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ESSLABELHERE

MAY 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 3

CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

LANDSCAPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

READY MIX NEWS INSIDE

DEPARTMENTS

New Brunswick has introduced aGreen Building Policy intended to re-duce significantly the energy use andgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ofgovernment buildings

Story on page 2

NB’S GREENBUILDINGPOLICY

The construction of a 10,000 square footaddition to the Provincial Correctional Cen-tre in Miltonvale Park, Prince Edward Islandshould be completed in June. (Photo: AndyWalker)

Story on page 6

PEI JAIL

In response to the increasing demand forskilled workers in Newfoundland &Labrador, the province has committed $1.2million in 2010-11 and a total of $2.5 mil-lion over the next three years to support theimplementation of a new skilled tradesmentoring program, ‘Try the Trades’.

Story on page 3

‘TRY THE TRADES’MENTORING PROGRAM

Only two lanes are open to traffic and no one will be rushing during rush hour on the Harbour Bridge in Saint John, New Brunswick until late October. Repairs to decking andwallson the 40-year-old bridge beganMay 15. After months of bickering between federal and provincial politicians about funding for repairs and forgiving a $22.6million federal debt,the New Brunswick government guaranteed a $35 million loan to cover the much-needed upgrades. Ontario-based ConCreate USL Ltd. was awarded the $32.6 million contract.Ironically the company originated in Moncton, NB as a small tunneling business. Its portfolio now includes work on the Niagara River Rainbow Bridge and the construction of thebobsled and luge track at this year’s OlympicWinter Games in British Columbia.

HARBOURBRIDGEREPAIRS

UNDERWAY

The fire started in the corner of the livingroom (in Georgetown, Prince Edward Is-land).

Story on page 9

FIRE STOPPERTECHNOLOGYBy STEVE SHARRATT The Guardian

2 May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Construction

NB’s green building policyNew Brunswick has introduced a Green

Building Policy intended to reduce signifi-cantly the energy use and greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions of government buildings.

The first phase of the policy went into effectApril 1. It applies to all new construction andmajor renovation projects for Parts I throughIV of the public service. The second phase willbecome effective Jan. 1, 2011, for organizationsthat receive funding from the province.

Under the first phase of the policy, largerbuildings, defined as those greater than 2,000sq. m, will be required to achieve a minimumcertification of LEED Silver or Green Globes 3

Globes (considered a LEED silver equivalentunder the policy).

Smaller buildings, those between 500 and2,000 sq. m, will be required to follow Effi-ciency NB's Core Performance Guide for en-ergy efficiency as well as fulfill a list of greenbuilding requirements.

Under the policy, exceptions will be permit-ted for special circumstances—heritage andtemporary/seasonal buildings, for example—and work has begun to expand the policy toapply to existing government buildings as wellas leased space used by the provincial govern-ment.

New guide for energy-efficient buildingsEfficiency New Brunswick has released a

new guide tomake it easier to design and buildenergy-efficient commercial buildings.

Energy Minister Jack Keir introduced the‘Core Performance Guide, Efficiency NB Edi-tion’ in Saint John at a training session for en-gineers and architects.

Theminister,who is also responsible for Ef-ficiency NB, said the guide would help “smalland medium commercial buildings reducetheir energy consumption and greenhouse gasemissions while helping them improve their

competitiveness."Developed in co-operation with Natural

Resources Canada and the New Buildings In-stitute, the guide lays out a simplified pre-scriptive path approach to EfficiencyNB's StartSmart NewCommercial Buildings Program. Itlists proven ways to make small and mediumbuildings energy efficiency without requiringundertaking energymodeling and simulation.

Information about Efficiency NB's StartSmart program and the Core PerformanceGuide Efficiency NB Edition is online.

[Sydney,NS]—Fineshave increasedsharply inNova Scotia for violations of building code andfire safety laws.

Building inspectors in the Cape Breton Re-gional Municipality who enforce the provinciallaws, do the inspections and issue the ticketswhere necessary say it’s something to keep inmind as the construction season gets underway.

Rick Fraser,manager of buildings and bylaws,notedWednesday the fines forconstructingorde-molishingabuildingwithout apermitwhereoneis required — which were in the $100 range —have jumped to $685 for individuals. And that’sif a ticket is paid without a court appearance,which can add about $165.

Fines for corporations (whichcanalso includeconstruction companies) for the same offenceunder the province’s building code are $1,260without court costs.

Constructionprojects also includerenovationswhichmay require a permit.

Fraser said thegoal forbuilding inspectors andhis department is to workwith people or corpo-rations and not issue tickets. He estimated onlyfrom five to 10were handed out last year.

“Wearemore in tunewith trying toworkwithpeople, like giving them a stop-work order and

saying now get in and get your permit and try towork with them. We don’t have to issue the(ticket) right away,”he said.

“Even so, I need people to understand this iscoming down the pipelines and it can happen.”

The province’s building code refers to a num-berof other violations that canmeana ticket andfine including furnishing false information,failingtocomplywithanorderandcontravening theact.

Fire Safety Act fines which are also set by theNova Scotia government but enforced by thebuilding inspectors have gone from about $100to $397 (not including court costs) for a numberof offences, some of which are failing to complywith a fire official’s request or providing false ormisleading information toa fireofficial.Fines are$685 for removingapostedorderornoticewith-out a fire official’s approval and failing to complywith an order.

Fire inspectors in the regional municipality,who inspect restaurants, bars, community cen-tres, church halls and other public buildings aswell asbuildingswithmore than threeunits,havenot yet issued any tickets.

Fine revenue goes to the province not the re-gionalmunicipality.

Fraser said there are a lot of good reasons forobeying building code and fire safety regulationsincluding to maintain higher construction stan-dards as well as for safety and health reasons.

By CHRIS HAYESThe Cape Breton Post

Violators of building code,fire safety laws facing stiff fines

The chair of public works says con-struction of the roundabout onBelvedere Avenue (Charlottetown,Prince Edward Island) could begin intwo weeks (May 26).

Coun. Terry Bernard said that mightbe an optimistic guess but he did saythat the contractor, Island Construc-tion, will begin working on the round-about once work on wideningUniversity Avenue is finished.

“I don’t know what their schedule isbut it’s my understanding they’re goingto finish University Avenue first andthen move in to do (the roundabout),”Bernard said Tuesday (May 11).

The roundabout is scheduled to befinished by the end of August. Work onthe roundabout at Mount Edward Roadand Allen Street is already underwayand should be completed by the firstweek of July.

The roundabout on Belvedere Av-enue, at the UPEI and Farmer’s Marketintersection, will cost the city about $1.8million. The city chose to redesign theintersection and asked traffic expertswhether the best choice was a round-about or traffic signals.

The experts recommended the city

go with the roundabout, citing reasonssuch as improved traffic flow and safety.

It will be a fairly unique experiencefor many city and Island motorists sothe city is planning another educationcampaign.

A mock roundabout was set up lastfall in the Civic Centre parking lot onPark Street and there are plans for an-other one.

“We wanted to start the roundaboutfirst and then start putting the ad cam-paign out.'”

That campaign will also include afull-page advertisement in TheGuardian.

There will be three major crosswalksin the area—a pedestrian-actuated traf-fic signal and painted crosswalk wherethe Confederation Trail intersectsBelvedere Avenue, one at the entrance toUPEI and a third one on the west sideof the roundabout.

A concrete median will separate traf-fic on either side of the roundabout andtraffic will only be able to move to theright. So, for example, if someone exit-ing the Farmer’s Market wants to headto the Superstore, they would have toexit right (on the west side of theroundabout) from the market, headinto the roundabout and follow it

around until they were heading west.Bernard said the roundabout on

Belvedere Avenue will be larger than theone on Mount Edward Road but is willbe smaller than the roundabouts theprovince has in the works for RiversideDrive.

The province’s versions will be dual-

lane roundabouts where the city'’ aresingle lane.

