2026 Contractor Forum
This year's Contractor Forum took place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC.
This page contains information related to the event such as presentation slides and speaker bios. Scroll down to view the information.
HPSC Contact Information
| General inquires |
Website: homeperformance.ca
 Email: info@homeperformance.ca Phone: 604-755-3469 |
| Home Performance Contractor Network (HPCN) inquires |
Website:homeperformance.ca/HPCN
 Email: hpcn@homeperformance.ca Phone: 604-755-3469 ext 0 |
Event Photographer
Exclusive 15% Discount - for Business and Event Photography needs - Code: HPSC15
Provincial Rebate Programs Update
| Speaker | Bio | Contact Info & Slides |
Nick Kedoin Associate Program Manager, CLEAResult Canada |
Nick Kedoin is an Associate Program Manager at CLEAResult Canada, the administrators for the CleanBC Energy Savings Program on behalf of the Province of British Columbia and BC Hydro. In his role, Nick leads outreach and supports the program experience for residential contractors across British Columbia. |
ESPcontractorsupport@clearesult.com 833-056-0333 |
Tony Ceh Program Specialist, BC Hydro |
Tony has been with BC Hydro for 25 years, including 15 years with the Power Smart Alliance group. He manages the relationship with residential contractors and distributors with the goal of informing industry about rebate programs, and bringing back their valuable insights to BC Hydro Program Managers. | alliance@bchydro.com Download presentation slides. |
HPSC Updates
Marketing Retrofits: Selling the Co-Benefits of Energy Upgrades
| Speaker | Bio | Contact Info |
Giles Lesage Energy Advisor, Technical Liaison Director, CACEA |
Gilles Lesage is a Master Energy Advisor (MEA) with over 20 years of experience in residential and multi-unit building energy performance, diagnostics, and compliance. Based in Kelowna, he serves communities across British Columbia. A founding member of the Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors (CACEA), Gilles has served on its Board of Directors, contributing to technical guidance, standards development, and advisor advocacy. His experience includes roles as an NRCan-licensed Service Organization Manager and Quality Assurance Specialist, along with expertise in EnerGuide, ENERGY STAR®, thermography, airtightness testing, and F280 heat load calculations. | technical@cacea.ca 250-575-3015 |
Rob Pope Co-founder & Senior Consultant, Ecolighten Energy Solutions |
Rob Pope began working in the HVAC industry in the mid 1970`s in high-end custom homes. He earned tickets in sheet metal, refrigeration and gas fitting, and installed, serviced and designed the first wave of energy-efficient HVAC technologies.
Rob applied his skills in new home construction and existing home retrofits throughout Canada. Rob has served as an executive member of the HVAC industry associations (HVCI & TECA), advocating for higher standards and better education for its members. Rob has been involved in the design and project oversight of the most challenging and complex residential homes and estates in the industry. He continues to share his expertise through workshops, lectures, and as a subject matter expert on several national and local advisory committees. |
rob@ecolighten.com 604-971-2088 |
Ashley Lubyk Chair, Sustainable Building Technology Department, Okanagan College |
Ashley is a Certified Passive House Consultant (PHIUS), a Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CanPHI), and the co-director of the Green Construction Research & Training Centre - a collaborative and multi-disciplinary research and training hub between the University of British Columbia and Okanagan College. He sits on the Canadian Home Builder's Association - Central Okanagan Technical Advisory Committee.
Ashley holds a Master of Building Science from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), and a Bachelor of Environmental Science from the University of Calgary. Through his consulting company, Ponderosa Building Science, Ashley provides research and design support and educational offerings related to building science, embodied carbon accounting, net-zero and passive house construction, as well as the BC Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code. He is a House-as-a System educator through the Home Performance Stakeholder Council. |
alubyk@okanagan.bc.ca 250-276-7251 |
Amandeep Singh Founder, HomeZero Collective |
Amandeep Singh is the founder of HomeZero, an initiative focused on accelerating residential decarbonization at scale. His work brings together financing, technology, and implementation strategies to enable large-scale adoption of energy-efficient solutions such as heat pumps and electrification retrofits. | info@homezerocollective.com |
 Andy Cockburn (facilitator) Senior Director - Education and Impact, NAIMA Canada |
Andy Cockburn is a Red Seal Carpenter and Certified Passive House Consultant with experience in custom home building, panelized construction, timber framing, stair construction, architectural drafting, 3D modelling and historic restoration. Andy is a seasoned teacher of trades and building science, teaching over 16 years in the Construction Carpentry Advanced Housing program at Algonquin College.
