THE BRITISH COLUMBIA

PUBLISHED BY THE MI NISTRY 0 HIGHWA S AND PUBLIC WORK

SUMMER 1978

VOLUME 15.

ISS 0382·2 141

MISCELLANY

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R oad Foreman Larry Anderson, Alta Lake in the NorthVallcouver District, poses with a letter received from the childrenof Myrtle Phillips School after a demonstration arranged by Larryand Doug Muir, Assistant Foremari. to Instru ct the student s onthe dangers of being too close to equipment while snow clearingwas in progress. The letter was received in March as an expres­sion of thanks from the school and the students for Hi ghways'concern for public safety.

Kraus stainless steel belt conveyer for un loadin g salt hopperrailroad cars and elevating bags of salt or calcium . The unit wasfitted up with a hydraulic drive by the Creston shop crew. Theunit performs well states E. D . Pederson, Road Foreman , Creston,

2

A family of beavers caused havoc for Highways and CNpersonnel ill April. A beaver dam near Fraser Lake, about 60kilometres west of Vanderhooj, ruptured, and the resulting floodblocked Highway 16 and washed out a section of railroad track.Th e highway was opelied for one-lane traffic in the earl y after­noon and to two lanes the next day .

-Photo by Doug Weller, Prince Ge orge Citizen

An idea from Lome Morrow, Road Maintenance Foreman ,M erritt District, has helped prevent culvert freeze-up last winter.Placement of plastic bags over the ends of culve rts has had goodremits and the idea and technique for applying them has beenpassed to other districts . Lome is sho wn at one of th e culvertsit es near Nicola Lake.

MINISTER'S MESSAGE Volume 15

THE ROAD RUNN ER

Summer 1978 No.2

Slimm er is 1l0W with us; th e time of illcreased bridgeand road construction , paving, and maintenance, as wellas a variety of other projects. The result is all illcreaseill the number of highways em ployees and equipment aswe get into aile of our biggest and most ambitious highwaydevelopment programs with Ilew contracts and day-labourprojects. I need 1I0t remind you that this , the CaptainCook Bicentennial year, will also be the biggest touristyear ill the Province's history. It is, therefore importantthat Highways Ministry employees bear ill mind that theiractions and their dealings with the public, and with visi­tors, will reflect the image of the Ministry, We all wantthi s image to be a [avourable aile . Regular employeesmust set the example so that it is followed by temporaryemployees. Let's have a productive and public-spiritedHighways staf] which will prove to th e citizens of theProvince that we are the best at what we do. I know weare if we work at it.

ALEX. V. FRASERMinister

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D'uane Corolla , 3 years old, was pulled alit of the Elk Riverall March 27 by District Stockmall Sam Caravetta, Fernie Dis­trict, shown here with the boy and his gratcjul mother. The childwas under about 2 feet of water and had stopped breathing,Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation brought him hack. He was rushedto hospital and 1l0W is fine.

* *Published Quarterly by the

British Columbia Min istry of Highwaysand Public Works

Victoria, British Columbia

Ray Baines, Executive EditorArthur J. Schindel, Editor

* *Associate Field EditorsW. S. Boughey VictoriaHerb Gutteridge Regional Electrical CrewEric Eastick Centreline Marking, CloverdaleDoug Jones BurnabyS. B. Bergen . ChilliwackGeorge Harper BurnsideJerry Linning Port AlberniHector McLeod . NanaimoD. L. Oliver . CourtenayPaul Connor North Va ncouverDavid T. Kao Dock DistrictGlyn Briscoe New WestminsterS. R. Young McBrideDave Schleppe _ .KamloopsKen E. Smith WilIiams LakeH. L. Popoff 100 Mile HouseFred L. Stuart Salmon ArmM. J. Newlands RevelstokeLes Johnson VernonG . C. Turner KelownaW. R. Coates PentictonBrian Niehaus .Merr ittDave Roberts LillooetR. Haworth Grand ForksJoy Mailey Ross landS. J. Dixey . . NelsonC. W. Smith ..New DenverFred Ryckman CrestonN . K. Molander CranbrookSam Caravetta FernieMike Maglio .GoldenW. R . Rowe SmithersStan Gladysz . Pouce CoupeWillie Smith Fort 51. JohnHarman Delyea . TerraceShirley Hrechka Prince GeorgeClyde Smaaslet Prince GeorgeAl Hepp . QuesneIN. A. Reinke VanderhoofDave Foster Burns LakeW. R. Ball . Prince RupertWhayne Chappell Terrace

COVER PHOTO

Section of Highway 16 west, Construction Project 3032 Oilthe Skeena River, 72 kilometres west of Terrace. This 9.6 kilom­etre stretch of reconstruction will improve the highway throughall area with [requent SIIOW problems. The major quarry for theproject is ill the [oreground also a large stockpile of gravel whichwas retrieved from the river before the spring fIIll-OO. III thebackground are some of the Coast Mountains that rise to I 800metres.

3

10-7 CLUB

1:l rt rt

G EORGE C. CARTWRIGHT, La ­bourer, Golden District, retired March31, 1978, after almost 13 years with theMini stry. On his last day of work hereceived a presentation from his fellow­workers. George and his wife, Myrtle,will continue to live in Golden . Theyhave three children and eight grandchil­dren. His hobbie s are square dancingand rock collecting.

JOHN G. (JOCK ) RATTRAY retiredNove mbe r 30, 1977, aft er serving for 22

year s in the GoodHope Lake Camp,Fort St. Jo hn andDease Lake Hig hwayDistricts. He servedas Road MaintenanceForeman for 18 yearsand helped get recre­

ational clubs organized for the residentsof the camp, and television relayed fromCassiar to the camp. Most of the resi­dents of the Cassiar-Telegraph, Tatogga,Bob Quinn, Dease Lake, and Atlin are asare familiar with Jock and he will bemissed by all. He and his wife, Evel yn,were honoured at a retirement party inDease Lake and also in Fort SI. John,when a number of presentations weremade , including one by Les Broddy, Re­gional Highway Engineer, who presentedJock with an engraved silver tray, andHomer Good , District Highway Manager,Fort SI. John, who pre sented him with agold-pan of leverite, significant of hisleisure-time pur suits, pro specting andmining.

rt rt rt

B. H. (BUD) LAURSEN, HeadquarterStores Stockman in Langley retired April20 after 16 years ofservice with Highways.Bud began with thePaving Branch on Cas­siar Street in Vancou­ver in 1963 as La­bourer, then AssistantMechanic, and he be­came Head Stockman in 1968. Bud andhis wife will be spending their retirementyears at Loon Lake near Cache Creek.Hi s hobbies are fishing and hunting.

rt rt rt

HAZEN MANDERSON, MachineOperator in the Kelowna District, recently

retired. He began withHighways in 1956 asa Labourer. Presen­tations were made byWilf McDonald, Dis­trict Highway Man­ager, and WestbankRoad Foreman Reg .Martin.

MEL SABlES, Nanaimo HighwaysDistrict, was recently honoured at a re­

tirement party at Cas­sidy. Mel began withthe Ministry in 1952,wo rked as TruckDriver, ConcreteWorker, and Stockmanduring his career withHighways.

GERRY BRAY, Construction ProjectSupervisor, Kamloops District, was hon ­oured at a supper inJanuary to mark hisretirement after 25years of service. High­ways and contractorpersonnel were in at­tendance. Gerry andhis wife were given atrip to Reno.

ing, canoeing, and salt-water cruising, tobuild a new float at his Shawnigan LakeCOllage and repaint his Saanich home.

rt rt rt

On March 22, E. W. (ERNIE)PRITCHARD retired after 47 years of

service with the Pro­vincial Government.Ernie started with theGovernment in 1931on the Dietary Staff atthe Tranquille Sana-

• torium in North Karn­loops, part of the

Provincial Secretary's Department. Heenlisted in 1941 and became an officer inthe RCAF with a tour of duty overseasattached to RAF radar stations on theMediterranean and in North Africa.Upon discharge in 1945 he re-entered thecivil service with the Attorney-General'sDepartment at the Land Registry Officein Kamloops. In May 1947 he trans­ferred to the Department of Finance withduties under the Provincial Assessor atKarnloop s and in August 1949 went toSmithers as Provincial Assessor. In May1952 he transferred to the Right-of-wayBranch of the Department of Highwaysin Victoria. Upon decentralization ofthe Branch in 1956, Ernie became theRegional Right-of-way Agent at PrinceGeorge and in 1961 transferred back toVictoria to work in the Headquartersoffice of the Property Services Branch.Ernie leaves with a world of knowledgeof property service and he will be greatlymissed . His many friends and associateswish him the best in his retirement.Ernie was pre sented with gifts in theoffice of A. E. Rhodes, Assistant DeputyMini ster , after a luncheon with his fellow­workers.