“Modern roundabouts are also goodfor the environment as more vehiclesare able to move through the intersec-tion at any given time. There will befewer vehicles idling for shorter periodsof time.”

By DAVE STEWARTThe Guardian

Belvedere roundabout work begins soon

Work on the Belvedere Avenue roundabout (UPEI/Farmers Market) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Islandis expected to begin once the contractor finishes widening University Avenue. The roundabout is expectedto cost $1.8 million and be complete by the end of August. (Graph courtesy of the City of Charlottetown)

3Construction | THE AC&TJ | May 2010

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

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Transcontinental Specialty PublicationsPublished by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transcontinental Inc.Produced by . . . . . . . . Transcontinental Specialty Publications/Holiday MediaVice President Local Community Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephane GagnePublisher/General Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff NearingACTJ Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather JonesSales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Henry FlowersSales Executive . . . . . . . . . . . .Scott Higgins (scott.higgins@transcontinental.ca)ACTJ Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Schaffner

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ACTJ Traffic Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camille MacPhail

Adam Sheppard and Stephen Skinner checked the pressure gauge as they tested bridges at the 19th annualModel Bridge Competition in Corner Brook, in March. There were a total of 14 entries in the competition; 13teams in the junior and one in the senior high school age category. The Professional Engineers and Geosci-entists of Newfoundland and Labrador sponsor the competition where bridges are placed in a device and pres-sure is added until the bridge breaks. Judges look at the breaking tension, the bridge mass and workmanship.(Photo: Submitted/The Western Star)

‘Try the Trades’ mentoringprogram launched in NL

In response to the increasing demand forskilled workers in Newfoundland & Labrador,the province has committed $1.2 million in2010-11 and a total of $2.5 million over thenext three years to support the implementa-tion of a new skilled trades mentoring pro-gram, ‘Try the Trades’.

‘Try the Trades’ will give 400 individuals,including youth and underemployed and un-employed workers between the ages of 18 and39, hands-on, real-world exposure to the res-idential construction skilled trades. The in-novative, employer-driven program, whichwill be delivered by the Department ofHuman Resources, Labour and Employmentin partnership with CanadianHome Builders’Association - Eastern Newfoundland.

"This is an exciting initiative, as we con-tinue our efforts tomeet the industry demand

for skilled workers and provide exposure tothe trades as an employment option for newentrants," said Tanya Ennis, CEO with Cana-dian Home Builders’ Association - EasternNewfoundland.

To deliver the ‘Try the Trades’ program,employers and industry representatives willlead a series of 24 career-orientation sessionsthat include both classroom-based andhands-on experience. This will include coreworkplace training required by all construc-tion sector workers, such as ConstructionWorker Safety training provided by the New-foundland and Labrador Construction SafetyAssociation. The project is supported withfunding under the Labour Market Develop-ment Agreement.

For more information on ‘Try the Trades’contact 709-753-2000.

New trades at NSCCMarconi CampusStudents at the Sydney campus of Nova

Scotia Community College will soon belearning in a state-of-the-art skilled tradesbuilding.

Premier Darrell Dexter announced March22, the construction of a new $6-millionhome at the Marconi campus for five pro-grams, including a new combined metal fab-rication/welding program.

The two-storey building will feature shopspace, classrooms, offices and a green designmeeting Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design (LEED) standards. Construc-tion of the 27,000-square-foot building willbegin this spring and take a year to complete.

Marconi principal DaveMcLean welcomesa state-of-the-art facility for Cape Breton."This new building will prepare graduateswith the advanced training needed for thetrades and technology sectors, and will helpaddress the forecasted labour shortages inNova Scotia," he said.

The building will also house the automo-tive service technician,motorcycle and powerproducts, and heavy duty truck and transportprograms.

The province will contribute $4.5 millionto the project with NSCC adding $1 million.The government is identifying potentialsources for the remaining $500,000.

Construction industry segmentsheaded in opposite directions

The Conference Board of Canada be-lieves that profits in the national residentialconstruction industrywill reboundthisyear,becauseof risingdemandandprices.Incon-trast, it forecasts that non-residential con-struction profits will decline to a six-yearlow.

“Although the residential constructionindustry experienced a sharp contractionlast year, itshealth isquickly improving.Thenumber of housing starts has steadily im-proved since bottoming out last spring andprices are expected to reverse their decline,”said Michael Burt, Associate Director, In-dustrial Economic Trends.

For the residential industry, housingstarts are forecast to jump from 147,600units in2009 to180,500 this year.Followinga decline last year, new home prices will in-crease 2.4 per cent this year, and will con-tinue to experiencehealthygrowthbetween2011 and 2014. Pre-tax profits in the resi-

dential construction industryare forecast torebound from a four year low to reach $2.7billion in 2010.However, it will be 2012 be-fore profits return to their pre-recessionpeak.

“On the other hand, the recovery for thenon-residential construction industry willbe slow to materialize. Declining spendingon commercial and industrial buildings ismore than offsetting a rise in spending oninstitutional structures. Total investment innon-residential construction is expected tofall by 2.3 per cent this year,” Burt said inMarch.

Withnon-residential constructionactiv-ity and prices both expected to fall this year,industry profits will decline by 19 per centto $918 million in 2010. Although profitswill begin to recover in 2011 thanks to in-creases in industrial andcommercial spend-ing, they are not expected to return to theirpre-recession peak through 2014.

Construction safety partnershipThe Nova Scotia Construction Safety As-

sociation is excited about its new AffinityPartnership with Kerr Global Communica-tions. The partnership will allow Kerr Globalto expand its client base and allow theNSCSA to offer outstanding new technologyto its members.

NSCSA members who take advantage ofthe new partnership can invest in a systemthat will monitor real time vehicle locations,reduce theft, cut maintenance costs and elim-inate unsafe driving.

For more information contact the NSCSAat 902 468 6696.

Bridges

May 2010| THE AC&TJ | Construction44

IslandCoastal Services andDannyMacDon-ald are this year’s winners of the Prince EdwardIsland Department of Transportation and In-frastructure Renewal’s environmental awards.

“Protecting the environment is one of ourpriorities on each and every construction proj-ect,” says department minister RonMacKinley.

“These award winners have shown tremen-dous dedication to ensuring the environment isnot negatively impacted by our capital im-provements.”

He says maintaining a balance between theneed for improved roads and bridges and theneed for environmental protection can be achallenge. Construction projects must meetstrict environmental standards before they canproceed and they must maintain those stan-dards through the course of the project,MacKinley said.

With that inmind, theDepartment of Trans-portation and Infrastructure Renewal recog-nizes one Island company and onedepartmental employee annually for their ef-

forts to protect the environment.Island Coastal Services was recognized after

its work on the Hunter River Route 2 improve-ment project and the Coles Creek culvert linerinstallation. Both of these projects requiredthorough sediment control and run-off protec-tion and both were handled with upmost careand professionalism, saidMacKinley.

The company’s award was accepted by BlairMacLauchlan.

MacDonald was recognized for his years ofdedication to the environment throughhisworkwith theDepartment of Transportation and In-frastructure Renewal in general, but specificallyfor hisworkon theHunterRiver project and theCharlottetown Bypass expansion.

MacKinley says MacDonald consistentlydemonstrated leadership in environmentalmanagement in working with the contractor,environmental management staff, the Depart-ment of Fisheries and Oceans and the Depart-ment of Environment, Energy and Forestry toensure every possible environmental controlwas in place and functioning throughout theentire project.

By STAFFThe Guardian

PEI department handsout environmental awards

Investigation ongoingAt press time the investigation into the partial collapse of a condo development in St. John's,

Newfoundland& Labrador onApril 2 had not been completed.Work continues on the 24-unit, four-storey building.

