After the first Carbon Conversation 101 we surveyed the group for feedback – it looks like it was a hit!

In Atlantic Canada the local contractors and producers association, the Atlantic Masonry Institute, have recently partnered up with the Centre of Excellence for skilled trades and manufacturing (COE) in the province of New Brunswick. This partnership has expanded the outreach of the AMI to now include students from Grade 3 to Grade 8 before they enter high school and can take part in the new masonry curriculum now implemented across the province.

Together with the Centre of Excellence, AMI improved and adjusted our existing “Sugar Shack” exercise to provide a hands-on activity that introduces masonry in a fun manner. Using sugar cubes instead of blocks or bricks and icing sugar instead of mortar, students used their imaginations to create large (and tasty) buildings. The exercise was facilitated by Andrew Smith from the Canada Masonry Design Centre – Atlantic Office where he provided a quick introduction to the masonry trade so students could understand how their sugar shacks were similar to actual masonry. Some of the terminology the students used were: lintels over openings (popsicle sticks), curing (the icing sugar hardening as it dries), as well as the differences between bed joints and head joints.

The Centre of Excellence virtually connected Andrew to over 2,000 students across the province, and supplied each classroom with enough materials so all the students could build these projects in real-time. Students proudly took their “sugar shacks” up to the camera to show Andrew and the other classrooms across the province. It was an excellence activity with students highly engaged and even asking questions. Following the activity teacher from across the province sent AMI amazing feedback which included:

• Thank you! We have a few students who are interested in becoming a Mason now! Very engaging activity!
• One structured measured 8cm by 11cm. This went well with our math unit on measurement.
• Nobody has asked to go to the bathroom or when snack time is, so, they are engaged.
• My students are working SO well together!! They are loving this!! 
• My students are having a blast and learning that their structure needs to be stable.

In recognition of our successful partnership, the Centre of Excellence awarded AMI for the highest attended virtual education event in the ENTIRE province for students in grades 6-8. They were also presented with a hand made wooden plaque which was created in the wood shop of Bayside Middle School.

The workforce development initiatives taken by the Atlantic Masonry Institute are funded through a local block levy. This wouldn’t be possible without the continued support of our awesome CMU producers!

Between March and June, the AEMQ has been quite active. Here’s a summary of our recent activities:
– Industry & Commerce Magazine Feature: We were featured in the March issue of Industrie et Commerce, highlighting our latest initiatives and contributions to the masonry industry :
– Golf Tournament Preparations: We have been diligently preparing for the upcoming Le Blainvillier Golf Tournament. This event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for networking and community building among our members.
– Membership Growth for Bloc Lévy: Our efforts have led to an increase in memberships for block producers contributing to the Bloc Lévy, strengthening our community and expanding our reach within the industry.
Welcome to: Carbicrete, Patio Drummond.
And welcome back: Permacon
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with AEMQ.

Entre mars et juin, l’AEMQ a été particulièrement active. Voici un résumé de nos récentes activités :
– Publication dans la revue Industrie et Commerce : Nous avons été mis en avant dans le numéro de mars d’Industrie et Commerce, mettant en lumière nos dernières initiatives et contributions à l’industrie de la maçonnerie.
– Préparatifs du Tournoi de Golf : Nous nous préparons assidûment pour le prochain tournoi de golf au Club de Golf Le Blainvillier. Cet événement promet d’être une excellente occasion de réseautage et de renforcement des liens communautaires parmi nos membres.
– Croissance des adhésions pour Bloc Lévy : Nos efforts ont conduit à une augmentation des adhésions pour les producteurs de blocs contribuant à Bloc Lévy, renforçant notre communauté et étendant notre influence au sein de l’industrie.
Bienvenue à : Carbicrete, Patio Drummond.
Et bienvenue de nouveau à : Permacon.
Merci pour votre soutien continu et votre engagement envers l’AEMQ.

