Manitoba Chapter THE THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, ALBERTA CHAPTER THE SASKATCHEWAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE MANITOBA PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND THE ALBERTA MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION ROADRUNNER FALL 2024 Getting to the Roots of the Problem FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ONLINEUp Front 7 A Message from the British Columbia Public Works Association 9 A Message from the Canadian Public Works Association, Alberta Chapter 11 A Message from the Saskatchewan Public Works Association 12 A Message from the Canadian Public Works Association, Manitoba Chapter 13 A Message from the Alberta Municipal Supervisors’ Association In Every Issue 14 Safety Report: Beyond Tired: The Impacts of Fatigue on Workers 16 Safety Report: New First Aid Changes from WorkSafeBC: What Publics Works Staff and Employees Need to Know 18 HR Report: Cultivating Culture: Establishing an Environment of Accountability 20 HR Report: Start to Advocate for Public Works 22 Upcoming Events 26 Legal Brief: Repudiation – Anticipatory Breach of Construction Contract 28 Investment Report: Building a Secure Future Through Savings 30 Community Highlight: Continuous Improvement One Step at a Time: City of Saskatoon Sidewalk Maintenance and Safety Program 32 Community Highlight: Operators Without Borders: A Global Commitment to Water and Wastewater Management 34 Community Highlight: RoadSoup is on the Menu in Winnipeg 36 Community Highlight: Communication is Key for Dawson Creek Tech Talk 38 Getting to the Roots of the Problem 39 BC 1 Call Turns 30 42 Index to Advertisers Manitoba Chapter THE THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, ALBERTA CHAPTER THE SASKATCHEWAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE MANITOBA PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, AND THE ALBERTA MUNICIPAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION ROADRUNNER FALL 2024 Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 Getting to the Roots of the Problem FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ONLINE Published For: The Public Works Association of British Columbia www.pwabc.ca Editorial Advisor: Pat A. Miller executivedirector@pwabc.ca The American Public Works Association, Alberta Chapter https://alberta.apwa.org Editorial Advisor: Peter McDowell Tel: 403-938-8928 The Saskatchewan Public Works Association http://saskatchewan.apwa.org Editorial Advisor: Andrew Stevenson Tel: 306-960-1624 The Manitoba Public Works Association http://manitoba.apwa.org 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. 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll Free: 866-999-1299 Toll Free Fax: 866-244-2544 www.matrixgroupinc.net Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 President & CEO: Jack Andress Operations Manager: Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers: Julie Welsh, Christine Scarisbrick Editor-in-Chief: Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Editorial Team: Jenna Collignon, Paul Adair, Kaitlin Vitt Finance/Administration: Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution: Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager: Jeff Cash jcash@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Team Leader: Andrew Lee Matrix Group Inc. Account Executives: Colleen Bell, Jackie Casburn, Rob Gibson, Jim Hamilton, Scott Hendren, Frank Kenyeres, Sandra Kirby, Charlie Langsford, Andrew Lee, Brian MacIntyre, Lynn Murphy, Caitlin Nakamura, Wilma Gray- Rose, Joseph Ukaoha Advertising Design: James Robinson Layout & Design: Cody Chomiak ©2024 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. On the cover: DeepRoot’s made-in-Canada Silva Cells solution enhances the natural environment below, while supporting healthy tree growth and city hardscapes above. Photo courtesy of DeepRoot. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTSA s the summer ends, I am reminded of the dynamic nature of our work and the seasons that influence it. This fall, I am honoured to address you as President of the Public Works Association of British Columbia (PWABC) – this has been a rewarding and fulfilling journey and I consider myself fortunate to have been able to engage with many of you in person at our conferences. I have especial- ly enjoyed celebrating the amazing people, projects, and accomplishments of our mem- bership with our annual awards. I would also like to take the time to thank Chris Anderson, our outgoing Past President. Chris has been a passionate voice for public works, leadership, education and PWABC and, without his perseverance, dedi- cation, and passion, we would not be where we are today. I would also like to personally thank him for the trust he had in me, as well as his mentorship and friendship. This season presents us with exciting challenges and opportunities. The chang- ing weather often brings about an increased demand for road maintenance, stormwater management, and preparation for winter conditions. It is during these times that the dedication and expertise of our public works professionals shine the brightest. I would like to highlight a few events that our association is putting on in the next few months. PWABC and the BC A Message from the Public Works Association of British Columbia Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) are again hosting our Joint Annual Conference in Penticton, British Columbia, from October 7-9, 2024. Penticton is provid- ing us with a beautiful venue, and we are excited to be returning there again. This