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Touchdown! |
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“Thank you for a fantastic conference. This is only my 3rd but by far my favourite - the speakers were great, and the vibe was amazing.”
This was one of the first emails I saw when I opened my laptop after a few days break. Adam Harwood (Armstrong Moving) wasn’t wrong. CAM2024 was my favourite conference too.
If you weren’t at the conference, you missed a good one. The speakers, the topics, the conversation were only surpassed by the camaraderie.
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Our conference attendance record was smashed with 164 movers and suppliers taking in all or part of the action. And there was lots of action … from the super fun Grey Cup Tailgate Party (with footballs flying everywhere), to all the presentations, to the excitement around the Super Stocking and Elf Sack, to the wonderful CAM Awards dinner where we celebrated eight individuals and moving companies who have shone in our industry.
There’s no doubt that CAM2024 was high energy and super charged with new vigor, especially from many of the 48% of attendees who were first timers to the conference.
After the invigorating sessions on Tuesday, presented by several of the younger stars of our industry, so many people commented that our conference was the turning point in moving in Canada with the changing of the guard. You couldn’t hear yourself think from the buzz of the conference floor, nor get out of the way fast enough of many of the attendees who were putting their newfound skills into capturing live clips or photos of their experiences at the conference for their social media feeds. There were bodies moving everywhere. It was fabulous!
The conference was also our opportunity to update the members at our Annual General Meeting. This year, it was well attended and positive. While we continue to rebound financially from the two Covid years without a conference, we were thrilled to get back to member services and program development after two years of focussed concentration on moving scams and the police investigations. You will find a link to both my and our Chair, Mike Kolberg’s, annual reports below.
Over the next few newsletters, we will bring you highlights of many aspects of the conference.
It would not have been the success it was without tremendous planning, a dedicated conference committee and board of directors, great support from our exhibitors and sponsors and a huge response from movers. And execution at the conference site would not have been so smooth without the practiced coordination of Mike and Marian McGuire and a bonus volunteer this year – my daughter Rhiannon. Thanks to those three for keeping the engine turning.
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Thank You, Cam, For 17 Years At CAM! |
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Like many in our industry, Cam Carswell comes from a long line of movers, starting with Cam’s great grandfather. The ingrained passion for the industry is apparent in his long-term relationship with the Association.
In the early 70’s, the family company became an agent for Allied Van Lines and has remained so to this day.
Cam is a consummate professional in our industry and is well known for finding the good in every situation. He has raised the quality of service for the customers and is a sterling example of a reputable mover.
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Cam joined the CAM board in 2007 and immediately got involved in committee work. He served as Vice-chair in 2015-2017 after which he did a two-year term before Mike Kolberg took the reins in 2019. Cam has continued to serve in the position of past Chair for the last 5 years. He also is responsible for urging Nancy Irvine to apply for the President’s role in 2017 as he knew her through the Sirva system.
Cam is the association’s longest serving member – having served for a total of 17 years! This is truly a milestone for this association – one that will be difficult to surpass.
The association is losing a guiding light – someone who has helped the association steer clear of rocky shores and find a safe bay from which it could grow and develop into the strong organization it is today.
Cam has helped the association promote excellence and ethics in this industry … an industry that’s clearly in his blood.
For this, we are truly grateful. Enjoy your retirement Cam! |
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CAM 2024 Award Recipients Honoured |
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For 24 years CAM has been recognizing excellence in the moving industry. Whether it’s a long-time high-profile employee, someone behind the scenes who has dedicated their work-life to the betterment of the industry, or a moving company that has gone beyond the call of duty to help their community, our Association wants to acknowledge people who should be recognized for their work to improve the moving industry.
The class of 2024 is no exception. CAM congratulated CAM2024 Award recipients at a lovely banquet two weeks ago. |
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Top row, from left to right.
• Brenda Naylor, on behalf of Tippet-Richardson, Move For Hunger Award, with Mike Kolberg, CAM Chairman.
• Cotie Drinkwater of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK ® - NIAGARA REGION accepting the Public Service Award from CAM President Nancy Irvine.
• Alex Hupé of Shortline Moving recipient of the Influencer of the Year award addressing the audience.
• Mark Hirschi, CAM’s Industry Leadership Award recipient from Salmon’s Moving.
Bottom row, from left to right.
• Bob Hanna, Bob the Mover, receiving the Mover of the Year (Independent) award from Mike Kolberg.
• CAM President Nancy Irvine celebrating with Quality Move Management after they received the CAM Mover of the Year Award (Agent).
• Distinguished Service Award recipients Lorne Babiuk retired from Firemen Movers with his wife Joanna and Wayne Wishloff of Matco Moving Solutions joined by his wife Connie.
Look for social media posts honouring all, as well as citations for each on our website.
Did you know you can send in nominations anytime during the year? If you have an individual or company in mind, why not get a head start on next year and nominate them for the awards handed out at CAM2025 Kingston? We'll check in with you in August to see if you have anything you'd like to add to their nomination. Click here for the link.