JOHN HEN RY HARDING, Directorof Traffic Engineering, has retired after

34 years of continuousservice with the Min­istry of Highways andPublic Works. Johnborn in Regina andgrew up in Nelson andcompleted his school­ing the re. He first

worked intermittently for the Departmentof Public Works on survey crews out ofthe Nelson office in the mid 1930's. Inthe late 30's John attended UBC andgraduated in 1942 with a degree in civilengineering. He then went to work forthe Federal Department of Transport,building military airports on the north­west staging route , which was used toferry war planes from the United Statesto Russia via the Yukon. In 1944, hestarted permanent employment with theDepartment of Public Works as adraughtsman on a highway location proj­ect in the East Kootenay and then workedas a resident engineer for the PavingBranch, for New Westminster District,and for the Construction Branch. In thefall of 1945 he left for Iowa State Collegewhere he obtained a ma ster of sciencedegree in traffic engineering. John thenrejoined the Paving Branch and in thesame year married Jane, a Grand Forksgirl , who is a graduate nurse from Van­couver General Hospital. They havefour adult children and recently becamegrandparents.

In 1948, John was tr ansferred to Vic­tori a. He establi shed the Langford SignShop and the basis for the present high­way signing system in the Province.These duti es, a long with respon sibilityfor centreline painting and other func­tions , were eventually consolidated intothe Traffic Engineering Branch whichJohn has headed since its inception. Im­provement in the methods of traffic con­trol moved rapidly in this period andJohn had the Ministry's first tr affic signalinstalled at Whitehouse Corner in theearly 1950's. This was a relatively simpleinstall ation compared to some of the 500signals since installed by his Branch.

For many years John has been wellknown at the national level for his exper­tise in traffic and transportation engineer­ing. He has represented the Ministry on,and is a Past President of , the Councilon Uniform Traffic Control Devices forCanada. In addition, he was a memberof the traffic operations committee of theRoad s and Transportation Association ofCanada. John also belonged to the In­stitute of Transportation Engineers andserved as President of the Canadian Sec­tion. He has been a long-standing mem­ber of the B.C. Safety Council.

John now plans to devote more time tohis hobbies which include fishing, kayak-

4

1:r1:r1:r

Shar on Jenkinson , a m ember of thestuj] at the Clo verdale Maintenan ce Yard ,points to th e new Government logo on aministry vehicle, The ne ll' decal is partof the Visual Identity Program. BehindSharon is the vehicle number 0 /1 theleft fend er whi ch ident ifies the vehicle .its ministry, and its issue area. Govern­m ent vehicles will be similarly identified .

JAMES A. DAV ID, Relief Foremanat Haze lton in the Smither s District, re­

tired in March 1978.He began with High­ways in Co quitlam in1967 as a Labourer,and also worked as aMachine Operator be­fore transferring toHazelton in 1974

where he wor ked on the patching crewand as Relief Foreman. He is marriedwith four children and likes hunting, fish­ing, music , gardening, and playing bridge.

NORM HAR ROP, Mechanic, recentlyretired after 14 years of service . Normworked in the office ofthe Regional Mechani­cal Superintendent inPrince George. Normis married and has onechild and two grand­children. He and hiswife have moved tothe southern part of the Province toescape the northern winters.

DANIEL A. JONES, Machine Oper ­ator, Smithers D istrict, re tired in March

1978. H e bega n withHighways in 195 1 asBridge Labou rer, andhas bee n a Tr uc kD r i ve r on Mainte­nance, Shovel Oper­ator, and GraderOperator. He spent

19 years operating Grader L348 from thetime it was new until it was retired. Hisfellow employees presented him with atray on which the names of his fellowemployees were engraved. He likes fish­ing and gardening and is married withsix children, four of whom are married.

1:r 1:r 1:r

LEE GREEN was presented with giftsat a party held in his honour at the Na­naimo Yard. Leeworked with the Gov­ernment of Canada for19\12 years before join­ing our Ministry in1970. He served asBridgeman and Car­penter in the NanaimoDistrict. Lee plan s to travel frequentlyduring his retirement.

1:r 1:r 1:r

DEWALD (DEE) OHLHAUSEN, Ma­chine Operator, Kaml oop s District, re­

tired in March 1978after 18 years of ser­vice. Dee put onabout 250,000 milesmaking local pick-upsfor the Kamloopsgarage. Dee is an avidrockhound and enjoys

fishing . His fellow-workers wish him thebest in the future.

1:r 1:r 1:r

HERBERT ( BUD ) COTTAM, Ma­chine Operator 7, usually a Grader Oper­ator, photographed onhis last da y at workon February 23, 1978.Southbank, Burns LakeDistrict, has been hiswork place with High­ways for 12 years.He and his wife Marjlook forward to many happy years offishing and work on his hobby farm inthe south country.

1:r 1:r 1:r

JIM KEIR, Foreman 3 at Goldbridgein the Lillooet District, is retiring after26 years with Highways. Jim Keir hasalways served in the Goldbridge-Bralornearea as Foreman. A presentation wasmade at Goldbridge and best wishes gowith Jim and his wife and family. Hewill be staying on his property at GunLake and putting in the future, loggingon his property, fishing, and hunting,while Mrs . Keir is active in School Boardwork.

April 28, 1978, was the last working­day for "Miss Burnside," otherwise

known as EUNICELEE. Well liked byeveryone who evercame in contact withher in the 22 yearsshe was emp loyed atBurnside, Saanich Dis-

, - trict, Eunice suc-cumbed to lure of travel and golf and shewill be missed by everyone because of herknowledge of all aspects of the districtand her pleasant manner. Farewell pres­entations were made to her on behalf offellow-workers, along with best wishesfor a happy retirement.

1:r 1:r 1:r

FRANK BROWES, Sign MaintenanceForeman, Saanich District, recently re­tired after 21 years of 'service. He startedwith the Departmentof Highways in Feb­ru ary 1957 and soonafter was promoted tocentreline foreman. In1961 he returned toSaanich District to become the SignMaintenance Foreman. Frank is a mas­ter painter, having served his apprentice­ship to the trade in Alberta . A dinnerand dance was held on April 29 to honourFr ank, and many district employees at­tend ed. He looks forward to man y hour sof golfing, fishing, and travelling.

1:r 1:r 1:r

GEORGE W. BRACKBURY, Ro adForeman at Kitwanga, Smithers District,

retired in March 1978.He began with High ­ways in 1957 as La­bourer and veryshortly became a Ma ­chine Operator andRelief Foreman whenneces sary. He became

a permanent Foreman in 1974. He ismarried and enjoys camper tr avelling ,hunt ing, fishing, and gardening. Retire­ment plan s include some tr avelling and alot more fishing,

1:r 1:r 1:r

Patrolman DONALD TAYLOR retiredin June 1978 from the B.C. H ighwaysPatrol after 17 yearsof service. Don beganhis Government ser­vice in 1961 at FirstNarrows Bridge . Laterhe went to SecondNarrows, then toHorseshoe Bay, finallyreturning to Second Narrows as Quarter­master in charge of stores. He has alsobeen the Assistant to the NCO in chargeof the Highways Patrol. Don and hiswife , Inez , will continue to reside in WestVancouver, but intend to do some travel­ling in the near future. Don's hobbiesare golf and sports.

5

NEWS REGIONS SETTLE IN, ACQUIRE STAFF

REGION 6, NANAIMO

J aeHeiduk

SandyKokorudz

VirginiaCurrie

Terrace, situated in theSkeena Valley, surroundedby white-capped mountains,and one of the most beauti­ful settings in British Co­lumbia, became the centrefor Region 5 in July 1977.Bounded by the QueenCharlotte Islands and PrinceRupert on the west, Burns

\..

