June 2003 - CTMA: : The Canadian Tooling and Machining ...

Canadian Tooling & Machining Association June 2003
CTMA VIEW
5 th ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE
& GOLF TOURNAMENT
C
TMA members and their guests gathered once
again at the Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in
Dorchester, Ontario on June 3 rd , 2003 for the 5 th Annual
Spring Conference & Golf Tournament.
Representatives from St. Clair College and Valiant
Machine & Tool Inc. in Windsor spoke about the Ford
Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing (FCEM). It is
expected to be a one-of-a-kind educational facility
devoted to the advancement of individuals in the
manufacturing, engineering technology, and skilled
trades professions.
Paul Brisebois thanks speakers for their presentation on the
Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing
Front: Mike Solcz, Dr. John Strasser, Paul Brisebois
Back: Gary Docherty, Dan White, Fred Sorrell
Created in consultation with industry leaders, the labs
and workshops in this facility will have the look and feel
of authentic industrial settings, providing essential hightech
training and skills updating that will seamlessly
transport students from the classroom to the modern
manufacturing environment.
See pages 4 & 5 for photos from
the Golf Tournament & Awards Dinner
WELCOME
RECENT NEW MEMBER
Selectpath Benefits & Financial Inc. Western Ont. Chapter
JOIN US!
2003 AGM & CONFERENCE
September 26 – 28, 2003
Register & pay before August 22/03 and
Save $100./couple !!
ALL-CHAPTER ANNUAL SOCIAL
AT WOODBINE RACEWAY
he Toronto Chapter was pleased to host this year’s
All-Chapter Annual Social on May 23 rd at the
Woodbine Raceway. Members and their wives/guests
had the opportunity to catch up on industry issues, enjoy
a wonderful dinner, and try their luck on the horses and
slots.
Other Breaking News:
Conflict with Iraq ....................................... 2
Trade Show Reports................................... 6
Safety Group Helps Members Succeed ..... 7
New Honorary Members Appointed ......... 10
____________________________________________________________________________________________
1
T
Gary Avery and Hal Hamilton present a new blanket to
“Ashanti”, the winning horse in Race #6.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
CTMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Leslie Payne, Universal Pattern Co. Ltd.
Tel: (519) 622-8667 Fax: (519) 622-5758
Vice President:
Jamie Bowman, J.P. Bowman Limited
Tel: (519) 752-6533 Fax: (519) 752-0672
Treasurer:
Horst Just, H.J. Machine & Pattern Ltd.
Tel: (519) 746-7077 Fax: (519) 746-6872
Past President:
Ed Glover, Harbour Advanced Machining
Tel: (519) 969-0641 Fax: (519) 969-0451
Chapter Chairs:
Toronto
Ron Spraggett, Tipco Inc.
Tel: (905) 791-9811 Fax: (905) 791-4917
Western Ontario
Jamie Bowman, J.P. Bowman Limited
Tel: (519) 752-6533 Fax: (519) 752-0672
Windsor
Colin Docherty, ThyssenKrupp Heat Treat
Tel: (519) 737-1568 Fax: (519) 737-1613
Directors:
Paul Brisebois, Anchor Lamina Inc.
Tel: (905) 274-3448 Fax: (905) 274-7303
Robert Cattle, Micrometric Ltd.
Tel: (416) 291-1974 Fax: (416) 291-5011
Horst Schmidt, Build-A-Mold Limited
Tel: (519) 737-6984 Fax: (519) 737-6572
Staff:
Louis M. Papp, Executive Director
Julie McFarlane, Office Manager
Corey Brunsveld, Finance
Susan Kemp, Office Assistant
CTMA VIEW is published quarterly, and
features articles and information of
interest to members and others allied to
the precision metal cutting industry. To
receive additional copies of this
publication, or to make comments or
submissions, please contact us at:
Canadian Tooling &
Machining Association
140 McGovern Dr., Unit #3
Cambridge, ON N3H 4R7
Tel: (519) 653-7265
Fax: (519) 653-6764
Email: info@ctma.com
www.ctma.com
AN EDITORIAL BY LES PAYNE,
CTMA PRESIDENT
The Association has been
contacted by a number of sources,
including members, to participate
in someway or other with action or
public statements. Some
members have requested that the
association make a public
statement and take out
advertisements supporting the
USA and criticizing the Canadian
government with regards to the
war in Iraq. The CTMA’s Board of
Directors discussed the issue at
our April 17 th , 2003 Board meeting
and it was generally agreed that
this type of political action is not
within the mandate of the
association.
