THE BRITISH OlUM IA NOVEMBER, 1963

PUB LISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY • VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1

P E T E R PARSONS - P H OT O

A BRAND NEW HIGHWAYThe Salmo-Creston Highway, under construction since the first reco n­

naissance over the route in 1957, was opened to traffic this fall. It is anextensio n of the Southern Transprovincial Highway and will provide analternate route through to Creston eliminating the ferry trip over theKootenay Lake. Travelling time across th e province has been cut abouttwo hours.

Part of the route follows the old Dewdney Trail, and pass es throughsome of th e most scenic country in th e province, thus opening up a newarea to th e tourist and outdoorsman.

Th e Highway, constructed to a 60 mile per hour standard with maxi­mum grades of 7.5% and reaching an alti tude of 5,820 feet , cost $12,000,000.Th e proj ect progressed steadily but slowly because of the short seasons.Along with th e usual problems of road-building in the mountains was theneed for proper sub-drainage to reduce winter frost heaving.

A good road has been built , adding to th e other famous highways inBriti sh Columbia.

MEET THE NEWCHIEF ENGINEER

The vacant Chi ef Engineer'sposition was filled on August 15thby Mr. D. D . Godfrey. This wasthe fourth major promotion ac­corded Mr. Godfrey since he joinedthe Department in June 1948.

He was born in England into afamily of one girl and two boys.Taking his early education in aprivate grammar school and com­pleting two years of universitywith aspirations to becom e amathematics professor, Mr. God­frey was forc ed through lack offunds to accept a job wit h theGreat Southern Railway in BuenosAires, South America. This oppor­tunity was presented to universitystud ent s as an experiment by theSouth American gove rnm en t to at­tr act college-trained young peoplewho would mor e easily adapt to anew land. Mr. Godfrey chose towork in the Enginee ring (trackbuilding branch of the company,and spent his evenings in studiesfor an enginee ring degree. He alsostud ied and mastered th e Spa nishlanguage.

While an active memb er of th eAnglican Churc h Choir, he becameacquainted with a young ladylater to become his wife.

A tota l of twe nty years wasspent in the Argentine, and Mr.

P. A. GaglardiMinis ter

Message

Minister's

On a side tour from th e B.C. Gov­ernment Employees' Associationcha rter Hight to London last June,we visited Scotland. Near Inver­ness, our bus travelled over roadsthat were under repair, and wewere astonished to see that ourB.C. Highways' sign had beenadopted - even in the north ofScotland!-Mrs. D. Wilkins, GrandForks.

In a govern men t depart­ment as large and complexas ours, there is sometimes afeeling of remoteness anddetachment in the many far-

(lun g offices and yards. W e com m unicate, we recognize names andradio call numbers, we m ove around and make some personalcontact but perhaps som etim es we feel we don't really belong. I tis som etimes diffi cult to regard as a team-mate, someone severalhundred miles away, whom we have never met and whose namewe barely know, eve n wh en he is doing the same work for thesam e em ployer. N evertheless we have to function as a team andwe have a com mon purpose - to work in the public interest tothe best of our ability by providing a good highway system, welldesigned, well built, we ll maintained and well administered.

To this end, therefore, I was pleased to authorize this new"house organ" publication. 1 believe that the everyday sharedexperiences and the personnel news and information appearingin this magazine, as well as the recognition of individua l andgroup achievement, will help us attain a greater measure of unityin th e Department and this can on ly be in th e best interest of thepublic as well as our own.

WALLY BYAMCARAVANCLAIMS B.C. HIGHWAYSARE BEST

On July 31st 1963 a caravan of120 shiny aluminum trailers towedby panels, half-tons, sedans, andconvertibles rolled over the RogersPass highway in to Golden. Themen, women and children, com­prising this highly organized brig­ade, were from around Bemidji,Minneapolis. They were "tourists"in every sense of the word.

The travellers were enthusiastic-the village of Golden was warmlyreceptive. An evening of welcomewas arranged by the Chamber ofCommerce and part of the enter-

CONTINUED PAGE 7

CHIEF ENGINEER (Cont'd)

Godfrey was promoted up toMaintenance Engineer with therailway, a position equivalent toour District Engineer. When Presi­dent Peron decided to expropriatethe railway company, and the staffwas gradually being replaced bypolitical supporters, Mr. Godfreydecided to move on.

The Godfrey family now in­cluded three children, and booksabout Canada, along with recom­mendations of friends, helped con­vince them this was where theyshould start a new home. It wasdecided that "father" would goin advance to locate a job first, andthe boat he boarded was destinedfor Canada's west coast of BritishColumbia. Th e mountains were agreat attraction, he being a climb­ing enthusiast. Just days after hisarrival a job application in reply toan adv ertised position placed himin Revelstoke as District Engineerwith the Highways Department. Itwas June 1948, a beautiful mid­summer, and his wife and famil ywere soon to join him.

As in South America, job pro­motions came steadily. April 1950a promotion and transfer to PrinceGeorge as Division Engineer. April1956 a promotion and transfer toNew Westminster as RegionalHighway Engineer. Then this mostrecent promotion to Victoria asChief Engineer.

Mr . Godfrey leads an activesocial life. A member of the AlpineClub of Canada and mountainr.escue group, he was also a mem­ber in the Vancouver Bach Choir.Besides holding executive posi tionsin the Professional Engineers' Asso­ciation, he finds time to enjoy hishobby of building hi-fi and stereo­phonic sets. He has even made timeto extend his educational qualifi­cations by completing a three-yearExecutive Development Trainingplan course two years ago . We aresure all employees and members ofthe public who have worked withhim, and had coptact with him,join in wishing him success, goodhealth and happiness in his newposition.

2

Published Quart erly byDepartment of Highways-British Columbia

1690 Main St., North Vancouver

Merv D . Novak-EditorRay Baines-s-Executive Editor

FOURTY -FOUR YEARS AGOHow many tim es do we hear th e complaint ab out

trucks and machinery that are too old or too slow! Ittakes an old photo to make us realize th at pr ogr esshas been mad e in fifty year s, especially if we take amoment to compare it with one of modern day equip­ment.

