road runner, winter 1992/93, volume 1, issue 4on the road making friends inafrica roadrunner winter...

2 Road Runner Winter 1992/93

Index"Wee Jimmy Davisonand the Robson Ferry.......... p 4

The Stena Danica Affair...... p 5

In the Field........................... p 6

Your Fan Mail P 11

Cycling B.C. a Success p 12

A Day in the Worklife p 13

Service ExcellenceUpdate p 14

It's Your Serve p 16

Personnel ConnectionEditor: Barb Romanaki p 18

What is ServiceExcellence Anyway? ......... P 21

In the Spotlight.................. P 22

Growing Roads?!!? p 23

WIM Stripping p 24

Bridges in Bulk.................. p 25

Toy IntersectionEducates Kids p 26

Inland FerryStandards Review p 27

ROAD RUNNER

Road Runner is the employeemagazine for the British ColumbiaMinistry of Transportation andHighways. It is produced quarterly.

Published articles appearing in RoadRunner may be reprinted only withthe permission of the Editor.

Direct enquiries to:Kris AitkenRoad Runner EditorPublic Affairs5B-940 Blanshard StreetVictoria, BC, V8W3E6

Cover photo byBill DunnStory p.27

lotro...Share-the-Road-Runner Program

We'll keep bringing you the Road Runner but to meet cost-cutting commitments,it is now only one colour and we're printing less copies. Until further notice, thatmeans we're on a share-the-Road-Runner program, as suggested by one of ourown "MoTHonians." Thanks for the idea.

In this issue, catch up on the latest and greatest. Find out about the "StenaDanica affair." See what the Gas.Ex exploder we've been talking about looks like.Meet the people who operate the MY Omenica Princess. Learn about "dynamic piledriving." All thanks to staff who sent in so many stories we couldn't use them all.We've reserved space in the Spring Road Runner for them.

Take Your Best Shot Contest

We need good in-action shots as on page 23, Growing Roads??!!??, of our peopleworking. So, to get you going, we will give the photographer of the best shot inthe next issue a surprise prize. PIOs excluded.

Deadline for the next Road Runner , February 26, 1993

In Trust

Many people throughout the ministry have enquired about a "Memorial Fund"for Shannon Guyatt's (who was slain last summer) son Jason. Shannon's parentshave responded by establishing a "Continuing Education Fund" for Jason.

Contributions are confidential and can be made in a number of ways. Bycheque: please make payable to "Mr. C. Underwood in Trust for Jason Guyatt" andforward to one of the contacts below. For details on cash, anonymous or othercontributions, consult the contacts below. Donations can also be made directlythrough any Canada Trust branch in B.C. by quoting Branch #200 and AccountNumber 552394.

Yourgenerosity is appreciated by the entirefamily.

HQ Contacts:

MarilynWargo, Personnel Services Branch, 387-7822

Barb Romanaki, Personnel Services Branch, 387-1483

Jeanne Pittman, Public Affairs Branch, 387-7788

Louise Graham, Executive Branch, 356-0397

Peter James, Information Systems Branch, 387-0144

On the RoadMaking Friends in Africa

Road Runner Winter 1992/93 3

Island TrustNew Deal

By Margie Sinclair, Kelowna Sub-Office

It was a "field trip " of a lifetime. I spent18 days at a bush hospital in Uganda andwent on safari in Kenya.

I didn't plan the trip. A friend who worksat a hospital and orphanage in Uganda(which Margie supports) invited me to visit.Being an adventuresome person, I jumpedat the opportunity.

The adventure started after flying fromKelowna to Vancouver to London toNairobi, Kenya ... then on to Entebee ,Uganda. Driving the roads in Africa was anexperience I 'll never, EVER forget. Theroads were like riverbeds; driving was onthe opposite side of the road.

Driving an unfamiliar vehicle on anequally unfamiliar road (saying to myself"Is this a road ... Wow , look at thoseholes .. . Watch out folks. " and in first gearall the way I ran into (not literally) aUganda road crew. And , at great risk ,snapped a picture to bring back to MoTH.

I forgot to ask permission first. When Isnapped the picture, the response from thecrew was unprintable, not in English anyway.

Margie with [riends-i-Discussing asubdivision/rezoning application.

Uganda road creui at zvork-- They snappedwhen Margie snapped.

Actually, I found the people very friendly. Now that I'm back home, I realize whata wonderful opportunity I'd been given tolive and work with native Africans ratherthan just being a tourist.

Another thing I realize: we are privilegedto live in Canada and to have such a goodroad system.

"It' s a civilized change in direction, " commented one VancouverIsland newspaper.

Our minister, Art Charbonneau andChair of the Islands Trust Council ,Carol Martin , signed an agreementNovember 12th which provid esunique standards for Gulf Islandroads. The agreement was made inresponse to residents ' concerns thatroads being built for new subdivisions were straight, treeless and withwide ditches replacing the winding ,tree-shaded lanes once characteristicof the islands.

"We also are establishing a consultative process between our agencies ,"said Charbonneau. "We have set up aformal process for planning andadministering most aspects of roadtransportation, which allows input byadvisory committees on each island. "

"I'm pleased Islands Trust and theministry are working together toensure road construction and rnaintenance on the islands is compatiblewith Trust 's legislated mandate 'topreserve and protect ' the uniqueamenities and environment of theTrust Area," said Martin.

Two EITsAwarded

Congratulations to Maurizio T.L.Ponzini and Dennis]. Nadon-twoof the ministry 's Engineers-inTraining (EIT) who both receivedachievement awards from theAssociation of Professional Engineersand Geoscientists of British Columbia.Maurizio was recognized for havingthe greatest potential in the CivilEngineering class at the University ofBritish Columbia and Dennis for thegreatest potential in the ComputerEngineering class at the Universityof Victoria.


"Wee" Jimmy Davisonand the Robson Ferry

By Tom W. Parkin) Public Information Officer) Vancouver Island

he devastating floods in BritishColumbia in the spring of 1948 arewell remembered by Fred Thompson,now working on Nanaimo's regional

design team. That year he was 11, and livingin a home on the bank of the ColumbiaRiver at Robson.

"My family had to move to Nelson forthree months to live with my grandmother.We lost many of our belongings to the fastrising water. The basement was filled withsilt, frogs and tree stumps. "

Fred's recollections were triggered by anaerial photograph of his former home, located just downstream from a ministry cableferry. As readers can see (picture below),vehicles weren't able to get on the ferry during the high water. The ferry powered itselfalong a single cable which wound around adrum in the central powerhouse.

Captain at that time was "wee" JimmyDavison, whose career extended from 1919to 1951. Short in stature, but never in words,the diminutive Scot exemplified serviceexcellence. Fred recalls how he ran his ship:

"At night, pedestrians signaled the ferryon the far side by flashing a light on a pole.The skipper would come over to get you.He would also back up for foot passengersif you arrived just after he had left. This wasgreatly appreciated as it could be very coldwaiting in rain, wind or snow."

It was also likely Jimmy who once fishedFred out of the drink: "I was with a bunchof eager beavers going to a matinee inCastlegar. I was jacking around and fell offthe apron. Someone threw me a life ringand pulled me aboard."

That was scary, Fred admits, but anotherconcern of the ferry operator was viewed as

fun by the kids: "There was a tug calledElko, that used to tow log booms betweenthe Arrow Lakes and a mill downstream. Ifthe river happened to be low, and the ferrymid-stream, occasionally the tug would snapthe ferry cable. When this happened, the tughad to rescue the drifting ferry. It never happened when I was aboard, but I alwayswished it would. "

The Robson ferry was decommissioned in1988, ending 69 years of service at the crossing. Today, drivers reach the far side viaHugh Keenleyside Dam or Highway 3A. Abridge has been designed to span theColumbia near the old crossing, with construction to start in January 1993.

Castlegar/Robson cable ferry during 1948flooding on Columbia River-vehiclesweren 't able to get on the ferry.

--- ---- - - --- - - - - - - ---=-==--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ ............_------~

The Stena Danica AffairA toothsome tale in whichAl Rhodes) retired acting deputyminister and admin ADM)fondly (and humorously)remembers Minister Bob Strachanand the "Siena Danica" importduty affair (back in the dayswhen B.C. Ferries came underthe Department ofHighways).

In the late 1960s , it was evident that thedemand for ferry service necessitated additional vessels. As a "quick fix" the government made a policy decision to purchase avessel and to modify it to end-loading sothat it could operate at the existing docks.Following a search for available vessels, the"Ste n a Danica " was purchased from itsSwedish owners with the understandingwith the Federal government that it wouldbe exempt of import duties and taxes.

However, to comply with federal regulations it was necessary to pay the duty onentry to Canada and to seek a remission byformal application. The federal governmentreneged on the previous agreement and asthe amount was substantial, multiple discussions ensued.

With the change in government in 1972 ,R.M. (Bob) Strachan was appointed asMinister of Highways. He undertook thetask of recovering the amount in questionand arr a ng e ments were rna de to visitOttawa and present our case.

The minister, myself and two others fromthe Ministry of Finance arrived in Ottawa inthe late afternoon and following dinner wevisited a lounge in the Bytown District. Mr.Strachan had a penchant for Scottish songsand he led the singing into the wee hoursof the morning. We eventually retired butthe night was short! My telephone beganringing before 7:00 a.m.

The Reflector


Bob Strachan, a true politician, had arisenearly to polish his appearance and hisknowledge of the tax problem prior to our10:00 a.m. meeting. In his haste , he haddropped his dentures into the sink andwhen he picked them up they were inpieces. He had already arranged by telephone to have them repaired by a dentalmechanic, but having exhausted his cash theprevious evening he didn 't have cab fare.

He was soon on his way to the mechanic 's office and his dentures were fixed intime for the meeting.

The meeting progressed in true federalfashion with the Revenue Minister(Sta n b u ry) and his a rm y of assistants ,lawyers and accountants , always promisingbut never delivering. We did have somelight moments however , for every time Ilooked at my minister he would tap histeeth with his index finger.

Bob Strachan , always a gentleman anddiplomat , later moved to the new Ministryof Transportation and Communications andsubsequently retired to accept the appointment as Agent General in London, England,an appointment which-in n1Y opinion-hereally deserved.

Al retired in 1985) after 45 years servicein the provincial gooernment.

Inland Ferry HistoryMost North Americans take the ease of travel in

the 90s for granted. It used to be a challenge to getto town for supplies-sometimes even dangerous,especially if you had to cross a river or lake.

Log rafts and aerial baskets were the first ferriesin B.C. When rivers froze, ice bridges were created.Sometimes, there was a ferry operator. Most often,the raft or rigging was left for those wishing tocross to use themselves.