To seek consensus from the
membership would take time and
effort from our limited resources
and we believe that it may prove
to be more divisive than
productive.
CONFLICT WITH IRAQ
Whatever one’s own personal
opinion of this conflict may be, I
believe we may all agree that the
lack of support for the USA by
Canada is the most deplorable
consequence.
May we suggest that any of our
members wishing to register their
support of the USA’s position can
log onto one of the following
websites:
www.friendsofamerica.com
www.morefreedom.org
the latter of which is operated by
the National Coalition.
NEW CTMA MEMBER
Selectpath Benefits & Financial
101 – 219 Oxford Street
London, ON N6H 1S5
CONTACT: Gordon Hart
Tel: (519) 675-1177 Fax: (519) 675-1331
Website: www.selectpath.ca
Email: info@selectpath.ca
� � � �
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2

____________________________________________________________________________________________
International
Special Tooling
& Machining
Association
Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
ISTMA-WORLD COMING TO CANADA
As many of our members are
aware, the CTMA has invited the
International Special Tooling &
Machining Association (ISTMA)
to meet here in Canada. The
Board of the CTMA and ISTMA
have changed the date of this
event due to the SARS outbreak
in Toronto. It was considered
prudent to delay this event to
September 14-18, 2003. About
70 delegates are expected to
attend from 25 member countries
and they will be staying at the
We, of course, wish to project the CTMA and its
members as superb hosts and intend to provide a good
atmosphere of fellowship within the tooling world. The
CTMA’s sub-committee is working very hard to organize
the events and make the arrangements for this important
activity.
Anyone interested in sponsoring an activity or being part
of the mini-trade show during this event should contact
Les Payne or the CTMA office.
CTMA APPROVED FOR
EXPORT DEVELOPMENT FUNDING
The CTMA is pleased to announce that it has received
approval for up to $18,875. in funding from the
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
through the Program for Export Market Development for
Trade Associations (PEMD-TA). Over the next year,
some of the expenses associated with our international
events and activities will be partially covered through this
program. The planned activities include:
• 9th International Patternmakers Congress
Warwickshire, England
• ISTMA-World Meeting, Toronto, Canada
• EMO Exhibition, Milan, Italy
Funding is also available for individual companies who
are trying to develop their international business
opportunities and can include export or joint ventures.
For information on what is available and how you can
access the PEMD program, visit:
www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/pemd
TORONTO
CANADA
SEPTEMBER 14-18, 2003
October 20 – 23, 2003
National Trade Centre
Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario
CANADA’S LARGEST DISPLAY OF
MACHINE TOOLS & FACTORY
AUTOMATION
Exhibitors at the Canadian Machine Tool Show
introduce their products and services to visitors from
plants in every industry and all Canadian provinces.
The CTMA is proud to sponsor this show, which
includes a large international contingent of exhibitors
and attracts hundreds of international buyers from the
United States, Central America, China, India, Italy, the
Netherlands and South Africa.
For more information, visit www.cmts.ca
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5 th ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE & GOLF TOURNAMENT
Continued from Page 1
Delegates began a terrific day with a continental
breakfast and a presentation on the Ford Centre for
Excellence in Manufacturing. The Shot-Gun Golf
Tournament followed with a boxed lunch and a 19 th
Hole Reception on the patio sponsored by Tipco Inc. A
steak dinner and awards presentation, sponsored by
Valiant Machine & Tool Inc., wrapped-up an excellent
day. Congratulations to all of the winners!!
Low Gross – Anchor Lamina Cup
David Glover (L) accepts the trophy from Roy Verstraete of
Anchor Lamina, on behalf of Dan Hagell of Lamb
Technicon for Dan’s Low Gross score of 77.
Low Net – CTMA Trophy
Ed Glover of Harbour Advanced Machining (R)
congratulates Tom Chevalier of Valenite-Modco on his Low
Net score of 71.
THANKS! THANKS! THANKS!
to all the
Spring Conference &
Golf Tournament Sponsors
Anchor Lamina Inc.
Axis Tool & Gauge Inc.
Bohler Uddeholm Limited
BTM Tooling
Canadian Progressive Tool & Transfer Ltd.