The Canadian Construction Association(CCA) presented its National Awards onMarch 18 to recognize excellence and out-standing contributions of those in Canada’snon-residential construction industry.The Construction Association of Nova

Scotia congratulates the following recipi-ents:• Adrian Morrison, Black &McDonald, the

CCA Trade Contractor Award of Recogni-tion

• John Flemming, Ocean Contractors, the

CCA Roadbuilder Award of Recognition• Newfoundland and Labrador Construc-

tion Association, the CCA Member Asso-ciation Award of Excellence

• Aluma Systems Inc:1. CCA International Business Award2. CCA National Safety Award3. CCA Manufacturers, Suppliers and

Services Award of Recognition (IanSteer, Aluma Systems Inc.)

• Paul Charette, Bird Construction Com-pany, the CCA Person of the Year Award

CCA honours national award

NewBrunswickbasedADIGroupInc.,and itssubsidiariesADISystemsInc.andGeomembraneTechnologies Inc. (GTI), have been selected as aPlatinumWinner in the Canada's 50 Best Man-agedCompanies program.

Established in 1993, Canada's 50 Best Man-agedCompanies is anationalprogram,recogniz-ing companies that havemet rigorous standardsand implemented world-class business practicesand created value through innovation.

ADI Group Inc. CEO Hollis Cole said, "Thisaward is a tribute to our talented workforce anduncompromising corporate values.We are hon-oured that ADI Group is among the very bestcompanies across the country.”HIGHESTENGINEERINGAWARD

HollisCole received theC.C.KirbyAward,theAssociation of Professional Engineers and Geo-scientisits of NewBrunswick’s highest honour.

TheC.C.KirbyAward ispresented in recogni-

tion of outstanding service anddedication to theprofession of engineering and the province.Named in honour of Charles C. Kirby, founderof the association and the first president of theCanadian Council of Professional Engineers(now Engineers Canada), the C.C. Kirby Awardis themostprestigiousawardaprofessional engi-neer can receive.CORPORATEAWARDOFEXCELLENCE

TheAssociationof ProfessionalEngineers andGeoscientisits of New Brunswick presented itsCorporate Award of Excellence to ADI SystemsInc. for an innovative technologydevelopedby itsengineers.

The Corporate Award of Excellence bestowsdistinction on a teamof engineers that has had asignificant positive impact of society, industry,and/or engineering, and recognizes engineeringachievements involving New Brunswick profes-sionals.

ADI Group Inc. honoured

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263 Germain Street 1-506-634-1747 (T)Saint John, N.B. 1-506-658-0651 (F)E2L 2G7 sjca@nbnet.nb.ca (e-mail)

Executive Director Director of Labour RelationsPatrick D. Darrah Stephen Beatteay

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Landscape | Construction | THE AC&TJ | May 2010 55

Landscape NS concerned about pesticide banLandscape Nova Scotia is very concerned

about provincial legislation—‘An Act to Pro-hibit the Sale and Use of Non-essential Pesti-cides’—that was passed in May.

“The new legislation is fairly similar towhat Ontario passed last year and HRM hashad in place for 7-8 years,” David Thompsonexplained.“All pesticides for use on lawns arebanned unless they’re on a specific list of per-mitted products.”

The Landscape NS Plant Health Commit-tee Chair said the ban “targeted” lawns. “Itdoesn’t apply to vegetable gardens, golfcourses, agriculture or forestry and agricul-ture and forestry account for 98 per cent ofpesticide use.”

But he is happy that the government hadgiven industry a season to adapt. In 2011 theban on lawn pesticides will take effect, and in2012 it will also apply to ornamental shrubsand gardens.

Thompson said the industry “recognizesthat concerns exist in the public sphere. Andwe recognize as an industry that it’s hard toargue with the risk of people’s health butthere are other ways to meet those concerns.”

He pointed out that all data about eachpesticide “is looked at and scrutinized byHealth Canada in a robust way before a pes-ticide is approved. They (government) wantto regulate a product that’s already been reg-ulated.”

Thompson also noted that misinformationhad been accepted as fact. “Some of their in-formation linked pesticides to cancer butthose pesticides aren’t approved. HealthCanada has already looked at the data andwon’t allow us to use them if there aredemonstrable health risks.”

Other facts have also been ignored includ-ing the environmentaladvantages to usingpesticides to preserveparks, green spaces andsports fields. “Withoutthe ability to use safe,approved pesticideswhen required to man-age a pest, propertyvalues will be affectednegatively, and we willlose other environmen-tal benefits that lawnsprovide, such as carbonabsorption, noise ab-sorption too.”

Despite its concerns about the legislation,the landscape industry is prepared to workwith government on the new legislation.Thompson said it would like to help create thelist of permitted products.“There are new ex-citing products that are very eco-friendly, or-ganic and low risk that will control insects andweeds that should be put on a permitted list.

“The government is working on settling alist this summer to be ready for the fall. It is

imperative that our industry have this list forthe fall so we can have time to adapt for thenext growing season.”

The provincial ban applies to retail busi-nesses. Stores can’t sell the products unlessthey are on the permitted list.

He said this is different than the HRM banthat banned the use of pesticides but didn’t

restrict retail sales. Al-though lawn care opera-tors couldn’t use thepesticides, homeowners(midnight sprayers)could buy them in stores.

“That’s one positivething: This gap in theHRM ban will be recti-fied under the provincialban. Our industry hasfelt the same rules andproducts should apply toboth homeowners andlawn care operators”

The second positive is the lead-time.Thompson said, “If the list is done before fallit will allow us to get ready for next year.

“The negative aspect is the underlyingpremise but we will work to minimize the ef-fect on the industry.”

Landscape Nova Scotia will be workingwith the Department of Environment on thelist.“They tell us they’ll be consulting with us.We know what products work. Our industrywill survive and even thrive if the permitted

list includes products that work on control-ling pests.” he stressed.

“If the province allows us to have the toolsto maintain our customers properties it willallow our industry to be economically viable.You can’t maintain properties without tools.”

Thompson said, “During the public con-sultation prior to the Act we took every op-portunity to meet and lobby governmentofficials.We certainly didn’t get the legislationthat we asked for but we did participate in theprocess.We lobbied hard.”

He noted, “Ontario had a similar ban lastyear and our colleagues in the lawn care in-dustry didn’t get the appropriate amount oftime to prepare for spring and certain prod-ucts were not available to do the job. Theywere in a very tough position.

“Landscape Ontario advised us that lawncare operators’ sales were down 40 to 60 percent and there were significant reductions injobs in that sector.”

Thompson conceded that the internationaleconomic downturn may have played a rolein the decline in sales but asserted that the in-dustry felt the lack of lead time and short-comings of their permitted list contributedsignificantly to the downturn.

“We’re concerned that we’ll be hit the wayOntario was. Since the Halifax ban our in-dustry hasn’t grown—the lawn care businesshas shrunk.

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6 May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Construction | Landscape MILTONVALE JAIL

New PEI jail addition will house weekend inmatesWhen Prince Edward Island’s main jail

opened in 1979, weekend sentences were ararity in the Canadian judicial system.

Now, 30-40 prisoners routinely increasethe prison population at the ProvincialCorrectional Centre in Miltonvale Park justoutside Charlottetown between Fridaynight and Monday morning. Manager

Craig McDowall said that creates a numberof challenges for his staff.

“The centre was built to handle 90 pris-oners and we are close to that much of thetime,” he said. “Having 30-40 extra prison-ers each weekend certainly increases thatproblem and the overcrowding increasesthe chance for something negative tooccur.”

McDowall said there are also security is-

sues with a large portion of the prison pop-ulation changing that frequently. However,that problem will be solved this summerwhen a 10,000 square foot addition to thefacility opens that will have 48 beds to ex-clusively house weekend prisoners.

“There will be no interaction with thegeneral prison population at all.”

McDowall said the expansion features asecurity hub that looks over all the units to

allow guards to watch all of the rooms atonce. Glass windows on showers and wash-rooms offer some privacy, but still letguards keep track of inmates.