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What A Show! |
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For almost three decades, CAM has been the driving force behind movers connecting, learning, and socializing.
Whether you're a seasoned attendee or a first timer, the CAM2024 Conference was the place to be this November. We don’t even know where to begin. The Welcome Reception was loud and fun with lots of great activities and games. And the sessions were not only well attended, but the crowd heavily engaged allowing for much conversation during the lunch and coffee breaks.
We had planned for 90 but had 164 registered with 48% of those attendees new to the CAM conference. And we can’t thank you enough for showing up, participating, and supporting your trade association.
See you in Kingston!
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CAM 2024-2025 Board Named |
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At our Annual General Meeting held on November 19, 2024, the following were confirmed for the Board of Directors (in order L to R below):
• Alannah Granger, AMJ Campbell (Secretary)
• Chris Gordon, Campbell Group of Companies (Treasurer)
• Chris Webber, NFP Canada
• Nancy Irvine, President
• Cam Carswell, Country Wide Moving (retiring as Past Chair)
• John Kelly, Hansen’s (Supplier Committee Chair)
• Leon Johnson, Matco Moving Solutions
• Rob Grohn, Sirva Canada LP
• Josh Schwartz, Meldrum the Mover
• Mike Kolberg, Déménagement Outaouais (Chair)
• Mark Hirschi, Salmon’s Moving
Not pictured: Fred Haladay, Atlas Van Lines (Canada) Ltd and Carmen Stang, MoverOne Group.
We had a very positive in-person board meeting in Mississauga before the conference and are enthusiastic about the upcoming year.
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Annual President and Chair Remarks |
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Every year the President and Chair of CAM provide remarks on the year gone by.
These reports were presented at CAM’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 19, 2024. They will be included in the AGM Minutes and can also be found here.
President Nancy Irvine’s Report
Chair Mike Kolberg’s Report |
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From attendees of CAM2024 … |
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“Fun, entertaining, engaging and an overall great experience. I look forward to next year.” Jay Ryan, Intercontinental Group
“CAM was wonderful - lots of great content shared and connections made.” Ryan Gaus, LiveSwitch
“CAM did a great job bringing a lot of high-quality content to their event this year.” Brian Limperopulos, IAM
“An incredible 3 days making friends, reconnecting with movers, and learning from them.” Supermove
“Excellent sessions with some of Canada’s best!” – Christina McCarte, AMJ
“An incredibly informative experience” – Globe Moving
“The presentations were awesome. It's great to see how the young people bring a fresh perspective to the industry.” – Mike Krug, Globe Moving
“Meeting great people, learning new things, getting the latest industry updates.” – Limor Friedman, Vancouver in the Box
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Judging by the overwhelming positive comments on the conference, we’d say everyone was a winner. But specifically, the following folks won the exhibitor and sponsor gift cards and other fun things. |
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The Super Stocking & Elf Sack |
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Congratulations to Mike Krug of Globe Moving who won the Super Stocking! What started out as a $500 cash prize, grew to be full of cash, gift cards, exhibitor services and other prizes (including wine!) valued at over $1,900. The stocking got so full that we had to go to a supplement bag. Thanks to all the exhibitors who participated and made this a wildly popular activity for the conference attendees.
New this year was a second prize – the Elf Sack – won by Curtis Machmer of Jay’s Moving & Storage! The Elf Sack had a few “Elf on the Shelf” surprises, but also contained gift cards and other prizes.
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Snowbirds Auto Connection Ltd.
Snowbirds Auto Connection is a family-owned and operated vehicle transport company providing reliable, door-to-door, damage-free transportation across Canada and the U.S. SAC offers a variety of services including coast-to-coast transportation, cross-border relocation and vehicle storage.
Learn More |
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ADVERTISE HERE
Your ad could be here! Click above for more information about this exciting opportunity.
Learn More |
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Thanks to our exhibitors for their large turnout and for contributing to all the prizes, including the Super Stocking and Elf Sack fun. Your enthusiastic participation just added to the buzz around the conference floor. |
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Thank you also to our sponsors for supporting the largest CAM conference to date! We appreciate everything you have done to make #CAM2024 a spectacular few days of meetings. |
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Already Thinking of 2025? |
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Next year, we are “breaking out” in Kingston from November16-18, 2025. Stay tuned for lots more information to come on the trade show, sponsorship opportunities and the program.
If you have topics, you’d like us to cover in the presentations or can recommend an exciting speaker, please send your suggestions along anytime.
Thanks to all the attendees who filled out our evaluation forms with their very helpful feedback! How many times did you say “outstanding”? We’ll be taking all your comments to heart in our planning.
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AMJ Campbell – Platinum Sponsor
Thank you for your ongoing support of CAM and our annual conference. |
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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words |
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We were fortunate to have a few folks around taking photos. Here are two sites where you can find pictures :
Toronto Event Photography
CAM2024 on PhotoCircle
PhotoCircle is a photo-sharing app which you would need to download and click on CAM2024 to see over 400 photos. You can upload some of yours to that site as well.