Frank Clapp, a retired ministry employee, tells allthis and more in an interesting booklet that tracesthe history of B.C. inland ferries. If your office orbranch doesn't have a copy, and you 'd like a couple, please call your Public Information Officer.

Free cable ferry that once crossed the ColumbiaRiver between Revelstoke and Arrowhead. Picture

taken in the early 60s.

Photo from Provincial Archives

by Stan R. Kravetz Communications Centre Operator

HighlNays Breaks Bread \Nith Media


IN THE FIELD

REGION 1Grassroots Actionat its Best

Commuters on the Cassiar Connectorwitnessed a strange phenomenon inOctober and ovember: children clad inministry safety vests planting trees.

The project: the Rotary Heritage Forest.The result: the largest urban reforestationproject ever undertaken in the City ofVancouver-the planting of almost 6,000trees by students from 42 elementaryschools in Vancouver and Burnaby. Theeffort , co-ordinated by the VancouverSouth Rotary Club with the support of 11other clubs in Vancouver and Burnaby ,received widespread sponsorship from theprivate and public sectors.

The Rotary Heritage Forest was dedicated at a special ceremony, November 3rd.Hat's off to the Rotary Club for making thistremendous initiative possible. Very specialthanks to Vancouver South RotariansDonna Worrall , Clive Justice and CecilProwse-they made this project happen.

In 2010, as you drive through the CassiarConnector and see the new forest growth,please think of this Rotary-inspired undertaking and say, "Thank you. "

Children planting trees along CassiarConnector

HallolNeenie Day

The office was alive with gremlins ,ghosts , witches and other chilling characters when staff celebrated HalloweenieDay on Friday , October 30. Capping thefestivities was aHalloweenie (hotdogsale) lunch hour. Thesale helped raisecash for our socialfund. Congrats to ourvery social DeniseWillment for organizing yet another, thistime eerily , successful event.

Stalls ... debris spills ... motor vehicleaccidents, are quite often the order of theday for Lower Mainland commuters. Rushhour ... for the Communications Centre iscalls from radio station traffic reports , bethey high overhead or firmly on theground. Mornings and afternoons , dedicated men and women hit their speed dialersin a round of random checks for trafficflow updates on major Lower Mainlandroutes and bridges. Calls to theCommunications Centre are in rapid succession with most radio stations callingapproximately every 12 minutes.

Friday , October 16, yours truly , with colleagues Keith Winsor and Kim Seale , rolled

Elfie Marsh (back row starting from left), LindaFrederick, Sandy Bertrand, Elaine Ullrich, DixieBower and Val Fabick. Front row: Len Klassen,Denise Willment, Sheila Keough, Iris Schoenand Leslie Poznikoff.

out the welcome mat for a luncheon datewith the reporters. Preparations began aftermorning rush hour with Keith 's infamousclam chowder, with buns and butter on theside. The first of our ten guests arrived atnoon , with the rest not far behind. Forsome of the media , this visit allowed thema first-hand opportunity to see the workdone in the Communications Centre.

"Service Excellence" was at the forefront:Communication Centre operators and trafficreporters work hand-in-hand to provideaccurate traffic information to the public.They are, indeed, friends of the hundredsof thousands of rush hour commuters inthe Lower Mainland.

Angie, CFVRlSTARFM; Delann, CHRX;Kerry, CFVRlSTAR-FM;Kim, Comm Centre;judith, CK~'joanna, CISUZ-95FM; Pam, CKNW;Katie, CK~' Stan,Comm Centre; ShawnCKNW; Erin, Shawn 'sdaughter; jamie,CKNW; Keith, CommCentre; Terri, CHQM.

Meeting our Clients

October and December saw Tom Tasakaand his Barnet/Hastings People MovingProject team hold meetings with interestedresidents and merchants on the HastingsCorridor and in Port Moody. Barnet/Hastingsis a first for the ministry: new lane capacitywill be dedicated to high-occupancy vehicles(transit and carpoolers) during morning andafternoon weekday peak periods.

November, Doug Hyde and his team helda drop-in on U.S. Election Night to show ourplans to upgrade two intersections inBurnaby along Canada Way. An interestingpiece of trivia: Burnaby, home to our regionoffice, became a City in September, 1992, inhonour of its Centennial year.

November also took our Senior PlanningEngineer , Maria Swan, to a public forumorganized by the North Delta RatepayersAssociation to discuss future plans for theextension of Nordel Way through Delta,Surrey and into Langley.

This input helps us move to a "win-win"situation between people directly impactedby our projects and the need to resolve outstanding transportation problems inthe region.

REGION 2Safety and Consultation

Standing at the base of the Mara Lakeslide site, looking up , you 'll see tons ofrock , dirt and debris sitting precariously ,waiting to fall. Something had to be done ,which is why Highway 97A has been underdaily road closures since mid October. Theroad closures were not initiated withoutpublic consultation.

Two public meetings were held at bothends of the project to discuss road closureoptions. Extensive advertising and bulletinshave helped lessen disruption to the community and travelling public.

The area has a history of slides and roadclosures lasting several days. The mostrecent slide in 1990 closed the road forthree weeks. MoTH 's latest work is a $1million effort to prevent further slides. Over100 ,000 cubic metres of material is beingremoved from the hillside. The projectrequires blasting the larger rock , carvingout a catch-basin at the bottom of the slide

area and then pushing debris from the topof the slide down to the catch basin whereit is trucked away to a disposal site.Approximately 80 working days have beendesignated for this work.

Jean Loewen and Shirley Krasniule,Clerks at the Coquihalla Toll Plaza)lending a helping hand duringremedial work on the approach panelsto the Plaza.

Bridging the Gap

Look out Island Highway here comes theOkanagan Lake lobby group. If you haven 'talready heard about concerns over theOkanagan Lake Bridge you 'll soon hearabout Citizens ' for Road Safety-they aimto bridge the ga p for traffic across theOkanagan Lake. Staff from this regionrecently attended a community meeting onNovember 10 to discuss ministry plans forthe bridge as well as listen to pu blic concerns and innovative solutions. Thanks tothe help of Barry Tait , a COITIITIUnity radiostation talk show hose th e meeting wentoff without to o much eg g throwing . Thebiggest realization for mo st of the participants-lobby for funding!


IN THE FIELD

REGION 3\Nelcorne BackElectrical District

The beginning of November, Region 3'selectrical services (which had been privatized along with maintenance services) ,rejoined the ministry. The Kootenay regionwas the only region where highways electrical services was contracted out. BELPower had a three-year contract whichended October 12th . All former BEL Poweremployees are now part of MoTH and willbe based at regional office in Nelson.

True to Scale

A local hobbyist-Ben Eales of Alternatek Model Makers , New Denver-did ascale model of the proposed CastlegarRobson Bridge for a public open house ,November 26. It was so true to scale thatone man was amazed to see his house withhis car parked in front-not only was thehouse a match but the color of his car wascorrect too.

"I think it's just great," Castlegar residentBurt Campbell said (in a local newspaper)."I think (the Ministry of Transportation andHighways) met the concerns of the community. "

The Castlegar Rob son Bridge project iscurrently out to tender. Rocky Vanlerberg,Project Manager said , "Th e ministry ha sprepared two bridge designs-one in concrete and one in steel-so that both indu s

tries could bid on the project. "

Ed.Note: SCI Engine er s &Constructors Inc. of Calgary wer eawarded the contract

On tour in Region 3) SharonVarley) Supervisor) CorrespondenceUnit (left in the background) andBarb Harrison) ExecutiveAdministrative Co-ordinator) HQhad a chance to view the model.


IN THE FIELD

REGION 4Educating TOlTllTlorro\N'sRoad Users

Students in Quesnel are showing a growing interest in Highways operations, due toour friendly staff in North Cariboo office.

Last fall , we participated in Career Daysat Quesnel Senior Secondary. This fall, theschool 's Physics 11 class wanted to studythe motion characteristics of the Margueritereaction ferry. Dan Keeler , Bridge AreaManager was only too happy to arrange afield trip that would be a valuable learningexperience.

The students were so enthusiastic aplanned 10-minute in-class presentationtook an entire 55-minute period. At theMarguerite Ferry site , Engineering Sectionset up a Total Station Survey instrument tomeasure the velocity of travel as the ferrytacked across the Fraser , taking readings atfive second intervals. The actual velocity ofthe river was then measured by dropping apiece of styrofoam into the river and clocking it as it passed by known, measured distances. The students took their data back toschool to complete their experiment. Theirteacher , Mr. Law , is thinking ahead toanother project to study vectors for stresses

Students on shore and on board.Photo: Dan Keeler

associated with a Through Trussbridge.

North Cariboo office has alsotaken students from Maple DriveJunior Secondary for a tour ofthe Quesnel River Bridge. Nowanother elementary school hasbeen in touch with Dan to discuss a field trip. In a town thesize of Quesnel, good news suretravels fast.

A Horse's "Tale"

As part of a planned upgrade of Mile 80rest area, North Peace District used horsesinstead of machines to clear timber fornature trails. This was done to minimizedamage to a unique spruce forest.

North EndTruck Route Opens

This arterial route to serve new industrial developments in the Williams Lake areaopened to much fan fare November 14th.Here 's what the newspapers said. "A beneficial addition to Williams Lake. " "Goodjob guys. " "High-tech beauty." "An impressive stretch of road." "A vision facilitatedby the Department of Highways supervisor Tracy Cooper (DHM, Central Cariboo)and his crew."

Little Updates Score Big

Ron Wiebe 's (Public Information Officer,Region 4) construction updates help theRCMP, ambulance drivers and the publicand earned him a place in the 2000/0 Club.The one-page updates are bulk mailed tocitizens in affected rural communities anddelivered to the RCMP, 911 emergency dispatch, Ambulance, CNR and bulletinboards in the area. The first edition comesbefore construction begins and usuallylocates the project on a map, describeswhat work will be done, warns of anyroad closures that may occur and providesalternate routes. Following editions includenotices identifying firm road closure datesand a "thank-you-for-your-patience-roadusers" note.

Ron Wiebe.

The project features the latest in roadbuilding including the "Great BarrierSystem"- a guardrail energy absorptionterminal designed to collapse on impact.

A bit of trivia: the North End Truck Routewas the first project to really utilize the project team concept from inception to completion. There were 75-team members.

Tracy said, "It proved to me that projectmanagement is the only way to go on projects of this size."

