THE BRITISH COLUMBIA WINTER 1976

RUDnerP BUSHED BY TH E DEP ARTMENT OF H IGHWAYS VOLUME 13, NUMBER I

Mountain Top Antenna Brings TV to Good Hope Camp

A new cable television system was installed at the Depart­ment's Good Hope Lake Camp during the summer to provideresidents with the CBC northern network programming originat­ing in Vancouver. The nearest usable signal available in thearea comes from Watson Lake on Channel 8 and it in tum isderived from the receiving system in Watsoll Lake which obtainsits signal from the Anik satellite. A t a mountain top just northof the camp, the Department has installed a Channel 8 receivingsystem which amplifies the signal and feeds it down the mountainside to the camp, where the signal is further amplified and dis­tributed by cable. A bove left, antenna ill place ill the mountain­top site with helicopter lowering equipment to Good Hope crewmembers, left, Tommy Sharko, Machine Operator; centre, GeraldHarvey, Fort St. Iohn District Headquarters. The mall Oil theright is believed to be Stewart Zeo rb. Other picture above is aview of the lake and the camp from far up the mountainside.Left, Department vehicle passing through SIIOW "cut" betweenMeziadin and Bob Quinn Camp and, bottom left, to illustratethat the Communications Branch deals with SIIOW ill places otherthan the north, lan Miller, Special Projects and ConstructionSupervisor, poses under SIIOW ladeII tree near Pemberton, just 100miles northeast of Vancouver.

The following letter was received by the Department inFebruary from Mrs. Marilyn Long, widow of Don Long,Regional Construction Engineer who, with Ken McRae,Regional Safety Officer, died in a commercial plane crashSeptember 30,1975:

"1179 Bednesti CrescoPrince George, B.C.

Feb. 9/76.

To All Department of Highway Stalf:-

We would like to sincerely thank all of you, who sokindly donated toward the Savings Certificates forthe children, as a memorial to Don. The funds willbe used for their fu ture education.Your kindness, help and understanding over thepast months will be remembered always .

Sincerely,Marilyn, Bill, KenDavid & Beth Long"

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Minister's MessageVolume 13

THE ROAD RUNNER

Winter 1976 No.1It was with great pleasure that I accept ed the dual

portfolio of Minister of Highways and Public Works .As MLA for Cariboo, which has more miles of gazettedroads than any other riding in the Province, highwaypriorities and problems have long been a major concernto me.

Ov er the years I have been impressed and pleased withthe way in which the Department gets on with the oftenthankless job of improving and maintaining the Prov­ince's highways. When ever I hqve had a complaint froma citizen, I have been very happy with the quick responseof the Department to correct the problem.

In the months to come, I am looking forward to get­ting a closer look at the Department's work and to meet­ing many more of the people who make up the Head­quarters in Victoria and the various Regions around theProvince.

ALEX V. FRASER

Minister of Highways and Public Works

The Cariboo Observer at Quesnel has given the Depart­ment an editorial pat on the back for its snow-clearing oper­ations during the heavy falls in December. "Within 12hours the main highway was in very good shapethe Observer observed. Also commending the Town ofQuesnel the paper went on to say that within 48 hours citystreets were also clear and that all in all it was "a prettygood record when you start counting up the number ofstreets there are to be cleared in this town and the manymiles of highway. " Looking back to the old da ys, theObserver had this to say about people who complain evenwhen given good service: "They tend to forget in this day ofthe snowplow and sanding truck that there once was a timewhen everyone just put the old jalopy up on the blocks forthe winter." The paper concludes that "people come toexpect it (snowplowing)-not only expect it, but expect itRight Now. Many of the grumbles are perhaps the naturalresult of the Law of Increased Expectations as services cometo be taken for granted."

KEITH E. BESPFLUG, of the Geotech­nical and Materials Testing Branch in Vic­toria, and a Toronto Engineering Consultant,are the Canadian winners of the AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers 1975 award forresearch papers on insulated foundation. Thenew foundation technique produces a three­fold saving by reducing the amount of material

to be dug out, the quantity of concrete to be poured, and theamount of backfill on completion.

Structural footings normally are placed below frost level,which in most parts of Canada means digging about 7-feet deep.Bespflug and Robinsky's technique is to dig only deep enough toreach stable material, then insulate the footings and foundationwith styrofoam board before the concrete is poured. The resultis to keep frost from affecting the structure during the time ofsoil instability, or heaving with freeze-up and thaw. Bespflugsaid structures built in this way in Timmins, Ontario for themining industry produced a saving of $30,000.