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January 2025 – Is International Moving Right For My Company? |
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When: Thursday, January 16, 2025 1:00 PM (ET)
Cost: Free!
You started out local, then went across provincial lines. Things got a bit more complicated when you started doing cross-border to the USA. Are you ready to other countries?
In the fourth of our series on business development, we explore the opportunity and challenges in shipping household goods internationally. We will review the different ways to ship overseas, including groupage versus less than container load (LCL) versus full container load (FCL) among other topics.
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Social Media Connections
Have you liked us yet? |
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CAM Welcomes Centennial Moving |
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Centennial Moving has been in business since 1995, using nearly three decades of experience to develop proven methods for packing and transporting belongings. We offer local, long-distance, cross-country, and international moving services, as well as storage solutions and car shipping. Our team is committed to top-tier customer service and operates six days a week to meet client needs. |
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Our mission is to help people overcome life’s challenges by offering specialized moving solutions. We ensure that belongings reach their destination in perfect condition. Our vision is to remain a leader in the Canadian moving industry, providing quality services at competitive prices while continually improving and exceeding expectations.
We are built on transparency, respect, commitment, passion, and innovation. These values help us deliver honest, reliable, and efficient services tailored to our clients.
Contact:
Dimitry Goldovski, SEO
T: 1-866-574-1967
E: sales@centennialmoving.ca
A – Calgary: 3352 47 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2B 2W1
A – Markham: 500 Esna Park Dr, Unit 11, Markham, ON L3R 1H5
A – Surrey: 19130 24 Ave, Unit 107, Surrey, BC V3S 3S9
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People Love Len Wrays |
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Longtime CAM member Len Wrays Moving & Storage of Gibsons BC has won the hearts of their community and were named the favourite mover on the Sunshine Coast. Everyone at CAM congratulates them on this wonderful acknowledgment. As Len Wrays said in a recent social media post “We are very proud of our little family and all their hard work.” So are we … well done! |
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QMM Dishing It Out |
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The QMM team was out in full force putting in two shifts at the Union Gospel Mission on October 22nd. The QMMers helped serve up over 500 meals. Even Tim Nager, President and COO at QMM was pitching in on clean-up duty. As QMM says in a recent social post – giving back is part of their DNA. Congratulations to CAM’s 2024 Mover of the Year (Agent) for always stepping up to the plate. |
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Truck Driver Training Resources |
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Welcome to Trucking HR Canada’s suite of tools and resources to help train and assess commercial transport truck operators and build the capacity of instructors, coaches, and mentors to support driver training.
Trucking HR Canada developed this suite to assist organizations of all sizes offer a consistent approach to occupational level training, sometimes known as finishing and/or onboarding programs, for truck drivers.
The tools are based on an updated version of the National Occupational Standard (NOS) which defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are necessary to be a commercial transport truck operator.
The NOS and the tools were built in collaboration with key industry organizations from across Canada – provincial and national trucking associations, insurance companies, safety organizations, and transportation partners.
These resources are intended to assist employers with occupational level training program development and driver growth though all stages of their careers with a focus on occupational level training. They outline the base knowledge and practical competencies required of an operator, and include support for employers for building training and assessing instructors, coaches, and mentors involved in driver training.
All the resources here are available as free downloads.
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6 Warning Signs From Your Current Moving Software |
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Supermove, October 18, 2024
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The frightening truth about moving software is that the majority is outdated.
As a moving company owner, the software you choose can be your biggest asset—or your worst nightmare.
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Not all software solutions are created equal and relying on outdated or inadequate technology can entangle your business in a web of problems.
Here are 6 major red flags that indicate you might be caught in bad software, and what you should be looking for instead to keep your business thriving.
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Scaling Cybersecurity for Moving Companies: Ensuring Data Privacy, Compliance, and Operational Resilience |
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October 1, 2024
As small and mid-sized moving companies expand, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes even more critical. Managing sensitive client data like addresses, inventory lists, and payment details means that cybersecurity is not just an IT issue—it's a business imperative.
Gord Cowan, CEO of CAM Member CyBrilliance and speaker at CAM2024 has produced a guide which addresses the common concerns of CAM members. It focusses on the challenges of cybersecurity, data privacy, compliance, and the long-term impact on business growth and reputation.
As a moving company that is dealing with multi-dimensional pressures, you may see this article and respond in various ways.
1. "I’m Only Small—How Am I to Manage All This?"
2. "I Already Have Cybersecurity and Backup. Isn’t That Enough?"
3. "What’s This All Going to Cost?"
4. "We Don’t Have Time."
5. "We Are Too Small—We Aren’t a Target!"
Check out the guide for answers.
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Legal Disclaimer
The Canadian Association of Movers and/or any of its staff or members cannot and will not accept any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information and details given in this newsletter which information has been obtained or given in good faith.
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www.mover.net | cam_national@mover.net | Media Kit |
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Canadian Association of Movers (CAM) |
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Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved. |
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