Message from the CWQA Board of Directors President
Happy Holidays!
Aaron Biffert | EcoWater Systems
Another first was the request from Health Canada to provide a training course for public health inspectors about our industry. This course can now be marketed to other public health inspectors on a provincial level. This will help all our members, as public health will now have insight to what we provide daily to keep consumers safe from water that initially may not be suitable for use. Lastly, I am very much looking forward to the revamping of our website. Our goal is to make the new website much more user friendly and allow the association to make changes quickly to adapt to our ever-changing industry.
2023 has been a very illuminating year for the CWQA. The event theme for 2023 was Illuminate, and with events held in Dartmouth, NS; Niagara Falls, ON; Richmond, BC and with nearly 200 attendees we did just that. Educational topics to illuminate the brain and with a focus on the members of the CWQA that manufacturer ultraviolet systems great topics and discussions happened from coast to coast. CWQA Webinars continued with topics on business, government affairs and certification. We recommend that you take the time to listen to the webinar from Rob Leforte – First Lake Solutions to get the flow on where the political scene is and how the CWQA is getting involved.
Engagement was also front and centre in 2023. The CWQA staff were involved with many different topics:
- ASSE 22000 standard for installers and service technicians
- WaterSense on reverse osmosis units
- Discussions with public inspectors via Health Canada on well water testing
- Several committee discussions with the Water Quality Association on learning topics
- Meeting with several Members of Parliament to discuss the Freshwater Study, Canada Water
- Agency, and promoting what CWQA members do everyday to help improve quality water for all.
- Pre-budget submissions for funding for a water quality map of Canada
At the strategic planning session in March, three key areas were identified for focus going forward: education, website, and government relations. Committees were struck and have continued to work on new education topics and resources, research into a new account management and website, and continued pressure to the governments to recognize our members involvement in providing water treatment solutions.
Staff travelled from coast to coast, taking part in collaboration events, tradeshows, and meetings to raise the awareness of the CWQA and each of its members. Collaborating with the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH), Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute (HRAI) and Fleming College to ensure that we are creating the loudest voice possible for industries that are involved with water.
Several learners completed certification courses throughout the year to raise the level of professionalism in our industry, so I would like to congratulate each of them for their time commitment to complete the course work.
Looking forward to 2024, it will be another year of creating new pathways through engaging events coast to coast. Come out to see the staff at the WQA Convention in Florida in March, the CMPX show in Toronto in March, CWQA east regional meeting in early April in Truro, NS, CWQA Central Convention and Tradeshow and AGM in May with a bus tour arranged, and finally the western regional meeting in Kelowna in October. Lots of networking opportunities and engaging topics.
In closing, I would like to thank our Board of Directors for their focus, our executive director Shelley Peters for her leadership and most of all you, our membership for engaging in our association. Our association is much like the businesses we work for or own; we will only get out of it what we put into it.
Wishing you all a prosperous New Year!
Aaron Biffert
EcoWater Systems Calgary
President Canadian Water Quality Association