Andy creates learning content for contractors and renovators and serves on program advisories at educational and industry organizations across Canada. He is a Board member of the Home Performance Stakeholder Council in British Columbia and a member of their Insulation Sector Council. |
acockburn@naimacanada.ca |
Practical Retrofits: Aiming for "Better" When "Best" Isn't an Option"
| Speaker | Bio | Contact Info & Slides |
Meredith Hamstead CEO, thinkBright Homes |
Meredith is the co-founder of thinkBright Homes Ltd., a high-performance residential builder based in Invermere, BC. thinkBright specializes in delivering energy-efficient new homes and deep energy retrofits that prioritize comfort, durability, and long-term value. With over a decade of experience in advanced building science, Meredith is known for a performance-first approach-focusing on airtightness, insulation, and ventilation to create homes that feel better to live in and cost less to operate. Her work demonstrates that high-performance construction can be achieved without added cost. Meredith has played a leadership role in regional and national initiatives advancing low-carbon housing, including contractor-led retrofit pilots that explore scalable solutions to accelerate the pace of retrofits in Canada. She collaborates with industry, government, and utilities to bring practical innovation to market. She champions "invisible luxury"-homes defined not by finishes, but by how they perform. |
online@thinkbright.ca 250-688-1150 |
Breakout Session #1: Lessons from a Residential Air to Air Heat Pump Case Study
| Speaker | Bio | Contact Info & Slides |
Todd Backus Chief Operating Officer, TECA |
Todd Backus has worked in the HVAC industry since 2003. He completed his red-seal ticket as a sheet metal worker in 2009. As the owner/operator of Backus Mechanical, he specialized in forced air system installation and design for custom homes. In 2019, Todd graduated from BCIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. Afterwards, he worked as a mechanical consultant for Rocky Point Engineering designing HVAC, plumbing, and fire suppression systems. In 2023, Todd completed his Professional Engineering certification and joined TECA, he is currently working as their Chief Operating Officer. |
tbackus@teca.ca Download presentation slides. |
 Rob Pope Co-founder & Senior Consultant, Ecolighten Energy Solutions |
Rob Pope began working in the HVAC industry in the mid 1970`s in high-end custom homes. He earned tickets in sheet metal, refrigeration and gas fitting, and installed, serviced and designed the first wave of energy-efficient HVAC technologies. Rob applied his skills in new home construction and existing home retrofits throughout Canada. Rob has served as an executive member of the HVAC industry associations (HVCI & TECA), advocating for higher standards and better education for its members. Rob has been involved in the design and project oversight of the most challenging and complex residential homes and estates in the industry. He continues to share his expertise through workshops, lectures, and as a subject matter expert on several national and local advisory committees. |
rob@ecolighten.com 604-971-2088 |
Breakout Session #2: Sustainable Solutions Showcase - How to Standout from the Crowd
| Speaker | Bio | Contact Info & Slides |
Jarret Klim Director of Program Development, Synergy Foundation, BC Green Business |
Jarret is the Director of Program Development at the Synergy Foundation, where he leads the strategic growth of green business and circular economy programming. In this role, Jarret focuses on expanding the scope, scale, and impact of sustainability initiatives while building partnerships that help turn ambitious ideas into practical action.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Economics and Environmental Studies and brings professional experience supporting environmental and sustainability efforts across industries including automotive, hospitality, retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing. To date, Jarret has directly supported roughly 500 businesses across British Columbia in implementing practical, affordable sustainability solutions. He is passionate about finding win‑win approaches that strengthen business performance while delivering meaningful environmental benefits. |
jarret@synergyfoundation.ca Slides coming soon! |
Todd Embley Owner/CEO, KT Fairglass Windows & Doors |
Todd Embley is the co-owner of KT Fairglass Windows & Doors, a North Okanagan-based company specializing in energy-efficient window and door retrofits. Since taking over a business with roots dating back to 1976, Todd has focused on combining high-performance building practices with practical, real-world sales and installation execution.
Working directly with homeowners every day, he brings a ground-level perspective on what actually drives retrofit decisions-comfort, trust, and clear value-not just technical specs. Todd is also behind KT Fairglass's Community Give Back Project, helping local families improve the health and efficiency of their homes. He speaks on bridging the gap between building science and business growth in the home performance industry. |
todd@ktfairglass.com 778-363-8475 |