By Matt McCurrach, CHBA President
As the year quickly comes to a close, I’m wrapping up a productive few months of travel. From Penticton to St. John’s, I’m humbled to have had the opportunity to engage with members in important dialogue about your pressing issues and celebrating in your success.
Meeting HBAs across the country
This fall, I made 12 stops at meetings and conferences held by HBAs across the country, including provincial events put on by OHBA, BILD Alberta and CHBA British Columbia, and local events at Simcoe County HBA, CHBA Sea to Sky, and Regina Region HBA, among others. I heard directly from members about how government red tape (at all levels), economic challenges, labour shortages, and supply chain issues continue to hold back the home building process and stifle housing supply. While there are some regional differences, I’m always intrigued to hear that many of the issues we face are the same. And whether it be big or small, I’m captivated by your creative ideas for solutions.
Of course, I always take your on-the-ground experiences and insights back to our national association to help inform the next steps of our advocacy efforts.
Most recently, back in October I attended CHBA’s Fall Meetings in Ottawa and shared what I learned on my travels with our national leadership. I was impressed by the collaborative information sharing between members and Executive Officers (EOs), all working towards our common goals. The meetings are an excellent opportunity to hear from the members who sit on CHBA’s National Committees and Councils, who offered some invaluable insights into how they’re navigating a challenging building environment. These leaders spend countless hours giving back to the Association, whether that be through extensive codes meetings, charity work or government advocacy.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them, along with all members who dedicate their time to your Association, for their ongoing work. The consistent progress that we’re making in our advocacy work – trying to improve a tough situation in the industry for many right now – is because of members who lend their time and expertise to support the industry as a whole, with the support of our local, provincial and national EOs and staff. We are stronger together, and that mindset is what has helped CHBA thrive for so many years.
As 2024 winds down, we are preparing to celebrate the achievements of our industry this past year. By the time this issue is published, the entry period for the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence will be concluding. I hope you took the opportunity to enter this prestigious competition that celebrates the best in Canadian new homes, renovations, community development and residential marketing.
Association Leadership Awards
Through the CHBA Association Leadership Awards, we’re celebrating the outstanding work of dedicated volunteer members, as well as the leadership shown by our local and provincial HBAs and their EOs. HBAs and members work hard all year not only to strengthen our Association at all three levels, but also to give back to Canada’s cities, towns and neighbourhoods, and these awards recognize those who are putting in exemplary efforts. The winners will be announced at next year’s CHBA Home Building Week in Victoria, BC – I hope to see you there.
If I’ve learned anything from my time serving in various roles at the Association, it’s that making your voice heard pays off. Hearing your stories has been instrumental in helping the Association, at all levels, secure monumental policy changes on behalf of our sector over the last few years.
So, let’s all encourage more members to get involved. If you’re not currently involved with your local or provincial HBA, I challenge you to find out how you can contribute. Joining a committee or council or attending meetings gets you the most out of your membership. It’s where you’ll learn new insights to help your business, help inform government policy and make valuable business connections, all while doing the work we all care about.
And if you see a younger person who has the makings of a future leader within the association, encourage them to get involved as well. We all know someone who gave us the confidence to push for bigger things – you can be that person for the next generation.