* *Published Quarterly by the

British Columbia Department of HighwaysVictoria, British Columbia

Ray Baines, Executive EditorArthur 1. Schindel, Editor

* *Associate Field EditorsW. S. Boughey VictoriaHerb Gutteridge Regional Electrical CrewEric Eastick .Centreline Marking, CloverdaleDoug Jone s . . . BurnabyGeorge Harper BurnsideHector McLeod .NanaimoD. L. Oliver CourtenayGeorge Cooper Patrol, North VancouverEllis Meads . .Dock DistrictLloyd Burgess New WestminsterW. A. McCargar McBrideWhayne Chappell KamloopsKen E. Smith Williams LakeM. D. Murray Ramsay Salmon ArmM. J. Newlands RevelstokeLes Johnson VernonR. J . Martin KelownaJ. W. Zaporozan PentictonBrian Niehaus MerrittDave Roberts LillooetDorothy Wilkins Grand ForksIevi Dellow RosslandS. J. Dixey NelsonJack Prokopetz New DenverR. I ackman CrestonN. K. Molander CranbrookSam Caravetta FernieMike Maglio .GoldenW. R. Rowe SmithersStan Gladysz Pouce CoupeHomer Good Fort St. JohnHarman Delyea TerraceShirley Hrechka Prince GeorgeClyde Smaaslet Prince GeorgeDon Johnson QuesnelBrian Hunter VanderhoofL. M. Wagar Burns LakeW. R. Ball Prince Rupert

COVER PHOTO

Typical of what British Columbian road builders are oftenlip against is this spectacular view of the Fraser River at HunterCreek, where 160,000 cubic yards of rock is being excavatedfrom this 290-foot high bluff to make room for widening theTrans-Canada Highway to four lanes. Glimpse of railway andhighway is visible far below.

-Photo courtesy Vancouver Sun .

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10-7 CLUB

Left to right, Ed Ashe, Senior Capta in;John Harms, Oiler, and Bill Corner, Se­nior Engineer . A llwork on the MV JacobHenkel at Francois Lake, Burns LakeDistrict. John Harms recently retiredfrom the service after six years as anOiler.

Hector R . Mackenzie, R egion 1 R e­gional Property Negotiator, retired onJuly 31 ,1975, after 29 years sen'ice withthe Provincial Government . DuringWorld War II , H ector served in England,Fran ce, Germany , and Belgium with theCanadian Army Overseas, as an AuxiliaryOfficer, YMCA. From 1946 to 1957 heworked in the Kamloops Land R egistryOffice and became Senior Titl e Examiner.While in Kamloops he took an active in­terest in community sports. After joinin gthe Department in 1957, Hector serv ed inall four R egions, and presently lives inLan gley, where he and his wife Connieare ardent golfers. P. J. Carr , R egionalEngineer, Burnaby, right, presents Hectorwith his M eritorious Service Certificate.

JOE F. COUMONTrecently retired fromthe Department inQuesnel. Joe spe ntseveral years as Reac­tion Ferr yman on theMarguerite and SodaCreek ferries before

going to the Ques nel Yard in 1970.

* * *MATT GOOD-

LAND, Lab ourer, ofVanderhoof D istrict,retired in October1975. Matt was em­ployed on a casualbasis from 1966 to1973, when he becamea steady employee. He has a farm in theMapes District, where he will probablyspend his retirement years.

ROMEO LOI­SELLE, Dawson CreekHighways District, re­cently retired and waspresented with a Meri­torious Service Award.

OVE WILSON,Creston, Nelson Dis­trict , was presentedwith a farewell giftfrom fellow employeeson his recent retire­ment from the Depart­ment. Ove began work

with the Department in 1963 with theConstruction Branch survey crew. Thenext year he transferred to the Cre stonMaintenance Yard, where he workedmainly as Loader Operator. Ove and hiswife plan to go into the restaurant busi­ness in the nea r future.

BILL PLEASANTS,Road Foreman, Dun­can, in the NanaimoDistrict, has recentlyretired after 18 yearswith the Department.His future plans in­clude hunting, fishing,and exten sive travelling.

CHESTER LLOYD,Machine Operator atDuncan in NanaimoDistrict, recently re­tired after 28 yea rswith the Department .A widower, he rece ntlyremarried and pla ns to

travel in his retirement. Chester fa rmedon the prairies and worked in a Youbousawmill before joining the Department inDuncan.

JOHNNY OLIVERbega n work with theDepartment in 1952.He retired last yearafter working all of his23 Yz years in theCrawford Bay - GrayCreek, Nelson District,as Truck Driver and Foreman 1. He ismarried with three children. Hobbies aremainly hunting and fishing. He also hasa farm to look after which will keep himwell occupied in his retirement. A dinnerwas held at Mountain Shores Resort byfellow employees honouring John on hisretirement.

NEIL McNIVEN,of New WestminsterMaintenance Crew,Coquitlam, has hungup his "Gone Fishing"sign. Neil startedworking for the De­partment in 1954 andafter more than 20 years retired in No­vember due to ill-health. During his yearsof service he has worked as a Truck­driver, Graderman, and leaves the De­partment as a Foreman 1. He has workedthe entire time in Coquitlam District. Heenjoys getting up early in the morningand taking off in his truck and camper forremote areas of the Province, especiallywhere the fish are running. Neil and hiswife will continue to live at their presentaddress, 2280 Kelly Avenue, Port Co­quitlam.

EARL MACLEOD,Road Forman, Savona,bid adieu to the De­partment after 23 yearsservice on January 13,1976. His retirementparty was well atte ndedby his many friends

and co-workers. A plaque memento giftwas presented to Earl.

* * *C. EARL MARTIN­

SON, Road Foreman4, Salmon Arm Dis ­trict, retired December31,1975. W. A. Bud­den, District HighwaysManager, presentedEarl with a certificatefor 29 years of meritorious service. Earland his wife, Janet, were honoured at abanquet and dance attended by a largecrowd of friends and fellow employees.

* * *GORDON DOUG­

LAS, recently retiredas Mechanical Fore­man at Vernon, wasfeted at a dinner, wherehe was presented withgifts and a scroll. Hebegan with the Depart­

ment at Courtenay in 1940, transferred toNew Denver for three years, after whichhe returned to Courtenay. He left theDepartment in 1950 to go into privatebusiness. In 1960 he rejoined the Depart­ment as Mechanical Foreman at BostonBar. Subsequently, he transferred to Wil­liams Lake for three years before trans­ferring to Vernon, where he finished outhis time in November 1975. His hobbiesare building boats and ham radio-hiscall letters are VE7BB 1. He and his wifewill continue to reside in Vernon.

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PROMOTIONS

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JOYCE CALHOUN, Clerk in the Ke­lowna District office, has returned from awinter holiday in the Philippines. High­lights of her stay in the tropics were theancient rice terraces called the eighthwonder of the world, running the rapidsat Pagsanjan Falls, a visit to the FosterParents Plan centre, and seeing nativefolk dances.

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PAT DICKSON, Clerk-Stenographer 2in the Vanderhoof District, has wonthrough competition the Clerk 3-Time­keeper position in the same location.

Other recent promotions include R. M.OAKLEY, Foreman 1, Fort St. John, toForeman 2 (Road) , Williams Lake; R.W. REIMCHE, Mechanic 3, Cloverdale,to Mechanic 4, Chetwynd; B. P. KELLY,Labourer, Langford, to Assistant SignPainter; D. K. McPHERSON, Mechanic2, Williams Lake, to Mechanic 3, BellaCoola; E. B. TERRILON, Bridgeman 2,North Vancouver, to Bridgeman 3; T.McQUADE, Bridgeman 2, North Vancou­ver, to Bridgeman 3; W. D. BLOWER,Bridgeman 1, Prince George, to Bridge­man 2; C. MENSINK, Mechanic 3, Kam­loops, to Mechanic Foreman 1 (Mechanic5), Prince George; 1. F. MERCHANT,Mechanic 2, Lands, to Mechanic 3, NorthVancouver.

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ARNIE KRAUS won the position ofMaintenance Management Technician atMerritt. Arnie was previously with theConstruction Branch throughout Regions1 and 2.

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JOE HARWOODrecently won throughcompetition the posi­tion of Machine Oper­ator 3 with the TestingBranch BenkelmanBeam truck. He willbe stationed in Karn­

loops. He began with the Department inVernon in 1960, and his main hobby iscollecting military regalia.

ALBERT (RED)EVANS won throughcompetition the posi­tion of Road Fore­man 3 at Cassidy, Na­naimo District. Alberthad formerly beenForeman in the Na­naimo and Duncan areas.

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SHARON BEL­KNAP recently wonthrough competitionthe Clerk 2 position inthe Terrace Districtoffice. She was for­merly with the De­partment of Finance.Sharon has two children, and a new addi­tion to the family, a Siamese kitten calledYoko or Mac.

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..... ""'01 ~--, REGINALD JEF-FERSON, MachineOperator 5, won theposition through com­petition and transferredfrom Terrace. North­ern living seems toagree with the Jeffer­

sons; he says perhaps it's because thefarther north you go, the friendlier thepeople are.

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ED HOOPER wonthe position of Yard­man at Good HopeLake through compe­tition in January 1975.A native of Merritt, heis enjoying his bache­lor status, his motor­

bike, hunting and fishing, in that order.

ROBERT G.STRAIN recently wonthrough competitionthe position of DistrictCo-ordinator for theGolden District. Bobhas been with the De­partment since 1967

working as an operator on the Districtroad crew. He is married with two sons.His interests include hunting, fishing, bee­keeping, gardening, and baseball.

SANDY BEGGS haswon through competi­tion the Clerk 3 posi­tion in the TerraceDistrict office. Shewas formerly with theProvincial EmergencyProgram. Sandy en­joys reading, painting, and crocheting.Her husband, Gerry, is the local DriverExaminer with MVB.

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CHUCK HUNTER,Nanaimo shop, has re­cently been promotedto Mechanic 2.

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J. P. O'BRYAN wasthe successful appli­cant for the position ofEngineering Assistant­District Co -ordinator,Maintenance Manage­ment, Cranbrook Dis­trict. Jack started with

the Department April 29, 1963, with theDesign and Surveys Branch, and trans­ferred to Cranbrook in November 1973.He is married with four children and en­joys fishing and hunting.

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MRS. NORAH JU­BINVILLE, OfficeManager, Burns LakeDistrict. Norah maybe shy before a cam­era but she's outspokenotherwise. Norah wasrecently promotedfrom Timekeeper.

