I have little doubt that I am not alone when I breathe a sigh of relief as we leave 2020 behind us. The recent news of a vaccine that brings an end to this pandemic is indeed a relief.
Few parts of our lives have been untouched by this pandemic. Business and incomes have been impacted, school schedules disrupted, travel plans obliterated and social lives put on hold for the better part of a year. So many of us missed important life events that can never be replaced, some of us have lost loved ones causing immense personal pain. It has been a tough year.
Let’s look forward to a better year in 2021.
I have been speaking to member companies across the country throughout the pandemic and I am pleased to report that for the most part the HVACR sector has performed well during these difficult times. There is no doubt that some firms have seen a decline in business, most are performing very well some have even had record breaking years and most see a bright outlook for 2021.
For HRAI, the early days of the pandemic were tough, the cancelation of CMPX was a hard financial hit but since then we have been recovering and find ourselves in a better financial position that we expected at this point in time. We are in the process of filling vacant positions and re-establishing member services that were placed on hold earlier this year.
At the onset of the pandemic, our Government Relations team geared up to send a strong message to government that our sector needed to be considered an essential service. This approach has proven most successful over these past eight months. Throughout this crisis we have not reduced our commitment to our government relations efforts. The team continues to work tirelessly on behalf of our members at all levels of Government, most recently participating in budget submissions both federally and provincially.
In our federal budget submission HRAI called for investments in home and commercial building retrofits as an effective way to achieve reductions in energy use and carbon emissions. The association has also consistently referenced the importance of framing these investments to align with the Market Transformation Roadmap that has been supported by provincial governments across the country. Among other things, this plan calls for policies that ensure a smooth transition in the workforce to meet the emerging needs of a low carbon economy. The key now will be to work closely with the government(s) to ensure initiatives work well for the HVACR industry members while effectively achieving their policy goals.
We are pleased to report that Ottawa has been listening:
On Monday, November 30th, Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland tabled the Fall Economic Statement entitled Supporting Canadians and Fighting COVID-19, a spending plan that looks to support Canadians during the continued COVID-19 pandemic and support Canada’s economic recovery. The plan includes several measures that will affect the HVAC sector, most notably a commitment to support home energy retrofits (as proposed by HRAI) though details remain to be communicated.
On Friday, December 11, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Environment Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna and Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault, announced Canada’s long-awaited new climate plan, which includes a host of measures aimed at achieving Canada’s 2030 emissions targets and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The plan, entitled aHealthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, aims to create two million green jobs and commits $15.2 billion on top of the $60 billion previously allocated to implement the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.
Throughout the climate plan, the federal government notes that it will consult with key stakeholders, including businesses and industry representatives, as the objectives of the plan are further laid out and implemented. HRAI has been in regular contact with NRCan and Environment and Climate Change Canada and will be actively involved in consultations on programs affecting the HVACR industry as these get rolled out.
Another of our recent activities is the creation of a Canadian Expert Advisory Panel on Indoor Air Quality in commercial and institutional buildings. With businesses, educational institutions and governments all trying to understand the most efficient and safest ways to return to near-normal conditions that will support the social and economic well-being of Canadians over the months ahead, this group will produce easy-to-use and understand materials on the best practices currently in place to limit the transmission of COVID-19 through HVAC systems
HRAI continues to focus on a future with an eye to improved energy efficiency, a low carbon environment and a changing landscape for refrigerants. We believe the future is bright for the HVACR industry in Canada.
And as the year closes I would like to announce that we are moving. It was just 4 years ago that HRAI moved to its current location at 2350 Matheson Blvd E., Mississauga. These past 7 months have been challenging for all businesses. With HRAI’s fast and furious pivot to virtual networking, meetings and event execution, we felt it was the right time to take a hard look at how to be even more fiscally responsible and ride the pandemic wave into calmer waters.
We identified that our office space was just too large to justify our needs. We took a look at space needs for staff, as well as identified what space is no longer needed.
I am pleased to announce that with a sympathetic landlord, and a diligent focus by staff, we have secured a new space. This new space meets our current needs, with a little room to grow, saves on rental fees, and is not too far from our current office. The new office location is at 2680 Matheson Blvd E., Suite 100, Mississauga, ON, L4W 0A5.
We take possession of the new location January 4th 2021. Please make note of the new location in your records.
Good bye to 2020, hello to 2021. Season’s greetings to all.
Sandy MacLeod
President and CEO