Past Northern Member Chapter Event

Joint Meeting — September 2024
The AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a joint meeting with the Association of Women in the Metals Industry (AWMI) Toronto Chapter at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Thursday, 26 September 2024, with 155 attendees in the audience. Keynote speaker Sarah Hornby, president, Global Strategic Solutions Inc., presented “The Green Steel Revolution.”

Association For Iron & Steel Technology


Sarah Hornby gave her keynote presentation titled “The Green Steel Revolution” to the 155 attendees at the joint AWMI and Northern Member Chapter meeting on 26 September 2024.

Golf Outing — July 2024
The AIST Northern Member Chapter held their 73rd annual golf outing at Piper’s Heath Golf Club in Milton, Ont., Canada, on Thursday, 11 July 2024. A group of 98 golfers had a great day of greens, fairways and friends.

Annual Trade Show and Dinner Meeting — April 2024
The Northern Member Chapter hosted their annual trade show and dinner meeting on Tuesday, 16 April 2024. The annual event took place on at LiUNA Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. The 290 attendees networked among the 17 vendor tables and the event continued with dinner and a keynote presentation from Ron Bedard, chief executive officer, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.

A contingent of the Hatch team from their headquarters in Mississauga, Ont., attended the Northern Member chapter dinner meeting at LiUNA Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on 16 April 2024.

Chapter chair James Hoffman (left) presented a plaque of appreciation to Ron Bedard (right) for his keynote presentation at the Northern Member Chapter’s trade show and dinner meeting on 16 April 2024.

Past chapter chair Shannon Clark (right), ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., presented an Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award to chair and current Board of Directors representative James Hoffman (left) at the chapter meeting on 16 April 2024.

Meeting — February 2024
The AIST Northern Member Chapter held their first meeting of the year on Tuesday, 6 February 2024, at the Holiday Inn Burlington – Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Barry T. Schneider, president and chief operating officer, Steel Dynamics Inc., and 2023–2024 AIST president, spoke to the 143 professionals and students in attendance.

In addition, representatives from the Maintenance & Reliability Technology Committee presented ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. with the AIST Reliability Achievement Award – Gold at the meeting. Their winning application was for “Acid Regeneration System Transformation.”

Jakob Backstrom (left), Young Professional chair of the Northern Member Chapter, presented a plaque of appreciation to 2023–2024 AIST president Barry T. Schneider (right) for his presentation at the chapter meeting on 6 February 2024.

Members of the Maintenance & Reliability Technology Committee presented the AIST Reliability Achievement Award – Gold to the team at ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. at the Northern Member Chapter meeting on 6 February 2024.

Dinner Meeting — September 2023
The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, with 155 attendees in the audience. Keynote speaker David Colbert, manager, finishing processes, global research and development, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., presented, “An Overview of ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Hot Strip Mill Modernization Program.”

Golf Outing — July 2023
The Northern Member Chapter’s golf outing was back in swing at the 72nd annual event on Thursday, 13 July at Piper’s Heath Golf Club in Milton, Ont., Canada. It was a sold-out event with 144 golfers in attendance.

Annual Trade Show — April 2023
The Northern Member Chapter hosted their annual trade show for the first time since 2019 on Tuesday, 21 April 2023. The event took place at LiUNA Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. The 160 attendees networked among the 16 vendor tables and the event continued with dinner and a keynote presentation from Colin Osborne, president and chief executive officer, Samuel, Son and Co.

Keynote Presenter — February 2023
AIST 2022–2023 president Keith J. Howell, chief operating officer, ArcelorMittal North America, made a stop as the keynote presenter for the Northern Member Chapter on Tuesday, 28 February 2023, as they hosted their Past Chairs and Past Presidents Night at the Holiday Inn Burlington-Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Howell was greeted by a large audience of 160 members, students and a strong contingent of ArcelorMittal Dofasco colleagues. 

AIST 2022–2023 president Keith J. Howell spoke at the Northern Member Chapter’s meeting on 28 February 2023 in Burlington, Ont., Canada.

Dinner Meeting — November 2022
On Thursday, 17 November 2022, the Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Burlington, Ont., Canada.

The crowd of 70 professionals and students enjoyed the presentation titled “Grey, Blue, Green, Purple… The Many Colours of Hydrogen,” by Dominik P.J. Barz, associate professor of chemical engineering, Department of Engineering,  Queen’s University.

Jakob Backstrom (right) presented Dominik Barz (left) with a plaque of appreciation on behalf of the AIST Northern Chapter.

Dinner Meeting — February 2020
Ron O’Malley also visited the Northern Member Chapter’s dinner meeting to celebrate their 75th anniversary on Tuesday, 4 February 2020, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. For a full recap of the anniversary celebration, see page 246 of this issue of Iron & Steel Technology.

2020–2021 AIST president Ronald O’Malley visited the Northern Member Chapter’s 75th anniversary celebration (left to right): Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. and AIST Board of Directors representative, O’Malley, and David Nicol, Xtek and Northern Member Chapter chair.

Dinner Meeting — November 2019
The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting with a presentation from Jeffrey McIsaac, dean of Applied Research, Mohawk College, at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 26 November 2019. 

McIsaac’s presentation highlighted college applied research, with an overview of the role that colleges play in the demonstration, de-risking and adoption of new technologies. He shared how colleges are ideally positioned to help bridge the gap between the lab bench and the shop floor, and to help drive the adoption of emerging technologies in the Canadian marketplace. The audience included 51 professionals and students.