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JOE F. McNABB,formerly a ProjectSupervisor with theBridge Branch, wonthe position of Techni­cian 3 at Dease Lakethrough competition.He is Acting Highway

Manager in charge of Atlin, Good HopeLake, Dease Lake , Telegraph Creek, Ta­togga Lake, and Bob Quinn Lake mainte­nance establishments. Having been sta­tioned at Port McNeill for a time, he andhis family miss the ocean but are enjoyingthe slower pace which accompanies north­ern living.

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MIKE ZYLICZ,Technician 1, has wonthrough competitionthe position of Ava­lanche Co-ordinator inthe Terrace District.He was formerly withthe Geotechnical andMaterials Branch. Mike started with theDepartment in May 1974. His hobbiesare ski-ing, scuba diving, photography,and sailing. Mike's avalanche work willbe on Yellowhead Highway 16, betweenTerrace and Prince Rupert.

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ABOUT PEOPLENew co-ordinator in

Kamloops District isSHAUN SWEENEY,Technician 1. Shaunwas previously inCourtenay and BurnsLake . He and hiswife, Grace, both mu­

SICianS, were part of a musical groupcalled "Middle Earth." Grace is soon tomake a solo performance in Kamloops.Shaun's hobby is trying to feed his pet,Puff, a 150-pound St. Bernard.

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LEN TRUDEAU,Technician 2, startedwith the Bridge Con­struction Branch in1969. Len is tempo­rarily assigned to theTerrace District wherehe is working on sub­divisions, permit s, and reports. He is an­ticipating a lively summer of outside workon new bridges west of Terrace. His hob ­bies include fishing and hockey officiating.Len is married and has two children.

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NEIL O'NEIL, En­gineering Aide 3,joined HeadquartersBridge Branch in 1973.Originally from FortSt. John and a gradu­ate of BCIT, Neil nowspends most of his time

in Region 2. This winter he can be foundin the Salmon Arm District. Neil playshockey and his team has a perfect record- no wins! Some of Neil's other hobbiesinclude hunting, fishing, and camping.

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DON VARNER,Engineering Assistant4 with the Terrace Dis­trict, is the Mainte­nance ManagementCo-ordinator. Donstarted with the De ­partment in April1970. His hobbies include photographyand electronics. Do n was raised at Usk,a small community 10 miles from Ter­race on the north side of Skeena River.

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DENNIS REJMANis a former Crestonresident and startedemployment with theDepartment of High­ways in March 1970with the Design andSurvey Branch at

Kamloops. In 1974 he won through com­petition an Engineering Aide 3 position inCreston. His hobbies are hunting andfishing and he is also fond of canoeing.

DEBBIE DUNNjoined the Region 3 of­fice staff at Nel son inDecember 1975 as aClerk 2. She is work ­ing in the MaintenanceManagement sectionand enjoys ski - ing,

reading, and cooking.

IAN SCOTT, af­fable Yardman, Van­derhoof District. Ianbeca me a regular em­ployee of the Depart­ment in May 1973.He is married and hassix children, who helpmake life interesting on their farm atEngen.

MURIEL PATTER­SON joined the De­partment and Region 1office in January 1975as a Draughtsman.Born in Iceland andraised in Manitoba,Muriel was trained invisual arts at the Calgary Institute ofTechnology and Art and the Banff Schoolof Fine Art s. She is an accomplishedartist in oils, acrylics, and water-coloursand specializes in murals. Muriel hastaught painting and pottery-making inadult education classes and has worked asa DVA hospital supervisor in arts andcrafts therapy. An outdoors person atheart, she is pleased that the scenes alongHighway 16 which she has painted havebeen exhibited in British Columbia, Al­berta, and Saskatchewan.

T. S. (TIM) COOKEjoined the Departmentin November 1974 asassistant to the Re­gional Pavi ng Superin­tendent in Region 1.Following graduationfrom Carleton Univer­

sity, Tim was employed by Public WorksCanada as a Project Engineer on theMackenzie Highway south of Inuvik in1973, and in 1974 in bridge design andconstruction in Kouchibouguac NationalPark in New Brun swick . Tim holds apilot's licence for both land and sea air­craft, and also includes among his hobbiesski-ing, sailing, and ice hockey.

has one child .

LIONEL H. MER­CIER, A.A.C.I., F.R.I.,R.I .(B.C.), N.P., joinedthe Department as Re­gional Property Nego­tiator, Region I, inAugust 1975. Aftergraduation in real

estate appraisal from UBC, and the Ap­praisal Institute of Canada, Lionel gainedconsiderable experience in all aspects ofreal estate, investments, and appraisals byoperating his own companies. DuringWorld War II, he served with the RCAFand, being bilingual in Engli sh andFrench, conducted various language andtechnical studies overseas. He has heldmany elected or appointed offices, whichinclude President or Vice-President of realestate companies and boards, Chairmanof Chamber of Commerce committees.Governor of Toastmasters International,and Mayor of Vernon.

