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NOVEMBER 2012 VOL. 9 NO. 1

NALCOR LAUNCHESMUSKRATFALLSJOBS.COM

General contractor Bird Construction began initial site preparation for the Pictou County Wellness Centre in July of 2010. Story is on page 10

For anyone interested in working on the MuskratFalls project, Nalcor Energy now has a websitewhere you can add your name on thelist of poten-tial workers.

Story on page 3

SKILLED TRADES EDUCATIONALOPPORTUNITIES INCREASINGNew facilities for skilled trades education are crop-ping up in the Atlantic region.

Story on page 7

NSCC UNVEILS ITSGREEN HOME DESIGNBy HEATHER KILLEN • The SpectatorFrom the outside the Pilikan house looks like otherhouses on the block, but on the inside it’s a lean, greenenergy innovator..

Story on page 11

By ANDY WALKERIt is always a little different constructing a build-ing without an easy exit, Trevor Saulnier jokes.

Story on page 8 to 9

PASSENGER RAIL CUTS TO IMPACT NORTHERN NBBy ANDY WALKERPeople who live in northern New Brunswick havebeen hit hard by Via Rail’s decision to reduce pas-senger service between Montreal and Halifax.

Story on page 12

TRANSPORTATION DECISIONSIMPACT SOUTHWEST NOVATwo recent transportation decisions will have asignificant impact on Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Story on page 12

PROJECT MANAGERSWe help you achieve world-class safety performance

We can support your project fromstart to finish. Come to us for:• On-site safety advisors• Project safety documents• Safety committee meetings• Atmospheric dust analysis

• Sound monitoring• Worksite inspections• Compliance auditing• Safety training

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ACTJ-4.0-Nov2012(newversion)_Layout 1 2013-07-31 8:17 AM Page 1

2 NOVEMBER 2012 | THE AC&TJ | Construction

Second and third-year students of the Col-lege of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) archi-tectural engineering technology program

are putting the skills they’ve learned to good usewith Habitat for Humanity.Craig Greene, architectural engineering tech-

nology instructor at the CNA Ridge Road cam-pus (in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador)and build chairman with Habitat for Humanity,said in a news release while students have con-tributed to this worthy cause for the past threeyears by drawing up architectural designs, this isthe first year they pitched in with on-site manuallabour.“I started with Habitat for Humanity in 2009

and one of reasons I got involved was because Isaw a great potential for our students in the tradesand technology programs to learn on the job andapply their skills to help their community so it’s aform of community engagement,” Greene said.“I’m an architect and I believe in what Habitat forHumanity does but I also saw an opportunity forour students to benefit from that experience, tolearn on site and have a good time.”Greene, who is also the program’s instruc-

tional co-ordinator, worked as a liaison for CNAand Habitat for Humanity to get the students inthe field.“What I really wanted to do is provide an op-

portunity for students. The second year-studentswent on site and did wood framing on the firstfloor. In the previous term they had studied woodframing so this gave them an opportunity to ac-tually look at and apply what they had learned inschool,” Greene said. “It gave them a hands-onexperience as opposed to simply a classroom ex-perience, plus there’s the team building aspect

where you send everyone out for a day and theymeet contractors and they work on a job site.Everyone appeared to have a pretty good time atit.”Nineteen second-year students have framed

some of the interior walls on the first floor of astructure. Initial construction began on the homeOct. 9 and is projected to be finished in early De-cember.“We’re trying to put those three pieces of puz-

zle together; what they learn in school, how toapply it and how to apply it so they help theircommunity,” Greene said.Last week, (Nov. 5) third-year students in the

architectural program put their skills to work inthe same Habitat for Humanity project but by in-stalling insulation and vapour barrier.“The idea was to get second years on to do

framing and third years to do insulation andvapour barrier so they can relate to what they’velearned in class,” said Greene. “Contractors like ittoo because they get a bunch of young people intheir 20s on site who kind of add an energy.”

Ian Martin, a second-year student fromMount Pearl, said it was a beneficial experiencefor everyone in the class.“I really enjoyed it because I have a casual

background in building, particularly in woodframe type stuff. It was good to learn the innardsof the structural nature of a house,” Martin said.“In being able to work with the Habitat for Hu-manity professionals, not only were they able togive us pointers, but I got to talk to a couple ofthem and ask about the industry so it was reallybeneficial.”Martin said being able to apply what you’ve

learned in school and actually see it coming to-

gether in the real world gives students a better un-derstanding. “When it’s on a computer screenand it’s a flat drawing is one thing,” he said, “butwhen you can see it built it takes on a differentkind of life.”While Greene believes it’s great for students

to gain practical experience, he said there’s a big-ger picture to look at. “What I said to the students

at the end of the day was ‘I hope you had a goodday, I hope you had fun, I hope learned some-thing don’t forget you helped to put a family in ahome. You didn’t just nail in some two by fours.At the end of the day you assisted in putting afamily in a home.’ And, that is what Habitat forHumanity is about,” Greene said.

The Telegram

Architectural students contribute to Habitat for Humanity

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Students from the College of the North Atlantic’s architectural engineering technology program put skills they’ve gainedto good use for Habitat for Humanity. (Photo: submitted to The Telegram)

Delays in construction on the Trans-Canada Highway re-alignment have costabout $83,000 since work started almost

three weeks ago (early October).Kim Horrelt, the (Prince Edward Island)

province's director of infrastructure, said it willbe the provincial government and not the con-tractor that will have to cover any of those costsassociated with the delays."They (the contractor) certainly would not

have tendered for delays," she said.Included in the total cost from the delays was

$55,000 for security at the work site and $15,000for snow fencing the department used to markthe construction area.The Transportation Department attributed

another $13,000 in costs to the contractor be-cause of the delays on the so-called Plan B.Horrelt said she didn't know how long there

would be security at the construction site."We're playing it by ear," she said.Although work ground to halt for several

days after it started because protesters wereblocking machinery and it was considered anunsafe environment at the construction site, theproject has been progressing since then.

