Get ready for the Canadian launch of ENERGY STAR’s new and improved Portfolio Manager online energy benchmarking tool on July 10, 2013. Natural Resources Canada has been working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to bring many new features to the tool that will benefit Canadians. For information on these new features, visit our Energy benchmarking website

New Canadian performance metrics and rating changes

As of July 10, 2013

For the first time ever in Canada, there will be a standard, national energy benchmarking system that will provide more accurate and equitable building energy assessments and data.

• Canadian buildings registered in the tool will be assessed using Canadian metrics and data;
• Two new Canadian ENERGY STAR 1-100 performance scores for K-12 schools and commercial offices, including banks will be available;
• Canadian energy use intensity (EUI) scores will be available for all other building types;
• In the absence of a 1-100 performance score, organizations receiving an EUI score will be able to use Target Finder to set energy performance targets against the median EUI in their sector;
• Canadian buildings will no longer receive a U.S. 1-100 ENERGY STAR performance score;
• Canadian data will be stored on its own database, separated from U.S. data.

To make sure you are ready for the launch, please take note of the following important dates:

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Heads Up Energy Efficiency, for Canadian-specific updates and information about upcoming Natural Resources Canada webinars.

For more information:

• visit our Energy benchmarking Web pages
• e-mail info-services@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

phone 1-877-360-5500 (toll-free) or 613-992-3245 in the National Capital Region

Read the lastest edition of EFC’s weekly newsletter InfoElectro. This week special messages from current EFC Chair, Kevin Mallory, and past Chair, Elaine Gerrie. Plus industry news and articles.

Going Deeper

Electro-Federation Canada must continue to lead the way by ensuring that our membership is informed and prepared to meet industry challenges.

I am particularly excited about the prospect of “going deeper” in our membership organizations to leverage the expertiseof people that can make strong contributions to our EFC committee efforts. We must be cognizant of developing and retaining our industry bench strength with new vitality and new ideas. We must leverage the outstanding skills and expertise that are alive and well in people across organizations- people that are driving and executing the initiatives that make our business successful. People need to be involved and showcased in our industry. You know who they are. It is your responsibility to get them involved with important industry initiatives and it is vital to our continued legacy of success.

I am confident that with an outstanding EFC staff, a strong council organization and a committed membership, our success over the coming years will be nothing short of remarkable.

It is a privilege to be your EFC Chair for 2013! EFC remains ever more important and relevant to supporting the success of the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and the Installation and Repair industries.

Kevin Mallory

EFC Chair

Vice-President, Hubbell Canada LP

Going Deeper

Electro-Federation Canada must continue to lead the way by ensuring that our membership is informed and prepared to meet industry challenges.

I am particularly excited about the prospect of “going deeper” in our membership organizations to leverage the expertise of people that can make strong contributions to our EFC committee efforts. We must be cognizant of developing and retaining our industry bench strength with new vitality and new ideas. We must leverage the outstanding skills and expertise that are alive and well in people across organizations- people that are driving and executing the initiatives that make our business successful. People need to be involved and showcased in our industry. You know who they are. It is your responsibility to get them involved with important industry initiatives and it is vital to our continued legacy of success.

I am confident that with an outstanding EFC staff, a strong council organization and a committed membership, our success over the coming years will be nothing short of remarkable.

It is a privilege to be your EFC Chair for 2013! EFC remains ever more important and relevant to supporting the success of the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and the Installation and Repair industries.

Kevin Mallory

EFC Chair

Vice-President, Hubbell Canada LP

Going Deeper

Electro-Federation Canada must continue to lead the way by ensuring that our membership is informed and prepared to meet industry challenges.

I am particularly excited about the prospect of “going deeper” in our membership organizations to leverage the expertise of people that can make strong contributions to our EFC committee efforts. We must be cognizant of developing and retaining our industry bench strength with new vitality and new ideas. We must leverage the outstanding skills and expertise that are alive and well in people across organizations- people that are driving and executing the initiatives that make our business successful. People need to be involved and showcased in our industry. You know who they are. It is your responsibility to get them involved with important industry initiatives and it is vital to our continued legacy of success.

I am confident that with an outstanding EFC staff, a strong council organization and a committed membership, our success over the coming years will be nothing short of remarkable.

It is a privilege to be your EFC Chair for 2013! EFC remains ever more important and relevant to supporting the success of the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and the Installation and Repair industries.

