CMPX 2014, Canada’s national trade show for the air conditioning, heating (forced air and hydronics) hearth, plumbing, piping, refrigeration and ventilation industries, wrapped up on Friday March 21. The show featured more than 500 Exhibitors in 200,000 sq. ft. of booth space. The three-day show was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building.
Learning Forum seminars, the opportunity to see emerging technologies, several draws, including the chance to win a GMC 2500 Savanna, were all crowd pleasers. The Hydronics Workshops featuring HPAC contributor John Siegenthaler were sold-out sessions.
Equally impressive was the new practical competition to simulate a real-life maintenance and installation scenario at the 2014 HRAI Heating System Technician Skills Competition in the Skills Centre. Sponsored by several associations and companies, and manned by a dedicated group of volunteers, the competitions provide secondary and post-secondary students from across Ontario the chance to compete for the title of “Best in the Province” by showcasing their practical, theoretical and interview skills. Winners of the 2014 HRAI “Heating System Technician” competitions are as follows:
Secondary School
First – Brady Erb; Second – Brodie Altman; Third – Cole Burkhart, all of Elmira District Secondary School
Post-Secondary School
First – Sean Nolan, North American Trade School – London Campus
Second – Tamas Suveg, George Brown College
Third – Jason Reaman, Algonquin College
Master’s Challenge
First – Phil Gagnon; Second – Jason Malloy; and Third – Matthew Prince
HPAC’s Tremendous Tool Take-Away contest winner was Gerry Myers of Myers Refrigeration Service in Stittsville, ON. He took home an inspection camera, distance meter, combustion analyzer, CO monitor, dual readout thermometer, portable torch kit and electronic charging scale. Just the night before Brendan Myers, CM was honoured at the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (Canada) annual meeting. Brendan and Gary Struhar, CMS, who tied, each received the Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Institute of Canada award for achieving the highest mark on their CMS exams. Brendan completed the RSES-Canada Certificate Member Examination and Struhar the Domestic-Refrigeration Examination. Brendan apprenticed with Myers Refrigeration and is now with The Plan Group in Ottawa.
Look for more comprehensive coverage of CMPX 2014 in HPAC May. CMPX 2016 will be held March 16 to March 18, 2016
