By / Jessica Kirby • Editor, Sheet Metal Journal
When I read about the hope and resilience SMACNA contractors, the Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre, and SMACNA-BC leadership have demonstrated over the past several months, I am reminded about why working closely with the construction field as an editor was an easy, natural choice. At the time, back in 2007, I wondered if it would be too hard, too intimidating, too technical, but really, it was like coming home. I am not sure if it is because several men in my family, including my father, worked their entire lives in construction, or if it is because I completed an apprenticeship in my youth (not in construction) so I can relate to the learning process, or because I just can’t pass up a good tailgate chit chat, but this is an industry I have always felt good in, found interesting, and deeply respected.
Although BC construction slowed, it didn’t close down in March and April, and this had many repercussions for the men and women working in the field. The “feed one’s family versus stay healthy and safe” dilemma was a difficult one, but SMACNA-BC contractors pulled through. They rolled with the punches, scrambled like everyone else for sanitizer and the right words to offer the workforce, but most of all, they looked after each other. Find out how on page 8.
The Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre stands out in many ways—it has grown exponentially over the past decade, it has implemented some of the industry’s most advanced learning technology, and it is the cornerstone of developing future leaders in the sheet metal industry. Now, it can add managing through a pandemic to its roster of accomplishments. Staff and instructors exercised strength, ingenuity, and flexibility to develop a hybrid education model that will undoubtedly lead the way through the rest of the year, well into 2021, and beyond. See how they did it on page 15.
Every once in a while a project comes along that truly wows the crowd. Page 13 looks at how Apollo Sheet Metal did just that at the Annacis Island Water Treatment Plant, fabricating duct almost large enough to park a car in, and working with non-traditional materials while they were at it. The photos tell the story alone, but be sure to read about the challenges of this project and how the company met them with confidence.
Looking ahead, contractors in all facets of construction still have a lot to face. Provincial health officials feel autumn will bring a second wave of COVID-19 and, given the figures over the past couple of weeks, it seems 100% likely. Besides that, the trickle of investment that occurred in March and April will eventually catch up with the industry and contractors will be the ones to feel the consequences. Sandra Skivsky is director of marketing and business development for the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC), and she weighs in with her ideas on the responsible way forward for federal and provincial governments. Read more on page 10, and let me know what you think of her recommendations.
Finally, I have to give a nod to SMACNA-BC, which has had to make difficult decisions to cancel its events—including its world famous convention and epic golf extravaganza—in order to make the safest, most responsible decisions possible. At the same time, the office has stayed open and ready to assist contractors in any way possible. Well done.
As we move forward, uncertain for the immediate future but stronger together, I will continue to seek out the stories that you are creating with your commitment to the industry and each other. If you have such a story—a great project, a unique solution to a problem, an act of helping in the face of chaos, email me. I’d love to share your story and others would love to read it. ■