MacLean Construction of Charlottetownwas the general contract for the project,with Olympia Electric handling the electricresponsibilities and Entire Mechanicaldoing the plumbing and mechanical work.

Continued on page 7

By ANDY WALKER

(TOP) MacLean Construction Project Manager Chris Muttart said one of the biggest chal-lenges was putting on the metal roof— metal sheets that were 36 feet long. (Photos: AndyWalker)

Olympia Electric is proud to partner with the Government of Prince Ed-ward Island in the expansion of the Miltonvale Corrections Facility.

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(BOTTOM) Chris Muttart of MacLean Construction, the project manager for the expansion atthe Provincial Correctional Centre in Miltonvale Park said, “There was probably 15-20 peo-ple working on site at any particular time and it did get up to 30 at peak periods.” (Photo:Andy Walker)

Miltonvale Prison | Construction | THE AC&TJ | May 2010 77MILTONVALE JAIL

Continued from page 6“It was a pretty large project for us

and of course there are security issuesinvolved when you are working at ajail,” said Chris Muttart, the projectmanager for MacLean Construction.“There was probably 15-20 peopleworking on site at any particular timeand it did get up to 30 at peak peri-ods.”

Construction began in July of 2009,continued through the winter and willfinish this June. While it was a rela-tively mild winter by Atlantic Cana-dian standards, Muttart said it didpresent some challenges.

“One of the biggest was putting onthe metal roof,” he explained “Thosemetal sheets were 36 feet long so youdon’t want it blowing around toomuch when you are putting them on.”

Ideal Roofing supplied the steelroofing and siding for the job. GeorgeWakim, the company’s chief engineer,said the job called for 11,000 squarefeet of roofing panels called the Her-itage Profile, with 20.25” wide panelsin 24 gauge thicknesses.

The colour of the steel roof wasMaritime Grey in a 10,000 series paintsystem. He said they also suppliedabout 6000 square feet of steel sidingcalled Universal-Rib profile, in 24gauge.

Both panels are manufactured atthe company’s plant in Ottawa withstate of the art roll formers. Wakimsaid the company’s technical depart-ment assisted MacLean Constructionin estimation and choosing the appro-priate trims and accessories needed tofinish the job.

New PEI jail addition

A new security hub the Provincial Correctional Centre in Miltonvale Park, Prince Edward Island that looks over allthe units to allow guards to watch all of the rooms at once. (Photo: Andy Walker)

The construction of a 10,000 square foot addition to the Provincial Correctional Centre inMiltonvale Park, PrinceEdward Island should be completed in June. (Photo: Andy Walker)

88 May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Construction | Best Western Bridgewater BEST WESTERN BRIDGEWATER

New Best Western Bridgewater Hotel and ConventionCentre ready to ‘hit the ground running’

By the end of June the doors will beopen and the rooms filling up at thenew Best Western Hotel and Conven-

tion Centre on the outskirts of Bridgewater,Nova Scotia.

“Our marketing people have been out inthe business community and all indicationsare we’re going to hit the ground running,”said businessman Rodney Grace, who ispartnering with former NHL star Glen Mur-ray on the project.

The two lifelong friends, both fromLunenburg County, have formed LaHavePeak Properties for the business venture.

Construction of the 63-room hotel andconvention centre started last fall and evenbefore it was completed, expansion was un-derway.

“The initial feasibility study showed weshould build a 3,000 square foot convention

centre but marketing studies showed weneeded more space so we expanded cbeforewe were even finished,” said Grace.

The convention centre is now a sprawling4,500 square feet and will offer full restau-rant services in addition to continentalbreakfasts and catering. The three-level hotelalso features a swimming pool and spiralwaterslide.

The design of the hotel, that features astone exterior and vinyl cedar, is tied to localarchitecture in the area, Grace explained.

“It’s an attractive building, he said. “It’snot your typical cookie cutter hotel.”

Hockey memorabilia and Murray’s 16-year career in the NHL will form part of thehotel’s décor. He said the hotel’s restaurant,Twenty Seven South is a tribute to Murray’snumber.

When asked if there was any chance ofmeeting Murray at the hotel, Grace replied:“Absolutely. He’ll be spending a lot of time

here. His home base is California but he’ll bearound.”

Located in the growing Power Centre atExit 12 on the 103 Highway, LaHave PeakProperties went with Atlantic Canadian ex-pertise, experience and workmanship for theproject.

General contractor Joey Saulnier, fromSaulnier/Losier Management Inc. in Tra-cadie, New Brunswick, has built nine BestWesterns and has one of his own.

Peter Kohler Windows & Entrance Sys-tems provided the windows and entrancesystems. Located in Debert, NS the companymanufactures and distributes custom madehigh-quality, innovative vinyl andwood/vinyl windows as well as steel andfiberglass doors throughout Canada, theUnited States and Europe. Its products aremanufactured to the highest ISO 9001:2000standards and continue to be a benchmark

for quality, performance and value in the in-dustry.

Pattison Sign Group—the largest signmanufacturer in Canada—with facilities inEdmundston, NB, has provided signage forthe project.

“We’ve been working on the Bridgewaterproject for the past six to eight months,” saidcompany spokesman Jonathan Mckercher.The company will be providing illuminatedpylon signage and a number of building anddirectional signs for the hotel.

The Best Western Bridgewater Hotel andConvention Centre will open with 20 staff,and go from there, sGrace said. LaHave PeakProperties received 245 resumes from allover the world for the general manager’s po-sition and attracted 275 local people to itsjob fair.

LaHave Peak Properties is planning aGrand Opening celebration later in the year.

By KATHY JOHNSON

The new BestWestern located in the Ext 12 Power Centre just outside Bridgewater, Nova Scotia nears completion.(Photo contributed)

Workers stud off the second floor of the new BestWestern Bridgewater Hotel and Convention Centre, slated to openin late June. (Photo contributed)

9Workplace Safety | THE AC&TJ | May 2010

Fire stopper technology draws plenty of interest

The fire started in the corner of the livingroom (in Georgetown, Prince EdwardIsland).

The flames licked away at the nice, dry pileof wood — deliberately set — and couldn’twait to climb up the walls and turn the cottageinto an inferno.

But like tires spinning in mud, the flamesare stymied. They can’t climb the wood-pan-elled walls, can’t spread to the curtains dan-gling above, and can’t ignite the nearby couchwhere grandpa might fall asleep with a ciga-rette in his hand.

Anxious firefighters are gathered around

ready to pounce on the flames — but the firecan’t spread.

“It is impressive,’’ says provincial fire mar-shal Dave Blacquiere. “This treatment appliedto buildings and homes could save lives andreduce damage.”

The walls and fabrics had been treated witha fire retardant paint and spray. Forget Fabreze,this is the kind of spray can Dave Sumnerhopes will catch on across Canada.

“Imagine if all buildings were treated withthis product,’’ says Sumner, host of the demon-stration near here Saturday (May 8). “Thiscould save a lot of lives and save a lot of dam-age.”

The old cottage being torched during theafternoon is a run-down relic along the KayesRoad and has become a test site. The demon-stration not only attracts Island firefighters,but insurance agents as well — not to men-tion the Discovery Channel filming theevent.

Sumner, owner of Remote Response StationInc., based in Ontario, is also demonstrating aproduct called a DSPA (dry sprinkler powderaerosol) flameguard for use by firefighters.

The treated paneling inside the cottage is re-moved andmore kindling is piled into the in-terior. The fire is set again and the infernogrows to the heat intensity of 1,000 degrees.

Smoke begins pouring out of the roof anda local fireman pulls the plug and chucks aDSPA unit through a window.The unit, aboutthe size of a dinner plate, is a fire suppressant

and releases a gas inside the building. Withinminutes the smoke turns from black to whiteand begins to dissipate. It doesn’t put the fireout, but quells the flames long enough to givefirefighters more time to arrive. Ten minuteslater firemen unleash the hose and use a mere42 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze.Normally it would take ten times that amountof water.

