President's Message -March 2017 

It’s already March, and the 2017 CARST Conference is fast approaching.  This year, along with the Annual General Meeting, we’ll have new appointments to CARST’s Board of Directors.  With that in mind, we’d like to take a moment to highlight the work of our two outgoing Directors.

Michel Deschamps is one of the pioneers of radon measurement in Canada.  A founding member of CARST, he has sat on the Board of Directors since our inaugural meeting in 2010.  As a physicist experienced in radiation protection, he brought a scientific insight to the board.  As a French-speaking Quebecer, Michel also helped connect with CARST’s Quebec membership and spent countless hours translating documents and advocating for measurement professionals across the country.  Michel was Treasurer of the Board of Directors, and a valuable member of the CARST/C-NRPP Education Committee; providing valuable input as part of our course review team.  Michel provided great enthusiasm and support in the early days of starting CARST, which was a much-needed attitude. We all enjoyed Michel’s humour and insight and his contribution to CARST’s growth and development is greatly appreciated.

Steve Mahoney was elected to the CARST Board of Directors at our annual conference in Winnipeg in 2013. His extensive political and public service experience at both the federal and provincial levels has been invaluable in helping CARST develop strategies to advocate for legislative change to building and labour codes. As the former President & CEO of the Canadian Radiation Safety Institute, Steve passionately campaigned to raise radon awareness in the workplace and successfully engaged a number of trade unions, most notably the Boilermakers, who are now strong radon advocates and generous supporters of CARST. The board will miss Steve’s contribution at our monthly meetings, along with his wit and wise counsel; not to mention his keen Irish sense of humour.

As Michel and Steve step down, the Board of Directors looks forward to welcoming new members.  We had a great response to the call for nominations, and CARST members will have their pick among several highly-qualified candidates who have offered to bring a wealth of experience to work on CARST’s behalf.

Involvement in CARST doesn’t end with the Board of Directors, however. We have several committees; each dedicated to putting CARST’s goals into action. Consider joining a CARST committee:

• The Membership Committee is currently working on some changes that could bring many new faces to CARST.  An increased membership means increased benefits for all CARST members.  Join up and see how you can help!

• Education Committee: are you passionate about keeping the standards for radon education high?  With every radon test and mitigation CARST members perform, we strive to maintain the highest standards in accuracy and radon reduction.  At the same time, we educate one more Canadian family.  Why not join the Education Committee and help to ensure that our education courses continue to push us to excellence?

• The 2017 CARST Conference may be just around the corner in beautiful Banff, but we’ve already got some ideas brewing for the 2018 Conference.  The 2018 Conference Committee will need new ideas and fresh energy.  Why not join up and help put your own spin on another great event? 

• C-NRPP Policy Advisory Board: Help shape the policies that govern the C-NRPP program.  As we strive for increased professionalism in the radon industry, we develop new policies to maintain the highest caliber of certified professionals.

• Public Awareness Committee: New this year!  Do you have experience in marketing and public awareness?  Would you like to help CARST solidify our position as the radon authority in Canada?  If so, please sign up now and help this brand-new committee get up and running!

Call to Action: