The Women in Concrete Alliance (WICA) is calling for nominees for its third annual Woman of Distinction Award.

The North American organization aims to connect women in the industry and provide a networking community, mentoring, and resources. The award’s recipient will reflect the organization’s values and is chosen by industry peers.

The two preeminent North American groups focusing on building information modelling (BIM) have signed a five-year memorandum of agreement.

The Institute for BIM in Canada’s (IBC’s) buildingSMART Canada will be collaborating on both national and international standards with the U.S. National Institute of Building Science’s (NIBS’) buildingSMART alliance (bSa).

A new Conference Board of Canada report points to partnerships and cost-effective building approaches to address concerns with residential building in the country’s Northern communities.

The report, Framing Sustainable Options for Housing in Canada’s North, was published by the Board’s Centre for the North, and deals with the difficulties associated with building affordable and safe housing in the cold climate.

Normally Building Owners and Managers Association of the Greater Toronto Area (BOMA Toronto) hands out awards for sustainability but this time it was the recipient.

Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) has recognized BOMA Toronto with this year’s “Associations Make a Better Canada” award.

The largest ‘green’ awards program in the country, Scotiabank’s EcoLiving Awards, is now accepting submissions for its second year.

The awards program is a part of the company’s overarching eco-living initiative which informs Canadians about ways they can save on energy costs.

Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) company, Sto Corp. is celebrating 25 years of business in Canada, as well as a new partnership with Webster & Sons Limited in Montréal.

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Sto’s cladding and coating products for construction, maintenance, and restoration have been distributed in 30 locations across Canada since 1987.

The Tilt-up Concrete Association (TCA) has presented its Alphonse J. Engelman Safety Award to Ottawa’s SiteCast Construction.

The international organization encourages the use of tilt-up building systems, and honours its members with awards in various categories.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has released its annual Canadian Housing Observer highlighting key findings of the country’s residential market.

The report addresses the important trend of decreasing mortgages in arrears of three months or more through the first half of 2012; this is as a result of stricter mortgage lending in the country in 2011.

A report released by Accountability Information Management (AIM) has found surprising results regarding how companies decide to hire architectural and engineering firms.

The U.S. report, “What End Users Want,” compiles survey results given to those in areas including healthcare, education, and government.

In November, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) held its CIPHEX West show in Vancouver, drawing a record number of 3200 industry professionals to the two-day event.

The show is the largest event in Western Canada for the plumbing, hydronics, HVACR, and water-treatment industries and takes place every two years.