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Manitoba Chapter
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND THE ALBERTA
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
THE
ROADRUNNER
FALL 2014
Take Charge of
Your Career…
and Future!
Confined Space
Entry
How Can a
Unidirectional
Flushing Program
Benefit Your
Water System?
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661
Published For:
The Public Works Association of British Columbia
102-211 Columbia St.
Vancouver, BC V6A 2R5
Phone: 1-877-356-0699 • Fax: (888) 812-7014
www.pwabc.ca
Editorial Advisor: Jeannette Austin
Tel: (250) 819-6290
The Alberta Public Works Association
PO Box 2235
Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0
Phone: (403) 990-APWA • Fax: 1-888-812-7014
www.publicworks.ca
Editorial Advisor: Jeannette Austin
Tel: (403) 990-2792
The Saskatchewan Public Works Association
http://saskatchewan.cpwa.net
Editorial Advisor: Andrew Stevenson
Tel: (306) 244-8828
The Canadian Public Works Association, Manitoba Chapter
http://manitoba.cpwa.net
Editorial Advisor: Steve Blayney
Tel: (204) 509-7385
Alberta Municipal Supervisors’ Association
www.amsapw.ca
Editorial Advisor: Christine Heggart
Tel: (403) 844-5678
Published By:
Matrix Group Publishing Inc.
Publications Agreement Number: 40609661
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
309 Youville Street
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9
Toll Free: (866) 999-1299
Toll Free Fax: (866) 244-2544
www.matrixgroupinc.net
President & CEO:
Jack Andress
Chief Operating Officer:
Jessica Potter
[email protected]
Publishers:
Peter Schulz, Joe Strazzullo
Editor-in-Chief:
Shannon Savory
[email protected]
Editors:
Danelle Cloutier
[email protected]
Alexandra Walld
Meg Crane
Accounting/Administration:
Shoshana Weinberg, Pat Andress, Nathan Redekop,
Lloyd Weinberg
[email protected]
Director or Marketing & Distribution:
Shoshana Weinberg
Sales Manager – Winnipeg:
Neil Gottfred
Sales Manager – Hamilton:
Jeff Cash
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Up Front
7
A Message from the Public Works
Association of British Columbia
9
A Message from the Alberta Public
Works Association
13
A Message from the Saskatchewan Public Works Association
17
A Message from the Canadian Public Works Association,
Manitoba Chapter
19
A Message from the Alberta Municipal Supervisors
Association
In Every Issue
24 What’s New?
27 Legal Brief: Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation
30 HR Report: Employee Self-Development: Your Roadmap to
Success
33 Safety Report: Confined Space Entry
36 Community Highlight: City of North Battleford’s
Unidirectional Flushing Program
40 Community Highlight: The Magic of the North in the Heart of
the Continent
Tech Talk
42 Public Works & Procurement: Pitfalls & Precautions
44 Alberta’s New Wetland Policy
46 Buyer’s Guide
On the cover: SPWA members provide essential services to
keep our water systems functioning efficiently. This operator
is excavating a small diameter potable
water line for a rural water utility local to
ROADRUNNER
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. An earlier
installation of a tandem main by the
utility had cut the original line and filled
the lines belonging to two homeowners
with sediment. Once the service main
was located, they unidirectionally flushed
the residents’ lines to clean them,
including inside their houses.
This project was paid for by an insurer.
Manitoba Chapter
Sales Team Leader
Bonnie Petrovsky
Matrix Group Inc. Account Executives:
Albert Brydges, Rick Kuzie, Miles Meagher, Rob Choi, Jim
Hamilton, Brian MacIntyre, Steve Gaebel, Rob Allan, Robert
Gibson, John Price, Brian Davey, Frank Kenyeres, Alex Incretolli,
Ansuta Louisy, Stephen Francis, Erin Vaillancout, Phil Valenti,
Carlos Castro, Fatima Khan, Jessica Hobe, Colleen Bell, David
Roddie
Layout & Design:
Cody Chomiak
Advertising Design:
James Robinson
©2014 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in
part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. Opinions
expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix
Group Publishing Inc.
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND THE ALBERTA
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
THE
FALL 2014
Take Charge of
Your Career…
and Future!
Confined Space
Entry
How Can a
Unidirectional
Flushing Program
Benefit Your
Water System?
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number:
40609661
Fall 2014 5
UP FRONT
A Message from
the Public Works
Association of
British Columbia
PWABC Executive
PRESIDENT
Deryk Lee
Water & Underground
Utilities / City of Victoria
417 Garbally Road
Victoria, BC V8T 2J9
T: 250-361-0467
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Derrick Anderson
Trades Manager / City of
Cranbrook
40-10th Avenue South
Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8
T: 250-489-0218
E: [email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT
Doug Allin
Chief Administrative Officer /
City of Grand Forks
Box 220
7217 4th Street
Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0
T: 250-442-8266
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Karen Stewart
Industry Manager, Municipal
Solutions, Business
Development / Esri Canada
1130 West Pender Street,
Suite 610
Vancouver, BC V6W 4A4
T: 604-695-7403
E: [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT
David Sparanese, AScT,
CPWI 3
Manager Street Operations /
District of Saanich
1040 Mckenzie Avenue
Victoria, BC V8P 2L4
T: 250-475-5599 ext. 3324
E: david.sparanese@
saanich.ca
TREASURER
Greg Wightman
Utilities Superintendent /
Corporation of Delta
5404 64 Street
Delta, BC V4K 1Z2
T: 604-861-1702
E: [email protected]
SECRETARY
Pat Miller
Director, Utility Services /
Sun Peaks Utilities Co. Ltd
1280 Alpine Road
Sun Peaks, BC V0E 5N0
T: 250-578-5490
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Doug Regehr
Sewer and Drainage
Superintendent / City of
Coquitlam
500 Mariner Way
Coquitlam, BC V3K 7B6
T: 604-927-6215
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Murray Steer, CPWI 1
Manager, Equipment Services
City of Vancouver
250 W 70th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5X 2X1
T: 604-326-4791
E: murray.steer@
vancouver.ca
DIRECTOR
Chris Dodd
Superintendent III- Transfer &
Landfill Operations / City of
Vancouver
701 National Avenue
Vancouver BC V6A 4L3
T: 604-940-3192
E: [email protected]
APWA/CPWA DELEGATE
David Sparanese, AScT,
CPWI 3
Manager Street Operations /
District of Saanich
1040 Mckenzie Avenue
Victoria, BC V8P 2L4
T: 250-475-5599 ext. 3324
E: david.sparanese@
saanich.ca
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jeannette Austin
T: 250-819-6290
E: executivedirector@
pwabc.ca
I encourage members to participate in events
and activities so that we can showcase our
profession in our communities.
F
all is upon us and I hope everyone had a safe, healthy and
happy summer season with
family and friends. In the
upcoming months we will be
exploring new ways to raise the awareness of our association. Our goal is to
continue on building a strong foundation
by providing quality education, networking events and activities related to the
public works profession and to identify
and communicate our role in emergency
management. This also includes new and
continued relationships with other organizations to promote our profession.
In keeping with our goal in providing
quality education and events, we are offering courses on risk assessment, business
case development, a management tool kit
series, snow and ice training, emergency
management, construction management
and networking events with our certified
public works inspector and certified public
works supervisor programs. Information
on course offerings, events and educational
programs are available on our website at
www.pwabc.ca.
Our 82 nd PWABC Annual Technical
Conference & Trade Show is September
15 to 17, 2014, and is hosted by the City
of Kamloops. A special thank you to the
conference committee, volunteers and to
our executive director and her team for
organizing this annual event. Our 83 rd
PWABC Annual Technical Conference &
Trade Show September 21 to 23, 2015,
will be hosted in Penticton, BC.
I want to take this opportunity to
thank our sponsors and suppliers for their
ongoing support and to our valued members for making our organization a success. I encourage members to participate
in events and activities so that we can
showcase our profession in our communities. This will help our fellow citizens
understand the important role we have in
their communities as public works professionals.
We look forward to another successful
year and hope to meet you at our upcoming events. Also, let us know what you
think about the PWABC Chapter by contacting us by email, Facebook or Twitter.
I hope you are as proud of the
PWABC Chapter as I am. Together, we
can continue to make the Public Works
Association of BC a great resource for all
of our members.
Sincerely,
Deryk Lee
President
Public Works Association of BC
Fall 2014 7
UP FRONT
A Message from the
Alberta Public
Works Association
I am confident that the public works
professionals work towards a better
future for our communities.
APWA Executive
ACTING PRESIDENT
Patty Podoborozny
Strathcona County
T: 780-992-6750
E: patty.podoborozny@
strathcona.ca
DIRECTOR: IDEA GROUP
LEADER & NORTHERN
ALBERTA, IDEA GROUP
LEAD
John Allen
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR, ALLIED
MEMBERS
Chris Deckhoff
T: 780-960-1690
E: [email protected]
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
VICE PRESIDENT
Peter McDowell
Roads Supervisor
Town of Chestermere
105 Marina Road
Chestermere, AB T1X 1V7
T: 403-207-2807
F: 403-204-7681
DIRECTOR, OUTREACH
(EVENTS)
Dave Henning
Manger, Roadway Services
City of Lloydminster
T: 306-825-4581
E: [email protected]
DIRECTORS: IDEA GROUP
— CENTRAL ALBERTA
Frank Enes
MD of Rockyview
T: 403-478-8279
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR, IDEA GROUP
— PEACE COUNTRY
Rob Naugler
T: 780-532-7393
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR: IDEA GROUP
— SOUTHERN ALBERTA
Henry Vanderpyl
T: 403-329-1404
E: [email protected]
STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
& PUBLIC WORKS
SUPERVISOR PROGRAM
REGISTRAR
Jeannette Austin
T: 403-990-APWA (2792)
F: 1-888-812-7014
E: [email protected]
T
he province has suffered from a
staggering amount of devastating natural disasters the last few
years, and each time individuals
from the Alberta Public Works
Association (APWA) have stepped up to
assist our neighbours in need. From floods
to fires, our membership has stepped up to
help mitigate administrative, equipment or
labour shortages. The APWA has been meeting with our sister associations to proactively
address a number of issues prior to a disaster
occurring. I believe that discussions regarding
roles and responsibilities, communications,
resources and on-site management would be
beneficial for each group. During the recent
flooding in southern Alberta, our association
was given a seat in the Provincial Operations
Center. Once again I was extremely proud
that our membership stepped up to the call
for resources from our colleagues in the south.
