On the Rock: Conference provides inspiration and renewal

2008-06-30

Delegates from all over Canada gathered in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador from June 2 to 4 to take part in the 2008 National Standards System (NSS) Conference, organized by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

In keeping with the conference’s theme, "Strategies for an Evolving World," attendees heard presentations from various experts on topics having an impact on Canada’s standardization community, such as public security, technological development, alternative energies, and health and safety.

Participants also took part in a workshop that discussed the problem of counterfeit products in the Canadian marketplace, and a plenary session that gave an overview on how standardization benefits the Canadian economy.

SCC Chairman, Hugh Krentz said the conference was a chance for people who work in Canada’s standards and conformity-assessment community to get together to discuss the issues that affect them most, and to work together in finding solutions.

"The NSS Conference has reinforced my optimism for the National Standards System, and the role standardization plays within Canada and internationally," said Mr. Krentz. "Yes, the world is changing rapidly. But the National Standards System is evolving right along with it, and we have the tools and strategies to meet the challenges."

The conference also included the 2008 SCC Awards ceremony, at which eight people, businesses, and committees were honoured for their contributions to standardization in Canada and internationally.

"It’s a celebration of all the volunteers who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment, service and dedication to the development and promotion of standardization and the National Standards System," said Hugh Krentz, Chairman of the SCC.

Of the 126 delegates in attendance, 55 (44 per cent) had attended previous NSS conferences in Calgary, AB (2004) and Mont Sainte-Anne, QC (2002), while more than 70 of the participants were new to the event – and in many cases, to the National Standards System.

Based on feedback from the 2008 participants (29 per cent of delegates submitted a completed Conference evaluation form), a high level of satisfaction with the event was experienced.

The "overall experience" of the 2008 NSS Conference received a mean score rating of 4.7 (out of five), and the "overall execution" was rated at 4.8 (out of five). Delegates mentioned event logistics and planning as being particularly well executed, and offered high praise for the range of topics and speakers, as well as for the quality of their presentations. The majority of respondents (86 per cent) indicated an interest in attending future NSS conferences.

New to the NSS Conference in 2008 was a Student Poster Competition. In March of 2008, children in Grades 3 to 6 from elementary schools within Newfoundland and Labrador’s Eastern School District were invited to design posters that illustrated what standards meant to them and their communities.

Three schools and 47 children took part in the competition, and their designs were displayed during the conference.

Also, during the conference, the students who designed the top three posters—selected based on originality, clarity of message, and comprehension of the subject matter—were presented with awards during a lunchtime ceremony.

Cape St. Francis Elementary student MacKenzie Cheeseman received the third prize ribbon; the second prize ribbon went to Tal Volkozha of St. Andrew's Elementary; and Caroline Gehue of Rennie's River Elementary School won the first-place ribbon for her poster that featured the slogan, "Standards Rock."

All students who took part in the competition were presented with certificates of achievement.

"This is the first time the NSS Conference has included such a project," said Mr. Krentz. "And I suspect it is something that we will consider in the future. It has given us a glimpse of a future generation that will join and strengthen the standardization community."

On behalf of the students who took part in the competition, the SCC made a $1,000 donation to the School Lunch Association, an organization that provides nutritious meals to children who may otherwise go without.

Gerry Colbert, Executive Director for the School Lunch Association, indicated that the donation would provide 255 lunches for students for whom that might be the only meal they receive in a day.

"A nutritious meal is the standard that every child deserves," said Mr. Colbert. "It improves attendance in school, leads to higher grades and, most importantly, enriches self-esteem and self-confidence."

The SCC hosts its conference biennially in locations across Canada. The next NSS Conference is scheduled for 2010.

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