Horrelt said (Oct. 23) the project is a little be-hind but the plan is to work later into the season,depending on the weather."Slight delay but it will all work out in the

end," she said.Since work got underway, the province has

also spent $18,900 on advertising related to theproject.Horrelt said part of the environmental as-

sessment was a requirement to inform the pub-lic about the project."We thought that a public information cam-

paign would be the best way to go about that,"she said.That campaign has finished, Horrelt said.The government's might not be the only bill

to pay after the delays: about 15 protesters facefines for trespassing.Throughout the protests, many of those in-

volved have argued they have a right to free as-sembly on the work site because it is Crownland.But Bruce Pardy, a lawyer and law professor

at Queen's University, said while people do havea right to assemble, they don't have an unlimitedright to go wherever they want, even on Crown-owned property.

Continues on page 8

By RYAN ROSS • The Guardian

Plan B delays cost about $83,000

ACTJ-4.0-Nov2012(newversion)_Layout 1 2013-07-31 8:17 AM

3Construction | THE AC&TJ | NOVEMBER 2012

The Atlantic Construction & Transportation Journal is published quarterly by TC Media (Atlantic Region),a division of TC Media Inc. The opinions expressed in the Atlantic Construction & Transportation Journal are those of the authors and do not represent the official views of TC Media orits management. The Atlantic Construction & Transportation Journal and its contributors can accept no legal responsibility for loss through any error in information contained herein. Contents of the Atlantic Construction & Transportation Journal may not be reproduced withoutreproduced without written consent of the publisher, who accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies and other material. The publisher is not responsible for statements or claims by advertisers.

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ACTJ Traffic Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jodie Purchase

[New Glasgow, NS] – Injured worker andlabour representatives held a protest at the NovaScotia Legislature in Halifax Tuesday (Nov. 13) tohighlight the poverty faced by those injured inNova Scotia workplaces.They’re calling on the Government of Nova

Scotia to take action to correct what they say areinjustices of the workers’ compensation system.�“The workers’ compensation system in Nova

Scotia has lost its way,” said Mary Lloyd, presidentof the Pictou County Injured Workers Associa-tion. “Employers continue to receive protectionfrom civil liability for deaths and injuries occur-ring in their work places, but workers are living inenforced poverty due to the penalty-driven pro-visions of the Workers’ Compensation Act.” Lloyd cites the funding of employers by the

Workers’ Compensation Board’s (WCB) boardof directors to fight workers in appeals, the down-loading of legitimate claims costs onto the pub-lic system, and the failure of the WCB to be aneutral third party administrator as examples ofthe deterioration of the founding principles ofthe workers’ compensation system.A Royal Commission of Inquiry is the best

method of investigating and identifying the prob-lems that are plaguing the system, she said. �“Thisaction will send a clear message to the citizens ofNova Scotia that the NDP government supportsthe fair treatment of injured workers and that thefounding principles of the system are revered inour society.”

The News

Protesters say fix ailing workers’compensation systemChanges to Nova Scotia’s workplace safety

regulations should be in front of legislatorsbefore the spring construction season getsunderway, according to the Chronicle-Her-ald.The newspaper quoted the labour depart-

ment’s worker-safety division’s acting direc-tor Gregory Green. He also answered questions about why

the department’s annual report on worker-safety won’t be published until December.Green said format changes and internal

approval were responsible for the delay.The Chronicle-Herald noted that Execu-

tive Director Jim LeBlanc had taken on alower-level position with the departmentand that Vince Garnier, the director of in-vestigations, had taken a leave of absence.

Worker-safety report delayed

A reduction in workplace accidents inNew Brunswick is allowing WorkSafeNB tocut its assessment rates for next year by 15

per cent.The rate will drop from $1.70/$100 of

payroll to $1.44.

WorkSafeNB cuts assessment rates Starting Jan. 1, developers will be forced to pay$200/house to build homes in new sub-divisions.Canada Post said it is imposing the fee to par-

tially cover the cost to install community mail-boxes.The corporation, that lost money in 2011 and

2012, said the mailboxes were no different thanutilities, infrastructure or roads.CP emphasized that the $200—that does not

apply to condos or apartments—will be chargedto developers, not new home buyers.Developers disagree.

New fee for developers

Nalcor launches muskratfallsjobs.comFor anyone interested in working on the

Muskrat Falls project, Nalcor Energy now has awebsite where you can add your name on the listof potential workers.The list compiled through the site will be used

by contractors who, once the project is sanc-tioned, will be pressed to hire Labradorians and

Newfoundlanders before looking outside theprovince for workers.The website is: www.muskratfallsjobs.comIts start up was announced during a Labrador

North Chamber of Commerce event in HappyValley-Goose Bay this morning (Nov. 16).

The Telegram

ABOVE: Helmets to Hardhats Canada is a web-based program that offers access to career postings. Its employees are former men and women in uniform who can help veterans translate how their military skills and experience meet civil-ian job requirements. Assistance can also be provided to arrange apprenticeship training to achieve journeyperson certification in more than 60 trades in the building and construction industry. At the Sept. 18 launch Canadian Forces mem-bers and construction workers joined Dr. Robert Blakeley, (Board of Directors); Joe Maloney, (Board Chairman); Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney, and Helmets to Hardhats Canada Executive Director BGen (retd) Gregory Matte.


NOVEMBER 2012| THE AC&TJ | Construction44

SeaFort Capital buys A.W. Leil CranesOne of Pictou County’s (Nova Scotia)

largest privately owned companies hasnew owners.

SeaFort Capital Inc. has partnered with seniormanagers Larry MacDonald and Robert Fraserto acquire A.W. Leil Holdings Limited and its re-lated operating entities.“It’s been a lot of fun, but I guess it’s time to

move on to another chapter,” said Allison Leil Sr.who started the company in 1958 with a ten-tonne crane he describes as 75 per cent home-made.A.W. Leil is now a leading Atlantic Canadian

crane rental and lift services business. The com-pany operates a fleet of more than fifty cranesunder the trade names A.W. Leil, SagadoreCranes and Cape Breton Cranes, and has five of-fices and more than sixty employees.“We are excited to invest in an established

Nova Scotia business alongside experienced anddedicated operating partners,” said Rob Nor-mandeau, president of SeaFort. “A.W. Leil boastsa committed group of skilled employees and amodern fleet of cranes. We intend to continuethe legacy that Allison Leil Sr. and his family haveestablished through decades of reliable per-formance.”As part of the agreement, everyone in the

company will keep their jobs, Leil said. He saidthat was one of his main concerns because theemployees have put so much into the company.“You’re only as good as your people,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter how good your gear is if youdon’t have good people on it.”Over the 54 years since he started the com-

pany, Leil said he’s developed a deep familiarity

with the people and the equipment that madeup his company. From working on houses towindmills and large jobs on the waterfront, he’swatched the company grow to a size he neverdreamed of when he was a young man workingup north and scheming how to start his owncompany. At 78, though he said it was time to letit develop in someone else’s hands.“The company has potential to grow big time

yet,” he said.MacDonald said he and Robert Fraser are

happy for this chance to partner with SeaFort.“We will continue to run the business out of

our Pictou County head office, but will now haveaccess to advice and assistance from SeaFort onmatters related to A.W. Leil’s strategic directionand future growth,” said MacDonald. “We sharea strong commitment to safety and a belief in ex-cellent customer service. This transaction willprovide a seamless transition to a new owner-ship structure, which is great news for employeesand for customers.”While he admits he’s a bit sad to let go of the

company, Leil said he’s glad to see it will beowned by a company with Pictou County inter-est.“I am confident that they will treat our peo-

ple fairly and uphold our values as they work togrow and develop the business,” Leil said.Leil and his son Allison Leil Jr. will both stay

on as consultants with the business for a year.Halifax-based SeaFort Capital makes con-

trolling investments in small and medium sizedCanadian businesses and partners with experi-enced managers to build value. SeaFort is a pri-vate company governed by the following

directors: Scott Brison, Scott McCain, MichaelMilligan, Rob Normandeau, Donald Sobey andRob Sobey. SeaFort looks to invest in Canadiancompanies with earnings of between $2 millionand $10 million that have a strong tangible assetbase and operate in an “old economy” industry,such as manufacturing, distribution or equip-ment services.

Normandeu said A.W. Leil Cranes fit the de-scription of what they were looking for. He saidthey reviewed more than 100 companies acrossCanada and made only 12 offers.Normandeu and Leil both declined saying

what the sale price was, with Normandeu sayingonly that it was fair.

The News

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CONSTURCTION COMPANIES

The Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association (NSCSA) is pleased to announce the Workers’ Compensation Board’s New Practice Incentive Rebate Pilot Program.

There has never been a better time to earn an NSCSA Certificate of RecognitionTM. Starting on January 1, 2013, construction companies who achieve the NSCSA CORTM,

prior to December 31, 2013, may be eligible for a WCB rebate in 2014.The amount of the rebate varies by size of firm and premiums paid in the 2013.

The anticipated rebate amounts are categorized as follows:

REBATE RATE CATEGORIESCategory 1 10% * WCB Premiums <$5,000 RebateCategory 2 $500*$5,000.01 to $9,999.99 RebateCategory 3 5%* WCB Premiums >$10,000 Rebate

If you would like to know more about the New Practice Incentive Rebate Pilot Program,please contact the NSCSA. You can reach us by email or telephone:

[email protected] 1-800-971-3888 902-468-6696

A.W. Leil Cranes, a company whose equipment is visible to those driving by exit 26 on Nova Scotia’s Trans Canada104, has been sold to SeaFort Capital. (Photo: Adam MacInnis/The News)


Construction | THE AC&TJ | NOVEMBER 2012 55

Roundabout updateTwo roundabouts in Summerside and

Pooles Corner, Prince Edward Islandopened in late August.

Chapman Brothers was the rotary contractorfor the $1-million-plus Pooles Corner round-about. Traffic Control Manager Inez Clory toldThe Guardian that perfect weather allowed theproject to be completed ahead of schedule.Blueprints for the Charlottetown roundabout

(at the Vogue Optical intersection), that’s ex-pected to cost $2.5 million, should be ready nextspring.City Council approved the final $53,680 de-

sign—that will be produced by Hatch MottMacDonald—at its Oct. 9 meeting. But councillors are skeptical that construction

will get underway before 2014. The actual proj-ect hasn’t been approved and federal funding hasnot been assured.In November the city okayed $25,000 for

CBCL to design a future roundabout for theBrackley Point Road-Sherwood Road intersec-

tion at the Charlottetown Airport. The estimatedprice of the project is $1.5 million.Both roundabouts will be cost-shared equally

by the federal and provincial governments andthe city. TRUROA roundabout on Robie Street in Truro, Nova

Scotia—to handle traffic headed into and out oftown from Highway 102—will not be con-structed until next spring. Department of Transportation officials told

the Truro Daily News that the three-month proj-ect would be tendered this fall and almost com-pleted before tourist season in 2013.But Truro Town Council planned to issue a

tender for a roundabout at the intersection ofLower Truro and McClure's Mills roads by theend of November.Public Works Director Andrew MacKinnon

told the paper he hoped construction on the$250,000 project would get underway beforeChristmas.

Bridge won’t be finished until springSafety concerns have resulted in design

changes to the Middle River Bridge in Bathurst,New Brunswick.

The Northern Light reported that because thedesign changed there was a delay in steel fabrica-tion. It will be next spring before the concrete and

paving stages of the $2m project are completed.Built in 1956, the old wooden Middle River

Bridge was to have been replaced by a pre-fabri-cated steel structure this fall.The paper said the cost of the project would

not increase because of the delay.

Plows will be back on the roadsNew Brunswick Transportation Minister

Claude Williams has changed his mind.On Sept. 19 he announced that the province

will continue its winter maintenance programand plow rural roads that have less than three(fully occupied) homes.

Last November the government cut theplowing as part of its $4 million cost savingmeasures.Williams said the cuts—that affected over

250 homes, involved 176 roads—only covered90 kms and saved about $130,000.

Route 1 Gateway finished nearlya year ahead of scheduleNew Brunswick’s $540-million Route 1

Gateway officially opened in October – nearlyone year ahead of schedule.��The entire 240 kilometres of highway be-

tween St. Stephen and River Glade will be a di-vided, four-lane highway. The project includes55 kilometres of newly twinned highway be-tween Waweig and Lepreau, with major up-grades along the rest of the route.��The project comprises two provincial con-

tracts: a design/build contract and an opera-tion, maintenance and rehabilitation contract.Dexter Construction Ltd. was responsible forthe design/build portion of the work, while

Transfield Dexter Gateway Services Ltd. is re-sponsible for the operation, maintenance andrehabilitation until 2040.�Transportation and Infrastructure Minister

Claude Williams said the project was on budgetand almost a year ahead of schedule because ofteamwork between the department and DexterDeveloper General Partnership Ltd.��Project Director Harry Varjabedian con-

curred. "Dexter Construction has taken a greatdeal of pride in this project from the beginning,and this was shared by the entire team and theprovince, from employees to management tosuppliers."��

New Brunswick’s $540-million Route 1 Gateway officially opened in October - nearly one year ahead of schedule. Inthe photo NB Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claude Williams discusses the project with Dexter Construc-tion Company Ltd. Design Manager Patrick Chouinard. (Photo: Communications New Brunswick)


6 NOVEMBER 2012 | THE AC&TJ | Construction

'Barcode' pattern on new civiccentre part of architectural design[Truro, NS]- If the oddly patterned siding

on the new Central Nova Scotia Civic Centre(in Truro, Nova Scotia) has given you pause forthought, you are not alone."It's funny," said project manager Paul

Smith. "Reaction is mixed. People either love itor hate it and I get if from both sides of thefence."The design was actually architect driven,

Smith said and deliberately chosen to reflect thecentre's modern tone."It was very intentional. And there is a de-

sign pattern, believe it or not," he said."The building is very modern and they

wanted to be a little more distinctive than awarehouse."Although the three-colour pattern may ap-

pear random, he said, the reason for the colourvariation "was really to break up the monotonyof these massive walls.""So it was done on purpose," Smith said. "It

was done with design intent and purpose inmind, it wasn't sort of a harebrained idea."In fact its kind of funny because I've had

some people refer to it as the barcode building,which is not offensive. That sort of name lendsitself to the modern architecture that it's de-signed with."And for those who haven't yet decided ex-

actly how they feel about the siding design,Smith suggests giving it a bit of time."It took awhile to grow on me but it did

eventually."Truro Daily News

Jackalyn Darling jokes she wanted to chal-lenge for her Red Seal in landscape horticultureto make sure she kept ahead of her students.She teaches the first of three blocks needed to

obtain the Red Seal at the New Brunswick Com-munity College in Woodstock. The province hasonly been offering the coveted designation,which allows those passing the test to work any-where in Canada, for the last couple of years. Darling is the first woman in the province to

achieve the designation.She successfully made the case before the Ap-

prenticeship Board that her experience in thefield should allow her to be grandfathered in andto challenge for all three blocks in a four-hourexam. Prior to coming to Woodstock in 2006,she looked after the grounds and was a teacher atthe Nova Scotia Agricultural College. She also

worked for a number of private sector nurseries. “I was pretty familiar with Block One because

that is what I teach but I had to brush up on theother two blocks,” she explained. “I spent a cou-ple of days straight studying—you never reallyknow what they are going to ask.”The instructor hopes to use her new designa-

tion to challenge her students to achieve theirgoals. She made the decision “to be the best Icould be” in her chosen field and hopes her stu-dents sense that enthusiasm.Darling said landscape horticulture is a rela-

tively new trade in New Brunswick and “I amproud to be the first woman certified.”The instructor sees landscape horticulture as

a growing field, adding that enrolment in hercourse and interest in the profession has in-creased since the trade became certified. Darlingsaid there are now over 100 Red Seal certifiedlandscapers in the province.

By ANDY WALKER

Instructor becomes first womanto get landscape Red Seal in NB

A second man died at the Fortis Place con-struction site (in St. John’s, Newfoundland &Labrador) Thursday afternoon (Oct. 25), TheTelegram has learned.A construction worker died of what is be-

lieved to be health-related causes, said HughDonnan, a spokesman for Service NL — thegovernment department which oversees Occu-pational Health and Safety. The coroner has yetto determine the official cause of death, he said.This is in addition to the 61-year-old con-

struction worker who fell six storeys from thebuilding shortly before 4 p.m. There were highwinds and rain at the time. It appeared the manhad fallen through a wooden barrier at the top of

the building.An RNC spokesman told The Telegram he’s

not aware of any ongoing police investigationinto the accident, and the file has been turnedover to Occupational Health and Safety.Donnan said a stop-work order has been is-

sued for the site, located at the corner of Spring-dale and New Gower streets in St. John’s.“Not because of any violation that we’re

aware of, but so we can have a proper look at thesite,” he explained. Two OHS officers attendedthe scene Thursday afternoon along with policeand rescue personnel, he said.“There’s not much more I can say,” he con-

tinued. “We don’t know at this point if all proce-dures were followed or if this is something thatmay end up in the courts.”

By TARA BRADBURY • The Telegram

Second man died at construction site

An Atlantic Industrial Services employee hasdied from injuries he received Aug. 30 afterfalling almost 5.5 metres from a building nearthe Dartmouth side of the MacKay Bridge.According to the Chronicle-Herald, the man

was drilling a suspended piece of concrete wall.The structure was being removed from thebuilding.The incident has been investigated by the

Nova Scotia Labour Department.

Worker dies from injuries

Construction Association of New Brunswick Moncton Northeast

297 Collishaw StreetMoncton, NBE1C 9R2

TEL: (506) 857-4038 FAX: (506) 857-8861

[email protected]

Executive DirectorBill Dixon

Administrative Services Coordina-tor

Nancy McNaught

Membership Services CoordinatorJudy Cormier

0000

0000

The siding design pattern on the new Central Nova Scotia Civic Centre in Truro was deliberately chosen to reflect thecentre's modern tone, says the project's manager. (Photo: Harry Sullivan/Truro Daily News)


Construction | THE AC&TJ | NOVEMBER 2012 77

New facilities for skilled trades education arecropping up in the Atlantic region.Newfoundland & Labrador introduced a

unique opportunity for students. It has invested$490,639 into a Tower Crane Operator TrainingProgram that was set to begin in October at theOperating Engineers College campus in Holy-rood.Graduates of the 12-week training session

will have acquired the mandatory qualificationsto work on the Hebron construction site or anyother NL project.With a combination of hands-on training

and classroom-based instruction, students willdevelop and apply the skills needed to operate atower crane. They will use a state-of-the artcomputerized simulator that features: a cab-likeenclosure, actual crane controls, a surround vi-sual-system, life-like worksites and an instruc-tor’s station. Students will also gain real fieldexperience in using a 16-tonne tower crane, sim-ilar to those used on the Hebron constructionsite.Three training sessions, with about 10 stu-

dents, were planned for the year. The province also launched a new jour-

neyperson mentorship plan in November.Red-seal tradespeople will be paid by the

province to teach apprentices.Premier Kathy Dunderdale believes the $2

million program will increase the number ofwoman in skilled trades positions.NL Construction Association President and

Chief Operating Officer Rhonda Neary was im-pressed. She said the province was “making along-term investment in the future supply ofskilled workers. The association is very pleasedwith the direction we are seeing in the areas ofapprenticeship and skills development.”

Ivan Gedge also supports the project. “I en-courage businesses to learn more about theJourneyperson Mentorship Program and how itwill build a qualified workforce by strengtheningthe apprenticeship system and helping morepeople reach journeyperson status.”The Business Representative/Organizer, At-

lantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters,Millwrights and Allied Workers said, "This pro-gram offers a great incentive for employers andbusinesses to support employment opportuni-ties and grow our provincial economy.” PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDThe Prince Edward Island government in-

vested $4.7 million in the East Prince Career andTechnical Education facility.The 25,000 square foot campus offers aero-

space training, automotive and carpentry underone roof. It includes a new robotics lab, skilled-trades classrooms and alternative educationspaces. The $4,675,000 facility that opened in Sep-

tember, serves more than 500 students fromSummerside, Kensington and Kinkora schools.NOVA SCOTIANext years Skilled Trades 10 will be an option

for students at the Skilled Trades Centre at For-est Heights High School in Chester Basin, NovaScotia. Grade 11 courses will be available later inthe 2013-14 school year.The province has also invested $2.3-million

investment will provide the Nova Scotia Com-munity College with $775,000 for mobile train-ing equipment and $1.5 million for a mobiletraining lab; both can be used by students any-where in the province not just on campus.The mobile training lab will be ready to pro-

vide students with nationally accredited train-ing in fall 2014.

Skilled trades educationalopportunities increasing

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University of New Brunswick professor Eric Hildebrand received the 2012 Award of Academic Merit for his long-termcontribution to the advancement of the academic field and to the development of future leaders in transportation at thisyear's Canadian Transportation Awards. The awards were presented during the Transportation Association of Canada’sannual national conference in Fredericton Oct. 19. In the photo are: NB Transportation and Infrastructure MinisterClaude Williams, Hildebrand, and Transportation Association of Canada President Doug McNeil. (Photo: Communi-cations New Brunswick)

Continues from page 2"Rights are not absolute," he said.Pardy used a federally owned airport as an ex-

ample and said people don't challenge the gov-ernment's ability to restrict where the public cango on that type of property."The mere fact that the Crown owns a piece of

land doesn't necessarily lead to the conclusionthat every member of the public has an unlim-ited right to go there," he said.As construction has proceeded, the protesters

have argued running machinery while they wereon site would create a safety hazard, while the

government has said the protesters would makeit unsafe by going on site while machinery is inuse.Although Pardy said he wasn't familiar with

the specifics of the Plan B project, safety wouldbe a valid reason to keep people off a construc-tion site, whether it's a government project ornot."That's a typical rationale for putting up

fences around construction sites," he said.Pardy also said that doesn't mean there is a

right to run protesters over with constructionequipment if they manage to get on site.

