The Canadian Farm Builders Association (CFBA) has recognized the contributions of longtime member, director and president Gary van Bolderen with an award in his honour.
The award, the Gary van Bolderen Award for Exceptional Contribution to and Achievement in the Canadian Farm Building Industry, was unveiled at the association’s 40th annual conference, AGM and awards Feb. 28. The honour was unexpected, he said.
“This is a unique and pretty special form of recognition,” he told the Daily Commercial News following the conference.
“This will be something of a legacy for me with future members… I can attest that I have received more than I gave as a volunteer. I have lived it. Some of my most cherished moments have come from sharing with my fellow volunteers challenges and accomplishments. The journey taken while working with others, who are unselfish with their time and talents, is rewarding beyond words. I am so proud of what we have done as volunteers in building our association.”
Van Bolderen, owner of Dutch Masters Construction Services, is a charter member of the board of directors for the CFBA and was the association’s president in 2003, 2011 and 2012 and a director. Over the years he has sat on the board and on a number of committees but has chosen to step down this year.
“We are recognizing the truly immense contribution that Gary van Bolderen has made to our industry and our association,” said Terry Rothwell, president of the association at the conference.
“Your work is tireless Gary… I want to thank you for your thoughtful, tactful and strategic advice on sensitive and sometimes difficult issues that the board has had to deal with over the years. Your contribution has always been directed squarely towards the best interests of Canada’s farm builders. This has helped us immeasurably in terms of the solutions CFBA has generated and the progress we have made.
“It would take 40 years to list all of Gary’s contributions to CFBA.”
Accomplishments include chair of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA); Ontario vice chair of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA); a member of the joint task force, National Research Council, National Farm Building Code revisions; board member, contractor representative, divisional board of the Ontario College of Trades; and a member of the Prompt Payment and Lien Act Reform committee at COCA.
The “Gary” will be presented annually. The inaugural recipient was Dan Reymer, who was president of the CFBA in 2015 and 2016, has been a director since 2011 and a member of the CFBA executive for the past seven years (2013 to 2020). Reymer has contributed to a number of CFBA’s endeavours including: update of National Farm Building Code; review of proposed National Building Code Part II Farm Buildings; prompt payment; Ontario College of Trades (presentation to Tony Dean); and Truss Plate Corrosion seminars.
In addition to the award, CFBA also gave van Bolderen a lifetime membership and a charitable donation to a charity of his choice will be made in his name.
“The naming of the award was special,” said van Bolderen, adding “that Dan Reymer was the first recipient is just that much more satisfying for me.
“I want to thank you, and I mean this really sincerely, for giving me the opportunity that you have given me to be a representative.”
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