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KA Y VISRAM hasbeen secretary to theRegional Property Ne­gotiator in Region 1shortly after joiningthe Department in Au-gust 1974. Born and ~

raised in Kenya, Kaylived near Nairobi and worked there assecretary to a bank manager for 10 years.Before settling in Canada she had trav ­elled extensively in Africa and Europe.Travelling still tops her recreational inter­ests, but she is happy to devote most ofher leisure time to reading and gardening.

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MARIO PAVLAK­OVIC has been aProperty Negotiator inRegion 1 since joiningthe Department inApril 1975. Born inYugoslavia and raisedin British Columbia,

Mario studied a variety of subjects at theUniversity of British Columbia before de­termining that his true interest lay inreal estate and land registry. During hisfourth year at UBC , Mario operated hisown dry-cleaning business, but his inter­ests now are tennis, ski-ing, and go-kartracing, with perhaps a desire to become ahobby-farmer.

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Engineering Aide 1-2MA RSHA -SPRAG UEstar ted with the Ter­race District in Octo­ber 1975. She enjoyscross-country ski-ing,swimm ing, and sewing .Marsha is married and

6

NORMA KIRBY,the Kamloops DistrictStenographer, is a re­cent arrival in Karn­loops . A traveller,Norma has lived inCalgary, Winnipeg,Minneapolis, Kansas

City, Mo. , Chicago, and Cincinnati. Shewas born in an Iceland community calledRiverton where her first experience withthe English language was when she at­tended grade school. Norma is still fluentin Icelandic and is presently with a groupthat is trying to form a multicultural so­ciety in the Kamloops area. Her hob­bies include sewing, macrame, crocheting,and gardening.

D. M. (DOUG)BAIRD, CourtenayDistrict Stockman, hasbeen with the Depart­me nt since 1951 .Doug is a well-knownlocal musician whotaught himself to play

the piano . His interest in the piano datesback to 1926 when he was impressed withthe variety of piano accompaniment atsilent movies. Doug and several friendsformed a musical group known as "DougBaird's Orchestra" and played all aroundVancouver Island for 20 years .

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TOM TAMS, Cour­tenay District OfficeManager, has beenwith the Departmentsince 1930. He waspresented with a goldwatch in 1970 for 40years service .

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BEVERLEY F .GREEN , DistrictTechnician for theGolden Highw ay Dis­trict since 1958. Bornin Nelson, Bev is mar­ried and has two chil­dren . Main outsideinterests include badminton, tennis, andhiking.

7

Elroy L. PotterMachine Operator

Bill SterlingMech anic

Walt HaddowMech anic Foreman

Mike MooreHeavy-duty Mech anic

Bill WoodMachine Operator

• .,1\,., .,:;.. ~ ·~r,.~:f~.j:~~.~,-.... ' \\';' ~ "''l~~~1 " . \

'~- ~,;.!., -:.

Randy Ro1linsMachine Operator

STEWARTThe Village of Stewart is tucked into a high

steep valley 120 miles north of Prince Rupert atthe end of the Portland Canal separating BritishColumbia from the Alaskan Panhandle. Visi­tors to the area have become familiar with acolourful colloquial term "hyderized" whichdescribed certain thirst-quenching activities as­sociated with Stewart's neighbour , Hyder,Alaska. Stewart is noted as a great recreationalarea. Government employees take advantageof some of the best snowmobiling and salmonfishing in the Province. (Stewart is one ofonly two cities where you can legally operatea licensed snowmobile on public streets.) Thetown business area is small and rather limitedbut most items are available for shoppers.

The Department of Highways establishmentconsists of 12 road crew and six garage staffmembers. A new garage stockroom and officecomplex, complete with full electric "in floor"heating, was completed in 1972. The crew isresponsible for a short section of road to Gran­duc Mines, access to which is through Alaska,and a much longer and more difficult sectionbetween Stewart and Meziadin Lake. Thishighway passes through the notorious Bear Passwhich is a low elevation with high verticalmountains overlooked by scenic glaciers. Thisarea is one of the most active and hazardousavalanche areas in the Province.

Edgar W. Gile sMachine Operator

Eugene M. MarshallRoad Foreman

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ANITA STASYNjoined the Nelson Re­gional Highway De­partment in September1975 as a Clerk-Sten­ographer. Her hobbiesinclude stamp-collect­ing and raising plants.

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E. C. (ED) HOGG,Mechanic Foreman,Burns Lake. Ed isPresident of the localRod and Gun Club,teache s hunter educa­tion, and drive s am­bulance for the Am­

bulance Society. In his spare time he isan avid snowmobiler and curler.

BOBY N. HOLO­WENKO, Yardmanwith the Golden Dis­trict, began with theDepartment in 1964 atGolden. Bob is mar­ried with two sons.His main interests in­clude hockey, fishing, hunting, and gar­dening .