Densmore Tool & Die Works Limited
Exactatherm Ltd.
Fusion Consulting
G.S. Die & Design Inc.
Harbour Advanced Machining Ltd.
J.P. Bowman Ltd.
Kaller Gas Springs
Klassen Custom Fab. Ltd.
Manor Tool & Die Ltd.
M P & P Magazine
Oakwood Inn Resort & Golf
OSG Canada Ltd.
Porter Precision Products Canada Ltd.
Reed Exhibition Companies
Royal Pattern Industries Ltd.
St. Clair College Foundation
ThyssenKrupp Specialty Steels
Tipco Inc.
Ultratech Tool & Gauge Inc.
Universal Pattern Co. Ltd.
USF Holland
Valenite-Modco Limited
Valiant Machine & Tool Inc.
Oakwood Inn Weekend Package Winner
Aurelien Roy of Royal Patterns (L) is congratulated by
Jamie Bowman and Paul Brisebois
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4

____________________________________________________________________________________________
MORE GOLF TOURNAMENT WINNERS
Closest-To-The-Pin – CTMA Trophy
Jamie Bowman of J.P. Bowman Ltd. (R) congratulates
Dave Hirt of Visteon
Longest Drive – MP&P Magazine Trophy
Mark Vreugdenhil of MP&P Magazine congratulates
Most Honest Golfer – Reed Exhibitions Trophy
Bob Mathieu of Reed Exhibitions congratulates Derek Bailey
ARE YOU LOSING BUSINESS TO CHINA?
Have you been harmed by imports from China?
If you have … or when you do, the Canadian
International Trade Tribunal (CITT) would like to hear
from you.
To facilitate the filing of any complaints with regard to
this type of inquiry, the Tribunal has placed two Guides
for Complainant on its website, one for market disruption
and one for trade diversion. These are designed as
step-by-step guides on how to file a complaint and
where to find useful sources of statistics and information
on market trends for production and trade. They also
provide a model Statement of Complaint. The two
guides include questionnaires which, when completed,
allow the Tribunal to make a decision on whether or not
to commence an inquiry.
If the Tribunal determines that increased imports of
goods from China have caused, or are threatening to
cause, market disruption to Canadian producers of like
goods, the Government may apply import measures to
prevent or remedy the market disruption. Under
amendments to the Customs Tariff and the Export and
Import Permits Act, the Government may impose
surtaxes, quotas or tariff rate quotas.
Should imports from China become an issue for your
company, you are encouraged to contact the CITT and
file your complaint.
More information and documents are available on the
Tribunal’s website in the “Guidelines” area under the
“Publications” section at www.citt-tcce.gc.ca.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
RAPID PROTOTYPING, TOOLING & MFG.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT
By: Louis M. Papp, CTMA Executive Director
CTMA has been supportive of Rapid Prototyping activity
for the past 10 years. Recently, SME cooperated with
CTMA on May 12 & 15, 2003 in Chicago to continue
encouragement of Canadian activities in this developing
process.
CTMA’s booth attracted many visitors who included
representatives from Canadian shops from Ontario,
Quebec and Alberta. The representatives from the
National Research Council in Ottawa used the CTMA
booth as a focal point.
Global competition and new technology developments,
combined with improved systems for cost reduction,
were the major topics of discussion. Many members of
the American Mold Builder’s Association agreed that the
Canadian MTDM Industry has the same concerns as
their American counterparts.
Rapid Prototyping has a bright future, but not
necessarily the future that many had expected,
according to Terry Wohlers one of the industry pioneers.
Conventional processes for prototyping, pattern creation
and tooling have now evolved to co-exist with new Rapid
Prototyping and Rapid Tooling technologies.
A unique feature of this Conference and Exhibition was
the “Pre-Conference Training Shops”. Participants were
introduced to: Stereo Lithography (SLA); Selective
Laser Sintering (SLS); Fused Deposition Modeling
(FDM); Rapid Prototyping Applications and the Future of
Rapid Prototyping Technology.
Rapid Prototyping has made obvious advances in an
increasing variety of materials: better surface finish,
increased strength and lower costs. Users are
advocating a better understanding of fatigue, strain
hardening, stress corrosion, etc.