Volume 1

THE ROAD·RUNNER

Nov ember 1963 Edition 1

Here we ha ve photos taken in 1919. The loc ation isth e Slaterville ar ea, probably familiar to Cranbrookpeople. Two of th e four men are Ray Armstrong, dri verin th e white shirt, and Rainbow Wat son, The photoshows a full- scal e ope ra tion to remove select materialfor road repairs or cons tru ction, similar to our presentday screening plants or crushers. You will notice th atth e vehicle is a Fed eral Truck. A grizzly is lying onth e extreme right, th e team hitch ed to th e scra pe rwhich possibly had a half-yard capac ity hauls th emat erial which is screene d before loading.

This next photo shows service time. It appears thatthe truck driver is oiling th e tail gate with an oil can.

The picture of th e truck with the elevate d dump box( right ) is a demonstration of th e hoi st op eration whichprobably was th en a modern device. Surprisinglyeno ugh it is a hydraulic cable combination.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought afool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Associate Field Editors

Adam Kloster _. North VancouverDave Wardell __ Burnsid eJ. W . Morris _ __ ._._ NanaimoPat MacC arthy Courten ay\V. Ryan . _. __ . North Van cou verLlo yd Burgess __ New \VestminsterB. Gilmour .._. .. _..__ ChilliwackDave Gray __ .. KamloopsM. V. Ramsay __ __ _ Salmon ArmS. W. Minifie _.._.. _. RevelstokeA. G. Desimone . .._.._ Vern on

;:lu;:~~~_~_ . : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: : : : : : : : :: : : :: : : :: : :: : : : : : : : : : : : . p~~lt~~~~~I: ~~ITI_e.~ . _ : : : : : ::: : : :::: :: ::::: :::: :: :::: : : ::: ::: : ::: : : : ·B~st~~r~~~o. D . Rob erts _. _. __ _.._. Lill ooetD. Hill __ _._ .. Williams Lak eMrs. D. Wilkins _._ _ _ _. _..__ ._ Grand ForksBert Stait e _ RosslandW. 1. N. Higgins .__ _ Ne lsonBill Budden __ Ne w DenverMiss 1. LaBell e __ __ .. Cres tonVince Smith . ._._ __ Cra nbrookM. Struve .__ _ __ _ ._ .._ F ernieJohn Edgar _ Golde nBill Ingram ._ ..__.__ VictoriaS. J. Sviatko ..__.._.__ __ Smithe rsDave Bowman .. .. .. Pouce CoupeEarl Lund ._ _ __. Prince GeorgeP. A. Tondevold ._ _.._ Fort St . JohnJ. P. O'Toole _ TerraceA. F. Park Prince Geo rgeA. Limacher .._.. ._..__ _ Prince George

3

A LABORER...ASWEEPSTAKE$60,000 ... NOW WHAT?

Hugo Boreen bought an IrishSweepstake ticket with the last$3.00 in the sugar bowl. Lady Lucklooked his way and he now has$60,000 to worry about! Actually,when we interviewed Pat andHugo neither of them looked wor­ried-thrilled, is the word to useas the photograph shows.

This young couple came to Quesnel from Saskatch­ewan in 1959. They were neighbours in a small farm­ing community nine years ago when they met on ablind date. Hugo, the son of a farmer, is a quiet fellow,who believes that "all things work together for good.You just have to work hard and keep your chin up."They have had their share of problems. Illness, unem­ployment, and a large family to support can be dis­couraging. Pat, who is a devoted wife and mother, says"We have been down, but never out; our situationwould be bad, but just for a while and then somethinggood would always happen; worrying never helped."

L. to R. Sidney 4Jj, Michael 3Jj, Nola 7,Daniel Dj, Derwin 6.

This young family really appreciates this good fortuneand it hasn't gone to their heads. They have ordered anine-passenger station wagon but they will not splurge.Poverty has taught thrift, and the money will be usedto secure a good education for their five children, aswell as investments to stabilize Hugo's yearly earnings."I want to stay with the Department if I can, I like myjob , the fellows are good to work with, we like it herein Quesnel." He says the money is tax-free and is trans­ferred to them through their bank. The telegram thatnotified them they were winners also stated it tookabout twenty-one days to complete the arrangements.We extend them both congratulations, and try to sup­press that tiny feeling of envy.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

Confucius said: "The wise man has nine points of thoughtfulcare. In looking, his care is to observe distinctly; in listening,his care is to apprehend clearly; in his appearance, his care isto be kindly; in his manner, his care is to be courteous; inspeaking, his care is to be conscientious; in his duties, his careis to be earnest; in doubt, his care is to seek information; inanger, he has a care for the consequences; and when he hasopportunity for gain, his care is whether it be right."

. . . Great Books.

4

D. GODFREY FAREWELLRegional and District Staffs witnessed the colourful

presentation of the Grand Award Ribbon, Desk Set andLuggage on Friday, August 23rd, 1963 at North Van­couver to Mr. D. D. Godfrey on his promotion to ChiefEngineer.

Mr. E. J. Garrett, Regional Construction Engineeraddressed Mr. Godfrey on behalf of all the employeesof this Region and expressed everyone's appreciationand pleasure in working for Mr. Godfrey as theirRegional Highway Engineer, and accorded to him theirsincere best wishes.

The picture showing the presentation of the desk setexpresses the pleasure of left to right, Mr. E. J. Garrett,Mr. H. Mackenzie, R/W Agent, Mr. W. Mercer,Regional Mtce, Engineer and Mr. Godfrey.

ANOTHER LOOK INTO THE PAST ...

A "Speeder" shovel loads a Chev half ton.

Chilliwack City Centre, January 27th, 1935.

Just two years after he joined theHighways Department as RegionalConstruction Engineer, J. W.Nelson, received promotion toRegional Highway Engineer. Thisposition was left vacant with thetransfer of M. G. Elston to NorthVancouver. Mr. Nelson, born inRevelstoke in 1924, where his fatherwas a railroad conductor, was edu­cated in Port Alberni and Victoria.He attended the University of B.C.and also spent one year at the Uni­versity of Manitoba. While workingwith the City of Kamloops as CityEngineer he continued studies fora degree in Civil Engineering. Heassumes his new duties with arecognized ability for smooth ad­ministration.

Bill is a gentle but firm person­ality very much involved withraising four sons. He and his wife,Shirley, take an active part inchurch activities and in the sociallife of their children. He naturallyenough is on the local Boy ScoutCommittee.

A popular man, who makesfriends easily, Mr. Nelson will un­doubtedly help to maintain thegood public image the Departmentenjoys in Region 2.

Smithers received the ableleadership of S. J. Sviatko, whenSteve was promoted from ResidentEngineer at Burnside to DistrictSuperintendent in this northerntown.

The thirteen years Steve hasworked with the Department, andthe transfers from New West­minster, Chilliwack to Victoriahave groomed him for this newposition.

A quiet person with great self­confidence, Steve will be doing agood job with the help and co­operation of the Department's staffin Smithers.

Promotions

When a decision was made tocreate th e position of Superinten­dent of Equipment, Jack Smytheof Kamloops was chosen to fill it;In September, Jack moved to Vic­toria to take a place among thebranch heads at headquarters.

Jack was born, 1911, in Ver­milion, Alberta. His father, whowas a car inspector with the C.P .R.,moved the family to British Col­umbia and Jack was educated inPenticton and Merritt. CompletingHigh School and still only fourteenyears of age, he was too young fora "man's" job, so he delivered tele­grams. A mechanical aptitude ledhim to jobs where he workedaround machines, and it wasn'tlong before he was a Service Main­tenance Manager with a largetrucking firm. Discharged afterthree years of military service withthe Royal Canadian Air Force, Mr.Smythe continued a career inmechanics, serving with the BritishColumbia Forest Service as Mech­anical Supervisor, and finally join­ing the Highway Department in1959. He has been MechanicalSuperintendent in Region 2 untilthis promotion.

Jack and his wife, Pauline, cele­brated their twentieth weddinganniversary in October this year;they have one child, a boy ofeleven.

Naturally enthusiastic, Mr.Smythe will make this new posi­tion a valuable asset for the depart­ment.

W. P. Zaporozan with the Mater­ials Testing Branch in PrinceGeorge, has been promoted fromEngineering Aide 3 to Engineer­ing Assistant. Mr. Zaporozan, whoserved for a time at Nelson, andnow with an accumulated serviceof six years, will ably fill thisposition.

A familiar face is back again inRegion 3-that of Merrill Sproul.Merrill, previously the District En­gineer in Cranbrook (1956-59 ) hasreturned to Nelson as RegionalMaintenance Engineer.

Merrill was born in Davidson,Saskatchewan; received his primaryand secondary education there, andgraduated in Civil Engineeringfrom the University of Saskatch­ewan in 1950.

Coming to British Columbia inApril, 1956, Merrill joined theHighway Department as DistrictEngineer in Cranbrook. In Septem­ber, 1959, he was transferred toNew Westminster and in August,1961, to Salmon Arm , serving asDistrict Engineer in both localities.In January, 1963, in addition tobeing District Engineer in SalmonArm , he assumed the duties ofActing Regional Maintenance En­gineer in Kamloops.

Merrill is married with threechildren-one girl and two boys.His friends welcome him back toRegion 3, extend their congratula­tions on his promotion.

Skeena West District at Terraceannounces the promotion of R. A.Swindlehurst from AutomotiveMechanic to Assistant Shop Fore­man. This promotion was effectiveSeptember 13th. Mr. Swindlehursthas 15 months' service with theDepartment. The promotion alsotransferred him from the TerraceShop to the Maintenance Shop atHazelton.

A report from Fort St. John tellsus that Clifford G. Andrews, afterthree . years of service with theHighway Department has beenpromoted from Bridgeman 3 toBridge Foreman Grade 1.

5

Promotions (Cont'd)

Fifteen years service with theDepartment, culminat ed in Sep­tember when George Harper re­ceived promotion from ResidentEn gineer in Prince George, a posi­tion held since 1951, to DistrictSuperintendent in Qu esnel. Georgebegan his career as a JuniorDraughtsman with the Construc­tion Branch in 1948, and since thenhas steadily progressed in highwayengineering. An "ord inary gu y"who likes his job very mu ch,George is married with three chil­dren. He and his wife, Iris , sharea keen inter est in the local Parent­Teacher Association and all out­door activities. An active KinsmanClub member, George serves onthe Winter Employment Com­mittee. Still a young man at 36, Mr.Harper has many more years ofservi ce to offer to our D epartment.

Anoth er man to gain recognitionfor good service is Mr. R. E.Meeks , a Grader Operator 3 ofKamloops, who has be en promotedto fill the position as Road Main­tenance Foreman 2 at Chase, inthe Salmon Arm District.

6

Al 'V. Slater earned a promotionfrom Distri ct E ng ineer at Quesnelto Regional Maintenance Engineerin Kamloops.

Al started with the Departmentin October, 1961 taking up the posi­tion of district eng ineer for theNorth Cariboo.

He was born in W illiams Lake,but received his primary educationin Sussex , England ; secondaryschooling back in Van cou ver anda Civil Engineering degree atU.B.C.

World War II placed him in theR.C .A.F. as a member of first aground crew and then an air crew.He served as a troop commander,23rd field squadron in the Korean'V al'. A military career continuedfrom 1953 to 1961 with the RoyalCanadian Engineers. During thi stim e Al held rank of Captain.

He and his wif e Willma weremarried in 1948. They have onechild, a three-year-old daughter.

No doubt Al will be joining localgolf and curling clubs and makingfriends with Kamloops' coin collec­tors. These are his favorite pas­tim es.