To sustain our infrastructure during disasters,
we must collaborate and share information
as we find ourselves encountering new and
unpredictable conditions. Going forward, the
APWA is challenging itself to be a leader and
initiate collaboration to our membership and
sister associations in the area of mutual aid.
As Albertans, we are all aware that
our weather can go from extremely hot to
extremely cold in a very short time. What
drives our members to work in the field when
the daily tasks and the outcomes come with
a high level of unpredictability? Each job site
poses a different situation, always a new problem to solve. The culture that goes with working in the field includes decision-making,
behavior, adaptation and ongoing training.
Working in the field is more than a job,
it’s a lifestyle that our members demonstrate
and maintain a passion for. I am confident that
the public works professionals work towards a
better future for our communities. For those of
us in the field of public works, whether in the
private sector or the public sector, we are continuously faced with doing more with often the
same or less resources. We are called upon to
“exceed our grasp” on a daily basis; we are continually asked to provide our services in a most
complex, effective and responsive manner. You
are making the difference in your communities,
profession and world.
We are all proud to be part of the public
works family that is better because of all our
efforts. The future has been painted as grim
as we enter the baby boomer retirements,
creating more job vacancies than in the 1990s.
The future is not dark as it has been painted
for years, but rather bright with the influx of
a younger generation that provides the public
works industry a fresh perspective on how we
operate and conduct business. It is a time to
reflect on the past, and to look to the future
with hope and confidence.
Fall 2014 9
UP FRONT
As our industry continues to grow,
advance and change, so does our association.
I would like to take this opportunity to share
some changes within our association with
you. Peter McDowell has agreed to be our
chapter’s Vice President. We are very excited
to have Peter join us on the board. His years
of experience in utilities will be a great addition to our board. As well, he will represent
the southern part of the province on the executive. Stacy Byer is moving on from the association to pursue opportunities with various
government agencies. Stacy served our association as the Executive Director and Public
Works Supervisor Program (PWSP) Registrar
for the last 12 years. He was instrumental in
the development of our annual conference
and trade show and assisted the board in making it the successful event it is today.
I would like to thank Stacy for his years
of support for the association and wish him
well; in doing so I am pleased to welcome
Jeannette Austin to the position of association Chapter Administrator and Registrar. Jeannette resides in Didsbury and is
10 The Roadrunner
currently the Executive Director for the Public Works Association of British Columbia. I
look forward to working with Jeannette and
seeing the future advances our association
can make as the demand for highly skilled
public works professionals continues to grow
in this province.
I look forward to seeing everyone this
fall at our Annual Equipment Roadeo on
September 11 and 12 and our Annual
Conference from October 6 to 8 in Red
Deer, Alberta. To find out more information and to register, visit us online at
www.publicworks.ca.
Thank you for your continued support, as
our association continues to grow and develop
new relationships with sister associations.
Remember that we can’t change everything
we face but we have a greater chance to succeed when we reach out to our public works
community in this province we call home.
Patty Podoborozny, CET PWSlll
Acting President
Alberta Public Works Association
Read The Roadrunner
Online
Manitoba Chapter
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND THE ALBERTA
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
AMSA
ALBERTA MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS
ASSOCIATION
THE
ROADRUNNER
SUMMER 2014
Manitoba Chapter
PUBLIC WORKS
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
THE ALBERTA
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE
MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE
THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
Community
Profiles
ROADRUNNER
THE
FALL 2014
Working With
Utilities
SiteDocsDigital Safety!
Tech Talk: Water Main
Swabbing, Mobile Barriers,
and More!
Take Charge of
Your Career…
and Future!
Confined Space
FIND OUT
Entry
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
How Can a ONLINE
PWABC
Unidirectional
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number:
40609661
Flushing Program
Benefit Your
Water System?
APWA
AMSA
CPWA, MB
SPWA
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement
Number: 40609661
Did you know you can read past
issues of The Roadrunner on
PWABC and APWA’s websites?
Go to www.pwabc.ca or
www.publicworks.ca to view
past issues and find advertising
information.
While at these sites, check out
membership information, details
on upcoming events available
education opportunities...and
much more!
UP FRONT
A Message from the
Saskatchewan Public
Works Association
SPWA Executive
PRESIDENT/CPWA REPRESENTATIVE
George Jakeman
General Manager
Guardian Traffic Services Ltd.
Regina, SK
T: 306-522-0511
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Aaron Brick
Operations Engineer
Infrastructure Services Dept.
Saskatoon, SK
T: 306-975-2304
E: [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT/APWA COUNCIL OF
CHAPTERS REPRESENTATIVE
Andrew Stevenson
Manager
ATAP Infrastructure Management Ltd.
Saskatoon, SK
T: 306-244-8828
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Gerald Neighbours
Public Works Foreman
Town of Nipawin
Nipawin, SK
T: 306-862-5523
E: [email protected]
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Andrew Stevenson
(contact as per above)
SECRETARY
George Jakeman
(contact as per above)
TREASURER
Dale Petrun
Business Process & Projects Supervisor
Public Works Branch
Saskatoon, SK
T: 306-975-8092
E: [email protected]
ADMINISTRATOR
Trina Miller
P.O. Box 131
Saskatoon, SK
T: 306-232-9300
E: [email protected]
CHAPTER HISTORIAN
Vacant
DIRECTOR
Stewart Schafer
Director of Public Works & Engineering
City of North Battleford
North Battleford, SK
T: 306-445-1735
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR
Andrew Fahlman
Public Works Manager
City of Melville
Melville, SK
T: 306-728-6865
E: [email protected]
DIRECTOR – SMALL TOWN (<3000)
Brent Bagshaw
Town Foreman
Town of Broadview
Broadview, SK
T: 306-696-2581
E: [email protected]
SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE
Nabeegh Subhani
Sales Location Manager
Xylem
Saskatoon, SK
T: 306-933-4849
E: [email protected]
APWA
Rhonda Wilhite
Chapter Coordinator
Kansas City, MO
T: 1-800-848-APWA, Ext. 3512
E: [email protected]
REGION IX DIRECTOR
Jill Marilley, PE, PWLF
Senior Project Manager
HDR, Inc.
Shoreline, WA
T: 206-542-7879
E: [email protected]
A Hach Sales & Service Canada
technician calibrating water testing
equipment at the National Public
Works Week (NPWW) Workshop.
City of North Battleford managers barbecuing at
their NPWW event.
As you can see, the SPWA is endeavouring to
bring our members and those in the public
works profession greater value in educational
and networking opportunities.
T
he Saskatchewan Public Works Association would like to thank
the attendees and sponsors who made our National Public
Works Week (NPWW) event such a success. NPWW is a time
to energize and educate the public on the importance of the contribution of public works to their daily lives.
To celebrate, the chapter presented the Water Sampling & Analysis 1.0 workshop. This 0.6 CEU session was held on May 22, 2014, (during
NPWW) at the Ramada Yorkton Hotel in Saskatchewan. Thirty-six operators from across Saskatchewan and Manitoba attended and the furthest
came from Ile a la Crosse!
Instructors Randy Hanson, Hach Sales & Service Canada, and Bert
Gaudet, ATAP Infrastructure Management Ltd., gave detailed presentations about sampling procedures and equipment. Perhaps the best parts
were the open dialogue and many questions.
Fall 2014 13
UP FRONT
Randy Hanson speaking at the NPWW Workshop
about sampling procedures and equipment.
For value, Hach’s certified factory
trained field service technician was on-site to
perform preventative maintenance, repairs
and calibrations of the operators’ Hach portable instruments while they attended the
workshop.
Congratulations to Derek Hoffman of
Stoughton and Brad Secundiak from Sturgis, the winners of the mounted prints
“Building for Today, Planning for Tomorrow,” by Lane duPont.
Also, during NPWW, the City of North
Battleford opened its shop and held a day to
recognize the public works staff with a cake
and barbecue, cooked by management. The
city has made this an annual event.
The SPWA is holding an Equipment
Demo Day presented by Industrial Machine
Inc. on August 22, 2014, in North Battleford. Being shown are presentations and an
actual practical demonstration with a Cold
Planer, trailer mounted Hot Box and Infrared Asphalt Heater. The following day we
are having our inaugural Golf Tournament
at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club. Come out and enjoy 18 holes of
golf, a delicious steak supper, prizes, networking and perhaps a few beverages with
your friends.
The chapter is hosting a Young Professionals (YP) Casino Night in Regina on
October 17, 2014. Details of the venue and
speaker are being finalized.
Also on the current event schedule, we
are hosting our 56th Annual Conference and
Tradeshow at the Saskatoon Inn, February 24 to 26, 2015. “Public Works, Connecting… it all together” will bring our
members, suppliers, educators and others
together to share their knowledge and skills
in our forum. The conference committee is
working hard planning this event. An ad on
page 23 of this magazine provides you with
some of the details.
The association would like to commend
long serving SPWA and APWA member
Doug Drever on being selected to serve on
the APWA International Affairs Committee.
Congratulations Doug!
As you can see, the SPWA is endeavouring to bring our members and those in
the public works profession greater value in
educational and networking opportunities.
We will also continue to promote professionalism in the public works field, advocate
the essential role that public works plays in
the quality of life and promote it as a career
choice for the working force of the future.
Visit our chapter website at http://saskatchewan.cpwa.net for more information and details
about upcoming events.
Andrew Stevenson
Past President
The Saskatchewan Public Works Association
14 The Roadrunner
Fall 2014 15
16 The Roadrunner
UP FRONT
Manitoba Chapter
Manitoba Chapter, CPWA,
Executive
PRESIDENT
Steve Blayney
Manitoba Chapter, CPWA
T: 204-509-7385
E: [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT
Burton Mikolayenko,
P. Eng.
T: 204-896-1209
E: bmikolayenko@kgsgroup.
com
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Kas Zurek, P. Eng.
T: 204-986-2025
E: [email protected]
SECRETARY
Alexis Wilcott, EIT
T: 204-896-1209
E: [email protected]
TREASURER
Bonnie Konzelman, P.Eng
T: 204-451-3795
E: [email protected]
HOUSE OF
DELEGATES
REPRESENTATIVE,
AND CPWA BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
REPRESENTATIVE
Bill Grabowecky
T: 204-986-6332
E: [email protected]
Did You Know?
DIRECTORS
Jim Berezowsky
T: 204-986-2308
E: [email protected]
Rob Loudfoot, P. Eng.
T: 204-986-7634
E: [email protected]
Joel Martens, CET
T: 204-254-7761
E: jmartens@
bayviewconstruction.ca
Mike Neill
T: 204-471-5660
E: [email protected]
Ron Watson, P. Eng.
T: 204-807-5414
E: [email protected]
Mark Wiese
T: 204-233-1424
E: [email protected]
Nancy Windjack
T: 204-986-6872
E: [email protected]
2014 APPOINTMENT
Historian
Konrad Krahn
T: 204-986-3041
E: [email protected]
?
Manitoba is the longest serving of the
Canadian chapters of the American Public
Works Association, and has been providing a
forum for practitioners since 1955. The chapter actively supports its membership, the public
and policy makers to collaborate and maintain
healthy communities throughout the province.
Learn more about the Manitoba
Chapter, CPWA, at manitoba.cpwa.net.
A Message from the
Canadian Public
Works Association,
Manitoba Chapter
There is tremendous value in being a member
and it opens up numerous opportunities...
M
y year as President of the Manitoba Chapter of the CPWA is coming to the
end and I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the Board of Directors and the members for allowing me the privilege of representing them
this past year. I am honoured to be able to work with so many exceptional
people who are willing to give their experience and knowledge in a variety of
areas in the public works field.
APWA/CPWA, through the many educational, training and accreditation programs,
take good public works people and make them better. There is tremendous value in being a
member and it opens up numerous opportunities for individuals to share their experiences
with others on a variety of committees and through socializing at events. We learn from our
counterparts in other firms and this teaches us to make better strategic choices and produce
better solutions to the problems we encounter.
Membership in our association provides access to many social events that are well attended.
Our recent Spring Fling was held at the suite in the Clay Oven Restaurant watching our Winnipeg Goldeyes and was an exceptional evening for all. Our annual Golf Tournament was a
success again this year. Everyone participating had a great time and through the generosity of
the golfers and our sponsors we were able to add another $2,000 to our Red River Scholarship
Fund.
The 2014 Congress in Toronto promises to be very exciting and I know the Ontario
Chapter will be the perfect host for all. It is an honour for Canada and all Canadian public
works people to have a Congress in Canada. I truly hope someday that our Manitoba Chapter
may be able to host an event like the Snow Conference. After last winter, Manitoba should be
leading the world in what is required to have Public Works Departments, contractors, governments, suppliers and behind the scenes administrative personnel provide the everyday necessities everyone takes for granted.
In closing I would like to thank everyone involved with public works for choosing a career
that gives back to their communities and gives us the safe and enjoyable lifestyle that we all
appreciate.
Sincerely,
Steve Blayney
President
Manitoba Chapter, CPWA
Fall 2014 17
18 The Roadrunner
UP FRONT
A Message from the
Alberta Municipal
Supervisors Association
AMSA EXECUTIVE
PRESIDENT
Marshall Morton
Clearwater
T: 403-845-4444
E: [email protected]
ZONE 2
Garth Ennis
Stettler
T: 403-742-4441
E: [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENT
Bill Cade
Lacombe
T: 403-782-8963
E: [email protected]
ZONE 2
Rob Mayhew
Red Deer
T: 403-350-2163
E: [email protected]
SECRETARY
Mark Harbricht
Newell
T: 403-362-3504
E: [email protected]
ZONE 3
Joe Duplessie
Lac St. Anne
T: 780-785-3411
E: [email protected]
TREASURER
Trina Lasau
Flagstaff
T: 780-384-4103
E: [email protected]
ZONE 3
Rick Evans
Brazeau
T: 780-542-7711
E: [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT
Dave Dextraze
Wetaskiwin
T: 780-361-6230
E: [email protected]
ZONE 4
Dion Hynes
Birch Hills
T: 780-694-393
E: [email protected]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Christine Heggart T: 403-845-4444
E: [email protected]
ZONE 4
Leonard Van Oort
Northern Lights
T: 780-836-3348
E: [email protected]
AMSA DIRECTORS
ZONE 1
Jeremy Wickson
Taber
T: 403-223-3541
E: [email protected]
ZONE 1
Hugh Pettigrew
Foothills
T: 403-603-6202
E: [email protected]
ZONE 5
Darby Dietz
Beaver
T: 780-663-3730
E: [email protected]
ZONE 5
Graham Backus
Camrose
T: 780-672-4449
E: [email protected]
Did You Know?
The Alberta Municipal Supervisors Association
(AMSA) is comprised of mostly senior supervisory staff
from rural municipal public works departments.
Learn more at www.amsapw.ca.
I am pleased to unveil AMSA’s new logo and newly
designed website at www.amsapw.ca.
O
ver the summer, many construction projects were underway in the province, from flood repair to flood mitigation, to the annual repair and maintenance of road and bridge infrastructure. Although for the most part the
summer of 2014 was relatively dry, Alberta’s Flood Recovery Erosion Control (FREC) Program continues to work with flood-affected municipalities
to help fund and complete erosion control work across the province.
This summer, AMSA executives also undertook construction of a new website
and logo in a rebranding effort. I am pleased to unveil AMSA’s new logo and newly
designed website at www.amsapw.ca. AMSA has also stepped into the social media
realm, with new Facebook and Twitter pages, to help us keep in touch with members.
It’s my hope that our new website and social links will provide a conduit members
and the public will use to access AMSA’s resources and keep up-to-date with news,
events and training opportunities.
In the previous issue of The Roadrunner, there was an article that described the
work of the Local Road Bridge Design committee. In May, Alberta Transportation
released new Local Road Bridge Design Guidelines. These guidelines will support
municipalities with lower cost options in the engineering of local road bridges, which
have lower traffic volumes than bridges on major highways. This is one positive step in
addressing the large bridge infrastructure deficits experienced throughout the province.
Another positive is that the federal government recently announced new dollars for
the Building Canada Fund (BCF)—and federal Gas Tax Fund; $942 million and $2.27
billion for Alberta, respectively. When the provincial BCF applications are released,
many municipalities will be vying for the much needed infrastructure funding.
While undertaking new construction and repair projects, municipalities will need
to think about and address the implications of the new Alberta Wetland Policy. Later
in this issue of The Roadrunner, there is an article that details how these new wetland
regulations will impact public works departments in their construction programs.
Finally, I look forward to seeing our membership at the upcoming AMSA convention, which takes place in Edmonton November 18 to 20. If you haven’t attended
our convention in the past, but are interested in finding out what AMSA is all about,
I welcome and encourage you to visit our website at www.amsapw.ca for more details
and of course to register to attend. Hopefully we’ll see some new faces among us.
Have a wonderful fall.
Marshall Morton
AMSA President
Director, Public Works
Clearwater County
Fall 2014 19
20 The Roadrunner
Fall 2014 21
IN EVERY ISSUE • What’s New?
Become a Certified Public Works
Supervisor
The Public Works Association of BC and
the Centre for Infrastructure Management
(CIM) have developed an Associate Certificate in Public Works Supervision. The
certificate targets public works employees
with four to five years of work experience
and a desire to move into a supervisory role,
or employees currently in a supervisory role
who desire a credential and/or certification.
The program will also be of interest to those
working in the heavy construction field or
linear infrastructure construction who want
to move into supervisory roles.
For more information and to download
the application, visit www.pwabc.ca. To register for BCIT courses that are mandatory or
elective, go to www.bcit.ca/admission/register.
Did You Know?
Did you know that the APWA has youth
education resources?
Stay Safe | Stay Away - Construction
is not a Place to Play
This 15 minute presentation was professionally developed by the City of Edmonton for students ages five to 10 and includes an instructor’s
guide and workbooks for the children to complete.
Discovering the World of Public
Works - Learning Kit
This new educational outreach program
introduces children (K to Grade 5) to the multifaceted and exciting world of public works!
This curriculum provides you with everything
you need to educate children about public
works and its role in their daily lives. You can
use the three-part curriculum for giving presentations at community events, public works
celebrations, and at schools for “Career Days.”
For more information, visit www.publicworks.ca.
Manitoba Chapter
Keep up-to-date with the CPWA,
Manitoba Chapter
The CPWA, Manitoba Chapter regularly
releases a newsletter with association updates
and upcoming events. If you would like to
receive a copy, visit http://manitoba.cpwa.net/.
AMSA Fall Convention 2014
November 18 to 20, 2014, in Edmonton, Alberta at the Shaw Convention Centre
(Salon 9).
Join your fellow municipal public works
leaders for sharing of information and best
practices. The three-day agenda features presentations regarding innovative technologies,
impacts of legislation, a facility tour, a bear
pit session and AMSA’s annual general meeting. Registration is free for AMSA members.
Visit www.amsapw.ca to register today!
22 The Roadrunner
Public Works IN EVERY ISSUE
Connecting…it all together SPWA 2015 Annual Conference &
Tradeshow
February 24-26, 2015
Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon SK
Tuesday, February 24 Full Conference & Tradeshow Registration Evening Supplier’s Night Members: $350 | Non‐Members: $400 Wednesday, February 25 One Day Attendance Technical Sessions Awards Night in Tradeshow Thursday for CEU Session: $275 Thursday, February 26 Suppliers please contact us for tradeshow information CEU Session, Lunch Entertainment Saskatchewan Public Works Association P.O. Box 131 Saskatoon, SK S7K 3K4 1‐306‐232‐5085 [email protected] | http://saskatchewan.cpwa.net IN EVERY ISSUE • What’s New?
PWIS Creates a Permanent Endowment Fund
PWABC Events
2014-2015
EDUCATION CALENDAR
The Public Works Inspector Society supported by the Public Works Association of BC
is very proud to announce a permanent endowment fund of $30,000 with the Building
and Construction Industry Training Fund. This fund will generate about $1,000 per year
and will be awarded each year to a first year student in civil engineering. This is a great
legacy for those who have been strong supporters of the Certified Public Works Inspectors
in the province of British Columbia. For more information on becoming a Certified
Public Works Inspector see the link on our website, www.pwabc.ca. Also, join us at the
networking event for Certified Public Works Inspectors on November 20, 2014.
Introduction to Emergency Management
October 8, 2014
Victoria
Risk Assessment
November 6, 2014
Victoria
Management Tool Kit Series
November 7, 2014
Victoria
Introduction to Construction Inspection
November 18-19, 2014
Vancouver
Snow & Ice Training
November 18-20, 2014
Victoria
CPWI Networking Event
November 20, 2014
Vancouver
Estimating & CPWI Networking Event
November 21, 2014
Victoria
Introduction to Public Works
November 27, 2014
Vancouver
Business Case Development
November 28, 2014
Vancouver
Construction Management
December 4-5, 2014
Okanagan
Women in Public Works
March 4, 2015
Richmond
24 The Roadrunner
AMSA’s Rebranding Campaign
Complete
In the summer of 2014, AMSA executive undertook a rebranding campaign and
developed a new AMSA logo and website
for the association. After reviewing several
logo options, the executive decided on the
new logo you’ll see dawning the pages of
this issue of The Roadrunner magazine.
The new AMSA logo is a complete shift,
with new colours and design, which aligns
more closely with the types of projects
members undertake. When you looked at
the logo, did you see the asphalt with line
painting at first glance?
AMSA’s executive is excited to share
our new website as well, so please visit
www.amsapw.ca to check it out. Within,
users will find information about our association, upcoming events, a careers section,
a Roadrunner section and links to join AMSA
as well as links to other associations. There
is a member-only section which includes a
discussion board and links to sample policies
and contract templates.
AMSA has also ventured in the social media
realm, with new Facebook and Twitter pages
to help us keep in touch with members. News
items that are posted to AMSA website will
automatically feed to both social media pages, in
an effort to provide members up-to-date information. When you visit our website, be sure to
click the Facebook and Twitter links to like and
follow us!
UPDATE YOUR MAILING
INFORMATION
Have you moved offices? Jobs?
Retired? (Or did you steal this
issue from someone and you’d
like to get your own copy of The
Roadrunner in the mail?)
Update your mailing address!
EMAIL
[email protected]
Alberta-Municipal-SupervisorsAssociation-AMSA
@amsapw
IN EVERY ISSUE • What’s New?
Saskatchewan Public Works
Association Ken Dobchuk Memorial
Saskatchewan Opportunity &
Innovation Award
APWA Events
2014-2015
This award is intended to encourage and
recognize Saskatchewan youth with academic achievement and financial need.
Introduction to Construction Inspection
December 11-13, 2014
Program and/or Campus Designations:
Water Resources Engineering Technology
Diploma Program Year II, SIAST Palliser
campus.
IDEA GROUP MEETINGS
Value: $1,000 per year.
EDUCATION SESSIONS
Northern Alberta Idea Group Meeting
October 7, 2014
Saskatchewan Public Works
Association Mike Bohn Memorial
Saskatchewan Opportunity &
Innovation Award
This award is intended to encourage and
recognize Saskatchewan youth with academic achievement and financial need.
Program and/or Campus Designations:
Civil Engineering Technology Diploma
Program Year II, SIAST Palliser campus.
Peace Region Idea Group Meeting
October 7, 2014
Disbursement Period: Disbursement of
the award will occur in the fall through
SIAST.
Central Alberta Idea Group Meeting
November 4, 2014
Application or Nomination: Application
through SIAST.
Disbursement Period: Disbursement of the
award will occur in the fall through SIAST.
Northern Alberta Idea Group Meeting
January 13, 2015
Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible to
receive the Saskatchewan Public Works
Association Ken Dobchuk Memorial Saskatchewan Opportunity & Innovation
Award, a student must be enrolled full-time
in the Water Resources Engineering Technology Diploma Program, Year II at SIAST
Palliser campus.
Application or Nomination: Application
through SIAST.
CONFERENCE & ROADEO
2014 Equipment Roadeo
September 11-12, 2014
Partners in Excellence Conference &
Tradeshow
October 6-8, 2014
Selection Criteria Selection will be Based
on: Financial Need and Academic Achievement (50/50 weighting).
Manitoba Chapter
Upcoming Manitoba
Chapter Events
2014-2015
Chapter Leadership & Strategic
Planning Meeting with APWA Brian
Van Norman
September 17, 2014
Infrastructure Canada Presentation
October 2014
Annual General Meeting
December 2014
Tony Marceca Memorial Scholarship
Value: $1,000 per year.
Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible to
receive the Saskatchewan Public Works
Association Mike Bohn Memorial Saskatchewan Opportunity and Innovation Award,
a student must be enrolled full-time in the
Civil Engineering Technology Diploma
Program, Year II at SIAST Palliser campus.
Selection Criteria Selection will be Based
on: Financial Need and Academic Achievement (50/50 weighting).
Founded in the memory of Tony Marceca
and established in 1992, this award is given
annually to a son or daughter of an SPWA
member. This is an ‘entrance level’ scholarship where the recipient is awarded a bursary.
Scholarship Amount: $1,000.
Scholarship Type: Undergraduate, graduate, non-degree-seeking.
Application Deadline: January 30, 2015.
Contact Name: Trina Miller.
Contact Email: [email protected].
Check out pictures highlighting
National Public Works Week (NPWW)
celebrated in North Battleford and at the
2014 SPWA Water Sampling Analysis 1.0
workshop in Yorkton at http://saskatchewan.cpwa.net/resources/images/.
Fall 2014 25
26 The Roadrunner
IN EVERY ISSUE • Legal Brief
Canada’s Anti-Spam
Legislation
By Lorne I. Randa and Jillian L. Swainson
C
anada’s Anti-Spam Legislation
(CASL), the majority of which
came into force on July 1, 2014,
will have a significant impact
on many everyday activities of
municipalities, businesses and other entities. Failure to comply with CASL’s requirements may lead to significant liabilities for
individuals and entities. CASL will impact
three main types of activities:
1. Commercial electronic messages
CASL prohibits individuals and entities (including not-for-profit entities), from
sending commercial electronic messages
(CEMs) to a third party unless the recipient
has given consent to receive such a message
or unless an exemption applies. A CEM
may be sent by email, instant messaging,
text or similar means. Its purpose, or one
of its purposes, is the encouragement of
participation in a commercial activity. Consequently, it was important for all entities
to evaluate who it sends electronic messages
3. Computer programs
to and obtain the recipients’ consent prior
to July 1, 2014. Further, CASL outlines
requirements that will need to be met when
requesting consent. CASL also imposes
formalities on CEMs that must be complied with, such as a requirement to have an
unsubscribe function.
2. Transmission data
CASL prohibits the alteration of transmission data in an electronic message in
the course of a commercial activity without expressed consent. This prohibition is
intended to address circumstances where an
electronic message is delivered to a destination other than, or in addition to, that specified by the sender. For example, website
links that take users to a location they do
not anticipate.
Beginning January 1, 2015, the installation of a computer program, such as spyware or any automatic updates of software,
on any other person’s computer system in
the course of a commercial activity is prohibited, unless express consent is obtained.
CASL also prohibits installed computer
programs from causing electronic messages
to be sent from a computer system without
the person’s knowledge. Similar to the sending of CEMs and the alteration of transmission data, requests for consent must meet
the requirements set out in CASL and there
are some additional requirements for certain
types of software.
