September 21, 2016 - Belden has launched the REVConnect connectivity system, which is says addresses a market need for “terminations that support IP convergence over a range of applications from wired LAN to wireless access points, high definition displays, security cameras and building automation sensors”.

September 20, 2016 - Fluke’s new “laser levels” are a line of professional-grade, precision tools that are designed to survive a 1-m drop and keep working, according to the company.

September 19, 2016 - Bosch says its GSA18V-083B 18V cordless reciprocating saw is lightweight, coming in at 5.5 lb, with a length of 15-3/4 in. and delivers 0.83-in. (21 mm) stroke at up to 3000 strokes per minute. The tool is also designed with a variable-speed trigger so “trade professionals can ease into the cut and minimize kickback potential”.

September 16, 2016 - Milwaukee Tool says its Ax with carbide teeth Sawzall blades deliver 30 times longer life over standard bi-metal blades and are two times faster cutting than other carbide blades.

September 15, 2016 - From slick chrome chandeliers to practical LED downlights, there were all kinds of winners for the 2016 Lighting for Tomorrow Awards, announced through a webinar hosted by the American Lighting Association earlier this week. Congratulations to all!

September 15, 2016 - Two new semi-con cable scoring tools from Greenlee target those working in utility cable applications, specifically for stripping underground primary distribution cable.

September 13, 2016 - Burndy has expanded its Unitap insulated multi-tap connector family.

September 13, 2016 - Cable manufacturer Helukabel now offers a cross-linked (thermoset) polyethylene (XLPE) insulated control cable that it says is suited for industrial equipment manufacturers in Canada and those that export to the United States.

September 12, 2016 - Designed for “urban residential luxury” and hospitality settings, Amerlux’s new Essenza LED is a small luminaire offered in a round or square trim design for downlights, wall washers and shower lights.

September 12, 2016 - The 1487SS modular pull-through wireway system from Hammond Manufacturing is made up of three cross-section sizes: 4 x 4 in., 6 x 6 in. and 8 x 8 in., all with a brushed stainless steel finish.

September 12, 2016 - Ridgid says its RE 12-M manual hydraulic crimp tool—used for wire termination and grounding applications to crimp compression lugs and connectors onto copper, aluminum and ACSR wire and grounding rods—is light and easy to use.

September 23, 2016 - A company from the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344 in Saskatchewan has been fined $35,000, the province reports, for violating one count under Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation.

September 16, 2016 - Transport Canada reports a recall on certain models of the GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado pickup trucks due to airbag concerns.

September 13, 2016 - “To the Point” is a new series from Electrolab Training Systems of safety training programs touching on the most common safety topics. It includes 12 titles that each cover a core topic in 13 minutes or less.

September 13, 2016 - Transport Canada has become aware of a Ford recall involving the 2014 Transit work van due to a malfunction with the door latch.

September 12, 2016 - Did you know the original health and safety management system standard was the British BS OHSAS 18001? This was the precursor to not only CAN/CSA-Z1000 “Occupational health & safety management” but also ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z10 “Occupational health & safety management systems”, which is used in the United States.

September 6, 2016 - A Birch Hills, Sask. company has been fined $23,800 after a worker was killed when equipment touched a power line.

September 2, 2016 - American workplace safety and health inspectors have cited York Metal Toll Processing Inc. for exposing employees to uncorrected electrical, crushing and respiratory hazards, as well as recurring amputation hazards.

September 1, 2016 - In conjunction with Health Canada and the U.S. CPSC, Swarovski Lighting Ltd. is recalling its Octa crystal pendant light fixtures because the crystal in the fixture can detach and fall if damaged during shipment, posing an impact hazard.

August 31, 2016 - UL has issued a warning about an LED bulb, known to be sold by East Coast Lighting in Ontario, for its counterfeit UL certification marks for Canada and the United States.  

August 30, 2016 - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports United Copper is recalling certain metal-clad (MC) aluminum armoured cables due to fire and shock hazards.

August 26, 2016 - In a joint recall with Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Cree Inc. is recalling a 48-in. LED replacement lamp for traditional indoor 2-pin T8s.

September 12, 2016 - In 2013 I published a column very similar to this one to raise awareness about the hazards with delta (ungrounded) to wye (grounded) conversions. Delta systems have become increasingly less common—many of the experts on these systems have retired and lessons learned have been forgotten.

September 12, 2016 - How well do you know the CE Code? Try our Code Conundrum!

August 10, 2016 - Tackle the August 2016 code conundrum if you dare!

