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Lions Gate teamwork honoured

Weigh-scale staff rejoin ministry

The completion of the Lions Gate Bridge in 1938 was animportant milestone in British Columbia’s history. It markedthe start of a new age in the landscape and lifeblood of theLower Mainland. And the completion of the Lions Gate Bridgerehabilitation project in September 2002 was an equally impor-tant milestone as it took engineering design and fabrication tonew heights and required an incredible amount of teamworkfrom all agencies, contractors, consultants and partners involved.

On December 11, the ministry and the project’s lead con-tractor, American Bridge, hosted a completion event to honoureveryone whose ingenuity and hard work led to the project’ssuccessful completion. Long-time local consultants Buckland& Taylor Ltd. and ND LEA Consultants Inc. co-hosted theevent.

Some 160 people, including the project team, other minis-try staff and project partners, as well as consultants and con-tractors from as far away as Florida, New York and California,spent the evening swapping Lions Gate Bridge stories. Therewere several good-hearted jokes about the time it took to com-plete the job, but the event also showcased the many awardsthis innovative project has received, including Institute of Trans-portation Engineers’ W. H. Curtis Award for Outstanding Tech-nical Achievement in Traffic Management (2001), the GeorgeS. Richardson Medal for a Single Recent Outstanding Achieve-ment in Bridge Engineering (June 2002), the North AmericanOccupational Safety and Health Award for Construction (Oc-tober 2002), and the Canadian Consulting Engineering SchreyerAward (October 2002), to name a few.

With the transfer of compliance stafffrom the Insurance Corporation of Brit-ish Columbia to the provincial govern-ment this spring, 41 staff are joining theMinistry of Transportation under theMotor Carrier Branch and the weigh scalesupervision operation.

The Motor Carrier Branch (formerlythe Motor Carrier Department) is locatedin Burnaby and works in close conjunc-tion with the Motor Carrier Commission,which is responsible for the licencing andregulation of the commercial passenger

industry, including buses, taxis and lim-ousines. Motor Carrier Branch staff per-form inspection, investigation and admin-istrative support functions. These staffwill report directly to the Lower Main-land District Manager, Transportation.

Weigh scale supervisors fulfil an im-portant role in ensuring safety on ourroads and protecting the highway andbridge network from overweight loads.They will report to the district managerin their area.

Spring 2003

British ColumbiaMinistry of TransportationStaff Newsletter

Road Runner ReturnsMinistry Renewal Project Man-

ager Denise Bollinger is happy toannounce the relaunch of the RoadRunner and wishes to thank all whocontributed. There wasn’t room forall of the submissions that came in,so look for those in the summerissue, which is already beingplanned. If you have a good storyidea or a photo, call DeniseBollinger at (250) 387-7809 aboutsubmitting it to the Road Runner.

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2Project Director Geoff Freer inspects work high above the deck of the LionsGate Bridge during rehabilitation work that was completed September 2002.

For the ministry, it was a chance toreflect on almost a decade of planningthe replacement of the aging bridge deckand a chance to celebrate its completion.All that remains of the old structure arethe two towers and the main suspensioncables.

South Coast Region’s Garry Dawsontook the prize for longest-standing projectteam member, having been involved withthe project full-time from 1997 throughto completion. Project Director GeoffFreer was also recognized for his inspira-tional leadership and for always ensuringthere was a fresh pot of coffee for theteam first thing each morning. Specialservice recognition awards were also pre-sented to other core project team mem-bers, including Angela Buckingham,David Chang, Shannon Dimaulo, KirstenFlemming, Richard Fyfe, Wayne Locke,Cheri McDermid and Mike Proudfoot.

Deputy Minister Dan Doyle and As-sistant Deputy Minister Frank Blasettialso acknowledged the lifetime efforts oflong-time local consulting engineer PeterHyslop, who served as the owner’s engi-neer for the project, and Buckland & Tay-lor Ltd., which served as the owner’sbridge engineer for many years.

The rest of the staff locatedat weigh-scale locations such as theNordel scale seen at right will beunder the Ministry of PublicSafety and Solicitor General, andthey will monitor safety-relatedprograms that include transportation ofdangerous goods, commercial and privatevehicle inspection programs, administra-tion of the National Safety Code andother programs. In fact, more than three-

quarters of the staff are returning to theministry after an approximate seven-yearhiatus. The ministry looks forward toseeing familiar faces and meeting the newstaff. Welcome (and welcome back)!

Road Runner Spring 2003

2

(Continued from page 1)

Ceremony caps offdecade of planning

David Chang, Manager, Planning and Construction, with Pam Ryan, spokesperson for the project,only two of the many people responsible for the success of the Lions Gate Bridge Project.

Many hands make light workIt takes an enormous number of

people to complete a project such as theLions Gate rehabilitation.

“We had a good team with great lead-ership and dedicated staff,” said DavidChang, Manager, Planning and Construc-tion. “I am proud to have been part ofthe Lions Gate team and will certainly re-member the people and the experience

for the rest of my life.”Many other ministry staff were of in-

valuable assistance throughout theproject, including Keith Bespflug, PeterBrett, Brigid Canil, Rodney Chapman,John Dyble, Allan Galambos, ElaineGalbraith, Wayne Keiser, Don Lister,Terry MacKay, Marilyn Mattson, KathieMiller, Dirk Nyland, Mike Oliver, BobPearson, Dan Penman, ZbigniewRadzimowski, Russ Raine, Shawn Rob-ins, Wayne Scott and Kim Seale.

Garry Dawson, Regional Project Man-ager, adds: “The end of the project was atime of mixed emotions. I was glad tosee it finally completed but felt a certainlevel of sadness with the breakup of avery fine and fun project team.

“Looking back, I do not reflect onthe difficult times encountered on theproject, rather, I remember the dedicatedpeople and accomplishments made bythem. For those who told me I was crazyto be joining the Lions Gate Project (backin 1997), I must say how wrong they wereand how proud I am to have been part ofthis project, all five years’ worth.”

After seven years, Motor Carrier Branchstaff are coming back to Transportation(Continued from page 1)

Jon Buckle, Regional Director of theSouthern Interior Region, was awarded theCommemorative Medal for the Queen’sGolden Jubilee for Public Service at a cer-emony in Kamloops on January 7.

