OHBA 2019 Conference Program
Program Subject to Change
- Sunday, September 22, 2019
- Monday, September 23, 2019
- Monday, September 23, 2019 - President's Gala
- Tuesday, September 24, 2019
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM: Executive Officers’ Meeting
Welcome to all Executive Officers, we will share best practices and discuss issues within locals. OHBA will also show the new platform (guides.co) which is the new information sharing platform that OHBA has partnered with. Stephen Dupuis and David Horton use to say “Have we seen it all yet?”, the answer was always no! We will have a look at what we have seen and what maybe down the road.
Location: Village Conference Centre – Silver Creek Room
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM: OHBA Board of Directors Meeting
Guests: CMHC and WSIB
Setting course for the Association is an important part of OHBA’s annual Conference. At CMHC and WSIB, working together with OHBA members is an important part of what we do!
Location: Village Conference Centre – Petun Room
6:00 PM: Opening Reception
Hosted by the Simcoe County Home Builders’ Association (SCHBA)
You won’t want to miss the GREASE extravaganza. Sandy, Danny, Frenchie, Pink Ladies, T-Birds… the food, the fun! Join us for the Opening Reception as we “strut our stuff”. Delegates & guests are encouraged to “dress the part”. After a sit-down dinner (with all your ‘diner’ favourites) we’ll head into the village to continue the party!
Location: Village Conference Centre – Georgian Bay Ballroom
Morning
7:30 AM – 7:00 PM: Charity Component
Redwood Park Communities was founded in 2009 as a charity to build safe, affordable, hopeful housing that supports families and individuals. We are committed to working through partnerships with local agencies serving vulnerable people who require affordable housing, to provide housing options that are wrapped in a fostering and supportive community. A fundamental belief we hold is that the opposite of homelessness is not housing, the opposite is a safe, supportive and nurturing community.
The Need: We believe that safe, affordable, hopeful housing is the first step in breaking the cycle of violence, abuse, and poverty. Our partner social service agencies select families and provide ongoing professional case management.
As we seek to create supportive community we will:
- Strive to treat the families who join our community not as clients, but rather as our friends.
- Not duplicate services, but rather seek to connect people with existing services, and supports.
- Make every effort to listen to the stories of our friends without judgement.
- Treat our team and volunteers with the same care, respect, and value as the families we support. With rent prices in Barrie sitting at the 4th to 5th highest in the country, razor-thin vacancy rates, and an up-to-11-year waitlist for affordable housing, the creation of new affordable rental units is very important to Simcoe County.
Together, we will create…
A gift of home,
A gift of hope,
A gift that will make a difference for generations.
Location: Village Conference Centre – Atrium
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM – Breakfast and Industry Learning with Enbridge
A Local Case Study in
‘Air-Tightness’
In Residential New Construction
30% to 50% of space conditioning energy consumption in many buildings is due to air leakage through the building enclosure… How can we lower those numbers?
Please join us and our special guests Anisa Smith of Tartan Homes & Mark Rosen of Building Energy Inc. Investing this time now… will pay dividends later!
Presented By:
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
8:30 AM – 11:15 AM
OHBA Annual Meeting of Members (AMM)
Location: Village Conference Centre – Petun Room
BUILDER/DEVELOPER STREAM – SESSION ONE:
Location: Huron Grand I/II
11:30 AM – 12:15 AM – An Inside Look: Research & Development in the Canadian Housing Industry
Gary Sharp, Director of Renovator Services, Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA)
Stefanie Coleman, Owner, Pretty Smart Homes
Alex Ferguson, Researcher, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
With representatives from CHBA, National Research Council, NRCan and LEEP, this session would provide delegates with an inside look at current research and technology underway for the Canadian Housing Industry. From Home Modification / Aging in Place trends and technology to new gas based HVAC technology, this panel will take a look into the future of housing.
MARKETING/DESIGN STREAM – SESSION ONE:
Location: Huron Grand III/IV
11:30 AM – 12:15 AM – Selection Strategies: Personalizing
Carol Smith, Customer Relations Consultant
Sell more options, get decisions sooner, and avoid selection pitfalls with the insights and tools from this program. One of the reasons home buyers purchase a new home is the opportunity to make choices. It follows that the selection process should be enjoyable and gratifying. At the same time, you need to keep control of this if you are to build the home correctly and on time. Where ever your home buyers make their selections, this seminar will help you take the selections experience to the next level for your home buyers and your company.