August 10, 2016 - The building code defines a vapour barrier as “the elements installed to control the diffusion of water vapour”. Did you notice it says “control” not “eliminate”?

July 12, 2016 - About 600 changes were introduced in the 2015 editions of the National Model Construction Codes, now known as Codes Canada.

July 7, 2016 - Test your CE Code knowledge with the July 2016 instalment of the Code Conundrum!

July 7, 2016 - Equipment marking contributes to the safety of electrical installations by identifying switches and breakers so that circuits can be de-energized, allowing for the timely and accurate identification of circuits so that loads are not inadvertently de-energized; and providing workers with the means to de-energize circuits more conveniently, reducing the likelihood that a worker will engage in unsafe work practices.

May 5, 2016 - The Government of Canada says it is taking “tangible steps to protect the environment and improve energy efficiency [...] by undertaking important updates to the Energy Efficiency Regulations”.

May 5, 2016 - The latest edition of the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC)—the legal standard with which all electrical work in the province must comply—comes into effect today, May 5, 2016, and includes new requirements.

May 3, 2016 - The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is accepting nominations for its 2016 SCC Awards, which recognize the commitment of individuals, organizations and committees who dedicate their time and expertise in support of Canada’s national standardization network. The awards include:

April 8, 2016 - The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) has announced the publication of Outdoor Lighting for Airport Environments (RP-37-15), a publication in the IES Recommended Practice series.

April 1, 2016 - Standards Council of Canada (SCC) invites young electrotechnology professionals to apply to attend the 7th Annual International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Young Professionals Workshop in Frankfurt, Germany from October 10 to 14, 2016.

September 27, 2016 - Ontario just announced it will immediately suspend the second round of its Large Renewable Procurement (LRP II) process and the Energy-from-Waste Standard Offer Program, halting procurement of over 1000MW of solar, wind, hydroelectric, bioenergy and energy-from-waste projects.

September 26, 2016 - The Alberta government has announced a three-member expert panel to meet with community, labour and industry leaders in regions affected by the transition away from coal-fired electricity generation.

September 23, 2016 - SaskPower says it will add 60MW of ground-mount solar PV generation to the province’s electricity grid by 2021—“enough to power between 10,000 and 12,000 homes”. The plan includes a combination of competitive procurement, a partnership with First Nations Power Authority (FNPA) and community projects.

September 23, 2016 - Energy Ottawa, a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa, announced plans for its solar rooftop installation project at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre earlier this week. This is one of eight large installation projects being planned on municipal buildings, including arenas, pools and city garages, Hydro Ottawa says.

September 22, 2016 - GE says it will supply 16 power transformers to Karpowership to be installed in four of its Powerships, which include the world’s largest at 486MW.

September 22, 2016 - ABB reports it has won orders worth over $85 million from Hydro-Quebec to upgrade its 800kV air-insulated switchgear (AIS) substations and transmission grid with “state-of-the-art” circuit breakers, power transformers and shunt reactors.

September 21, 2016 - “Manitoba Hydro’s implementation of the previous government’s decision has done significant damage to our province’s financial stability,” said Ron Schuler, Manitoba’s Crown Service Minister, speaking on the heels of a just-published review of Bipole III, Keeyask and Tie-Line projects.

September 20, 2016 - A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States urges governments and regulatory institutions to “significantly increase their support” for “increasingly clean” electric power technologies—nuclear, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and renewables (e.g. solar and wind).

September 20, 2016 - NB Power says it is working to improve survival rates of wild Atlantic Salmon and other fish species on the St. John River watershed with new facilities at Trouser Lake and the installation of a downstream fish passage at the Tobique Generating Station. Work will take place this fall as well as in Spring 2017.

September 20, 2016 - A number of energy projects have received support from Canada’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s investment of over $39.6 million. $5.5 million in new funding for three previously funded Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) projects was also announced recently from the ministry.

September 19, 2016 - Due primarily to a concern relating to migratory bird activity in the area, Saskatchewan’s Environment Minister Scott Moe announced a windpower project planned by Algonquin Power near Chaplin will not be approved for its proposed location.

September 9, 2016 - Jean-Pascal Tricoire—the global chair and CEO of Schneider Electric—made a rare trip to Toronto several weeks ago; while here, he and Schneider Electric Canada president Juan Macias spoke with several industry editors at an intimate media roundtable to discuss the company’s perspective on global innovation and sustainability, and the trends impacting global energy demands.

August 25, 2016 - After it’s all over, your lights will be just as bright and your refrigerator just as cold, but the ampere—that SI base unit of electrical current—will soon take on an entirely new identity.

