report on the SATCC, SCSA, Work Safe, SCA, Merit and other organizations which acknowledge the work and achievements of our member
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Copper Sponsorship
The association offers to all members the unique and valuable opportunity to provide sponsorship and receive association recognition. The $1000.00 annual sponsorship provides corporate recognition via logos and acknowledgement at all ECAS events, on the website and in all newsletters. For the details and application form
click here.
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Executive Director Report
In 2017, the board and staff at ECA of SK. will continue work on growing the membership, expanding member services, strengthening committee work, and securing additional funding to meet growth objectives. Most importantly in 2017, the Association will be advocating for the efficient, safe delivery of electrical services in the province.
As a trade association, the ECA of SK. must be united and strong. The future is going to see many challenges with new and evolving technologies with respect to developments in alternative energy sources, power over Ethernet and expansion of automation through electronic control systems. The organization needs an active membership with appropriate financial resources to meet the challenge of guiding government and industry regulators to ensure a safe and profitable electrical trade in the years to come.
The Association will continue to develop the relationship with industry partners and recognized training institutions through committee work. As the work toward common goals is accomplished in 2017, enhanced communication to members will relay the positive outcomes.
ADVOCACY ISSUES FOR 2017:
- pursuing the concept of "Registered Contractor Program" with SaskPower Inspections
- pursuing online mandatory code renewal requirement for electricians every three years in Saskatchewan
- working with the SCA Advisory Council to develop Prompt Payment Legislation
- advocate for alternative delivery models with government and SaskPower regulators as it relates to electrical licencing and inspections.
- review current Electrical Restricted Licences
- advocate and prevent the further erosion of the scope of the electrical trade
- communicate to members the enforcement of fire alarm regulations in the province
- participate and expand the newly formed Saskatchewan Electrical Technical Committee
- correspond with the design community to enhance communication and the quality of construction documents
The true strength of our organization will depend on our ability to secure and maintain new and existing members. With additional strategies such as a sponsorship package, affinity program, byers guide, benefits plan, training programs and initiatives to encourage suppliers to join the Association the Board feels that active measures have been put in place to achieve our membership goals.
Please use your influence to encourage other contractors to join the Association with a special emphasis on distributors, manufactures agents and suppliers.
Thank you for your past and future support of the Electrical Contracting industry in Saskatchewan.
We look forward to representing you again in 2017.
Doug Folk
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2017 Buyers Guide
As 2016 members you will have received a copy of our inaugural annual Buyers Guide. This booklet was developed by Del Communications and is being used to promote our association and the members to the many procurement and purchasing officers across the province. Over 1500 copies were circulated to school divisions, post secondary institutes, municipalities, cities, health districts, crown corporations, government agencies and private companies. We trust this will provide direct access to our member companies as they tender and/or offer contracts. If you are a new member in 2017 your company contact info will not be in this edition due to the timing of the printing, however you will be listed in the 2018 edition. A copy was mailed to your office with our welcome letter. We have additional copies in the office and will be establishing a purchasing
price in the near future. Call if you are interested.
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Tradespeople Needed for Job Talks Survey
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Researchers at
George Brown College are looking for new ways to help promote skilled trades careers to young people.
Their Job Talks national survey is expected to provide a new understanding of the traits and career aspirations of tradespeople, which will be translated into resources that allow youth to see themselves in the job market.
Are you a certified journeyperson? Complete the
survey here and receive a $10 Tim Horton's gift card
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Good Life Fitness
Our Association is considering partnering with GoodLife Fitness to offer Members, their employees and families the opportunity to purchase memberships at a reduced rate (with additional benefits). Before doing so, we need to establish interest in this offer through a survey. Please take a couple of minutes to read about the membership cost and benefits and complete the very short (2 minute) survey following this information. If we receive significant and favourable responses we will proceed in the discussions and advise the membership.
The Corporate Membership we may be able to offer is an 'All Access Membership' . This would be offered for
$549.00 plus GST (Annually) OR payments of
$24.00 plus GST biweekly. This can constitute up to a 4% annual saving on a regular membership rate.
Corporate Memberships Include:
- Access to over 250 GoodLife Fitness Clubs across Canada, including 30 Energie Cardio clubs in Quebec
- Towel service
- Same reduced corporate membership rate available to your other family members (same household) once the employees corporate membership is established
- World-renowned group exercise programs
- Professionally trained staff who assist you in achieving your goals
- Child minding (where available for a fee)
Benefits of Fitness
- Increased energy
- Productivity and less work and home related injuries
- Reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity
Look good and feel great!
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Association Golf Events 
Our Annual Tin Cup Golf golf tournament will be held on August 16th at the Murray GC in Regina. Tournament entry forms are available, on the website and will be sent out to all players from last years event. The event sells out every year so reserve the date.
The Prince Albert Electrical Contractors will be hosting their tournament on June 9th at the Cook Municipal GC. For more info contact Kelly Timmerman
ktimmerman@tech-electric.ca
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Sask Power Inspections Bulletin
Please click here for an update bulletin issued by Inspections on February 13, 2017
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With our annual 2017 membership drive almost complete we would like to thank the following companies for becoming new ECAS members. We trust your membership will provide great value to your organization/company and be assured your support is invaluable to the ongoing interests of the electrical industry in Saskatchewan.
To download a copy of this logo for your company letterhead or website click here.
Abben Electric Ltd. La Ronge Contractor
B.A. Robinson Co. Ltd. Saskatoon
Supplier
CAT-TEK Cathodic Estevan
Contractor
CEL Electric Regina
Contractor
Greva Electric Saskatoon
Contractor
Mathew Marcotte Torquay
Contractor
One Touch Automation Saskatoon
Supplier
Saskatchewan Construction Safety Assoc. Regina
Affiliate
Synergy Sales Saskatoon
Supplier
Systek Electric Ltd. Saskatoon
Contractor
Wes Flavell Electric Paynton
Contractor
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Canadian Electrical Contractors Association CECA
As a member of ECAS you are entitled to membership with CECA.
Message from the President:
Welcome to the re-vamped CECA Newsletter. We have made a few changes and will be distributing the new version of the newsletter twice a year. For each newsletter, we will be looking for input from each provincial partner for any news worthy items in your province that we can publish.
It has been a busy year behind the scenes for CECA. We have taken over the management of CECA and have two new companies helping out with this
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Chaplin & Burd doing the day to day financial work and FitzE (Fitzpatrick Electric) handling the CECA phone lines, email and sale of publications. It has also meant that Garry Fitzpatrick and I have had to assume a greater presence in the day to day operations. I would like to thank ECA Ontario for their administration of CECA over the past years.
We have been able to complete the CEIS Standards and have placed them for sale with Orderline. You can reach them at
www.orderline.com
and check them out. You can purchase as many Standards as you would like from one (1) to five (5) to a complete set of thirty-five (35) or anything in-between. We have produced a Power Point presentation for the CEIS Standards promotion. We are hoping that each of our provincial members and/or Directors would use the Power Point to promote the sale of the CEIS Standards in their respective provinces. Garry Fitzpatrick and I have been promoting these Standards locally.
For a complete copy of their Spring newsletter click here.
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