HEATHER. WHITE­HEAD, Clerk-Typistin the Burns Lake Dis­trict office. "Head"is known for her pleas­ant voice on the radio.

l

PEEK INTO THE PAST

Four stages of development in a century are illustrated vividly in these pictures of Parson's Bridge on Highway IA about 6 miles[rom Victoria . Top left, timber trestle built in 1873 and, top right, new timber-truss bridge put in around 1900. In 1926 a new concrete­arch bridge was built, bottom left. It was widened and a sidewalk added on the outside in 1961. In 1974 a second two-lane structurewas added, bottom right, to /it in with the newly [our-laned highway. Note the building in the left background, part of which was in theoriginal photo taken in 1900.

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Photograph taken ill the early 1920's of the Park Bridge Ol'er the Kicking Horse River Oil the Trans-Canada Highway east of Golden,

Early shot of YOIIO Park Bridge Oil the Trans-Canada Highway over the Kicking Horse River between Golden and the Alberta border.

9

TRAINING AND SAFETY

A group of Department personnel who took part ill a dramatic rescue opera­tion all the Crallberry River north of Kitwanga, June 14, were recently presentedwith St. Jolin Ambulance awards and Premier's Citation certificates ill two separ­ate ceremonies ill Victoria. The men, mostly from Design and Survey Branchcrews, rescued and revived [our of eight people ill a submerged car which wentillto the river at 7 p.m, A fifth person was rescued by the driver of a camper atthe scene. Three young people, a brother and sister aged 17 and 18, and anotherboy aged :6 died. Shown after the presentation early ill December are JamesBertram, Herb Walker, Huns Penner, Ken Hawkins, Francis Bosley, Georgia Caon,and Dellis Barrel/e. A full account of the rescue was carried in the fall 1975edition of the RR. Others involved in the rescue were Jim Turner, Pete Hobson,Randy Kennedy, Harold De Vries, Terry Naylor, Terry Gale, Harry Wright,Andrean Norfolk, Dan Nordquist, and Kent Grougard,

Buckle-Up for SafetyNot long ago a Department employee was

involved in a collision, and was badly in­jured. The force of the impact and thespinning vehicle threw him violently aroundin the front seat.

In another instance, while a Departmentvehicle was making a left turn, the door onthe passenger's side flew open, the passengerfell out and was seriously hurt.

In the first case, wearing a seat belt wouldcertainly have lessened the injuries. In thesecond, the employee would have avoidedinjury altogether if he had buckled-up.

Another case points out the value of usingseat belts . A sanding truck came over thecrest of a hill, went out of control, spunaround, and then turned over. The drivercredits his seat belts with saving him fromany injury whatever.

These are not isolated cases. It has beenproven that using seat belts lessens injury,and allows the driver more positive control,especially in "off road" or "upset" situations.

Department vehicles are equipped withseat belts for employee protection.

Regulations state: "SEAT BELTS in­stalled in mobile equipment SHALL be usedwhen the equipment is in motion."

For SAFETY sake use your SEAT BELTand make sure passengers also BUCKLE­UP.

G. A. Warrington, Regional Mechani­cal Superintendent, Prince George, right,presents the Silver Safety Award to DonClark, Safety Committee representativeof Fort St. James road crew, VanderhoofDistrict, Since this crew averages onlysix men, a number of years is required toattain the necessary accident-free hours.

Bill Marks, Region 3 FirstAid Instructor. Beginning inAugust 1975, Bill has tra­velled the Region and to date350 employees have success­fully completed the safety-oriented first-aid course.

Bill comes to Nelson from Kitimat, wherehe was active in hockey and swimming.He is past President of the Pacific North­west Hockey League and his hobbies includecanoeing and guitar playing. He is marriedwith three children.

Jim Parker, left Mechanic 6, and JockRattray, Road Maintenance Foreman 4, atGood Hope Lake shown with what theyclaim is the "Good Housekeeping Awardfor 1974." Those who know them are in­clined to believe it is a trophy for the "BestTeller of Tall Tales."

Ron E. Mack joinedRegion 3 as RegionalSafety Officer in De­cember 1975. Ronwas born in Nelson,lived in the Siocanand Trail area, spent

12 years in Canadian Army MedicalCorps, was employed by Mannix Com­pany Limited as Safety Officer, SafetyDirector for Marine Pipeline Limited,and Safety Officer for the AlbertaTrunk Gas Line Company Ltd. He isPast Director and Secretary of theAlberta Association of Safety Person­nel, Past President of the Instructor'sAssociation, President of the St. IohnAmbulance in Calgary, and a Directorof the Provincial Council of St. John.He was invested as a serving brotherof the Order of St. John at Ottawain November 1973 by the GovernorGeneral. Ron is married with fourchildren, and hoping to build a newhome at Longbeach on the KootenayLake. He is a licensed private pilotand naturally interested in the activi­ties on the Nelson air strip. His hob­bies are flying, coin collecting, andphotography.