year we have scheduled pre-conference water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant tours. For more information and to register. Visit https://site.pheedloop.com/ event/JAC2024/conferencepage. The City of Penticton is also hosting a post confer- ence Flush Truck Operations Course – visit our website for more details www.pwabc.ca. We are also bringing back the Awards Banquet at the Conference in Penticton this year as well, so make sure you get your nominations in for the 2024 Awards. There are so many devoted and remarkable pub- lic works employees out there; lets cele- brate them together. I hope to see you all in Penticton in October. Again, thank you for trusting me to guide this amazing association over the last two years. The role of public works in every- day life to build, maintain, and improve the infrastructure that supports our communi- ties remains as vital as ever. I am excited for what is to come for public works in British Columbia. Meryl Ditchburn Heinz President Public Works Association of British Columbia Board of Directors & Staff You can learn more about the Public Works Association of British Columbia on their website: www.pwabc.ca. PRESIDENT Meryl Ditchburn Heinz City of Nanaimo PRESIDENT- ELECT AND APWA DELEGATE Taryn Scollard City of Vancouver PAST PRESIDENT Chris Anderson City of West Kelowna SECRETARY & TREASURER Alex Christensen Westbank First Nations DIRECTORS Devon Aaroe City of Dawson Creek Jason Adair City of Victoria Ryan Adams City of Surrey David Best City of Penticton Matt Brown City of Surrey Jatin Chhibba Langley Concrete Group Pat Miller Retired Dylan Myers City of New Westminster MEMBER AT LARGE AND ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pat Miller executivedirector@ pwabc.ca The changing weather often brings about an increased demand for road maintenance, stormwater management, and preparation for winter conditions. It is during these times that the dedication and expertise of our public works professionals shine the brightest. 7 UP FRONTfor the two lengths of pipe that were required to repair the feeder main that broke in Calgary and left the city with a water short- age crises; a fitting example of how we can all come together and have agreements in place to help each other in times of need. The APWA Alberta Chapter used to host its Idea Group meetings around the province, doing just that – sharing ideas. These meet- ings included conducting tours, checking out new or modified equipment, and viewing our new buildings, shops, and infrastructure. We would really like to get these Idea Group meetings going again around the province, so if you and your municipality would like to host one, let us know. Do you have something you would like to share; maybe a training idea or job post- ing? We can help by putting it on our web- site to reach more people and a broader audience. I would also like to remind the membership about checking our website for more frequent updates. Don’t forget that PWX Public Works Expo is in Atlanta Georgia, happening September 8-11, 2024. I know this season can be a very busy time for us all, but I hope you all get the opportuni- ty to spend some time enjoying your summer with family and friends and the other things that matter. Peter McDowell President American Public Works Association, Alberta Chapter H ello, welcome you to the relaunch of the APWA Alberta Chapter. I would like to start by introducing the new Board of Directors to our membership: Abdou Souraya with the City of Calgary, Azam Khan with the City of Cold Lake, John Martineau with the Town of Hinton, Steven Kennedy with the Town of Innisfail, and Wade Nellis with the City of Grand Prairie A big thank you goes out to all who celebrated National Public Works Week (NPWW) 2024. Did your village, town, city, or municipality proclaim and celebrate the event? I know that most of the time we don’t like to bring too much attention to what we do well, but this is our chance to show off, tell our success stories, and help promote our public works departments. It’s okay to bring awareness, so don’t be shy. Glancing out my window and it finally looks like summer has shown up in Alberta. Many parts of our province have experi- enced a cooler and wetter than normal May and June, which has put many of us behind schedule with some of our maintenance activities, crack sealing, and line painting. One mission I would like to say that as member of the American Public Works Association (APWA), we see first-hand how important it is to work together to support one another during an emergency. So, a huge ‘thank you’ to the San Diego County Water Authority A Message from the Canadian Public Works Association, Alberta Chapter Board of Directors & Staff You can learn more about the American Public Works Association, Alberta Chapter on their website: alberta.apwa.org. PRESIDENT Peter McDowell DIRECTORS Steven Kennedy Town of Innisfail Azam Khan City of Cold Lake John Martineau Town of Hinton Wade Nellis City of Grand Prairie Abdou Souraya City of Calgary A huge ‘thank you’ to the San Diego County Water Authority for the two lengths of pipe that were required to repair the feeder main that broke in Calgary and left the city with a water shortage crises; a great example of how we can all come together and have agreements in place to help each other in times of need. Did you know that the Alberta Chapter was first founded in 1979 to enhance the services of the APWA to the Alberta public works community and to improve the quality of public works products and services to Canadian citizens. 9 UP FRONTNext >