Every year, volunteer members, local home builders’ associations (HBAs), and their staff work tirelessly to build a strong community, strengthen the industry, and give back to cities, towns, and neighbourhoods across Canada. The Association Leadership Awards honour the leaders within the entirety of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) – both individuals and local and provincial home builders’ associations. This year’s Association Leadership Awards were given out in person when members and staff met in Ottawa for the spring CHBA National Committee and Council Meetings.

Left to Right: Rick Weste of BILD Lethbridge Region, Ralph Oswald of MHBA, and Sherry Claybourn of CHBA-New Brunswick

Member of the Year – Rick Weste

The prestigious Member of the Year award is a long-term achievement award for efforts over many years, and this year it was bestowed on Rick Weste of Building Industry and Land Development (BILD) Lethbridge Region. Rick was President of the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute and was instrumental in bringing the modular sector together to form the CHBA Modular Construction Council, serving as the first Chair of the Council and on the CHBA Board of Directors from 2017 to 2019, helping the factory-built side of our industry bring their important voice in participating in CHBA meetings with Members of Parliament during our Day on the Hill events.

A member of the Technical Research Committee since 2015, Rick served as Chair from 2019 to this May. As a dedicated and engaged member, Rick has attended national codes committee meetings, including volunteering on committees such as the Standing Committee on Energy Efficiency Task Group on Performance Improvement (Architectural), and has provided ongoing advice to national staff to guide codes work during some very challenging times on the technical front. He’s also now a member of the CHBA Executive Committee, and we thank him for his ongoing commitment to the Association.

HBA of the Year – Manitoba Home Builders’ Association

The HBA of the Year award recognizes overall excellence by an HBA in delivering such a strong and positive voice for the home building industry, and in supporting the business success of members and their ability to provide affordability, quality, and choice in housing for consumers. This year, it went to the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association (MHBA).

MHBA developed a new member information package and a member recognition program. They also helped lead the establishment of a formalized skills gap analysis process for the construction sector, engaged with education and research entities to increase training opportunities and identify forward-thinking research projects within the industry, sponsored a “Tooling up Teens” video series to promote the building trades as a career of choice, and presented two future leaders within a local College Polytech carpentry program with awards. This, and more, was done while participating in over 180 formal meetings with three levels of government, external stakeholders, and industry partners in 2021 on a wide variety of public policy and industry advocacy issues. They also had successful spring and fall Parade of Homes with over 77,000 visitors.

EO of the Year – Lanny McInnes

The Executive Officer (EO) of the Year award recognizes an EO who has demonstrated excellence as the chief staff officer of an HBA, and this year it goes to Lanny McInnes of MHBA. He’s been at the helm since 2017 and rapidly became the trusted, well-informed voice of the industry in the Manitoba region, including strengthening the association’s relations with the Urban Development Institute. Lanny was actively involved in developing the first long-term growth plan for the area, taking a leadership role and representing the industry.

Under his leadership, MHBA improved its financial position despite declines in revenue due to pandemic restrictions on events. Staffing roles were optimized, membership applications increased, communications with members and the public were enhanced, and a new onboarding process was implemented. Lanny engaged often with the media, contributing weekly articles to the local news outlet, and partaking in local television and radio interviews to discuss current industry-related trends or challenges. And those are just a few examples of how Lanny has strengthened MHBA and served its members and the industry in Manitoba.

Community Service Award – CHBA New Brunswick

The Community Service award recognizes a local or provincial HBA for their community service or charitable projects that demonstrate the commitment of the housing industry to making a difference to the quality of life of their communities.

CHBA New Brunswick is a long-time supporter of a poverty reduction program funded by the province, city, and community. Their main involvement is with a Christmas PJ drive, which aims to ensure that all children from age 0-18 have a new pair of pyjamas while they wait for Santa. In 2021, they also provided hand-knitted socks, hats, sweaters, and mitts to children by working with senior citizen. Staff collect pyjamas and cash donations from members each year, with about a 30% participation rate among members.

Congratulations to the very deserving recipients! It’s always great to see members and HBAs contributing to their communities.

For more information about the CHBA Association Leadership Awards, go to chba.ca/leadershipawards