“The police or the fire chief are usually thefirst on the scene of a fire,’’ explains George-town Fire Chief Mark Gotell. “So if they hadone of these units in their vehicles and couldchuck it in a burning building, it provides a

better chance for the firemen en route to savethe structure.”

This kind of technology is catching the in-terest of insurance companies, says insuranceagent Malcolm Smith from Halifax.

“Anything that can save lives and reduce theamount of damage is good business,’’ he offers.

Sumner, the Canadian distributor of theEuropean based products, explains how104coating the electrical wiring or outlets withthe fire retardant spray is another effectiveform of thwarting a home fire. His companydid extensive fire retardant work for the 2010Olympics in Vancouver.

WORKPLACE SAFETY

By STEVE SHARRATTThe Guardian

Workplace SafetyProgram expandedNovaScotia studentswill soonknowmore

about how to prevent workplace injuries. Anew curriculum focusing on the importanceof workplace health and safety will be intro-duced into all schools in theprovince this fall.

The departments of Education andLabour andWorkforceDevelopment and theWorkers' Compensation Board developedthe eight hours of in-class instruction, that ispart of the compulsory Healthy Living 9course piloted to 330 Grade 9 students fromacross the province this past academic year.

Their teachers, from theTri County,CapeBreton-Victoria, Halifax, South Shore andAnnapolisValleyRegional school boards,metwithDepartment of Education staff May 13,to discuss the benefits and identify any nec-essary revisions.

"My students now recognize a safety haz-ardwhen they see it, and theyunderstand theconsequences of saying nothing," said JohnHelle, who teaches atMalcolmMunroe Jun-ior High School. "My students have told methat they arebringingmore concerns forwardin their part-time jobs, and it ismyhope thatthey will carry these important skillsthroughout their careers."

Likemanyotherprovinces, thenumberofNSyouth joining theworkforce is increasing.According to Statistics Canada, 62,700 NovaScotians age 15 to 24 are part of the work-force. In 2009,almost 1,000workers youngerthan 24 lost work time through injury.

"The number of workplace injuriesamong youth is unacceptable, and I am gladto know that all Grade 9 students in theprovince will have this awareness and theseimportant skills as they enter theworkforce,"said Marilyn More, Minister of Educationand Minister of Labour andWorkforce De-velopment.

"We are committed to creating good jobsin this province, and good jobs exist in safeworkplaces. By teaching young people theirrights as workers, we are encouraging theopendialogue anddiscussionsneeded to cre-ate safer work environments."

10 May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Workplace Safety WORKPLACE SAFETY

Keeping your feet andtoes safer on the job siteF

oot and toe injuries—crushed, ampu-tated, punctured—represent a significantportion of lost-time injuries in the work-

place.CSA introduced a standard for protective

footwear (Z195) in 1970. Since 2002,when thesixth edition of this standard was published,the number of foot and toe injuries on worksites across Canada has declined by thousandseach year.

Work-related foot injuries come in twobasic categories. Punctures, crushing, sprains,and lacerations account for 10 per cent of allreported disabling injuries; slips, trips and fallsfor 15 per cent. Slips and falls do not always re-sult in a foot injury but lack of attention to footsafety plays an important role in their occur-rence.Workplace hazards

There is noworkplace where aworker is im-mune to foot injury.However, the hazards dif-fer according to the workplace and the types oftasks the worker does. The first step in devel-oping a strategy to reduce foot problems is toidentify the relevant hazards at the workplace.They should be assessed in each workplace, nomatter how safe or how dangerous it mayseem.Foot injury prevention

Job andworkplace designs also have the po-tential to increase foot safety inworkplaces thatare specifically hazardous. Separating mobileequipment from pedestrian traffic and in-stalling safety mirrors and warning signs candecrease the number of accidents that mightresult in cut or crushed feet or toes.

Proper guarding of machines such as chainsaws or rotary mowers can avoid cuts or sev-ered feet or toes. Effective housekeeping re-duces the number of accidents at workplaces.For example, loose nails, other sharp objects,and littered walkways are hazards for foot in-jury.

A steel toecap should cover thewhole lengthof the toes from tips to beyond the naturalbend of the foot. A soft pad covering the edgeof the toecap increases comfort. If the toecapcuts into the foot, either the size or style of thefootwear is incorrect. Soles come in a varietyof thicknesses and materials. They need to bechosen according to the hazards and type(s) offlooring in the workplace.Uppers of protectivefootwear come in a variety of materials. Selec-tion should take into account the hazards, andindividual characteristics of the worker's foot.A steel-midsole that protects the foot againstpenetration by sharp objects should be flexibleenough to allow the foot to bend.

Ensure that your boots are CSA-approvedand certified to the type of activity you willneed them for.

CSA Group tracks various benchmarksthough it’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI).In 1993, almost 16,000 foot injuries wererecorded in Canada.By 2007, that number haddropped to less than 12,000, according to theAssociation ofWorkers’Compensation Boardsof Canada’s report,NationalWork Injury,Dis-ease and Fatality Statistics (2007). The intro-duction and revisions of several CSA standardsduring that time period have helped to speedthis decrease.

Using your head on the jobYour windows to the world face risks on a

daily basis.Onmanyworksites, the risks to youreyes and head increase significantly calling forpersonal protective equipment such as hardhats and safety glasses.

Damage to eyesight, a significant head in-jury or an acquired brain injury can also havedevastating long-term impacts.The proper useof protective eyewear can help to avert a disas-ter. CSA has two standards – Z94.1 IndustrialProtective Headwear and Z94.3 Eye and FaceProtector – aimed at helping to protect the eyes,faces and heads of workers on the job.

Each year theAssociation ofWorkers’Com-pensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) pub-lishes the National Work Injury, Disease andFatality Statistics, documenting the nature ofloss-time and fatal incidents in the Canadianworkplace. CSA Group uses these numbers tohelp determinewhereweneed to place a greaterfocus on improving the lives of Canada’s work-force.

Every year, more than one million NorthAmericans sustain some kind of brain injuryleading to about 110,000 deaths according toDr. Rolf Gainer, Chief Executive Officer of theNeurologic Rehabilitation Institute atBrookhaven Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma andthe Neurologic Rehabilitation Institute of On-tario in Toronto. The leading causes are falls,motor vehicle crashes, bicycle crashes, andsports-related injuries. Work-related incidentsaccount for about 15 per cent of all brain in-

juries.According to the Brain Injury Association

of Canada, it is estimated that the direct and in-direct costs associatedwith traumatic brain in-jury are $14.7 billion annually in the country.Brain injury can vary from mild (concussion)to severe (deep coma).Depending on the sever-ity of the injury, some victimsmay recover aftera period of rest while others will require a life-time of support.

Since 2003, CSA Group has tracked variousbenchmarks though it’s Key Performance Indi-cators, available at www.csagroup.org/kpi/?lan-guage=english. In 1994,more than 25,000 eye,head and face injurieswere recorded inCanada.By 2007, that number had dropped to about18,000, according to theAWCBC’s 2008 report.The introduction and revisions of several CSAstandards during that time period have led tothis decrease.Tips for avoiding eye, face and head injuries:• Use the right combination of certified per-

sonal protective equipment;• Beware of flying objects, such as bits of

metal, glass, stone or wood;• Always employ safe tool handling practices;• Beware of chemical splashes, sparks and slag

from welding and cutting;• Beware of pipes and wire sticking out of

walls and objects hanging from ceilings;• Always practice safe work procedures• Report unsafe conditions as quickly as pos-

sible to your supervisor or employer

11Workplace Safety | THE AC&TJ | May 2010WORKPLACE SAFETY

Fewer injured on the jobN

ova Scotians who are enthusiasticabout workplace safety continueto take action and make progress

in creating a safety culture.In 2009, about 28,000 Nova Scotians

were injured at work—an 11.5 per centdecrease from the year before.

