HVAC contractors and technicians in Ontario who have been waiting patiently for the Residential Air Conditioning Trade to be officially rolled out in the province may have to wait just a little while longer, but there is good news on the horizon.
The new trade, which will be a subset of the existing Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Trade (Reg. 1076), was expected to gain Ministerial approval over the summer, but this approval was held back because a proper examination had not yet been prepared. Initially, it was believed that the trade could be approved and the exam created and implemented at a later date, but the Ministry rules require that the exam be established and approved before giving final approval to the trade. A subcommittee of the Provincial Advisory Committee for the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Trade now is working on developing an exam, which is expected to be in place by January 2005.