TRADE SHOW REPORTS
MOLDMAKING EXPO 2003 REPORT
I-X Center, Cleveland, Ohio, April 29 – May 1, 2003
By: Louis M. Papp, CTMA Executive Director
There were 26 Canadian firms exhibiting during this
event. Although the general economy was tight,
attendance was better than anticipated and the
networking receptions were well attended. The show
organizers once again provided free box lunches for
booth attendees and exhibitors.
A Trade Show Opening Breakfast started everything off
on a high note. Art Holst, former National Football
League official gave a great motivational talk, which
touched upon dealing with change, problem solving,
teamwork, discipline and how to laugh at yourself.
The exhibition was dedicated exclusively to mould
making and related technologies for Rapid Product
development. Forty-five well-attended sessions were
presented. Conference proceedings were made
available to registrants, as it was impossible to attend all
of the sessions. Some of the sessions touched upon the
findings of the U.S. International Trade Commission’s
(ITC) investigation into the TDM sector and referenced
some of the testimonies that were provided.
Below is my synopsis of how to “Improve the
Competitive Advantage of the U.S. Tool, Die and Mould
Industry”, which applies equally to Canada’s industry.
The following steps need action:
• Joint marketing initiatives
• Technical cooperation
• Joint purchasing programs for equipment, supplies,
healthcare, insurance, employee benefits, etc.
• Increased use of subcontracting certain precision
machining operations
• Global expansion – operations across multiple time
zones to reduce lead times
• Investment in modern machinery
• Provide value-added services
• Working closely with the New North American
Manufacturers who are expected to produce 40% of
the North American automotive production in 10
years.
• High technology requirements include:
− 3D CAD Solid Modeling Tools
− 3D TDM Design / Creation Tools
− 3D Based Predictive Analysis Tools
− Process Automation & Optimization Tools for
Die and Mould trials, including debugging.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6

____________________________________________________________________________________________
SAFETY GROUP … HELPING MEMBERS SUCCEED!!
Members of the CTMA’s Safety Group recently
participated in another excellent half-day meeting where
the main topics covered were “Developing an Effective
Early & Safe Return to Work Program” by Patti Leclaire
of the WSIB and “Elements of an Effective Health &
Safety Policy” by Larry Masotti of the IAPA. Vince
Dettinger of Valiant Machine & Tool and Lindsay
Fleming of Atlas Tube Inc. also shared some of their
inspiring success stories with the group.
Many participants have commented that they find the
Safety Group meetings to be very interesting and
relevant to their needs and that the quantity and quality
of handouts and resource materials available is
excellent. Other comments indicate that the content of
the meetings is very useful for themselves and their
companies.
Although the potential for a WSIB premium rebate was
the initial “hook” for some of the companies involved,
most are quickly realizing that participation in the
CTMA’s Safety Group provides many, many more
valuable benefits. Some of these include a means to:
obtain safety-related information and learn about
different processes; obtain a wealth of resource
materials; learn some new problem-solving techniques;
have the opportunity to network with others and discuss
common issues; and participate in additional subjectspecific
mini-workshops.
Make sure your company
gets its R&D Tax Credits!
The Canadian and Ontario Governments both have tax
incentive programs to encourage companies to do
R&D.
These programs combined can reimburse your firm
up to 70% of the R&D labour cost, as a cash refund
or investment tax credit.
From our experience with the tooling industry, we
know that many plants have a lot of experimental
development taking place on the shop floor.
The key to getting the tax credits is preparing a claim
that properly documents the R&D work and the
associated costs. We can help you do this.
Call Jim Moore in Windsor at (519) 944 0411
Moore Global
To date, four participants have advised us that they have
had their WSIB WorkWell Audit delayed for one year
because of their involvement in the Safety Group. Other
participating companies have advised Phil Farley,
CTMA’s Program Coordinator, that Ministry of Labour
(MOL) inspectors appear to be very interested and
impressed that they belong to a Safety Group.
Although it is early in the program, the safety record for
the group overall has already improved over the
previous year. As companies work through the 5-Step
process on their chosen elements, we are confident that
they will be creating a safer working environment for
their employees and anticipate that they will also realize
some positive financial bottom-line impact as a result of
their efforts.
The CTMA thanks Phil Farley and the rest of the
Steering Committee members for their hard work in
organizing the meetings and for their dedication to the
Safety Group program. Based on the success of the
program in the Windsor area, the CTMA is considering
expanding it in 2004 into the Kitchener/Waterloo and/or
Mississauga areas. All companies that are interested in
joining the CTMA sponsored Safety Group should
contact Julie McFarlane at the CTMA office (519) 653-
7265 or info@ctma.com.
