Monday, October 7, 2019 Building Hope Guide Magazine By Brendan Kooy and Mike Montague, CLAC Representatives The construction of a new cancer centre hospital in Calgary has been a long time coming. Discussed many times over many years, the $1.4-billion project was finally given the green light in 2016 and subsequently awarded to a team led by PCL Construction to build. The project slogan is Building Hope—and it’s easy to see why. The new hospital will be a world-class healthcare facility and academic centre, providing cancer services to patients from all across southern Alberta. While the project, once complete, will provide tremendous opportunities for healing and care for cancer patients, announcement of the project also buoyed the employment hopes of many skilled tradespeople. With construction activity in Calgary slowing to a grind in 2014 and 2015 after a slowdown in the natural resources sector, work was anything but plentiful, and many companies went through wage reductions or freezes. Fortunately for Local 63 members, the PCL team was successful in its bid on the project. Three years later, the project is moving along in earnest, with most of the below-grade parkade completed already and the main building structure rising several floors above ground. Local 63 members employed by PCL Builders Inc. (responsible for the construction management tasks on site), Eastbrook Formworks Inc. (responsible for construction of the structure of the building), and Plan Group Inc. (responsible for approximately half of the electrical work) are all engaged on this project. Approximately 380 Local 63 members in total are working on the centre, employed as carpenters, concrete finishers, construction craft workers, crane operators (tower and mobile), electricians, operators, riggers, surveyors, and traffic control persons. The work crews are divided up under the four massive tower cranes on site, spread across a mix of day and night shifts. For many veteran Local 63 members with PCL, this project has allowed them to stay employed within the PCL family of companies. For many others, it has provided an opportunity to move from smaller companies to work on a major project and gain invaluable experience. And for others, it has paved the way to an apprenticeship in a skilled trade such as carpentry, concrete finishing, electrical, or crane operating, with this project being a primary driver for skilled trades apprenticeships in Calgary. We spoke with a diverse handful of Local 63 members working on the project to get their perspective on the work they’ve contributed to building hope for those with cancer. JACKIENNA MCDOWELL PCL Builders Inc. Traffic control person, apprentice carpenter On site since July 2017 “I have worked for PCL for over two years on this project. I started off as a flagger but have recently moved into a labourer/carpenter apprentice role. I’m excited for the opportunity to learn a new trade. “It has been amazing to witness the transformation of a parking lot into an excavation to two levels above ground, and counting. “Every day on this site can be a challenge. Things can happen unexpectedly and PCL has a high demand for safety and communication. “I used to work in a nursing home, so my work here is hard to relate to that experience or any other place where I’ve worked. But I am part of a wonderful project that will save so many people’s lives. And that’s the best part of this job.” DAVID THORNTON PCL Builders Inc. Second-year apprentice carpenter On site since May 2018 “I do a bit of everything—maintenance, flagging, little odds and ends. I’ve never worked on a project this big before, and never on one from beginning to end like this hospital. Hospitals come with their own little details that are unique. There are different codes and things have to be so much cleaner. “It’s a really big project and can be pretty overwhelming if you’re not used to something like that because there’s so much coming and going and different things going on around you. And they take safety very seriously. There’s overhead loads, with the cranes always picking up stuff, and vehicles going in and out of the gates all the time. There are scissor lifts and fall protection; we’re all trained in all the safety protocols that are required. “PCL has a cool program on the site called LEAN. It’s a way to improve efficiency on the work site. They have a QR code on posters around the site, which you can scan and then complete a form on how you would make things more productive. It can be anything from transportation to safety. “I was having a hard time figuring out where to go because this site is so massive, and there are so many different floors and things going on. It can be hard to navigate and stressful when your boss tells you to go somewhere and you have to find exactly where you need to go—and on time! My suggestion was to put way-finding maps on every stairwell, every floor, telling you where you are. The company loved my idea and I won a $100 gift card for it!” DANIEL BOLDISON Plan Group Inc. Journeyperson electrican On site since October 2018 “I’m originally from Leeds, England, but moved to Canada in September 2014. After living in Grande Prairie for two years with my original work visa—part of the time working for the Plan Group on construction of the new Grande Prairie hospital—I received my permanent residency and moved to Cochrane, Alberta, in 2015. “I have worked in construction for the last 15 years and have pretty much worked in all aspects of electrical. I became a CLAC steward shortly after starting on the project. “My role on site so far has consisted of slab work, which is installing PVC conduit into the floors. I have also been working in the original Foothills Medical Centre doing some renovations and upgrades and looking at building automation system drawings, planning routes for conduit. “The best thing about this site is being able to work with