Plan B delays cost about $83,000

David Israel (67) of Melvern Square, NovaScotia was killed Sept. 18 in a workplace accidenton Highway 10 in Albany.According to Annapolis RCMP, a dump truck

rolled over and pinned the victim who was di-recting traffic.

The dump truck was crawling at a very lowspeed but a power line snagged its elevated boxand flipped the vehicle over.

The Spectator reported that the dump truckoperator was distraught, taken to the hospitaland then later released.

Israel killed in workplace accident

After months of consulting residents acrossthe province, the design team behind the NovaCentre unveiled a new blueprint for the down-town megaproject at Pier 21 on Wednesdaynight (Oct. 3).The project which includes the new con-

vention centre borders Prince, Market,Sackville and Argyle streets and promises to bemore pedestrian friendly and inline with thecurrent architectural theme of the city.The initial plan that’s since been scrapped,

after the consultation process began in July,would have seen a giant glass encased ball-room form a superblock by crossing GraftonStreet.

Now the 80,000 square foot space that willfit anywhere from 2,000 to 2,500 people hasbeen moved up 25 feet. It would stretch fromGrafton extending to Argyle.Wednesday’s public input session was an-

other opportunity for residents to have theirvoice heard on the project design.Most of the 150 people who attended the

meeting expressed concerns about maintain-ing the vibrancy of Argyle Street and mini-mizing the project’s intrusiveness on thetraditional architecture in the downtown core.The final design plan is scheduled to be un-

veiled Dec. 7. Metro Halifax

New blueprint unveiled forNova Centre megaproject


88 NOVEMBER 2012 | THE AC&TJ | Construction | SOUTHEAST CORRECTIONS CENTRE

The Southeast Regional Correctional Centre in Shediac, New Brunswick.

SOUTHEAST CORRECTIONS CENTRE


9SOUTHEAST CORRECTIONS CENTRE | Construction | THE AC&TJ | February 2010

Southeast Regional CorrectionCentre now operational in ShediacIt is always a little different constructing a

building without an easy exit, Trevor Saulnierjokes.While most public buildings are designed to

be user friendly in terms of access, understand-ably that is not the case with a correctional facil-ity. The new Southeast Regional CorrectionCentre in Shediac, New Brunswick is the latestlock-up built by Maricon Construction Man-agement Limited.Saulnier, who was project manager for the

Shediac facility, said the company also did somework at the federal prison in Springhill, NovaScotia and at a provincial facility in Saint John,NB. The $36.4-million Southeast Regional Cor-

rection Centre replaced the Moncton DetentionCentre, which closed in late June.“Construction took over two years and at

peak times there would have been over 100 peo-ple working at the site,” the project manager said.“We had a relatively mild winter last year so wedidn’t lose a lot of construction days then —there were some minor delays throughout con-struction, but nothing out of the ordinary for aproject this size.”The construction phase started in September

of 2009 under the supervision of the Depart-ment of Transportation and Infrastructure.The centre is designed to house 180 adult of-

fenders, and employs 107 staff, including 80 cor-rectional officers. Saulnier said one aspect that did tend to make

construction easier was the fact it was a new site

rather than renovations to an existing facility.“Obviously there can be security issues when

you are at a correctional facility that is opera-tional,” he said.The project manager said the facility has a

state of the art security system including namesthroughout the building and a computer-con-trolled system to open and closes cells.The facility covers 8,156 square meters with

three accommodation units, each containing 30cells.

It has: admitting and discharge areas, a dedi-cated space to provide medical service to in-mates, program rooms, segregation, and securevisitation areas. “Security is obviously the number one con-

cern,” Saulnier added.The facility does have one thing in common

with virtually every other public building in At-lantic Canada. It was built to comply with a Sil-ver rating under the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) program. It hasbeen designed to maximize energy efficiency andminimize water use. It was also built with envi-ronmentally friendly building materials.“LEED certification is more the rule than the

exception now,” Saulnier said. Modern Construction (1983) Ltd. of Monc-

ton did the site preparation work for the project. "This new correctional centre, which will in-

crease our overall inmate capacity and providegreater security and improved working condi-tions for our staff," Public Safety Minister andSolicitor General Robert Trevors said during theofficial opening. "I am proud of the work thathas gone into this project. It is intended to serveNew Brunswickers for the next 75 years."Trevors said the new structure was a big im-

provement over the old detention center inMoncton and “It is an important step in renew-ing and re-organizing our correctional system.We will now be able to make the most efficientuse of the facilities we have."The new facility, together with the Dalhousie

Regional Correctional Centre that opened inNovember of 2011, increases the province's in-mate capacity from 346 to about 550. .