Midyear Update on CMDC-CCMPA Partner Activities

Engineering Textbook

MASS

University Research

University of Saskatchewan

CSCE Conference

15^th Canadian Masonry Symposium

Masonry Council of Ontario Q2 Update

As we wrap up the second quarter of the year, the Masonry Council of Ontario (MCO) is proud to highlight the significant strides we have made in advocating for our industry across the province. Our Government Relations (GR) team has been exceptionally active, engaging with municipal governments in Whitby, Hamilton, King Township, and Oxford County as they develop their municipal official plans. These interactions are crucial in ensuring that masonry is considered a vital component in the planning and development of these communities. In addition to our municipal advocacy, the MCO has successfully engaged with the Ministry of Education. Through our efforts, we have secured the masonry industry as a key stakeholder in the planning and construction of $2 billion in new school projects over the coming years. This inclusion is a testament to the quality and durability that masonry brings to educational infrastructure, ensuring safe and sustainable environments for future generations. Looking ahead, the MCO is excited to sponsor and host a delegates reception at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa this August. The AMO conference is a significant event, attended by elected officials from all 444 municipalities in Ontario, as well as representatives from the provincial government. This reception provides a valuable opportunity to further our advocacy efforts and build stronger relationships with key decision-makers across the province. In conclusion, the MCO remains committed to promoting and advancing the masonry industry in Ontario. Our advocacy efforts at both the municipal and provincial levels are crucial in ensuring the continued growth and recognition of our industry. We look forward to continuing this important work and achieving even greater successes in the coming months. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the Masonry Council of Ontario.

The “Sustainable Construction Practices with Concrete Masonry” article was the winner of Construction Canada’s F. Ross Browe Award. The article was recommended by the CSC editorial board for its originality, clarity, and depth. It is considered the best article published in Construction Canada from June 2023 to April 2024. The article was authored by Dr. Mark Hagel and Mike Lafontaine,(Expocrete).

AMC actively engaged in various industry events, starting with cohosting a booth with Expocrete  at the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) Banff Sessions Conference May 10 to 12, also hosted a “Bowling with Architects” night during the event. Following this, AMC attended the Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) Annual Conference from May 22 to 25 in Montreal and cohosted a booth with the Masonry Council of Ontario (MCO) at the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) Annual Conference from July 9 to 11 in Edmonton.

AMC was directly involved in reducing the block size from 25cm unit to 20cm unit on the 25’-7” (3758 mm) tall exterior walls of a new office/shop in Calgary. AMC convinced the structural engineer to utilize the improved block masonry compressive strength values (f ’m) that are now recognized in the updated Table 4 in the recently published CSA-S304-2024 Design of Masonry Structures Standard. In addition to this, stiff base research conducted at the University of Alberta and Scorpio Masonry in combination with the creation of a new lateral support detail were used at one location where the loading required these additional measures to enable the 20cm unit block walls to be used.
The decrease in block unit size resulted in a 26.3% reduction in carbon dioxide and reduction in the cost of materials (block, grout, and rebar) of 19.6%. With the permission of the owner and masonry contractor, AMC is going to use this building as a case study for this type of construction when the project is completed by tracking the actual construction costs. The case study will then be used to promote block construction to owners for similar projects.

CCMPA Social Media Update
Goals
The world deserves to understand how concrete masonry contributes to healthy, safe, sustainable Canadian communities.
Social media continues to be a powerful CCMPA tool to share this truth to targeted audiences.
Themes
Too many on social media focus more on flash and not on substance.  It is a powerful tool that can be used to continually drive powerful, essential messsages in a professional and consistent way.
For CCMPA, this opportunity is unlocked with the following focus priorities, aligned with our strategic pillars:
Low Carbon Construction
Resilient Construction
Local cross-Canada solution providers
Concrete Masonry Research & Innovation, and value-added concrete masonry products
Building the Industry of Tomorrow with #NextGen of masonry engineers and Diversity in Leadership & workforce

Campaigns
Return-On-Advertising is a whole new world with digital marketing’s ability to directly target key audiences cost-effectively in paid sponsored campaigns.
Value only increases with the added benefit of getting real-time performance feedback on the effectiveness of your ads for timely adjustments to improve campaign performance.
CCMPA is leveraging these leading-edge approaches, with our most recent campaign resulting in  30,000 video views and over 10,000 engagements with our content in our Canada-wide architect, engineer, design-build, owners/developers audiences.
Platforms
We remain present on LinkedIn (~ 2000 followers, professionals) , Facebook (~1200 likes/follows, general public), and Twitter (~ 700 followers, politicians).
Our construction and concrete masonry world is changing faster than ever.  Information shared through our social media helps keep Canada’s concrete masonry industry on the leading edge, both internally & externally.
Find us here.   Share with your teams.
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/canadian-concrete-masonry-producers-association
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CanadianConcreteMasonryProducers/
Note that CCMPA is present on Instagram through your Executive Director’s personal perspective account @ BetterWithBlock  ~ give her a follow!
We need you!
Social media at its core does remain a numbers game.  Connection creates connection.   Like, follow, share, invite … and you’ll be doing your part to educate the world how concrete masonry contributes to healthy, safe, sustainable Canadian communities.
Feedback / Suggestions always welcome.   
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Andrea of Andrea Boddy Consulting Inc with your feedback / suggestions for CCMPA’s approach, or to discuss your own digital marketing needs.
Andrea Boddy, P.Eng, MASc., EMBA, boddyandrea@gmail.com, 647-302-3852.