Congratulations to the team includingVirgil Swanson from Regional Design groupwho kept everyone on track; Dennis Davisfrom Planning who made sure the project fitinto the grand scheme of things and RandyWenger from Properties who handled somedelicate negotiations with the sawmills.

Tracy Cooper, DHM, Central Cariboo besidethe "Great Barrier System. J)

REGION 5Corne On Do""n

Regional office and Skeena District hosted an open house, November 10th. Thepurpose was to exchange information. Wewanted to inform people about what wedo to keep them moving on the highwaysand bridges and we wanted to hear whatpeople had to say about how we're doing.Every department made a presentation.Even our local maintenance contractor,Nechako North Coast, pitched in.

REGION 6Ne"" Quarters

In September, Vancouver Island surveyors were happy to receive new quarters atParksville after spending many yearscramped in field trailers. Standing outsidetheir new office at Pine Tree Centre,Highway #4 are (left to right): George Der,Dave Purvis, Jack Mawle (the crew's supervisor), Bob Reading, Dave Rich, NormUrquhart, Bob Wylie, Lee Purvis, Dan Kells,Ron Holz, R. Robinson, Ken MacKenzie,Ross Ford, Gary McNutt , Steve Reid, DaveSmart, Andrew White and Barr Fisk. BillQuinn was missing at the time the picturewas shot.

T""o Take Flying Leap

It started as a "macho" challenge forregional computer wiz Jack Chiu, but afteran initial sky dive at Victoria InternationalAirport, he leapt into the program feet first.Last June he went on an automaticallyopening chute jump at 3,000 feet. Jack isnow up to six jumps, just two short of hisfirst free-fall.

Jack was so enthusiastic about the experience, he convinced public informationofficer, Tom Parkin to try one of the 'touristspecials ' offered by Ultimate HighParachute Club. Tom went 'way, 'way upto 10,000 feet for a one-time tandem fall.For this, he was harnessed to a dive masterwho did all the work. Tom's words on exiting were, "If only mother could see menow." (He has a video of the 30-secondfree-fall for those interested in trying it.)


IN THE FIELDThe finance group had a bean

counting contest in their display-the prize was a regionsweatshirt.

Three hundred people touredthe building and the media cametoo. But the biggest plus wasthat the open house offered anexcellent opportunity to get toknow co-workers better and tolearn what they do. Everyoneinvolved now has a new respectfor their co-workers and the workthey do. Congratulations to all.

Photo: Tom Parkin

Compare the equipment)poses andfacilities with their counterparts in this Esquimalt andNanaimo Railway party taken close by) 80 years ago .


IN THE FIELD

HEADQUARTERSLogo by Darius

Darius Kanga (Manager , Research &Development, Planning Services Branch)10ve s w 0 rkin g with s ta in e d g Iass. I-I ebrought his hobby to work when hedesigned and built a replica of the ministrylogo-so perfect a match in colour and ofsuch fine workmanship, he attracted regular visitors to his office to admire it. Whenthe executive invited him to showcase it ata meeting, Darius donated the piece to theministry. Darius is now designing a lampwhich will incorporate the logo into itsshade. We asked if he 's taking orders. Hesaid, sure. Thanks Darius.

HO\Nling Success

Safety Branch sent out an invitation to"dress up " for halloween and approximately 200 ghosts, goblins and what nots came.It was a haunting affair. The first 120 costumed guys and ghouls who visited SafetyBranch received a Halloween pencil. Atafternoon coffee the helpless public wassurrounded by pirates , witches and dwarfsas employees spilled into the HQ buildingcourtyard for prizes and treats.

Theghouls at the minister's office-Cleft toright) Heidi Reid, Muriel Scott, Jackie St.Dennis (kneeling) and Patti Haire.

Marathon Men

Three HQ staffers completed the 42 kmRoyal Victoria Marathon on October, 11th:Al Moir, Senior Manager , Financial Planningand Reporting; Ian Matthews , MajorProjects Technician and Ken Carter OABranch Manager 's Office , Financ~ andAdministration Branch. Congratulations."Ian came in at three hours and 38 minutes.Al Moir, celebrating his 40th birthday tookthree hours , 50 minutes," said Ken.

"It took me longer. I hadn't done enoughtraining in the beginning. I came in at fourhours , 30 minutes. " Better training nexttime Ken.

\Nell Fair

The HQ Well Fair, October 26 and 27,faired very well. Over 300 attended. Goodinformation was shared, apples were consumed and prizes were won. Two of thefair 's participants comment. "It was veryinformative, if you wanted to spend thetime. There were knowledgeable peoplewilling to answer any questions on health,exercise, eating habits, stress , etc., " saidFabiola Owen. "Late ly some of my coworkers have taken to calling me the'Fa tb o y', so I hope to put the WeightWatchers cookbook that I won as a drawprize to good use ," said Steve Barr.

Community FundGoal Smashed

We aimed for $33 ,000 and collected$38 ,000 for the Provincial EmployeesCommunity Fund Campaign. Five brancheshad 100 per cent participation. Each willreceive a certificate for their efforts (alongwith four other branches that pulled in 80per cent participation) but we had theirdirectors compete in "tricycle playoffs" tosee which branch would win the .grandprize-lunch with the executive. It wasclose but "Gregarious" Gregg Singer (MajorProjects) kept the pressure up and managed to squeeze by "Ro ck e t" RodneyChapman (Construction) at the finish line.Third place finisher was "Bashfu l" BobBuckingham (Finance) , followed closely by"Mag ic a l" Mike Kent (Environment)."Dynamic" Dick Melville (Public Affairs)won for the best-dressed competitor.

"Gregarious" Gregg and "Rochet" Rodney

Your Fan MailCycling ConferenceOrganizers Praised

I found the Cycling B.C. '92: Focus on theFuture conference to be quite useful, bothin terms of further educating myself, as acycling advocate, and in the opportunity itprovided for planners, engineers, politiciansand cycling advocates to hear each others'point of view and concerns. The organizers,in particular Jordan Alexander-andDanelle Laidlaw of Cycle BC as welldeserve high praise for bringing it alltogether so well.

Not only did your ministry take theunprecedented step of holding a conferenceto focus on cycling issues, but it is all themore laudable that the general public toohad an opportunity to participate-I hopethe planners and engineers also felt theybenefited from this additional dimension.

I dare to hope, if the conference is agood indication of your commitment tocycling as a legitimate and desirable form oftransportation (that indeed, cyclists aren 'tsimply a "bunch of ding-a-lings"), that weshall be seeing many exciting improvementsover the forthcoming months and years.

Volker Bodegom, Vancouver

Resourceful

(A hunter had an uncomfortable experience driving to and boarding the Big Barferry. The road was steep and the ferry hadferry ramps that made it virtually impossible to load vehicles having other than standard rear axle overhang. But a resourcefulemployee saved the day.)

Thomas Zimmerlee was most understanding and patient throughout theprocess. In addition, I'm sure he workedbeyond his normal working hours. If so, hedid not make any mention of it. Thinkingof the old adage "yo u r work is only asgood as the tools provided, " I was amazedat the resourcefulness of Mr. Zimmerlee,using old planks and bits and pieces tomake it work. As a resident and taxpayer inand of B.C., I take this opportunity to thankthis individual for that "extra effort" so seldom acknowledged by most.

Dave Lee) Maple Ridge

Thank you MoTH

In trying to think of ways to saythank you to all Highways peoplepast and present for your friendship,support and comradery over the past37 years , I realized there is no betterway than using a great friend to all ofus-the Road Runner.

I am sincerely grateful to all of youfor your well wishes and beautifulgifts presented to me on Fridayevening, November 6, 1992. Thememories will last forever.

If I had to do it all over again ,would I? You bet! Thank you.

Geoff Warrington.

Dan Doyle)AD~ HighwayOperations (left) and Geoff.

Photo: Royce Kletke

Working For Youth

Thank you (Mark Stevens , Area Manager,South Island District) on behalf of theyoung people involved, for your interestand co-operation in permitting us toupgrade the paved area on the grounds ofthe SANSCHA Hall in Sidney for use ofskateboaders. The project was very successful. Police and business owners notedthere was almost no hassles with skateboarders using sidewalks and mall areasduring the summer. We now have a committee working toward providing permanent recreation facilities. Thank you forhelping us prove the urgent need to provide such facilities for the young people.When people take an interest in them, theylive up to responsibilities very quickly.

Brenda Harfield, Councillor, Town ofSidney


dob Vtlell Done

On behalf of residents and visitors of theResort Municipality of Whistler I would liketo extend our appreciation for a "job welldone. " The upgrading and surface rehabilitation carried out this summer by your ministry along Highway 99 has improvedaccess to this community and added bothcomfort and safety to all drivers. Specialmention should go to the ministry's representatives , in particular, Messrs. Don Wharf(Project Manager , Paving, Region 1) andFred Palmer (Project Supervisor , Paving ,Region 1) , for their exemplary efforts inthe execution of this project.

Ted Nebbeling, Mayor

Setting the StandardThank you (Veronica Walsh , Executive

Secretary, Highways Operations Department,HQ) for your professional and efficient management of our recent request for information regarding the status of our subdivisionapplication. While we were prepared to waiton the availability of the Assistant DeputyMinister, it was indeed a pleasure to havesuch a prompt response, thanks to your initiative. You have set a standard to which allministry employees should aspire.

Bob Holland) President)Quaestor Construction Ltd.

Great dobI am writing on behalf of myself and the

people of Roy Creek Road. We would liketo thank you (Robin Storke y , AreaManager, North Island District) for seeingthat our water problem was solved. A greatjob was done. Not very often are thingsdone so well and in such a swift and honest manner.

Linda Leigh) Royston resident

"Vtle Feel Safe on Ferries"The lake ferries have had a good record.

Let us keep it that way. We have had manyoccasions to ride our ferries and enjoy thetrip across the lake. We never cease tomarvel at the skillful dockings by the captains and the precise and courteous mannerthe deck officer and deck hands load andunload the cars ... and very large loggingtrucks. They are pleasant and we feel safe.A feeling we 've never had when loadingon the coastal ferries.

Dawn Penniket, Nelson


Cycling B.C.a Success

The Road SholN

"In September, we went on the roadto 'show' regional staff what the interim cycling policy is all about and were'shown' a thing or two ourselves," saidJordan Alexander, Policy Branch, HQ."There was a good exchange of information. "

The first-ever provincial cycling conference was a great success. In theLegislature , William Hartley , MLA forMaple Ridge-Pitt Meadows touted it asbeing "the way the provincial governmentwants to continue to work with the people of British Columbia. " Over 200 peopleattended (p lan ne rs, engineers , environmentalists , politicians , cycling advocates ,etc .) and worked together to flesh out anaction plan to make cycling a 1110re viabletransportation option.

