By Kristen Frisa
Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Canadian Roof Contractors Association (CRCA) is hard at work building a name for itself, through events, social media, and a new Canadian National Roofing Week.
The week, aimed at creating awareness and excitement about the work roofers do, is to be held the first week in June each year. This year, a pilot week was held with the cooperation of regional roofersโ associations, to get the idea off the ground.
The Roofing Contractors Association of Manitoba (RCAM) and the Quebec Master Roofers Association (QMRA) saw resounding success in this yearโs endeavour.’
โQuebec had 40 percent of members participating,โ says Bob Brunet, executive director of CRCA. โThey received almost 350 photos from members, mostly posted on social media,โ he says. QMRA came up with a slogan for 2019 Roofing Week, which they intend to carry forward. The slogan reads โTโas pas vu ma vueโ which in English translates to โHave you seen my view?โ
All the activity from members helps to advance awareness of what roofers do, as evidenced by the estimated 66,000 unique page views QMRAโs website garnered.
CRCA president Jacques Beaulieu hopes this initial success will get other regions of the country on board. โThe results and the provincial support have been more than we expected,โ Beaulieu says. โItโs a great opportunity to educate people about the roofing trade,โ he says.
Brunet says next yearโs National Roofing Week will consist of a different theme each day, such as โshow me your view,โ during which roofers can send pictures of the views they enjoy on the job. Other days will focus on current projects, training history, and other details about roofersโ careers.
Brunet says the purpose of National Roofing Week is to interest younger workers who may not have decided on a career path, by showing them the advantages of the job.
โRoofing can be a great trade to be in. They donโt go to an office, they go on top of the building,โ Brunet says. โTheir view is phenomenal.โ He says roofers also tend to make a really decent wage and have opportunities for advancement.
Like most trades in Canada, roofing is facing a challenge of getting new recruits to the job. โThe number-one issue that every roofing contractor is struggling with is the shortage of workers,โ Beaulieu says.ย โWe need to get to attract people to the trade and better explain the benefits of working in it.โ
Another purpose of roofing week is for CRCA to showcase the advantages of hiring its members for roofing jobs. One of the biggest benefits is that member businesses are screened for quality work and business viability. โWeโre very different from other trade associations,โ Brunet says. โMembers have to prequalify in order to join CRCA.โ
He says requirements vary from province to province, but requirements are stringent for entry. โIn Ontario, for instance, they go audit your past jobs and current jobs before youโre accepted as a member. They also review insurance, health and safety record, and financials.โ He says that means building owners can be assured that CRCA members can do the job well. โBy hiring a CRCA member all the prequalification has already been done for them,โ Brunet says.
The first week of June is an opportune time to hold Canadaโs roofing week, because the National Roofing Contractors Association in the United States has already claimed the week. โItโll really be a North American Roofing Week,โ Brunet says.
CRCA will hold a board meeting in September in Winnipeg, in which the association will determine its major initiatives for the year.