Optional North Shore Tour Including Capilano Suspension Bridge
Park, Grouse Mountain, Skyride and Lunch
Thursday, June 5,
2025
Attendees are welcome to attend all committees except the Strategic Committee Meeting.
Please abstain from voting.
08:30 am - 04:00 pm
Registration - Saltspring Island
09:00 am - 01:00 pm
All tours depart on the same bus at 9:00 am and return at 1:00 pm.
Optional Granville Island - Explore on Your Own
09:00 am - 01:00 pm
Optional City & Seals Zodiac Boat Tour
You can tour Granville Island before and after the tour on your own
Boat Tour Time 10:00 -11:30 PM
01:00 pm - 01:40 pm
Membership Committee Meeting - Pender Island
01:40 pm - 02:30 pm
Program Committee Meeting - Pender Island
02:30 pm- 03:30 pm
Strategic Planning Committee Meeting - Pender Island
03:30 pm - 04:00 pm
Finance Committee Meeting - Pender Island
04:00 pm - 05:00 pm
Board of Directors Meeting - Pender Island
05:30 pm - 07:30 pm
Welcoming Reception - Saltspring Island
07:30 pm - 09:00 pm
Community Dinner - Registration Required - Notch 8
09:00 pm - Midnight
Hospitality Suite/ Afterglow - Private Room in the Back of Notch8
Friday, June 6,
2025
07:00 am - 12:00 pm
Registration - Saturna Island Foyer
07:00 am - 09:00 am
Continental Breakfast - Saltspring Island
08:00 am - 12:00 pm
General Session - Saturna Island
08:00 am - 08:15 am
Morning Announcements
08:15 am - 09:00 am
Keanin Loomis, The Executive Director of Canadian Steel Users,
"The State of the Canadian Steel Industry"
09:00 am - 09:45 am
Travis Smith, President of the Trade Risk Guaranty, "The Impact of Increased Tariffs and Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duties on US Customs Import Bonds and Cargo Insurance"
09:45 am - 10:00 am
Break
10:00 am - 10:50 am
Ken Simonson, Chief Economist for the Associated General Contractors of America: "Will Construction Thrive or Dive in the Second Half of '25?"
10:50 am - 11:00 am
Break
11:00 am- Noon
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Jerry Brookshire, Pittsburgh Pipe
Panelists:
Narayan Bhargava, SDB Steel & Pipe
Dolty Cheramie, Pipe Exchange LLC
Steven Mathers, Interpipe Inc.,
Art Shelton, Kelly Pipe Co., LLC
12:00 am- 01:30 pm
Networking Luncheon - Salt Island Springs
01:30 pm - 02:30 pm
Roundtable Discussion Facilitated by:
Melanie Evans, PMI Pipe Steel & Supplies, VP, Central Region,
Martin Hansen, Independent Pipe, VP, Western Region, and
Steven Mathers, Interpipe, Inc., VP, Eastern Region
06:30 pm - 09:00 pm
Cocktail Reception and Closing Dinner -
The Roof Ballroom 15th Floor
09:00 pm - 12:00 am
Hospitality Suite/ Afterglow - Private Room in the Back of Notch8
Speakers - Friday, June 6,
2025
08:15 am - 09:00 am
"A State of Industry Update"
Keanin Loomis
Keanin was named President & CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction in June 2024. A University of Waterloo and William and Mary School of Law graduate, Loomis brings a wealth of experience in association management and effective advocacy to his new role. After practicing law in Washington, DC, he launched Hamilton’s Regional Innovation Centre, “Innovation Factory.” He then served as President and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce for nine years, transforming it into a leading economic force for his community. After a 2022 political run, he joined the Ontario Chamber of Commerce as its Vice President of Member Services. Having amassed many years of board experience, Loomis currently chairs the HR and Governance Committee for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority Board.
09:00 am - 09:45 am
"The Impact of Increased Tariffs and Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duties on US Customs Import Bonds and Cargo Insurance"
Travis Smith, President at Trade Risk Guaranty
Travis has spent the last 15 years talking directly to and helping companies that ship internationally. Over this time, he’s identified that U.S. Customs bonds and cargo insurance are areas where uncertainty persists, and where more support is needed from service providers. He works with companies to leverage the U.S. Customs Import Bond from a commodity that satisfies U.S. Customs regulation into a resource for the importer. On the cargo insurance side, he enjoys working with markets to provide customized coverage for companies that demand the best coverage at the best price.
10:00 am - 10:50 am
“Will Construction Thrive or Drive in the Second Half of '25?"
Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, Associated General Contractors of America
Ken Simonson has been the Chief Economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading construction trade association, since 2001. He provides insight into the economy and its implications for construction and related industries through frequent media interviews, presentations, and the Data DIGest, his weekly one-page e-newsletter that goes to more than 20,000 subscribers. Ken has over 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating, and communicating about economic and tax issues. He currently serves as an advisor to the Census Bureau’s construction data re-engineering initiative. He is a Fellow and past president of the National Association for Business Economics and co-director of the Tax Economists Forum, a professional meeting group he co-founded in 1982. Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.