Kevin Mallory

EFC Chair

Vice-President, Hubbell Canada LP

Read the latest edition of InfoElectro. Highlights include member announcements, five industry leaders on EFC Executive Committee, Doug Baldwin receives 2013 Industry Recognition Award

Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)

Background:

On December 15, 2010, the Government of Canada passed An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Telecommunications Act.  Most stakeholders refer to the legislation as its unofficial shorthand name, Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).   The intent of the Act is to deter the many damaging effects of spam, such as identity theft, phishing, and the spread of spyware and malware. 

CASL prohibits the sending of commercial electronic messages (CEMs) without express consent, prohibits false or misleading commercial representations online, prohibits practices detrimental to electronic commerce, allows the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and Competition Tribunal Canada to impose fines on those who violate the act, and prohibits the collection of personal information by unlawful access to computer systems, among other things. 

CASL applies to e-mails, instant and text messages and any other type of CEM, and requires the express opt-in consent of the intended recipient, regardless of the type of personal information involved if that information is needed to send a CEM, alter transmission date, or install a computer program in the course of a commercial activity.

The basic requirements of CASL are:

• CASL is limited to messages that encourage participation in a commercial activity.
• Before sending a CEM senders must now receive express, opt-in consent from their intended recipient.   
• All CEMs must contain (a) the name of the person or business sending the message, (b) if the message is sent  by another person, the name of the person or business on whose behalf the message was sent, (c) if the message is sent on behalf of someone else a message indicating which person is sending the message and which person on whose behalf the message is sent, (d) the mailing address and either telephone number providing access to an agent or voice messaging system, an email address or web address of the person sending the message.  
• If it is not practical to include this information and the unsubscribe mechanism in the CEM, that information may be posted on a page on the World Wide Web that is readily accessible by the person to whom the message is sent at no cost to them by means of a link that is clearly and prominently set out in the message.
• An unsubscribe mechanism must be set out clearly and prominently in the CEM and must be able to be readily performed. 
• Fines for violating the provisions of CASL are up to $1 million per offence for persons, and up to $10 million per offence for entities. 

There are some of the proposed limited exemptions* from the general provisions include:

• Messages sent within a business.
• Messages sent between businesses already in a business relationship.
• Certain messages sent to those in non-business relationships (e.g., associations to members).
• Certain messages sent between those in personal relationships (as defined by the Income Tax Act). 
• Messages that are solicited or sent in response to complaints or requests.
• Messages sent due to a legal obligation or to enforce a legal right. 
• Certain messages sent by referral where there is an existing relationship and the referrer is identified.
• Messages sent by those located outside of Canada when the sender could not reasonably have been expected to know that their messages would be accessed in Canada. 

Relevant Legislation:

On December 15, 2010 Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, S.C. 2010, c. 23 received royal assent.  There are two categories of regulations under CASL: Governor in Council (GIC) regulations (managed by Industry Canada), and CRTC regulations. 

On March 28, 2012, the CRTC’s Electronic Protection Regulations (Telecom CRTC 2012-183) were published. On October 10, 2012 the CRTC published two interpretative bulletins, one regarding the interpretation of the electronic commerce protection regulations and the other on the use of toggling as a means of obtaining express consent.

CASL also amends two other acts: 1- the Competition Act, administered by the Competition Bureau, to include violations respecting misleading and deceptive representations online; 2- the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), administered by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, to include contraventions involving the collection and use of personal address information without consent, or the collection of personal information by illegally accessing, using, or interfering with computer systems.

Current State:

On January 5, 2013 the GIC through Industry Canada published its proposed regulations along with a 30-day consultation period.  EFC submitted comments to those regulations as part of as part of the Coalition of Business and Technology Associations, a coalition of related associations and businesses.   

The submission to the proposed regulations can be found here.  As the Industry Canada regulations are still being finalized, CASL has not yet come into force.  That date will be fixed at some point in the future by the GIC.

Recent lobbying efforts by EFC Government Relations include a meeting with the CRTC on February 25, 2013 and a meeting with officials from Industry Canada on March 22, 2013. 

Potential Impact on Members:

A concern about CASL is that it will require Canadian organizations, such as businesses, charities and non-profit organizations, educational institutions, hospitals and others to expend significant up-front and ongoing resources to comply.  These one-time costs and all of the ongoing compliance costs and red-tape will be particularly onerous for small businesses and will far outweigh the benefits CASL is intended to provide.  Businesses without existing business or ongoing relationships will be unable fully to leverage modern means of communication. 

Another concern is over the wide range of measures CASL is drafted to sweep in and the uncertainty over necessary measures to comply.  The CRTC has provided guidance that every message that includes a hyperlink to an organization’s home page may make that message a CEM and thus subject to this regulation.  The concern is thus that the scope of CASL may apply to practically every message sent by organizations, despite its intended application to CEMs only. 

