A NEW DAY A NEW DAY - Toronto Construction Association

Members' Day
Deeper into the Future
TCA Members’ Day is a major event: this year, attendees were given a thoughtful
appraisal of opportunities in the “Post-Stimulus Age”
By Andrew Brooks
Keynote speaker George Smitherman lays out his vision for
the city
TCA president John Mollenhauer (left) and TCA board chair Glenn Ackerley with George Smitherman after the
keynote
TCA MEMBERS’ DAY AND OPEN HOUSE IS ALWAYS A
standout professional/social event on
Toronto’s construction calendar. This year
marked the 16th Members’ Day, which
was held at the TCA Construction Centre
in Richmond Hill on Wednesday, May 12.
Attendance was strong and the takeaways
were excellent as always. Attendees were
treated to an animated keynote by prominent
provincial and municipal politician
George Smitherman; they heard from
a panel of industry experts about what
kinds of opportunities they can anticipate
once infrastructure stimulus funding
has ended; they got a hands-on look at
industry products and services; they met
20 | Builders' Digest Quarter 3 2010
some of the future stars of the construction
business from across the country;
they were treated to a fantastic barbecue
lunch; and most important of all, they
had fun — and an opportunity to get to
know some of their peers in the industry.
A CANDIDATE’S KEYNOTE
As a current Toronto mayoralty candidate
and former Ontario Deputy Premier and
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure,
Smitherman has a unique perspective on
the city and how it fits into the broader
infrastructure picture. Always a compelling
speaker, he delivered an off-the-cuff
keynote talk about his vision for the city’s
future, and told attendees that he believes
more infrastructure work is required to
bring the kind of renewal the city needs.
Smitherman’s mayoralty campaign
platform features a two-phase “Integrated
Transportation Plan” that promises to
bring together public and private transportation
modes. A major element of the
plan is expansion of the TTC. The first
phase extends to 2015, in time for the
Pan Am Games, and promises to focus
on expansion of existing transit routes
as well as the opening of a rail link from
Union Station to Pearson International
Airport. The second phase extends to
2020 and will feature further transit