Greetings to the Membership,
As we roll quickly into February, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Shannon Hiebert as Executive Director of HEAT. Shannon has worked long and hard for the association over many years, and it is fitting that her loyalty, organizational strength, administrative expertise, and fundraising skills have been recognized with this newly created position.
Congratulations, Shannon, on your new title and responsibilities!
The past month has brought weather conditions that required the equipment of many of our association members to be out on the streets, performing the important work necessary to keep roadways and lots cleared of snow and safe for travel.
The Province of Manitoba, along with HEAT, has been actively promoting the new legislative amendments introduced in late 2025 through social media. These include the safety taglines:
“Stay Back. Give Space. Stay Safe.”
If you are an owner-operator and are not yet familiar with these new regulations, it is critical that you become informed, as they introduce new responsibilities for operators. View new legislation.
We are also very pleased to advise that beginning this month, Deputy Mayor Janice Lukes, Chair of City of Winnipeg Public Works, will be providing informational articles throughout the year on topics of interest to our membership.
These articles, along with updates from Motor Carrier Enforcement, are valuable sources of information and help our members better understand the industry and the individuals involved in many of the decisions that affect both individual drivers and the business community. We strongly encourage members to read and stay informed on issues impacting our association.
In late January, President Gord Bragg, City of Winnipeg Co-Chair Frank Sousa, and myself representing the City of Winnipeg Committee, met with Deputy Mayor Lukes at City Hall. The meeting included open and productive discussions on matters important to our members’ work with the city, including snow dump operations, sanding, dispatching, and callouts related to the tender.
The discussion was very informative for Deputy Mayor Lukes, who has shown a strong interest in learning and understanding snow-clearing operations. This ensures that our concerns are being heard not only by Public Works staff—the “boots on the ground”—but also at Council, where she is often required to respond to questions from colleagues, residents, and the media.
Given the significant annual budget for snow clearing, it is refreshing for our Executive and Membership to have an elected official who genuinely wants to understand our operations and concerns.
Please remember to mark your calendars and join us for:
Annual Funspiel – East St. Paul Curling Club
February 18, 2026 ( Space for 2 teams still available )
Annual General Meeting – March 18, 2026
(More details to follow)
Thank you all for your continued support.
Regards,
Bruce Henley
Stakeholder Relations Manager
Heavy Equipment Aggregate Association of Manitoba
