We are very pleased to be back in Humboldt, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our hosts, Mike Kwasnica and Darrell Wickenhauser, as well as the rest of the organizing committee.
I also want to make sure we thank our entire board, many of them new, for delivering a great conference. And I’d also like to thank LeRoy for helping us with a smooth transition. We have many new faces on the board, it is a really exciting time to be on this team, and I can assure you that everyone is working very hard on all SBOA business, which continues to be a busy time for this association.
Our last Humboldt conference was in October of 2016. Being here this week does mean something a little different. We all know what tragic events took place here less than a year ago. 356 days ago to be exact. Those events had an effect on all of us. No doubt, some more than others, including many of our own members who are in this room today.
So this was important for us to come back here, when the time was right. And I want to thank Mike, Darrell, and the citizens of Humboldt for having us back so soon. This is our small way to express our support, and Mike and Darrell welcomed the request with no hesitation.
As we all know, energy efficiency codes have been implemented and are impacting the Building Official industry, as they are everyone in construction. Implementation of a new objective of building codes will no doubt be a process. However, thanks to an industry-wide endeavour to achieve consistent application, much of the edge was taken-off, and designers, builders, and Building Officials have a solid platform for consistent application. Recently, we have seen Building Standards and Licensing promote a different interpretation on application of energy efficiency codes to renovations and alterations than the industry-wide group understood, and we have seen that this has caused confusion and inconsistency across the province on renovation application. It has left municipalities asking many questions. The concern has been expressed and we will keep our members informed of further developments.
The SBOA Certification Program for Building Officials has officially rolled out. Don’t forget to apply. Application is free for a limited time, and your existing Building Officials License means you are already ‘Building Code Qualified’ in the new program and you may already be eligible for ‘CBO’ – Certified Building Official status. And watch for updates on the new examination program which will be available in the weeks to come. Building Standards and Licensing are doing their due diligence review, and we will continue to work closely with their team to answer any questions and fill any gaps. Everyone will benefit, and I have no doubt this will become the rigorous, credible, obtainable path to advancing skills and certifications we’ve been waiting for.
The SBOA being a contributing member of the Alliance of Canadian Building Officials Associatons has been key in delivering our new program. The availability of curriculum and exam programs would not have been possible without the help from Building Officials from across the country. The Alliance not only developed the
exam database, but they funded the development of the Saskatchewan exam logic so we could deliver what we promised. And when we hit the next hurdle regarding number-of-exam obligations with the delivery institute, our partner Associations across Canada backed us up and are great partners. Saskatchewan’s program will be a success, and a model for others to follow.
Happy Spring everyone!
Chris Gates, LBO-3, A.Sc.T., CRBO
President
Saskatchewan Building Officials Association