By ANDY WALKER


After several years of planning, the PictouCounty Wellness Centre is now a reality.The $38.6 million facility opened in mid-No-

vember on an 11-acre site just off Highway 104at the intersection of MacGregor and WestvilleRoads in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. EmpireCompany Ltd donated the land for the project. Included under the roof of the 155,000

square foot building are: a twin pad arena withtwo NHL-size ice surfaces; a six-lane, 25-metrepool and a warm water pool; a walking track;regulation size gymnasium; a dedicated fitnesscentre with studios; multi-purpose communityand conference space; dedicated youth andchild-minding rooms and a licensed child carefacility and multi-use spaces; food service areasand administration offices.The main arena has fixed seating and dedi-

cated VIP boxes to accommodate 1,680 specta-tors for hockey games and a total capacity of3,117 attendees for concerts and major events.And the Pictou County YMCA has relocated tothe site and operates the aquatic, fitness andchild care/child minding facilities.DSRA Envision Architects of Halifax de-

signed the Centre. The company has also de-signed a number of the sports-related facilitiesthroughout Nova Scotia including the SackvilleSports Centre, The Tower athletic centre at SaintMary’s University and the Canada Games Cen-tre in Halifax.Bird Construction was the general contractor

for the project, and Rene Cox said initial sitepreparation began in July of 2010. The com-pany’s district manager for NS and Newfound-

land said there were 150-175 workers on siteduring peak periods.“It was a pretty big project for us,” Cox said.

“There were a few hiccups along the way—there always is on a project this size—but, gen-erally speaking, things went pretty smoothly.”Construction was coordinated by the Pictou

County Wellness Centre Building Authority,Inc., that is comprised of representatives fromeach stakeholder municipal unit within thecounty. Ron Baillie is both chair of the author-ity and Warden of the Municipality of theCounty of Pictou.“Our community has been waiting for this

day for a long time,” he said. “This project hasbeen in the works for many, many years andthanks to the dedication, hard work, coopera-tion and generosity of many people, we areproud to finally open the doors to a facility thatthe people of Pictou County truly deserve,”

Baillie stated.Mike Adam, who is general manager of the

facility, said it would allow the area to host re-gional and national events— something thatwas not possible before. “We’re ready and eagerto show what this building can do and the op-portunities it provides to this community.”The arena will be home to the Pictou

County Crushers of the Maritime HockeyLeague and the Truro Weeks AAA Midgets. Both the federal and provincial governments

contributed $11 million to the Pictou CountyWellness Centre while the Municipality (andincluded communities) have collectively com-mitted $9 million. The balance came fromthrough a communities-wide fundraising cam-paign.

By ANDY WALKER

New wellness centre now operationalPICTOU COUNTY WELLNESS CENTRE

Tilers work on the warm water pool at the Pictou County Wellness Centre. The 155,000 square foot facility also has s a six-lane, 25-metre pool.

10 February 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Construction | PICTOU WELLNESS CENTRE


From the outside the Pilikan house lookslike other houses on the block, but onthe inside it’s a lean, green energy inno-

vator.This demonstration site at the Annapolis

Valley Campus of Nova Scotia CommunityCollege (NSCC) in Middleton officiallyopened to the public on Sept.18. Described as a living lab, the house is a

practical classroom for students to explorethe practical applications of theories heard inthe classroom. These theories can be testedand even improved for future residential de-signs.This model home, which is R-2000 certi-

fied, has been designed as a new way ofthinking about sustainable residential devel-opment. The builders aimed to design it tobe heated for $200 a year.There are more than 30 monitoring and

control points throughout the home thattrack energy consumption and help studentsand researchers determine its efficiency. Sofar, its Energuide rating is 91 out of a possi-ble 100.The name, Pilikan (Bill-ee-gun), arose

from the Mi’kmaw words for “new house”was suggested by a former student and waschosen to describe the modern, “green”learning technologies incorporated into thebuilding.Dennis Kingston, academic chair, says the

model home is serving the college as a testsite and learning lab for students to explorehow new energy technologies can be used ina residential application.In recent years the college has taken a lead-

ing role researching practical applications for

green energy design and technology. The col-lege wanted to create a residential test sitethat would give students of the Energy Sus-tainability Engineering Technology programan opportunity to work hands-on with thenew technology and building practice.The 1800-square-foot prototype (de-

signed to look like every other house on theoutside) costs in the neighbourhood of$290,000 to build, according to Kingston.Over the long term this home promises to

be more affordable to actually live in.Aside from its ambitious goals for E-rat-

ings, the house was built to maximize thesouthern exposure, utilizing solar power todramatically cut down on energy consump-tion.Passive energy design elements such as

wide white window sills and white beams re-flect sunlight around the space to reduce theneed for artificial light, while the open designallows air to move freely, making it cooler inthe summer and warmer in the winter.The house design is the result of intense

collaboration with stakeholders such as theNova Scotia Home Builders Association, whoprovided vital feedback, according toKingston.Construction on this project began in May

2011 and was completed last fall. Students atthe campus began collecting and analyzingdata earlier this year.“This is a living example of what we are

trying to do as a college, by giving students acollaborative and practical approach to ap-plying new technologies for energy sustain-ability to traditional residentialconstruction,” he said. “We can improve thequality of life through building sustainablecommunities.”.