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM – Conference Lunch
and Keynote Speaker Ron Tite
We hope you’ll take a moment to get to know Ron Tite. His creative approach to marketing makes him one of the Marketing Magazine’s Top 10 Creative Canadians…
Blueprint Insurance is the proud sponsor of today’s Keynote Speaker Ron Tite. His customized and creative approach to marketing will provide ideas for OHBA members, no matter what their Business.
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
Afternoon
BUILDER/DEVELOPER STREAM – SESSION TWO:
Location: Huron Grand I/II
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM – Don’t Get Floored: Build it Better and Faster
Cory McCambridge, Engineered Wood Specialist at APA – The Engineered Wood Association
What is the REAL cost advantage to re-engineering the structure of a home today? Do floor/truss/panel designers REALLY take advantage of true cost savings opportunities for builder and framing clients? Take a deep dive with APA value engineering expert Cory McCambridge as he eliminates waste and cost for an Ontario builder (case study) , while addressing “bouncing floors”, over spanned joists and frustrating flush-beam details.. Attendees will understand what questions to ask and what details to look for when working with designers in the field.
MARKETING/DESIGN STREAM – SESSION TWO:
Location: Huron Grand III/IV
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM – Universal Communication Protocols: Managing the Raw Material of the Business Day
Carol Smith, Customer Relations Consultant
Consistency is a vital element in service success. By defining target behaviors for managing all company communication—from phone calls and emails to meetings and documents—you can create a dynamic system and habits for keeping all departments and personnel informed and at the same time ensure that all customers receive predictable attention.
BUILDER/DEVELOPER STREAM – SESSION THREE
Location: Huron Grand I/II
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – Preparing for Climate Change: Simple and Cost Effective Solutions
David Foster, Director of Communications, Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA)
Doug Tarry, Director Of Marketing, Lead Designer, Doug Tarry Homes
Andy Oding, Vice-President and Director of Building Science, Building Science Canada
As we continue to experience an ever increasing number of extreme weather events due to fire, water and flooding and winds driven by climate change, we need to consider and prepare for the implications this will have on how we construct our buildings, building codes, regulations and insurance. Doug, David and Andy will share with you their knowledge and experience on construction techniques and application, codes, regulations, insurance and the path forward with this new reality.
MARKETING/DESIGN STREAM – SESSION THREE
Location: Huron Grand III/IV
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – Public Speaking Is Not a Terminal Disease: Delivering Convincing Presentations
Carol Smith, Customer Relations Consultant
Regardless of your position in the home building industry, your success with customers and your career will benefit from an ability to prepare and deliver a convincing presentation. Organizing ideas and supporting points can be a challenging first step. And for many of us conquering “stage fright” is an even bigger issue. The systematic approach presented in this class can bring these tasks under control and provide you with the tools you need to persuade others, stimulate improvement, foster career growth, and enjoy the gratification of a job well-done.
BUILDER/DEVELOPER STREAM – SESSION FOUR:
Location: Huron Grand I/II
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM – New Energy Star for Multi-Family High-Rise
Wells Baker, Technical Director, EQ Building Performance Inc.
Corey McBurney, President, EnerQuality Corporation
Vince Molinaro, Owner, The Molinaro Group
EnerQuality with the residential building industry and Natural Resources Canada, have developed the ENERGY STAR Multifamily High-Rise new construction program to support builders in their drive to exceed energy efficiency requirements of the building code. Listen to the panel discuss how this program allows builders of multi-family high-rise buildings earn the familiar and respected ENERGY STAR brand/certification for their buildings.
MARKETING/DESIGN STREAM – SESSION FOUR
Location: Huron Grand III/IV
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM – I Didn’t Come Here to Lose: Negotiating Skills for Home & Work
Carol Smith, Customer Relations Consultant
Each of us negotiates through our normal days—often without giving the process much notice or thought. Yet in spite of this nearly constant practice, when faced with a formal negotiation, concerns and stress begin to mount. Great negotiators are not born; they have developed the attitudes and learned the skills needed to master this fundamental human behavior. This class offers an overview of those attitudes and skills to prepare you to succeed whether the negotiation you are in is an ordinary daily matter or a high level business transaction.