SteveCUll

DavidMoore

DebbieOster

DeanAnderson

DebbiePombert

Kokorudz as Secretary to the Regional Mechanical Super­intendent.

Courtenay District pro­vided Regional MechanicalSuperintendent Steve Cutt.

Everyone in the region isgrateful for the help it stillreceives from Region Iwhich continues to sharesome of its regional officialssuch as Hal Dennies, Re­

Robertson, Regional Driver

TerryWest

SusanPiper

Ch arlaineShepherd

Michael J .O'Connor

Sandy

gional Safety Officer ; GordonTrainer; John Ryan, Re­gional Maintenance MethodsTechnician, and ColvinDrake, Regional Technician.

Dan Doyle says the spiritthat exemplifies the Ministrythroughout the Province isalive and well in Region 6,and that this is evident bythe active participation in aa successful softball team, and its immediate acceptance of a golf

match challenge from Re­gion 1.

Dan says the staff is veryproud of its new office onNorwell Drive, and looksforward to working from ittogether with the districts tomake their highway systemthe best in the Province.

REGION 5, TERRACE

BillRyan

RonDash

EarlTh ompson

JohnMontador

Region 6 can truly be con­sidered as the "melting pot"of Highways Ministry. Ithas drawn from every regionto fill its present personnelquota of 20.

Regional Highway Engi­neer Bap L'Hirondelle, Re­gional Construction Super­intendent Ron Dash,

Montador, and Regional Pav-

JohnBodnarchuk

DonMacSween

Radio and Telex Operator andSecretary, and Debbie Pom­bert, Secretary to the Ap­proving Officer come fromthe Nanaimo area and arenew to the Ministry. Vir­ginia Currie, Secretary tothe Property Negotiators,joined the region from theProvincial Emergency Pro­gramme at Victoria.

Blake Minifie is also new to the

Property Negotiators came from theRegions 4 and 5. RegionalProperty Negotiator DonMacSween and NegotiatorGreg Mertton were fromPrince George while Nego­tiator Gerry Gould camefrom Smithers. Earl Thom­son will continue to workout of the Burnside office..Regional Technician Johnfar northern reaches of Re-

GerryGould

BlakeMinifie

TimCooke

GregMertton

Bodnarchuk wasgion 4.

The remainder of the staffwas drawn mostly fromwithin the boundaries of theregion. Susan Piper, secre­tary to the Regional High­way Engineer; Jae Heiduk,secretary to the PersonnelOfficer; Debbie Oster,Switchboard Operator andSecretary; Charlaine Shepherd,

Regional Personnel OfficerMinistry. He was formerlyin personnel with MacMillanand Bloedel in Powell River.

Two of the districts in theregion also contributed tothe staff, Nanaimo Districtgave up Bill Ryan to be Re­gional Office Manager, DeanAnderson as Assistant to theApp rov i ng 0 ffice r , and

Bap DanL'Hirondelle Doyle

Regional Materials Engineer Johning Engineer Tim Cookehave all transferred fromRegion I.

Region 2 contributed Re­gional Maintenance Oper­ations Manager Dan Doyleand Region 3 gave up itsApproving Officer TerryWest to hold the same posi-tion in Region 6.

of the new region's

6

7

IdaMohler

BettyMcCourt

JulieAcres

AngelaCobbs

WILBERT TAYLOR, age 58, died Novem­ber 13, 1977. He worked for 21 years withHighways. He served three years with theRegina Rifles overseas:

OBITUARIES

LinFriel

BarbaraPetch

Friends and associates were saddened by the death on March17 of HANK SAWATZKY, Superintendent of Operations, Pav ­ing Branch, Victoria. Hank was born on a farm in Manitobain 1926, and grew up in the prairies before moving to BritishColumbia , where he started working with the Department in1947. All of his service involved paving. He worked up in theBranch through lower positions to that of Regional Pavin gSuperintendent in Nelson, in 1961, and finally to the position ofSuperintendent, in 1967. His unfailing co-operation and quietcompetence are sincerely missed by all who worked with him.

-(:< -(:< -(:<

HARRY P. WILSON, aged 69, of Prince George, died onApril 18, 1978. Harry was employed in the Prince George Dis­trict as a Truck Driver from March 1956, until his retirement inMay 1973. He is survived by his wife, Alice , two children, andseveral grandchildren.

-(:< -(:< -(:<

JAMES GORDON McCALDER, aged 65, of Westbank, diedon January 15, 1978. Gordon was employed in the PrinceGeorge Region of the Ministry of Highways from June 1948 toMay of 1972, when he went on early retirement for health rea­sons. He leaves his wife, Mary, four daughters, two sons, and13 grandchildren. He was a Crusher Foreman while employedwith Highways.

-(:< -(:< -(:<

WILLIAM CRAFT died November 30, 1977, at Vernon Ho s­pital, after 28 years of service with the New Denver District crew .He joined Highways in 1947 on the Needles-Fauquier ferry, andlater as a Mate on the MV Needles. He retired in 1973.

-(:< -(:< -(:<

100 Mile District employees were saddened to learn of thedeath of CON HOLMBERG, Signrnan, on March 18, 1978.Con had been employed with Highways since 1971. He was 64.

-(:< -(:< -(:<

JimStainton

?, .~

VirginiaMcFadyen

Lake in the east, and Alaskaand the Yukon on the north,the region includes some ofthe most remote and diverseareas of the Province.Building and maintainingroads in this part of theProvince presents someunique problems for the newstaff in Region 5, problems

PeterWightman

BillSunderwood

DanielScoones

They also managed to re­cruit some people from otherministries of the ProvincialGovernment like DanielScoones, Regional Draughts­man; and Nancy Green­wood, Clerk-Stenographer.Last but not least, are thepeople recruited from otherparts of the Ministry.

Highway Engineer; Whayne Chap-

JimMcDonell

TedRobinson

RayEnright

DennisJenkinson

Michael O'Connor, Regionalpell , Regional Office Man­ager, Ted Robinson, Re­gional Mechanical Superin­tendent; Dave Moore,Regional Construction Engi­neer; Bill Sunderwood, Re­gional Maintenance Manage­ment Technician; TerryBohan, Regional Technician;Bob Saul, Driver Trainer;Betty McCourt, Radio Teletype Operator.

Wh ayne NancyCh appell Greenwood

as varied as the land they traverse.For the outdoorsman, the

recreational activities offeredin the region are almostlimitless. All activities areavailable, good fishing andhunting, great downhill andcross-country ski-ing , andchallenging hiking and boat­ing.

The people working in the •Terrace regional office come from virtually all corners of the

Province-Prince George,Victoria, Kamloops, NewDenver, Kelowna, Vancou­ver , and even Terrace.Many of the people arefrom outside of the Mini stry .Dennis Jenkinson, RegionalPersonnel Officer; PeterWightman, Regional Main­tenance Engineer; Ray En­

right , Regional Property Negotiator; Jim McDonell, PropertyNegotiator; Jim Stainton,Communications Technician;Ken Rowe, CommunicationsTechnician ; Julie Acres,Clerk-Stenographer; VirginiaMcFadyen, Clerk-Stenog­rapher; Barbara Petch, Typ­ist; Lin Friel, Key-punchOperator ; Ida Mohler, Clerk­Typist; Angela Cobbs, Re­ceptionist.

PROMOTIONS

TOM BONE, Mechanic, Prince GeorgeDistrict, has recently transferred to theVernon Shop as a Me­chanic. Tom is mar­ried and has two chil­dren. He served hismechanical apprentice­ship with the Ministry.

NEW FACES INNEW PLACES

NEIL KOEL, Assistant MechanicForeman, transferred from Cranbrook to

Port Alberni, March20, 1978. Neil com­menced with the Min­istry on July 16, 1962,as Heavy-duty Me­chanic at Burnside .He is married withtwo children. S. J .

Sviatko, District Highways Manager, pre­sented Neil with gifts on behalf of hisfellow employees. Neil was born inHolland, and the shop crew made hima wooden shoe with sails.

