Neighbor to the North Is Booming

by Ricia Sturgeon-Hendrick

Years ago, I heard a comedian at a Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) convention say that one of the differences between Canadians and Americans is, when you ask how they are doing, the American will say, “Great,” and the Canadian will say, “Could be worse.” Now I understand — they are looking across their southern border! As of July 1, Canada (with 10% of the U.S. population) has had only 8,500 COVID-19 deaths, compared to more than 130,000 in the U.S. Their healthcare system is not overwhelmed, and their economy is stable. Clearly, they are doing something right.

When we sent out a call for articles from Canada, the response was enormous. We have 11 articles:

• The cover story, A Unifying Vision by Joshua Nelson, explains the Canadian government’s agreement with the Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1880 to construct a railway from coast to coast. The railroad built some of the most famous and elegant hotels with grand elevators at important rail stations.
• Building and Growing by Kaija Wilkinson is a market overview. Large cities in Canada are seeing a construction boom that exceeds that in the U.S. Meanwhile, the suburbs, fueled by transit growth, are planning around tall buildings.
• Close-Knit Canadians by Catharine Bothwell: CECA is 48 years old and was started to strengthen independent contractors. Now with 250 members, it supports many activities for its members.
• Keeping Up With the Code by Nav Chahal: The CSA B44-16 code came into effect in April in busy British Columbia. It requires owners of vertical-transportation equipment to have a maintenance control plan for every unit they own by September 30, 2021.
• Service, Technology Distinguish Dupar by Matt Irvin: The Cambridge-based supplier focuses mainly on the North American market. It has many partners and has been in business for more than 60 years.
• Peelle Canada Responds to COVID-19 by Michael J. Ryan: The author explains how the 115-year-old company adjusted and kept working. “Well-managed companies adjust to new environments,” Ryan explained.
• Fast-Tracked Pipeline by Lee Freeland is about Hamilton’s Mohawk College. It looks to supply the industry with skilled technicians who will achieve apprenticeship and use real industry equipment in a new training facility.
• John Fensom, Industrial Pioneer by Dr. Lee Gray biographies an inventor in Toronto whose hoisting products rivaled those of Otis in the U.S. in the same era. He opened Fensom Elevator Works and sold his products around the world.
• It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World by Anupa Simon: MAD Elevator Inc. is a Mississauga-based fixture company with partnerships around the world. In the early days of COVID-19, it was busy working on cleaning and touch-free solutions.
• Home Elevator Trends by Florence Facchini: Federal Elevator sees customer tastes evolve and highlights the relative safety of staying home in a pandemic.
• Career of Gold by Wilkinson: Andrew Wilson talks about his 40 years in the industry, the last five with GUNN Consultants Inc. Maybe you know you’ve had a long career when you sell the elevators with one company and the mod job 25 years later with another, he said.

There are many other great articles in this issue; a few bear mentioning:

• We have a fascinating account of the origins of the modern machine-room-less (MRL) lift in MRL Lift Design and Development by Hongliang Liang.
• The consultants contributed to their column with The Importance of Call-Backs by John W. Koshak.
• Otis sent Cybersecurity in the Age of Rapid Digitalization, Connectivity by Shari Parillo.

Please enjoy. Whether you do or don’t, let me know at ricia@elevatorworld.com.