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70th Annual Meeting and Training Sessions

70th Annual Meeting and Training Sessions

“Ottawa 2026”
(Tentative Technical Schedule)
Sunday, October 4th, 2026
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
OBOA Registration — Rideau Canal Alcove
Pickup official access badge and registration package.
OBOA Registration: Mike Gagne & Macy Huynh
Mike Leonard | Christina Costanza | Jonathan DeWeerd | Lawrence Wagner
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Ice Breaker Reception — Canada Hall 3
Meet the Exhibitors on the Tradeshow floor. Don't forget to complete your passport to be entered into a prize draw!
9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Night Class — Westin - Ontario/Les Saisons Rooms
Take some time to relax with your colleagues and discuss the day's training.
Monday, October 5th, 2026
6:45 am – 8:45 am
Delegates Breakfast — Canada Hall 3
Continental Breakfast
7:30 am – 9:30 am
OBOA Registration — Rideau Canal Alcove
Pickup official access badge and registration package.
OBOA Registration.
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Exhibitor Tradeshow — Canada Hall 3
8:15 am – 10:00 am
Opening Ceremonies / AGM — Trillium Ballroom
Occupational Skills -S
Opening and Welcome to the 70th Annual Meeting and Training Sessions
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Coffee Break — Canada Hall 3
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Delegate Lunch — Trillium Ballroom
Reconnect and network with past Association Presidents as well as our organization's past leadership that continues to support and participate. (Passport Draw - retrieve codes from exhibitors, complete online before 10:30am Tuesday, September 30th, 2025) Lunch Prize is $500
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
NRC Facility Tour — Registration Desk
Professional Tours
This tour will take delegates through four testing facilities located on the NRC grounds, including:
• Fire safety testing facility,
• Sound Transmission (Acoustic) Testing,
• Hygrothermal performance of buildings testing facilities, and
• Civil infrastructure and related structures testing facilities
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Risk Management Tips for Municipal Building Departments — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Marianne and Alison will bring you up to date on the latest claims against Municipalities, highlight red flags, and provide risk management tips for Building Departments.
– Alison Orr, Marianne Brown — Orr Brown Consulting Engineers Ltd.
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Battery Energy Storage — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Battery technologies have become an integral component of the modern built environment, with applications ranging from e-bikes and battery energy storage systems to electric vehicles. These widespread... more
– Peter Senez — Senez Consulting (SenezCo)
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Approving innovative products in Ontario — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Everyone acknowledges that we want to build homes faster and more affordably, but how do we do that? One of the best ways is with innovative building products. Hundreds of innovative building products... more
– David Beauchamp — ICC-ES Canada
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee Break — Canada Hall 3
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
LIVE DEMO 1 — Canada Hall 3
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
What's Next in Regulatory Workflows: A preview from Trax — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Across the building sector, expectations for speed, clarity, and consistency in regulatory processes are rapidly evolving. At the same time, the complexity of building codes, regulations, and compliance... more
– Ellen Hlozan, Azam Khan — Trax Codes
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Green Roofs — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Green roofs have evolved from specialty features to mainstream building‑envelope systems, driven in part by their stormwater‑management benefits. In this session, Ginkgo will break down the main types... more
– Karen Liu — Next Level Stormwater Management– Sasha Liston-Milnes — Ginkgo Sustainability Inc.
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Retaining Structures: Challenges and Enhancements for Urban Projects — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Urban development is increasingly constrained by diminishing building lot sizes, necessitating a significant rise in the use of earth retaining structures for light residential and commercial applications.... more
– Joey Villeneuve
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Accessibility into Practice — Meeting Room 215
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
"It's in the notes!" New OBC accessibility requirements and AODA recommendations can be put into practice easily when you understand WHY they matter. CBOs, Building Officials and Plans Examiners... more
– Julie Sawchuk — Sawchuk Accessible Solutions
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Night Class — Westin - Ontario/Les Saisons Rooms
Take some time to relax with your colleagues and discuss the days training.
Entertainment
Tuesday, October 6th, 2026
12:00 am – 1:30 am
S1001 - What's really happening in the Field and the AHJ's Responsibilities — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
In this session, Jensen Hughes will offer a clear overview of the CAN/ULC‑S1001 requirements, including essential administrative and technical documentation, qualification expectations, and a review... more
– Paul Latreille — Jensen Hughes
6:45 am – 8:45 am
Delegates Breakfast — Canada Hall 3
Continental Breakfast
7:30 am – 9:30 am
OBOA Registration — Rideau Canal Alcove
Pickup official access badge and registration package.
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Exhibitor Tradeshow — Canada Hall 3
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Part 2: Large Farm Buildings — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Large farm buildings don’t fit neatly into conventional building categories—and the Ontario Building Code recognizes that. This presentation explores how OBC Part 2 provides designers with... more
– Bram Vanden Heuvel — Stonecrest Engineering– Tyler Griffith — Tacoma Engineers Inc.
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Building Envelope — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
In this technical session, MTE will explore the key pathways that lead to enclosure failures, including common design weaknesses, moisture ingress, vapour entrapment, and insufficient pressure moderation.... more
– Stephanie Martin — MTE
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Concrete Fundamentals — Meeting Room 215
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
– Lucas Bromerchenkel, Alen Keri — Concrete Ontario
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Student Day — Trillium Ballroom
Providing an exciting opportunity for students to build and strengthen relationships, partake in dynamic discussions and learn from each other's experiences. Student Day is open to all interested. Registration is required.