Jon was paid a surprise visit by theHonourable Claude Richmond, Speaker ofthe Legislative Assembly of British Colum-bia, and presented with the medal. SpeakerRichmond read the nomination to Jon andthen presented the medal to him in thepresence of his entire regional manage-ment team, other regional staff and hisfamily.

“Since 1972, Jon Buckle has been anexemplary public servant. During his 30years with the Ministry of Transportation,he has made many notable achievements, including earning therespect and admiration of those who have worked with him at

all levels of the organization,” said Rich-mond.

“Jon is very focussed on providing thebest level of service to the public as pos-sible. At the same time, he is keenly inter-ested in providing opportunities for staffto develop their skills and add to the valuethey provide to the ministry. Jon’s nomi-nation is strongly supported by his peers,staff and the executive.”

The Speaker went on to outline Jon’ssignificant contributions to the provinceof British Columbia and the ministrythrough his work in the development ofmaintenance management systems, beinga key person in the privatization of main-tenance services, working tirelessly though

two major ministry reorganizations, and being a provincial leaderin aboriginal-relations issues.

On February 4, the Honourable Judith Reid, Minister ofTransportation, presented John Newhouse, Gregg Singer andMax Walker with Queen’s Golden Jubilee commemorative med-als. They are presented to Canadians in recognition of signifi-cant achievement or distinguished service to their fellow citi-zens, their community, to British Columbia or Canada. Of the46,000 medals presented, about 800 were presented to provin-cial government employees across Canada.John Newhouse, Project Director, HighwayMaintenance Contract Renewal

Working as a public servant for 33 years, John has played asignificant role in the success of the privatization of road andbridge maintenance. He’s managed some very difficult respon-sibilities with diplomacy and has come to be known as the“peace-maker.”

Perhaps the best summation of John’s qualities for being acaring, thoughtful, sensitive and unassuming public servant arehis actions during a closure of Highway 16 due to avalanchehazards while he was a district highways manager. When it waspublicly announced that the highway was reopened after sev-eral days, vehicles were queued waiting passage when anotheravalanche occurred. The snow was cleared away, and to ensurethe public’s safe passage, John personally piloted the hundredsof vehicles through the mountain pass. John’s concern was apersonal sacrifice as his eyes later required medical attention.

Gregg Singer, Project DirectorSince his days as Highway Planning Engineer in the early

1980s, Gregg’s work has been described as “first class” and “acredit to the ministry.” He is an innovative and dedicated leaderknown for his success in motivating people to perform as ateam. This approach enabled him to deliver the largest high-way construction project in Western Canada, the Vancouver


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Making a difference

Queen’s commemorative medal presentedby Speaker of the House Claude Richmond

Continued on page 4

Minister of Transportation Judith Reid presents Queen’s Golden Jubileemedals to (left to right) Max Walker, John Newhouse and Gregg Singer.

Claude Richmond, Speaker of the House, withSouthern Interior Regional Director Jon Buckle

Island Highway Project, on time and under budget. The con-sultative processes and environmental considerations were hall-marks of this project.

Gregg leads by example through commitment and integrity.His contribution reaches far beyond his government work. Heshows the same dedication to community and family.Max Walker, Manager, Development

Max has been a dedicated Ministry of Transportation em-ployee for more than 20 years. In the Lower Mainland District,he has developed and mentored many staff in developmentapprovals. Colleagues and supervisors hold Max in high re-gard.

Max has proven he can be consistently counted on to takeany assignment related to development and achieve outstand-ing results. When there is a problem that needs to be resolved,Max finds solutions that benefit the development communityand serve the province well.

Late last year, Crystal Chenier was honoured for her 25 yearsof service to the ministry. Crystal started her career with theconstruction branch, then moved into the district office in NorthVancouver. She now works in the Southern Interior Regionoffice in Kamloops as an Administrative Assistant. Crystal washonoured in a ceremony at Government House in Victoria onNovember 14, 2002. She is seen here with Minister of Trans-portation Judith Reid and Lieutenant Governor IonaCampagnolo receiving a certificate of recognition.


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Ministry employees across the province have takenon the challenge of reorganization over the past year, butstaff in the Thompson-Nicola district came through itlast fall with a unique bit of bonding. In October, aftermonths of change, employees there presented their dis-trict manager, Sherry Eland, with a special picture. Fea-turing a scenic background, it was custom framed, mat-ted, signed by all the staff and emblazoned with the fol-lowing kind words of recognition:

(Continued from page 3)Leadership, motivation key

Sherry Eland, District Man-ager, Thompson-Nicola Dis-trict, shows off a new addi-tion to her office, a specialmessage from her staff,thanking her for her leader-ship during recent ministryreorganization.

Sherry...Thank you for successfully leading us

through this time of change. You grievedour team members that have moved on, wel-comed those we have gained. With your vi-sion, direction and compassion, you haveamalgamated us all into a new team whilepromoting the “Renewal Vision” of the min-istry.

As our manager, we commend you foryour strong leadership skills, your ability toempower your employees, for recognizingachievement in your staff and for promot-ing teamwork in the Thompson-Nicola dis-trict. Together, we are stronger on the ever-changing path to the future.

~ Managing change commendably ~

Staff say thanks formanager’s compassion

A tribute to Crystal’s 25 years

Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo (left) and Minister of TransportationJudith Reid (right) honoured Crystal Chenier for her service to the ministry.


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Continued on page 6

Steps to renewal keeping VancouverIsland staff busy and on the move

As with all divisions of the ministry,Vancouver Island has seen significantchanges in 2002. Many of our colleaguesfrom the old “Region 6” have moved onto new opportunities, leaving a core groupof 38 Vancouver Island District staff,which includes Courtenay and Saanich,complemented by 12 South Coast re-gional specialists and a 17-member elec-trical maintenance group.

“It’s been a tough year,” said MikeProudfoot, District Manager, “but we’veall pulled together to make things hap-pen.”

