June 18, 2014 – EBMag has learned the Electrical Contractors Association of New Brunswick Inc. is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Congratulations! We spoke with ECANB’s Judy Monteith to learn more about the association… where’s it has been, and where it’s going:

“New electrical generation projects in the early to mid-1960s meant electrical contractors found themselves trying to claim their share of construction work while, on the other hand, trying to keep labour costs to a reasonable level. It was agreed that management needed solidarity to match the solidarity of labour. Hence, electrical contractors pursued the idea of forming a provincial association.”

“On November 14, 1964, a group of electrical contractors in New Brunswick gathered at the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel for an inaugural meeting of the Electrical Contractors Association of New Brunswick. Nothing of the kind—a meeting of 26 electrical contractors from around the province—had ever happened before. Along with representatives from the three major cities of Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John, there were also contractors from Sussex, St. Stephen and Meductic.”

“On July 1, 1975, Judy Gibson was hired as secretary. In 1989, she was promoted to executive assistant and assumed a greater range of responsibilities. In 1990, David Ellis was hired as executive director to replace Stuart F. Card. Today, the association still maintains a provincial office in the city of Fredericton staffed by a full-time executive director and executive assistant.”

Where is ECANB going?

“What is the future of the unionized construction movement? Political and economic trends seem to indicate that the non-union movement will only get stronger in the future. Whatever the case, it is inevitable ECANB will grow.”

“ECANB is a member of the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association (CECA) and, since 1977, a fully integrated member of both the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and the Construction Association of New Brunswick Inc. (CANB). This membership makes available numerous services and resources to all members of ECANB.”

*** On a sidenote, CECA is holding its board of directors meeting in conjunction with ECANB’s 50th annual general meeting. A meet-and-greet on June 19 is followed by meetings June 20, with a round of golf that afternoon, followed by a buffet dinner. ***