Jeffrey McIsaac, Mohawk College, was the keynote speaker at the Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting on 26 November 2019.

Dinner Meeting — October 2019
The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting on Tuesday, 29 October 2019, at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada.
Laurie Haggstrom, manager, health and safety, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., presented “Pyramid Builders: Driving Health & Safety Performance to Zero Through a Culture of Employee Ownership.”
ArcelorMittal Dofasco is the inaugural winner of AIST’s Safety & Health Innovation Award for their “Pyramid Builders” program, designed to identify and address unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviors. 
Haggstrom shared Dofasco’s journey to embed a culture of a strong health and safety mindset through employee engagement and ownership. 
Her presentation described tactics that have been implemented to support the integration of health and safety in the workplace as well as practical methods to establish employee-driven performance improvement, reduced risk tolerance and shared vigilance. Dofasco’s work on implementing the innovative and successful Pyramid Builders program was highlighted as well.

1. Members of the AIST Northern Member Chapter pictured with their AIST Steel Wheels. 2. The Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting was held on 29 October 2019 (left to right): Yindong Yang, University of Toronto; Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco; Alex McLean, University of Toronto; and Yonggang Wei, University of Toronto. Back row (left to right): Wenlan Dai, Qianyun Li, Hanqing Shao, Guangjun Wang and Wei Lv of University of Toronto.

Annual Golf Event — June 2019
The AIST Northern Member Chapter held their 70th annual golf event at Copetown Woods Golf Club in Copetown, Ont., Canada, on Wednesday, 12 June 2019. The 144 golfers had a great day on the course, including one lucky player who had a hole-in-one during the outing! The Chapter also presented the inaugural Greg Langlois Memorial Trophy. The award was established to commemorate the memory of Greg Langlois, a long-standing Northern Member Chapter member and golf outing participant who lost his battle with cancer in July 2018.

1. Northern Member Chapter chair Dave Nicol (left), Xtek, congratulated John Pafundi (right), Drive Centre Inc., who aced the fourth hole at Copetown Woods during the Northern Member Chapter golf outing on 12 June 2019. 2. The winning foursome from Xtek took home this year’s trophy (left to right): Dave Nicol, Xtek; Terry James and Jeffrey Stanaway, Stelco Inc. Lake Erie Works; and Brett James, Carmeuse Lime and Stone. 3. The inaugural Greg Langlois Memorial Trophy was presented to “the most honest golfers” (highest score) of the day (left to right): Cate Davidson, AIST; Jing Xu and Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.; Greg Langlois’ brother Marty; and Jane Wood, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.
 

Northern Member Chapter and AWMI Joint Meeting — May 2019

 
 Attendees of the Northern Member Chapter’s joint meeting with the Association of Women in the Metals Industries (AWMI) on 30 May 2019 practiced exercises to improve their
executive presence

The AIST Northern Member Chapter and the Association of Women in the Metals Industries (AWMI) Toronto Chapter had an inspiring joint meeting on Thursday, 30 May 2019, that featured Shann McGrail, executive director, Haltech, as the speaker. McGrail’s presentation, “Introduction to Executive Presence,” provided practical tips and ideas to improve executive presence through confidence building and communication improvement. She led the audience through a comprehensive self-assessment activity that identified personal opportunities for improvement. McGrail encouraged the group to “Lead With Yes” to accept new opportunities and challenges.
There were 58 attendees from industry and academia, including 18 students from McMaster University. The meeting was held at the Waterfront Banquet & Conference Centre in Hamilton, Ont., Canada.
According to Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. and AIST Board of Directors representative,
“Our AIST Northern Chapter and AWMI Toronto Chapter have a strong partnership which is beneficial for all our members, our boards and our industry. Joint meetings allow industry networking opportunities and learning forums to acquire new knowledge and skills in a cross-organizational environment.”

Members of the AIST Northern Member Chapter and the AWMI Toronto Chapter are pictured with their AIST Steel Wheels.
 

Annual Trade Show — May 2019
The Northern Member Chapter hosted their annual Trade Show at Liuna Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 14 May 2019. Throughout the afternoon trade show, attendees networked among the 28 vendors. A dinner followed, featuring a keynote presentation, “Restructuring and Revitalization of Stelco,” by David Cheney, chief executive officer, Stelco Inc. There were 260 attendees.
Also in the audience were two of this year’s student award winners from the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF). The fair is one of the largest and longest-running science fairs in Canada and hosts students from Grades 7 to 12.
The Northern Member Chapter selects and awards two US$100 prizes for outstanding projects related to one of the following fields that are related to the steel industry: metallurgy, materials science, chemical, electrical, mechanical, industrial, environmental, civil and computer engineering.
The chapter selected two deserving recipients this year: Evan Cotter for his project “Rust in Piece: The Corrosive Effects on Steel, Aluminum and Galvanized Steel,” and Ruhan Soni for his project “Carbon Footprint: China Imported Steel vs. Canadian Produced Steel.” The chapter invited both students, along with a guest, to attend the event and dinner and be recognized for their efforts.
The chapter also recognized Cole Becker, McMaster University, who won the Undergraduate Student Presentation Contest at AISTech 2019 the previous week.
In addition, the chapter took the time to recognize all of its members who had received AIST awards that year, including Kyle Ferron, Nancy Ward, Mike Dudzic, Cameron Mitchell, Neslihan Dogan, Carolyn Hansson, Lawrence Heaslip, Ian Cameron, Yakov Gordon and Floris van Laar. ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. was commended for their Safety & Health Innovation and Reliability Achievement awards, as well as the Northern Member Chapter itself for its Outstanding Member Chapter Growth Award.

