Ode to Canada

I remember my first trip to Canada. It was for a Canadian Elevator Contractors Association (CECA) Convention in Quebec. We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac, and I tried desperately to use my high school French. I kept saying “Je ne parle pas Français” until I realized that saying “I don’t speak French” in French was making people crazy. Years later, I had to give a speech in Montreal, and André Belanger coached me through the introduction in French. Everyone seemed grateful that I tried . . . and that I quit after four sentences! Over the years, I have traveled from Nova Scotia to Calgary to Victoria BC and many of the beautiful Canadian cities in between. Our neighbors to the North were always calm and welcoming. So, this month we Focus on Canada and their vertical-transportation industry:

Both associations in Canada sent in information: CECA Turns Golden by Catharine Bothwell celebrates the 50 years since the incorporation of CECA. Bothwell notes that the contractors frequently come together to help one another. In A Seat at the Table by Christian von Donat, the new National Elevator and Escalator Association (NEEA) executive director talks about how that association was formed 45 years ago by the major OEMs, primarily to negotiate with the union. In recent years, NEEA has expanded its mission to include public safety and environmental issues.

True to Its Values by Kaija Wilkinson. The author spotlights British Columbia-based supplier Delco Elevator Products, a family-owned business producing non-proprietary equipment (including a machine-room-less elevator) for customers in Canada and the U.S.

Fifty and Feelin’ Fine by Lindsay Fletcher. Your author reports on the 48th annual CECA Convention, held in Montreal in late May and early June, which celebrated the association’s 50th anniversary in high style in that historic city.

Changing Society by Kaija Wilkinson. Ascenseurs Maxi and The Peelle Co. worked together to install elevators and other handicapped friendly features in Montreal’s transport system.

In addition to the Focus on Canada, we are presenting our 10th annual Photo Contest winners. Since the beginning, this contest has been a favorite, this year showing off the talent of our industry’s photographers and the amazing beauty of our industry from Azerbaijan to the U.A.E. We introduce a new category this year, Families in the Industry. Also, Canada just had to get in the act again with someone reading EW with skis on in the snow.

We are pleased to offer a continuing education article by David Herres, Electrical Parameters. In this, the author explains the differences between amps, volts, ohms and coulombs. There are subtleties in how they react and interact, a subject of great importance to elevator technicians.

In IAEC Forum 2022 by Lindsay Fletcher, the consultants held their annual gathering this spring in Minneapolis to elect officers and directors. They enjoyed two full days of education and activities, and EW good friend Nick Montesano will lead the group for the next two years.

It seems the thing to do these days is to issue a “Sustainability Report.” Otis did it in EW’s June issue, TKE followed in July and Wittur in this issue. KONE hosted an event, Transformation Roadmap, that focused on how new technology facilitates smart and sustainable cities, aids productivity and improves user VT experience.

We hope you enjoy this beautiful and informative issue.