A MEMBER OF THE
Magna Moore Group
R&D T C dit S i li t
____________________________________________________________________________________________
7

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
In Windsor the MYFI program has 17 new candidates
out with employers and in process of completing the
work portion of the program. This is the 10 th group in
Windsor and Joan Bachmeier the Program Coordinator
reports that the employers are pleased with the results
to date.
A new program is planned to start this fall but we are
currently held up looking for a suitable home for the
program. At a recent CTMA Board meeting approval
was given to the creation of a new and permanent home
for MYFI in Windsor. Joan Bachmeier will be contacting
employers in the Windsor region to invite them to a
meeting to evaluate status, review options, and to
evaluate the current level of Windsor support. Windsor
Chapter members should be calling Joan Bachmeier at
(519) 737-1879 to discuss your requirements and to
provide input.
In Kitchener / Waterloo the 2 nd program will be
complete in June with 16 graduates heading off to their
work placements.
Brad Bain (left) guides students from the MYFI-Waterloo
program on a tour of Ultratech Tool & Gauge
The Waterloo program still has three placements in need
of employer support and Ron McKitrick is working hard
to fill these vacancies. If you can help please contact
him at (519) 886-3601 or (519) 654-9012.
An evaluation is underway on new programs for the
area. If employer support continues to be less than
needed to provide for the continuous operation of the
program then we will cease to offer the program in this
area. As an employer in the Waterloo area you should
make your position clear by calling Ron.
MOULDING YOUTH FOR INDUSTRY
The MYFI program, which supplies quality entry-level
apprentices to our industry, may have a role to play in
your area, but it requires clear support from local
employers. For more information, call Russell Gorham
at (519) 380-9448.
What is “Moulding Youth for Industry”?
MYFI is funded jointly by industry (that’s you) and
Human Resource Development Canada (HRDC) and is
sponsored by the CTMA. The program, designed by
employers, provides 700 hours of in-school training and
then a 1,200-hour work experience placement. Many
ultimately enter into a full-time apprenticeship.
Participants are screened and tested extensively prior to
being permitted to enter the program. Results to date
have been excellent with about 200 graduates currently
working in the precision metal cutting industry.
If you are looking for qualified individuals to meet your
labour needs, consider using the MYFI program. It is
here to supply quality workers to our industry. It is open
to CTMA member and non-member companies alike.
Other areas will see fresh approaches with discussions
being undertaken in several areas of the province during
June, July, & August. While the industry is showing
signs of a slowing of the business cycle, the longer-term
still offers serious labour supply problems. The
precision metal cutting industry continues to show all the
signs of an ongoing skilled labour shortage and training
fresh blood is one of the keys to long-term sustained
growth for this industry. (Read as: “for your business”.)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
8

____________________________________________________________________________________________
WINDSOR CHAPTER:. The Windsor Chapter of CTMA
and the Canadian Association of Moldmakers held a
joint meeting at the Giovanni Caboto Club on May 12,
2003. Graduating students from the Mechanical
Technician Mouldmaking, Toolingmaking and CAD/CAM
courses at St. Clair College were in attendance to
display and discuss their program projects.
The meeting also featured a presentation on U.S. and
Canadian Border Crossing Issues by Sandra Pupatello,
Member of Provincial Parliament for Windsor-West. The
presentation focused on the impact on the Canadian
Tool, Die and Mould Industry.
St. Clair College Graduates
Mechanical Technician Programs
High Technology Cutting Tool Systems
Truly the "Tools of Tomorrow", OSG's High
Technology Cutting Tool Systems are designed
specifically to help the hard machining, die and
mold making industry remain competitive in the
new century.
No one in the cutting tool industry offers a greater
selection of high-tech cutting tool styles and sizes
than OSG.
Contact us today, for the Tools of Tomorrow...
OSG Canada Ltd
An ISO 9001 Certified Company
538 King Forest Court, Burlington , Ontario L7P 5C1
Phone; 1-800-263-4861 Fax; 905-632-8466
www.osgtool.com
CHAPTER NEWS
Ted Callighen, President of CAMM
thanks Sandra Pupatillo for her presentation.
