| MSCC - Mechanical Service Contractors of Canada | CMCEF - Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation |
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada is comprised of dedicated professionals working together for the promotion, improvement, and advancement of the mechanical contracting industry
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) is a national, non-profit business association. As well as Mechanical Contractors, MCAC welcomes service and repair contractors, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and other construction industry related organizations. These dedicated professionals work together for the promotion, improvement, and advancement of the mechanical contracting industry.
The MCAC plays a
key role in representing its members in national, corporate and workplace issues
in the following ways:
What is a mechanical contractor?
Mechanical Contractors consist of, but are not limited to,
companies engaged in: Plumbing, Heating,
Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Sprinkler Systems, Fire Protection, Control
Systems, Refrigeration, Insulation, Specialized Process Systems, Medical Gases,
Hydronics, Site Services,
and Welding. The mechanical contractor is one of the
main architects in a project, leading many trades through extremely complex and
diversified situations starting from the conceptual stage of a building, right
through to when the doors open. The
complexity of today’s building systems and techniques is so great that it's a
tribute to the industry's co-operation and co-ordination when a major project is
completed. To do it on time and profitably requires management and
administrative skill of the highest order, and full reliance on the
professionalism of the entire team.
It's hard to conceive of
something as technical and angular as a building being an organic entity but
that's exactly how a Mechanical Contractor often views it. It has a nervous
system, a circulation system, and an
alimentary system.
A modern building can even sense its surroundings as it must react to stimuli
such as cold, heat, dangers such as fire, and be able to perform a real
function; housing, storage, manufacture, or commerce.
The
Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) is Federation of provincial
autonomous associations, all working
for the betterment and advancement of the trade and mechanical contracting
industry in Canada. With offices in each province and 15 regional offices in
Ontario, the Mechanical Contractors Association is Canada’s largest trade
contractor Association.
MCAC also enjoys a strong relationship with manufactures,
distributors and supplier organizations to the contracting industry through our
Association Members. The Associate members are valued contributors to the
association through their ongoing innovation, educational and voluntary support
of the organization. MCAC is active in numerous industry
related organizations, liaises with the federal government, represents the
industry through membership in many “partner” Associations and addresses
fundamental issues pertinent to the mechanical contracting industry. MCAC also offers hundreds of business
tools to streamline daily operations, “money saving” affinity programs and a
communications strategy to keep the membership informed of the latest industry
news and innovations. MCAC is proud to be know as the “Education
Association” by providing the industry’s top educational and training
programs through its education arm, the
Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation
(CMCEF).
MCAC originated thanks to a group of "Master Plumbers" who
banded together in the major cities of
Canada to form local Associations. In 1895, interested members of the trade
gathered in Montreal and formed the National Association of Master Plumbers,
Gas, Steam, and Hot Water Fitters of the Dominion of Canada. Since that time
the Association has undergone several major reorganizations with accompanying
name changes and new constitutions and bylaws. By
1914, the association changed its name to the "Canadian Society of Domestic,
Sanitary and Heating Engineers," and printed a new constitution. However, as a
result of deteriorating economic conditions in Canada; growing organizational
problems associated with the status of the national Association acting as an
executive body and the beginning of World War I, the national Association was
placed in abeyance until the Association was reactivated at the request of the
federal government in 1942. In 1942, the
Association was approached by the federal government's Wartime Price and Trade
Board, which suggested that an organization be formed for the welfare of the
trade generally, and so that the government could approach contractors through
an organization rather than individually. For the better part of two years, the
Association under the strong leadership of Roy Belyea and Harry Weinraub, both
of Toronto, together with Mr. L'Esperance and Charles Watson from Montreal, Garn
Dobbs of Belleville and other serious-minded contractors, worked tirelessly to
reorganize the national Association. In
1943, the association, under
the name of "The National Association of
Master Plumbers and Heating and Cooling Contractors of Canada" was incorporated
with Poy Belyea elected as its President. The head office was moved from Toronto
to Montreal in 1944 and J.L. Bourbonniere was engaged as Secretary Manager.