1. The Northern Member Chapter held its annual vendor fair and dinner on 14 May 2019. 2. James Hoffman (left), ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. and Northern Member Chapter vice chair, presented a plaque of appreciation to David Cheney (right), Stelco Inc., for his keynote presentation. 3. Cheney addressed a crowd of 260 at the Northern Member Chapter dinner.
1. David Cheney congratulated the student award winners from the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair at the Northern Member Chapter meeting (left to right): Evan Cotter, Cheney and Ruhan Soni. 2. Shannon Clark (right), ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. and AIST Board of Directors representative, recognized AISTech 2019 Undergraduate Student Presentation Contest winner Cole Becker (left), McMaster University.
 

Dinner Meeting — March 2019
The AIST Northern Member Chapter meeting took place on Thursday, 21  March 2019, at the Holiday Inn in Burlington, Ont., Canada, with more than 65 people in attendance. The evening featured a keynote presentation from Chris Hughes, president and chief executive officer, Laker Energy Products, titled “The Nuclear Industry — A Strategic Asset for Canada.” 2019 AIST Howe Memorial Lecturer Carolyn Hansson attended and brought along several students from the University of Waterloo.

Chris Hughes (left), Laker Energy Products, received a plaque of appreciation from AIST Northern Member Chapter chair Dave Nicol (right), Xtek, at the Northern Member Chapter meeting on 21 March 2019 in Burlington, Ont., Canada.
 

Dinner Meeting — November 2018
The AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting featuring two insightful presentations at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada on Tuesday, 27 November 2018. 
John Brown, director of additive solutions, Javelin Technologies Inc., presented “Increasing Operational Efficiency With Plastic Additive Manufacturing,” which focused on new materials and applications that allow manufacturers to leverage plastic additive manufacturing. 
In the second presentation, “Innovations in Metal 3D Printing: Machines, Processes and Applications,” John Manley, president, Machine Tool Systems Inc., highlighted the history and future of Metal 3D printing, new materials using direct metal laser sintering, powder characteristics, and successful applications at ArcelorMittal. 
There were 53 in attendance. 
The chapter also honored Cameron Mitchell, engineering general manager, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., with the Member Chapter Outstanding Service Award in recognition of his dedication to the chapter.

Students from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, attended the Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting on 27 November 2018 (left to right): Yoel Emun, Maedeh Pourmajidian, Pardis Mohammadpour, Danielle De Rango, Chris Thomsen, Farheen Ahmed, Neslihan Dogan, Niloufar Khodaei and Mohammadhossein Ghoncheh.
1. Shannon Clark (right) presented Cameron Mitchell (left) with the Outstanding Service Award during the Northern Member Chapter’s dinner meeting. 2. Clark attended the dinner with her son, Nolan (right).
 

Dinner Meeting — October 2018
Peter Warrian was the keynote speaker at the AIST Northern Member Chapter on Tuesday, 23 October 2018, at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Warrian, Distinguished Research Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, spoke on the topic “What’s Next for Canadian Steel?” to the 76 members and students in the audience.

1. Peter Warrian gave the keynote presentation at the Northern Member Chapter’s dinner meeting on 23 October 2018.
 2. A number of students were in attendance at the dinner meeting.

Material Advantage Night — September 2018
The AIST Northern Member Chapter attended McMaster Material Advantage Night, held on 24 September 2018 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., Canada (see photo on page 24).
There were 22 participants and Shannon Clark, senior specialist, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., shared information on AIST, the Northern Member Chapter, the Steel to Students program, scholarships and the benefits of Material Advantage membership. Clark also led a workshop for students on preparing their resumes for employment in the steel industry.
According to Clark, the Pizza Grant from the AIST Foundation was excellent support to the group to provide food and refreshments to participants.

Golf Outing — June 2018
The Northern Member Chapter held their 69th annual golf event at Copetown Woods Golf Club in Copetown, Ont., Canada, on Wednesday, 13 June 2018. The weather radar looked ominous but thunderstorms held off and the enthusiastic group of 144 golfers had a great day on the course followed by an enjoyable networking dinner.

Joint Meeting — May 2018
The AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a joint meeting with the Toronto Chapter of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI) at The Waterfront Banquet & Conference Centre in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Thursday, 31 May 2018. Keynote speaker Lesa Goodall-Cross focused on “The 3 Cs of Continuous Improvement — Culture, Change and, of Course, Communication,” with the audience of more than 90 attendees, including 23 students from University of Toronto, McMaster University, Mohawk College and Laurier University.
The evening was a huge success and the topic attracted a diverse crowd. For many of the attendees, this was their first AIST event.

Students and faculty from four universities were in attendance at the Northern Member Chapter’s joint meeting with AWMI on 31 May 2018 in Hamilton, Ont., Canada.
 