Fifteen years of loyal service byJohn Edward Jennings earns himanother promotion from TruckDriver Grade 2 to Road ForemanGrade 2. Mr. Jennings is a mem­ber of the Courtenay District. Heis recognized by his superiors, andthe community he works in, as aman to be depended upon, and weknow road maintenance in th eCourtenay area will be the best.

Medical Note: To avoid fallin ghair, step briskly aside.

Mr. R. W, Veitch returns toGolden. Bob, who was recently inGolden as Resident Engineer withthe Construction Branch, returnsthis tim e as District Superinten­dent, replacing Mr. George Austin.

Born in Trail, Bob attendedschool in that city and also inFruitvale and Vancouver.

He began work with the High­ways Department in October, 1951with the Construction Branch asan Axeman. While with thatBranch, he worked his way up toResid ent Engineer , and has been inmany areas of the Province, Green­wood, Pen tic ton , Spences Bridge,Golden, Salmo and Kinnaird tomention a few.

Bob is married with two chil­dren , a son and a daughter .

New Denver's loss was Ross­land's gain when .Percy WilliamCutler was promoted from UtilityMan to Road Maintenance Fore­man, Grade 2, and transferred. Mr.Cutler has a proud record of fifteenyears with th e Department. He isa married man with a lovely familyof four children.

Announcing the promotion ofW ilmot W. Tinsley from TractorOperator 3 at McBride to RoadMaintenance Foreman 2 at TeteJaune. Mr. Tinsley has accumu­lated a good record in the fouryears' service with the Department.Our best wishes go to him as hetakes up this new position.

The Lillooet District Office givesrecognition to Bruce Drewry, withhis promotion from Truck Driverto Foreman 1. Bruce, who lives inClinton, is married with three chil­dren. He has eleven years' service.

CARAVAN (Cont'd)

tainment included the showing ofthe "Rogers Pass" film by AdamKloster of the highway department.

Wally Byam, manufacturer ofthe unique "Air-Stream" trailer

organized his first caravan of trailerowners in 1955. This tour origin­ated in Los Angeles and the routeled to eastern Canada. It was sosuccessful that today there are over8,000 trailer owners participatingin these cross-country caravans.

The trailers are self-containedinclu ding electric light s. Stops aremade where there are facilities orattractions or both. Although thetour follows an itinerary, memberscan detour and catch up again atanother point.

At any given moment there is atleast one group of 100 or moretrailers touring somewhere in theWestern Hemisphere. Caravanheadquarters make all fieldarrangements. It takes care of alldetails such as arrangements withlocal officials for stop-over parking,supplies, local entertainment, andreceptions. In the case of inter­national tours they take care ofshipping, customs, insurance, visas ,tourist cards, and even healthexaminations.

The people making up eachgroup are selected to include aleader, entertainment committee,purchasing agent, mechanic, doc­tor, and other trained personnel.

It was gratifying to hear thisgroup voicing their enthusiasm forour beautiful scenery and high­ways . They travel over a lot ofcountry and shou ld know.

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACESMr. M. G. Elston has taken up the duties of Regional

Highway Engineer in Region 1, North Vancouver, fol­lowing the promotion of the former Regional Engineer,D. D. Godfrey to Chief Engineer in Victoria.

Born in Hong Kong in 1928 (his father, now retiredand living in England was employed by the HongKong Police as a detective), Mick spent the first year

of his educational life in Hong Kong . and then his family sent him toEngland where his grandmother could be a guardian and where a higherstandard of education could be obtained. Mr. Elston was literally raisedby schoolmasters. In twelve years, he saw his parents twice. In 1949, Mickgraduated from University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineer­ing and then went to Malaya to practice his profession.

He spent four years in this tropical land, then came to Canada in Janu­ary 1954. He received employment with the Alberta Department of High­ways in Edmonton. Here he held a Resident Engineer's position for a yearand a half until a job offer by an Engineering Consulting Firm took himto Whitehorse, Yukon. Up north, Mick met a young lady from PrinceGeorge who is now Mrs. Elston. Two years in the Yukon and then theElstons moved south to Kamloops where Mick was hired by the HighwaysDepartment as a District Engineer.

Mr. Elston advanced rapidly: April 1957, District Engineer; April 1959,Regional Maintenance Engineer; July 1960, Regional Highway Engineer.

Men of act ion and ability usually end up with an active social life andMr. Els ton is no exception. He is missed in Kamloops by more peoplethan just those working for the Department. Besides holding Office ofPeople's Warden of St. Paul's Anglican Church, where the family weremembers, Mick was President of the Kamloops Rotary Club, Chairmanof the Central B.C. Branch, Engineering Institute of Canada and Pro­fessional Engineers of British Columbia.

Being the father of four daughters along with his job doesn't allowtime for many hobbies, but Mick does like to read: His choice of bookscould be called "Heavy".

Richard Boss very ably fills the position of ResidentEngineer in the Esquimalt District. He transferred re ­cently from Smithers where, for a while, he held theposition of Acting District Engineer. Previous to this,Dick was employed for two and a half years as anEngineer-in-Training in various branches throughoutthe Department. We sense in Mr. Boss a determinationto be a real success in his chosen profession, and weheartily wish him the best.

Don MacSween, the new RadioOperator in Prince George, trans­ferred there from Kamloops. InKamloops , he worked in the Reg­istry Office as a Search Clerk. Hav­ing had radio experience, he be­came the successful applicant tothe position as Radio Operator inPrince George.

We wish him luck as he oper­ates the two trunk system consist­ing of twelve repeaters, twenty-twobase station outlets and about 125mobile units.

7

.Larry Taylor, formerly ControlTower Operator at Deas Towerhas taken up the position of RoadForeman Grade 4 at Cranbrook. Ahunting enthusiast, Larry is verypleased with this ew location be­cause the Kootenay area is greatgame country.

Last September's many promo­tions and transfer s also includedthe transfer of District Engineer,Herb F. Coupe of Cranbrook, tofill a position left vacant in SalmonArm.

