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December 8, 2017 In 2007, Mechanical Business kicked off its inaugural edition with one of the most famous plumbers in the world, Richard Trethewey, the resident plumbing and heating expert on This Old House. For our 10th anniversary edition, we went back to Richard to see what’s changed, and what hasn’t. Here’s a bonus,…

By Greg Dalgetty Henry Burris is no stranger to performing under pressure. In fact, he excels at it. The decorated quarterback enjoyed a CFL career that spanned 17 seasons, winning three Grey Cups, two Grey Cup MVPs and two Most Outstanding Player awards along the way. He ranks third all-time in the CFL in passing yards and…

By Greg Dalgetty Few broadcasters in Canada have had the longevity or been as widely embraced as Jerry Howarth, the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. The radio play-by-play announcer first started calling Jays games with his long-time partner, the late Tom Cheek, in the broadcast booth in 1981. Since then he’s witnessed every Toronto…

By Adam Freill When American Standard launched its ActiClean self-cleaning toilet earlier this year, the company linked up with much-loved germophobe and practical joker Howie Mandel. Mandel, who grew up in the Toronto suburb of Willowdale, accidentally found himself in the position of being an "ambassador of mental health"…

By Greg Dalgetty Some people resign themselves to a long, boring commute to the cottage. Others learn how to fly a plane. Tye Leishman falls into the latter category. The native of Powell River, B.C., got his pilot licence 14 years ago, back when he was working for an HVAC contractor in Victoria. He and his wife had a lakeside cottage…

By Adam Freill Scott Russell is an unabashed Olympic booster, and he’s looking forward to adding Rio to his long run of moments and memories. "It is the greatest spectacle," stated the Gemini Award-winning broadcaster during an exclusive interview with Mechanical Business prior to his departure for Rio for the 2016 Games.…

If there’s a single word that can sum up Chef Michael Smith’s expectations, it has to be quality. Whether looking at individual ingredients, judging a completed dish, assessing a kitchen design, or even a business plan, putting in the time, energy and research to come out with top-notch quality drives the celebrated restaurateur, chef,…

From tinkering with snowmobiles and dirt bikes as a kid, to tweaking the car, the boat, or bigger dirt bikes now that he’s a little older, Dustin Aguanno still likes working with his hands. Originally in electrical engineering, a close friend of his suggested that the HVAC/R industry was where the action was, and according to Dustin, he…

HVAC/R - With the recent agreement reached between the U.S. and China on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the focus in the refrigerant sector is now squarely on dealing with products with high global warming potential (GWP).For our industry, this means a renewed effort to improve the energy efficiencies of mechanical equipment while…

Flooded equipment - The flooding that took place in Southern Alberta this summer left more than 100,000 people dealing with the damage left in its wake, and the effects of the flooding on mechanical systems are likely to linger long after the waters have receded. Water damage in structures can lead to termites, a friend recommended…