Annual Trade Show — April 2018
The AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted its annual trade show at Liuna Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 17 April 2018. Throughout the trade show, attendees networked with the 26 vendors. The evening continued with dinner and a keynote presentation by Sean Donnelly, president and chief executive officer of  ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. He provided an overview titled, “Two Sides, One Story — Organizational Health and Performance at ArcelorMittal Dofasco.”
As part of the evening, the AIST Energy & Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) presented the 2018 AIST Energy Achievement Award to ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. for its project titled, “Implementation of High-Turbulence Roll Cooling at ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Hot Strip Mill.”
Also in the audience was one of this year’s student award winners from the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF). The fair is one of the largest and longest-running science fairs in Canada and hosts students from Grades 7–12.
The Northern Member Chapter selects and awards two CAD$100 prizes at BASEF “for outstanding projects related to one of the following fields: metallurgy, materials science, chemical, electrical, mechanical, industrial, environmental, civil and computer engineering” that are related to the steel industry.
The chapter selected two deserving recipients this year: Alexander Flannery for his project “Testing of Environmentally Friendly Corrosion Solutions and Commercial Applications,” and Keith Allan (unable to attend) for his project “Coat of Steel.” The chapter invited both students, along with a guest, to attend the event and dinner and be recognized for their efforts.

1. Team members from ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P. packed the dinner at the Northern Member Chapter trade show in support of Sean Donnelly’s keynote presentation on 17 April 2018. 2. The AIST Energy Achievement Award was also presented during the dinner (left to right): Michael Hough, Hamza Habbal, Cameron Mitchell, Bryan Schneck, Angela Pappin, Lou York, Rishabh Bahel, Jack MacKenzie, Gas Gebara and Kevin Hunt. 3. Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer Cameron Mitchell (right), ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., presented a plaque of appreciation to Sean Donnelly (left). 4. The vendor fair at the Northern Member Chapter’s annual trade show provided a perfect networking opportunity (left to right): Leon Winitsky, SES; Haneet Randawa, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.; and Ken Burnett, ABB.
 

Material Advantage Meeting — March 2018
On Wednesday, 7 March 2018, members of the AIST Northern Member Chapter participated at the Material Advantage Chapter meeting at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ont., Canada. Chapter chair Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., talked about the benefits of the Material Advantage membership, the AIST Foundation grants, scholarships, pizza grants, T.C. Graham Prize and Real Steel Video Contest. She promoted AISTech and encouraged students to follow @AISTech on Twitter. The evening concluded with a round of questions, prizes for those who answered, and of course a photo with the AIST Steel Wheel. The chapter would like to thank faculty advisor Comondore Ravindran for inviting them to participate.

Ryerson University students along with faculty advisor Comondore Ravindran (second from right) and Northern Member Chapter chair Shannon Clark (third from right) posed with their AIST Steel Wheels at their Material Advantage Chapter meeting on Wednesday, 7 March 2018, in Toronto, Ont., Canada.

Dinner Meeting — February 2018
The AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting on Tuesday, 6 February 2018, at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Center, Burlington, Ont., Canada. The chapter hosted more than 100 professionals and students. Randy Skagen, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc. and 2017–2018 AIST president, shared his “Nucor: Making Steel Great Again” presentation. 
The chapter also honored Jing Xu, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., with the Member Chapter Outstanding Service Award in recognition of her dedication to the chapter. As the papers chair, Xu has devoted her time and talents to create engaging and educational programs for the chapter membership. Through her contributions, the Northern Member Chapter has created exceptional opportunities for networking and education to promote understanding of iron and steel technology.

1. Shannon Clark (right), Northern Member Chapter chair, presented Jing Xu (left) with the Member Chapter Outstanding Service Award during the chapter’s dinner meeting on 6 February. 2. Cameron Mitchell (right), Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer, presented Randy Skagen (left), AIST president, with a plaque of appreciation for his keynote presentation.
3. AIST president Randy Skagen (center) recognized his Canadian Nucor teammates from Laurel Steel and Nucor Canada. 4. Students from McMaster University, Ryerson University and the University of Toronto attended the Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting.
 

Panel Discussion and Dinner Meeting — November 2017
The Northern Member Chapter hosted a panel discussion and dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 21 November 2017. There were 55 members and students in attendance. The discussion focused on the usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the steel industry and featured two panelists:
Michael Cohen, chief executive officer, Industrial Skyworks Inc., and Dan Matzeg, co-founder, Enaeria Inc.

In addition, the chapter presented the Northern Member Chapter University Scholarship to Christopher Pappin, who is enrolled in the engineering program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., Canada.

1. Northern Member Chapter scholarship chair Mike Lacourt (left), Ramboll Engineering, presented the Northern Member Chapter University Scholarship to Christopher Pappin (right) at the 21 November 2017 meeting. 2. Northern Member Chapter membership chair Janice Bolen presented plaques of appreciation to the panelists at the 21 November 2017 meeting (left to right): Dan Matzeg, Enaeria Inc.; Michael Cohen, Industrial Skyworks Inc.; and Bolen, Hatch Associates Consultants. 3. Students from McMaster University displayed their Steel Wheels (clockwise from bottom left): Khatereh Maleki, Yousef Tabatabei, Mukesh Sharma, Connie Pelligra, Esther Hutton, Maedeh Pourmajidian, Brian Jamieson and Shooka Mahboubi.