Murray Ramsay, District Technician ,Salmon Arm, was honoured at a Ministryof Highways and Public Works banquetin March, where he was presented with aplaque marking 25 years of service. Thepresentation was made by Bill Budden,District Highways Manager .

JOHN M. SMITH, Mechanical Fore­man, Vanderhoof, has completed 25 years

with Highways. In1947 he started as aTruck Driver, 2, andin 1956 he becameMechanical Foreman.John has lived in theVanderhoof area since1924. Father of four

children, John has three grandchildren.His hobbies are camping, fishing, andplaying horse-shoes.

ALBERT BAGSHAW, Machine Oper­ator in the Prince Rupert District, re­

ceived a 25-year Ser­vice Award. The pres­entation was made bythe Minister, Alex. V.Fraser, who was inPrince Rupert to at­tend the annual safetybanquet. Albert has

spent all 25 years in the Prince RupertDistrict.

25-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS

the Bridge Engineering Branch. Hestarted with the Ministry of Highwaysand Public Works in July 1976. Priorto that, Ron worked for Sheriff Servicesand Corrections Branch, Ministry of theAttorney-General. He enjoys all sportsespecially golf, squash, soccer, and ski­ing.

* * *J. A. EIMER won a promotion through

competition to Administrative Officer Iin Nanaimo Districtoffice. Al did twoyears in New DenverDistrict office as Of­fice Manager. Hisfavourite pastime is

",,, flying and jumpingout of aeroplanes­

though not at the same time.

* * *ROGER REIMCHE recently won

through competition the position of Me­chanic Foreman 8 atPrince George. Rogerhas worked for High­ways in Good HopeLake and Chetwynd.He enjoys buildingfurniture, meetingpeople, and photogra­phy. He is married.

* * *RON SCHIFFO, Regional Design and

Survey Office, Prince George, has recentlywon through competi­tion the position ofTechnician with theBranch in PrinceGeorge. Ron is mar­ried with two children.He has been withHighways for six

years, and enjoys stamp collecting, play­ing volleyball, and sports.

Other recent promotions include A.PAUL, Engineering Aide 2 to Engineer­ing Aide 3, Construction; W. QUINN,Engineering Aide 2 (Aux.) to Engineer­ing Aide 3, Construction; R. H. DRA­GJNDA, Engineering Aide 1 (Aux.) toEngineering Aide 3, Construction; W. J.SHOVAN, Engineering Aide 2 to Engi­neering Aide 3, Co ns truct ion; J.DEUTCH, Engineering Aide 2 to Engi­neering Aide 3, Design and Surveys.

CATHERINE TOMPKINS, RegionalPersonnel Assistant in Burnaby, has won

through competitionthe position of Person­nel Officer 2 in Head­quarters High wayspersonnel office. Cathyhas been in Region Isince April 1976, priorto this she worked for

the Federal Government. Her hobbiesare sailing, ski-ing, welding, tennis, andbaseball.

* * *LEO GOODWIN began with Highways

in 1961 as an Auto Mechanic. He leftin 1965 and returnedto Highways in 1970as Truck Driver in theRevelstoke Districtroad crew . Within ayear he won throughcompetition the Ma­chine Operator 7 posi­tion, the following year he was wintershift Foreman at 50-mile camp in theDevelstoke District which he filled fortwo years. During the summer monthshe acted as Relief Foreman. In 1977Leo won through competition the RoadForeman 2 position in Grand Forks.Leo's many hobbies include restoration ofa 1928 Model A Roadster Pickup, a gunand coin collection. He also enjoys hunt­ing. fishing, and alpine ski-ing .

* * *ODDIE NORDSTOKKE, a native of

Norway, joined Highways in Vanderhoofas an Engineering Aide3 in October 1975.Just recently he haswon through competi­tion the EngineeringAide 3 (Regulatory)position in Vander­hoof. Oddie lives at

Engen, 20 kilometres west of Vander­hoof, where he and his wife and fivechildren have a farm. Among otherthings, Oddie raises purebred Iri sh setters.During the winter, in true Nordic tradi­tion, Oddie can be found cross-countryski-ing.

* * *BOB STURNEY, Engineering Assis-

tant, Design and Survey, Prince GeorgeRegion, has workedfor Highways for 13years. Bob is singlewith two children, heenjoys acting, singing,and golf. He has re­cently won throughcompetition the posi­tion of Technician with the Design andSurvey Branch in Kamloops.

* * *RON BURNETT was recently pro-

moted to Administrative Officer I withHighways Financial Services as Budgetand Research Officer at Headquarters inVictoria. Ron was Office Manager for

8

PEEK INTO THE PAST

During the depression, the Federal Government, under theUnemployment Relief Fund, began the pioneer road betweenCanoe and Sicamous. III the early 30 's, as there was 110 vehiclebridg e across Sicamous Narrows, a private ferry was establishedby R . H. Congreve of Sicamous. His ferry was made up of theGovernment-owned former Squilax reaction ferry built ill 1918and a power-boat he owned.

Congreve usually operated his ferry from May until December31 . The river level determined when service began each year .The hours of service were 7 a.m . to 10 p.m. and the crossingcharge was 50 cents for each car.

With the completion of the Canoe-Sicamous road ill 1934 andwith the opening of the Big Bend Highway ill October 1939, trafficillcreased and so did the complaints about the service and its

charge. A 10 cent or 15 cent charge was suggested as suitablebut the 50 cent fare remained.

It became a free ferry ill It:lle 1942 when the Deportment lookover the service. Congreve's boat was chartered at $250 a month,This covered complete operation of the ferry, including gas, oil,and repairs. After hours he was permitted to collect 50 cents foreach trip.

The picture shows the ferry ill I une 1943 making its way tothe east bank of Sicamous Narrows.

III 1945 Ilew POlltOOIlS were required, allowing the ferry tooperate until a trestle bridge was opened at the crossing site allJune 13, 1949.

-Picture and information provided by Frank A . Clapp.

Taken ill the mid 1930' s, looking toward Bums Lake, this picture shows old trestle bridge, 11011'

Highway 35. It was taken from the old ski-jump hill.

9

ABOUT PEOPLE

GERRARD BONNEVILLE, Machine'Operator at Kitwanga in the Smithers

District, began withHighways as an Aux­iliary in 1974. He ha sbeen a Labourer,Truck Driver, andmore recently GraderOperator. He is mar­ried with four chil­

dren. His hobbies are, singing , fishing,hunting, gardening, and snowmobiling.

TED LORD, Re­gional Safety Officer,Prince George, hasworked for Highwaysfor two years. Ted ismarried with fourchildren; he has noserious hobbies butmany varied interests.

RON RECCHI, Road Foreman, SlimCreek Camp, Prince George District, has

worked for Highwaysfor 14 years. Beforemoving to PrinceGeorge he was inKamloops. Ron ismarried, has two sonsand enjoys hunting,fishing, and curling.

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DOHN H. DUTTON, Machine Oper­ator at Kitwanga in the Smithers District,began with Highwaysas an Auxiliary in1975. He was classi­fied as Machine Oper­ator in 1976, andworked as Road Fore­man in the winter of1976/77 , and ap­pointed to regular position in March1978. He is married with four sons.Dohn's hobbies are hunting, fishing, andis interested in wildlife and the outdoors.He and his sons operate a small familyfarm.

MIKE FARYNUK, Machine OperatorVernon Highway District, has 27 con­tinuous years of ser­vice for the Highwaysin Enderby. Mike'sfavourite sport is fish­ing, which he plans todo lots of later this fallwhen he retires. Theonly problem Mikehas had over his 27 years of service hestates "is learning to run a grader in astanding position."

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PETER SWETLISHOFF, EngineeringAide 3, Prince George District, has

worked for Highwaysfor approximatelyeight years . Peter ismarried with one childand enjoys fishing andhunting.

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BUNTY TOMPKINS, Penticton Dis­trict office, came to the Ministry in March1977. Her duties areMaintenance Manage­ment Clerk and otheroffice work . Bunty ismarried and her hob­bies include sewingand jazz dance.

