Martin Luymes, director of the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada (HRAC), and Mel Little, HRAC contractor representative, met with Toronto Hydro to discuss how HVAC contractors might become more involved in the utility's peakSAVER program.

The Heating, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning Institute's (HRAI's) Skill Tech Academy, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), has established a new Residential Hydronics Design Technician (RHDT) designation.

Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) has been working with Mike Kwiecien and Alek Hage of Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA) to develop a refrigerant tracking database providing RMC and the Collection Service Providers (CSP) with a tool that should ensure accuracy, enhance the tracking process, and improve accountability.

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) Director Martin Luymes recently met with the board of directors of the Healthy Indoors Partnership (HIP) to discuss opportunities for working together towards the development of a national training and certification standard for indoor air quality (IAQ) professionals.

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has ordered Enbridge Gas Distribution to either find a way to provide "nondiscriminatory access to the utility bill" for the HVAC industry or to remove Direct Energy from the bill by Jan. 1, 2007.

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) chairman Mike Burns has announced the latest recipient of HRAI's Orvil L. Davie Memorial Fund bursary: David Doucett of the College of the North Atlantic.

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH), in support of Habitat for Humanity, is nearing its goal of $1 million for the 2006/2007 fundraising campaign. By early February, members have pledged $912,783 dollars in cash and products.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) announced statistical results for the 4th quarter of 2005, showing residential air conditioning shipments with the largest gain, increasing by 311 percent.

Discussions between the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada (HRAC), other industry partners, and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) resulted in the issuance of a Directors Order, effective Jan. 13, 2006, which sets out the requirements for gas technicians to conduct an inspection of natural gas and propane fired natural draft boilers.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) annual statistics forecast for 2006 projects that shipments of commercial air conditioning will increase by 4 percent, residential air conditioning will increase by 4.5 percent, and residential furnace shipments will increase by 4 percent over the projected 2005 figures.