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www.mcac.ca
I
t was a time for industry connections 
and island escapes at the Mechanical 
Contractors Association of Canada 
(MCAC) 2025 Annual Conference. 
Hosted in Bridgetown, Barbados, the 
gathering attracted over 300 delegates 
from across North America for an event 
that blended industry collaboration and 
beachside memories.
“Barbados is a unique destination 
that many people don’t often have the 
opportunity to visit, so this year we 
wanted to offer something special for 
attendees coming from across Canada, 
particularly those travelling from the 
west,” says Ken Lancastle, MCAC’s chief 
operating officer.
Soaking Up the Insights
MCAC’s 2025 Annual Conference ran 
from November 26 to 29 at the Hilton 
Barbados Resort. Here, representatives 
from all corners of the mechanical 
contracting trade met across meetings, 
workshops, panels, beachside briefings 
and “tiki talks” to explore the industry’s 
most relevant trends and issues. The 
program’s topics included industry tech, 
prefabrication strategies, building diversity 
and inclusion, legal insights, succession 
planning and the call for greater 
collaboration in the “new normal.”
The event was bookended by keynote 
speeches from Dragons’ Den celebrity 
judge Manjit Minhas, president and 
CEO of Minhas Breweries, and Mark 
Gasparotto, author, combat veteran, 
adventurer and leadership development 
professional, whose talk, “Clear the Way: 
Master Your Inner Game,” closed the 
conference on an inspiring note. 
“The two keynote speakers offered unique 
stories with different messages, and 
our guests really enjoyed hearing those 
two perspectives,” says Lancastle. “You 
had Manjit starting things off, who has 
this amazing entrepreneurial spirit and 
history in the distillery business, as well 
as a connection to the island that was 
interesting to hear. Then, at the end, 
we had Mark, who received a standing 
ovation for his incredible career and 
thoughts on leadership.”
For those who missed him, Gasparotto is 
slated to make an encore appearance in 
March 2026 during MCAC’s Emerging 
Leaders Conference.
Going with the Flow
MCAC’s annual conferences offer an 
opportunity to get out from behind the 
screen and meet industry peers in person. 
This year was no exception, with its sunny 
weather helping attendees strengthen 
partnerships, exchange expertise and build 
professional relationships that endure long 
after the event.
“It offered the perfect blend of business, 
learning and networking,” adds Kay 
MCAC’s 2025 Annual Conference
MATTHEW BRADFORD
SUN, SAND AND STRATEGY
Several awards were presented at the MCAC 2025 Annual Conference. 
Congratulations to the following, and to all MCAC members who do the  
industry proud:
•	 Doug Crawford Memorial Award: Doug Baird, AON
•	 Lloyd MacLean Memorial Award: Jason Campbell, AECON
•	 Life Member Awards: Denis Brisebois (CMCEF & ex-MCAC board member) 
and Professor Tim Wentz (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
•	 Next Gen Award: Dr. Stephen Veldhuis, McMaster University
MCAC AWARDS

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