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DO REEN GALLANT commencedwith the Prince Rupe rt Highways Districtin July of 1976 as aClerk-Stenographer I.She enjoys basketball,volleyball, crocheting,macrame and cooking.Her ambition is toown a house withacreage.

PATTI STOCKTON, recently ap­pointed Regional Personnel Assistant for

Region 1 in Burnaby,was previously Ad­ministrative Assistant,Industrial RelationsDepartment, Weld-wood of Canada.Patti began with High­ways in February

1978; her hobbies are dieting, ski-ing, andsailing.

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WARREN PAINTER, EngineeringAide 3, Design and Survey Branch, Prince

George, has workedfor Highways for nineyears, part of whichwas with the MaterialsTesting Branch. Heis married with onechild and enjoys fly­ing, hockey, wood-work, and golf.

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ROSS ROBERTSON, Assistant Me­chanic Foreman, Dawson Creek District.Ross is a man of manyinterests. He plays inthe Dawson CreekHighways hockeyteam, he is a skilfulcarpenter, as well asan outdoorsman enjoy­ing fishing and camp­ing. Ross is married and has two chil­dren.

J. L. (LARRY) THORNTON, P.Eng.,has been appointed Fleet Co-ordinator

with the EquipmentServices Branch, Vic­toria. Larry has beenwith the British Co­Iu m b ia Governmentfor 16 years, 10 yearswith the Forest Ser­vice Engineering Divi­

sion, and six with Public Works DesignBranch, with involvements in special ma­chine design, rental rates for equipment,and administration and analysis of thefleet costing system. He is married withtwo sons. His main hobbies are theraising and showing of registered Arabianhorses, and coaching juvenile soccer.

ALICE PAYNE, Clerk 5, PrinceGeorge District office, has worked forHighways since 1966.Alice is married andhas two boys. She isvery involved with thelocal C.B. Radio Cluband her pastime is seIl­ing lottery ticket s.

10

CLIFF SCHNEIDER, Road Foreman3, at Keremeos, Penticton District, began

with Highways inApril 1951, and hasbeen Road Foremanin Keremeos sinceSeptember 1971.Cliff's first spring asForeman was a mem­orable one . In 1972

the Keremeos area was one of the hardesthit flood areas in the Province.

Public Information Officer for the Min­istry in Victoria is DAVE SHEPHERD,who joined the Minis­tr y's information staffin August 1976, underSen i0 r InformationOfficer Ray Baines .He was Tour Co-ord­inator at the Parlia­ment Buildings, Vic­toria, prior to being successful in a com­petition for the position he now hold s.Dave has had wide experience in news­paper work, both as a reporter and amanaging editor, having worked in Vic­toria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Toronto,Chatham, and Nanaimo. Prior to be­coming tour co-ordinator at the buildings,a position he held for six years, he wasreports officer for the Nanaimo SchoolDistrict. He is married and has twomarried children.

CLARK ABLE began with the BridgeConstruction Branch in 1963. His work

took him to variousplaces in the Provinceuntil 1973 when hetransferred to theGrand Forks Districtin the Beaverdell Fore­man area for a shorttime before moving to

Grand Forks. Clark is a Machine Oper­ator. He enjoys week-end camping tripswith his wife and two sons when notworking on their home. He is also busyconstructing a summer cabin at JewelLake, several kilometres north of Green­wood.

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A miner by trade, HENRY KRAUSEwas employed by Highways at Fort SI.

James in October 1976following the closureof Pinchi MercuryMine. His classifica­tion is Labourer andhe frequently works asa Machine Operator.Henry is married and

lives 48 kilometres north of Fort St.James, where fish and wildlife abound.Being fond of both hunting and fishing,Henry is happy to have found work nearhis home.

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LYDIA FRENCH is often heardanswering "Grand Forks one" for thedistrict. Lydia isClerk-Typist in the dis­trict office and beganwith Highways in1973. She and herhu sband recently re­turned from a two­week vacation in LasVega s where the weather was muchmilder than at their home at ChristinaLake . Lydia enjoys sewing, cooking,flower gardening, and crocheting for hereight grandchildren.

HELENA BRYANT, Auxiliary Clerk,Grand Forks, began with Highways in1977 after movingthere from PrinceGeorge. She workedas a Flagperson beforecommencing work inthe district office .Some of Helena's hob­bies include gardening,reading, knitting, and camping with herson and daughter when she can find thetime.

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. ,

HARRY CUNNINGHAM, RegionalElectrician, Prince George, has worked

for Highways for 10years in Burnaby,North Vancouver, andPrince George. He ismarried, has two chil­dren, and enjoys camp­ing and fishing. Harryhas worked as a

Wrecker. Operator on the First NarrowsBridge with the hydro-seeding crew andserved his electrical apprenticeship withthe Ministry.

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ERIC REIMER, Regional ElectricalForeman, Prince George, has worked forHighways for fouryears. Eric is married Ii ·)"W.with three childrenand enjoys hockey,ball, and swimming.Prior to coming toPrince George lastAugust, he was withHighways in Kamloops.

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R. E. STANDEN, Technician 3, withRegional Design and Survey Branch,

Prince George. Bobhas been with High­ways for 21 years. Heis single and enjoysgolf, curling, and slow­pitch ball.

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COLIN TURNER is back for the fifthtime with the Mini stry as an EngineeringAide 2. He is a keendr aughtsman and isemployed as such withthe Vanderhoof surveycrew. Colin was bornin Calcutta, when hisfather was employedthere as foreman in a 1jute mill. He has lived in Vanderhooffor 18 years. His interests are computerprogramming, amateur carpentry (boats,canoes, small structures), travel (England,India, Hawaii, U .S.A.), and rock 'n rollguitar. He has recently become engaged.

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NORM GALLAGHER began withHighways in the Penticton District in

1955, as Instrument­man. In 1964, hetransferred to Con­struction and Surveyin Fernie, and workedin the Interior of Brit­ish Columbia until1971, when he was ap­

pointed Technician in the Grand ForksDistrict. Some of Norm's many hobbiesinclude fishing , gardening, experimentingwith grafts on fruit trees, prospecting, andwine-making. Norm recently became agrandfather for the first time.

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MARILYN LANDEGA, Yardperson,Prince George District, has been with

Highways for twoyears. Marilyn ismarried and has twodaughters. She enjoysgardening and golfing.She worked for threeyears for the Mini stryof Health in Esson­

dale, prior to moving to Prince George.

PETER BLOKKER, Region al Mainte­nance Technician, Prince George. Peter

is married with threechildren, and h a sworked for Highw aysfo r 19 years. He wasthe District Techni­cian in Burns Lake,prior to moving toPrince George. He

enjoys cross-country ski-ing and otheroutdoor activities.

T. J. (T ERRY ) BURGESS, RegionalLandscape Supervisor, has been with

Highways for 20years, part of whichwas spent with theMaterials TestingBranch. He is mar­ried with "yo children,and is very actively in­volved with the local

Air Cadets Program. Terry is RegionalVice-President of BCGEU. He enjoyscurling, hunting, and other outdoorsports.

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HARRY WARING, Regional PavingSuperintendent, Prince George, has beenwith Highways since1960. He is marriedwith two children andtwo grandchildren. Heis an avid table-tennisplayer.

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Recently arrived in Vanderhoof, fromKelowna, is VIVIAN UNGARO. SinceApril 5 she has beenemployed by High­ways in VanderhoofDistrict office as aClerk-Typist I, assist­ing with MaintenanceManagement, and sub­divisions and permits.Vivian previously worked as a dentalassistant in Kelowna. Her hobbies in­clude ceramics and various handicrafts.Viv's husband is also a Government em­ployee, with the Liquor DistributionBranch in Vanderhoof. They enjoycamping and fishing.