All office locations on the Island havehad relocations and adjustments. TheNanaimo office has come together on onefloor of the same building, co-locatingwith Ministry of Human Resources’ em-ployment standards branch and preven-tion, compliance and enforcement sec-tion.

Our co-location has al-ready benefited all partieswith sharing of vehicles,boardrooms and some ser-vices such as reception activi-ties.

Courtenay staff led bySue Pauwels have just com-pleted their area office re-configuration. Nine staffmembers now occupy about330 square metres of theiroriginally-larger facility. TheComox-Strathcona RegionalDistrict has occupied the vacated area, of-fering ‘one-stop’ opportunities to clientsas well as cross-government sharing ofmeeting spaces and closer links with cli-ents and stakeholders in our developmentapprovals business. Staff have been ex-traordinarily tolerant of jackhammers anddrywall dust and, at the same time, con-tinued serving customers without a hitch.

Saanich’s area office was moved intoa new location in February, and staff there

are exploring shar-ing services withother co-locatedministries.

These reloca-tions and adjust-ments have re-sulted in base occu-pancy savings ofa p p r o x i m a t e l y$380,000 per year.

Maintenancecontract renewal isgetting under way,with the Requestfor Proposals beingadvertised Febru-ary 25. As our cur-rent contracts in Services Areas 2 and 3expire this September, we anticipate lotsof time being dedicated to the review of

incoming proposals and, ul-timately, the awarding of newcontracts later this year.

Doug Elliott, SaanichArea Manager, has been“drafted” by John Newhouseand has beenworking with theh e a d q u a r t e r smaintenance re-newal team.

Thanks toGreg Galpin,Dan Saari andLarry Griffith

for undertaking the extrawork while Doug has beenaway.

Thanks also to RodMochizuki, Martin Madelung,Bob O’Brien and BobHickman for the incredible effort they putforth to assemble the Road Inventory andMaintenance System (RIMS) data to meetthe very daunting timelines for RFP ad-vertising.

We are on a steep learning curve withthe new ways of doing our business. TheSouth Coast-based traffic and electricalsystems engineering group has been tothe Island several times to deal with dis-trict priorities in a team environment.

We are finding these sessions verybeneficial and informative. Thanks toPatrick Livolsi, Jesse Bains, Joy Sengupta,

Melanie Perkins, AndyBraacx and group for a pro-active approach to our newbusiness methods and build-ing working relationshipswith new colleagues.

A review of ferry termi-nals is under way on the Is-land with leadership fromDoug Beaumont, Acquisi-tion Co-ordinator.

We find the “cookie cut-ter” approach doesn’t work.Each terminal andneighbourhood has its own

characteristics which suggest, for ex-ample, that queuing areas should be ei-ther included or excluded because of ad-joining uses.

Debbie O’BrienDistrict Development

Technician

Bob Hickman, District Technician, and Richard Crossely, Area Manager

Rob HowatDistrict Approving

Officer


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We had two feature films - “Trapped”and “Final Destination 2” - using the In-land Island Highway in the Courtenay-Campbell River area. There were two-week closures and detours to accommo-date the filming. We had remarkable sup-port from South Coast’s Event Co-ordinator, Holly Adems, and field workwas under control with Courtenay’s RobinStorkey and Doug Wright, who got thechance to mix and mingle with the starswhile managing traffic and detours effi-ciently.

Joan Miller of the Island North FilmCommission wrote a letter of thanks tothe ministry and involved staff for theirsupport and co-operation in the filmingof these two major motion pictures.These films, along with several car com-mercials also filmed on the Island, havebrought over $7.5 million of direct eco-nomic benefit to the North Island.

We are looking forward to thefinalisation of the People Plan. Local re-newal workshops were held in Nanaimoin November. Regional Director WayneKeiser facilitated and participated with thegroup. It was great to have Wayne on theIsland for the day withus, so we could get toknow him and his in-novative, commonsense approach tobusiness. A plan is be-ing finalised to addressissues raised by Islandstaff.

Mike Proudfoot isworking with col-leagues on theNanaimo Cross-Min-istry Work Team andis achieving great co-operation from partner ministries on de-veloping innovative approaches to en-hance customer service and promote ef-ficiencies and cost savings. The benefitsof this collaboration are evident andgrowing.

A new initiative will see the Ministry

of Transportation taking on the weighscales in Parksville and Duncan. Welcometo Wayne Ostrom and Andy Newall,Weigh Scale Supervisors.

We are also looking at co-locating theMinistry of Solicitor General’s compli-ance manager and Nanaimo support staff

in our anticipatedmove into the Minis-try of Forests build-ing.

2002/2003 wasanother very busy yearfor the Vancouver Is-land electrical crew.They designed, con-structed and installedthe last seven trafficsignal controllers thatwere required for theVancouver IslandHighway Project.

Since 1995, they have managed approxi-mately 50 traffic signal controller instal-lations for this project.

In addition to repairs, the crew recon-structed 66 intersections and about 400traffic signal heads, using BC HydroPowersmart and ICBC funding along with

Vancouver Island: Putting people in the People Plan

their maintenance works, and they workedwith developers and others to install newsignals or reconfigure the electrical infra-structure at another eight intersections.

We’d like to recognise Chris Longman,who will be leaving us March 31.

Chris has been with the ministry since1984. His sense of humour, knowledgeand dedication will be missed.

Kudos to Peter Wightman, Opera-tions Manager in Courtenay, who hastaken on the responsibility for the LowVolume Roads initiative for our districtand overseeing a number of other minis-try priorities such as right-of-way com-mercialization.

Peter’s extensive knowledge and en-thusiasm benefit us immeasurably inmeeting our objectives.

Many thanks to Bonnie Whipple, whoassumed Operations Manager responsi-bilities in Saanich last June.

Bonnie oversees a challenging area andprovides excellent leadership. Her teamwas closely involved in wrapping up theVancouver Island Highway Project anddeveloped great working relationshipswith the entire project group.


The Island North FilmCommission wrote a

letter of thanks to theministry and staff forall the support andcooperation during

filming of two majormotion pictures.

Four of Vancouver Island’s key staff: (left to right) Liz Laidlaw, District Clerk; Joyce Pool, DistrictServices Manager; Vickie Fairburn, Development Approvals Clerk; and Carol Espey, District Clerk.

