June 26, 2025 – TORONTO ON: Today, we celebrate World Refrigeration Day, and this year the HVACR Heritage Centre (HHCC) is shining a light on the unsung heroes who make our lives comfortable and sustainable: the experts behind Canada’s refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, and sustainable heating technologies.
“Cool Skills is our way of recognizing the skilled professionals essential for a comfortable and sustainable future,” notes Craig MacDonald, HVACR President. “From hands-on technicians to visionary engineers, dedicated trainers, innovative researchers, and forward-thinking leaders – Cool Skills celebrates the collective brilliance that keeps Canadians cool, warm, comfortable, and safe, all while fostering a sustainable environment.”
Why Cool Skills Are So Important
Cooling and heating aren’t just about convenience; they’re vital for our daily lives and a sustainable future. They keep our food fresh in refrigerators and cold storage, and our medicines effective with precisely controlled temperatures. They also make our homes and workplaces comfortable through air conditioning and heating. Beyond comfort, these technologies are crucial for building resilient infrastructure like climate-controlled data centres and enabling energy-efficient industrial processes, ultimately helping reduce our environmental footprint.
Despite their importance, the skills driving these vital services often go unnoticed. This is a problem because Canada’s demand for these services is growing, and we urgently need more skilled professionals to meet this need. As we tackle climate change, strive for energy efficiency, and enhance the quality of life of Canadians, supporting and promoting these Cool Skills has never been more crucial.
World Refrigeration Day is an international awareness campaign to raise the profile of the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat-pump sector and focuses attention on the significant role that the industry and its technology play in modern life and society. It draws attention to wonderful engineering and science that is all around us every day.
Our goal at the HVACR Heritage Centre along with our partners and contributors is to promote and preserve the history of Canada’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration technologies and their essential contributions to our country’s rich history and quality of life.