As currently drafted, CASL requires an almost message by message content review to determine if it falls within the scope of the Act, which runs counter to the purpose of the Act and places organizations in a position of unnecessary liability and risk. 

EFC Advocacy on this Issue:

EFC Government Relations has been lobbying both Industry Canada and the CRTC since September 2011 as part of the Coalition.  EFC will continue to advocate for a more effective approach to the definition of CEMs, the means of obtaining consent (including grandfathering in existing consents under PIPEDA) and advocate for as long a period after the regulations are finalized and CASL comes into force as possible to give members time to comply with CASL. 

* These limited exemptions are from the proposed regulations recently published by the GIC / Industry Canada on January 5, 2013.  Please note that these regulations are not yet final. 

** Prepared February 20, 2013.  This information is subject to change.  It is not intended as legal advice and was provided for informational purposes only. 

Electro-Federation Canada (EFC), a national, not-for-profit industry association, presented its 2013 Industry Recognition Award (IRA) to Douglas Baldwin. This award was presented during the EFC Annual General Meeting in Mississauga, Ontario.

As a leader in the electrical industry, Doug’s extensive career includes involvement with his own consulting business, important industry associations and senior leadership positions with major electrical manufacturers.

Doug has been actively engaged in the Canadian electrical market for his entire career and instrumental in forming EFC. Doug became EFC’s President & CEO following two Director terms and as the first Chairman of the Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association  of  Canada (EEMAC). He spent the majority of his career at Schneider Electric including as President & CEO. In addition to EFC, Doug’s involvement in association work included the Manitoba Electrical Association, Electric Service League of Manitoba, Canadian Electrical Distributors Association, Canadian Electrical Association. He serves and has served in either director or board positions with the Canadian Standards Association, Quality Management Institute, IDW/IDEA, Hammond Power Solutions and Moloney Electric Inc.

 “Doug is an individual who helped shape the electrical industry in Canada, delivering results while also giving wisdom and leadership through his involvement in many key organizations. He is a mentor to many in the industry and has provided great counsel in my current role as EFC’s President & CEO”, said Jim Taggart.

 The Industry Recognition Award has been presented since 2000.

Electro-Federation Canada (EFC), a national, not-for-profit industry association, presented its 2013 Industry Recognition Award (IRA) to Douglas Baldwin. This award was presented during the EFC Annual General Meeting in Mississauga, Ontario.

As a leader in the electrical industry, Doug’s extensive career includes involvement with his own consulting business, important industry associations and senior leadership positions with major electrical manufacturers.

Doug has been actively engaged in the Canadian electrical market for his entire career and instrumental in forming EFC. Doug became EFC’s President & CEO following two Director terms and as the first Chairman of the Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association  of  Canada (EEMAC). He spent the majority of his career at Schneider Electric including as President & CEO. In addition to EFC, Doug’s involvement in association work included the Manitoba Electrical Association, Electric Service League of Manitoba, Canadian Electrical Distributors Association, Canadian Electrical Association. He serves and has served in either director or board positions with the Canadian Standards Association, Quality Management Institute, IDW/IDEA, Hammond Power Solutions and Moloney Electric Inc.

 “Doug is an individual who helped shape the electrical industry in Canada, delivering results while also giving wisdom and leadership through his involvement in many key organizations. He is a mentor to many in the industry and has provided great counsel in my current role as EFC’s President & CEO”, said Jim Taggart.

 The Industry Recognition Award has been presented since 2000.

Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) is pleased to announce the 2013/2014 Executive Committee of the Board of Directors at its 2013 Annual General Meeting. EFC is the Canadian association moving the electrical, consumer electronics and telecommunications markets forward.

Five industry executives will provide leadership and represent the EFC membership. Kevin Mallory, Hubbell Canada LP, is the new chair replacing Elaine Gerrie-Valentini, Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited. Ms. Gerrie-Valentini recently completed her term and remains on the Executive Committee as Past Chair. Joining the Executive Committee is Tim Horsman, EB Horsman & Son, as Vice-Chair, Nathalie Pilon, Thomas & Betts as Treasurer and Francois Anquetil, Sonepar Canada, as Secretary.

“With any organization, strong leadership is critical to success and EFC is fortunate to have an experienced executive committee in-place. This team will provide our EFC members in the Canadian electrical, consumer electronics and telecommunication industries with the necessary strategic direction and governance. I look forward to working with this leadership team”, said Jim Taggart, President & CEO, EFC.

EFC provides services in areas such as technical services, sustainability, statistics, government relations & advocacy, communications across its three councils- Electrical, Consumer Electronics and Installation Maintenance & Repair.  Visit www.electrofed.com