Of those, 7,200 people were injured se-riously enough that they lost time fromwork. While this is a staggering number,serious workplace injuries fell below 8,000for the first time in over a decade—a de-crease of 20 per cent since 2005 repre-senting 1,800 fewer serious injuries overthat time.

Workers’ Compensation Board CEONancyMacCready-Williams said,“We de-voted theWCB’s energy to reaching thesegoals but we recognize that credit for thesepositive results is shared with our safetypartners, including the Nova Scotia De-partment of Labour and Workforce De-velopment, safety associations and themanyworkers and employers acrossNovaScotia who were inspired to make safetyand return-to-work improvements intheir workplaces.”

While there is good news happening inworkplaces, tragedies continue to have adevastating impact on many Nova Scot-ian workers and their families. Sadly, 32people died at work in the province in

2009—some for reasons directly relatedto their work, and others not.

“Out of respect for these people andfor the safety of all workers into the fu-ture, our injury prevention efforts mustcontinue,” said MacCready-Williams.“Each and everyNova Scotian should cel-ebrate the reduction in injuries this year.But at the same time, we all share the re-sponsibility of preventing workplacetragedies from happening in years tocome.”

Following two years of significant fi-nancial losses in 2007 and 2008, 2009 sawthe beginning of positive changes in thefinancial markets reflected in the WCB’ssurplus of $12.4 million at year-end.While this is a financial gain in 2009, theWCB’s cumulative financial loss over thepast three years, primarily due to invest-ment returns, may have implications forits funding strategy.

“While we have by nomeans recoveredthe losses of recent years, this is a positivesign,” saidMacCready-Williams.“Hadwenot experienced significant investmentlosses, we would be much closer to ourgoal of eliminating the unfunded liabilityby 2016. As the WCB Board of Directorsdoes each year in June, the board will de-termine what changes to the fundingstrategy—if any—are required.”

Can you save a life?A study conducted by Sunnybrook Hospi-

tal in Toronto determined that it takes 8.1minutes on average for Emergency MedicalServices (EMS) in urban centres in Canada toarrive on a scene when dispatched. The Heart& Stroke Foundation of Canada states that aperson in cardiac arrest has a 10 per cent lesschance of survival for every minute they arenot defibrillated. If a person is defibrillated inthe first four minutes of cardiac arrest, theyhave over a 50 per cent chance of survival.

AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators)are becoming as common as first aid kits inmany companies and public areas includingrecreational centres, hockey rinks, airportsand construction sites. They have becomevery affordable and easy to use for lay rescuerswith an average price of $1,500 per unit.

The wonderful news about AEDs is thatyou cannot harm a person when using one.If a person collapses, is not responding andnot breathing, the rescuer should call 911 andproceed to get the AED. Once the AED isturned on, it will instruct the rescuer how toproceed with voice prompts. Place the elec-trode pads on the person according to the in-structions, the AEDwill then determine if theperson needs a shock. The AED will onlyshock in ventricular fibrillatedmode. If a per-son is in normal sinus rhythm, the AED willdetermine that no shock is required. There-fore, it is very user friendly. If a shock is de-

termined, the AED will guide the user tostand clear and proceed to shock. The AEDstops the heart momentarily and hopes theSino atrial node will pick up normal rhythmagain. If so, the person has just been saved.

This wonderful device has savedmany livesincluding 6 at Ontario Power Generationwhere over 80 units have been deployed at lo-cations around Ontario and over 1,000 em-ployees have been trained. It is highlyrecommended that people receive a 3-4 hourcourse in CPR and AED so they feel verycomfortable in the operation and mainte-nance of the unit. The training can be incor-porated into the mandatory First Aidtraining. The only maintenance required isto switch the battery and pads on an averageevery 3.5 years or after use. Having been aFirefighter for almost 20 years with TorontoFire Services, we had great success with defib-rillators and then in March 2009, I saved myfriend with one shock while playing hockey.It was a wonderful outcome to a harrowingexperience.

Defibrillators are a great investment. Car-diac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhereand at anytime. It is best to be prepared.Yourlife could count on it.

(John Collie was with Toronto Fire Serv-ices for 20 years and is the President of Rescue7 Inc. ( www.rescue7.net .) Rescue 7 providesfirst aid, health & safety training and suppliesincluding the defibrillator on a nationallevel.)

By JOHN COLLIE

12 May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Workplace Safety WORKPLACE SAFETY

METI—Environmentaland safety training fortoday’s workplaceT

he Maritime Environmental TrainingInstitute (METI) opened in 1998 andis a private career college located in

Sydney. METI is registered with the NovaScotia Department of Education and an ac-tive, proud member of the Private CollegesAssociation of Nova Scotia.

Recognizing the increased importance ofEnvironmental and Safety Training intoday’s workplace, METI has worked overthe past number of years with renowned ex-perts in the fields including the Laborers In-ternational Union of North America, theUnited States Environmental ProtectionAgency and Environment Canada.

In addition, the Maritime EnvironmentalTraining Institute is associated with Enform,a petroleum industry leader in training andsafety.METI is also a third party trainer withthe Alberta Construction Safety Association,as well as a recognized service provider forthe Oil Sands Safety Association.

METI’s students range from individualsreceiving career training to experiencedworkers upgrading or acquiring new skills.SAFETY TRAININGMETI offers various environmental and

safety training, like its Environmental,Health and Safety Technician Program. The

18-week program (670 hours) is nationallyrecognized and approved by the Nova Sco-tia Department of Education.

METI also offers a variety of one and two-day courses that include: Standard First Aid,Forklift Safety, Confined Space, Fall Protec-tion, Traffic Control Person and variousother safety curriculum.ONLINE TRAININGIn addition, Maritime Environmental

Training Institute offers online training forTransportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG),along with more specific TDG for shippers,TDG for handlers and TDG for drivers.Other online courses include:WHMIS, Haz-ard Assessment, Incident Investigation andGround Disturbance.

METI Online offers Administrative Con-trol to companies and organizations. Man-agers who sign up can view progress reportsand transcripts for each employee. Supervi-sors can download and save customized re-ports. METI’s administrative feature is keyto huge cost savings. The ability to offer on-line training and effortless monitoring ofstaff progress in several different locations ispriceless. This administrative feature is in-cluded at no extra charge for group pur-chases.

HSE Dedicated to SafetyHSE Integrated Ltd. is the only health and

safety services company serving all major in-dustrial markets in the region from Saint John,Dartmouth and St. John’s.

HSE arrived on the scene in 2005 in NovaScotia in a small way through the acquisitionof a company in Sarnia. Then in 2006 it ex-panded when it acquired homegrown Front-Line Safety Ltd. of Dartmouth. That same yearHSE opened a “greenfield” location in SaintJohn to serve the growing industry market inNew Brunswick. The last leg on the stool wasopening in Newfoundland-Labrador in early2009. With this footprint, the company isuniquely positioned to serve all land and off-shore industries in Atlantic Canada.

HSE offers: safety training, confined spaceentry and rescue services, high angle rescueservices, shutdown and turnaround support,occupational hygiene, industrial health test-ing, and safety equipment rentals and service.

In other markets HSE also offers first aid,emergency response and industrial firefight-ing—services that could be provided to At-lantic Canada clients as required. HSEoperates in everymajor industry from refiningto nuclear power to pulp and paper to manu-facturing to offshore petroleum and trans-portation.

Shaun Nagle is the regional manager who’sbased in Saint John. His family has deep, en-trepreneurial roots in the region. He joinedHSE in 2006 with an empty shop, a sign on thedoor and the idea that a large, national healthand safety company had a place in the activeindustrial markets of New Brunswick. Sincethat time he has established the Port City as amajor operating centre and earlier this yeartook responsibility for managing Nova Scotiaand Newfoundland-Labrador.