Dinner Meeting — October 2017

The AIST Northern Member Chapter had a glimpse of steelmaking past, present and future when it honored past society presidents along with the chapter’s past chairs, and had a keynote presentation on Big River Steel at its meeting on 24 October 2017 at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada.
The keynote speaker was J. Kevin Cotchen, senior process engineer — steelmaking, SMS USA LLC. His presentation was titled, “The Big River Story.” Cotchen’s presentation discussed the design, construction and implementation of Big River Steel’s Flex Mill™.
The Northern Member Chapter’s history started when the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers (AISE) created the Buffalo District Section in 1944. The section was renamed the AISE Niagara District Section in 1966. The Iron and Steel Society (ISS) Ontario section was formed in 1975. When AISE and ISS merged in 2004, the AISE Niagara section and the ISS Ontario section were joined together to form the AIST Northern Member Chapter. Five past AISE, ISS and AIST presidents were in attendance at the meeting: Alex McLean, 1985 ISS president; Guy Monaco, 1992 AISE president; J. Douglas Ashton, 1997 ISS president; Norm Lockington, 2001 AISE president; and Andrew Harshaw, 2008–09 AIST president. Eight past chairs were also honored: Wayne Thompson, Mike Morson, Bob Kneale, Rich Rhamey, Mike Trainor, Stuart Owen, Peter O’Hagan and Bob Savage.
During a lively networking session before dinner, the past presidents talked about their experiences with AIST, AISE and ISS, and the value that came from society membership. Ashton said he first got involved with ISS after starting with Stelco in early 1970s, attending his first conference in Toronto in 1972. “That was my first introduction to it. The societies are a great way, especially for the younger people coming into the industry, to make contacts amongst the various member companies. There’s a lot of networking that goes on. The young engineers just soak up that knowledge and experience.”
“It was really the face-to-face discussions about problems where people opened up and were able to share information that really helped me the most,” said Lockington, the former vice president, technology at Dofasco. “I highly recommend that members who are part of AIST today that are just getting their feet wet, spend some time learning about other companies, meeting other people — basically making friends. Those are the people who can help them with problems that you are not going to find in textbooks.”
The benefits of joining a Member Chapter and Technology Committee were echoed by Harshaw, president and CEO, ArcelorMittal USA. “Pretty early in my career, I became involved with the technical committees and peers on technical problems, mostly around papers. Frequently, if you had a problem, you could reach out to someone who already had that problem or was facing the same kind of issues. You can learn a great deal by exchange with your peers, and that’s what’s key for me.”
“I would strongly encourage folks — not just students but people in the industry — to be involved as much as they can,” McLean said. “The people you meet, the information you exchange, the friendships that you make, I still have friends that I met years ago through the society. It’s been a tremendous help in my career.”

1. James Hoffman (right), ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., presented J. Kevin Cotchen (left), SMS USA LLC, with a plaque of appreciation for his keynote presentation at the Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting on 24 October 2017. 2. The Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting had a strong student attendance, who posed with the Steel Wheel. 3. The meeting honored past society presidents and past Northern Member Chapter chairs (left to right): Norm Lockington (2001 AISE president), Guy Monaco (1992 AISE president), Brian Wilson (past Northern Member Chapter chair), Mike Trainor (2005–2008 Northern Member Chapter chair), Stuart Owen (2004–2005 Northern Member Chapter chair), Bob Savage (ISS past Northern Member Chapter chair), Peter O’Hagan (Northern Member Chapter chair 2001), Bob Kneale (2010–2012 Northern Member Chapter chair), J. Douglas Ashton (1997 ISS president), Andy Harshaw (2008–2009 AIST president), Harry Follwell (1994 ISS president), Rich Rhamey (2008–2010 Northern Member Chapter chair), Mike Morson (2012–2014 Northern Member Chapter chair), Alex McLean (1985 ISS president) and Wayne Thompson (2014–2016 Northern Member Chapter chair).

Golf Outing — June 2017
The Northern Member Chapter held its 68th annual golf event at Copetown Woods Golf Club in Copetown, Ont., Canada, on Wednesday, 14 June 2017. A near sell-out group of 140 golfers enjoyed a great day on the course followed by an enjoyable networking dinner.

Northern Member Chapter golf chair Dave Nicol, Xtex, presented the 2017 trophy of the AIST Northern Member Chapter’s 68th annual golf outing to the winning team from JNE Consulting (left to right): Nicol, Jason Phillips, Scott Brockway, Denis Burella and Glenn Fackelmann.
 

Joint Meeting with Toronto Chapter of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI) — May 2017
The Northern Member Chapter hosted a joint meeting with the Toronto Chapter of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI) at The Waterfront Banquet & Conference Centre in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Thursday, 25 May 2017. Esther Mar, metallurgist, Bailey Metal Products, presented, “Troubleshooting of Common Steel Defects and Problems.” She highlighted troubleshooting ideas and strategies to address common steel defects and problems encountered in her 40-year career in the steel industry.
There were 70 attendees from across the industry, including 14 students from Mohawk College, McMaster University, Queen’s University, University of Toronto and University of Waterloo.
The chapter showcased the AIST Northern Member Chapter award winner from the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair, Maggie Williams, for her project, “The Antimicrobial Efficacy of Stainless Steel, Copper and Brass in Preventing Health Care– Acquired Illness.” Her project was an ArcelorMittal Dofasco Transforming Tomorrow Award winner, a BASEF Gold Medal winner, and proceeded on to the International Science Fair in Los Angeles.

Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2017
The Northern Member Chapter hosted its annual trade show at Liuna Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 4 April 2017. The event began with a panel discussion focused on steel sustainability, followed by a trade show, where the attendees networked among two dozen vendors. The evening continued with dinner and a keynote address by Walter Koppelaar, chief executive officer and chairman of the Walters Group. His speech was titled “Six Decades — The Evolution of Steel Fabrication.” 
 The Northern Member Chapter honored long-time member and trade show chair Peter O’Hagan, Peter O’Hagan & Associates, with an AIST Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award. O’Hagan served on the AIST Northern Member Chapter executive committee for 30 years, and coordinated the Trade Show for two decades. The chapter also recognized Gerry Kane, AIST sales consultant, acknowledging her retirement.