Highlights of recommendations fromthe conference action planning sessioninclude creation of a provincial cyclingco-ordinator; education strategies targeting adults; police officers, school teachersand bike couriers , improving existing roadand path facilities; developing and promoting route destinations for touringcyclists ; enhancing links with other transportation modes ; identifying ways to provide facilities for touring cyclists (e.g.storage, parking, showers , laundry).

Special thanks to Jordan Alexander, hersupport team from HQ policy branch andKenwood Rayner from Highway PlanningBranch, who was drafted (without warning) at the conference. (And to SusanO 'Connor too , who in September joinedthe ministry team working on Transport2021 with the Greater Vancouver RegionalDistrict. )

Task Force Being Formed

What began at the conference will continue. MoTH is chairing a special task forceto aid the co-ordinated implementation ofthe conference action plan. Besides MoTHstaff, the task force will include representatives from the ministries of tourism, environment and Attorney General as well asB.C. Transit , cycling associations inVancouver, Victoria and the Okanagan, theCapital and Greater Vancouver RegionalDistricts and the City of Kelowna.Representation is being sought from theministries of municipal affairs , health andeducation.

Minister Art Charbonneau outside theconference facilities in Vancouver

'W orking together we can makecycling happen in B.C. "

Photo: Vancouver Sun

Interim Cycling Policy

Following the conference, an interimpolicy was finalized by Policy Branch. Itwas released to the public in early January.

Issues in the policy include roadbuildingand maintenance standards as well ascyclist encouragement , education andenforcement. Local and regional cycle-routeplanning and integration initiatives, such asB.C. Transit 's proposed 'Bike-and-Ride' program, are also included.

A year-long monitoring process is now inplace to allow the public and stakeholderstime to review and comment on the policy.During this period, MoTH will track thedevelopment and success of implementinginitiatives proposed in the policy. Any comments and issues will be considered duringpolicy revisions in fall 1993.

If you want a copy of the policy, contactthe Policy Branch at HQ-397-5997.

Policy Branch's "cycling road show"consisted of 80 slides-an introductionto stakeholder comments on theFebruary 1992 draft policy and key HQplayers. The visual representation ofissues covered all areas of project development from bikeway planning anddesign to construction and maintenance.

The regions , in turn , showed Jordanthe glaring differences that existbetween regions. An overall blanketpolicy couldn't seem to cover them all.

"Cycling issues differ greatly outsidethe Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island,and the Okanagan ,': said Jordan. "Inthe Kootenays, there 's many kilometresof road with a rock face on one sideand a 150 metre drop on the other.This makes adding a metre and a halfshoulder to accommodate cyclists quitedifficult and costly. "

Jordan thanks region staff for making her feel at home and for their goodideas. One individual suggested different types of paving and sealcoatingpractices could be applied to benefitcyclists.

"Our regions are diverse but we havea common bond. We all work togetherto serve the public 's transportationneeds ," said Bruce McKeown , ADM,Planning and Major Projects. "To thisend, we encourage comments to theinterim cycling policy released earlierthis month.

"Workingtogether, overthe next yearwe can shape amore 'universal 'and effectivecycling policyand addressinternal issuessuch as cycleroute planning. "

Jordan Alexander


DynamicPile DrivingBy Don Gillespie, Geophysical Engineer,Geotechn ical Operations, Burnaby

11 around the province, many bridges are beingrep laced w ith steel or concrete structures withmuch longer spa ns and much greater foundation

requirements. That's when MoTH installs new piles-tosupport bridge abu tments and piers.

Here's how it works. Design engineers specify the pilesizes as well as the hammer required to drive the pile in.Based on either computer analysis or dynamic pile formula, a driving resistance is determined. Site inspectorsuse the driving resistance as a means of quality control.Sometimes things don't go quite as expected, however.

Often, on very short notice, the PDA (Pile Driving Analysis) operator drives or flies to the site with as much electronics and computers as a rock and roll band. One or two of the piles in question areinstrumented to measure the driving force in the pile, the performance of the pile driver and the capacity of the pile. Frequently, acomparison of the potential energy of the hammer to the actualenergy delivered to the pile can provide an explanation of anomalous (not normal) driving behaviour. By instrumenting the pile ,anomalous behaviour can be explained.

Doug, left, and Don

"The pile will then be either approved for use or remedial measures will be taken, " said Don Gillespie.

Don is one of two operators who are now trained to performPDA for the ministry. Doug Munich and Don share the dutiesdepending on other activities. Last summer , they also trainedSurinder Puir who is now back at school with the ProfessionalPartnership for Graduate Studies Program.

Doug says he enjoys the opportunity to see the province and thechallenge of the job. Every job and every site is different.

(Editor 's note: we thank Doug and Don too, for sharing their story.)

Doug and Don would like to thank MoTH sitesupervisors for their assistance over the years.

@ fh @lifrinthe

"Depending on the situation," says Doug , "we may be lifted by acrane while we stand on a platform or ... there was one job wherethey had a crane with a ball and hook on the end. It was the middle of winter and below freezing. The ball was dipped into thewater and we sat on it so our pants froze onto it and then we werelifted up. "

Both Don and Doug say they like working on construction sitesespecially when MoTH personnel are supervising construction.

"The work can be heavy at times. We need between 350 to 400pounds of gear to do our job. Ministry employees are always willing to pitch in and do some of the leg work , helping us carry thegear to the site," Don says.


Ser ice Excellence UpdcFrom Vince Collins, Deputy Minister

Shortly, you will receive a report on ourperformanceinmeeting our Priorities for Action objectivesfor 1992/93.Here are highlights of accomplishments to date in "SennceExcellence. " Keep up thegood work!

Our "Service Excellence" GoalThe ministry is dedicated to the pursuitofexcellence in the delivery ofqualityservices to all our customers. In doing so,the ministry will ensure that customerneeds are clearly identified and thatministry programs and priorities addresscustomer expectations.

ervice Excellence is critical to our everyday operations. It's the glue that keeps us working together-not just for our external customers but it

makes our jobs more pleasant as well. "Service Excellence" supports and develops the human side of government , not the machine referred to as the bureaucracy.

The concept of "Service Excellence" isn 't new. You 'vebeen working toward it all along. What "Se rv iceExcellence" does is empower the staff to change thingsfor the better.

This is my opportunity to assess our progress in fulfilling "Service Excellence" strategies and priorities out-

S.E. is servingourselves bettertoo-as 200% Clubmember MarieStebbing, HQ(pictured withGordon Hogg,ADM, AdminServices onreceiving an"Emp loyeeSuggestionAward") did inworking to improveFinancialManagementReporting (FMR)for users.

lined in the ministry's "Priorities for Action" plan, circulated to staff April 1992. They were lofty, but we 're onthe way to achieving them , thanks to our "Se rv iceExcellence" staff and dedicated reps in the field.

Our Strategies to Meet Our Goal

1) We need to continue to talk about "ServiceExcellence"toensurestaff understandthe concepts and therelevance of "Sertice Excellence"to the workplace.

To this end, our "Service Excellence" reps have workedtirelessly. Between July and October, they supported the"Service Excellence" office in the delivery of awarenesssessions. They're also the facilitators of the 2000/0Club. Inthe fourth quarter of the year , the "Service Excellence"unit also produced a video. It showed us where we areand our plans for the future. Specifically, the creation of aministry-wide "Service Excellence" plan of action for1993/94.

2) Feedbackfrom regional focus groups needs to beanalyzedfor full understanding ofcustomer demands,and strategies need to bedeveloped in orderto respond creatively to thisfeedback.

Regional focus groups were surveyed last February. Theresults were circulated to "Service Excellence" reps andmanagers for discussion amongst staff. Staff responded inmany areas. Regional updates to keep the public moreinformed of all ministry activities was one result. And staffare "talking and listening" to the public more than everbefore. This is critical to the success of the program.

3) Further effort is required on developing customerprofiles of service expectations and benchmark tests ofperceivedsatisfaction with service levels. This research will beconductedon both internaland externalcustomers.

A general population study was made between Augustand October. The target audience was 800 public andcommercial road users. Further, "Speak Out '92, a surveyof staff opinions (on "Service Excellence," "OrganizationalHealth" and internal communications) was conducted inOctober. The results of both will be communicated soonand will help direct the ministry-wide "Service Excellence "plan of action for 1993/94.

4) Where it is notpossible orprudent to meetthespecific demands of customers, ministry representatives have aduty to inform the customer and explainthe reasons.

We 've made some good progress on this one.Perhaps the best example is the customer complaint follow-up program first developed at Lakes District andnow being employed by others. These type ofapproaches are exactly what we need in order to stayclose to our customers.

S.E. is workingas a team tosolve businessproblems-asSouth Coast 'sManagementServices Teamshows us (seeFall and nextRoad Runner).Team memberKeith St01Y,ProjectTechnician,pictured.

Our Priorities for A

1) Regional andExcellence" Unit, uii,

ceptsof "Service Excparticipate in explo.customergroups.The "Service Excelle

to be driving this pri:have become involveare to succeed. We ]that providing excelfmanagement respon:continued leadershipto our long-term suo

2) Every workuruto implementserviceorityshould begivenmitment, identifyingcustomer feedback,deemed to hold the I

payback.

Two major initiativ

1) The Annual Pt92 /93 produced bDepartment is an exof this priority.

2) Planning and 1lot of work in identtheir expectations atmeet or beat these e)

, ,' ,' , •• • ,',,:+' '<, ,

ate

ztio n

Branch Directors) with the "Seruicel ensure staffare exposed to the conillence"and have the opportunity toing ways to improve service to their

.ice" reps and staff in general seem

.rity. I congratulate all of you whod. That is the way it must be if weteed to remember though,nt service is very much aibility and as such, theirand involvement is criticaless.t willhave developed a planenhancements. Initial prito building employeecomhe customerbase) solicitingand responding on issuesiigbestpriority or greatest

1~s :

iformance Agreements forI Highways Operations.ellen! exercise in support

1ajor Projects have done afying customers , definingd developing strategies topectations.

Overall, we 're on the right track. We are recognized bygovernment as being leaders in "Service Excellence ,"thanks to staff. But there needs to be more interaction. Weneed to talk and listen more to our external customersand we must improve the level of communicationsbetween departments as well as between staff and theirmanagers/ supervisors.

3) TheExecutive) with input ofall ministry work unitsandfeedback from customers through focus groups andsurveys ) will prepare a ministry-toide plan for "SeruiceExcellence"prior to the end offiscalyear 1992/93.

