Two awards were presented at the tournament.

2025 Lifetime Achievement Award

OGMA President Blake Sanders awards Steve Gusterson (right) the OGMA 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Steve Gusterson was recognized with the OGMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Here is what OGMA President Blake Sanders had to say about the honour:

I’m pleased to introduce the 2025 OGMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Steve Gusterson. I’ll tell you a little about Steve.

He was introduced to the glass and metal industry in the summer of 1974, which for those of you who don’t want to do the math was 51 years ago, and LOOONG before a lot of the people in this room were even born, when his best friend’s neighbour was looking for summer student labour. The neighbour was Bruce Peterman, the plant foreman at Alumicor Limited in Agincourt, Ontario, and that’s where the journey began.

Just a few years later, Steve found himself well engaged in this industry and earned his trade ticket working at glass shops such as Summerhill Glass and Cakebread Kenny Glass in Toronto, Trans Canada Highway Glass in Vancouver, and with the installations teams at Alumicor’s contracts division.

In the early 1980s, he transitioned to office duties at Alumicor where, besides the mundane duties of drafting and project co-ordination, he had the opportunity to travel the country, site measuring projects where the side benefits included riding in a Leopard tank, sitting behind the controls of a Snowbird Tutor jet, and discovering a lost cache of artifacts at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland building.

In 1985, Steve pulled up stakes and moved to Alberta where he and his business partner, Bill Larnie, became the exclusive Alberta distributor for a manufacturer that was later to become Windspec.

At the end of the ’80s, he returned to Ontario and to Alumicor, becoming the Contracts Manager for the Window Division, then moving on to a sales role, eventually becoming the architectural representative and, in 2015, the Vice President of Sales for Ontario.

Steve is a trusted resource for the industry, delivering seminars, lunch and learns, and presentations to industry professionals and those looking to get into the industry. In recent years, with thoughts of retirement looming, Steve has worked closely with his colleagues at Alumicor on a succession plan that leaves him now doing what he loves best: working almost exclusively with the design community, helping them to bring their visions to life. Working three days each week is an added benefit!

Outside of work, Steve managed to find time for volunteering; more than twenty years with both the Ontario Glass & Metal Association and Construction Specifications Canada; fifteen years with the Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee for the town of Whitby, and twelve years on the Program Advisory Committee for Durham College.

For the OGMA, he was a director for more than two decades, was instrumental in getting the current website off the ground back in the day and was the first to oversee the Awards of Excellence program, which he managed prior to 2024 from inception. He also worked with Zana Gordon from what is now FENBC on the Ontario Glazing Systems Manual on behalf of OGMA. Prior to retiring from the Board, he actively attended and hosted Board meetings, and assisted with OGMA events and seminars.

For CSC, he held the roles of Toronto Chapter Chair and Chapter Director, taught the Certified Technical Representative course, sits on technical committees, authors columns for Construction Canada magazine, and has been bestowed with two of the association’s highest honours: election to the College of Fellows and the Life Membership award.

After a five-decades-long career, I repeat five-decades-long career, Steve has definitely earned his place among the OGMA’s best and brightest!

Steve is looking forward to spending more time travelling with his wife, Lori, and to cataloguing his collection of antique military artifacts.

Congratulations, Steve Gusterson, on receiving the OGMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Steve, please come up and receive your award.

2025 Spring Bursary Award

Joseph Le (centre) is awarded the OGMA/AGMCA 2025 Spring Bursary Award by OGMA President Blake Sanders (left) and AGMCA Executive Director Noel Marsella.

Joseph Le was awarded the 2025 Spring Bursary Award. Here is what OGMA President Blake Sanders had to say about the honour:

On behalf of the Ontario Glass & Metal Association and the Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association, I am pleased to extend our sincere congratulations to Joseph Le on being awarded the 2025 OGMA/AGMCA Annual Spring Bursary.

Joseph was selected by the training staff of the Finishing Trades Institute of Ontario to receive our associations’ joint $1,000 bursary—an award presented annually to recognize the most outstanding glazing apprentice for the term. This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the development of skilled trades professionals and acknowledging excellence within the glazing industry.

