Icon Homes owner Joe Hart of Quesnel has been elected president of the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) of Northern British Columbia.
Hart said this is the first time a president from outside Prince George has been elected. He will take up the position for a two-year term.
CHBA of Northern B.C. executive officer Terri McConnachie said Hart has been on the executive board since last year, and they were pleased to welcome him as president.
“We’ve watched Joe in action and he has an excellent reputation as a builder.
“He’s the first president that doesn’t reside in Prince George, so he’s a trailblazer in many ways. That taps into what his goals are, which is to bring in the rest of the region when it comes to highlighting the issues that face the residential construction industry in general, and the central and northern region of the province.”
Hart said one of his pet projects will be reaching out to builders across the north to include them in training initiatives.
“The science of building is getting more and more complex. Energy efficiency is where it’s heading. There is a lot of training and education that’s going to be required.
“CHBA is a great organization that does a lot of advocacy for builders, and ultimately the homeowner benefits from it as well. One of our mandates is to keep the quality up, but the cost down on a home.”
Hart said he will also sit on the executive for the provincial CHBA this summer as well, to represent the north.
The CHBA represents more than 8,000 firms across Canada.