Student Welcome – 10:45am
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Coffee Break — Canada Hall 3
10:00 am – 10:30 am
LIVE DEMO 2 — Canada Hall 3
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Caivan ABIC - Tour — Registration Desk
Professional Tours
ABIC (Advanced Building Innovation Company) is state‑of‑the‑art 105,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Ottawa—one of Canada’s most advanced MMC operations. ABIC utilizes robotics, autonomous and human‑operated systems, and digital production technologies to deliver between five and seven homes per day on a single shift. Delegates will be guided through the facility, to view how this factory helps to streamline the construction process.
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
CMHC Housing Design Catalogue — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
This session offers an insightful look at the CMHC Housing Design Catalogue, how municipalities are adopting it, and how the OBC pre‑review process supports faster, more consistent approvals. Using real... more
– Daniel Rubinstein — CMHC
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Significant changes introduced in the 2025 National Model Codes — Meeting Room 215
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
This session outlines the significant changes introduced in the 2025 editions of the National Model Codes—the National Building Code (NBC), National Fire Code (NFC), National Plumbing Code (NPC),... more
– Rizwan Ullah, Nicholas Gazo — National Research Council
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Identifying Smoke Control Measures in Existing Buildings — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
This session provides an overview of smoke control measures commonly found in existing buildings, including pressurization systems, smoke exhaust, zoned smoke control, and related fire‑protection features.... more
– Muveno Mucaza — LRI Engineering
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Optimizing Offsite Wood Construction Project Approvals — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
This presentation explores how to streamline approvals for offsite wood construction projects by leveraging FPInnovations’ Offsite Wood Construction Handbook and Permitting Roadmap. It highlights... more
– Hailey Quiquero — Woodworks Ontario– Dorian Tung — FPInnovations
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch — Trillium Ballroom
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Exhibitor Lunch — TBD
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
LIVE DEMO 3 — Canada Hall 3
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Chapter Chairs Meeting — Meeting Room 210
OBOA Board/Committee/Chapter Meetings
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Navigating code compliance and best practices for cold-formed steel framing — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Cold‑formed steel is rapidly growing in popularity—especially in residential and panelized construction—as designers and builders look for efficient, high‑performance materials. This session... more
– Sarah Majlesi — CISC
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Sound Transmission Class (STC) Requirements — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
This session explores how Sound Transmission Class (STC) requirements are applied under Parts 5 and 9 of the Ontario Building Code. Participants will learn how STC ratings are determined, how flanking... more
– Gerald Moore — RSM Building Consultants
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
AI PreCheck: Automating plan intake and OBC Part 9 compliance for Ontario Municipalities — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Discover how Ontario municipalities can streamline permit intake and strengthen OBC Part 9 compliance using Archistar’s AI PreCheck platform. This session highlights two practical automation tools:... more
– Joe Philbrook — Archistar
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee Break — Rideau Canal Prefunction
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Overview of Major changes to CSA 086-2024 — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
The updated CSA O86 standard, published in June 2024, introduced several important changes to wood engineering design. This session will provide a high‑level overview of the major updates since the 2019... more
– Yang Du — Canadian Wood Council / Woodworks Ontario
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Standpipe requirements and considerations — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
With the harmonization of the OBC and NBC, the requirements for standpipe system design, location, and configuration have significantly changed. This session will walk attendees through the updated design... more
– James Hook — CASA
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Everything but the Kitchen Sink - Plumbing 101 — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Get ready for Everything but the Kitchen Sink. A photographic Jeopardy style tour through Parts 3, 7, and 9 that shows what really happens out in the field. Whether you’re new to inspecting or have... more
– Andrew Quattrociocchi — Quattro's Corner– Eddy Milito — City of Ottawa
7:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Night Class — Westin - Ontario/Les Saisons Rooms
Take some time to relax with your colleagues and discuss the days training.
Wednesday, October 7th, 2026
6:45 am – 8:45 am
Delegates Breakfast — Rideau Canal Prefunction
7:00 am – 9:00 am
OBOA Registration — Rideau Canal Alcove
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Egress vs. Security, or Egress AND Security? — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
It is a common misperception that egress and security conflict, that a building can’t accomplish egress and exiting as required by the Code at the same time as keeping solid security against unauthorized... more
– Dana Scherf — Stantec
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Understanding Property Surveys - A practical guide for Building Departments — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Property surveys are essential documents in the permit process, yet clients often have questions about what they show and why they’re required. The session will cover how to read a property survey... more
– Al Jeraj, Chris Fox — Association of Ontario Land Surveyors
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Single Exit Stairs — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
The session will discuss the current proposal to allow single exit stair designs for small multi-unit residential buildings in the National Building Code of Canada. The presentation will summarize the... more
– Conrad Speckert — Semibold Solutions Inc.
9:30 am – 11:30 am
Centre Block Rehabilitation - Parliament Hill - Tour — Registration Desk
Professional Tours
The Centre Block rehabilitation project is the largest, most complex project to rehabilitate a heritage building ever in Canada. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is using innovative approaches and technologies to deliver the project. When the Centre Block reopens, it will be ready to meet the needs of a 21st-century Parliament for years to come.