great people on a daily basis. Everyone—from the companies on site to the workers—has to be so conscious of safe work practices every day, especially because it’s such a busy site. I’m glad it’s such a safety-conscious site. “When I was in England, I witnessed a plumber get electrocuted. The worker was soldering in a room, not realizing that when he left, a live cable touched the area he was just soldering. Then, from another area of the house, he pushed another copper line and it touched the now live copper line. “Another time, I saw a concrete line connector break overhead, causing concrete to cover some workers. Thankfully nothing like that has happened here!” TYLER HIBBERD Plan Group Inc. Journeyperson electrician/lockout authority On site since September 2018 "I’ve been in construction for 14 years, and I’ve had the pleasure of working for Plan Group for one-and-a-half years. What’s cool about this site is working alongside so many different tradespeople. It’s a busy work site where we as electricians are installing our conduits on rebar before it gets poured into concrete slabs. “I also oversee any work being done that involves the locking out of live energy. I take pride in the fact that I get to help keep my fellow employees safe and educate them on how to responsibly conduct our work. “Just before I worked for Plan Group, I worked for SAIT [Southern Alberta Institute of Technology] teaching at a petrotechnic school in Kazakhstan. I’d have many chances to walk around and enjoy the sights—there was lots of ongoing construction in the area. It really gave me an appreciation for the safety standards we have in Canada. “The worst scenario I witnessed there was a worker on a piece of unstable looking wooden scaffolding, working on a column right at the edge of the building—with no fall protection or any sort of awareness that anything was wrong with that scenario. He could have died! It was so concerning that I took a photo so I could always remember how lucky we are in Canada. “It was not uncommon to see many workers there placing themselves at risk. Fortunately, safety was a big part of the program I taught so hopefully the next generation of workers will know better!” CESAR ORTIZ Eastbrook Formworks Inc. Fourth-year apprentice carpenter On site since May 2018 “I was born in El Salvador and I’ve been in the carpentry trade since 2009. I’ve done so many things. I started out working at McDonald’s, then I tried my hand at sales, and even dabbled in entrepreneurship, but I love carpentry. “We start our days off by doing our daily stretches and communicating in our shift meeting to figure out what the daily tasks are. After that, we usually disperse to accomplish as much as we can—depending on the weather. “The tasks are various and there’s always something new. We constantly try to work as a team to be efficient and get the job done, so the next crew can come on for the next task. The end of the day is quick and everyone’s usually in a hurry to clean up their tools and make sure materials are tied down for the night. “On top of my carpentry work, I’m a CLAC steward, which broadens my daily activities. I must attend disciplinary meetings, address employee concerns with management, and inform my coworkers of the companies’ obligations and responsibilities to them. “This is a very large project. There’s nothing easy about so many people working at the same time. Organization of the crew and their tasks, as well as equipment and tools, is difficult as we are confined to one small space. We make it work though, but the sheer size of this job site makes it one for the books. “Also, keeping everyone up-to-date and in the know when it comes to safety and the companies’ safety policies is very important. PCL has strict policies when it comes to working at heights. Everyone must be safe and tie-off, and not leave unsafe materials around to be tripped on. “There are also new people being added constantly to a job this size, which can be challenging because people are coming and leaving. It can be a bit overwhelming trying to maintain your stride while getting to know your new coworkers and their strengths and weaknesses. “I work from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After that, it’s time to go home to cook, relax, and prepare for the next day. It’s hard to balance personal life with work. It seems like there’s never enough time. But eventually, you get into a routine and that’s not such a bad thing. It’s so beneficial for me to work under a CLAC contract, mainly so that we’re not forced to stay past our nine hours. “It’s exciting to work on such an interesting project, and it will be cool to see the finished product. Accomplishing a big and long task is such a good feeling. I like to keep moving and always have a job to do and that’s what’s good about this job: I’m never bored! And this company can be pretty creative. They brought in this trophy for Best Crane Crew and it was so amusing to watch everyone cheer and laugh!” CALGARY CANCER CENTRE FAST FACTS Location Foothills Medical Centre on the corner of 16 Ave. and 29 St. NW Ground Breaking Friday, November 3, 2017 Expected Completion 2023 Cost $1.4 billion Construction Jobs Created 1,500 over six years The Building • 127,000 square metres • 5 levels below grade • 13 levels above grade • 124,000 cubic metres of concrete When completed, the centre will include the following: • 160 inpatient unit beds • 100+ examination rooms • 100+ chemotherapy chairs • 12 radiation vaults • Outpatient cancer clinics • Clinical and operational support services • Research laboratories and space for clinical trials • 1,650 underground parking stalls Sources: alberta.ca, pcl.com, albertahealthservices.ca Jackienna McDowell David Thornton Daniel Boldison Tyler Hibberd Cesar Ortiz Previous Next You might be interested in Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026 Ready to Deliver 3 Jun 2026