As you will note under "strategy 3," we completed anSOO-sample, road-user survey the results of which will becirculated to " Se r v i c e Excellence" reps andmanagers/ supervisors in the new year. The next step willbe to have managers/supervisors meet with their staff todiscuss the results. At this point, staff will be asked to provide feedback. This feedback, as well as the road-user survey findings , "Speak Out '92" findings and plans producedby each work unit in response to "p riority 2," will contribute to the preparation of a ministry-wide plan for"Service Excellence" in the 1993/94 fiscal year. This plan isto be produced by April of this year.

S.E. is becoming a part of the community-as N011h Cariboo District 's student tours help us.


Critiques

Compiled by Ann Adams, "SeruiceExcellence" rep, Public Affairs Branch

"Excellent service has alwaysbeen offered in this region, but weare aware that we must continue toimprove service and product delivery. " June Forsythe, Central/NorthEast Region

"I think the great accomplishment of'Service Excellence' has been theopening up of communicationbetween employees and all levels ofmanagement. This enables ideas forimprovement to be expressed openlyand received positively. " MarilynMineault, South Peace District.

"Identifying customers was an exercise that demonstrated the practicalapplication of 'Service Excellence'. Wehad a lot of fun with it and I could seepeople beginning to understand theintent of the initiative." Christy Kerr,Highway Planning Branch

"I feel that S.E. in our Branch hashelped to boost the morale , but staffhave communicated they feel management has to make their supportmore visible. " Sue Harrison, ContractAdmin, HQ

"I'm concerned that peers are coming to me with comments like S.E. isn'tgoing anywhere. S.E. is not simplyresponding to outside customers in aquick and courteous manner. S.E. hasto begin taking care of our colleagues.Team building begins at 'home' andstarts off small. I still remain with theunderstanding that when you recognize employees for a job well done,the investment is well worth thereturn. " LeahGlide-Stat, HighwaySafety Branch

"We are working to keep 'ServiceExcellence' awareness high and arevery encouraged by customer feedback. A bouquet of flowers wasreceived recently by]oni Cooper, ourDevelopment Approvals Officer andletters of thanks were received byBrian Hammerback, DistrictTechnician. " Kee Warner and AndreaSmit, Lakes District.


IT'S YOUR SERVE

Cost-Saving TrioBy Bill Birney)Information Systems Branch) HQ

The project: to upgrade the operatingsystem software on 38 shared processors(minicomputers) , from an old release to thenew current release . This was a big jobdone with a minimum of disruption to ourcustomers. It involved a dozen people, plusassistance from region/district operationsstaff and three key players : John Fysh ,Margo McCormick and Yvon Leduc.

John figured out a way to do theupgrades without our having to physicallyvisit each site , as had been necessary theprevious time. He and his staff , Margo and

Ferry Workers tothe Rescue

The tradition on inland ferries is to render assistance to any individual in troubleon their waterways. Recently , four crewmembers on the Kootenay Ferry route werethanked by the public for coming to therescue on two different occasions.

"Wo rds fail me ," said Lyn Price whentwo crewmates on the Kootenay Lake Ferryroute , Al Chalmers and Roger Aubert ,assisted her mother, who'd been injured ina motor vehicle accident on the way to theferry. "Roger was very considerate , helpingwith telephone calls , offering coffee. Alwas sensitive , careful , thorough andhumorous," said Lyn.

Larry Watke and Paul Moreau also cameto the rescue. Phyllis Trozzo explains in aletter to the ministry: "We want to conveyour thanks for the way they responded toAl Trozzo who was in severe pain as hewas being transported to Nelson hospital.They have him 100% care, comforting andtalking , giving him oxygen and assuringhim he was going to be okay. "

Yvon , did the upgradesremotely , assisted bysystems technicians atthe regions and by sitecontacts at the districtsand sub-offices.

We estimate savingsof at least $ 6 0, 0 0 0through avoidance of travel costs to the 33sites. Of course , there were reasons fordoing the upgrades , such as better reliability, assured continuation of vendor support,etc.-and these were achieved. However,the real story was the evenings and weekends worked by these people so as not toinconvenience customers (ministry staff)during working hours , and the ingenuityapplied to avoiding travel costs.

The cost-saving trio (left to right): John Fysb,Senior Operation Analyst and operationsanalysts Margo McCormick and YvonLeduc.

(Editor 's note: Because the key playerswere contractors, they are not eligible forthe government Suggestion Awards, buttheir dedication and ingenuity is appreciated. Thanks.)

Captain Malcolm Coupland congratulatesAl Chalmers (left) and Roger Aubert.

Suggestion AwardsCongrats to Wendy Isherwood, Data

Clerk, Insurance and Claims Section in theConstruction Engineering Branch, HQ.She designed a more efficient file retrievalsystem for her section and won herself$650. Wendy took what was "alw ays theway" (searching daily for files for claimsadjustors) and turned it into a "new, moreefficient system" (searching on designateddays , weekly). Her evaluator from thesection, Steve Swanston says , "The changessaved us time ... but far more important,is that the changes have taken whatused to be a nasty and frustrating job andturned it into a welcome part of the week'sroutine. "

Earl Lund) ChiefHighway Engineer (right)presents Wendy her plaque for taking "anasty job and turning it into a welcomepart of the ioeek's routine. JJ

ew 200% ClubSherrie Applegate and Lee Constan

tineau , Bulkley Nass District: booth designers/builders extraordinaire

Barbara Armstrong, HQ: goes theextra mile-always

Beth Atkinson, HQ: pleasantand efficient

Linda Ashby, Region 6: performedthree jobs at once-willingly

John Brethour, electrical crew, Region6: great organizational and record-keepingskills

Dan Buckthorpe, Commissionaire , HQ:cheerfu l, eager attitude

Terry Burgess, Fort George District:grade "A" public consultation

Andy Bush and Rees Davidson,Bridge Inspection Crew: contagious enthusiasm and extra hours

Ken Canfield (Captain now retired),Kootenay Lake Ferry: for his years of service and giving joy to hundreds of kidsthroughout our country

Ken Carter, HQ: consistently helpful,happy, willing to lend a hand

AIChalmers and Roger Aubert,Kootenay Lake Ferry: for helping womaninjured in car accident (see Ferry Workers tothe Rescue p.16)

Virginia Clark, HQ: high-level qualityto Engineers in Training program

Lynda Daniels, HQ: put in 12 to 14hour days for UBCM conference

embersSandra deHoog, Lakes District: goes

the extra mile; in early always

Carol Deveau , HQ: regularly worksbeyond job requirements

Sue Gravelle , Region 4: an asset tothe ministry

Jim Guthrie and Noella Resendes,Region 4: arranged 50per centcost-savings travel

Margaret Heslop, Region 2: developed procedures to ensure key peopleare kept informed during emergenciesthrough ministry radio room

Liz Kennedy, HQ: created an improvedbring forward system

Maxine McDicken , Region 6: thinksahead to make work place pleasant

Bruce McGorman, Region 6: for NicolStreet project , careful attention to public concerns

Bob Maher, HQ: gets a "10" for humourand patience in training staff

Nadene Morris, Nicola District: worksovertime , takes calls at home

Brenda Nicolson, HQ: fine work in providing autocad drawings

Teresa Nye, HQ: goes beyond dutycheerfully

Bob O'Brien, Central Island: positive topublic and staff

Dina O'Donnell, HQ: offers neve r-toobusy technical support

Marge Pogson, Rob Delange andMurray Baines , HQ: sacrificed free time todeliver Lan Customer to Properties Branch

Paulette Stehle,Allan Brasch andLee Anne Laponder,Okanagan/ShuswapSu b-Office"Sunshine" makers.


Captain,Ken Caufield (now retired) gavepleasure to kids throughout the country.

Joyce Pool, Region 6: always willing tolend a hand and uplifting

Jim Richards, HQ: epitome of "ServiceExcellence"

Kirby Rimer, HQ: always provideshigh-quality, high-production

Paulette Stehle, Allan Brasch andLee Anne Laponder, Okanagan/Shuswapsub-office: receivers of "Sunshine" letterfrom the public sector

Gary Stringer, HQ: volunteered tohelp out Library Resource Centre

Del Rosario, Ministry Librarian andlibrary clerks , Enza and Shahida: forenhancing the ministry Geo tech lab's ability to access information

Murray Tekano, HQ: ensured studentswere provided a trail to take them safelypast the McKenzie Ave. construction site

Tony Taylor (Marine Manager nowretired) Kootenay Lake Ferry: initiatedstate-of-the-art signage, tourist map ofWest Kootenays , emergency phone numbers and small block ads for localentrepreneurs

Fred Thompson, Region 6: overduefor recognition of conscientious endeavors

Nella Todd, Region 4: against all odds,got survey crew a new home

Kim Douglas Tourner, HQ: trainingsupport on very, very sho rt notice

Geoff Warrington, (now retired) HQ:outstanding service for 37 years

Larry Watke and Paul Moreau,Kootenay Lake Ferry: caring for customeron route to Nelson Hospital (see FerryWorkers to the Rescue p.16)

Ron Wiebe, Region 4: designed projectupdates (see Little Updates p. 8)

Wei Wong, Fraser Valley District:help ed road user in distress.


Long-ServiceAwards

Fifty-six ministry employees had the honour of being recognized for their long service-two for forty -years , 10 for thirty-fiveyears and forty-four for twenty-five years.They were invited to join other governmentlong-service employees to be congratulatedby our Premier and enjoy the hospitality atGovernment House in Victoria, November26, 1992. Congratulations.

Forty Years Barney Keane , Region 3and Ivan WillialTIs, Region 2

Thirty-Fivers James Bell , Fort George ;Larry deBoer , HQ ; Herbert Heywood ,Region 2; Oliver King , Region 1; JamesKirkpatrick , Region 6; Frank Martens ,Region 4; Jim Mewhort , Region 2; DerekParkes , Region 1; Frank Sawatzky, Region3; Arnold Arthur Talbot, S. Okanagan.

