Safety Codes Council Summit a Success!
The Safety Codes Council recently had the privilege of hosting over 300 safety codes system professionals to its first ever Safety Codes Council Summit. Attendees from all corners of the province, and even beyond our borders, attended the Red Deer Resort and Casino in Red Deer to take part in 3 days of networking, information-sharing, and over 25 educational sessions. The objective of the Summit was twofold: to build strategic partnerships by providing networking opportunities for safety codes system professionals, and to evolve safety codes officer training to build competency in the interpretation of codes and standards, ultimately improving consistent application and enabling innovation. Our sincere appreciation to all the dedicated professionals who attended our inaugural Safety Codes Council Summit, as well as our sponsors; you all played a key role in the success of this event. For those who are interested in the content of the Summit’s presentations, concurrent session presentations will be available shortly on our website.
Thursday’s programming began with welcome remarks from the Council’s President and CEO Rob Bennett. Mr. Bennett shared his vision for the direction of the Council, emphasizing innovation, collaboration, and the importance of adapting to meet the evolving needs of Alberta’s safety codes system. Afterwards, keynote speaker Allan Moore led attendees through fun and thoughtful exercises in safety and leadership.
On Thursday afternoon the Council had the pleasure of hosting the Honourable Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs. The Minister delivered remarks to the Summit attendees, touching on the importance of the role safety codes professionals play in the future of Alberta’s economy. With record housing demand projected for the province over the next 10 years, the Minister underscored the importance of enabling innovation and streamlining processes to meet the demand while ensuring that safety is not compromised.
The Summit featured an array of informative and engaging sessions delivered by a diverse set of industry partners. Topics ranged from solar and energy storage to the evaluation of construction materials for compliance with the Building Code by the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC). The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) enlightened attendees on engineering authentication, and a mass-timber fire-test demonstration was shared. Technical sessions on fire, building, electrical, and plumbing and gas disciplines, facilitated by Municipal Affairs’ technical administrators, also provided valuable insights. Extended breaks between sessions allowed for meaningful networking, facilitating new connections and reconnections with peers.
The event also played host to the Alberta Building Officials Association’s (ABOA) Annual General Meeting, and members of the Alliance of Canadian Building Officials’ Association (ACBOA) were invited to build connections with Summit attendees. The Safety Codes Council extends its gratitude to all the speakers who generously shared their knowledge through presentations and special meetings.
Concurrent sessions continued on Friday morning, culminating with a Question & Answer session featuring the Council’s leaders of certification, accreditation, and regulatory affairs. Attendees were given insight to the Council’s future and many projects that they will be working on in the coming year -including curriculum modernization, stakeholder relations, and the Accreditation Review that is currently underway.
Thank you to those who contributed their valuable feedback through our Summit 2023 survey. Your insights are highly appreciated. If you missed the opportunity to share your thoughts, please feel free to email us at communication@safetycodes.ab.ca.
We hope to see you at a future Safety Codes Council Summit, where we will continue to promote excellence, innovation, and safety within Alberta’s safety codes system.