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I

II

TRAINING AND SAFETYAnnual Regional Safety AwardsREGION 1

For the second successive yea r, the Chilliwack Highway Dis­trict won the annual Safety Award for Region I. Thi s and otherawards were presented at a banquet and dance at H arrison onMarch 31, 1978. Bob Veitch, Regional Maintenance OperationsManager, presented the Regional Award to N. W. Wells, Dis­trict Highways Man ager ; Al Park, Headquarters Safety andTraining Officer, presented the Achievement Award to Ken Eidet,Chairman of the Gib sons District Safety and Health Committee;Bill Leitch , Safety Officer, Public Service Commission , presentedthe Good Housekeeping Award to Norm Hunter, Road Foreman,New Westminster District; Roy Morris, Workers' CompensationBoard Inspector, presented the Service Branch Award to MikeSymons, Regional Paving Branch; Gordon Robertson, DriverTrainer, presented the award for the lowest vehicle accidentfrequency to Roy Clarke, Secretary of the Gibsons Safety andHealth Committee.

Left to right, hack row, M . G. Kin g, Mechanic, Mission Shop;Don Ferguson , Machin e Operator, A gassiz; D . V. Calderone ,Yardman, Mission; Don Rutley, Machine Operator, Rosedale;Ray Clarke; front row , Norm Hunter, Mel Lum, Machine Oper­ator , A bbotsjord; Bill Gri eves, Bridgeman, Mission bridge crew;Ken Eidet, N . W . W ells, and Mike Symons. The contributionof the Road and Shop in this achievement was recognized by theDistrict Highways Manager, who presented each area represen­tative with the plaques they are holding.

REGION 4Dawson Creek Highway District were the winners of the

annual Region 4 Safety Award and the Achievement Award for1977. Crews and officials attended a banquet and dance inDawson Creek on April 14, 1978, when these and other awa rdswere presented.

R . Gebhart, left, Past President of the Saf ety and HealthCommittee. receives the R egional A ward from L. A . Braddy,Regional Highway Engineer, and Geoff Warrington. RegionalMe chanical Sup erint end ent, right.

12

REGION 6The Saanich District was the first winner of the annual Safety

Award in Region 6. Awards were presented at a banquet anddance in Esquimalt on March 10, 1978. R. G. Harvey, DeputyMinister, presented the Regional Award to Les Johnson , Chair­man of the Saanich Safety Committee; B. A. L'Hirondelle, Re­gional Highway Engineer, presented the Achievement Awardto John Morris, District Highways Manager, Nanaimo; BillLeitch, Safety Officer , Public Service Commission , presented theGood Hou sekeeping Award to Ross Ellis, Di strict HighwaysManager, Port Alberni; AI Rhodes, Assistant Deputy Minister,presented the Service Branch Award to Tim Cooke, RegionalPaving Engineer ; Steve Cutt, Reg ional Mech anical Supe rinten­dent, presented the award for the lowest vehicle accident fre­quency to Bob Bennie , Nanaimo.

Left to right, back row, B. A . L'Hirondelle; Bob Bennie; TimCooke; Ross Elli s; John Morris; H. M. Dennies, Regional Healthand Safety Officer; George Harper. Saanich District HighwaysManager.

REGION 5The Prince Rupert Highway District won the first annual

Safety Award for Region 5. A banquet and dance was held inPrince Rupert on April 7, 1978, and at Sandspit on the QueenCharlotte Islands on April 14, 1978. Present at the Prince Rupertbanquet, in addition to district personnel, were, Alex . V. Fraser ,Minister of Highways and Public Works; T. R. Johnson, AssistantDeputy Minister; M. 1. O'Connor, Regional Highway Engineer;Bill Leitch, Safety Officer, Public Service Commission; Ja ckKerning, Headquarters Safety Officer ; Wh ayne Chappell, Re­gional Office Manager ; Ted Robinson, Regional MechanicalSuperintendent; C. E. Lord, Regional Training and Safety Offi­cer. The Sandspit banquet was attended by local district em­ployees; representatives of the MV Kwuna; Regional and di strictpersonnel, and A. F . Park, Senior Training and Safety Officer;J. Allman, Workers' Compensation Board; Dennis Jenkinson,Regional Personnel Officer, and Ted Robinson.

Left to right , M . I . O'Connor; Chris Goudreau, Chairman,Prince Rupert Safety Committee; Alex. V . Fraser , Min ister ofHighways and Publi c Works; W . R. Ball, District HighwaysManager; Martin Bokesch, Chairman, Stewart Safety Committee;Roy Kelly , Secretary, M eziadin Safety Committee.

REGION 3The annual Region 3 Safety Award was won by Creston .

The district also ranked first in the Province. This award andothers were presented at a banquet and dance in Creston on April14, 1978. Merrill Sproul, Regional Highway Engineer, presentedthe Regional Award to Bob Jackman, District Highways Man ­ager, and Bob Turner, Chairman of the Safety Committee. DerekParkes, Ch airman Headquarters Safety Committee, presentedthe Min ister's Trophy to Merrill Sproul. The Art Irving Awardfor the best shop safety record was a three-way tie to Cre ston ,Rossland, and Cranbrook. The Cre ston shop has won or tiedfor thi s trophy II times out of the 12 it has been up for compe­tition. Regional Safety Officer , Ron Mack, pre sented the awardfor the lowe st vehicle accident frequency to Bill Helmsing, Dis­trict Highways Manager, Grand Forks, and A. R. Pappin, Fernie.Earl Lloyd, Regional Personnel Officer, presented the BranchSafety Aw ard to Bob Nijhoff', Geotechnical and Materials TestingBranch . Bill Leitch, Safety Officer , Public Service Commission,presented the Good Housekeeping Award to George Austin,District Highways Manager, and Ed Sang ala, Mechanical Fore­man, Fernie. Jack Kelsall , Regional Maintenance Ope rationsManager, pre sented the Achievement Award to Steve Sviatko,Distri ct Highways Man ager, and Bill McKay, Mechanical Fore­man , Cra nbrook.

M errill Spr oul , centre, presenting the Regional A ward to BobJackman, right, and G eorge Turn er.

Left to right , Mary Angus , Secretary , Creston Safety Com­mittee, G eorge Turner, and Merrill Sproul acceptin g the Minister'sTrophy from D erek Parkes.

In September 1977, the Mini stry initi ated a IO-day GraderOperator Upgrading Course at Prince George. In late Novem­ber, the graders were moved to Nanaimo and the course con ­tinued through the winter at Nanaimo. Six grader operatorsfrom various districts attend each course for two weeks wherethey receive cla ssroom instruction and practical field experiencein the use of graders for various phases of road con struction andma intenance. Instruction covers a broad range of subje cts , in­cluding machine adju stments, maintenance, lubrication, op er­ation, job safety, interpretation of grade stakes, and other rel atedinformation intended to be of value to machine operators.

REGION 2The Region 2 annual Safety Award went to the Salmon Arm

District. District employees were honoured at a banquet anddance on March 18, 1978. Also in attendance were representa­tives from Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, and Headquarters.MLA Len Bawtree presented the Roy McLeod Award, the Region2 Award for the most improved accident frequency, to RickWard, Chairman Salmon Arm Safety Committee ; Derek Parkes,Chairman, Headquarters Safety Committee, presented the ServiceBranch Award to Rick Meidinger, Regional Paving Branch;R. W. Gittins, Regional Highways Engineer, presented theGeneral Motors Award for the lowest vehicle accid ent frequencyto Sterling McLeod, District Manager, Penticton; The FirmingAward for the most improved accident frequency was presentedby R. W. Gittins, Regional Highway Engineer, to Harvey Popoff,District Manager, 100 Mile House ; the G. H. Wood Good House­keeping Award was presented by Dave McVi car , Region Main­tenance Operations Manager, to Hubert Bruger, representing theKamloops Region; the Rolf Mathie Memorial Award for thelowest number of disabling accidents was presented by DaveGrant, Regional Safety Officer , to Stan Poloposki , Kamloops.

Proud recip ients and their awards, left to right , R ickM eidinger, Sterling McLeod, Harvey Popoff , Rick Ward, HubertBrugcr, and Stan Poloposki.

A t the grader operator trainin g course for Dawson CreekHighwa y District, held at the Pouc e Coupe yard, Vic Barrett,left , R egional Driver Trainer, and Andy Bieganski , Yardman atPou ce Coupe, showing their muscles by "holding up" M inistryCat 14 grader.