Twenty-Fivers James Arnusch, KootenayBoundary; Larry Bagan , Region 3; PaulBowler , H Q ; Peter Brett , H Q; BarrieCarlson , HQ ; Walt Chamberlain, HQ; RobinCherbo , C. Kootenay ; John Clark , NorthPeace; Carl Collier, E. Kootenay; HarmanDelyea , E. Kootenay ; Don Diesing , E.Kootenay; iels Edelmann , Fort George;Tom Edwards , Electrical District , Coq.;Ralph Falbo , Selkirk; Gordon Frank, Region3; Glen Gibbon, Region 2; Earl Gro nvold ,Region 2; Bernie Haddock, Region 2; ErrolHicks , Region 3; Howard Hunter, Region 1;Gerald Irving , S. Cariboo; Larry Khadikin ,Region 3; Bud Kirkland , S. Cariboo; TadKiyona , Region 2; Terry Kirkbride , HQ ;Ronald Kristoff, C. Kootenay; Russell Leech,HQ ; Laury Lewis , Lower Mainland; JimMacDonald , Kootenay Boundary; Ro nMatthews , Regio n 1; Neil McDonald, C.Kootenay; Patrick McFarla ne, Regi o n 2;Gregory Mertton, HQ; Donald Morr iso n,Region 3; Lawrence Olson , North Peace ;Jim O'Bryan , Region 3; Roger Pratt, Region3; Dave Thomas , Region 5; Wally Smi th ,Region 1; Don Taphorn , Selkirk; Pa ulineThomas , Region 2; Ro n Webber , H Q;Patricia Wood , Region 2; H a n sZimmermann, Region 2.

Forty-year employee Barney Keane and hiswife j ackie.

Photo: Royce Kletke

EmployeeAssistanceProgram

It 's all about helping people to helpthemselves. It's confidential and it's free.

Who is the program for?

The program provides free , confidentialand professional support to help employees resolve problems that affect their personal or work lives. (Yes, your spouse ordependents can apply too because yourwell-being and work performance can beaffected by their problems.) It's your choicebut going through the EAP may also bemandatory when work performance isaffected.

What kinds of problems?

EAP does not deal with all work-relatedproblems. That's what management, personnel and the union are for. The EAPdeals with human problems that may affectyour work which may include but are notlimited to those related to health , alcoholand drug abuse or dependancy , family ,marital and financial problems.

Why is it needed?

We all have problems. Usually we canwork them out. Sometimes though , theybecome too much to handle and startaffecting our happiness , health, relationships or work. When this happens we needsupport or these problems and the consequences may become worse.

How Does it Work?

For a problem at home that doesn't affectwork , you can refer yourself. If the problem potentially affects your work, yo u rsupervisor may suggest you refer yourse lf.If it 's really affecting your work, yo u rsu pervisor will refer you. In this case youmay have a Union Steward present at themeeting with your supervisor. Each refer ralis reviewed and either accepted or rejectedfor action. Action would involve cou nselling through a community resource andEAP follow up to determine if the coursewas successful.

And if further assistance is needed?

On completion of the program, if furtherassistance is recommended, the employeewill be responsible for the monetary costs.

However , MSA (extended health) willnow accept receipts for services renderedby doctors registered by the College ofPsychologists to a maximum of $200 a person or $500 a family per year. It is sub jectto a deductible of 25 per cent and co-insurance factor of 80 per cent.

Where do you refer yourselfor an employee?

It 's as simple as calling 1-800-661-2327(687-4113 in the Lower Mainland) 24 hoursa day , seven days a week.

Review ofSTU Positions

A committee to review positions for classification within the Scientific TechnicalOfficer (STO) Plan was formed becausethere was concern over classification levelsassigned to positions as a result of the STOPlan. Members include Miles Webste r(chair), regional re p, Reg Fredrikson, district rep and from headquarters: RichardDixon and Wayne Bobroske .

The committee mandate is to provide anadvisory role with respect to orga nizationa lstructu re; rev iew d ut ies to determine ifpositions meet the criteria for the STO Plan ;and classify pos itions. All sub mitted jobdescriptions and related infor mation is currently being co llected an d s o r te d forreview.

Further de tails w ill be co mmunicated inthe next Road Runner.

Road Runner Win ter 1992/93 19

Pay Equity Update

Seven Managing Diversity training sessions were delivered last fall to ministrymanagers. The initiative raised awarenessas well as provided information on employment equity and how to effectively managediversity.

Two comments received from sessionattendees: "It increased my knowledge andunderstanding of employment equity andthe laws which govern it " and "I nowunderstand that managing diversity meansto integrate cross cultures , not merelyassimilate people to my values. "

Thank you to those managers whoattended and participated. You showed adesire to accommodate cultural differencesas well as commitment to our organizationand your jobs.

HQ "equitysession "

facilitator,David Robertson:

"Think of thepositives."

Diversity Training Update

From Nella Todd, Employment EquityCommittee Chair, Region 4

To all who attended and took the time tocomment on the Employment EquityAwareness sessions , thank you . Most sa idthey were good, some said the y were toolong and pacing was slow. We 'll be ba ckwith sensitivity seminars and will adju stdelivery according to your comments.

These seminars were brought to you byyour fellow workers. The y were de signedto make you aware of the historical andcurrent biases that make it difficult toachieve diversity in our work place. Specialthanks to the volunteers.

Don 't forget. Equity is not just a payissue. It 's a matter of giving re spect andconsideration toall fellow humanbeings.

Thanks forBeing There

Deb Brooks, Pay Clerk andAndrew Bailey, Asst. Supervisor,Payroll both from HQ-twoindividuals who benefitedfromPay Equity increases.

Managing CareerDiscussions

This is a one-day seminar to assistsupervisors to effectively conduct careerdiscussions with their employees and isparticularly beneficial for supervisorswho are supporting a nominee in theExcel Program.

There are five key learning points :

1) career preparation vs planning,

2) understanding the roles andresponsibilities of the employee andthe supervisor,

3) motivating employees,

4) resources and tools available , and

5) counselling skills to guidecareer discussions.

This course will begin in early 1993.For more information please callRuss Spilsbury at 387-7800.

The task dictionary will provide a database for the preparation of computer-assisted job descriptions and is scheduled to becomplete and operational by spring 1994.Due to the high cost of hardware/softwarefor this program, it may initially be available in a limited number of locations.

Approximately twenty employees wereinterviewed as part of the process fordeveloping a new gender-neutral job evaluation plan to cover all positions in theBCGEU bargaining unit. The new job evaluation plan is scheduled for completion in

the spring of 1994.

To date we have had two payequity interim salary increases.Further increases are scheduledto occur after the plan has beenfinalized and will continue at anannual rate of up to one percent of government payroll untilequity is achieved.

INARSEWSEFinancial Management Seminar

The seminar is a one-day briefing onthe fundamentals of Ministry/Government Financial Management and Control.This session is intended for managersand staff who are partially involved inthe financial management process butwho do not require detailed knowledgeof all aspects of the process.

Financial AdministrationWorkshop

This workshop is a two-day presentation intended for employees who requiremore in-depth knowledge of the government financial management and controlprocess. It is designed to ensure practicalfinancial policy concerns are addressed.

The above two courses have beenscheduled to begin in January. For further information regarding the abovenoted courses please call Wally Quarryat 387-7811.

Work on the Government Pay EquityProgram is behind schedule , however, thebulk of our ministry 's workload commitment to the project is complete. Ministryemployees have conducted 14 task-dictionary focus groups (comprised of three tofive employees each) and worked an average of three days. Additionally , we contributed to a number of focus groups conducted by other ministries.


ORK PLACE HARASSMENTWe all benefit from a work place free from harassment.

Harassment violates the fundamental rights , dignity and integrityof the individual-and it is against the law. The problem is, mostof us don't know what harassment is. We 've tried to do this foryou as well as to let you know who you can contact if you feelyou 've been harassed.

Harassment is defined as

- harassment of an individual or individuals on any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Human Rights Act ofBritish Columbia. These include: race , colour, ancestry, place oforigin , religion , marital status , family status , physical or mentaldisability , sex or sexual orientation;

- deliberate gestures , comments, questions , representations, orother behaviours that ought reasonably to be known to beunwelcome by the recipient and which serve no legitimate workrelated purpose.

Harassment does not include actions occasioned throughexercising in good faith the employer's managerial/supervisoryrights and responsibilities.

Employees , in dealing with other persons in the work place,must treat them with respect and dignity , and refrain fromexploiting a work relationship for private advantage or benefit.

Se~alHarassment

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome comment or conduct ofa sexual nature that may detrimentally affect the work environment or lead to adverse job-related consequences for the victim.It includes, but is not limited to, unwanted physical contact, sexual advances , requests for sexual favours , and suggestive oroffensive comments or gestures emphasizing sexuality, sexualidentity, or sexual orientation.

Who to Call

Employees who believe they have been subjected to overt orimplied harassment are encouraged to make their objectionsknown to the harasser. Where this is inappropriate or ineffective , employees are encouraged to seek the assistance of theirsupervisor, manager, personnel advisor, appropriate representative of their bargaining unit or the Employment Equity Advisor,Carol Leung.

These individuals may not have all the answers to your questions but they will know where additional information or assistance is available .

New Language

The Government of the Province of B.C. and the BCGEU haverecently agreed to new language, policy, and procedures relatedto complaints of harassment. The policy and procedures alsoapply to excluded employees. It is anticipated that , with the cooperation of the P.E.A. and the Nurses ' Unions , members ofthose two bargaining units will also be covered.

First ExcelGraduate

Bob Corder , once manager of financialservices in Region 6, came into the ministry 's Excel program for career managerswith a goal-to be a Regional Manager ofFinance and Administration. With sixmonths left to go on his planned Excel program, he proved his management competency by winning the competition forRegional Manager Finance andAdministration in Region 4.

"Al t h o u g h it 's not a huge step formankind," said Bob , "I am now part of theregional management team , which is alarge move for me. "

Bob began his career with the ministry19 years ago , in General Office at HQ. Hethen moved around the regions and districts, working his way up.

"I started on a personalized , plannedmanagement program prior to the official

inaugaration of Excel. My supervisor ,Bonnie Meurs (Regional Manager, Finance& Administration) and Regional Director,Neville Hope sat down with me and plotted a two-year course of training thatwould lead me toward my goal.

Congratulations Bob

"Excel formalizes a very good process,where two levels of supervisors work withan employee and share their insight as wellas their support. It also helps you identifyall the opportunities , and there 's lots ofthem in this ministry. I'd recommend Excelto anybody interested in career management. "

Bob Corder 's wife Sherry, daughterRobyn and son Danny, joined him inPrince George December 6th. "We' re alllooking forward to new opportunities andmeeting new people. "

Congratulations Bob. You can "Excel"too , but first you have to be nominated.

ominees are recommended throughappraisal interviews during the career-development discussions. .

For more information, call your personnel office or Russ Spilsbury in PersonnelServices Branch, HQ at 387-7799.


What is ServicExcellence Anyway?