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM – Breakfast and Industry Learning with Enbridge
Breakfast and Industry “Learning” with Enbridge.
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
8:30 AM – 11:15 AM
OHBA Annual Meeting of Members (AMM)
Location: Village Conference Centre – Petun Room
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Presidents’ Gala Pre-Reception
A perfect time for delegates and guests to discuss the day’s events … and anticipate the celebration of this evening’s festivities!
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
Presented by:
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Presidents’ Gala Dinner
Join us as we recognize Past Presidents and welcome our new OHBA President Bob Schickedanz of FarSight Homes!
It’s important to know “from whence you come” in order to “set direction for the future.” This Gala is an opportunity to say “Thank you!” to an amazing group of dedicated volunteers.
What a privilege to honour the Presidents (past and present)! Just as each President adds their flavour while moving the Association forward; so too Cogeco believes in service and forward momentum for its customers.
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
Presented by:
10:00 PM – 12:00 AM: Presidents’ Gala Post-Reception
Meet with Association leaders and celebrate “Cottage Life” just outside the room. Listen to the birds, hear the brook and imagine… Enercare is the proud sponsor of this evening’s post-reception.
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
Presented by:
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast and Tarion Update
Peter Balasubramanian, Chief Operating Officer, Tarion Warranty Corporation
Howard Bogach, CEO & President, Tarion Warranty Corporation
Join Tarion CEO Howard Bogach and Chief Operating Officer, Peter Balasubramanian for breakfast, where they will walk attendees through what’s new in the world of builder regulation and warranty administration. Come prepared with your questions for an open-floor Q&A session to follow.
For Your Business… Relevant and Relatable!
Location: Huron Grand
9:00 AM – 9:45 AM: Chasing Unicorns: Attracting and Retaining Talent in the Skilled Trades
Location: Huron Grand
Skills Ontario
When looking for skilled labor, it often feels like construction business owners are hunting for unicorns—searching for a creature that doesn’t seem to exist. The skills gap has been growing for decades given the Great Recession, Baby Boomer retirement, and a younger generation not encouraged to pursue a career in the trades. This advanced session explores why construction companies must shift from “hiring for skill” to “recruiting for talent” in order to remain relevant in the coming years, and how to develop recruiting, hiring, and training practices that show Millennials a path and create opportunities along the way. Learn how to successfully attract and develop your own skilled labor force and what that means for the companies that don’t.
10:00AM – 11:00AM: Virtual and Augmented Reality: Changing the Way We Do Business
Location: Huron Grand
Anson Wang, Founder, Landmark VR
Many builders use models to pre-sell homes, and for good reason. They let people experience and fall in love with their future home. But what if you don’t have models or can’t build one for every floor plan? Potential buyers can do their best to visualize from 2D plans and finish samples, but this often leads to blank stares, confusion and lost sales. Fortunately, you now have virtual reality (VR) at your disposal. With VR, buyers put on VR goggles and are transported inside a virtual version of your home where they can walk around every floor plan, switch finishes, check out different upgrade options—the possibilities are endless.
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: BBQ Lunch in the Conference Centre Atrium/Patio
Delegates, please remember to bring your lunch ticket in order to access the lunch.
Additional Activities
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Additional Activities Run Concurrently with the Tuesday Educational Programming
Please see ‘Activities‘
Awards of Distinction
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Awards of Distinction Pre-Reception
Masco is proud to be part of this prestigious event and to celebrate the finalists of this year’s Awards of Distinction! Don’t miss the opportunity to look at the finalists in each category on the screens inside the reception area.
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
Presented by:
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Awards of Distinction Dinner and Award Ceremony
Come celebrate the finalists and winners at OHBA’s 2019 Awards of Distinction. Known across Canada for quality in design, construction and marketing, OHBA members are recognized by their peers for their excellence!
Together, Rogers and Federated Insurance invite you to celebrate the winners of this year’s Awards of Distinction. Excellence in product and service is something of which we can all be proud of!
Reliance Home Comfort is proud to provide, for your enjoyment, tonight’s Dinner Wine. Congratulations to the finalists and winners!
Location: Village Conference Centre – The Courts
Presented by:
![]() |
![]() |
Ready to Register?