Mar 26, 2020By Swati Vora-Patel
With the imminent global COVID-19 pandemic, we are all reminded of an important lesson:
“Hardship brings people closer together if you share it” (John Wooden).
We are treading in uncharted waters. The hardships that we’re experiencing in our daily lives at work and home are not felt in solitude — even with physical social distancing measures in place.
Our circle of family, friends and co-workers share our fears, frustrations and hope; there’s comfort in knowing that we are in this together as one community. Our industry has pulled together to collaborate, lead and influence. Here’s how…
Collaboration: As this crisis continues to unfold, it presents an opportunity to recognize the strong collaboration that the electrical industry is exhibiting. Manufacturers, distributors, reps and customers alike have come to increasingly depend on one another to share best practices relating to health and safety, HR and operational efficiencies. You need only to look as far as the countless social posts that industry players are sharing — measures to improve working from home practices, social distancing in workplaces, splitting shifts, etc. It’s encouraging to see this cross-sharing of best practices in our one community. Check out recent industry activities on EFC’s Live Pulse web portal at: www.electrofed.com/coronavirus/ or in French at: www.electrofed.com/coronavirus/
Leadership: I recall a time a few weeks ago, when Electro-Federation Canada’s Board of Directors met to discuss the course of action for our annual conference. This meeting had been held prior to COVID-19 being named a pandemic, so the discussion wasn’t clear cut. The government hadn’t yet issued group restrictions, travel was not yet banned, events were still in motion. Despite this, the Board unanimously decided to postpone the conference to protect the health and safety of members. This was a critical decision at the time, as the EFC Conference yields a national audience of 500 electrical manufacturer, distributor and rep members — but a leadership decision that would mark a wave of other industry event postponements across the continent. All EFC events from now until the end of June have been postponed or cancelled. Stay informed on new dates, once announced: https://www.electrofed.com/events/
Influence: With federal and provincial decisions being introduced on a daily basis, many organizations are in a tailspin as they navigate financial relief opportunities, HR implications, and warehousing and operational restrictions. EFC has been at the forefront of guiding these changes in an effort to influence federal and provincial authorities on decisions that impact our industry — and our members’ businesses.
From EFC’s quick action on corresponding with all provincial premiers in an effort to emphasize our sector as an essential business, to collaborating with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and other partner associations as a co-signatory on correspondence, EFC is committed to working diligently to support members’ businesses during these trying times.
We are in this together — and will come out of this stronger!
These above examples of collaboration, leadership and influence all lead to one common achievement: our industry is sailin these uncharted waters as a unified community. I remain optimistic that the Canadian Electrical industry is well positioned to come out of this ordeal as a stronger community — let’s continue to share best practices and collaborate. John Wooden’s view that “hardship brings people closer together if you share it” is more important now than ever before.
Swati Vora-Patel is VP, Marketing & Channel Development, Electro-Federation Canada.
Nexans Webinar - Key 2021 Electrical Code Changes Impacting Wire and Cable
Join NEXANS for a free webinar with Isaac Müller, Applications Engineer for Nexans as he reviews and discusses the changes to the 2021 Canadian Electrical Code related to wire and cable. This free webinar will take place Wed, Jan 27, 2021 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST.
This webinar includes:
- Updated rules to protect cables (12-514,12-516)
- New conditions of use for wire & cable (Table 19)
- An opportunity to ask your questions
Click here to register today.
Discussing AEA’s First Virtual Electrical Learning Expo with Tara Ternes
By Blake Marchand
“It was amazing,” Alberta Electrical Alliance CEO Tara Ternes said of their first Virtual Electrical Learning Expo. “It was a built from scratch platform, based on our 26-years of experience doing the Expo,” so it certainly didn’t go without its challenges.
“Going forward it will be much easier,” she said, adding that they learned a lot in the process of putting together and putting on the event virtually with Ivy Design, a marketing firm based out of Calgary, Alberta.
Stronger Together: Community Comes First
By Carol McGlogan
The pandemic has given us reason to pause and evaluate everything we do. We have all been affected in our personal and professional lives, and it is during these times we realize family and community come first.
We know that EFC’s role is to bring the electrical industry closer together – and this pandemic has proven that there is no better time to come together.
Wholesale Product Sales Rose 1% in October
The sale of wholesale products rose 1.0% in October to $66.7 billion, marking the sixth consecutive increase for the sector. Gains in three subsectors — machinery, equipment and supplies • motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories • building material and supplies subsectors — all contributed to the growth, which was partially offset by declines in the food, beverage and tobacco, and personal and household goods subsectors.
Sales volumes grew 1.0% in October.
2020: Powering Through, Together
By Michelle Branigan
If the events of this year have shown us anything, it’s that the Canadian electricity sector is resilient. As a sector providing an essential service 24/7/365, those who work in the sector have long had that “storm mentality” and are ready for extreme weather or other crisis scenarios.
Most organizations have robust emergency plans in place, and some even have specific plans prepared for a pandemic (based on previous scares with SARS and H1N1).
Changing Scene
Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) has announced Stephanie Smith as the winner of its annual Leader of the Year Award. A human-centred leader in a highly technical field, Stephanie has an impressive track record of building strong relationships both inside and outside of the nuclear community, as well as creating safe and inclusive working environments.
Recently appointed as the first female President and CEO of CANDU Owners Group, Stephanie developed her career at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) where she made history throughout her career. Notably, as Plant Manager at Pickering Nuclear she was responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of 6 nuclear reactors.
Texcan Ontario Announces New Branch Manager
Sonepar Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Roger Gray as Texcan Ontario’s new Branch Manager. Gray joined the company as of November 16th and has been managing the Brampton, ON branch.
Gray brings over 25 years of experience in the wire and cable distribution industry. His experience in strategic account management, familiarity of application and site limitations has earned him creditability amongst electrical contractors and OEMs alike.
Westburne Appoints Rick Di Danieli to Director, Industrial Solutions
Westburne Canada has announced the appointment of Rick Di Danieli to the role of Director, Industrial Solutions effective January 4, 2021. In this role, Rick will report to me and will be responsible for strategic direction and execution within the process and services space across Canada.
"A long standing Westburne partner and friend, Rick brings a wealth of industry and leadership experience, acquired in a 34-year career with Rockwell Automation. During that time he progressed through many leadership roles across North America, most recently as Regional Director Oil & Gas for North America," said Dave Syer, Vice President, Westburne Canada.
Peers & Profiles
Yves Chabot — A Leader with a Keen Eye for Energy and Economic Trends
Following Groupe Stelpro’s recent acquisition of floor heating system manufacturer Flextherm, Yves Chabot, President and CEO of Groupe Stelpro, agreed to answer our questions.
Given the recent acquisition, can you tell us about the key issues for your industry?
Many significant challenges exist. Over the short term, the industry must navigate the pandemic and deal with unprecedented labour scarcity. Over the medium to long term, we must position ourselves within the energy transition in a context where homes are increasingly smart and feature countless connected objects.