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Fenestration Canada: Happy New Year!

I always struggle with when you stop saying Happy New Year, but since this is the first time addressing our members, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year. We were all hoping that everything would stabilize in 2021 and 2022, but it looks like we are going to be living with our new normal for the remainder of this year.

Fenestration Canada has been very active in the last 12 months with our online presence. Our in-person WinDoor was a great success, maybe not in numbers but definitely in being able to see our members and partners for the first time in almost two years. It felt like a big win. If you missed it, you missed a lot! Our Hall of Fame dinner was fantastic and commemorated some of the most outstanding people this industry has ever seen. It’s always personally rewarding to me to see how much induction into the Hall means to our great leaders. There were also some big announcements at WinDoor. Our technical director, Al Jaugelis, is working on a document called Code Compliance Advisory for Imported Windows that is going to be available to building inspectors so they understand how foreign windows may not meet Canadian codes. Any of us selling against unlabelled imported windows off the backs of trucks will appreciate the help. Also, Ron Edger of Centennial and Adrian Edge of Innotech introduced our new ISO-compliant installer certification program. We’re hoping it will grow to fill the gaps we all see in our supply of skilled installers.

We now have established regional chapters to replace our regional committees. These chapters are going to play a big role for the evolution of our industry. Each chapter has a chair, a co-chair and a board representative so that the board has a direct and clear picture of what our members want across the country. Our executive director, Stephane, and his team continue to transform our association to ensure that it remains relevant.

As I write this letter we look forward to our in-person Spring Conference in P.E.I. and WinDoor in Montreal in 2022. We will have a hybrid version of both these events as well. The Spring Conference is June 8 and everyone is really looking forward to finally going to P.E.I. after the disappointment of cancelling our planned conference there in 2020.

Our membership last year grew over 20 percent from the previous year, which shows the value that each member is receiving is relevant to today’s needs. To our volunteers and our team, thank you for the great work.

Many of our members are experiencing the same issues across the country: supply shortages, transportation and labour, to name a few. The association is a great tool to use for our members to reach out to each other and assist in some best practices or solutions, instead of racking our brains on how the problem can be solved on your own.

When it comes to getting advice on general small business problems and lobbying government, our partnership with the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses is a huge resource. Did you know that your membership in Fenestration Canada automatically gives you membership in the CFIB? There’s no stronger or better-connected advocate for small business in Canada today. 

I look forward to working with the board and our members during these difficult times. Our board is composed of quality people with a great range of industry knowledge and is always ensuring that we are making decisions that take into account all members, big or small. I have had the privilege to work with this board for several years and the commitment and timely response to strategy and issues is quick and thoughtful. I thank them for the support that they have shown me.

Mike Bruno is president of Everlast Group of Companies.