On a fabulously foggy day last October, a group of head-quarters staff calling themselves the “MoTley Cruisers” did theirpart for a great cause. The Run for the Cure is held everyOctober to increase awareness about breast cancer and raisefunds for research into a cure. Many ministry staff participatein this annual campaign. Some run with the ministry team,some with other organizational teams and some with familyand friends. All run to support women affected by this diseaseand to help find a cure.

The 2002 event, held Oct. 20, raised over $14 million andsaw 140,000 participants from 32 communities take part acrossCanada. The Ministry of Transportation’s corporate team in-cluded those pictured above and many others who apparentlyfinished well ahead of these “MoTley Cruisers.”

Nanaimo staffers teed off for a goodcause last autumn when the Metral Driveoffice hosted its first annual Ministry ofTransportation Indoor Mini-Golf Tour-nament to support the Provincial Em-ployees’ Community Services Fund(PECSF).

The Oct. 30 event took place on thevacated second floor of the ministry’sbuilding after the ministry consolidatedits operations onto the third floor. Thetiming couldn’t have been better to de-sign a challenging course, since the formeroffice space was completely cleared outbut renovations for the next tenant hadnot yet begun.

A number of staff, including JoycePool, Maxine McDicken, Peter Wightmanand Liz Laidlaw, helped make the event ahuge success. The nine-hole, par 27course was designed by Dave Edgar andSean O’Sullivan.

About 40 people took part in thenoon-hour event. The cost was only $5to play the executive course, including ahot dog and drink. Players were paired

up and given score cards before tacklingthe difficult course, which saw many golf-ers taking advantage of the maximumscore rule. Most, but not all, were able toavoid the water hazards. The low-scoreaward went to Doug Beaumont, who fin-ished one stroke ahead of Bob Wylie.Sean O’Sullivan found most of the haz-ards and finished in last place.

Since use of the golf course was freeand all food and drinks were generouslydonated by Thrifty Foods and GrimmsMeats, the entire $140 raised went directlyto community charities in Nanaimo.

Not only was the mini-golf tourna-ment a fun event that allowed a breakfrom the normal work day, it also pro-vided staff with the opportunity to helpout others in their community.

Although this year’s tourney will betough to top, Nanaimo staff say they arealready planning to add a back nine fornext year!


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‘MoTley Cruisers’Run for the Cure

Details about this year’s Run for the Cure will be availablelater this summer. A message will be posted on the bulletinboard, and of course, former participants will be scouting thehallways looking for more potential MoTley Cruisers!

Denise Bollinger, Anne Daley, Maria Ciarniello, Vicki Nygaard, Jack Stuempel,Nancy Merston and Marni Fedoruk were among the many ministry employ-ees taking part in last fall’s Run for the Cure.

Nanaimo crew takes advantage of open space, has fun andraises money for community charities — all at the same time

The rules:1 Add a penalty stroke for remov-

ing the ball from a hazard.

2 You may play the ball from any-where or add a stroke to return itto the course.

3 Please record a maximum scoreof 7 for each hole.

4 If the ball is on level ground, youmay stop it from rolling back-ward.

5 No caddies allowed.

6 You may move the ball one clubhead (about three inches) fromthe course edge.

7 Shirts must be worn at all times,shoes optional, or vice-versa.

Moving offices can be fun, as staff at the ministry’sMetral Drive office in Nanaimo proved Oct. 30.


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Thompson-Nicola district wishes afond farewell to Herb Erickson, who isretiring on March 31, 2003. Herb cameto the ministry from the City ofKamloops and Delcan Engineering in1994 as a Regional Planner. In 2002, Herbmoved to the district office as the newDistrict Highways Engineer. He broughta professional aspect of transportationplanning to this office. Herb became atrusted advisor to the Coquihalla P3 team,bringing precision to the thought processand helping us see the details.

Herb is a person of rare integrity, dedi-cation and wisdom. Herb’s influence ondistrict development approvals and our‘outside’ clients has been one of fairnessand professionalism.

Herb’s unique talents were recognizedearly in life by his high school teachers,who recommended that Herb pursue acareer in engineering. Herb followed theirdirection, graduating from university in

Herb Erikson puts down his slide rule“The best part about retiring is that it opens up awhole new spectrum of choices professionally andpersonally.” Herb Erikson, District Highways EngineerSaskatoon, Saskatchewan, with an engi-neering degree.

Herb’s engineering career started inSaskatchewan, then moved on to Albertaand finally to Kamloops, B.C. in 1979.Kamloops is home to Herb and his fam-ily.

Herb and Lorraine have three won-derful children, daughter Dana and sonsShaun and Daniel, ages 23-28 years. Allhave since left the nest. They all reside inBritish Columbia, though they’re spreadout in Coquitlam, Penticton andKamloops.

Looking back, Herb has no regrets.He says, “The best part about retiring isthat it opens up a whole new spectrum

of choices professionally and personally.”Herb’s future plans include retiring

with his wife Lorraine in the Okanagan,doing woodwork and seeing what kind ofnew doors open.

All of Herb’s friends and colleagueswish him success in future endeavoursand a great retirement. Herb will bemissed by all of us who have grown toknow him. His expertise in maintaininghigh ministry standards through develop-ment, coupled with total personal confi-dence, will be greatly missed.

Thanks, Herb, for all your efforts andwit. All the very best to Herb, Lorraineand family from everyone in the ministry.Another era has ‘Gone With the Wind.’

Deregulation helps modernize ministrySeen any horse teams on

your local highways lately?Under Part 2, Section 14 of

the Highway Act, it is an of-fence to leave horse team ap-paratus or cargo, includingchains, yokes and harnesses,within 1.8 metres of the cen-tre of a highway in a rural areaor on an arterial highway.

Removing this outdatedsection of the Highway Act isone small step in achieving anoverall 33-per cent regulatoryreduction by June 2004 as setout in the government’s NewEra document. These reduc-tions are intended to eliminateobsolete and redundant re-quirements that waste taxpay-ers’ time and money.

Under the sponsorship ofKathie Miller, Assistant

Deputy Minister, Transporta-tion Planning and Policy, theministry set up a deregulation

project team to examine all ofits legislation, regulations andpolicies. The project is being

managed by Kirsten Pedersen,Manager, Transportation

Continued on page 10

(Left to right) Kirk Rockerbie, Kirsten Pedersen, Spencer Manning, Tony Beckett and Chad Tenney (not pictured)manage the ministry’s deregulation work, eliminating outdated or unnecessary regulatory requirements.


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Deputy minister thanks retiring staff

A recent highways department meeting provided the setting to honour four upcoming retirees: Marilyn Mattson with 14 years service, Lawren Wagar with31 years of service, Terry Walton with 32 years of service, and Dan Williams with 34 years of service. Congratulations!

Peter Swetlishoff heading for the hills,taking “lucky plane” to Las Vegas

Peter Swetlishoff is retiring on March31, 2003, after 35 years of working forthe ministry as an Area Manager for theoften-snowbound Merritt section ofPhase 1 including the “shed hill.”

Peter will leave Merritt’s sub-office andhead for the hills on his ATV to hunt andfish. Peter plans to strap on his tool beltand finish the new home he constructedlast year.

Peter began working for the Depart-ment of Highways (Construction Branch)as a rod and chainman in 1968 in the smallcommunity of Fauquier along the ArrowLakes. In early 1969, the survey crewsmoved from Fauquier to Castlegar, wherethey were involved on a number of roadconstruction projects.

Peter was transferred to Victoria in thefall of 1970 and worked on the Pat BayHighway at Sidney and at Royal Oak inVictoria. Later that year, Peter left theDepartment of Highways to attendschool, returning for summer employ-ment with the ministry in the Castlegararea.

In 1974, Peter married Tina Bjorn andstayed in the Castlegar area, working onvarious road construction projects. Hedid a lateral transfer to Merritt district asan Engineering Assistant and in 1988 waspromoted to an Area Manager, a positionhe held to retirement. Tina and Peterhave two children. Darren is with the Ca-nadian Armed Forces (PPCLI), stationed

in Winnipeg, and Cindy is a Teacher’s Aideworking with special needs children in theLangley area.

Peter “the Russian” held a vested in-

terest in increasing the wildlife popula-tion and strongly lobbied to build, extendand maintain the wildlife fencing pro-gram.

One of his greatest accomplishmentswhile working was with HQ (Ministry ofEnvironment), writing the Report on Un-gulate Collisions with Motor Vehicles onPhase 1. This report was instrumental inthe installation of wildlife fencing fromKingsvale interchange to Dry Gulchbridge.

Peter’s dedication to work, especiallyto the section of highway we in the Inte-rior love to hate, has undoubtedly savedlives and made driving the road less of anadventure.

Peter’s words of wisdom: “Set goalsfor yourself, be honest, work hard andtreat others as you would have them treatyou. Success isn’t measured in what wehave but in what we can do to help oth-ers succeed.”

To celebrate his retirement and beefup his pension, Peter plans to fly the“lucky plane” to Vegas for a couple ofweeks. Celine Dion will be joining himbut unfortunately she will only see himwhen she passes the slots. We encouragehim to play the quarter slots and hopethat he hears plenty of bells and whistlesthroughout his retirement. Peter will begreatly missed by all of us. Thanks for allyour hard work. All the very best to Pe-ter, Tina and family from MoT.

“Set goals for yourself,be honest, work hard

and treat others as youwould have them treatyou. Success isn’t mea-sured in what we havebut in what we can do

to help others succeed.”Peter Swetlishoff,Area Manager


10

After four years of hard work, staffthroughout the ministry are able to baskin the feeling of a job well done.

Various groups that included design,construction, geotechnical, bridge, envi-ronmental and area managers at SouthCoast Region, major projects staff at min-istry headquarters and contracts staff atthe Vancouver Island Highway Project of-fice came together to work on this $61-million project.

The Port Mann Improvement Projectconsisted of four sub-projects: theColeman on-ramp, Mary Hill on-ramp,Johnston cut, and five-laning of thebridge to provide an east-bound HOVlane across the bridge with the capacityfor future counterflow.

Additional maintenance walkways forinspection were built, and seismic upgradework was also commenced. Innovativetechniques and solutions were applied in

this project. The first ramp metering inthe province was implemented at theColeman and Mary Hill on-ramps, whichuses a traffic signal to control merging,based on traffic volumes. On the bridgeitself, a live load test was used to measurebeam stress for fatigue prediction stud-ies. And above, on the bridge arch, a plat-form was built to protect fledglings fromfalling from an existing falcon nest.

The biggest challenge, says ProjectDirector Brian Stone, was traffic manage-ment. At 120,000 vehicles a day, the or-der of the day was clear: No full closuresallowed. This challenge was met in con-struction staging and spacing as well as inthe bridge design. The efforts paid off,with few complaints during constructionand many compliments after the fact.

The quality of the project is appar-ent: The Consulting Engineers of BritishColumbia 2001 Award of Excellence wasjointly presented to Buckland & TaylorLtd. and the Ministry of Transportationfor the Port Mann Bridge five-lane wid-ening design. And hats go off to BrianStone, who scooped British ColumbiaTransportation Professional of the Yearfor 2001 from the Institute of Transpor-tation Engineers, Greater Vancouver Sec-tion, as director of the Port Mann Im-provement Project.

Congratulations to all the ministrystaff who contributed to this successfulproject.


Regulation revamp to be complete in 2004

Port Mann: Award-winning improvementsto benefit more than 120,000 commuters

Policy, and the core team is made up ofSpencer Manning, Ministry Solicitor; KirkRockerbie, Manager, Surface/Rail Policy;Tony Beckett, Manager, TransportationPolicy; and Chad Tenney, Project Man-ager, Business Process Re-engineering.The project relies strongly on input fromprogram areas throughout the ministry aswell as stakeholders such as the InsuranceCorporation of B.C. and other ministries.

The detailed review of the statutes willbe essentially complete by May, and re-quests for legislative change will be sub-mitted for government’s approval in thespring and summer of 2003. Implemen-

tation of approved changes will occurthroughout 2003 and be complete by June2004.