By HEATHER KILLENThe Spectator

NSCC unveils itsgreen home design

GREEN BUILDING

The Pilikan house in Mid-dleton, Nova Scotia looks like a normal

house on the outside, but on the inside it’s a green energy in-novator. (Photo: Heather Killen/The Spectator)

11GREEN BUILDING | Construction | THE AC&TJ | February 2010


12 NOVEMBER 2012 | THE AC&TJ | Transportation

Passenger rail cuts toimpact northern NBPeople who live in northern New

Brunswick have been hit hard by Via Rail’sdecision to reduce passenger service betweenMontreal and Halifax.Starting in late October, ‘The Ocean’ de-

parts Halifax on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sun-days only. The Montreal departures are onWednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Previously,passenger trains ran both ways six days aweek.That meant people in Bathurst or Camp-

bellton could board the train in the morning,come into Moncton to conduct business, andreturn home the same day. Ted Bartlett saidthat had been happening for decades. “Monc-ton has long been a service center for muchof northern New Brunswick, especially med-ical appointments.”Bartlett is with Transport Action Atlantic,

the regional wing of a national organizationworking to provide more public transporta-tion options. He said it is no longer possibleto make the trip in one day—now there mustbe a layover of one day or, in some cases, two.Via Rail maintains the cuts were a matter

of economics. When he met with a delega-tion of mayors and MP’s from northern NewBrunswick in Bathurst, Yves Desjardins-Sicil-iano said there has been a continued declinein ridership on The Ocean over the last 15years. He said traffic has gone from 255,000people in 1997 to 134,000.The Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Of-

ficer and Corporate Secretary of VIA Railsaid, “Our duty is to properly manage Cana-dian taxpayers' money compels us to makedifficult decisions." He said over the past five years, Via Rail has

invested more than 25-million dollars in re-pairing its locomotives and The Ocean'srolling stock, in addition to renovating its sta-tions and infrastructure in the region. TheOcean service continues to be improved byadding a car with a panoramic view year-round, Desjardins-Siciliano stated.Bartlett said the company failed to point

out that traffic on the run actually went upfive per cent between 2010 and 2011. “Therewill certainly not be any increases now be-

cause of the cuts” The Transport Action spokesman pointed

out that there is a lack of other public trans-portation options in northern NewBrunswick since there is no air service in mostareas, and bus service in the Maritime regionis in a state of flux since the departure of Aca-dian Lines. A new bus service is scheduled tostart before the end of the year or early in2013.“The future of public transportation in

northern New Brunswick is standing out onHighway 11 with your thumb out,” Bartlettsaid.He said part of the solution lies in having

legislation that governs the operation of ViaRail, which would spell out the relationshipbetween the passenger service and the freightrailways, especially CN. Bartlett explainedthat Amtrak, the passenger service in theUnited States, has an Act of Congress thatprovides it with access to tracks to freight rail-ways and controls what they pay for that ac-cess.“Via has nothing like that and when CN

raises the rates, they have no choice but to payor try to cut other costs,” he explained.Bartlett noted that CN is now in the

process of trying to abandon its rail lines be-tween Pacific Junction (located just outsideMoncton) and Bathurst. (CN says it needs$50 million for repairs and more rail traffic tomake the run viable.) He said if that hap-pened, the Miramichi area would be entirelycut off from either passenger or freight serv-ice.Other measures have been taken. Widler

Jules of Atholville has filed a motion in Que-bec Superior Court (Via is headquartered inMontreal) trying to stop the cuts.Bartlett said his group welcomes any ac-

tion that could slow the process down, butthey are concentrating their efforts on lobby-ing politicians to pressure for legislativechange.NB Premier David Alward is also taking

steps to keep the “vital” services in operation.He told the Times & Transcript Nov. 8 thatCN, Via Rail, and both levels of governmentwere at the table working to clarify what in-vestments were required to keep the trainsrunning.

By ANDY WALKER

Two recent transportation decisions will havea significant impact on Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.In September the town learned that the

province could commit up to $21 million overa seven-year period to re-establish its ferry serv-ice to Portland, Maine. But in November Twin Cities Air announced

its scheduled flights from Yarmouth to Portlandwould end Dec. 31.The Nova Scotia government cut subsidies to

Bay Ferries in December 2009 because it wasn’tviable and losses had reached almost $7 milliona year.Premier Darrell Dexter said the province is

now prepared to invest in a long-term ferryservice managed by a qualified operator. He saidfunding from all levels of government was nec-essary and that businesses and residents ofSouthwest Nova had to support the project.An expert ferry panel report listed conditions

mandatory for a viable service that included theright type of vessel and a sophisticated market-ing strategy.The report said with the proper investments

the ferry business could be modestly profitablewithin eight years.At press time the province was meeting with

private-sector operators.The lack of a ferry has affected numerous

businesses in the region including the Auburn,ME airline that has been operating for two-and-a-half years.Twin Cities Air owner Nate Humphrey said

his decision to leave was based on the lack ofpassengers in the winter months, rising fuelprices and regulations. He said despite provin-cial assistance it wasn’t economically viable. Humphrey praised customs and airport offi-

cials in Yarmouth and the businesses and peoplein Southwest Nova.

Recent transportation decisionswill impact Southwest Nova

Air Canada set a record when it filled82.9 per cent of its passenger seats inOctober.With a load factor of 81.2%, West jet

also broke records last month. The air-

line also set records in July, August andSeptember.Porter Airlines 59.4% October load

factor was down this year compared to2011.

Airlines break records

Via Rail Engine 6445 pulled the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup Train into Halifax, Nova Scotia on Oct. 12.Hauling two Via and two Canadian Pacific cars carrying the Grey Cup, its history and memorabilia, Engine 6445 leftVancouver Sept. 9 and travelled east. After its Maritime stops the train headed for Toronto where the 100th Grey Cupgame was played. Prior to its 10-week historic tour across the country Engine 6445 was one of 53 Via locomotivesthat were completely overhauled. According to Dartmouth, NS expert David Othen and others, the locomotive wasstripped to the frame, equipped with a rebuilt engine and a new a 480 volt HEP diesel generator. Other enhancementsincluded: upgraded wiring, electronically controlled pneumatic brakes and copper air piping. The mid-life rebuild willallow Engine 6445 to operate for at least another 20 years. (Photo: Heather Jones)


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