VIEW Spring 2023 Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 The voice of the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association Preparing students for the jobs of the future MISSION CRITICAL:5 19 CONTENTS SPRING 2023 CTMA HEADLINES 24 You’re invited to CTMA’s Annual General Meeting & Dinner 27 CTMA membership continues to grow 28 CTMA members accept welcome plaques 29 Career-Ready with CTMA: Now Accepting Applications! 30 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 14 UP FRONT 7 A Message from the CTMA president 9 A message from the CTMA government relations chair ON THE COVER 10 Mission critical: New Ontario requirement benefits students and the manufacturing sector FEATURES 14 CTMA High School Awards recognize next generation of tradespeople 17 Breathing new life into old tools 19 Talking shop at Queen’s Park 21 The impacts of mental illness on workplace safety MEMBER PROFILE 23 Rapid Enterprises: Precision machining, great customer service 17 Spring 2023 Published For: The Canadian Tooling & Machining Association 140 McGovern Drive, Unit 3 Cambridge, Ontario N3H 4R7 Tel: (519) 653-7265 Fax: (519) 653-6764 marketing@ctma.com www.ctma.com The contributed articles presented in this magazine represent the opinions of the authors and the interviewees. Their inclusion does not directly or implicitly denote concurrence by the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association. Articles were selected for inclusion based on the issues and views of interest to the industry. Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 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ON THE COVER: Just announced by the Ontario government, starting with students entering grade 9 in September 2024, everyone will now be required to earn a grade 9 or 10 technological education credit as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. CTMA photo 28 2367 UP FRONT LAST YEAR, I TOOK THE time to write about one of CTMA’s greatest assets: Julie McFarlane, CTMA’s office manager. In that article, I explained how Julie IS the CTMA and everything she does keeps our organization running like a Swiss watch. I also mentioned saving the best for last, when it comes to writing about the other component that makes our organization so great—our executive director, Robert Cattle. I know it will be a very difficult task to try to explain the essence of the man who has taken the CTMA to where it is today, but I really need to give it a shot! If I were to try to describe Robert in a few words it would look like this: Honest, caring, honourable, incredibly hard working with a heart of gold and the heart of lion; all at the same time. A true gentleman and a TOTAL gearhead wrapped up all in one (not to mention, the drive of a pit bull when something needs to get done while NEVER speaking negatively about anyone in any instance or at any time). Those of you who have spent some time with Robert understand exactly what I am talking about, and if you haven’t had a chance, you may want to consider getting involved with the CTMA to follow Robert around and become a better person. I have done just this, and I can tell you I have learned a TON (metric tonne of course). Robert will never admit to this or take credit for it, but I can tell you I am now a better businessman, more politically rounded, and maybe even a little more patient with people in general. Robert has been a true mentor to me in my role as president of the CTMA and I am honoured to have had the chance to experience his true wisdom. The CTMA has done amazing things in recent years and Robert will not take credit for any of it. He is always quick to mention that it was someone else that really made it happen. One thing that has made Robert and I such great friends over the last four years is our true passion for manufacturing in Canada, our agenda to give back to our industry, and our goal to inspire and train youth to have a career in this very rewarding industry. I can tell you this with 100 per cent confidence: If we didn’t have Robert as our executive director, the CTMA would NOT be where it is today. Of course, this goes together with support from our members, affiliates, and partners. As we recently learned, the Ontario Government is implementing changes to school curriculums to better support our trades and help young people transition into the trades directly from high school. These changes include a mandatory trade credit for high school students, which is great news for our industry. Can the CTMA take some credit for this? I think so, but Robert would never admit it, even though Doug Ford, Monte McNaughton, Vic Fedeli, and Stephen Lecce are all familiar with the CTMA, are on a first-name basis with Robert, and have commented on all the amazing work the CTMA is doing—and continues to do. This includes our Career-Ready program, which not only provides funding to employers to help with hiring and training, but also provides state-of-the-art machinery for shop classes in high schools throughout Ontario. Robert would just smile and say, “Isn’t it amazing!!” Amazing Robert, truly amazing! ❙❙❙ Chris Hergott CTMA President XL Tool Inc. I can tell you this with 100 per cent confidence: If we didn’t have Robert as our executive director, the CTMA would NOT be where it is today. We’re fortunate to have Robert Cattle working on behalf of the CTMA9 UP FRONT THIS YEAR MARKS MY 50TH year working in manufacturing. In that time, I have often lamented how succes- sive governments have failed to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers in Canada. This is why, in the last few months it has been refreshing—at times exhilarating (ask Robert Cattle!)—to see initiatives that support our sector being made, especially in Ontario. The Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA) has been advocating for some of these initiatives for many years. Others were raised during our recent visit to Queen’s Park and are now the subject of new announcements. They include: • A mandatory technological education credit to be initiated in the Ontario school system. This will be a huge boost, giving high school students an understanding of the skilled trades and nonacademic alternative career paths. • A more active role in the immigration process by the Province of Ontario and the doubling of the number of economic immigrants it selects. This will help provide workers in the skilled trades and medical sectors. • Welfare reforms, which will allow persons with disabilities and welfare to do part-time work without being unreasonably penalised. There are more than 800,000 people on social assistance. Many of these people want to work, get ahead, and create a future away from public assistance. Previous rules made this financially impossible to do for many. • The introduction of the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to assist manufacturers who want to purchase advanced equipment and expand their businesses. Despite this progress, lobbing efforts by industry groups such as the CTMA, the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition (CMC), and the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) have never been more important. The CTMA recently endorsed a CMC statement on the upcoming federal budget. The statement requested that the federal government: • Support industry by attracting the workers and skills it needs through increased and targeted immigration and enhanced training supports; • Drive innovation, investment, and the adoption of advanced technologies and automation; • Increase domestic manufacturing production and exports; and • Help manufacturers adapt to and advance Canada’s climate change plan. It is nearly impossible to correlate a particular action by the CTMA to policy change or positive initiatives. I also know that there are many other voices also asking for change in many forms. I do believe, however, that advocacy by the CTMA has made a difference. Going forward, our Association must invest much more energy in this sector to raise the profile of manufacturing, especially in the federal sphere. ❙❙❙ Government initiatives will attract many to our sector, but there’s more work still to do Ray Buxton CTMA Government Relations Chair This is why, in the last few months it has been refreshing—at times exhilarating (ask Robert Cattle!)—to see initiatives that support our sector being made, especially in Ontario. Reap the Rewards of Sponsorship! Visit www.ctma.com to become a sponsor! Become an Apprentice Award Sponsor. Your generous support will help us continue to provide these hardworking individuals the recognition they deserve, while also providing the tools and funds to help prepare them for their careers within our industry.Next >