President’s Message

After two years of rolling lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions, we have finally started the journey towards a new post-pandemic lifestyle. With this change I hope to welcome back in-person site meetings, lunch and learns, conferences, exhibitions, and social events. The change from virtual to in-person meetings will come with its challenges, but safe to say it will be nice not having to worry if you are still on mute or not – Can you hear me now?

While the industry managed to continue to work as an essential service and a vital component of the overall economy, it was done so during uncertain times with almost daily changes to rules and site restrictions. I hope these uncertainties are behind us and we can return the amazing world of wastewater equipment sales to its original state.

As many of us return to the office, some with mixed feelings, we should be grateful that the technology available in 2020 allowed us to work remotely, with as little interruption as possible. I’m certain that MS Teams and Zoom platforms are here to stay, but the flexibility to work remote is undeniably a positive aspect of being thrown into a work from home situation unexpectedly.

OPCEA has held its last three annual general meetings online. Monthly board meetings have also been online. We look forward to returning to in-person OPCEA events in the coming year and welcome the return of social interaction without restrictions. The 2022 OPCEA Exhibition in June will be first on the list for many of you; the OPCEA Golf Tournament in September will be close behind. I look forward to conversations that will exclude COVID-19 case count updates and guessing when the next lockdown will be.

OPCEA managed to have a positive year in 2021, in that we did not suffer a financial loss. As the exhibition grows close, we are seeing a renewed interest in membership as the uncertainty created by COVID-19 disappears behind us. I am hopeful that membership will return to pre-COVID-19 levels by the end of my presidency. That will be a main objective as the year goes on.

Membership for the year 2022-2023, which starts in July of this year, will enable attendance at next year’s exhibition at the WEAO/OPCEA conference and tradeshow in Toronto, now scheduled for the traditional timeslot in April 2023. We are excited and look forward to conducting the 2023 Conference at its normal scheduled timeslot.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brian Gage for his service as president last year, during the continued rolling lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions and one of the most difficult years in the life of OPCEA. I would also like to thank the OPCEA board members, who have all helped to maintain and expand our activities. All of them did their part in supporting the association.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the member companies that continued their support in these strange and uncertain times.

Best wishes,

John Devlin

2022 – 2023 President john.devlin@aquafy-wt.com