Senior Road Maintenance Fore­man, Alvin G. Nelles has trans­ferred from Cranbrook to Athal­mere.

Al has presently accumulated asuccessful record of 13 years withthe Department.

Our best wishes as he continueshis duties in this new location.

VED TO CR NB 00

New Faces (Cont'd)

Geo ge K. Austin, District uperintendent for thepast seven years at Golden has been transferred toCranbrook. George received his engineering tr ainingin the Canadian Army as a member of the Royal Can­adian Engineers.

He joined the Provincial Department of PublicWorks in 1947 as a Chainman with the ConstructionBranch. In 1949, George transferred to the LocationBranch where his classifications were consecutively­Draftsman, Instrument Man, Resident Engineer .

Transferring to the Maintenance Section of the De­partment in 1952, he was appointed to Columbia Dis­trict at Golden as Resident Engineer. He held thisposition until April 1956 when he was pr omoted toDistrict Superintendent.

George is married with three sons. His social lifeis full. Active in the Kinsmen and the Masonic Lodge,he is a Past President of the Golden Kinsmen's Club,Past-Master of Mountain Lodge No. 11, 1962 Kins­man of the Year and 1963 Deputy Governor, Okan­agan and Mainline Zone of the Kinsmen. A formerDirector of the Golden and District Credit Union, inhis spare time, he is a Director of the Golden andDistrict General Hospital and a Director and driverfor the Golden Volunteer Ambulance Committee.

Golden, as can be seen from the above outline, islosing one of its most active citizens. We anticipatethat Cranbrook will never be the same again, onceGeorge is settled and finds his way around.

We all wish George well in his new Distr ict, andwill be listening for his quiet "3-5-1" on the radio.

The North Okanaga 1 District held its second annualgeneral safety meeting Sept. 18th at the LakesideHotel. The District Superint endent Mr. W. G. Helm­sing was chairman. Mr. Bucl Davis and Mr. D.McLean of the Workmen's Compensation Board wereguest speakers.

Mr. Joe Aven­der, Resident En­gineer helping outin a demonstrationin the correct pro­cedure of flagging.

MAFNO

Richie Harold, that popular young fellow from NorthVancouver Toll Bridge Authority Office, has beetransferred to the Oak Street Yard Operation. Richiehas presently served with the Department three anda half years and holds position as Stockma .

Anyone wondering where Ernest Kennedy and DaveJones have moved to? You will find Ernest Kennedy,a Clerk Grade 2 with five years' service, now workingin the North Vancouver Office, while Dave Jones, alsoa Clerk Grade 2, with six years' service, now is at NewWestminster. Ernest comes to North Vancouver fromNew Westminster, while Dave was transferred fromToll Bridge Maintenance at the Oak Street Yard.

8

Merrill Sproul makes presenta­tion of a Turtle Club Award toGlen Chadwick of ' Salmon Arm.Mr. Chadwick was presented thisaward because his hard hat savedhim from serious injury when aheavy sign slipped and knockedhim forcibly to the ground.

"This better be a good story . . ."

000

000

"TURTLE" CLUB GETS NEW MEMBER

Unique Safety Suggestion Box,isn't it? This was designed andconstructed by Ray Evans, SignPainter, at th e Rossland-TrailHighway Headquarters.

Your ha rd hat can save your life! Perhaps you agreewith this statement and perhaps you don't. If you agree,then your pers onal safe ty means something to you.H owever, if you think safety ta lk is just propaganda,then the following could change your mind:

Russell Hamilton, a member of the Prince Georgebrush clearing crew, was burning brush July 19thwhen suddenly a spruce tree on another burning pilefell and struck him on the head. Results, only a head­ache for Mr. Hamilton, and a ruined hard hat. We areconvinced that Mr. Hamilton's life was saved becausehe was wearing his hard hat. Will you be protectedshould a similar accident occur ? Or will you be anotherstatistic?

WHY DO HARD HATS ANDSEAT BELTS PAY OFF?

Damage to the departmental truck was heavy, butbecause he was safety conscious Mr. Callaghan escapedwith only minor injuries. Had he not been wearing hishard hat, he probably would have sustained serioushead injuries. The impact drove his head against the 'cab , denting both the cab and the hard hat. If thisemployee had been sitting on the seat belt instead ofwearing it there is no doubt he would have beenthrown from his truck, and one shudders to think whatthe results might have been.

Accident Prone?

Do hard hats and seat belts payoff? You bet theydol If you are not convinced, just read the experienceof Prince George Truck Driver, Maurice Callaghan,who is incidentally a member of the Prince GeorgeSafety Committee. Maurice has good reason to beglad that he was wearing both a hard hat and a seatbelt.

On August 19th, Mr. Callaghan was dumping gravelon the shoulder of the Hart Highway about 119 milesnorth of Prince George. He had placed all necessarywarning signs out well in advance of the job, and alsohad a flagman, Mr. Herman Burns , stationed where hecould flag down oncoming traffic. Mr. Callaghan hadjust backed his truck across the road and dumped aload of gra vel when a loaded tandem truck came intoview. Although the flagman tried to stop the oncomingunit, it hit Mr. Callaghan's vehi cle, knocking it 55 feetdown the road and turn ing it completely around.

A person can be "accident prone". He is an indi­vidual who has developed the habit of indifference.He pays no heed. He takes chances without realizingit. He usually gets into trouble.

Two little girls were discussing their fathers. "Mydaddy is a dentist," boasted one. "Humph", retorted t heother, "that's nothing. Mine's a civil serpent."

9

"10-7" CLUB - NEW MEMBERSRobert Dunlop retires at the age

of 65 and a trip to his birthplacein Scotland is in the immediatefuture.

Mr. Dunlop has served 18 yearswith the Department of Highways,holding position of Bridge Foremansince 1945.

He has been a resident of Trailfor many years , an active partici­pant in the curling clubs and anardent sports fisherman.

His former fellow workers willmiss Bob and they would like tosee him drop into the yard everyonce in a while.