What are the rewards for a projectmanager working on a difficult project likethis? Kirsten shares, “The most signifi-cant aspect of this project has been work-ing with the different ministry programareas and all the stakeholders. I have hadthe opportunity to see the direct relevanceof our legislation and regulations on thework that the ministry does and how itaffects other agencies. It is rewarding toknow this project will result in streamlin-ing and will clean up a lot of outdatedlegislation.”

Linda Pengelly began her career with the Ministry of High-ways and Public Works in September 1966 as a Clerk Typist 1in the traffic branch, with a starting wage of $225 a month.Linda remembers the office was often visited by then High-ways Minister Wesley Black.

In those early days, ministers’ letters and deputy ministers’letters were typed with 10 to 12 carbon copies. No mistakesallowed! Needless to say, they were usually redone at least once.

Linda recalls that in typing a rush letter for the senior trafficengineer’s signature, she asked him to put his “John Henry” onit, looked up on the wall behind his chair and noticed that hisname was John Henry Harding. That faux pas generated tearsof laughter!

Remember Gestetner machines? Linda does. She typedelectrical specifications for tenders on stencils (error-free, ofcourse!); hand-cranked them on the Gestetner and put themtogether to send out to contractors.

After spending 1968 in Edmonton, Linda moved back toVictoria, returned to work for government in early 1969 andher old job in November. She married Ray Pengelly (now anadministrative assistant in the highways department) in May1970. In June 1973, Linda was promoted to accounts - datacontrol and the old ledger machines. She then took time off to

Team effort in providing new, efficientand reliable traffic lights throughout theprovince has resulted in big cost savingsas well as community and safety benefits.

The Ministry of Transportation hasbeen pioneering power efficiencies sincethe 1970s. In March 2001, the ministrystarted partnering with BC Hydro to savepower, decrease maintenance costs, in-crease reliability and reduce emissionsprovince-wide for traffic signals, warningbeacons and warning signs.

In March 2002, BC Hydro launched atraffic light exchange program in partner-ship with municipalities and the ministrywith the goal of saving 36 gigawatt-hoursof power per year, or enough electricalenergy for 4,000 homes.

Our ministry was the first agency toparticipate. Converting ministry trafficsignals to light-emitting-diode (LED)

heads is expected to freeup enough power for500 homes.

Ross Casey, SeniorElectrical StandardsTechnologist, was con-tracted by BC Hydro toprovide technical and fi-nancial expertise.

Ross also beta-testedthe BC Hydro “calcula-tor,” a complex tool thatcalculates cost savingsand capital cost paybackand creates order formsand installation declara-tions with one set of data entry.

To increase efficiencies, Ross coordi-nated the installations with the ministry’selectrical trades supervisors and manag-ers, rolling out the program in conjunc-


11

Linda Pengelly: Oh,the changes she’s seen!


Linda Pengelly early in her career with the Ministry of Transportation, whichwas then referred to as the Ministry of Highways and Public Works.

have a family in December 1973. Their first daughter, Kim,was born in 1974 and a second daughter, Teri-Lynn, in 1976.In August 1977, Linda returned to the ministry to work in the

Teamwork on energy-efficient lights paying dividends

tion with the signal head upgrade pro-gram, a safety initiative of the Ministryof Transportation and the InsuranceCorporation of B.C. to install larger more


properties branch. She then went to accounts payable and inMay 1979 was promoted to Clerk 3 Office Manager in the traf-fic branch where she even learned to do some drafting of theelectrical lighting system and set up cost-sharing agreementswith municipalities for lighting and traffic lights.

Linda is a survivor. In 1988, her position was made redun-dant and she was placed in the financial services branch. When

FMIS was up and running in 1990, she returned to the highwayengineering area until April 2002, when her position was onceagain made redundant. She returned to the finance and admin-istration branch to help with trust accounts, SAS, Visa, Amexand various other duties.

Linda reflects that she has seen a lot of changes to govern-ment, especially in our ministry, since 1966. She feels fortunatethat she was able to “stick around” until she decided it was timeto retire. Thirty-two years with government is a long time!

A team in the ministry has been de-veloping and using some extraordinaryspecial effects to bring highways andbridges to life on the big screen. Well . . .on 17-inch computer monitors, anyway.

Led by Al Szczawinski in the engineer-ing branch, Gord Bonwick (ArcGIS), IanBusby (CAiCE) and Gord Smith (graph-ics) are the specialists bringing their tal-ents together to create advanced engineer-ing visualization models for planning anddesigning enhancements to our existingtransportation system as well as new in-frastructure.

The ministry now has the ability toproduce virtual aerial tours of engineer-ing concepts for highway corridors bycombining computer modeling with sat-ellite imagery.

This birds-eye view enables the viewerto see topography, slide areas, avalanchemitigation measures and other details.

This technology is also applied toshow a driver’s view of future tunnels,bridges and split grade alignments.

These tools are used to supplementthe business cases for potential projectsand have proven to be effective in pro-moting understanding and support for theprojects.

Upon request, the ministry released

examples of the aerial fly-overs to ESRI,a GIS software company, who used themto demonstrate 3-D visual simulation atuser conferences across Canada and theUnited States last year.

CAiCE, another engineering softwaremanufacturer, was evidently impressed aswell. In 2002, they sponsored a ministryrepresentative to present at the Interna-


12

Continued from page 11After 32 years, retirement will be just another change

Look Out, Hollywood!

Ministry technology wizards createvirtual highways, market expertise

tional CAiCE Users Conference inTampa, Florida in April and at the High-way Engineering Exchange Program in St.Louis, Missouri in September.

Word is spreading about this exper-tise and other groups are also coming tothe ministry for advice. These guys aren’tjust on the cutting edge - they’re reallycutting an edge of their own!

West Coast fisherman and outdoorenthusiasts should stop and take a lookat the newest contribution to salmon en-hancement in the Campbell River area.

A local salmon enhancement groupwith the unlikely name of The CampbellRiver Gravel Committee (CRGC) has re-cently completed a major fish way projecton the Gold River Highway (Highway 28)just west of the Quinsam River Bridge.

