Fenestration Canada: Enforcement of regulations must be consistent across country

I am honoured and pleased to serve as president of Fenestration Canada for the upcoming year. Change is in the air both locally, regionally and federally and we know the next few years will be very challenging for the fenestration industry. Fenestration Canada is committed to closely monitoring potential changes that will impact our members.

This includes participating in key stakeholder meetings, meeting with municipal and provincial regulatory bodies, and being a key participant in discussions with NRCan regarding their aspirational goals to support the Paris Accord agreement and the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Our industry has transformed itself in the past and will do so again. In many ways our survival depends on it. In this journey to lower greenhouse gasses, other trade industries are innovating to claim their relevance and provide competitive solutions that could render energy-efficient fenestration irrelevant. We will be competing against all other products that can affect the energy balance sheet of a home. We are not merely competing against each other; we are competing against innovative industries that seek to become relevant if we do not act.

It is in times of transformation where an association like Fenestration Canada is most valuable. While fenestration manufacturers may meet the challenges set out by governments, governments will need to support those who rise to the challenge by enforcing its regulations. As manufacturers, we also need to have one code enforced in the same manner across all jurisdictions. While this appears to be a monumental task, governments cannot put those manufacturers who do the right thing at a disadvantage against those who do not. Setting more stringent targets for our products without an enforcement plan will not be acceptable. As an association, we will engage governments for long-term resolution to this inequality that plagues our industry. We will work with our sister associations, as well as other trade associations, to create a united front where our goals align.

Our association has made great strides in the past few years and has grown into a much more structured organization which adds value to our membership. We have a new strategic plan and are set to take this association to the next level. We will continue to add services and grow membership. FenCan’s immediate challenge is to communicate efficiently and adequately the services and benefits that membership brings. We have some of the best resources in our industry that are available to our members.

We can’t continue to grow as a dynamic association and maintain our relevancy without the support of our members and our sponsors. We are pleased to announce our first Premier Annual Corporate sponsor: Energi Fenestration Solutions. Fenestration Canada is only as strong as its members. Our members have a voice when they are engaged and active in the association through volunteering on a committee or task group, attending webinars, participating at events like our Annual General Meeting and Conference (hope to see you in Calgary) and WinDoor (Nov. 28 to 30 at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont.), and reviewing our informative white papers, reports and communiques.

Fenestration Canada is the Canadian window and door association and the challenges facing us can only be addressed if we are facing them together. There is an old French saying: ‘’Les absent ont toujours tort’’ (the absent are always wrong). This isn’t the time for you to be absent.

Lisa Bergeron is government relations manager for Jeld-Wen of Canada, representing the company on provincial, national and international trade associations. She is currently president of Fenestration Canada.

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