CWA News
The voice of the welding industry in Canada
October, 2006
SEPTEMBER — A PRODUCTIVE MONTH FOR MEMBERS OF THE CWA
The last week of September was a very busy time for members of the Canadian Welding Association. Major events were held both by the CWA and in the industry:
Canadian Welding Association – September 25, 2006
- Board of Directors meeting
- Annual General Meeting
- Annual Awards Dinner
CWA’s Board met to discuss the future of CWA. Various options were explored, including a merger with the Canadian Welding Bureau. The reasoning behind this discussion was that many chapter executives are finding it difficult to manage the workload of the association’s business as well as their own. The Board, in turn, asked for and received approval at the Annual General Meeting to go further with the development of these options. The most-viable options will be put before the members of CWA for discussion and approval.
Members at the Annual General Meeting approved a new slate of officers for CWA:
- President: Emad Assaad
- First Vice President: Dan Tadic
- Second Vice President: Ed Whalen
- Treasurer: Dale Malcolm
- Past President: Bill Eccles
The Canadian Welding Bureau joined the Board to fill one of the supplier-member directorships. Ed Whalen will be the Bureau’s representative. In addition, several new directors have joined the board as representatives of their chapters or companies:
- Kelly Mitchell: Praxair Distribution Canada
- Dan Rapinda: AJP Engineering Services (Winnipeg Chapter)
- Ken Van Dyk: Panasonic Factory Solutions
2006 Annual Awards Dinner
Sixty welding professionals met to honour the recipients of the welding industry’s awards.
- Michael N. Vuchnich Award – Slavko Panezic, Canadian Welding Bureau
- Robert J. Jacobson Memorial Award – Dan Tadic, Hamilton & Region Chapter
- CWA Recognition Award – Dave Fink, Panasonic Factory Solutions
- CWA Recognition Award – Brian McQueen, CWB Group
- CWA Scholarship in memory of Mike Cherry – Crissy Routhier, University of Waterloo
Canadian Welding Industry – September 26 to 28, 2006
- Weld Expo Canada trade show
- Conference on welding
A dozen of CWA’s supplier members exhibited their products and services at Weld Expo Canada. It was an opportunity for them to showcase their new products and for welding professionals to see and compare different brands of equipment. Suppliers donated to the Dream Welding Workshop, which was part of the advertising program for the trade show. Over $16,000 in prizes was given away, including two cutting and brazing packages, a MIG package and a TIG package. Listings of contents of the prize packages can be seen on our website.
The CWA supplier members sponsored 12 speakers at the conference that was held in conjunction with Weld Expo and participated in panel discussions on safety and education. Information on these panels has been posted:
Dream Welding Workshop (PDFs)
– MIG prize
– TIG prize
– Cutting and Brazing prize
– Brazing and Cutting prize
CWA safety panel discussion* (PDF)
– Presentation
CWA education panel discussion* (PDF)
– Presentation
* Panel member contact information available from CWA national office upon request
CANADIAN WELDING ASSOCIATION JOURNAL
The Journal Committee has made a change in policy for future issues. Instead of having a theme for the whole issue and trying to source enough articles on that topic to fill the issue, the theme for the cover story only will be specified. Other articles in the same issue may or may not be on the same theme. You are invited to submit articles, ideas for articles, names of possible authors or ideas for future themes. The cover-story themes and editorial deadlines for upcoming issues are:
- Winter 2007 – Steel construction: December 1, 2006
- Spring 2007 – Pressure vessels: March 1, 2007
- Summer 2007 – Automation: June 1, 2007
- Fall 2007 – Railroad repair and manufacture: September 1, 2007
- Winter 2008 – Tower crane fabrication: December 1, 2007