1. Attendees of the Northern Member Chapter annual trade show networked with exhibitors. 2. Northern Member Chapter chair Shannon Clark (left), ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., presented the AIST Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award to Peter O’Hagan (right), Peter O’Hagan & Associates, at the dinner on 4 April 2017. 3. The keynote speaker at the Northern Member Chapter trade show was Walter Koppelaar, Walters Group (left to right): Northern Member Chapter trade show chair Peter O’Hagan; Shannon Clark; Koppelaar; Gerry Kane, AIST; and Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer Cameron Mitchell, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.






Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2017

The Northern Member Chapter hosted its annual trade show at Liuna Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 4 April 2017. The event began with a panel discussion focused on steel sustainability, followed by a trade show, where the attendees networked among two dozen vendors. The evening continued with dinner and a keynote address by Walter Koppelaar, chief executive officer and chairman of the Walters Group. His speech was titled “Six Decades — The Evolution of Steel Fabrication.” 
 The Northern Member Chapter honored long-time member and trade show chair Peter O’Hagan, Peter O’Hagan & Associates, with an AIST Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award. O’Hagan served on the AIST Northern Member Chapter executive committee for 30 years, and coordinated the Trade Show for two decades. The chapter also recognized Gerry Kane, AIST sales consultant, acknowledging her retirement.

1. Attendees of the Northern Member Chapter annual trade show networked with exhibitors. 2. Northern Member Chapter chair Shannon Clark (left), ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., presented the AIST Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award to Peter O’Hagan (right), Peter O’Hagan & Associates, at the dinner on 4 April 2017. 3. The keynote speaker at the Northern Member Chapter trade show was Walter Koppelaar, Walters Group (left to right): Northern Member Chapter trade show chair Peter O’Hagan; Shannon Clark; Koppelaar; Gerry Kane, AIST; and Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer Cameron Mitchell, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.

Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2017

The Northern Member Chapter hosted its annual trade show at Liuna Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 4 April 2017. The event began with a panel discussion focused on steel sustainability, followed by a trade show, where the attendees networked among two dozen vendors. The evening continued with dinner and a keynote address by Walter Koppelaar, chief executive officer and chairman of the Walters Group. His speech was titled “Six Decades — The Evolution of Steel Fabrication.” 
 The Northern Member Chapter honored long-time member and trade show chair Peter O’Hagan, Peter O’Hagan & Associates, with an AIST Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award. O’Hagan served on the AIST Northern Member Chapter executive committee for 30 years, and coordinated the Trade Show for two decades. The chapter also recognized Gerry Kane, AIST sales consultant, acknowledging her retirement.

1. Attendees of the Northern Member Chapter annual trade show networked with exhibitors. 2. Northern Member Chapter chair Shannon Clark (left), ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., presented the AIST Outstanding Member Chapter Service Award to Peter O’Hagan (right), Peter O’Hagan & Associates, at the dinner on 4 April 2017. 3. The keynote speaker at the Northern Member Chapter trade show was Walter Koppelaar, Walters Group (left to right): Northern Member Chapter trade show chair Peter O’Hagan; Shannon Clark; Koppelaar; Gerry Kane, AIST; and Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer Cameron Mitchell, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.

Dinner Meeting — February 2017

The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 7 February 2017. Wendell Carter, vice president and general manager, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, and AIST 2016–2017 president, was the evening’s keynote presenter. There were nearly 100 AIST members in attendance. 

1. Wendell Carter, AIST president, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, was the keynote speaker at the Northern Member Chapter meeting on 7 February 2017 (left to right):  Wayne Thompson, AIST Board of Directors representative, Lifting Gear Hire; Jing Xu, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; Wendell Carter; Ron Ashburn, AIST executive director; Andy Harshaw, ArcelorMittal; Cameron Mitchell, Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; Alex McLean, University of Toronto; Northern Chapter chair Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; and Peter O’Hagan, Peter O’Hagan and Associates. 2. Wendell Carter addressed the crowd at the Northern Member Chapter meeting.

Dinner Meeting — December 2016

The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 13 December 2016. The keynote presenter for the evening was Bill Rinna, senior manager, North American Forecasts, LMC Automotive. His presentation titled “North American Automotive Outlook: Stabilized Growth Ahead or Are We at Peak?” There were 60 members in attendance. 


 
Members of the Northern Member Chapter’s executive committee presented a plaque of appreciation to keynote speaker Bill Rinna, LMC Automotive, at their 13 December 2016 dinner meeting in Burlington, Ont., Canada (left to right): James Hoffman, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; Peter O’Hagan, Peter O’Hagan and Associates; Northern Member Chapter chair Shannon Clark, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; Bill Rinna; Northern Member Chapter secretary-treasurer Cameron Mitchell, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; Jing Xu, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.; and Northern Member Chapter vice chair Dave Nicol, Avon Engineering.

Annual Golf Event — June 2016

The AIST Northern Member Chapter held its 67th annual golf event at Copetown Woods Golf Club in Copetown, Ont., Canada, on Wednesday, 15 June 2016. A total of 120 golfers enjoyed a great day on the course, with the rain holding off until the end of the day.