Nagle and HSE are dedicated to industrialhealth and safety in Atlantic Canada.

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13Workplace Safety | THE AC&TJ | May 2010WORKPLACE SAFETY

Study identifies peak times for braininjuries in the construction industryA

ugust may be the cruelest monthfor brain injuries in Ontario'sconstruction industry, but a new

study shows October is not far behind."We thought it was important to track

these injuries month by month," says Dr.Angela Colantonio, a senior scientist atToronto Rehab and co-author of thestudy published last year in the journal‘Brain Injury’.

Few academic studies have looked atbrain injury among construction work-ers. Yet the construction industry—withapproximately 400,000 workers in On-tario alone—is known to have a high rateof serious brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury is a leadingcause of death and disability. TBI canprofoundly affect a person's cognitiveskills, memory, language and behaviour,as well as their independence, work life,and ability to participate fully in thecommunity.

The new study used data from the On-tario Workplace Safety and InsuranceBoard on 218 cases of non-fatal brain in-jury that resulted in days off work in2004-2005.

The authors weren't surprised to findthe highest number of brain injuries inthe busy construction month of August,while December had the lowest number.But they didn't expect to find a secondpeak of injuries in October. This may re-flect a surge in work to complete projectsprior to the winter months. Contribut-ing factors, they speculate, could beshorter days to work, less light, and moreadverse weather conditions. The authorswant to do further study to find out ifthis seasonal pattern holds for otheryears.

Their study also begins to raise ques-tions about the time of day when manyconstruction-related brain injuries occur.It identifies two peaks during the day: thehour before and the hours after lunch.

"Most of us know that lethargic feel-ing that hits just before or after lunch atwork: our energy dips, it's hard to focusbut we have a job to finish," says Dr.Colantonio. Other factors may also bedistracting workers in anticipation of, orduring, their lunch break—and affectingtheir attention on the job. "For construc-tion workers, this could have devastating

consequences."Among other findings, younger work-

ers were much more likely to experiencebrain injuries in the morning, whileolder workers were more likely to suffersuch injuries in late afternoon.

"More injuries in the morning foryounger workers can potentially be ex-plained by shifting sleep cycles in youngadults favouring later times to go to sleepand get up, as well as overall shorterhours of sleep," the authors suggest. Fa-tigue may also be contributing to injuriesexperienced by older workers in the af-ternoon. Falls were much more likely tobe the cause of injury among older work-ers.

"These results provide valuable infor-mation for preventing these injuries,"says Dr. Colantonio. "They can be incor-porated into prevention strategies."

DougMcVittie, assistant general man-ager and director of operations for theConstruction Safety Association of On-tario (CSAO), says his group will circu-late the findings to constructioncompanies across the province, as well aslabour and management health and

safety committees. The results will alsobe shared with CSAO staff members whoprovide training and safety seminars forconstruction workers.

"Construction workers work in cir-cumstances which are in some cases in-herently risky; we're working at heights,we've got temporary and incompletestructures, moving equipment, movingmaterials," says McVittie, a study co-au-thor. "Our association is interested inworking to enhance the understandingof construction risks, and help with get-ting a better appreciation for the preven-tion message out there in all sectors."

Dr. Colantonio says, "Our findingshave drawn attention to areas that, withmore study, could actually expose someof the underlying causes of work-relatedbrain injury."

(The study was funded by the OntarioNeurotrauma Foundation.)

(Dr. Colantonio holds the SaundersonFamily Chair in Acquired Brain InjuryResearch at Toronto Rehab. She is also aProfessor in the Department of Occupa-tional Science and Occupational Therapyat the University of Toronto.)

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14 May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Transportation | Roadbuilder

Marine Atlantic forum draws 60 people[Corner Brook, NL]—Until Marine At-

lantic is run from Port aux Basques (New-foundland & Labrador) the service may notimprove according to a former boardmember.

Clyde Way, a trucking company owner,started as amember of MarineAtlantic’s boardof directors in 2002when he was appointed bythen Transportation Minister David Col-lonette.

It was his experience that most of theCrown corporation’s management was inNorth Sydney (Nova Scotia) with a handful ofpeople working at the head office in St. John’s.

“It’s not the board thatmakes up these rulesand regulations they’ve got going on,” Waysaid.“It’s management in North Sydney, that’swho makes up the rules.”

Way spoke at a forum in Corner Brook onMarine Atlantic held by Gerry Byrne, Liberalcommonsmember forHumber-St. Barbe-BaieVerte, Wednesday night (May 19). About 60people attended the event to talk about the gulfferry service.

Howard Sparkes, owner/operator of

Sparkes Trucking, runs a fleet of two trucksand his experience with Marine Atlantic hasbeen terrible. When CN Marine used to takerail cars across the Gulf, he said the service wasbetter than it is today.

He’s spending on the order of $135,000 ayear to get his vehicles across the Gulf of St.Lawrence.

He used to be able to get a dangerous goodscrossing five days a week. Now he’s limited toonce a week and that’s a problem.

He told the 60 people in the room at thePepsi Centre the Marine Atlantic staff used totap on the side of the truck to wake the driversup and let them know they could board theboat. One of his drivers pulled in to the park-ing lot at North Sydney and had a nap whilewaiting for the boat. If a wake-up call came, hedidn’t hear it.

“The boat sailed and his truck was still inNorth Sydney,” Sparkes said. “He had to sitthere for seven days. You know what they saidatMarineAtlantic,‘it’s not our fault,we tappedon the side of his truck and he didn’t wake up.’”

Byrne said that kind of story is a great ex-ample of how the federal government is notliving up to its constitutional responsibility to

provide passenger and freight service fromNorth Sydney to Port aux Basques as the traf-fic offers.

He said the Prince Edward Island govern-ment sued the federal government over a 10-day strike at the ferry service for shirking itsresponsibility to provide the service constitu-tionally guaranteed.

The province won and on appeal they wonmillions in damages because there’s no excusefor not providing the service agreed to in theconstitution.

Byrne believes the same holds true with theGulf of St. Lawrence service. The report hecompiles from the evidence presented at the

forum in Corner Brook and the earlier sessionin Mount Pearl will help form the basis of alegal challenge for breach of constitution. Thedocument could be available as early as mid-June— just in time for peak tourism season.

“We know the breach occurred, we knowthere have been delays in the ferry service, butwe have to catalogue that and describe it in de-tail to be able to present it as evidence in acourt of law,” Byrne said.

He wants to make sure the federal govern-ment provides the service guaranteed fromPort aux Basques to North Sydney.

The much anticipated argument with Portaux BasquesMayor Brian Button came towardthe end of the meeting with Button wonder-ing why he wasn’t invited asmayor of the gate-way town. Byrne pointed out Button wasinvited as chair of Municipalities Newfound-land and Labrador’s chair of the Marine At-lantic working group.

A sheaf of emails was circulated by Byrne atthe end of the meeting.

For his part Button is looking forward toworking with Byrne toward solutions to theproblems of Marine Atlantic, from the reser-vation systems to on-time performance. Hewas happy to hear Byrne say he wanted to keepthe service running in Port aux Basques.

“It’s not about Gerry Byrne and Brian But-ton,” Button said.“If the service is that impor-tant, it should be put to one side.We should bemoving on.”

By CLIFF WELLSThe Western Star

NewfoundlandMPGerry Byrne

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Transportation | THE AC&TJ | May 2010 1515

Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop airlinersThe Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop

airliner is comfortable flying through Atlanticairspace.

Launched inMarch2008, the lower-emission,fuel-efficient, "comfortably greener" Q400NextGen turboprop airliner is the most recentdevelopment in the evolution of the Q400 air-craft, and the advanced successor to the Dash8/Q-Series.