Issues addressed during these years included the rehabilitation of tradesmen who
had served in the armed forces; the need for increased and improved training of
apprentices to meet the need of increased construction activity anticipated
following hostilities; the increasing use of plastic in plumbing goods; the
development of sanitary codes in conjunction with the Minister of Health and the
National Research Council; group insurance plans, and labour relations and
marketing practices employed by manufacturers and wholesalers of plumbing
products. By
1946, a growing number of provincial associations employed Secretary Managers
and together with a buoyant economy and the increasing demand for residential,
commercial, and industrial construction, the Association flourished. The
Association's head office was once again moved from Montreal to Toronto in
1948. By 1949 the Association included over 1400 of the most reputable plumbing
and heating contractors in Canada which represented 85% of the total buying
power of plumbing and heating material in Canada. In 1952, an assistant to the
Secretary Manager was hired and an increasing number of issues were addressed
such as bid-peddling, public relations and contract forms, and in 1956 the
Association participated in a Royal Commission on Canada's Economic Program. A
Bid Depository was established in Toronto in 1956 which subsequently led to
similar depositories being adopted across the country. In
1958, the National Association underwent another name change, this time to "The
Canadian Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (CPMCA)."
In
1967, Stevenson & Kellog management consulting firm was engaged by the
Association to study the Association's organization in depth and to make
appropriate recommendations. Clear objectives for the Association were
developed together with numerous suggestions for meeting these objectives.
These include: recognizing the autonomy and jurisdiction of provincial and local
associations; providing a comprehensive information service to members;
maintaining close liaisons with the appropriate federal government departments;
coordinating and promoting the programs of provincial associations; supplying
directly to members trade-related services which are economically feasible, and
working closely with other national associations involved in construction
matters. Over the next decade a resurgence of activity at the national and
provincial levels took place. By
the early 1970s, Canada's construction industry was in high gear, optimism
abounded and the Association reacted with a move of the national office from
Toronto to Ottawa in 1971. By 1972 a name change took place to reflect the
all-embracing nature of the mechanical contractors' responsibility in bidding
the job. The new name was "Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada" (MCAC).
While the '70s saw a continual increase in activity at national, provincial,
and local levels following implementation of the Kellogg and Stevenson report,
it also saw a weakening economy with high inflation and high interest rates. In
the '80s, issues turned to matters of survival such as the resolution of cash
flow problems, productivity improvement and the shifting of responsibilities
from design authorities and general contractors to the mechanical
contractor. Personnel changes at the national office saw Hal Cillis, Executive
Vice President, retire in December 1985; John Long, President, retire in October
of 1986, and Brian Holmes succeed Long as President at that time.
The
90’s witnessed a changing of the guard with the introduction in March 1990 of
Richard McKeagan who took the reins as President and Chief Operating Officer
where he remains to this day. Through the 90’s and into the new millennium, the
Association has engaged in the formation of the Canadian Mechanical Contracting
Education Foundation (CMCEF), the Mechanical Service Contractors of Canada (MSCC)
and spearheading the creation of the National Trade Contractors Coalition of
Canada (NTCCC).
Since there is no Federal Department of Construction, MCAC
has revitalized its federal government
strategy to maintain an active and regular liaison with Canada’s many federal
departments who have an influence or affect on our industry. Expanding these formal relationships has
allowed MCAC to be more proactive in its response to national policy initiatives
and issues, as well as to work collaboratively with the federal government on
key legislation and regulations. MCAC is very pleased with its working
relationship with the following departments and/or agencies of the federal
government dealing with issues such as tendering a contract terms and
procedures, federal taxation issues, human resource programs dealing
specifically with our trades, government policy in general, federal technical
codes and standards, product dumping and tariffs/duties, etc… Public
Works Government Service Canada Canada Revenue
Agency Human Resource
and Skills Development Canada Transport Canada Defence
Construction Canada Department of
Finance Industry Canada National Research
Council Statistics Canada Labour Canada Canadian
International Trade Tribunal Natural Resources
Canada
MCAC continues to be a major contributing association through
its relationship with its allied organizations. The Association maintains a
close working relationship with our partner associations including: Canadian
Construction Association, Mechanical Contractors Association of America,
Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating, the Heating Refrigeration
Air-Conditioning Institute, Canadian Electrical Contractors Association,
Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating, Canadian Masonry Contractors
Association, Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association, Canadian Roofing
Contractors Association, Thermal Insulation Association of Canada, Plumbing,
Heating & Cooling Contractors Association, and many more.
The association is also involved in the activities of such
organizations as the Canadian Construction Association’s Canadian Construction
Documents Committee, Gold Seal Certification Committee, , International Alliance
of Mechanical Contractor Associations, World Plumbing Council, National Pipe
Trades Human Resources Committee, National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada and
more.
Who is MCA Canada?
History
Following the Association's founding in 1895, the first Annual National
Convention was held in Montreal in 1896 with Joseph La Marche serving as
Government Relations
Industry Relations