The Curling Bonspiel last month was very successful and a lot of fun! We had 96 curlers join us in Red Deer for this annual event. Thank you to AON and Marking Services Canada for sponsoring the hospitality suites and to ATCO Gas for supplying the BBQ for the door prize.

Congratulations to all our winners from the bonspiel. "A" event winner- Deerfoot Mechanical, "B" event winners Petrin Mechanical, "C" event winners Chapman Plumbing, "D" event winners Wolseley Edmonton. And our most sportsman like trophy to Brian Yaremchuk.

We have a great weekend planned with amazing keynote speakers, a pub night, a piano duel, extreme networking sessions, AGM, and don't forget "Golf with a Mentor".  

If you bring a mentor or mentee to the all-new Kananaskis Country Golf Course, you will receive a discount! Please encourage a young executive from your company to attend with you. We will have full conference package out soon. In the meantime, save the dates.

MCA members Russ, Murray and Doug Anderson of Anderson Plumbing Ltd., a Calgary company that has been around for over a hundred years, have been blood donors throughout their adult lives. In fact, to date they have given 802 donations between the three of them! (Russ at 305, Doug at 249 and Murray 248). These donations have consisted of whole blood, platelets, plasma and bone marrow transplants. Russ Anderson even gave bone marrow to his brother Jim which saved his life 15 years ago. The Andersons have treated being blood donors as an obligation on their part, so others may live. Congratulations to the Anderson brothers! Your commitment to giving is an inspiration to us all.

Continue reading.

We had a great turn out for our January conflict resolution seminar. Participants thought this session was informative using real life scenarios. They learned about problem solving and some tips for negotiating.

May 23: Lobsterfest. Information coming soon.

Did you know that Alberta predicts a shortage of 49000 skilled workers by 2025?
Careers: The Next Generation would like it to invite you to participate in RAP and Skilled Trade Fairs so we can help youth and our companies be ready for the future.

Calgary and Edmonton information.

Effective February 12, 2018, the City of Edmonton will no longer be accepting credit card payments for land development and planning applications with service fees over $5,000. Services affected by the change include development permits, building permits (including mechanical and electrical permits), business licenses and land development applications (LDAs).

Read more.

BFI Constructors Ltd. (BFI) is a multi-disciplined construction contractor supplying construction personnel to large industrial and heavy civil construction projects across Canada. BFI has a diversified portfolio in executing projects that include oil refineries, potash and hard-rock mines, power generating stations, pumping stations, electricity transmission lines, petrochemical plants, and oil sands facilities.

Phone: 1.888.485.2704 | Fax: 1.780.485.2704 | Web: www.bficonstructors.com | Email: [email protected]

The following STANDATA is now available on the Municipal Affairs website.

Energy Efficiency Alberta launched a number of programs which promote the adoption of cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions in the province. In May, they launched the business, non-profit, and institutional (BNI) energy savings program to encourage organizations to replace outdated and inefficient equipment faster than they may normally, to help reduce energy consumption and help them save costs.

Find out more about their programs.

Albertans will see an improved OHS system that better protects workers and ensures they have the same rights as other Canadians.Alberta's new Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) act comes into effect on June 1, 2018. 

An overview of the changes can be viewed here.The OHS act is now available at the Alberta Queen's Printer.

When a company is convicted due to a violation under the OHS act there is opportunity for, what the courts are calling, creative sentencing. Things like public acknowledgement letters, fines that go towards safety course and more are now very common.

The following is a public acknowledgement letter from Arctic Air Solutions; a company that specializes in both roofing and HVAC systems, that they are required by the court to write and have published in an industry related outlet. The company ultimately pled guilty to Section 141(1) and were fined $40,000 inclusive of victim fine surcharge and placed on 18 months of corporate probation. 

Please read the full letter here.

Alberta's employment standards code and regulations have recently been updated, including many changes to areas such as general holidays, job protect leaves, overtime, hours of work and many others.

Employers and employees can learn about these changes by participating in free online webinars that have live Q&A opportunities. They have a new one specifically on the construction industry. 

Please view the new dates and times.

Looking to change your group insurance or looking to add a group plan for your employees? Give Vicky a call at 403-250-7237 or email  [email protected]. She'll be more than happy to give you a quote. We have a core plan, bronze plan or for 10 employees or more, personalized flexible plans that can easily adjust to your company needs. We care about our members and we take the time to listen and understand what matters most.

Homewood Health EFAP is pleased to release the February 2018 edition of their Life Lines newsletter, "Learning about Eating Disorders." This newsletter provides information on factors that contribute to eating disorders, what different eating disorders exist, and methods to minimize an eating disorder from forming. 

If you're interested in featuring your company or products in our e-newsletter, please contact Dayna Oullion for more information at DEL Communications Inc. or call 1-866-424-6398 to take a look at the rate card.