The group will tour the site. Time permitting, stops will include:
• Parliament Welcome Centre excavation
• Senate and House of Commons Chambers
• Select heritage spaces
• Demolition works underway
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Coffee Break —
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Heat Pumps — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Join us for a dynamic technical session exploring key trends and best practices in modern HVAC design. This session will feature: An introduction to HVAC Designers of Canada and their role in advancing... more
– Dara Bowser — HVAC Designers of Canada– Matthew Pedersen — HVAC Design Experts– Jeanine Jollineau — Synergy HVAC Design
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Expanded Opportunities for Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) has seen major advancements in the Ontario Building Code, including new allowances (as of April 2024) for buildings up to 18 storeys and expanded use across... more
– Marc Alam — CWC
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
From Site Observation to Defensible Engineering Opinion — Meeting Room 207/205
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Engineering assessments often start with site observations, but real professional risk usually comes from how those observations are interpreted and turned into engineering opinions. This session explains... more
– Pouravalen (Valen) Goinden — Paterson Group
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Charity Lunch — Trillium Ballroom
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Centre Block Rehabilitation - Parliament Hill - Tour — Registration Desk
Professional Tours
The Centre Block rehabilitation project is the largest, most complex project to rehabilitate a heritage building ever in Canada. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is using innovative approaches... more
– Veronique Richer
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
TBD - CloudPermit — Meeting Room 206/208
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
– Aubrey LeBlanc, Leslie Wright — Cloudpermit
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Overview of Fire-resistive Construction Testing for Code Compliance — Meeting Room 205/207
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Join us for an engaging and informative session exploring the National Building Code of Canada’s fire‑resistance requirements and how assemblies are tested and certified under CAN/ULC‑S101. Designed... more
– Bruce Johnson — UL
1:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Establishing when to Grant Occupancy — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Determining when a building is ready for occupancy is one of the most important decisions made by an inspector. This session reviews the key requirements that must be satisfied before occupancy can be... more
– Gerald Moore — RSM Building Consultants
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee Break — Rideau Canal Prefunction
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Legal Corner — Meeting Room 214
OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
Join Leo and John for their annual review of significant court decisions, recent legislation and other matters of interest to building officials.
– Leo Longo — Aird & Berlis Lawyers– John Mascarin — Aird & Berlis
6:15 pm – 8:15 pm
Presidents Dinner — Trillium Ballroom
9:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Night Class — Westin - Ontario/Les Saisons Rooms
Past Sessions

CPDP Credits — Legend

OBOA/College/University Courses, AMTS, Conferences
OBOA Board/Committee/Chapter Meetings
Occupational Skills -S
Professional Tours
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