Penalties under CASL
CASL provides stiff penalties if the
legislation is breached. Individuals in
breach may be fined up to $1 million,
while companies may be fined up to
$10 million. Directors, officers or agents
may also be found personally liable for
Fall 2014 27
IN EVERY ISSUE • Legal Brief
violations of CASL. Further, employers
may be found liable for violations committed by their employee acting within their scope of employment, although
there are some defenses available.
Beginning July 1, 2017, CASL will
allow individuals and companies affected
by a breach to bring a private right of
action in court and will allow the applicant to recover actual and statutory damages.
Next steps
The stringent requirements of CASL
will create significant compliance challenges
for many entities. It is critical that entities
assess their current operations and develop a comprehensive compliance strategy to
prepare for CASL’s coming-into-force. We
recommend that entities do the following:
(a) Review existing practices and develop a
CASL compliance strategy
• Review the types of electronic communications sent and the content of
such messages to determine if CASL
applies; and
• Develop a policy regarding sending CEMs and the entity’s reliance
on express or implied consents.
(b) Develop (or review) a privacy policy to
manage personal information
• After collecting personal information, such as phone numbers or email
addresses, an entity has an obligation to manage such information in
accordance with applicable privacy
laws; and
• A privacy policy should establish
guidelines around the use (including
compliance with CASL) and storage of such personal information.
(c) Management of electronic services
• The entity should ensure that its
databases are properly set up so that
it can manage and store express
consents and automatically remove
people from the express consent list
if they unsubscribe; and
• If an entity has third party contractors that manage the entity’s
information systems and electronic
services, the entity should review
the contracts in place to ensure the
following:
»» Compliance with CASL;
»» Compliance with privacy policies and legislation; and
»» If intellectual property is licensed,
ensure that the license agreement properly allocates the risk
and provides adequate indemnity
protection for breach or privacy
legislation.
Help?
If you have any questions or concerns
with respect to this article, or if your organization requires assistance in preparing for
CASL, please contact the following members of the Brownlee LLP Municipal Team:
• Lorne I. Randa, (780) 497-4832,
[email protected].
• Jillian L. Swainson, (780) 497-4802,
[email protected] .
w
28 The Roadrunner
Share Your Community Highlight!
Manitoba Chapter
PUBLIC WORKS
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
THE ALBERTA
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE
MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE
THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
AMSA
ALBERTA MUNICIPAL
SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
ROADRUNNER
THE
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
OF THE PUBLIC WORKS
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA, THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION,
THE SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION,
THE MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION,
AND THE ALBERTA
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS
ASSOCIATION
SUMMER 2014
THE
Manitoba Chapter
ROADRUNNER
FALL 2014
Community
Profiles
Working With
Utilities
Tech Talk: Water Main
Swabbing, Mobile Barriers,
and More!
SiteDocsDigital Safety!
Take Charge of
Your Career…
and Future!
Confined Space
Entry
E
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement
PWABC
APWA
How Can a
Unidirectional
Flushing Program
Benefit Your
Water System?
AMSA
CPWA, MB
SPWA
Number: 40609661
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
Canada Post Mail Publications
Agreement Number: 40609661
ach issue The Roadrunner includes
community highlights from across
western Canada. We are hoping
to include even more of these
“good news stories” in upcoming
issues; preferably one from each of the four
western provinces.
This issue’s Community Highlights discuss
the City of North Battleford’s success with its
unidirectional flushing program in Saskatchewan and the new Journey to Churchill polar
bear exhibit at Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba. If you have a community
highlight you’d like to share for a future issue,
please send them in for review. Articles will be
edited for grammar, spelling, length, etc. You
can also include high resolution photos, if any
are available.
SEND TO:
B.C. Stories
Jeannette Austin
[email protected]
Alberta Stories
Jeannette Austin
[email protected]
Saskatchewan Stories
Andrew Stevenson
[email protected]
Manitoba Stories
Steve Blayney
[email protected]
AMSA Stories
Christine Heggart
[email protected]
Fall 2014 29
IN EVERY ISSUE • HR Report
Employee Self-Development:
Your Roadmap to Success
M
By Karen Toews
ark Twain once said, “The
secret of getting ahead is
getting started.” Have you
started preparing yourself
for career success? Taking
control of your career is your responsibility.
It is all up to you and to achieve this; employee self-development is critical. Regardless of
what stage you are at in your life, there are
some actions you can take to get your career
moving in the right direction!
Self-development
Self-development, also known as personal development, is the act or process of
developing your talent and potential to contribute to the realization of your dreams and
aspirations. It requires self-awareness and
self-knowledge, and can result in building
self-esteem, learning new skills, becoming
more employable, enhancing your quality
of life, developing purpose and improving your health.
Preparing yourself
There are many ways to prepare
yourself for success. Start by asking
yourself the following questions:
• What are my personal goals?
• What type of career do I want
to have?
• Am I living up to my full
potential?
• What am I good at?
Answer honestly and sincerely. Make sure to compare
your knowledge, skills and
abilities to your goals or
chosen career. Taking
an online assessment or using
a career
centre
can help you answer these questions and guide
you in the right direction. For instance, if you
have always been passionate about designing
and building projects, and have strong math
skills, pursuing a diploma in civil engineering
technology may be a good fit.
Setting personal goals
Set goals that are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
If they are not specific enough, they will be
more difficult to accomplish. For instance, a
specific goal would be to complete two college
courses in algebra and trigonometry within the
next year.
In order to measure your progress, you
need to stay on track and achieve your target dates. Determine if your target dates are
attainable, but if they are important to you
IN EVERY ISSUE • HR Report
and you have planned wisely, you will figure
out how to achieve them. A realistic goal must
be something you are willing and able to strive
for. Lastly, the goals need to be timely or have
an established timeframe for completion, or
you will not feel a sense of urgency.
Moving ahead at work
Now that you have established your
career goals, there are many steps you can
take, and factors to consider, to progress at
work, including:
1. A current (or future) employer considers whether you demonstrate a positive
attitude, have proven leadership skills,
display initiative and motivation, and
are committed to your workplace and
your own development.
• For instance, a positive attitude can
be illustrated by accepting new tasks
eagerly or a willingness to develop
new work procedures.
• Leadership skills can be proven when you offer to take a new
employee under your wing and train
them in a new job function, even
though that isn’t part of your normal work activities.
• You can show initiative by seeking out new learning opportunities
or taking on additional challenges,
such as volunteering to work on a
committee or a special project. Taking on new tasks, getting your name
known within the organization and
going outside your comfort zone
are great ways to increase your skills
and enhance your reputation.
• Demonstrate commitment to your
own development by joining a professional association and growing
your network. For instance, becoming a member in a work-related
association can ensure you are aware
of upcoming conferences and learning opportunities. Associations also
distribute current information, articles or publications on interesting
topics and about what is happening
in your field of interest.
2. Complete post-secondary education in
your area of interest. Take the courses
that you need to have for your dream
job before the job competition opens.
3. As difficult as it may be, sometimes you
need to take a step backwards or sideways. If it helps you gain the skills to
achieve your goals, then it is worth it.
And remember, while money is important, it isn’t everything. Keeping your
goal in mind will help you get there.
4. Depending on the size of your organization, you may have human resource
representatives that you can talk to
about what your organization values
in its employees. You could talk to
your supervisor or a coach/mentor.
Ask for feedback from your supervisor
on your strengths and areas that could
use improvement. Self- awareness is an
important step in being open to continue to develop and grow.
5. Check your company intranet for job
requirements (including specific competencies for the position), and tools
that can help you with writing your
Fall 2014 31
IN EVERY ISSUE • HR Report
Manitoba Chapter
PUBLIC WORKS
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
THE ALBERTA
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE
MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE
THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
THE
ROADRUNNER
FALL 2014
Manitoba Chapter
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE ALBERTA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE SASKATCHEWAN
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE MANITOBA
PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND THE ALBERTA
MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
AMSA
ALBERTA MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS
ASSOCIATION
THE
ROADRUNNER
SUMMER 2014
Take Charge of
Your Career…
and Future!
Community
Profiles
Working With
Utilities
Confined Space
Entry
How Can a
Unidirectional
Flushing Program
Benefit Your
Water System?
SiteDocsDigital Safety!
Tech Talk: Water Main
Swabbing, Mobile Barriers,
and More!
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement
Number: 40609661
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR
ADVERTISERS WHO HELP MAKE
THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE.
FIND OUT
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
ONLINE
PWABC
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number:
40609661
APWA
AMSA
CPWA, MB
SPWA
cover letter and resume or preparing
for an interview.
6. If you wish to join a specific company,
research that organization. Know what
they do and what they care about.
When you get called for an interview,
this will show that you took the time
to prepare.
Personal development in a unionized
environment
Many collective agreements contain a
“senior qualified” clause for promotion.
This means that your seniority is recognized, but so are your qualifications. Seniority, alone, will not get you the job. Once
you have sufficiently prepared yourself, you
should be confident in your abilities and be
ready to compete on your own merit. People
will recognize you, if you distinguish and
promote yourself.
In the words of Walt Disney, “All our
dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Life is about having passion, vision and
purpose. It is estimated that we spend at
least 37 per cent of our life at work. Does
your career provide you with the passion
and purpose you envision for yourself? w
Karen Toews, CHRP, is the manager of
human resources for the City of Winnipeg
Public Works Department. She can be reached
at [email protected].
32 The Roadrunner
IN EVERY ISSUE • Safety Report
Confined
Space Entry
C
By James Sentes
onfined spaces are enclosed or
partially enclosed spaces that
are not primarily designed or
intended for human occupancy
except for the purpose of performing work. It has restricted means of
entrance and exit. A hazardous confined
space is one that is or may become hazardous to a worker due to the design, construction or atmosphere, the materials or
substances in the space, the work activities
or processes used or any other conditions
relating to the confined space.
This is the setup of a typical manhole with the staff filling
out the Confined Space Entry Permit.
The risks
Never assume a confined space is
safe. Some of the risks from entering an
improperly tested confined space are long
term respiratory illness, brain damage and
death.
The hazards
Chemicals, product residue, bacteria and
viruses capable of causing disease are a hazard of confined spaces. Always refer to the
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) if there
is a possibility that hazardous materials or
products are present.
The task itself that is being performed in
the confined space (welding, cutting, grinding, cleaning or even equipment/vehicles
idling) can be a hazard. These tasks can produce toxic vapours or can decrease the oxygen levels in the atmosphere. For example,
a truck idling beside a manhole could allow
exhaust fumes to enter the manhole and
turn it into a hazardous atmosphere.
Sources of energy, such as electrical,
hydraulic or pneumatic, are dangers to look
out for. Before entering any confined space,
always ensure all sources of energy are properly isolated, locked out and tagged.
Fires and explosions are a hazardous
possibility. Oxygen can be an oxidizing
agent. Always refer to the MSDS before purging with oxygen or air to ensure it will not
create a flammable or explosive atmosphere.
Slippery surfaces, hard or sharp surfaces and obstructions, falling objects, poor
visibility and noise can be hazardous. Water
and product residue can create slippery surfaces. There may be obstructions with sharp
edges that can cut or pierce. Debris or products may fall inside the space. Confined
spaces usually have very little light which
makes it difficult to see hazards and machinery operating around the confined space
may make communication difficult.
Gases and vapours do not always have
good warning properties. Can you smell an
Fall 2014 33
IN EVERY ISSUE • Safety Report
More than 60 per cent of confined
space fatalities are would-be rescuers!
Don’t become one of the statistics.
34 The Roadrunner
oxygen deficient or enriched atmosphere?
You will never know until it is too late.
Hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) shuts down the
ability to smell. Then it kills you. Carbon
monoxide has no odour. Then you go to
sleep, permanently.
Hazard control
A Pre-Entry Confined Space Hazard
Assessment is completed by the project managers, supervisors and workers to identify all
the possible hazards associated with the confined space. Controls for the hazards identified will be implemented before the work
commences. A Confined Space Entry Permit
is completed by the supervisor and workers
prior to work commencing. The permit identifies all the hazards (including external hazard sources), controls for the hazards, workers using the permit, the stand-by person,
isolation techniques used, means of effective
communication between the workers, atmosphere testing results before work commences
and intermittently or continuously during the
work, the rescue procedure, personal protective equipment (PPE) required, how entry and
exit will be done from the confined space,
and what work is to be done.
Other means of hazard control include:
• Purging to clean out the atmosphere in a
confined space using air, water, steam or an
inert gas. Purging is one method used to
reduce or prevent fire and explosion because
it removes harmful gases or vapours from the
confined space. However, there are hazards
created by each purging method.
• Ventilation is used to help maintain a safe
breathing atmosphere. It can also be used
to displace or dilute potentially hazardous
conditions before they become hazardous.
Types of ventilation methods are, forced
air systems, exhaust systems or a combination of both. If using ventilation, you must
ventilate continuously. When using surrounding air to ventilate, always ensure it
is coming from a clean source. You do not
want to draw fumes into the confined space
from potentially harmful sources, such as
fumes from diesel, gas or chemicals.
• Isolation means to physically interrupt
or disconnect pipes, lines and sources of
energy from a confined space. Isolation
is always done in conjunction with LockOut/Tag-Out procedures.
• Air monitoring is used if a safe atmosphere cannot be provided or maintained by purging or ventilation. Then
the employer must ensure that the
atmosphere in the confined space is
continuously monitored by a competent person.
Emergency planning
Keep the following in mind when planning
for an emergency situation:
• Look at the characteristics of the confined
space when planning for an emergency situation. Does the space have obstructions,
different levels, corners, sharp edges? Any
or all of these will make it impossible for a
non-entry rescue.
• What rescue equipment and rescue personnel are available? Rescue equipment must
be suitable for the confined space. This may
include a tripod, winch, full body harness
and a self-contained breathing apparatus.
Rescue personnel must be trained and competent in its use. Are you working on a site
that already has a confined space rescue
team in place? What are their policies and
procedures? What are their requirements
from you?
• Are first aid and CPR trained personnel
readily available? At a minimum your
standby person must have first aid and
CPR training that is current.
• If necessary, how fast can external rescue
and medical help be at the site? If 911 is
your only means of external help, it may
take too long for them to arrive.
Warning!
More than 60 per cent of confined
space fatalities are would-be rescuers! Don’t
become one of the statistics. We are human
and usually jump in if we see someone in
distress. Don’t!
If nothing else, remember this when dealing with a possible confined space. If you can’t
test, if you can’t ventilate, if you don’t have a
breathing apparatus, if you haven’t developed
an entry plan, do not enter!
This information does not make you competent to enter any confined space; you must
be trained. w
James Sentes, CSO, is the safety co-ordinator
for the Associated Engineering SK Operation.
Fall 2014 35
IN EVERY ISSUE • Community Highlights
City of North Battleford’s
Unidirectional Flushing
Program
By Andrew Stevenson & Stewart Schafer
A high velocity
unidirectional flushing
technique expels coloured
iron and manganese
sediments from the water
mains.
B
efore the year 2000, the City of
North Battleford used to swab
its water mains to remove excess
iron and manganese which
would get past the groundwater
treatment filtration system and accumulate in
the water mains. Although the swabbing did
assist in removing the settled iron and manganese, the process was labour intensive and had
its own problems.
In some cases, swabs would end up getting
lost in the network of water main pipes and
36 The Roadrunner
they would take days to locate. In other cases,
pieces of the swabs ripped off during the process and would flow into and plug water meters
throughout the city water system. The water
crew still talks about this problem, as it would
take weeks to clear all of the water meters.
In a number of cases, old and fragile water
mains would break as the swabs passed by
weak portions of cast iron or asbestos concrete
pipes, requiring the swabbing program to stop
while the water line break was excavated and
repaired.
In 2000, the cryptosporidium water crisis
halted the swabbing program. At that time,
during lengthy discussion with health and
environmental officials, it was decided that
using swabs to clean the water mains would
not be acceptable, due to the chance of pushing the cryptosporidium into the inside surfaces of the concrete and iron pipes that were
encrusted with tuberculation.
Instead, a high velocity unidirectional
flushing (UDF) technique was used to clear
all of the water mains. The city contracted
IN EVERY ISSUE • Community Highlights
The specially designed ATAP
unidirectional flushing trailer
working on-site overnight in
North Battleford.
ATAP Infrastructure Management Ltd. and
its parent company, Associated Engineering,
to provide a flow model and clean the mains.
The UDF program started on May 24,
2001, and was completed on June 29, 2001.
The city’s distribution system was flushed
using a minimum velocity of two metres
per second. Flushing at this velocity provided removal of sand, sediments and solid
accumulations in the piping. Velocities were
monitored using ATAP’s specially designed
trailer-mounted metering system which
enabled crews to maintain required velocity
in the system.
The volume of water in the pipes was
changed a minimum of three times during
the flushing of each section of the pipe.
Colour testing was used to determine the
effectiveness of flushing for each section
run. Twenty colour units were established
in the protocol as the minimum acceptable
level for completion of the flushing run
of each section. The expression of risk, in
economic terms, was used as a common
currency. Risk in different asset classes was
compared.
Flushing was undertaken during daytime
hours to minimize possible service interruptions during nighttime hours when water
plant staffing was at a minimum. The crew
worked approximately 14 hours per day on an
average of six days per week.
A hydraulic model of the distribution system was used to ensure unidirectional flow
through the system at all times. Sectional
plans were generated from the model for each
day’s flushing sequence. The program enabled
our crews to select the best route for each
flushing run.
In 2002, swabbing of the water mains
program began again and continued until
approximately 2006. ATAP returned in 2007
to UDF the entire city. The same parameters
of three pipe changes of water and twenty
colour units was used to provide an acceptable
level of pipe cleanliness.
From 2007 to 2011, cleaning of the water
mains was halted. By 2011, the city realized
they needed to institute an annual distribution cleaning program and contracted ATAP
to UDF the city’s entire potable water mains
over the following two years (2012-2013).
When the UDF began again in 2012, it
started on the west side of the city to again
remove the build up of iron and manganese.
Although there were some minor problems,
the flush was successful in removing large
quantities of sediment from the water mains.
In 2013, UDF of the east side of the city
was completed. It was found that, although
sediment was present during UDF, the build
up of iron and manganese was not as large as
found on the west side.
Noted was that the built up sediment in
the water mains was in direct relation to how
much water came from the groundwater treatment plant. In particular, the Riverview subdivision waterline mains, which are closest to
the groundwater treatment plant, had an extensive build up of iron and manganese sediment
deposits. Each year, the larger feed mains from
the Water Treatment Plant #1 to the Water
Fall 2014 37
IN EVERY ISSUE • Community Highlights
Tower were flushed. Because the Water Tower
feeds the city, it was used as the delineator to
flush either west or eastfrom the tower.
Again, the city’s distribution system was
flushed using a minimum velocity of two
metres per second. The volume of water in
the pipes was changed a minimum of two
times during the flushing of each section of
pipe. Colour testing was used to determine
the effectiveness of flushing for each section
run with a level of 20 colour units established
as the acceptable minimum for completion of
the flushing run of each section.