An excerptfrom North West Pathways) a personal perspective byJane Sparkes) Public Information Officer) Region 5

Service Excellence; we 've all heardthese words (if you haven 't youmust have your head under a rock).Some see it as "just another one of

those ministry programs." Others gree t it asan opportunity to change our bureaucraticways. Some of you may not be clear onwhat it means and what the ministry program is all about.

It means, in a nutshell, providing the bestservice possible to your "cu s to me rs ."Ultimately, all of us are contributing servicesthat lead to an end product on the highway ,therefore, our external customers are theroad users . We also have internal customerswe deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Perhaps you already are providing excellent service to your "custo me rs"- that' sgreat! The point of this initiative is to havethe ministry as a whole performing excellent service . The "Service Excellence" initiative asks you to take a closer look at andthink about what you 're doing, who you 'redoing it for and how well you 're doing it. Inother words, who are your customers, whatservices do you provide to them, are theythe right services and are they satisfied withthose services?

The "Service Excellence" team was organized to take a closer look at the overallministry services and customers. They'vestarted by doing focus group studies thatask customers their service expectationsand current levels of satisfaction with theministry. The results of this study have beenmade available to all staff in the ministry.The next step of this research is to do abroader based survey getting an even betterpicture of customer satisfaction levels. Thegroup is also travelling the province to talkto other work units about "Se r v ic eExcellence" to motivate staff to think aboutservice and ways of improving it as individuals in our ministry.

So why are we doing this, you ask? In theprivate sector the motivation is obvious.Satisfied customers are return customers, inother words PROFIT AND SUCCESS.

Over the next fewyears, ideas will flow

and get tried out.Some will succeedand some won't.

In the public sector, as in MoTH, what'sthe motivation? Our customers can 't goto the competition and we can 't gain orlose money. What are "they" going to

do, fire us?!?

Well, that's a pretty crummy attitude , eh?The motivation to provide quality servicestill exists in the public sector, it's just notso bottom line. It 's called pride. Personalpride in your work, pride in the organization you work for.

We all joke about our publicly knownnickname the "Department of Holidays ,"but admit it, that reputation is nothing tobe proud of. Not too many of us appreciate the sometimes negative commentswe receive when we tell people wherewe work.

What's themotivation? Our

customers can't go tothe competition, andwhat are they going

d f ?,?to 0, Ire us...

Another motivation is, although the public has nowhere else to go for our services,they can sure make a lot of noise if they 'reunhappy-you 've all heard of minister 'sreferral letters and MLAs?!?

Also , consider what kind of serviceyou expect when dealing with otherministries and government services as ataxpayer. Not so hot sometimes, is it? Keepthat in mind next time you 're dealing witha "customer."

Finally, we as civil servants have a moralresponsibility to provide the best possibleservice to our "customers" regardless ofwhether or not there are any repercussionsto not doing so.

A few other things about "Se rv ic eExcellence" that may need some clearingup. The reference to "customers"- it's justa name to call those folks we serve. Youmay sometimes hear them referred to as"clients."

"Service Excellence" activities-what arethey? They are anything that will improveservice to external and internal people youdeal with. It could be eliminating anunnecessary administrative process thathinders good service, answering the phoneafter two rings instead of eight , keepingstaff around at lunch to help "customers"on their lunch hour, or dealing with acomplaint immediately instead of dayslater. Perhaps one of the best ways wedeliver excellent service is by ensuring thatour road and bridge projects are the highest quality we can provide. It is the littlethings AND the big things that will make adifference to the way people view us.

The initiative is still in its infancy. Overthe next few years ideas will flow and gettried out. Some will succeed and somewon't. The thing to do at this time is thinkabout it. Take the time to evaluate your situation. You may be happy to discoveryou 're doing just great or find there 's roomfor improvement, but you 'd never given itmuch thought. Now 's the time for makingchanges.


FRANCOIS LAKE FERRYProfessional CrewExcellent Ship

John Mussich& Loren Funk,mixing paint

CaptainAt Thomson

Ken MillarRoute Manager

"Spotlight On"graphic thanks toJoy Lees, FinancialSystems, HO

Al Thomson has been a captain on theFrancois Lake route since 1974. Before then,he 'd been a relief mate on the Albion ferryroute for about a year and a mate on theMV Needles for six years. So he speaks fromexperience when he callsthe Omineca Princess anexcellent ship and its crew,very professional.

"All are dedicated andoften work beyond the callof duty. Many start as localrelief workers and end upmaking it their workingcareer. Most are involved inthe community. Two, TonyBusfield and Lorne MacNab,put in hundreds and hundreds of hours to get a localvolunteer "first aid responder group " going-withhelp from the B.C.Ambulance Service co-ordi-nator in Burns Lake. Aboutten years ago, Tony alsoorganized a volunteer firedepartment in Southbank."

Mate Norm McGinnis and team - they 're trainingfor the world 's longestand toughest race in 1995, from Anchorage to Nome Alaska.

Location: Crosses Francois Lake ,between Southbank and Francois Lake, 24kms south of Burns Lake in the LakesDistrict of Region 5

Service: Year-round, seven days a week,with scheduled trips 19 hours a day andon-call for emergencies between 12:30 a.m.and 5:30 a.m.

Number of Crew: 28

Route Manager: Ken Millar

Ship: MV Omineca Princess , 34-car, 200passengers (Omineca is a Sekanni Indianword meaning "lake-like or sluggish river")

Ship History: Built at Allied ShipBuilders in North Vancouver, the ship wasthen cut into sections and moved by road(in 22 trailer loads) to Francois Lake. Theinaugural run was June 13, 1976.

Route History: In .1916, the governmenttook over a private service here with theKitexchen-a barge with a one-team-andwagon capacity. September 1919 , theKitexchen swept ashore during a highwind. It was refloated , but sunk shortlyafter. The Francois Belle replaced it. Astraffic increased, larger ferries were put onthe route: the 6-car Francois Lake Ferry(1922) , the 16-car Jacob Henkel (1949) and,finally, the Omineca Princess (1976).

IN THE SPOTLIGHT


Growing Roads?!!?By Tom Parkin) Public Information Officer) Region 6

Captain Ken Warren

About the locals: "The people here arevery resilient. No matter what you throw atthem they dig in deep and keep comingback. You've got to respect them for it. Lastyear, the weather didn't co-operate for 'normal' logging. Loggers just got up a little earlier and worked a lot harder. "

About the tourists: "Over the last fewyears, we've had a lot of German tourists.They can 't believe this country-not manypeople, clean water, clean air, open spaces.You get a real feeling of pride in your country."

About the weather: "You dress warm andprepare for it, and you get into wintersports. I used to do a lot of hunting andfishing. I still snow mobile. My wife and Ifind the Springs long and drawn outthough. There 's a lot of mud and it takes along time before you see green grass. ThisMarch, we 're going to tow our new HarleyDavidson to Sacramento and tour SouthernNevada, Southern California and Arizona.

Al Pederson ) doing some touch up

Does he really think that road will grow?Of course not. Mike Rutledge is sprinklingwater on plastic to set it so vehicles canpass over it in minutes. Lost you again?Read on.

Road Runner readers may recall WallaceLibby and Jack Vandenberg from our Spring'92 issue, in a story about cross-hatching.They were 'on the road ' again with MikeRutledge , Norbert Ilner, Mike Sestrap andAlvin Timoffee as part of ouronly thermoplastic crew.

Most of the crew are seasonalemployees; foreman Jack andMike R. are the only full-timers inthis Surrey-based centreline operation. All of the crew typicallywork Ll-hour days, taking onlyevery-other weekend off. Theydo take a week 's break aroundeach long weekend, when theyhave a chance to return home forwell-deserved R&R.

Between April and October,they renew intersection markingsover the sou thern half of theprovince. (Thermoplastic is infrequently used in Regions 4 and 5because roads there are dirtierand ice blades used in thoseregions tend to remove the plastic layer.)

Despite their travels and travails, most MoTH employeeshave never seen this crew inaction. Thermoplastic is a processof applying hot plastic to asphalt.It begins when two of the crewon a propane-fired 'mother truck 'break up heavy bricks of whiteplastic with mallets and chuckthe chunks into a vat. In one sea-son , they melt some 200 tonnes of the stuff,which is composed primarily of calciumcarbonate bulked with glass beads toimprove night reflection.

The plastic is heated to 200 degrees eelcius before being poured down a chuteinto a motorized lane-marking machine ormanual applicators pushed by Jack oranother senior member of the crew. Eventhese secondary machines are heaterequipped to keep the plastic liquid as itcools very quickly.

As soon as the stop bars , cros swalkedges , turn arrows or centreline marks aredown, another crew member brings a sprinkling can , watering the plastic to cool it. Itsolidifies within minutes, even at Kamloopsin mid-summer. As might be expected, thereare plenty of funny looks and remarks frompassers-by: "No matter how much you waterit, it's not going to grow!"

Mike Rutledge) sprinkling water on plasticso it will set quicker.

This crew labors in dangerous traffic at ajob few of us ever consider. They worktogether in a monotonous routine in confined trucks and motel rooms-constantlyon the move. Like all centreline crews , theysacrifice long periods from their personallives for the benefit of you and 1. They gaveme renewed appreciation and respect forthe work life of field employees.


StrippingBy John Coombs) Planning Services Branch

WIM stands for Weigh In Motion. It's a scale that, when strippedacross a road surface, can weigh each vehicle axle as it crosses athighway speeds.

The first Weigh In Motion (WIM) strips were installed last summer in various locations around the province including theCoquihalla Toll Booth. When WIM strips are put together with conventional traffic count loops we can measure not only the type andweight of vehicle crossing that section of road, but also its speed.

Direct telephone telemetry is also connected to the site. Thismakes it possible to see, in real time , the activity on a certain roadsegment. Together with other WIM installations, it will be possibleto put information into a traffic model and measure the use of theroad network.

This information will go toward such things as research in roaddesign and construction materials , traffic demand management, traffic forecastings and determining system efficiency.

The initial work in installation and site selection , awardingcontracts , etc. , was done by Planning Services Branch , researchand development team under Darius Kanga. The maintenanceand incorporation of this new data source will be the responsibility of Planning Services, information resources grou p underMichael Trickey.

The thrust for WIM carne through the internationally supportedSHRP (Strategic Highway Research Project), which is a $150 millionlong-term project to better understand the conditions and factorsaffecting the road structures of the major highway networks in

orth America.

Sandy Mctvlillan, Transtec employee) seals the WIM stripping.