The Campbell River Gravel Commit-tee has been instrumental in implement-ing improvements to fish habitat in theCampbell River area.

Last spring, thefield services pav-ing crew led by EdRyan and SimonStubbs was prepar-ing a paving reha-bilitation projecton Highway 28.

Part of the con-struction work in-volved replacementof a short section of culvert passing un-der the highway at Beaver Loop TrailCreek.

Mike Gage of the CRGC was ap-proached with the possibility of his groupsponsoring the construction of a fish lad-der project at this site near the base ofGeneral Hill.

Both the Ministry of Transportationand the federal Department of Fisheriesand Oceans staff recognized the oppor-tunity to re-introduce mature Coho intoa habitat rich with all of the ingredientsto support their juvenile offspring.

The Department of Fisheries andOceans had been stocking this creek forthe past four or five years with smoltsfrom the nearby Quinsam hatchery in thehope they would find their way back dur-ing ideal high-water times.

As a Ministry of Transportation em-ployee, I have often found that we are in


13

Taking care of highways also meanstaking care of fish habitat these days

Volunteer labour, surplus supplies and a lot ofgoodwill came together at the right time. The re-sult was a fish ladder that allows fish to cross underthe highway through a culvert. There is even aconvenient viewing platform for passersby to use.

a position with the Department of Fish-eries and Oceans where we complete aroadway construction or rehabilitationproject and then are unable to replacehabitat that is lost through construction.

This project was one that we wantedto complete to provide habitat compen-sation.

The Ministry of Transportation wasable to supply surplus used concrete lock-blocks from the Vancouver Island High-way Project and the necessary engineer-ing and project management to completethe fish way.

Mike Gage pounced on the offer with-out a second thought. He told me, “Thiswas a dream that we (the CRGC) havehad since the completion of the SecondIsland Spawning Channel.”

The Beaver Loop Trail Creek flowsinto this channel directly below Highway28. Another local resident and fish en-

hancement enthusiast, Gord Lawrence, inconjunction with the Campbell RiverGravel Committee, had previously drafteda plan for a fish way, using a gabion typeconstruction method but the dream hadnever become reality.

Ed assigned me the task of designingthe project and putting together cost es-timates and the necessary timeline con-straints to meet all agency requirements.

My children and I constructed a work-ing model of the fish way using Legoblocks, which became an integral part ofthe planning and a construction tool when

others couldn’t vi-sualize the com-pleted structure.

It’s interestingto note that Legoblocks mirror ourlock-block style ofconstruction.

With commit-ment from two lev-els of government,

Gage was able to arrange funding fromthe Campbell River business communityto assist with the necessary labour andequipment to complete the project.

Stolt Sea Farm and EWOS Canada Ltdwere the two major financial sponsorswilling to work with the project and theCampbell River Gravel Committee.

I was able to secure the other neces-sary assistance by bringing businessessuch as Al & Sons Excavating, MainroadNorth Island Contracting, FinningCanada, Doulyns Contracting and BSkuse Hydroseeding on board to supplythe equipment, expertise and materials toget the job done.

Small business in Campbell Rivernever let us down. Wacor Contracting,United Rentals, C & L Supply, Grant Signsand SOS Traffic Control were all morethan willing to provide assistance by ab-


sorbing a portion of the services they were providing to theproject. Construction of the fish ladder began on July 8, 2002under the guidance of Ken Bond, an environmental monitorfrom GAIA Environmental Consulting Services. Prior to ex-cavation, close to two dozen small salmonoids and trout, alongwith one lamprey eel, were caught amongst the rock and rubblejust below the culvert outlet and released into the CampbellRiver only metres away.

Once this task was completed, Wayne Anderson of Al &Sons Excavating was allowed to begin the slow and often stress-ful job of digging outthe jumble of debristhat had accumulatedover the past centurybetween the culvert andthe Campbell River.

We found every-thing from cowboyboots to old bridge tim-bers, not to mentioncopious amounts ofmud and water. Waterquality was always an is-sue.

The stream itselfwas diverted throughpipes outside the workzone to reduce the wa-ter entering the excava-tion site and floodinginto the Campbell Riversystem.

Often work washalted as adjustmentswere made to reposi-tion pipes to allow foranother step in the con-struction process.

Lock blocks werecarefully placed one ata time into the five-tiered cell design. Special thelwag blockswere precast to concentrate water flows during low-volume situ-ations.

As the fourth cell was completed, a new bridge with a view-ing platform was installed.

This structure was prefabricated by Mainroad North IslandContracting and donated to the project. Work was frequentlymonitored by people out on their daily walks up and down theCampbell River trail, often stopping to ask what we were build-

ing, and once an explanation was given, they gave their wave ofapproval.

Eight workdays later, on July 17, 2002, the project was allbut complete. Now all we could do was sit back and wait forthe fall rains, hopeful that Mother Nature would bring homethe mature Coho salmon.

Late in the day on November 7 I received a phone call fromEd Ryan, Paving Project Supervisor and Vince Trozzo, PavingProject Manager. Vince and Ed had stopped to check for signsof fish and could hardly believe their eyes. The side pool be-low the first cell was teaming with fish jockeying for position

and ready to jump intothe first cell of thefishladder.

With the lateness ofthe day and fading light,it was difficult to countthe number of fish.

The following day, Idid an inspection withRick Senger from Fish-eries and OceansCanada, and we wereable to count in excessof 25 fish in the uppercreek above the ladderwith numerous otherseither in the cells orwaiting their turn tojump up into the cells.

Obviously the hardwork and commitmentof all of the stakehold-ers had paid off andwill continue to do sofor future generations.

Materials incorpo-rated into the projectincluded 115 standardlock blocks, 15 speciallock blocks, 250 square

metres of filter fabric, 50 to 60 cubic metres of shot rock and20 bags of concrete grout.

The hard work and talent of the machine operator andlabourers are what made this job such a success. Without thededication and ability of people like Wayne Anderson, KenBond, Gord Chaplin, Don Taylor, Dave Turenne and ScottGallacher, it would have been almost impossible to completethis project.

Guys, you did a wonderful job! Thank you.