13

TRAINING AND SAFETY

A one-day safety course ill the use of cutting torches waspresented early ill April 10 all personnel in Regions 1 and 6 wholise this equipment. A total of 300 employees received theinstruction, Pictured is the group that met for instruction at theCloverdale yard, left to right, standing, Rene Trottier, Doug Jen­sen, Ben Rose, Albert Trottier, and Del Monsell of the NewWestminster bridge crew; AI Bird, Dave Harrington, Mechanics ,Cloverdale Shop; Hal Dennies, Regional Safety and HealthOfficer. Kneeling are the instructors, Elmer Compton, Welder,Cloverdale Yard left, and Ken Nelson, Welder, Mission Yard.

Course in "The Safe Handling of Oxygen and AccetyleneGas," instructed by Ben Anderson, Mechanic Welder of theDawson Creek District, and his "class," left to right, TonyBieganski, Bridgeman 2; Denis Beaulac, Bridgeman 2; RandyA verill, Machine Operator 3; A Ibert Cohrs, Machine Operator 3;Jim Parker, Mechanic Foreman; Ben Anderson, and Bill Deak,Machine Operator.

The Fernie Safety Rally was held April 5, with Highwaycrews from Jaffray and Sparwood also attending. R. E. Johnson,Regional Mechanical Superintendent, and R. F. Lines, RegionalDriver Trainer, discussed driving and mechanical problems. A.Gullacher, representing the Workers' Compensation Board, ex­plained new rules and regulations of the WCB, and E. K. Lloyd,Regional Personnel Officer, talked about communications.Marion Motloch from the Ministry at Fernie discussed accidentswhich can occur when power saws are being used, and the properways to fall trees. RCMP Sergeant Mashford discussed theMotor-vehicle Act and breathalizer, while Constable Robinsonand Corporal Turnell demonstrated seat belts.

14

John Miller, left, Mechanic 2, Williams Lake, accepting hisHeavy-duty Mechanic Certificates and congratulations from CliffDodge, Mechanic Foreman . John worked as an apprentice withthe Ministry of Highways in Langford, Princeton, and SalmonArm. He completed his apprenticeship in October 1977, andthen moved to Williams Lake.

The Region 2, Safety and Health Committee's Seminar washeld at the Canadian Inn in Kamloops, on March 14 and IS,1978. All District Safety and Health Committee Chairpersons,Secretaries, and District Safety and Training Officers were up­dated on policy and briefed on holding Safety Meetings. Guestspeaker was C. R. (Rusty) Rustmeyer, General Manager ofB.C. Safety Council.

The Ministry's Operations Division recently took delivery ofthis big piece of equipment, which will increase sand spreadingand snowplough capabilities in the Revelstoke Highway District.The $50,000 vehicle features multiple drive and will be con­verted when necessary into either a sander or a plough. Seatedon a fender is H. G. (Gordon) Hunter, Mechanical Superintendentat Victoria. Standing, left to right, are E. A. (Earl) Lund, Direc­tor of Equipment Services, and Len Barkley, dealer for the Vic­toria area. The vehicle was at the Keating Service Yard, SaanichDistrict.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

The Ivth annual curling bonspiel for R egions 4 and 5 wassponsore d by the Terrac e District this spring, Th e bonspiel had40 rinks and started on Friday evening thr ough to Sunday after­110011 , March 17,18, and 19. First ill A event was, left 10 right,Harman De/yea, second; Scali Parker, third ; R Oil Poets, lead,and Dave St. Th omas, skip.

Winn ers of the first two- end er bonspiel ill 100 Mile H ouse, onMar ch 10 , are, left to right , Larry Churchill, R on Jone s, StellaJones , and Stan Burton,

Placing first ill the A draw at the first two- ender bon spiel illthe Merritt Hi ghwa y District were , left to right, Fred Johnson,Road Foremall; Patti M cG owall. M arj K raus. alld Bernie Berg ­strom, Road Foreman ,

Th ese beauties were tak en from the waters of Kootenay Lake,in the recent N elson Geotechnical and Mat erials Testing Branchfirst annual {ish derby . From left to right , Bill Tho mson and hisprize-winn ing 27 1/2-pound rainbow, Bill Eyre, Bob N ijhofj, andRoy John son with his second-place l l t/s-pounder.

SMITHERS TRUCK "ROADEO"

A successful truck "roadeo' for the Smithers District was heldin the Hazelton yard in New Hazelton on a beautiful sunny day ,April 4, 1978, under the direction of Bob Saul, Region 5 DriverTrain er. Vic Barrell, Headquarters Training Officer, and E rrolHick , newly appointed Driver Trainer in the region, were inattendance and gave valued assistance. The winners, SmithersDistrict truck "roadeo", left to right, Ken Penner, EngineeringA ide, Smithers Technical crew , first in crew cab; Ron Fraser,Labourer , Smithers West crew, second in crew cab; Har oldRoutley, Bridgeman, third in crew cab; Norm Browne, Machin eOperator, Smithers West crew, second in d-ton: Al Morgenthaler,Smithers East Foreman, first in -t-ton ; and Bill Hooker , Bridg e­man, Stnithers bridge crew, third in 4-ton.

15

ABOUT PEOPLE

A series of appointment changes in­volving four District Highways Man ­agers was announced recently. W.R. (BILL) BALL will be moving fromPrince Rupert District to Nelson Dis­trict, GEORGE R. KENT will begoing from Nelson District to Courte­nay District, H. F. POPOFF will begoing from 100 Mile House Districtto Cranbrook District, and S. J.SVIATKO will move from CranbrookDistrict to Kamloops District.

A Kelowna District teletype operatorcould be excused for the double takewhen this gem appeared on the telexedroad report of April 4, 1978: "Watch forinebriated cattle in the Bull River area,due to a CPR derailment and beer spill­age. Drive with caution." Maybe that'swhy they're contented. However, thereis no truth to the rumour that highwaysemployees were lined up for blocks tobuy the milk. There probably wasn'tany. Who would want to milk a hung­over cow?

BOOZED UP BOVINESAT BULL RIVER

GEOFF WARRINGTON, RegionalMechanic Superintendent, Prince George

Region, has workedfor Highways for 22years. Geoff is mar ­ried with three chil­dren, and enjoys cross­country ski-ing, canoe­ing, and travelling

"'\.: Canada.

FOUR DISTRICTMANAGERS TO MOVE

* * *RUTH ULLRICH joined the Depart­

ment of Public Works in February 1975,as a Clerk 2, whereshe worked in the planviewing room. Whenit was decided thateach ministry shouldhave its own PlansViewing and IssuingOffice, Ruth was trans­ferred to Region 1, Highways, where sheis in charge of plans for proposed con­struction, paving, landscaping, and bridgeprojects throughout British Columbia.Ruth is married and has two children.Her hobbies are bowling, sewing, reading,and writing.

WAYNE NICHOLS, Region 6, is theRadio Technician for all Highways oper­

ations from Cassidynorth on VancouverIsland, including allMinistry of Highwaysand Public Works fer­ries. Wayne lives inParksville where he isactive in the local

figure skating club as a member of theexecutive and assistant in the coachingof his two daughters.

KATHY McEACHNIE, Clerk-Typist,Prince George Region , has worked for

Highways for sixyears. Kathy is mar­ried with one child,and enjoys playing theorgan, bowling, golf,and organizing fun­spiels and tournaments.

JOHN CLARKE,Engineering Aide I,Prince George District,has worked for High­ways for nine months.John is single and en­joys hiking, fishing, andphotography.

CHERYL OLSON joined Region 1office staff in May 1977 as an auxiliary

and has since secureda permanent positionas a Clerk-Typist I.Before joining High­ways, she worked forfour years in the Min­istry of Labour.Cheryl is single and

was born and brought up in New West ­minster, where she still lives. She is anenthusiastic tennis player, and also teachesmathematics one evening each week tomentally handicapped children. She iscurrently enrolled in a first year psychol­ogy course at Douglas College, and hopesto continue into second year psychologythis summer.

ART BEAUMONT, Regional Designand Survey Engineer, Prince George, hasworked for Highwaysfor 29 years. Art ismarried and has threechildren, and enjoyshunting and fishing.