10

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Successful Region 1 Mixed Bonspiel was held last Novemberat Hope with 16 rinks entered, many from Vancouver Island,and some from as far away as Prince George. Three winningrinks are shown above. First in A event was a rink from Hope,top left, left to right, Don Kirkland, skip; Mary Kirkland; EI 'Dash; and Ron Dash. First in B event, centre left, were, left toright, Al Nesting; Kathleen Nesting; Pat Walsh; and Neil Car­rington, skip from Say ward. First in C event, above, were leftto right, Jeanetta Ramsey, skip; Hugh Williams; Doug Wright ;and Elarnor Carson from Hope. Rinks from Victoria, Nanaimo ,and Victoria were second in the three events, respectively,

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The Annual Two-Ender Bonspiel held on January 10.1976, in Kamloops, was the best yet with 24 rinks com­peting. The first place went to Ric Meidinger's team witha 5"'{) record. Left to right, Ken McMillan, lead; BrianGriffiths, second; Burt Lennartz, third; Rich Meidinger,skip. Second place was cinched by John Rumple's rinkwith John Thomas, lead; Fred Lewis, second; and BarbDavidson, third.

WEDDINGSARTHUR THOMAS PITCHER, Machine Operator in

the Williams Lake District, was recently married to COR­INNE HAWKINS in the Sealing Room of the Latter-daySaints Temple in Mesa, Arizona. Art and his bride re­ceived congratulations from his fellow workers.

MISS PENNY BURNOCK, McBride Voucher Clerk,and ALLAN STEFANIK, were married in November 1975in the Kamloops Courthouse. They will be making theirhome in Kamloops.

PAT LAWRENCE, Clerk in the Courtenay Districtoffice, recently received a gift of lamps from the Courte­nay District office staff prior to becoming Mrs. Pat Doonan.

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ON THE JOB.,

Some of the crew in the new maintenance shop at SalvusCamp in the Terrace District. Left to right, Chuck Sallenback,Machine Operator; John Plummer, Mechanic; Dennis Griffiths,Sign Maintenance Man, and Bill Pelech, Salvus Camp Road Fore­man.

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Pictures, left and above, show slide damage at Francois Lakenorth ferry-landing and subsequent drill investigation. The dockhad to be rebuilt for the ferry. A new and larger ferry is plannedfor 1976 and should accommodate up to 40 cars. Dock contractsstarted this winter and the new vessel should be sailing in the SUIll­Iller.

Bruno PaM, Backhoe Operator, Dawson Creek HighwaysDistrict, installing culverts on the Boundary Road reconstructionproject. Bruno is a long-time resident of the area and a skilledmachine operator.

lvan Benoit, Machine Operator in the Terrace District, is:rhown helping out on the reconstruction of the Kalum Lake Road.

ON THE JOB

Richard L. Lewis, Project Supervisor with Bridge Con ­struction, is carrying out the instrument work for locatingthe bridge substructure at Horsey Creek bridge site on theYe llowhead Highway . R ick joined the Department follow­ing graduation from BCIT in May 1973 . He is a certifiedmember of the Society of Engineering Technologists ofB.C., and his outside interests are hunting, fishing, andhiking.

John Bjornay and Dave Ruscheinski of the Dawson Creek HighwaysDistrict congratulating each other after a successful culvert instal lationat Mile 13, Alaska Highway, Route 97. A steel pipe was pulled througha 39-year-old wood box-culvert which was falling, and gravel wa.lwashed in between the two structures. The traffic was not interruptedfor a minute on the highway over the 20-foot fill.

Capt. Ian Scott, Courtenay District, has been with the De­partment since 1969 as a Ferry Captain . Presently he is theSenior Captain on the Department ferry MV Quadra Queen IIwhich operates between Campbell River and Quadra Island inthe Courtenay District.

J. W. (Jack) Calond, Labourer with the Courtenay Districtroad crew, pauses while loading salt as temporary MachineOperator in the Courtenay yard.

George Halman, Machine Operator at Lake Cowi­chan in the Nanaimo District, is smiling. The reason-the exceptional January weather they were experi­encing at the lake.

The Pent icton District bridge crew pou ring north abutment for the A lIi­son Creek bridge which is to replace a culvert 15 miles north of Princetonon Highway 5.

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Busy season, busy men. SaI'olla road crew, Kam/oops District, take a moment forRoad Runner. Left to right, Dave Rawson, Labourer; Earl McLeod, Senior Road Fore­mall; George Merry, Machine Operator 4; Vern Kingsley, Machine Operator 6; BobKer, Machine Operator 3; Stall Gold, Machine Operator 6; Bill Murphy, Labourer; JohnBoyko, Labourer; Dick Haller, Machine Operator 3; Norm Veillette, Labourer.

-Frank Mounsey; Foreman Mount Le­

Moray Camp, Dawson Creek HighwaysDistrict. Frank pauses ill [rant of thesign informing motorists of the avalanchearea on Highway 97, Pine Pass area.

Chetwynd Crew, Dawson Creek Highways District, pausefrom their culvert steaming operation, Left to right are DaleDisher, Labourer; Jim McClarty, Machine Operator 3, and StanParr, Machine Operator 3.

Using concrete perforated pipe and dry well for a drainageproblem on Park Road in the Kelowna area.