July 11, 2016 - The Province of Ontario’s energy policy seems to work like this: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again... then try again. And again... to the point where you hope no one even cares any more.

July 7, 2016 - Even though we’re based near Toronto, Ont. (which is not, I readily admit, the actual centre of the universe), regular readers of Electrical Business Magazine—and especially regular visitors to EBMag.com and @EBMag—know that we cover as many industry events across the country as possible... and a few outside of our borders, too.

May 26, 2016 - Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) is a not-for-profit volunteer group brought together by co-founders and co-chairs Rebecca Black and Joanna Osawe in 2013 to educate and enable women to become more active in renewable energy development in Ontario. WiRE forges partnerships with a spectrum of renewable energy industry associations, professional women from across the energy sector and academic providers.

May 26, 2016 - Several months ago, I thought I had a great idea for an article but, as it turned out, I didn’t... well, that’s not quite true. I ended up stumbling upon an altogether different revelation. Here’s what happened:

May 25, 2016 - This year’s Hannover Fair (Hannover Messe) industrial tradeshow proved that tradeshows are not at all dead, as over 190,000 visitors from all over the world tried to get a grasp of the latest technologies presented by 5200 exhibitors.

March 3, 2016 - Many contractors begin with a simple mission: find customers, serve them well and survive. What happens all too often, unfortunately, is the companies that managed to survive beyond their first year continue to operate with the same strategy.

February 5, 2016 - Michigan State University researchers will use nearly $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Commerce to test whether recycling and repurposing building materials is an effective solution to what they call ‘economic blight’.

December 17, 2015 - Sheridan College’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing & Design Technologies (CAMDT) says its has become the first facility in Canada to acquire ABB’s YuMi robot, which was shown off recently at a special event at the Brampton, Ont., Campus.

December 11, 2015 - A pair of socks embedded with miniaturized microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and fuelled with urine that is pumped by the wearer’s footsteps has powered a wireless transmitter to send a signal to a PC... yes, you read that right.

December 6, 2015 - Leading up to our January edition, we start posting reminders to update your BlueBook listing before it’s too late. Yet the BlueBook exists online all the time, so what gives?

September 27, 2016 - Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) and its members have awarded Canadian university and college students $136,000 across 53 scholarships this year. Congratulations to all the recipients!

September 21, 2016 - Vancouver Island’s post-secondary schools will be breathing new life into their electrical programs thanks to a $561,000 investment from B.C.’s Ministry of Advanced Education.

September 19, 2016 - The British Columbia government is funnelling $210,000 through the Industry Training Authority (ITA) to train 224 powerline technicians at BC Hydro.

September 18, 2016 - Thanks to a new power system simulator, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology says its Electrical Engineering Technology students are “energized for the future”.

September 15, 2016 - Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and Siemens Canada are joining forces to address the technical skills gap in Canada and accelerate the “implementation of Industry 4.0 advanced manufacturing concepts”. Beginning in early-to-mid 2017, KPU will offer students the Siemens Mechatronics Systems certification program in association with the Siemens Canada Engineering and Technology Academy (SCETA)—established in 2014 and based out of Siemens Canada’s head office in Oakville, Ont.

September 7, 2016 - More than 30 people from five countries (including Canada) attended Terex Utilities’ 38th annual Hands On Training seminar, which is designed to help customers and distributors gain a better understanding of typical applications and proper use of Terex equipment.

September 7, 2016 - The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) has published three new courses for its Education Express program. These include EE107: Lighting Controls for Existing Buildings, EE302: Centralized Intelligent Lighting Control, and an updated version of EE300: Lighting Control of LEDs.

September 6, 2016 - “The students’ designs were an impressive mix of innovation and practicality,” said Malcolm Early, vice-president of marketing with Skyjack, speaking of its recent partnership with Humber College students that has resulted in potential concepts for future Skyjack scissors and boom designs.

August 29, 2016 - Ninety-six training seats for electric utility arborists in Langley, B.C. are now available thanks to a recent investment of $182,000 from the province through the Industry Training Authority (ITA).

August 25, 2016 - To ensure “a steady flow of qualified candidates for the company’s workforce”, Bruce Power has partnered with four Ontario colleges on six diploma programs. They include:

August 17, 2016 - Congratulations to Stephanie Seymour and Shadrak Gobert, the 2016 recipients of Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) John Wesley Beaver (JWB) Memorial Student Awards, which seek to help Indigenous youth in post-secondary studies.

June 30, 2016 - Quality Training Systems, an electric utility consulting services and training management software provider, has announced new enhancements for June 2016 to its Quality Training Database (QTD).