Flushing was undertaken during nighttime
hours to minimize consumer interruption
and limit traffic issues. Water plant staffing
was also increased during the night. The
crew worked approximately 14 hours per day
through completion of each annual project
term. The initial hydraulic model of the distribution system from 2001 was referenced to
plan the flushing sequences, but actual runs
are based on system functionality at the time
of UDF.
Given the success of the distribution system cleaning program and the results noted
on-site, the City of North Battleford has now
contracted ATAP to clean the entire city’s
mains over a three year term from 2014 to
2016. The mains from the Water Treatment
Plant #1 through to the Water Tower and
including the Riverside area (due to its closeness to the groundwater treatment plant) will
be flushed every year before branching out
in alternating directions annually. This will
further assist the city in its efforts to obtain
optimum water quality for its consumers. w
Andrew Stevenson has more than 19 years of
management and operational experience in the
municipal field, and oversees the ATAP team. He
has worked with numerous communities on operation, maintenance and construction upgrades to
their water treatment plants, distribution systems
and sewage collection/lagoons. He has also worked
as a contract water operator.
Stevenson is certified as Class 2 in Water
Treatment, Water Distribution, Wastewater
Treatment and Wastewater Collection. In addition to his water and wastewater expertise, he
has more than 20 years of experience operating
and training on heavy equipment and completes
Power Mobile Equipment training and evaluations.
Stevenson is the Past-President of the Saskatchewan Public Works Association and sits on
the board for APWA’s House of Delegates (Region
IX). He sits on the steering committee for APWA’s
newly formed Council of Chapters.
Stewart Schafer is the director of public works
& engineering for the City of North Battleford.
He holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the University of Calgary and updates
his knowledge and skills through workshops and
conferences. In 2013, Schafer received the Saskatchewan Public Works Association Professional
Manager of the Year Award for his outstanding
career service achievements.
Schafer’s achievements include managing the
North Battleford’s water and wastewater facilities;
developing an operator training program for First
Nations operators; and assisting in the design, construction, renovations and maintenance of First
Nations’ water treatment plants, subdivisions and
potable water trickle systems.
38 The Roadrunner
Fall 2014 39
IN EVERY ISSUE • Community Highlights
The Magic of the North in
the Heart of the Continent:
Journey to Churchill Opens at
Assiniboine Park Zoo
By Laura Cabak
An architectural rendering of the Sea Ice Passage.
From assiniboineparkzoo.ca.
An architectural rendering of
Gateway to the Arctic. From
assiniboineparkzoo.ca.
T
he highly-anticipated Journey
to Churchill northern species exhibit is now open at the
Assiniboine Park Zoo. The signature exhibit is the main component of a dramatic revitalization of the
zoo that includes more enriching environments for animals, enhanced facilities for
visitors and a more active contribution
to environmental education, research and
conservation.
“We believe Journey to Churchill is
the greatest northern species zoo exhibit
anywhere in the world,” said Margaret
Redmond, president and CEO of the
Assiniboine Park Conservancy (APC).
40 The Roadrunner
An architectural rendering of the Aurora Borealis
Theatre. From assiniboineparkzoo.ca.
“We are so excited to be able to show
our visitors an entirely new zoo experience.”
Journey to Churchill is home to polar
bears, seals, muskoxen, Arctic fox, snowy
owls, caribou and wolves. Large habitats,
dramatic changes in elevation, natural elements inspired by the tundra landscape
and hidden barriers located discretely
between enclosures create more realistic
and stimulating environments for animals.
“Journey to Churchill offers an experience and adventure like no other,” said Redmond.
“Visitors will be entertained, amazed,
informed and inspired.”
Gateway to the Arctic, located at the
midway point of the exhibit, is the primary viewing point for polar bears and seals.
This multi-purpose venue is home to the
Sea Ice Passage, an underwater tunnel that
allows visitors to view swimming polar
bears and seals from below the surface.
Gateway to the Arctic also houses
Manitoba’s largest 360 degree theatre. The
multi-purpose Aurora Borealis Theatre features a short film focusing on how climate
change is affecting northern people, animals
and ecosystems.
Upon exiting Gateway to the Arctic, visitors have the opportunity to explore a bowhead whale archeological dig, learn about
the effects of climate change on polar bears
at the International Polar Bear Conservation
Centre and observe how the zookeepers are
using positive reinforcement training to care
for the polar bears.
The final section of Journey to Churchill
resembles the town of Churchill and features the Tundra Grill, a 150-seat restaurant
with a view of the largest polar bear habitat,
and the Polar Playground, an indoor Arcticthemed play area.
“With the opening of Journey to
Churchill, the Assiniboine Park Zoo experience is going to be one of the most impressive zoo attractions in North America,” said
Redmond. “That’s something Manitobans
can all be proud of.”
w
Laura Cabak is the APC Manager, brand
and communications at the Assiniboine Park
Zoo. Visit assiniboineparkzoo.ca for more
information.
Fall 2014 41
TECH TALK
Public Works & Procurement:
Pitfalls & Precautions
T
By Sonia Sahota & Pam Jefcoat
he methods used by local governments to procure goods and
services are affected by a host
of factors, such as internal policies and practices, regional or
environmental constraints, and the scope,
nature and price of the items to be procured. No two communities in the province
are the same and likewise, the procurement
methods employed by their local governments vary.
Despite the variances, one thing remains
the same: expenditures are made using
taxpayer dollars, which invariably casts a
watchful eye by the public over how those
dollars are spent. The newly created office
of the auditor general for local government
has further shone a spotlight on purchasing
practices carried out by local governments
and, as the recent report of the auditor general reveals, unvetted procurement practices
won’t go unnoticed.
For public works departments, purchasing is common-place, whether for acquiring
supplies, purchasing equipment or retaining
construction-related services. This article
42 The Roadrunner
highlights a few common pitfalls that public
works departments (and others!) should be
aware of and suggests some best practices for
steering clear of scrutiny.
Common pitfalls
Purchasing policies
When purchases are made, local governments often have policies in place that
stipulate requirements for approvals, authorization from council, spending limits, documentation, etc. However, if the policy is not
reflective of current practices, not complied
with or not enforced, your organizations
may become vulnerable to scrutiny, whether
by electors or auditors.
Documentation shelf life
The use of out-dated or overly-customized documents is another potential pitfall for
local governments. Procurement practices,
especially with respect to tendering, have
been impacted by changes in the law since
the 1980s and continue to evolve. Owners
are encouraged to consider, and reconsider,
their procurements documents (whether they
be RFP, standing offers or tenders) to ensure
they reflect current practices.
The duck test
From a legal perspective, one of the
greatest risks in procurement arises where
goods and services are tendered. Tendering
laws impose a host of contractual obligations
on both owners and bidders throughout
the process, from the time a tender call is
issued through to the time when a final
agreement with the selected bidder is formalized. Owners may unwittingly assume
some of these obligations, and the liabilities
that follow, by not recognizing that they
are operating within a tendering process. A
common misconception with owners is that
issuing an RFP immunizes them from the
legal liabilities associated with tendering.
However, if it looks like a duck, quacks
like a duck and swims like a duck... then it
doesn’t matter whether the title refers to an
RFP or whether bidders are referred to as
proponents; if the procurement process has
the indicia of a tender, the legal obligations
of tendering will follow.
TECH TALK
No written record
Verbal agreements are no less enforceable
than written agreements. However, the key
difference is that a written contract expressly
evidences the parties’ rights, obligations and
responsibilities, and takes the uncertainty
out of a hand-shake deal.
Suggested precautions
A fulsome review of current practices
would be required in order to properly identify gaps unique to each organization. However, some general suggestions for best practices are as follows:
• Have a robust purchasing policy in place
that is reviewed and reconsidered from
time-to-time. Ensure the policy is used
and consistently complied with.
• Select a procurement process appropriate
for the scope and nature of the goods or
services to be acquired. For example, if
your scope is uncertain or price is not a
key determining factor, then issuing an
RFP may be more appropriate than issuing a call for tenders.
• Don’t use tendering documents as the
basis for documents used for other processes, such as an RFP. At law, the content of the documentation will prevail
over form when determining what the
true nature of the procurement process
is.
• Ensure proper authorizations are
obtained, requisite approvals and signatures are in place, and that these
approvals and signatures do not give
rise to any conflicts of interest.
• Require in your procurement documents that proponents disclose any
conflicts of interest and reserve your
organization’s right to disqualify parties
if any conflicts of interest exist or are
later discovered.
• Document the evaluation and results
of the procurement process to demonstrate that an adequate (and defensible) procurement process was undertaken. Document the rationale for
any exceptions to the procurement
policy and, if required, report to and
seek approval from council for such
exceptions.
• Insist upon having contracts in place
before goods are acquired or services are
delivered.
• For construction-related projects, ensure
that proper authorizations, approvals and
controls are in place to handle expanded
scope during the construction phase.
Approved change-orders and other changes to the original contract may minimize
disputes once the project is finished.
This article is intended to give general
information about the local governments in
British Columbia. If your organization has
specific issues or concerns relating to the
matters discussed in this article, please consult a legal adviser.
w
Sonia Sahota and Pam Jefcoat are lawyers
with Valkyrie Law Group LLP, a British Columbia law firm focusing on municipal law.
Visit their website at www.valkyrielaw.com for
contact information.
Fall 2014 43
TECH TALK
In Brief: Alberta’s New
Wetland Policy
A
Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta.
By Rola Hogan
lberta has a new wetland policy
that moved into everyday use
late this summer. The province
suggested that the new tools and
procedures developed to assist
in classification and decision-making would
be available for use as of late August 2014.