Revised in the same spirit as Bombardier'sCRJNextGen aircraft family, theQ400NextGenaircraft features an enhanced cabin environmentwith the introduction of LED lighting,new ceil-ing panels, dished window sidewalls and largeroverhead luggagebins.These features combinedwith theActiveNoise andVibrationSuppression(ANVS) systemprovide an excellent cabin expe-rience for passengers.

While theoperating costs of theQ400airlinerwere already among the lowest of any regionalaircraft, the operating costs for both the Q400and Q400 NextGen airliners were reduced even

lower by increasing intervals between scheduledmaintenance and further optimizing mainte-nance tasks, therefore decreasing labour hours.

The Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners' Air-craft Operating Manual (AOM) has been up-dated to reflect that the fuel burn under certainoperating conditions is lower than predicted.

Bombardier Aerospace announced April 30that Jazz Air LP of Halifax, Nova Scotia hadsigned a firm purchase agreement to acquire 15BombardierQ400NextGen turboprop airlinersandhas taken options on an additional 15Q400NextGen aircraft.

Based on the list price for theQ400NextGenaircraft, the firmorder is valuedat approximately$454 million (US) and could increase to $937million (US) should all 15 options be convertedto firm orders.

"The introduction of the Q400NextGen air-craft is a perfect complement to our fleet ofCanadian-built Bombardier turboprops and re-gional jets," said Joseph Randell, President and

Chief ExecutiveOfficer, JazzAirLP."This aircraft,which in Jazz configuration will have 74 seats ina single-class cabin, offers superior passengercomfort, fuel efficiency and improved environ-mental performance. I'mconfident that ourpas-sengers will appreciate the quiet interior andspeed of this new technology."MILESTONEOnApril 22, Porter Airlines accepted its 20th

BombardierAerospaceQ400aircraft—the300thfor the Q400 program.

The delivery represented the completion ofPorter’s original 2006order,valued atmore than

$500million (US).“We came toBombardier over four years ago

with a business plan outlining everything wehoped to accomplish,”saidRobertDeluce,Pres-ident and CEO of Porter Airlines. “Now, we’reback again, celebrating the delivery of the finalaircraft fromthis order.We’ve evolved tobecomean airline with over 900 employees, many newroutes andhaving redefined short-haul flying toemphasize the customer experience.”

Porter operates a fleet of 70-seatQ400aircraft.The 20th aircraft was scheduled to enter reg-

ular passenger serviceMay 1.

CBRM votes $2M for harbour dredging

[Sydney, NS]—The Cape Breton RegionalMunicipality corporate services committee hasapproved a $2-million contribution to dredgeSydney harbour, provided the project receivescapital support fromNova Scotia and Ottawa.

During a regular committee meeting Mon-day (May 3), chief administrative officer JerryRyan said while there is no defined budget forthe $38-million dredging, staff anticipate a sur-plus of approximately $2million for the last fis-cal year, mostly attributed to the reduction ofinterest on short-term capital borrowing.

“It’s an easy recommendation frommypointof view, because we have identified the sourceof funding,” said Ryan.

Deputy Mayor Darren Bruckschwaiger saidthe Sydney Marine Group’s venture has seenwidespread support throughout themunicipal-ity.

“People are really depending on this one forour future,” he said. “The Sydney MarineGroup’s portsmaster plan indicates the harbourcan actually produce 6,500 more jobs and gen-erate over $120million in tax revenue.”

Bruckschwaiger said time is of the essence inmoving the project forward. He also suggestedincluding a condition that the municipalitywould only fund the project if the other two lev-

els of government are on board.Mayor JohnMorgan supported the amend-

ment and motion, later put forward by actingchair Derek Mombourquette, and approvedunanimously by the eight committeemembers.

Before the vote, Coun.Wes Stubbert said heunderstands the importance of the harbourproposal but added he also knows the poor fi-nancial state of Cape Breton’s economy.

“The harbour, and so on, should be the re-sponsibility of a higher level of government,”said Stubbert.“And apparently they’re not goingto do it without dragging us into it, dumpinganother bill onus. I reluctantly support this,butI certainly am in disagreementwith the govern-ment’s approach.”

Ports stakeholders say dredging is the firststep to opening the harbour channel to post-panamax vessels.

Further plans include the development of aproposed $200-million container terminal,whichwould potentially act as the shipping hubfor North Americanmarkets.

A Dutch-based company was selected as thepreferred bidder for the dredging and has giventhemarine groupuntilMay 14 to accept the bid.

In addition to the CBRM contributions,stakeholders are asking province to commit ap-proximately $15.2million to the project and forOttawa to contribute $19million.

By ERIN POTTIEThe Cape Breton Post

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May 2010 | THE AC&TJ | Transportation1616

Passenger traffic up 49% in airport authority's 1st decade

TheCharlottetown Airport Authoritycelebrated a milestone year Tuesdaynight (May 11) with the release of

its 2009 annual report during the author-ity’s annual meeting.

It was a milestone year because 2009marked 10 years since the authority as-sumed control of the (Prince Edward Is-land) airport.

Passenger traffic has grown by 49 percent since the authority took over controlof the airport from Transport Canada in1999.

“Our board of directors is extremelypleased with the success the airport has

experienced over the past decade,” notedDoug Newson, CEO of the CharlottetownAirport Authority.

“The authority has grown the numberof air carriers, expanded the number des-tinations, added U.S. service and sun serv-ice and expanded the air terminal buildingto accommodate international flights.”

In 2009, travel through Charlottetowndeclined by 1.3 per cent.

In light of a worldwide recession, and atough market year for aviation, where na-tional traffic declined by over five per cent— Charlottetown’s performance was againstrong and resilient, said Newson.

Successful events like the Canada Sum-mer Games had a positive impact on traf-fic at the airport.

In addition, 2009 was a good year fornational and international meetings andconventions in Prince Edward Island.

“The Canada Summer Games and themeetings and conventions marketplace areexamples of how airports do not operatein isolation from the broader businesscommunity. Economic growth in the Cityof Charlottetown and Prince Edward Is-land overall are closely tied to growth atthe airport.”

New additions to the route network in2010 include Air Canada’s second dailynon-stop service between Charlottetownand Ottawa added in May and Delta AirLines’ daily direct service between Char-lottetown and New York’s JFK Interna-tional Airport which begins in mid-June.

By EDITORIAL STAFFThe Guardian

NB signs $580-millionhighway agreement

New Brunswick has signed a $580-millionpublic-private partnership with Dexter De-veloper General Partnership that will see theMackay Highway expanded to six lanes, andconstruction of the final 55 kilometres offour-lane highway on Route 1 from Waweigto St. George and between Pennfield andLepreau.

Transfield Dexter Gateway Services Ltd.will be responsible for the operation, main-tenance and repair of 235 km of highway be-tween St. Stephen and River Glade,excluding the Saint John Harbour Bridge,until 2040. Once construction is complete,the province will pay an annual $19.8 mil-lion fee (adjusted for inflation) to the com-pany.• Dexter Developer General Partnership

has already started pre-construction anddesign activities.

• Construction at culvert installations andmany bridge structures will begin in earlysummer.

• Reconfiguration of the Route 1/Route 7Interchange will begin this fall.

• Widening of the MacKay Highway willbegin in June 2011.The Route 1 Gateway Project also in-

cludes major upgrades at the DigdeguashRiver,Magaguadavic River, Letang River, Po-cologan River, New River and Lepreau Rivercrossings along with the installation of newguardrails on a number of bridges and over-passes along the Route 1 corridor.

The Dexter Developer General Partner-ship is assuming the risks of delivering thehighway by July 31, 2013 for the set price andfor operating, maintaining and repairing itfor the contracted period.

The Charlottetown Airport Authority Inc. held its annual meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward IslandMay 11. From left are DavidMcKenna, board of governors; MikeGallant, board member; JudyMacDonald, board member; Robert Sear, board member; and DougNewson, chief executive officer. (Photo: The Guardian)

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