What happened
An HVAC business owner in Eastern Ontario says the biggest constraint on his company is not equipment or supply chains. It is people. In a first-person piece, reported by Talent Canada, Ross Palfrey of Harry's Home Comfort describes rising demand for heat pumps, insulation, solar and lower energy bills, while the number of qualified installers and service technicians is not keeping pace.
He points to two causes. Many of the most experienced tradespeople, with 20 to 30 years of hands-on knowledge, are reaching retirement age. And for a generation, students were steered toward university while the trades were treated as an afterthought, so many capable people never considered them.
He adds that the energy transition raises the bar on skills. Installing a modern heat pump is not the same as swapping an older heating unit, and solar, energy audits and building performance work need training beyond basic trade knowledge. His answer for employers is apprenticeships, mentorship, on-the-job training and a workplace culture with a clear path for advancement.
Why it matters if you are hiring
This is one owner's view, not a survey, and the piece gives no national vacancy figures. But the pattern will be familiar to anyone hiring HVAC, electrical, plumbing or insulation staff in Ontario: the experienced people you want are scarce, and the work they are being asked to do is changing.
Two decisions follow. First, the profile you hire for. A technician who can only do like-for-like replacements may not cover the heat pump and ventilation work customers now ask for. Decide which skills you need in place on day one and which you can train.
Second, the retirement risk inside your own team. If your most senior installer holds knowledge no one else has, that is a succession problem you can plan for now rather than when the notice arrives.
Compensation still matters, but the article's point is that younger workers also weigh growth, supportive leadership and a visible career path. Employers who can show that in a job posting have something to offer beyond the hourly rate.
One thing to do this week
List your three most experienced tradespeople and write down what each one knows that no one else on your team does. Then pair each with a junior employee or apprentice for a defined stretch of work, with a named skill to be passed on. If you have no junior to pair them with, that is your hiring brief.
Traverse has been helping Canadian employers find hands-on, technically skilled people since 1997, including candidates who are not actively looking and who fit the work your team is moving toward.