000

Charles Delmar Johnston ofAthalmere ended 23 years of ser­vice with his retirement last July.He commenced employment withthe Department of Public Workson May 22nd, 1940 as a GraderOperator at Golden.

He was subsequently pro­moted to the position of RoadMaintenance Foreman 4 in 1950,the position he held until his re­tirement.

Mr. Johnston is married and hasthree daughters, two of whom liveat Hope and the third at Cran­brook.

000

A record of 31 years' service withthe Public Works and the Depart­ment of Highways was completedwhen Russell C. Irvin retired.

Mr. Irvin, a long-time residentof Port Coquitlam, worked asSenior Bridge Tender.

He gained a reputation amonghis fellow workers as a man of de­pendability and conscientiousness.We join with his many friends towish him many more years ofhappiness while he watches othersdo it .

000

"Head" Ferryman Archie Beattyretired last July after 25 years' ser­vice . He started 'back in 1938 asoperator of the West CrestonFerry.

Archie remembers well the olddays when the roads were bad, theferry was a scow and a boat tiedtogether and the wages were $3.20per day.

10

John Basista, of the Kaslo crew,retired at the end of July, after 22years of service as a rock driller.

John came to Canada fromCzecho-Slovakia in the thirties andstarted life on the prairies. Aftera spell with the C.P.R, he beganto work with our rock construc­tion crews on Kootenay Lake.About this time John married awidow, Mrs. Louise Shutty, andthereby became connected with thefamous family who pioneered thesettlement of Shutty Bench in1890.

Farm hors es are John's great in­terest in life-he was somewhat ofa horseman in the old land-andhis team is the finest in the area.

Since retirement John has beenbusy making shakes for the barn.He is still pretty hale and heartyand looks as if he could have man­aged another five years withoutany problems.

000

George Wright retires at theage of 65 from his position withthe Department as Reaction FerryOperator at Terrace. Mr. Wrightwas born in Port Essington, BritishColumbia. He is a member andcounsellor of the Kitselas IndianBand. His immediate retirementplans are to take it easy for aboutsix months and then look for a jobas a watchman. This man has no in­tention of "laying down the shoveland the hoe". He is an ardent sportsfisherman and will certainly bedoing a good share of that.

o 0 \)

Retirement honours go to anotherdepartment faithful, F. E. (Jimmy)Boyce, of Balfour, B.C. Mr. Boyce,now aged 62, retired after twelveyears as a Purser, Mate, and SeniorPurser of the Ferries Branch withthe Department. A veteran of theSecond World War, he servedwith the RA.F. from March 1939through to October 1946. Mr. Boyceand Mrs . Boyce , who is a musicteach r will be moving to WhiteRock, where Jimmy will no doubtindulge in his favourite hobby, gar­dening. They have a daughter liv­ing at Deep Cove and the move tothe Coast will bring this familycloser together. Mr. Boyce's manyfriends and acquaintances at Bal­four and the Kootenay Lake areawish him many years of happiness.

We also announce the retire­ment of Woodruff Bradbury. Mr.Bradbury, who held position as aRoad Foreman on Gambier Islandsince 1942, came to Canada at theage of six from Yeadon, .Yorkshire,England. His family first settledat Cardston, Alberta. A workingcareer as farmer, RC.M.P. Con­stable, and Department of High­ways road foreman, has terminated.Mr. Bradbury intends to settledown to a casual activity of "keep­ing up with the woodpile, and gar­dening".

o \) \)

Mr. Porter and wife .

Retiring with 10 years' Service.Cecil H. Porter, truck driver with

the Department in Vernon, retiringafter 10 years' service due to illhealth. Born 1906, at Elm Creek,Manitoba, he served with the Can­adian Army from 1940-45.

At the Department's annualparty, Nov. 1st at the LakesideHotel, Mr. Porter was presentedwith a mantel clock from his fel­low workers. He has many hobbiesin life , including boating, fishing,woodwork and literary interests.Mr. Porter is married and has oneson 12 and a daughter II.

000

Mr. Olofson .

Also with 10 years.Olof Werner Olofson, with the

Department in Enderby, retiredafter 10 years' service due to illhealth. Born in Sweden 1906, heserved with the Canadian Armyfrom 1941-46.

At the Department's annualparty, Dist. Supt. W. Helmsing pre­sented Mr. Olofson with a mantelclock from his fellow workers.

Reverend Westcott of Sidney,V.I., had the pleasure of officiatingat the wedding of Miss DonnaAlarie and Mr . Morley Cornelius,on August 30, 1963. Morley is anew member with the Departmentand presently is employed as anEngineering Aide . The couplehoneymooned at Nanaimo anddistrict. They will live at 1539Jubilee Avenue, Victoria. Theirmany friends are welcomed to paythem a visit "just any time".

Wedding bells rang last June29th when Al Darbyshire of theChilliwack District exchangedvows with Miss Donna Wilson ofSurrey. .

A Wedding Ceremony in Smith­ers conducted by Rev. G. H. Beley,united in marriage Miss Freda LouEttinger, employee of the Depart­ment, and Mr. Alexander Bruce,also of Smithers. The event tookplace Aug. 30th, 1963. After a briefhoneymoon in Prince George, thecouple have taken up residence inSmithers.

"Our Newlyweds"

August 10th, 1963 was a happyday for David F. Ward, memberof the Highways Department atPouce Coupe, when he and MissMarjorie Simms exchanged wed­ding vows. Canon Callan of PouceCoupe officiated. The couple spenttheir honeymoon at Los Angeles,California. Sincere congratulationsgo to both of them from their manyfriends in the department.

On August 3, 1963 an eveningceremony in St. Andrew's UnitedChurch, Haney, united in marriageSteve Cutt, popular member of theGrand Forks Highways Shop crewand Patricia Thompson of Haney.Miss Ann Baker was bridesmaidand Mr. George Lobay, fellow­worker of Steve, best man.