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OBITUARIESEmployees of the Department, and particu­

larly those of the Design and Survey Branch,were saddened by the death of PETER HUNT onNovember 26, 1975. Born in Manchester, Eng­land, in 1925, Peter served in the RAF duringthe Second World War and graduated from theUniversity of Manchester in 1947 with a B .S~.

in Civil Engineering. He came to Canada in 1954, and afterworking for a time with the Ontario Department of Highways,he came west and started with the B.C. Department in January1956, three months before his oldest son was born. The son,Richard, now works for the Department in the Saanich Districtoffice on Burnside. Peter was appointed Computer Engineerin 1963 and was responsible for many programs in use today.He graduated from the Executive Development Training Planin 1964. His quick wit, intelligence, and sense of humour willbe missed by all.

W. A. McEACHERN (Sr.), former Courtenay District BridgeForeman, who retired in 1967, died January 24, 1976. His son,William (Jr.), is a member of the present bridge crew in theCourtenay District.

New Westminster Highways District was saddened to learnthat MAURICE J. DUMONT died suddenly after just retiringlast Mayas the Bridge Tender on the Pitt River Bridge. Thefuneral was held January 15, 1976. He is survived by his wifeat Port Coquitlam.

ABOUT PEOPLE

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KATHI AQUINO,Clerk-Stenographer, re­cently transferred fromHeadquarters to theNanaimo District of­fice. Her interests in­clude sports, cooking,and sewing.

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JOAN CARLETONof the Vernon Districtoffice was recently pro­moted to Clerk 4 andtransferred to theLiquor AdministrationBranch in Burnaby.She began with theDepartment in Victoria from where shetransferred to Vernon. The Vernon officestaff made a presentation to her at a noonluncheon. Her hobbies are reading andcanoeing.

TRANSFER

NORMAN M c -BETH , s o m e t i m eLoader, Backhoe, orGrader Operator .Families of both Nor ­man and hi s wifemoved to the area inthe early 1930's. They

have three daughters. Apart from his job ,Norman operates a farm and rai ses ca tt le.He hopes that some day it will becom e apaying proposition so that he can devotefull time to the enterprise.

DENNIS PALSSONjoined the Region 3office staff last Decem­ber. He is currentlyworking in the Me­chanical Superinten­dent's office. Whennot working he can

usually be found playing pool or workingon his truck, his favourite hobby. He isalso a stereo buff.

WILLIAM DEAK,Machine Operator 7,Dawson Creek High ­way District. Bill ha soperated cats on vari­ou s projects in thisDistrict since 1968.He is married withone son, enjoys hunting, and is a hockeyfan.

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JOHN SMITH ,long-time employee ofthe Department atVanderhoof and Me­chanic Foreman 2since 1956. Born inScotland, John is aWorld War II veteran

married with four children . He startedwith the Department as a Truck-driverin 1947, progressing to Power GraderOperator before switching to the mechan­ical staff.

DAVE YOUNG,Engineering Aide 3,has been in Regionaldraughting office sinceNovember 1974, com­ing from North Van­couver District office.Dave's activities and

interests are wide and varied. He likesto travel and meet people. His hobbiesare painting and sketching, reading, andhe is interested in sailboats and automo­biles .

SUSANNE PESTHjoined the Region 3stenographic staff atNelson in October1975. She came tothe Department fromCranbrook, where shepreviously worked foran equipment company as a secretary.Her hobbies are oil-painting, sewing, andski-ing .

1. G. (GORDON)BROCK, EngineeringAide 3 with the GoldenDistrict, began withthe D e p a r t m e n t in1962. Gord workedwith the ConstructionBranch before trans­

ferring to Golden in 1973. He is marriedwith two children and his interests includehockey and gardening.

ED PETERSONstarted work with theDepartment of High­ways in Clinton in1962. He won throughcompetition a Fore­man 2 position inCreston in 1974. Onleaving Clinton, Ed was presented with agift by fellow employees. He is marriedwith four children. He likes to hunt andfish, with curling as a pastime in the win­ter.

A unique parting gift from co-workersof Leslie Visentin , Clerk -Stenographer 2at Ke lowna , was this farewell cake in theshape of the Highways symbol suitablydecorated in blue and green . Leslie leftto join the Department of Housing.

Bill Kin g, R oad Foreman, CampbellRiver, left, and G eorge Anderson , RoadForeman, Quadra Island, both in Courte­nay District, tak e tim e out for the RRcam eraman in the Quadra Island yard .

RICHARD DIXONjoined the Headquar­ters Planning Branchlast August as a Trans­portation Research En-

/' gineer. Having ob-- 'I' tained hi s B.Sc . in

- Civil Engineering atWaterloo University in 1971. Richardwas employed by the Ontario Ministry ofIndustry and Tourism as a researcher inthe compilation of camping survey ques ­tionnaires as well as expenditure analysisand report publishing for the SI. Law­rence Parks Commission . In 1973, Rich­ard returned to Waterloo University toobtain a ma ster s degree specializing inTransportation and Urban Planning.Single, he enjoys sports, fastball, andsquash particularly, and cards or chessfor quieter periods.

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