The Canadian Paint and Coatings Association (CPCA) will host the Canadian Coatings Conference at the William Gray Hotel in Montreal on May 22-23, 2024. The conference will cover key issues facing the CASE Industry (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants and Elastomers) in Canada and highlight the work done by the Association to sustain a growing industry. This is being done at a transformative time in the world with an increasing focus on ESG and more sustainably sourced inputs for formulated products; adapting to a rapidly evolving digital world with AI at the forefront; and Government policy seeking to adapt to these challenges without negatively impacting economic growth.  

“Without volunteers from member companies working closely with staff, CPCA would not be able to advance the many important interests of the CASE industry in Canada as it has over many years and continues to do so,” said Darrin Noble, President and COO of Cloverdale Paint and CPCA Board Chair. “We need more in the industry to join with us and ensure the industry can tackle the challenges head-on and ensure we can advance economic growth while continuing to deliver safe and highly regulated products we always have for Canadians.”

The business program will address the many issues with a regulatory update on how the CASE industry is coping with massive regulatory change and the prevailing concerns related to:

• New low-level air quality requirements proposed for VOC limits in 49 of 52 architectural coatings categories 
• New risk-assessment approaches announced for 1,000 chemicals used in thousands of products and more to come
• Risk assessment and regulations planned for the pervasive use of PFAS in thousands of CASE products (4,700) 
• Regulations increasing transparency across supply chains with potentially significant labelling of chemicals in products if finalized 
• Reduced use limits for critical preservatives used in CASE products leading to increased contamination and spoilage 
• Addressing lack Canada-US regulatory alignment in two-way trade in the largest trading block in the world 

The keynote speaker at this year’s conference is Dr. Joe Schwarz, who is widely known for his teaching at McGill and many appearances on the Discovery Channel and national networks including the CTV, CBC, TV Ontario, and Global. He has also received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and interpreting science for the public and was the first non-American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry.
 
The conference with the Chair Awards Dinner and presentation of the annual industry awards to those who have made significant contributions to their respective companies and CPCA over the years. The Industry Achievement Award is presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrated exceptional achievement in advancing the interests of the industry and the association’s objectives and is still active in the industry. This year it will be presented to five individuals: Mark Huisman (BASF Canada), Terry Butryn (Schwartz Chemical), John Dracopoulos (Vinavil), Lorraine Bennett (PPG Canada), Kyle Frakes (Tnemec) and Michel Hachey (MG Chemicals).
 
The Industry Distinction Award is presented to an individual who has made a continued, long-term contribution to the Association at the national or local level and recently retired or near retirement. This year it will be presented to Pat Chauvet (Product Care Recycling), Doug Parsons (Home Hardware), Bertrand Goudreault (Éco-Peinture) and Mark Kurschner (Product Care Recycling).
 
“It is important that we recognize individuals in the industry for their unwavering contributions made for the benefit of the entire industry, both in terms of what they do for their companies and the work on important issues taken up CPCA for the benefit of the entire industry in Canada,” commented Gary LeRoux, CPCA President and CEO.
 
For more information visit canpaint.com.