Canadian Oil Heat Association finalizes rebranding, plots new scope

More than a year after announcing its plans to rebrand, the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Oil Heat Association has officially become the Ontario Petroleum Transporters and Technicians Association (OPPTA).

It will take on “expanded scope and support services” to businesses that provide road transportation of petroleum products, as well as those that service, maintain and inspect oil-burning equipment.

“The reason for the rebranding of our organization was to have an association name that more clearly represents all the areas that we support our membership in,” Jim Wood, president of the association, told HPAC. “While the fuel oil home heat market share has decreased over the last number of years, there are still areas in the province where fuel oil heat is a very popular choice.”

Wood said the association will continue to be a resource for “distributors, technicians and the public in this field” while acknowledging that a chunk of its members “operate in a number of sectors within the petroleum industry.”

“They require regulatory and technical information as well as governmental advocacy representation on various industry related committees, boards and councils,” he added. “The renaming of our organization assists in maintaining a strong association to continue our efforts in sustaining and supporting the fuel oil market.”

For the remainder of the year, OPPTA will continue its Emergency Spill Response Training and provide Fuel Truck Drive Pre-Tip Inspection seminars. It will also maintain its Online Driver Training courses.

The association will also create a technical committee to serve as a governance group for the review of the Oil Burner Technician’s training curriculum and training manuals.

While the date has not yet been confirmed, Wood said OPPTA plans to host its annual general meeting early this summer.

“During the past few years it’s been held in the fall, however the Board would like to return to the traditional schedule of holding it in late May or early June,” he said. “At this time we will not be having a conference that resembles the COHA Symposiums of past years. We are planning an educational event for the fall, very similar [to] the Education Days that the Ontario Chapter had in the past. We hope to have a date and agenda to announce soon.” www.optta.ca