14

Continued from page 13

Fishway construction a community effort

Project ContributorsCampbell River Gravel Committee - Mike GageMinistry of Transportation - Simon StubbsDepartment of Fisheries & Oceans - Rick SengerStolt Sea Farm Inc - Dale BlackburnEWOS Canada Ltd - Ross GriersonAl & Sons Backhoe & Excavating - Gary Giese

- Operator - Wayne AndersonFinning Canada - Bill HolmbergMainroad North Island Contracting - Scott Gallacher

- Bridge Manager & Crew - Dave TurenneDoulyns Contracting Ltd / A. Trace & Sons - Steven StewartB Skuse Hydroseeding Inc - Brian SkuseWacor Contracting - Dave Atkinson

- Labourers - Gordon Chaplin & Don Taylor

United Rentals of Canada Inc. - Paul StannardGrant Signs - Al GrantC & L Supply (1988) Ltd. - JimS O S Traffic Control - Wendy WoodwardHyland Precast Inc. - Ken WoodsGAIA Environmental Consulting Services - Ken BondABC Pre-kast Ltd. - Ivan Lescorbeau

Quaaaaack, quaaaaack, quaaaaack.Ribbit, ribbit. Sploosh.

Duck, frog, fish and other feral soundsor happenstances not normally associatedwith major highway developments may besome of the wild encounters you mightexperience if you made a foray into anyof the six environmental reserves estab-lished along the last new section of theInland Island Highway near Courtenay.

Then there are some of the stealthiercritters that are lurking underfoot, over-head or in assorted nooks and crannies.Included in this list are bump-in-the-nightbeasts like rough-skinned newts, red-breasted sapsuckers, blacktail deer, pacifictreefrogs, cutthroat trout, water shrews,red-throated loons, steelhead and long-toed salamanders, several with creepycountenances that even a mother mightnot love. You might not see them, butthey know you are there. It’s enough togive Stephen King a case of the willies,but ecologists would have a nice warmand fuzzy feeling about it all.

As part of the plan to mitigate nega-tive impacts of the highway development,over 40 hectares of adjoining, high-qual-ity environmental areas were acquired andwill be protected in perpetuity. In mostcases, the environmental values have beenenhanced by construction of fish andwildlife-friendly features and habitat.Wetlands, stream corridors and matureforest areas prevalent in the six proper-ties are well suited to the finned, furredand feathered creatures that frequentthem.

Ministry of Transportation staffworked closely with and were stronglysupported by Ducks Unlimited Canada,Fisheries and Oceans Canada, local envi-ronmental stewardship groups, the Min-istry of Water, Land and Air Protectionand the Nature Trust of BC to developthis innovative environmental mitigation


15

Fins, feathers and fur abound onVancouver Island highway work

Salamanders, troutand a nearly endlessvariety of other crittersmake their homes inthe same areas wherewe build highways.That makes environ-mental stewardship ofplaces such as BevanPond (below, at right)critically important.Ministry staff andconsultants work withenvironmental groups,other governmentagencies and arearesidents of thehuman kind to makesure everythingpossible is done toprotect animal habitatand preserve uniqueecosystems.



16

visible overhead signal heads, and theministry’s annual traffic signal relampingprogram. Ministry electrical maintenancecrews did all work.

The cost savings are significant. Thetraffic signal heads are 90 per cent morepower efficient.

A total of $1.8 million in Hydro costsavings will be realized over the next sevenyears, and $100,000 will be saved annu-

plan. The properties are being transferredto non-profit environmental groups whowill provide long-term stewardship.

Directly from this initiative, DucksUnlimited is getting a financial kickstartof about $700,000 from its parent UnitedStates operation to obtain and protectother valuable fish and wildlife habitat in

coastal British Columbia.So, if you are driving the Inland Is-

land Highway around Courtenay, be sureto appreciate the state-of-the-art road en-gineering. But also think about the crit-ters that might be scurrying about in theadjacent wet, swampy and dark forestedareas because they could be inhabiting anenvironmental reserve that was estab-lished as part of the highway project.

Agreements provide long-termstewardship for sensitive lands(Continued from page 15)

ally in maintenance costs. The ministryreceived over $2 million in LED signalheads from BC Hydro for $700,000, tobe repaid over five years with no interest.

There is also a significant safety ben-efit. The signals are larger and more vis-ible to the travelling public. They are morereliable, and since they require less main-tenance, electrical crews will not be ex-posed to working in traffic as often.

Such a coordinated effort is paying bigdividends!


Switching on new light technology

Work on the Vancouver Island High-way Project was officially completed onNov. 28 when a ribbon cutting ceremonywas held to open the Millstream Connec-tor.

On hand for the event were Transpor-tation Minister Judith Reid, Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Arnie Hamilton, actingLangford Mayor Denise Blackwell andBeth Gibson, Mayor of Colwood.

The extension has quickly become awell-used addition to Victoria’s transpor-tation network, since it provides a lesscongested, safer route between the Trans-Canada Highway and the city’s westerncommunities of Colwood and Langford.

The official opening follows extensivepublic consultation between ministrystaff and stakeholders, including areaopen houses, a temporary informationoffice as well as information sessions.

Millstream Connectoropen, VIHP officiallybrought to an end

Contributors tothis issue of

the Road Runner

Cindi TrowbridgeLeanne JonesJoyce Poole

Mike ProudfootJohn Bodnarchuk

Ian MatthewsMaree JohnstonJulian MalinskyTanya Gosselin

Ross CaseySimon Stubbs

Maria CiarnielloSean Wong

Kirsten PedersonDave Edgar

Sean O’Sullivan

Bowling for Big Brothers Big SistersOn Feb. 8, Crystal Chenier, Corinne Chartand, Denise Stanley, Susan Ingram and MareeJohnston, the Southern Interior Region “A-Team,” participated in “Strikes for Tykes” in Kamloops.The team collected pledges in support Big Brothers Big Sisters programs. There were lots oflaughs and gutter balls but all had a good time. Lesson learned: More practice needed.

spring 2003 lions gate teamwork honoured€¦ · lions gate teamwork honoured weigh-scale staff...

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