News
Ontario Chapter Update
The Ontario Chapter membership continues to be strong, with 419 members, including 47 in Ottawa and 46 in South Western Ontario. The newly elected Board of Directors for the Ontario Chapter have been hard at work planning events for the upcoming year. On February 3rd, the Ways and Means Committee coordinated an educational program at the Fire & Life Safety Education facility in Brampton. This sold out session taught members about fire alarm regulations, enforcement and field infractions as well as a hands-on tour of their training facility which includes a mock up of hazards within the home. Response to this event was overwhelming with a second date of March 16 being added and selling out within hours of its announcement.
The next member meeting will be taking place in April and will include a presentation on the upcoming HST implementation. Click here (available in English only) to read an HST information sheet that is specific to the security industry that was prepared for CANASA by a taxation expert.
Also planned for later this year are member meetings in the Niagara region as well as one in the Sudbury area. Key note speakers will discuss CANASA’s Accredited Security Contractor program.
Other topics to be addressed at future member meetings include errors & omissions insurance, WSIB compensation and disability insurance.
Golf tournament planning is well underway with the Ontario event scheduled for July 15 at Station Creek Golf Club, South Western Ontario’s tournament to take place on June 25 at Pine Knot Golf and Country Club and Ottawa’s event to be held on August 25 at Hammond Golf and Country Club.
If you have any comments or feedback for the Ontario Board please forward them to us at ontarioboard@canasa.org.
Important HST Information
Beginning July 1, 2010, Ontario will no longer have the Ontario retail sales tax (“RST”), and will instead be adopting a harmonized sales tax (“HST”), which will parallel the GST at the provincial level. To date, the federal and Ontario governments have issued some publications dealing with the application of the new HST, but many details remain under discussion. In order help Canadian Security Association members obtain a better understanding of the HST, we have put together some explanations that address the following issues of concern:
- GST/HST as it applies to revenue for services which are performed partly before and partly after July 1, 2010
- GST/HST as it applies to sales of goods ordered before July 1, 2010 but delivered after July 1, 2010
- GST/HST as it applies to the supply and installation of fixtures
- GST/HST as it applies to ‘bundled’ sales consisting of products, together with services, sold as a package for a single price
- Transitional rules relating to leased equipment
- Self-assessment requirements under the HST rules
- Restricted input tax credits for “large businesses”
- Transitional rules with respect to Ontario RST
Fire Education for CANASA Members
Fire Alarm Regulations, Enforcement and Field Infractions
Fire & Life Safety Education Program
Due to overwhelming demand both February 3 and March 16 events have sold out.
Date: Wednesday, February 3 & Tuesday, March 16, 2010 SOLD OUT!
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: 225 Central Park Drive, Brampton, ON (at Queen Street East)
Registration: Space is limited so pre-registration with CANASA is mandatory!
Registration form.
Cost: No charge for members
Brian Maltby: Division Chief, Fire Prevention, Chief Fire Official for Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, will provide an overview of the building and fire code as they relate to fire alarms, monitoring requirements, enforcement concerns and penalties.
Brian Scott: Division Chief, Fire/Life Safety Education, will provide an informative tour of the hands-on education facility, which teaches up to 8000 children a year about fire safety and fire escape planning.
This a great opportunity for fire alarm installation companies, alarm monitoring companies and others in the alarm industry to learn more about their fire partners and about free education programs available to the public.
Some of the information to be discussed:
- The fire code vs. other laws
- Offences and enforcement
- What do the code enforcers look for when doing their inspections?
- When is monitoring required for fire alarms?
- What standards, codes and laws do you need to be aware of when working on fire alarms?
- How the Fire/Life Safety Education Facility is used to educate children
- How to make a fire escape plan
For more information contact:
Lisa Padgett
Executive Administrative Assistant
Tel: (905) 513-0622 ext. 230
Email: lpadgett@canasa.org
This event was organized by the Ways & Means Committee of the Ontario Chapter Board of CANASA who volunteer their time for the betterment of the security industry. Get involved, make a difference!
Ontario Hosts Peel Region Police Tour
The Ontario Chapter Ways and Means Committee has been busy coordinating member meetings and events over the past several months. In most cases, these events are free to members, and available to non-members for a nominal charge.
In November, tours of the Peel Police and Brampton Fire communication centers were provided to members. Members met at the Peel Police station and toured the call centers, learning about the processes and tools used by call takers. Informative presentations were given by Gerry Miller, Supervisor of Alarm Program and by Marilyn Rundle, Division Chief of Communications for Brampton Fire and Emergency Services and many questions were answered by the curious dealers, installers and monitoring professionals who attended. The event was very well attended and several tours were required to fit everyone in.
The Ways and Means Committee is also organizing a social event in January 2010 at Woodbine Racetrack, as well as a presentation on HST, to take place in February 2010. Information on these events will be sent out via email in the near future.
Click here to view the presentation.