The OAA’s governing Council met at the Association’s headquarters on June 19 to review semi-annual reports, approve revised Practice Tips, and hear from the Fairness Commissioner of Ontario.

Wall of Past Presidents

From left: OAA Past Presidents Bill Birdsell, David Craddock, Susan Speigel, Kathleen Kurtin, Lisa Bate, Robert McCrea, Sheena Sharp, Sean O’Reilly, Settimo Vilardi, and Gerrie Doyle, along with President Ted Wilson. (Not pictured: Ronald Hershfield.)

Photo: Elif Efe

OAA President Ted Wilson & LGIC Elaine Mintz cut the ribbon for the new wall plaque celebrating the Association’s Past-Presidents.

Photo: Elif Efe

 The day included a special celebration, honouring the contributions of Past-Presidents via the unveiling of a large wall plaque installation on the building’s first-floor .This wood art piece, which includes the names of all Past-Presidents from William G. Storm in 1890 to Settimo Vilardi in 2024, was based on a concept design by Omar Kaltrachian, who previously held the OAA’s Architectural Graduate position.

A call for a permanent, physical way to showcase past leaders of the OAA’s governing Council had been championed by Lieutenant Governor in Council appointee Elaine Mintz. The OAA Building Committee worked with architect David Fujiwara to realize an easily updated, space-complementing, and visually striking way to commemorate those who had served as President. (Previously, names were displayed digitally on welcome screens in the OAA Headquarters. You can also see the full list here.)

After speeches by OAA President Ted Wilson and Senior Vice President & Treasurer Lara McKendrick, Mintz helped cut the ribbon to officially “open” the wall, with several Association Past-Presidents in attendance. This was followed by a special luncheon with Councillors, Past-Presidents, and OAA staff.

Fairness Commissioner Visit

In the afternoon, Council heard from the Fairness Commissioner of Ontario, Irwin Glasberg. Attending along with members of his team, Glasberg updated Councillors and staff on the Province’s requirements related to the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006 and the changing face of regulators across Ontario. To meet FARPACTA obligations, the Association implements various measures to ensure fairness and transparency in its processes related to the licensure—you can learn more on the OAA Website.

Council had the opportunity to have an open question period with Glasberg. The OAA continues to work with his office to ensure regulatory requirements are met to protect the public interest while fostering a strong, diverse architectural profession.

Council Business

Much of the meeting then focused on the review of the semi-annual reports by the staff leadership team of the OAA’s various service areas, such as Policy and Government Relations, Continuing Education, Communications, and Finance. There were also reports from the President, Senior Vice President & Treasurer, Executive Director, and Registrar, along with several committees, including the Policy Advisory Consultation Team (PACT), the Governance and HR Committee, and the Practice Resource Committee (PRC).

Council endorsed three revised OAA Practice Tips, which had required updates for reasons ranging from inclusion of Licensed Technologists to changes brought about by the newest edition of Ontario’s Building Code. These Practice Tip resources are accessed via the OAA Website and, although written primarily for Architects and Licensed Technologists, serve as an important resource for clients, lawyers, and other industry professionals.

The following Practice Tips are now posted on the OAA Website, featured in an upcoming issue of the OAA’s Practice Advisory newsletter, and shared on social media:

• Practice Tip PT 19, ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1–2013–An Overview of the Energy Standard;
• Practice Tip PT 36.2, OBC SB-10 Energy Efficiency Requirements–Prescriptive Compliance; and
• Practice Tip PT.39.1, Best Practices for Review of RFP Language and Supplementary Conditions to OAA 600 and Other Architectural Services Contracts.

Council approved the appointment of Architect Miriam Ho as the OAA’s new representative to the University of Toronto, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design School Council for a three-year term, commencing in September.

As well, Council discussed feedback received regarding the 2025 Conference in Ottawa and received information from the Local Architectural Society Chairs meeting that took place in the leadup to that event.

Next Meeting

As always, the OAA publicly posts Council agenda and meeting information packages on the OAA Website. Anyone interested in virtually attending an open session can contact Tina Carfa for the link and additional information. The next meeting takes place in Toronto at the OAA Headquarters on September 18.