Copies of the policy are accessible through the
Government of Alberta website.
This article is not a defence or criticism
of the policy, nor is it an attempt to compare
it to other jurisdictions. There have been a
multitude of opinions already written on each
of these topics. Whether you love it, hate it,
understand it or are confused by it, Alberta
has a new wetland policy.
There are several things to be aware of
before delving too deep into the topic. First,
the policy will apply to the entire province,
not dealing with the white (normally called
the developed or agricultural areas) and green
(resource or forestry) zones as past interim
documents have. This should lead to a clearer
pathway for consistency in treatment of wetlands across the province. Second, equal treatment is not as clear as it seems; the policy will
allow for regions to be set and in each region,
44 The Roadrunner
wetlands will be categorized not strictly on
their comparative values, but also on their
relative importance and occurrence within a
specific region. While this may appear confusing, it does allow the conservation of wetland
resources to have a regional basis but there are
still boundaries across which relative regional
importance will make different interpretations
of the same wetland apply.
The goal of the policy is fair, simple and
clear but like other new documents, it is still
openly debated as to final meanings. The
goals are “to conserve, restore, protect and
manage Alberta’s wetlands to sustain the
benefits they provide to the environment,
society and economy.” This is to be accomplished through minimizing wetland loss,
degradation and impact. A notable change is
the perceived expansion of the “degradation”
aspect. Some feel that this is new but in reality
it has always been a consideration. With the
new policy, this concept is clearly brought
forward as a point of concern that needs to be
address in assessment of works from a wetland
impact point of view.
The definition of a wetland is a little
broader than what most people realize.
Wetlands have always included far more than
sloughs and marshes, but the new policy adds
clarity by including other lands sometimes
confused as non-wetlands. Wetlands are said
to include mash, bog, fen, swamp and open
water wetlands—a definition that we now use.
In simple terms, wetlands are categorized based upon wetland value criteria (bio
diversity, water quality improvement, hydrological functions such as flood reduction and
recharge areas, and societal aspects). The value
criteria of wetlands will also be considered
with influences from the relative abundance of
the values in the region (how many wetlands
serve this function in the region to give a wetland value category of A through D, A being
the highest). How exactly these value criteria
will be combined to at the value category was
set to be released in late summer.
This all being said, the next issue is what
the policy has to do with actual impact and
mitigation from those impacts. The new
policy has avoidance of wetland impact as
a primary goal. If avoidance is not possible
(discussions seem to support that alternatives will need to be shown as investigated
in the approval process), minimization of
TECH TALK
impact from both direct effects and associated
degradation (such as siltation, loss of water
flow, reduction in hydrological function and
truncation of wetland) will be the next stage
in planning.
Under the policy, the final consideration
would be the replacement of the wetland
impacted. The guidelines for this approach,
again, are a little unclear and should be
addressed by the assessment tools but
it appears that they may be some different
alternatives. There is a new wetland replacement ratio system in the policy document
that sets ratios for the replacement of wetland
value categories with other wetland value categories. The key in this will be the assessment
of the sites to determine which value category
is being impacted and which value category is
being developed to replace it.
A major change is the strong position of
replacement or restoration based on the type
of wetland. For example, if you impact or
degrade a type A wetland, it would have to
be replaced with a type A wetland. Ratios for
compensation are not yet clear but they may
be allowed regionally, depending on the value
category of the sites and the relative importance of those value criteria. The process of
paying for impact appears to be moving out
of the mainstream, but still could be investigated.
The new policy appears to allow for some
alternative and new avenues in compensation
agreements that could allow for more creative
approaches to replacement projects and agencies. Many of the final details about who will
be involved are not yet clear but the prospects
allow for a much broader approach to bringing a wider array of potential compensation
agreement agencies into play.
The wetland evaluation process will definitely be changing under the new process.
The main changes will be in the approach to
classification, which will now need to address
the value criteria previously mentioned. The
evaluation tools are expected to be more
akin to functional or semi empirical systems
now in place in some other jurisdictions and
they will still be consistent with the Canadian Wetland Classification System, and the
information gathered under the present wetland classification systems.
To delve into any one specific aspect of
the policy and its implications would require
many pages and interpretation. I hope this
brief has brought out some points of interest.
In conclusion, get a copy of the policy and
review it. There are many newer concepts
being brought forth and the details and effects
of the changes will be noted by most all of us
in some way or another. Is this a good change
or a bad change? That I can’t answer for you.
Whether the policy is good or bad isn’t the
issue—Alberta has a new wetland policy and
we all need to be aware of it and capable of
dealing with the requirements.
w
Rola Hogan is an environmental manager
with WSP Canada. Hogan has been involved
with wetland compensation and assessment on
a multitude of civil and transportation projects. The opinion expressed are his own and
should not be considered as being sanctioned,
endorsed, supported or agreed upon by WSP
Canada.
Fall 2014 45
BUYER’S GUIDE
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES
Halford Hide & Leather...............................................35
GOVERNMENT SURPLUS
GovDeals Inc...............................................................14
ANTI-CORROSION SYSTEMS
Denso North America Inc............................................32
HIGHWAY, ROADWAY AND BRIDGE
MAINTENANCE
Alberta Highway Services............................................28
ASPHALT ADDITIVES SUPPLIER
AkzoNobel Canada Inc..................................................3
ASPHALT PAVING MIXTURES
Pounder Emulsions.....................................................16
AUTOMATIC TIRE CHAINS
Onspot........................................................................39
BUILDING SCIENCE CONSULTING AND
ENGINEERING
Sameng Inc.................................................................20
COMPLETE WATER AND WASTEWATER
SUPPLIES
EMCO Waterworks......................................................10
HYDRAULIC ALL WHEEL DRIVE INSTALLATION
FOR TRUCKS
EZ Trac Hydraulic AWD...............................................22
INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL SUPPLIERS
Univar Canada............................................................35
SEWER AND STORM CLEANING
PRODUCTS
KEG Technologies.......................................................28
INDUSTRIAL SCALE COMPANY
Precision Scale...........................................................29
INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
Fibrwrap......................................................................41
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Brock White................................................................43
MANHOLE RUBBER ADJUSTMENT RING
Highway Rubber & Safety...........................................14
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
Van Bower Construction Services Ltd.........................37
MANHOLE STEEL RISER
Presfab Rubtech Inc....................................................29
COST EFFECTIVE ECOSYSTEM REFORESTATION
Brinkman & Associates Reforestation Ltd...................20
MANUFACTURER OF PVC (PVCO) PRESSURE
PIPE
IPEX.........................................................................OBC
ENGINEERING AND CONSULTANT SERVICES
Opus DaytonKnight.....................................................46
ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE
FOR TRAFFIC LIGHTING, HYDROVACING AND
TRENCHING
Can-Traffic Services Ltd..............................................20
EXPERIENCED ROAD BUILDERS AND HEAVY
CONSTRUCTION
B.C. Road Builders & Heavy
Construction Association.........................................18
FABRIC BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
Britespan Building Systems........................................20
FUEL AND FLUID STORAGE HANDLING
Western Oil Services Ltd.............................................16
46 The Roadrunner
RUST AND CORROSION SPECIALISTS
Rhomar Industries.......................................................31
SEALS
Cretex Specialty Products...........................................26
MANHOLE REHABILITATION SYSTEMS
Sealing Systems Inc....................................................32
DEGREMONT TECHNOLOGIES
Degremont Technologies............................................15
ROAD WATCH, ROAD TEMPERATURE
MEASURING SYSTEMS
Commercial Vehicle Group Inc...................................45
HYDRAULIC COMPONENTS/PACKAGES
Deweze/Harper industries Inc......................................18
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
Parker Pacific..............................................................21
CROSSBORE SAFETY
FortisBC........................................................................8
ROAD AND CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
SUPPLIER
Industrial Machine Inc................................................26
MUNICIPAL EQUIPMENT
Puget Sound Truck Sales..............................................6
PLASTIC COVERS AND ADAPTORS, SEAL-R
PRODUCTS
BrenLin Company, Inc................................................16
PORTABLE RESTROOMS, OUTDOOR
SANITATION
Poly John Canada Inc.................................................46
SLAB LIFTING AND SOIL STABILIZATION
Poly-Mor Canada........................................................39
SNOW PLOW ACCESSORIES
Trillium Municipal Supply Inc.....................................16
SNOW/ICE REMOVAL EQUIPMENT CONTROLS
AND REPORTING
Cirus Controls............................................................15
SOLAR TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS
JSF Technologies.......................................................38
SPORT SYSTEMS
Tomko Sports Systems...............................................34
TRAFFIC CONTROL PRODUCTS
Plastic Safety Systems Inc..........................................11
TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS
Alberta Traffic Supply Ltd.......................................... IBC
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY NEEDS
PROVIDER
National Energy Equipment Inc...................................21
TRENCH SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT RENTALS
United Rentals Inc..................................................... IFC
PRESSURIZED EXHAUST RODENT
CONTROLLER
PERC/H&M Gopher Control.......................................39
WASTE HANDLING AND RECYCLING
EQUIPMENT
Bright Technologies....................................................41
PUMP, SERVICE, SALES INSTALLATION AND
REPAIR SPECIALISTS
Precision Service & Pumps Inc...................................39
WASTEWATER AERATION AND MIXING
EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER
Norwood Waterworks....................................................4
RECYCLING PROGRAMS
Alberta Recycling Management
Authority...................................................................18
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR PLUMBING,
HEATING AND WATERWORKS
Frontier Waterworks & Pump Supply..........................12