Grand Bend, Ontario
Join Us Again!!
AGM & Conference
Sept. 26-28, 2003
The CTMA’s Annual
General Meeting weekend, is
once again being held at the
Oakwood Inn Resort & Golf
in Grand Bend, Ontario and it promises to be
another great event for the CTMA!! Business and
leisure activities are being
planned for the weekend to
accommodate all ages.
We hope you will join us
and bring your entire
family.
Mark Your Calendar NOW
and watch for more details
coming soon!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
9

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
RECENT MEMBERSHIP PLAQUE RECIPIENTS
AXIS TOOL & GAUGE INC.
Tim Gelata (Centre) & Kevin Dobbie (Right) receive plaque
from Trevor Ludolph, Vice Chairman - Western Ont. Chapter
SELECTPATH BENEFITS & FINANCIAL
Kevin Routley receives plaque from
Colin Docherty, Windsor Chapter Chairman
CTMA AFFINITY PROGRAMS
DESIGNED TO $AVE YOU MONEY
The CTMA is extremely pleased to announce
that Del Bruce of Canadian Progressive Tool &
Transfer Ltd. in Pickering, Ontario, and Ed
Glover of Harbour Advanced Machining Ltd. in
Windsor, Ontario have accepted the Board of
Directors’ nomination to become Honourary
Members of the association.
The nominations for this very distinctive
designation were made for Del and Ed’s long
outstanding service to the Canadian Tooling &
Machining Association.
A special recognition dinner will take place on
September 26, 2003 as part of the AGM &
Conference at the Oakwood Inn Resort & Golf in
Grand Bend, Ontario.
We hope everyone will join us at the dinner to
congratulate them on this prestigious
appointment.
In addition to networking opportunities and many other benefits, your membership in the Canadian Tooling &
Machining Association (CTMA) provides many advantages that you may not have considered. Pooled
purchasing with other CTMA members means savings for you, your employees and your shareholders! Take a
few moments and evaluate for yourself the savings with these affinity partners …
WIRELESS PHONE SERVICE COURIER SERVICES
TRADE SHOW REBATES MEDICAL & LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRIAL RISK INSURANCE
MORNEAU
SOBECO
GARY KOENIG
P.W. Harrison & Son
INSURANCE BROKERS INC.
For more information on any of these affinity programs, contact the CTMA office at:
Tel: (519) 653-7265 Email: info@ctma.com Fax: (519) 653-6764
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
10

____________________________________________________________________________________________
THE FUTURE OF MANDATORY RETIREMENT IN ONTARIO
On April 30 th , 2003, the Government of
Ontario announced the
long anticipated abolishment of
Mandatory Retirement at Age 65.
The following information, provided by Morneau Sobeco,
provides a brief summary of this announcement as well
as a commentary for employers and plan holders.
This decision followed the release, two years ago, of a
report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in June
of 2001.
As the law stands today, Ontario is one of four remaining
provinces in Canada (along with British Columbia,
Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador) which restrict
the definition of “age” to over 18 and under 65 in
prohibiting age discrimination with respect to
employment. This means that employers can require
employees to retire at age 65 and employees cannot
challenge this practice.
The human rights statutes of the remaining provinces
and federal government do not restrict the definition of
“age” in prohibiting age discrimination with respect to
employment, but they do permit various exceptions to
the blanket prohibition.
From a pension plan design perspective, ending
mandatory retirement in Ontario won’t necessitate any
immediate changes. Ontario pension legislation already
requires continued accrual of pension benefits for
employees who work beyond age 65. In addition,
employees who work beyond age 65 will still have to
start their pensions by the end of the calendar year they
attain age 69, as required under Canadian income tax
legislation. Some employers may wish to cap credited
services, say at 35 years, to lessen the incentives to
postpone retirement much beyond age 65.
In recent years, employers have more frequently been
dealing with situations of early retirement rather than
later retirement. However, with a potential labour
shortage looming on the horizon, some employers may
want to consider amending their pension plans to
provide incentives for employees to continue working.
This may take the form of reducing incentives to retire
early or encouraging partial or phased retirement. Both
Alberta and Quebec have enacted legislation to allow
companies to facilitate partial retirement through their
pension plans. This may be a next logical step for
Ontario. What is debatable though is whether
employers are seeking to keep more workers past age
65 as opposed to retaining workers in the 45 to 65 age
group.