Scott Brockway (left), JNE Consulting and Jason Phillips, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., enjoyed the day on the golf course at the Northern Member Chapter outing on 15 June 2016.

Dinner Meeting — April 2016

On Tuesday, 19 April 2016, the AIST Northern Member Chapter held its annual Product and Service Fair at the historic Liuna Station in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. More than 300 attendees strolled through the displays of 25 exhibiting companies at the new venue. Following the fair, a dinner was held and featured a keynote presentation by Angela Pappin, vice president of technology, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. There were 191 attendees at the dinner.

Angela Pappin, ArcelorMital Dofasco Inc., gave the keynote presentation at the Northern Member Chapter Product and Service Fair (left to right): Mike Morson, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., past Northern Member Chapter chair; Wayne Thompson, Commercial Oil Co., Northern Member Chapter chair and AIST Board of Directors representative; Pappin; and Peter O’Hagan, Northern Member Chapter vendor fair chair.
More than 300 visitors attended the Northern Member Chapter Product and Service Fair on 19 April 2016 at Liuna Station, Hamilton, Ont., Canada.

Dinner Meeting — November 2015

The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 24 November 2015. The keynote presenter for the evening was Peter LeBlanc, director of NAFTA automotive sales and head of automotive, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. His presentation was titled “ArcelorMittal: Challenges and Opportunities Supplying the Automotive Market.” There were 58 members in attendance.

Dinner Meeting — October 2015

The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 20 October 2015. The keynote presenter for the evening was Tony Valeri, vice president of corporate affairs, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. His presentation was titled “World-Class Games, World-Class Company,” and discussed ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s role as a supplier of the games and replica cauldrons for the Pan American/Parapan American Games. There were 61 in attendance, including AIST Northern Member Chapter’s David H. Samson Scholarship winner, Joshua Feather.

AIST Northern Member Chapter David H. Samson Scholarship Winner Joshua Feather (left) was recognized by Shannon Clark (right), AIST Northern Chapter scholarship chair, at the Northern Member Chapter dinner meeting.

Golf Outing — June 2015

The Northern Member Chapter hosted its 66th annual golf outing on Tuesday, 2 June 2015, at Copetown Woods Golf Club in Copetown, Ont., Canada. There were 100 golfers at the event, which featured a putting challenge, 50/50 raffle and dinner. Congratulations to Songer Canada Ltd. for posting a winning score of 61 (–11). Proceeds from the golf outing will fund the AIST Northern Member Chapter scholarships.


 

 

Chapter Sponsors BASEF 2015 Awards — March 2015

To promote the fields of iron and steel technologies, the AIST Northern Member Chapter sponsored two special awards at the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF). The fair was held on 26 March 2015 at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. BASEF 2015, sponsored by ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., is the one of the oldest and largest science fairs in Canada, engaging more than 500 students from grades 7 to 12 in the southern Ontario region this year. The AIST Northern Member Chapter sponsors awards for projects related to one of the following fields: metallurgy, materials science, chemical, electrical, mechanical, industrial, environmental, civil and computer engineering. Winners were selected by a member of the Northern Member Chapter. This year’s winners were two projects from the field of metallurgy that showed exceptional applications of scientific principles and a keen understanding of metallurgical properties. The recipients were Hanana Gohir for “Which Rust Remover Is Most Efficient?” and Jessica Bohm for “Crudely Corrosive: Comparing the Effect of Light and Heavy Crude Oils on Steel Pipe Corrosion.” Bohm advanced to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, a national competition held in May in Fredericton, N.B., Canada. The AIST Northern Member Chapter would like to wish both of these young scientists good luck in their future scientific endeavors and hopes that their interest in steel and metallurgy continues.

Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2015

On Tuesday, 31 March 2015, the Northern Member Chapter held its annual product and service fair at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. This year’s event included a vendor fair with 22 exhibiting companies. Following the fair, a dinner was held, which featured a keynote presentation by Bill Hutton, corporate vice president, marketing and national accounts for Samuel, Son & Co. Ltd. The presentation was titled “Samuel’s Outlook to the Ever-Changing Marketplace.” There were 160 attendees at the dinner.

Dinner Meeting — November 2014

The Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting on Tuesday, 25 November 2014 at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Steve Leddy, director of business development for Triple M Metal LP Hamilton Strathearne, was the keynote speaker. His presentation, titled “Scrap: The North American Story,” provided an overview of the scrap industry and the future outlook. He also provided an overview of Triple M Metal LP’s latest investments in Canada. There were 52 attendees at the dinner.

Dinner Meeting — October 2014

On Tuesday, 21 October 2014, the AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Ian Shaw, energy manager for ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., delivered the keynote presentation, titled “Looking Forward: ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Energy Plan.” The presentation provided an overview of ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s current suite of energy conservation and efficiency initiatives, and discussed the role and importance of leveraging available incentives to enhance the project business cases. There were 60 attendees at the dinner.

Golf Outing — June 2014

On Tuesday, 3 June 2014, members of the Northern Member Chapter gathered at Copetown Woods Golf Club for the 65th annual AIST Northern Member Chapter golf event. A total of 102 people participated in the best ball golf format. Congratulations to the team sponsored by Avon Engineering — a division of Xtek, for posting a score of 63 (–9). Thanks to all participants for their support of this AIST Northern Member Chapter event, which helps to fund the chapter’s scholarship initiatives.

Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2014 

The AIST Northern Member Chapter’s annual product and service fair was held at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Tuesday, 25 March 2014. The fair, which featured 30 exhibitors and more than 400 attendees, was followed by a dinner with keynote presentation by Tony Valeri, vice president, corporate communications and public affairs, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. His presentation was titled “Transforming Tomorrow — Canada’s Manufacturing Future.” Also at the dinner, the Northern Member Chapter’s 2013 Outstanding Service Award was presented to Douglas Eastman of ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. There were 185 attendees at the dinner.

Tour, Presentation and Social — February 2014

On Tuesday, 11 February 2014, the AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a tour, informational presentation and social. The tour began at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. MARC officially opened on 9 May 2013. The redeveloped 70,000-square-foot space now includes state-of-the-art commercial garage space, with multiple bays ready to receive cars for experiments and testing. The US$26 million facility is one of a handful in the world located in an academic setting, and will allow both private and public sectors to work together to develop, design and test hybrid technology. The tour and presentation were followed by a social in the MARC lobby. There were 50 attendees at this event.

Dinner Meeting — November 2013

On Tuesday, 19 November 2013, the Northern Chapter hosted a dinner meeting featuring a keynote presentation by Dr. Peter Warrian, Research Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. Dr. Warrian’s presentation was entitled “Ongoing Turbulence in the Steel Industry.” The event was held at the Atrium Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada and had more than 60 attendees.

Dinner Meeting — October 2013

On Tuesday, 22 October 2013, the AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Atrium Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. There were 77 attendees at the meeting. Cameron Mitchell, manager — capital project delivery, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., gave an informative presentation entitled “Implementation of High Turbulence Roll Cooling at ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Hot Strip Mill.” Scholarships were awarded at the meeting to the following individuals: Brian Jamieson (David H. Samson Scholarship), Josh Korol (University Chapter Scholarship) and Glenn Edwards (College Chapter Scholarship).

Golf Outing — June 2013

On 4 June, the Northern Member Chapter gathered at Copetown Woods Golf Club for the 64th Annual Northern Member Chapter golf outing. The weather was fantastic and the course conditions were impeccable as a total of 100 people participated in the best ball golf format and dinner. Congratulations to the team of Shawn Durand, Jeff Ellis, Chris Hagan and Ian Setzkorn (a group from Glasrock Products Inc. and United States Steel Corporation) for posting a winning score of 63 (–9). Thanks to all participants for their support of this AIST Northern Member Chapter event, which directly helps to fund the chapter’s scholarship initiatives.

Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2013

The Northern Member Chapter annual vendor fair and dinner meeting was held on Tuesday, 19 March 2013 at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. There were 32 exhibiting companies at the vendor fair. Following the fair, a dinner meeting was held with a keynote presentation by Sean Brady, director, business development for the Ontario Power Authority. There were 180 attendees at the dinner.

Tour and Social — February 2013

On Tuesday, 12 February 2013, the AIST Northern Member Chapter hosted a tour and presentation at Canada Center for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET), followed by a social event at Kelsey’s in Hamilton, Ont. There were 80 people registered for the tour, including 16 university and high school students, and 50 people attended the social event at Kelsey’s.

Dinner Meeting — November 2012

On Tuesday, 6 November, the Northern Member Chapter hosted a dinner meeting at the Atrium Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. Grant Zavitz, senior specialist for ArcelorMittal Dofasco Utilities Technology presented “ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Turbo Generator Project,” which provided an update of the installation of a refurbished 9.5 MW steam turbine generator to utilize formerly flared byproduct fuels to generate electricity. There were 65 attendees at the dinner.

Dinner Meeting — October 2012

On 2 October, the Northern Member Chapter held a dinner meeting at the Atrium Conference Centre in Burlington, Ont., Canada. The evening’s keynote presentation was entitled, “Baffinland’s Mary River Project,” and was presented by Ronald Hampton, vice president and project director at ArcelorMittal Bafflinland Iron Mines. There were 70 attendees at the dinner.

Golf Outing — June 2012

The Northern Member Chapter’s 63rd annual golf event was held on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 at Copetown Woods Golf Club, outside of Hamilton, Ont., Canada. This year’s event featured 18 foursomes and some very balanced, but friendly competition. The team from Paul Wurth, represented by Leon Herrell, took home the biggest prize of the day with a score of –7. Of note, this is the last year that long-time Northern Chapter executive member Greg Thomas organized the golf event. At the dinner, Mr. Thomas received a standing ovation in recognition of his more than 20 years of involvement with the Northern Member Chapter and this event in particular. The chapter committee thanks the event participants and is looking forward to next year’s event.

Vendor Fair and Dinner — March 2012

The Northern Member Chapter hosted their annual product and service fair and dinner meeting on Tuesday, 27 March 2012 at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. There were 40 exhibiting companies. Following the daytime product and service fair, a dinner meeting was held, celebrating ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s 100-year anniversary. Sean Donnelly, vice president — technology and continuous improvement at ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., served as the keynote speaker for the dinner meeting. His presentation was entitled, “The Strength of Steel — 100 Years of Driving Innovation in Canadian Manufacturing.” Also at the dinner, the 2011 Project Excellence Award was presented to ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. for its Hot Mill Reheat Furnace Heating Optimization Project. The Project Excellence Award is selected by members of the AIST Project & Construction Management Technology Committee. There were 260 attendees at the dinner. Along with many prestigious dinner attendees, the Northern Member Chapter welcomed Bob Bratina, the mayor of Hamilton, as a special guest.