Face to Face

Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Ray Danyluk will address the members present at BUILD’s opening breakfast September 18 at Jasper Park Lodge. The past year has seen government impacting the industry in many areas. Make sure you’re registered to come hear straight from the source of Alberta Building and Fire Codes.

Innovative Product Funding

Through EnviroTech Solutions, Climate Change Central has an opportunity to support Albertan or western Canadian clean-tech start-ups. Funding is available to companies with innovative products that are market ready but have not quite landed their first major contracts, and are in need of a demonstration project to help prove their operational performance. Key elements are uniqueness/innovation, Alberta or Western Canada based manufacture, viable companies, and demonstrable greenhouse gas reductions. Application for participation is from now until the end of this fiscal year for a demonstration period (the project must be completed by March 31, 2010). The potential support is up to $100K, to a maximum of 30% of project funding provided by EnviroTech Solutions. Examples of start-ups are photovoltaic concentrators, efficient street lights, combined heat & power systems, run of river hydro, roof top wind, etc. For more information or to express an intent to apply to the program please call Rob Beamish at 403-517-2702 or Cheryl Arkison at 403-517-2733.

Yukon Adopts Administrative Fines

Effective July 1, territorial workplace safety inspectors in the Yukon will be enforcing a “zero tolerance” policy that will see tickets handed to offending parties. The Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board (which announced the policy on May 28), notes that workers will be subject to $50 tickets, while supervisors and employers will be slapped with $250 and $500 penalties, respectively. In Alberta, the draft “Work Safe Alberta” proposal recommends introduction of administrative fines be a high priority for consideration. The draft strategy will be reviewed by industry stakeholders in a Minister’s Forum scheduled for September 2009.

STANDATA on Water Supplies & Access for Fire Fighting

The Chief Fire Administrator at Alberta Municipal Affairs has recently issued a STANDATA that sets out specific conditions to give the fire department the ability to ensure that fire-fighting crews, equipment and apparatus can reach a construction or demolition site in order to effectively control a fire situation. These provisions also ensure that firefighters have access to all levels of the buildings on the site and to the portable and fixed fire protection equipment serving the site. The STANDATA can be downloaded by clicking here.

Reno Month Tool Box

The 2009 Renovation Month “Tool Box” is now available online. Renovation Month is CHBA's annual consumer campaign to promote professional renovators and this year’s theme is "Love Your Home". The Tool Box provides local HBAs and renovators with key tools for getting the message out in your community and organizing public events. The Tool Box includes:
• Media Backgrounders
• Key Messages
• PSA’s
• Graphics
• How-to Organizational Guide
• Hints for Renovators

2009 OHS Code Explanation Guide

The 2009 edition of the OHS Code went into effect on July 1, 2009. The OHS Code is available online and as a printed handbook from the Alberta Queen’s Printer. The updated 2009 edition of the OHS Code Explanation Guide is now available online.

CHBA - Alberta AGM

CHBA - Alberta's Annual General Meeting will be held Friday, September 18 at 9 am at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Watch for information in the mail and from your local Canadian Home Builders' Association.

Safety Awards - Last Chance to Enter

The deadline for the CHBA - Alberta Safety Awards, sponsored by ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric, is Wednesday, July 29. Finalists will be announced in August and winners will be announced at the Industry Leader Awards Breakfast in Jasper Saturday, September 19.