In terms of employee benefits, this week’s
announcement could trigger some serious plan review
and program changes. If more employees work beyond
the age of 65, it will impact the overall risk and cost of
programs, particularly life insurance. There may also be
some push back on the termination of long term
disability (LTD) coverage at age 65, which is the
standard that currently prevails.
Employers will need to check whether or not their benefit
coverage automatically continues after 65, even if there
are no post-retirement benefits provided. The
underlying provincial health coverage changes at age
65, so the liability assumed by a private benefit plan will
also change, but does not become redundant. At
present, there is sometimes a different rate structure for
those over and those under age 65 for health and dental
insurance.
How the Ontario Government chooses to prohibit
mandatory retirement remains to be seen. Certainly the
recommendation of the Human Rights Commission
favours prohibition similar to the legislation in Alberta,
Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. The less stringent
approach taken by the federal government, New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia is also possible. The overall
impact may not be all that great however, as experience
suggests most people do not wish to work on a regular
basis after age 65. A Statistics Canada report in 1998
indicated that the median age of retirement in Canada,
as a whole was 60.8 years, compared to 58.4 in Quebec
and 60.7 in Manitoba, which are two provinces that
abolished mandatory retirement 20 years ago.
For further information, please contact the CTMA’s
employee benefits’ affinity partner Morneau Sobeco at:
info@morneausobeco.com
____________________________________________________________________________________________
11

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
INDUSTRY PULSE RATE
TAKEN APRIL 2003
• Members are reporting loss of business from
American customers due to negative remarks by
the Canadian government regarding the war in Iraq
• Canadian business conditions had seemed to be
picking up, but have dropped off again
• 1 st quarter has been relatively slow – short-term
outlook seems to be picking up a bit – long-term
outlook is uncertain
• Currently busy and booked out to Fall 2003
• Expect a busy summer – quoting is backlogged
• Feel lucky to have the work we do have
• Machine tool building is slow – similar to recessiontype
environment
• Lots of quoting
• Outlook is busy until December 2003 and into 1 st
quarter 2004 – beyond that is uncertain
Solutions for CNC
CAD/CAM & DNC
CAD Interoperability – Full Tool Control
Complete CNC Solutions
Mastercam Ver. 9 (new)
NC Programming & Machining
• Intuitive, user friendly interface
• Full Associativity: Dimensions - Model - NC Toolpath
• Complete 3-Axis Multi-Surface Machining
• Powerful 5-Axis (4-Axis) Machining w/ Verification
• High Speed Cutting (Optimum Milling Strategies)
• Advanced Solids Machining w/ Tool Control
• Advanced Lathe with Live Tooling
• Easy to use 2 & 4-Axis Wire EDM
Part Modeling and Editing
• Hybrid Modeler – Surfaces, Solids and Wireframe
• Stitch Surfaces into a Solid Model
• Mold Cavity/Core Separation
• Automatic Electrode Creation, Insertion & Mgmt.
• Robust & Reliable Translators
(519) 658-1471
www.mastercam.ca
UPCOMING EVENTS
2003
June 3 5th Annual Spring Conference & Dorchester
Golf Tournament
June 5-7 9 th Int’l Patternmakers Congress ENGLAND
June 11 Safety Group Meeting Windsor
June 16 Carbide & HSS Annual Meeting Cambridge
June 19 CTMA Board Meeting Cambridge
June 25 Wage Survey Committee Mtg. Cambridge
June 30 Apprenticeship Competition Closes
Aug. 15 ISTMA Business Conditions Report Int’l.
Aug. 21 CTMA Board Meeting Cambridge
Sept. 10 Safety Group Meeting Windsor
Sept. 14-18 ISTMA-World Board Meeting Toronto
Sept. 25-28 Mould & Die Asia Hong Kong
Sept. 26-28 AGM & Conference Grand Bend
Oct. 16 CTMA Board Meeting Cambridge
Oct. 20-23 Canadian Machine Tool Show Toronto
Oct. 28-30 Tool & Mold Expo CALIFORNIA
Nov. 1 Wage & Business Survey National
CTMA VIEW - ADVERTISING RATES
Advertising rates are $500.00 per year (4 issues). For
further information, please contact our office: TEL:
(519) 653-7265 or FAX us at (519) 653-6764.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
12