Steve was born in Czecho­slovakia and came to Canada withhis parents in 1936, and in Septem­ber 1952, joined the Highways De­partment in the Grand Forks shop,where he is now a heavy dutymechanic.

An active member of the GrandForks Voluntary Fire Depart­ment, Steve is now Assistant FireChief, and is also a member of theAmbulance Rescue Unit operatedby the Fire Department. He is amember and Past President of theJunior Chamber of Commerce, anardent curler anda member of thelocal Trap Shooting Club.

Patricia was formerly employedin the Grand Forks office of theB.C. Telephone Company.

Mr. and Mrs . Cutt will maketheir home in Grand Forks.

In Sympathy AN ANNUAL EVENT . . .

WHY VANDALISM ?

Vernon's Lakeside Hotel, on the shore of Okanagan Lake, was the settingfor this year's annual Department of Highways supper and dance. Themusic was supplied by Department personnel who call themselves the'Midnight Ramblers'. Over 90% of the employees turned out , to make it asuccessful event. Much of the credit must be given to the District Super­intendent, Mr. W. G. Helmsing, for making all the arrangements. Everyoneis now looking forward to next year's festivities.

CORNISH - Harold Wesley,aged 57 years, of Westbank, B.C.,died in Kelowna General Hospital,September 12, 1963. Mr. Wesleywas employed as Road Mainten­ance Foreman 3 in the SouthOkanagan District and was incharge of the area on the west sideof the Okanagan Lake. He workedcontinuously with the Departmentsince June 1928. A man of fewwords and a devoted Civil Servant,Mr. Wesley was well known andrespected by all.

We announce with deep regretthe death of a Cranbrook Districtemployee, Robert Duke. Bob wasemployed in the Cranbrook Dis­trict a total of 12 years as a GraderOperator. During these years , hisgood nature and quiet ways wereappreciated by everyone withwhom he was associated.

Theft we can understand, butvandalism has us beat.

Foreman Joe Broderick from theBarriere yard returned to hisgrader on the Bridge Lake roadafter the long Labor Day week­end to find both batteries missing .This is not new. Equipment opera­tors in many parts of the Provincehave experienced this surprise. Butin addition to this all the glass in

the cab was smashed, wmng andfuel lines torn from the engine.Why do they do it? Joe Broderickand many others in charge ofequipment would like to know.

Try living within your incomeand you'll live without worries­and without a lot of other things.

11

REGION 1 HOLDS MECHANICS TRAINING SCHOOLA Mechanics' Training School was held in the Con­

ference Room at the North Vancouver Regional Officeon Sept. 23rd. This school was sponsored by the Do­minion Road Machinery Company Ltd. and hosted byJim Johnson, Service Manager for Columbia Equip­ment. Subject of the Training School was the ChaspionRoad Grader. The Training Session consisted of lee-

tures, slides, question and answer period, and oth erdiscussions on the structure, general maintenance, andcomponent parts of this machine. Picture above shows

our students paying ra pt attention to an illustrated lec­ture. Picture below shows the class during a break.They include the following personnel: Lome Ander­son, Jack Hudson, George Finlayso n, George Owen,Fred Schonwald, A. Connolly, John Oliver, M. Mikkel­son, G. Gann, Milt Hepner, John Waring, GordonCoughtry, Gordon Hunter, Bill Jeffs and Norm Taylor.

The Region reports that the school was a success,teacher taught student, and in many cases studentta ught teacher.

CATS-EYES & CENTRE LINESDO YOU FEEL TIRED?If you're an adult of average

weight, here is what you accom­plish in twenty-four hours:

1. Your heart beat 103,689 times.2. Your blood travels 168,000,000

miles.3. You breathe 23,040 times.4. You inhale 438 cubic feet of

air.5. You eat 3% pounds of food.6. You drink 2.9 quarts of liquids.7. You lose % pound of waste.8. You speak 4,800 words, includ­

ing some unnecessary ones.9. You move 750' muscles.

10. Your nails grow .00046 inch.11. Your hair grows .01714 inch.12. You exercise 7,000,000 brain

cells.

Husband: My wife has an im­pediment in her speech.

Doctor: What seems to be thetrouble?

Husband: She stops for a breathonce in a while.

12

"First you dig a square hole intothe paveme nt." Terry Palm is on ....the jack-hammer and Sandy Watt "..handles the broom.

Then "pour hot adhesive (tar)into the hole and plop the cats-eyeinto it." Harold Banks handles thetar pot while Foreman Glen Carle­ton places the cats-eye.

Actually the job of installingthese reflectors is painstaking, thatis if they are to stay put. Thesecrews working under Don Page,Traffic Superintendent, have in­stalled as many as 150 "eyes" in aneight hour shift, a record in thatbusiness.

M. G. ELSTON FAREWELL NEWS (Cont'd )

Mick Elston, Regional Highway Engineer, was the"special" guest at a stag dinner held in his honor inKamloops last September. Region 2 dist. and officeofficials gathered to wish him the same success he en­joyed in the Kamloops region to follow him when hewould take up new duties at the coast. Part of theevening ceremony was the presentation of an award.

A. G. Reid, Design Engineer Testing Branch, at­tended the Symposium in Laboratory Sheer Testing ofSoils in Ottawa. He presented a paper on the Effect ofVertical Sand Drains and Consolidation prepared byE. E. Readshaw and C. O. Brawner . Mr. Reid attendedthe conference in place of Mr. Brawner, who was un­able to attend du e to family illness.

M. C. K. Struve, District Superintendent in Fernie,enjoyed this year's vacation visiting his native Denmark.

In the picture we see Jake Krushnisky, left and Wm.Nelson "hanging" it up . Incidentally it is made of three­eighths inch boiler plate and weighs about 40 pounds.A· very appropriate award painted in the departmentcolors.

On Sunday, August 18th , the Department's Loca­tion, Crusher, and Construction crews took part in avery successful barbecue arranged by Fernie's Chamberof Commerce as a goodwill and get-acquainted gesture.This event was staged at the Fernie Ski Hill Chaletwest of the city.