Aboriginal Issues,Project Director

Meet Mary Koyl, Project Directorof Aboriginal Issues-a new position in the Executive Branch. Shecomes from the Ministry of Healthwhere she was Executive Directorof the Support Services Division.Mary is experienced in workingwith Aboriginal peoples over arange of high profile policyissues. She has worked with theMinistry of Finance and CorporateRelations as Director, AboriginalLand Claims and as Director , Social Policy and SpecialProjects with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. Her role withMoTH is to aid in the resolution of issues between our ministry and the Aboriginal community. Welcome Mary.

on-Conforming SignRemoval

In October, Minister Art Charbonneau announced that non-conforming signs along highway rights-of-way are to be removed by

ovember 13th.

"We have had a substantial number of complaints from the public and municipalities about illegal signs on highway rights-of-way.The time has come to ensure the ministry 's signing policy isadhered to and these particular ones are removed permanently,"said Charbonneau in his announcement.

The only exception is for signs of substantial size (greater thanthree square metres). These are being allowed to remain in recognition of the owner's cost to install them. Owners will be advised toapply for a temporary permit not to exceed six years.

"I want to thank all the OHMs and their staff for carrying thiscampaign through, " said Dan Doyle, ADM, Highway Operations. "Itwas not an easy campaign. In some areas, public consultation willcontinue on the issue. But we 've made a good start toward a resolution to the problem of non-conforming signs on the rights-of-wayof our provincial highways.

Bridges in BulkThere has never been a truer axiom than

the one that says "the greatest asset anycompany has is its own employees."

Roy Buettner, Manager, BridgeConstruction, Bridge Engineering Branchproved that when he suggested the branchdevelop standardized modular bridge partsthat can fit together, depending on the site.

With 27 years experience in the ministry,18 with Bridge Engineering Branch inheadquarters, Roy had seen modularbridges designed for other ministries and inthe private sector. "There are two uniquefeatures in modular bridges ," says Roy, "Wehave standardized bridge sections so specifications can easily be put together ,depending on what's needed at the site. Inaddition, all major components are prefabricated in steel or precast concrete. "

"The cost savings are substantial, " saysKang Ho , Senior Bridge Engineer."Reduced costs in design (bridges are standardized, predesigned and predrafted asmuch as possible , it's just site specific components must be completed) , project supervision (because of reduced constructiontime) and; actual contract costs (as good asand , in some cases , less than constructioncosts on conventional structures) make thisan excellent program. "

Gas.Ex ExploderAs reported in the last Road Runner ,

this summer Snow Avalanche Programsbegan work on the installation of aGas.Ex remote detonating avalanche-control system at a high-elevation avalanche

Chuck) left) and Roy

"We started work on the project in late1990 ," says Chuck Hutchinson , BridgeConstruction Engineer , six years withBridge Engineering and involved in thedesign and implementation of the project."Some modular units have been developedand built, and we 're continuously workingto develop standards for new modulars. "

Regional or district staff come to BridgeEngineering with a site plan and geotechreport. The headquarters group (with inputfrom Highway Engineering and HighwayEnvironment) puts together the wholepackage, providing drawings and specifications. All major components for the crossing structure are fabricated away from thesite, shipped to the location and connectedby means of bolting , grouting and welding.

start zone near Duffey Lake. ScottAitken , District Avalanche Technicianfor Duffey Lake, was the ProjectManager for the installation. He had abusy summer.

Here are the pictures wepromised.

Installing the exploder.

SWinging the exploderinto place-told you itlooked like an invertedflugel horn.


"While this program is not for all crossing applications , it is a real boon in remoteareas ," says Chuck. "It's very difficult to getready-mixed concrete to the site and thismethod, of shipping pre-fabricated components , is a much better choice. As well , thestructure can be built by local hired equipment operators with the ministry purchasing components , a further cost savings. "Hiring local equipment operators directlybenefits the community.

The Deka Bridge was the first pre-fabricated structure , built in South CaribooDistrict in 1991. Seven more modular unitsare under construction this fiscal year ,again in South Cariboo , Okanagan/Shuswap , North Peace , South Peace ,Central Kootenay and South Island. A further three designs are completed andapproximately 15 are presently being considered for construction in the future.

"So far, we 've worked on concrete structures ," says Roy, "steel beamed modularshave been developed but haven 't beenbuilt yet. That's our next goal."

Peter Brett) Bridge Branch Director, hasleft on a nine month secondment withN.D. Lea Consultants to undertake bridgeinspection and repair in Tanzania.Kang Ho will be the Acting Directorduring Peter's absence (December 7,1992 to September 7, 1993).


Toy IntersectionEducates KidsBy Sham Mahon) Specifications Writer)Traffic Engineering Centre

British Co lu m b i a s c h o o ls will nowhave help in their efforts to get studentshome safe and so u nd, thanks to a littleknown section of MoTH 's HighwayEngineering Electrical Section-the TrafficEngineering Centre (TEC) in Victoria. Thissection has designed and built a travellingdisplay to raise traffic awareness amongschool children.

The two-part di splay is an exact scalemodel ( 1/ 32 of actual size ) of a typicalintersection complete with toy cars , operating traffic lights and working pedestrian

push buttons. The display can be operatedby an instructor or by the students themselves.

The model operates as a real intersectionwould . A car approaching the intersectionactivates a sensor loop under the road andchanges the traffic signals. Pedestrian pu sh

(left to right)Gary Stajeubar,Wayne Murphy andRay PengellyfromTraffic EngineeringCentre ) set up the"toy " intersection.

buttons on the signal poles also activate thesignals , complete with 'w alk ' and 'd o n' twalk ' crosswalk signals.

And it has the same cutting-edge technology , traffic-control equipment that theTEC installs in traffic-controller cabinetsthroughout the province: the latest in rackmounted detectors , mainframes and TECdesigned components including pedestrian/vehicle cards , power supply cards , loadswitches and advance warning flashers.

The display was conceived and built byDave Trodd (currently the supervisor at theTEC) in 1983 for an electrical conferencebeing held in Victoria that year. It wasenlisted into a pilot project in Coquitlamschools. Due to its enormous popularityand suc cess , ten more displays have beenbuilt by James Thomson and Associates inSidney.

Most of these units will be used to educate school children but can also be usedfor public displays , to educate regionalministry employees to help them effectivelyrespond to public enquiries, and to trainministry engineers and electricians.

The displays are available to all regionsupon request. They can be modified by theTEC to reflect any changes each regionwould like to see in its own display board.

Prince George , for example , requestedthat cars be operated by push rods.

Enquiries concerning the display can bedirected to Dave Trodd , Electrical Operations Supervisor at the TEC-387-3493.

The Stockholm ChariotWe saw this in the Saskatchewan Highways and

Transportation employee publication-"In Motion."

Apparently, after years of walking behind the oil distributor during crack sealing operations, Stockholm equipmentoperators, Gerard Toth and Sheldon Ruf decided there hadto be a better way. Together, they designed what has cometo be known as the "Stockholm Chariot" which allows themto sit and steer with their feet while pulled by the distributor.

Materials used in the design include: 4" square tubing(8'10ng, 188 wall); 12"x3" Melroe pick up wheels (completecastor assembly, forks , bearings, wheels); two kitchen chairsmade to swivel; and round pipe welded to flat plate to bolton back of distributor.

The "Stockholm Chariot" in action.


Inland Ferry Standards Review

The inland ferry standards review committeefound that , though theinland ferry system had agood safety record and wasbasically sound and operated by dedicated people ,there was room forimprovement in the areas ofmanagement, signage , andtraining as well as safetyequipment and procedures.

Al Thomson , of the MVOmineca Princess, FrancoisLake route said , "My crewand I were very impressedwith the professionalism ofthe review committee. Wefound out things about ourselves and ourc qu iprn c nt , and identified areas forimprovement, which we started working onright away. "

Of the 17 vessels in the fleet , three: theMV Omineca Princess , the Big Bar reactionferry and the Needles ferry received goodreports. Ten met minimum requirementsand four needed to be brought up to standard. (The Needles ferry was heralded asbeing an outstanding example of what canbe achieved in safety equipment and inprofessional deportment of operators.)

Though the Albion ferry was one of thefour found lacking , "In my opinion , thepeople who operate the Albion route areexcellent, " said CaptainElgin McKillop , secondedfor up to one year to theLower Mainland as District Marine Manager fromB.C. Ferry Corporation."They take their job veryseriously and are committed to providing an exemplary service. At first theywere hurt but then lookedat it in a positive waythings were brought totheir attention that wouldallow them to provide asafer and more effectiveservice to the public. "

The full Inland FerryReport was given to the

The review committee (left to right]standing: Captain Ken Millar) Peter

Sandlund (Adoisor, private consultant),Rear Admiral Robert Yanow (chair),

Earl Lund P.Eng (MoTI-! ChiefHighwayEngineer), Dave Matland (Staff

Representative) BCGEU) and sitting:John Green (Canadian Coast Guard

Regional Operations Superintendent) ShipSafety Branch Western Region),

Captain Michael McHale(Advisor from B.C. Ferry Corporation)

Photos: Ken Millar

Captain Michael Mcl-Iale, conducts an"a ba n don ship " drill on the Anscomb.

media November 18th , alongwith a schedule th at outlinedwhen and where suggestionsin the report would be implemented.

"The media sensationalizedthe report," said Captain McKillop. "Th ey focu ssed on theinflammator y word s andignored the fact that inland ferries were in compliance withthe Canada Shipping Act."

The media also made it looklike we were ill trained , saidCaptain Thomson. "This wasn'tthe case. The committee introduced some scenarios we don'tusually appl y during drill s .

We'll be ready for anything next time."

The public, on the other hand, tended tosupport "their" ferries. In fact , users of theAlbion ferry said they thought what wa ssaid was unfair and a little too critical.

Our minister , Art Charbonneau commended the thoroughness of the reviewcommittee headed by retired Rear AdmiralRobert Yanow. Other members were EarlLund, MoTH Chief Highway Engineer, Capt.Ken Millar, MoTH District Marine Manager,John Green , Regional Superintendent ,Canadian Coast Guard and David Matlandfrom BCGEU.

All matters identified as unacceptablestandards of safety and emergency procedures are beingtackled on a priority basis. Inthe case of the Lytton ferry ,steps were taken immediatelyso safety equipment and procedures met standards. The totalcost to implement all improvements is estimated at $135,000.

Organizational changes recommended in the report willrequire further review. Anannual audit will be made tomake sure ferry operationsremain safe and efficient.

Copie s of the report areavailable through the ministrylibrary or call your regionalPublic Information Officer.

road runner, winter 1992/93, volume 1, issue 4on the road making friends inafrica roadrunner winter...

Documents