J . P. OTOOLE has been moved toKamloops as of May 1, 1978, as RegionalBridge Technician. He has been LillooetDistrict Highways Manager for the lastII years. Best wishes go with him andhis wife and family on this posting. Heand his wife were active in the BoyScout s and Girl Guides movement, aswell as many other community activities.

Highways and Public Works MinisterA lex . V. Fraser had an opportunity torenew acquaintance with an old [riendrecently, at the Saanich District Safetybanquet when the Minister presentedawards. He is George Aitken, left, Ma­chine Operator 3 at Sooke, who worked011 a ranch at A naliim Lake ill the 40's,and ill the logging industry at Quesnelfrom 1949-54. He joined the Ministry ill1955. Mr . Fraser used to deliver foodsupplies from his father's store to theA nahim Lake area and first met Georgeat that time.

When it was still unusual for a womanto do what was considered a man's job,

the Highways depart­ment had its ownliberated lady, RoadForeman MRS . DOR­REEN HANSON atQuatsino, on Vancou­ver Island. Born inEngland, she emigrated

to Canada in 1947, was married and livedin Quatsino, where her husband was cus­toms agent for all the ships in the Sound .As Secretary-Treasurer of the LadiesCommunity Club, she asked Highways todo something about the badly deterior­ated roads, which had been neglectedduring the war. Highways came up with$500 and asked Dorreen to administer thefund. She bought wheelbarrows, shovels,picks, and machetes, and hired local mento fill potholes and cut brush which hadalmost overgrown some of the roads andtrails. In time she also purchased lum­ber and supervised the repair of bridges.All this involved her in considerable rec­ord-keeping, issuing TD I forms for themany short-term workers she employed.She continued her association with High­ways until her death in 1975.

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16

ON THE JOB

Former Region 2 Foremen from the Lillooet and Merritt High­way Districts, now in the Chilliwack Highway District, attendedtheir first foremen's conference in Region 1, which convened re­cently in Richmond, left to right, Walter Caryk, Mechanical Fore­man, Boston Bar; Norm Sunderman, Mechanical Foreman, AllisonPass; A. W. Turner, Head Ferryman, Boston Bar; Bernie Berg­strom, Road Foreman, Hope; front row, Vince Adamski, RoadForeman, Boston Bar; Carl Collier, Acting Road Foreman, AllisonPass.

Tom Roberts, Burns Lake District bridge crew, enjoying lunclibreak while working on the reconstruction of Pinkut No.3 Bridge,north of Burns Lake.

Road-bed construction at Mile J9, on Princeton-Summerlandroad, is part of the improvement being carried alit by PentictonDistrict crews to cope with increased traffic .

Frank Browes, Sign Maintenance Foreman, Saanich District,left, and Paul Apro, Electrician, prepare to go aloft to put lip anoverhead sign at Thetis Lake on the Trans-Canada Highway.

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II

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Progress at Good Hope Lake Maintenance Camp, Dease LakeDistrict. New room accommodation recently set lip for singlemen staying at the camp.

Frank Wong at his draughting station in the Dock Districtdraughting office, New Westminster.

17

ON THE JOB

New Highway 16 crossing of the Kwinitsa River, about 80kilometres west of Terrace; new highway has been temporarilydiverted from the nell' bridge construction by swinging alii into theSk eena River along a natural spit, When the bridge is completedthe loop will be removed and reconstructed to form a boat­launching site,

Bert Melsness, Nanaimo Construction Foreman. on the job atMaki Road, where he supervised the installation of a nine-footmultiplate culvert. Bert came to Nanaimo with extensive experi­ence in the construction area, with experience both in privateindustry and with Highways,

Flagperson, Ankle Mc Naney , Merritt Highways District. COII­

trolling traffic on Highway 8, Merritt-Spences Bridge road , duringrock drilling prior to blasting of the rock comer.

18

Typical section of reconstruction along Highway 16 west, con­trusting with the old narrow highway tucked up against the CNRrailway at the foot of the mountain,

Price Creek pit at Kiiwanga, between Hazelton and Terrace,is used as a gravel source for Project 3320, which is a 21-kilometrereconstruction of Highway 37 from Kitwanga northward,

Annual maintenance problems along Bald Hill Road, BumsLake District, John Buhler is digging a drainage ditch to relieveflooding,

Two members of the Lytton ferry crew pause for RR cameraall the Lytton reaction ferry, Merritt Highways District. WillieDimstan, Ferryman, left, and John McKay, Head Ferryman.

Godfrey Powell, Machinist, Dawson Creek Highways Districtsince 1965, making a hard-to-obtain bushing: Godfrey call fab­ricate most allYthing, provided it is in metal.

,.. /

Gaylord Merkel, Foreman 4, Nanaimo, inspecting road recon­struction on the Lingle Pot Road. Gaylord began his career asGraderman at Parksville, served as Foreman on the SunshineCoast, and also at Port A lberni before coming to Nanaimo.

Albert Kachmarski, Truck-driver on Nanaimo crew, and Mari­lyn Toms, Flagperson, pause for a photo shot on a constructionproject.

Typical mid-morning drive on East Road ill part of New West­minster District's unorganized territory, can be tortuous to saythe least. Cited for improvement, this road will 110 longer possessthe rustic character of a country road or the reticent caricature ofBritish Columbia forests or the ridiculous clutter of hydro andtelephone poles or the redundant cacophony of chain saws or therecalcitrance of amateur photographers. It is with a heavy heartwe bid a fond farewell to the fine old road and pave paradise andput up a parking-lot.

BAD ROAD CONDITIONS

During the month of February, just east of Goldbridge, theBridge River Road No. 40 was closed for a week due to snowslides. A heavy 24-hour snow fall of up to 2 metres causednumerous slides over a 48-kilometre distance, in fact some 40slides were down at one time, these averaging some 100 metresin length and four to 10 metres in depth. All available equip­ment from surrounding areas was used; this included loggingequipment, and of course Highways equipment and crews, whoworked long hours around the clock.

Helicopters were used to service the towns of Goldbridgeand Bralorne, and were also used to keep an eye on the clearingof the slides, by Highways supervisors, PAT O'TOOLE, Dis­trict Highways Manager, and ANGUS MURRAY, Foreman,of the Lillooet District. Several well-deserved commendationswere received by the Highways crews from the local towns­people.

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ON THE JOB

Jordan River Bridge, Highway 14, Saanich District, in starksilhouette against late afternoon sun, while crew replaces 29.5­metre log stringers in main span. Stringers were framed andpeeled in the dry land sort and then towed to site by boom boatand lifted onto seats by 45-ton hydraulic crane, left, and loggingheel-boom, right.

Construction of new Floodwood Bridge in Saanich District,Vancouver Island , shows concrete abutments. Guiding 50-foot 10[.:

stringers into place are Bridge Foreman Dave Wright, left, andBridge Crewman Rick Henson. Working the chain saw is PaulWright while Dave and crew member Steve Geng hold guide.Old bridge was washed 011I by flood in November 1977.

A section of the Apex Mountain Road west of Penticton afterreconstruction and paving was completed last fall. District crewsrecently placed 27-inch concrete guardrail on this switchback.Many ski-area roads are being improved to handle increased traffic.

Part of road construction Project C2490, the new upstreamstructure of the Pitt River Bridge, will soon be in operation. Oldstructure, built sometime in 1913 as a railway/road combinedthrough truss , was changed to highway use in 1957 and has seenmany years of service and will see many more after some repair.The paired structures are swing spans with a new bridge tenderstower located between them. This will improve visibility for rivertraffic on its way to and from Pitt Lake.

The Penticton District bridge crew has been busy with theinitial construction of a new bridge over the Ashnola River, southof Keremeos. In 1972, flood waters shifted the old log stringerbridge downstream about 10 feet . It is still in use but the newstructure will provide a much safer crossing.

Removing IS-inch no-post guardrail prior to installing 27-inchno-post guardrail on section of Trans-Canada Highway south ofLytton by the Lytton crew, Merritt Highways District. Left toright , Eugene Marshall, Road Foreman; Del Jackson, MachineOperator, and WI'S Williams, Labourer.

20 LITHOG RA PHED IN CANA D A BY K. M. MacO ONALD, QUEE N'S PR INTE R, VICTOR IA, BRITI SH COI .U MBIA