Creston is to have a new Highway DepartmentGarage.

This past summer a Day Labour Project undertakenby the Nanaimo District saw the highway betweenUcluelet and Tofino realigned, gravelled and paved. Itis now possible to drive along beautiful Long Beachon new blacktop and watch the breakers rolling infrom the Pacific.

Ronald Winbow, Resident Engineer at New West­minster, spent two months in Fort St. John assistingMr. P. A. Tondevold, District Superintendent.

District Engineer Pat MacCarthy of Courtenay, wasguest speaker at the Municipal Engineers' Conventionheld in Victoria last September 25th. He gave an inter­esting lecture on Pav ement Patching.

Prince George's Patching Foreman, George KazakofI,dispensed with his regular crew the other day, androunded up a bunch of new recruits, no less than agroup of R.M.F.'s looking for knowledge and practicalexperience. George ignored the fact that these menwere senior, and treating them like newcomers gave anexcellent lesson.

Jerr y Bisser and his Honeymoon Creek Crew atPrince George want to know if their effort of laying800 feet of asphalt guard rail in one day is a record.

New Denver District has set up its own concreteguard rail factory. Production specialists Jack Walker,Bill Mole , and Bob Welch report it has produced 750sections.

• •NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE .

L. B. Floren, Location Crew Chief, now has hisprivate pilot's licence.

E. E. Readshaw, Design Engineer in the TestingBranch, represented British Columbia as a member ofthe Soils and Surfacing Group at the WACHO Con­ference in Regina last September 17-19.

After five years in basement quarters, the MaterialsTesting Branch Laboratory at Nelson will move into anew location recently renovated from a gaol.

The little community of Barnfield on VancouverIsland has a road this year. This was a day labourproject carried out by the Alberni District involvingconstruction of 3 miles of road to connect with existinglogging roads. The west coast of Vancouver Island isfamous for its huge forest, and trees 12 feet throughthe butt are encountered on the project. The projectalso includes the building of a bri dge over the PachenaRiver and since the road serves the needs of a loggingindustry it is constructed to th ese standards.

13

A SALUTE TO OUR FILM MAKERS • • •

RIGHT: On location "shooting" a technical story onthe re-surfacing of the Lion's Gate bridge. DirectorPeter Elkington and cameraman Peter Parsons.

ABOVE: Perched high on the telescopic laddermounted on the Camera truck, Peter Parsons gets someinteresting angle shots. The ladder is his own designand has been copied as a lightweight unit that caneven be used on a station-wagon.

LEFT: Meet Peter Elkington - "Rogers Pass" moviemaker. This man with a successful background of film'production with the C.B.C. joined the department 18months ago. Script writer, director, producer and nar­rator of the five award winning Rogers Pass story, Pe teralso is the "voice" in the training film, Asphalt Patching.

BELOW: Peter Parsons stepping out of "Car 51".Peter, our photographer, can tell you some excitinglocation stories such as "shooting down the avalanchesin Rogers Pass". He transferred to Highways from theRecreation-Conservation Department.

14

ON THE JOB . . .~~Idea

Corner"

Ferry Wheelhouse - KootenayLake. Capt. L. P. Laing and FirstMate R. S. Fisher at the wh eel.

Place-Greenwood; Job-one mile of cold mix; Lunch­time. L. to R. Grader Op . Jack Lawrence, Foreman 4George Grummett, Grader Op. Terry Smith, TruckDr. Frank Wolfram and Flagman Roddy Honholt.

Jim Williams, Accident Prevention Co-Ordinator, lec­tures the Chilliwack District personnel on the "oddsagainst picking the wrong pill". He gave an interestingand somewhat humorous illustration on carefulnessbecause "you just never know".

Dave Gray-Kaml oops radio operator.

In 1956 when the Department of Highways first began to install radiosin vehicles and offices, it was possible to memorize the call numbers andnames of personnel. Today we can boast one of the Province's largestand most modern private communication systems, with 36 repeater stationsand over 650 individual base station and mobile call numbers. No longeris it possible to trust the memory, nor is a note in the shirt pocket or alist on the sun visor convenient.

Noting that most foremen carry a small diary, and some of th e engineersa small loose- leaf note book, the Radio Operator in Kamloops experimentedwith the idea of making up a small pocket size Radio Directory (similarto a miniature telephone directory). The book was quickly accepted bythose who were given the first copies and over 200 of them have beengiven out from Kamloops with the help of the Location Branch, who runthe pages off on the blueprinter from a typ ed tracing, and the co-opera­tion of th e other Regions in submitting th e required information:

Headquarters numbers, each Region, and Radio Maintenance are in­dexed so the book can easily be thumbed while driving. The call numberis shown with the title and name of the corresponding person, his city ortown and home phone number (for after hours or emergency reference).All Base Stations and Repeaters are listed, plus the "10 Signals" and somebrief notes on better use of radio. Dave Gray had a good idea when hecompiled the Radio Directory.

It was a good summer season forpainting bridges. Gordon Barker .stands on the rail of the Lion'sGate silhouetted against th e sky,spraying a lamp post.

"I think] am losing my mem­ory."

"How long has this been goingon?"

"H ow long has what been going~"on.

15

The Ed itor' ote

We have derived a large measure of satis­faction from the production of this firstissue of the Road-Ru nner. We have mademany new friends and the co-operation ofour field editors and all pers onnel has beengra tifying.

Basically this is a publication abou tpeop le- people in this Department, dedi ­cated, diligent peop le who work hard tohelp make Br itish Columbia a good placeto live. Th is little magazine recogn izes theirservice, acknowledges the ir efforts and ap­plaud s their successes. It also introduces allof us to one anot her and brings us closertogether. We hope that it will achieve theseends while it inform s and entertains.

The winter seas on is here and it is nottoo early to wish everyone season's greet­ings . We so do and hope that reade rs mightbe moved to write to us with critical com­ment about this publication. It is for youand abou t you and we would like your help.

T he Editor

PETER PA RS O N S _ PH OTO