Joseph’s instructors, James Clifford and Mike Pentz, nominated him for his exemplary attitude toward learning, as well as his initiative in mentoring fellow apprentices. His commitment to both personal growth and peer support has set him apart, and his impressive 90.96% average in the Advanced Class is a testament to his dedication and hard work.

Joseph began in the glazing industry seven years ago, working hard to build his reputation. Despite challenges, he stayed dedicated to growing and learning, earning a role as a Service Technician at Fairview Glass & Mirror Ltd.

This trade has given him a meaningful career and helped him develop leadership skills that he uses in his community basketball league, Viet Hoops. The bursary funds will sponsor his team’s participation in the All-Vietnamese North American Basketball Tournament in Houston, Texas, over the Labour Day weekend.

Congratulations once again on being named the Glazing Apprentice Honour Student for the term. We look forward to your continued success in the trade.

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2024 Spring Golf Tournament at Glen Eagle Golf Club

Glen Eagle Golf Club, a premier 27-hole championship golf course just a few minutes northwest of Toronto, hosted OGMA’s Spring Golf Tournament on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

Two awards were presented at the tournament.

Bruce Cooke (left) is presented with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award by OGMA President Steven Ringler

First, Bruce Cooke was recognized with the OGMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Here is what OGMA President Steven Ringler had to say about the honour:

“After 49-plus years in the industry, there cannot be many of us who do not know who Bruce Cooke is. Bruce entered the industry back in 1975 at Glaverbel Glass Ltd. Bruce began working in the industry as seasonal glass fabrication help at the age of sixteen. He worked throughout high school and subsidized his university tuition by returning to the glass fabrication floor each year.

Bruce then transitioned to the contract glazing segment, working initially as a metal mechanic/glazing apprentice, before transitioning into estimating and project management. He then returned to the glass fabrication segment as a Sales Representative. Bruce was privileged to join Dolores Primo, Ivan Martintoni, and Larry Vary in starting up a new entity, Armourguard Glass Products (which became what is now Oldcastle Toronto). He moved into Operations, assuming the GM role at AFG London, and returning to Oldcastle in the same role five years later.

Bruce joined Guardian Industries in 2005 as Sales Manager for the Ontario fabrication divisions. Two years later, he was promoted to the role of Director, North American Fabrication, overseeing divisions across Canada and the United States. Upon the sale of the Fabrication Divisions by Guardian, Bruce was promoted to Regional Sales Manager, Float Sales for Canada, and the Northeast United States. In 2017, Bruce left Guardian to Saand, as Director of Sales. He later joined Glassopolis as VP, Sales, giving him exposure to a new segment of the industry – fire-rated products. He was then asked by Toro leadership to join Commdoor as Regional Sales Manager.

Now I know many of you in the room were not even born in 1975. I first met Bruce back in 1993 when he was my sales manager for Armourguard Glass. Bruce and many of the firms he has been part of have been great supporters of OGMA and we thank him for his continued support over the years. Please join me in celebrating Bruce Cooke’s Lifetime Achievement. Congratulations, Bruce.”

AGMCA President Noel Marsella (pictured at right) accepts the 2024 Spring Bursary Award from OGMA President Steven Ringler on behalf of Joel Scott

Second, Joel Scott was awarded the 2024 Spring Bursary Award. Scott couldn’t attend so Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association executive director, Noel Marsella, accepted the award on his behalf.

Here is what OGMA President Steven Ringler had to say about the honour:

“Joel was selected by the training staff of the Ontario Industrial & Finishing Skills Centre to receive a joint $1,000.00 bursary from the Ontario Glass & Metal Association and the Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association. Our two associations have decided to give back to the glazing trade for the most outstanding apprentice for the term. James Clifford and Mike Pentz, your instructors, selected you for your positive attitude to learn the trade and for helping tutor other apprentices with their work assignments. You have also been recognized for completing the advanced class with a 92.83% grade average. Joel also obtained a Certificate of Qualification as an Architectural Glass and Metal Technician. Congratulations, Joel, on being selected as Glazing Apprentice Honour Student for the term. Keep up the good work.”

The Day’s Foursomes

 

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