THE CHRONICLE HERALD SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013 I1 www.nsrba.ca CUSTOM MEDIA FEATURE Shubenacadie River Bridge Project The Shubenacadie River bridges, which accommodate more than 20,000 vehicles daily, are being replaced. The project is expected to be completed by late 2015. Contributed CBRM taking an innovative approach Municipality thinking outside the box to fund infrastructure investments By Ken Cashin The TIR budget in 2013 was Custom Media Writer about 246 million. “This is a significant problem for municipalities,” says Lake. It’s like a typical household con- “Infrastructure investment is versation at the kitchen table. funded by tax dollars. Many muni- One partner points out that the cipalities have a finite source of roof is leaking and in need of revenue from their tax base and repair. There’s no money to fix it, these infrastructure projects can says the other, because the mort- pose a significant burden for gage is due. Both are correct. It’s them. Municipalities look to the a dilemma from which there’s no province for assistance and the easy escape. province looks to the federal The same kind of catch-22 is government. Many municipalities facing municipalities across the are looking for funding arrange- country with respect to infra- ments in order to fund infrastruc- structure funding. Their roads are ture investments.” deteriorating and the traditional source of revenue, property tax, CBRM $300 million capital plan is a small pot with not enough left over in it to pay for new or even The Cape Breton Regional Muni- maintain existing infrastructure. cipality (CBRM) is trying a novel How did things get this way? approach. In April 2013 it put Andrew Lake, president of the together a pitch to present to Nova Scotia Road Builders Asso- Ottawa for a funding formula to ciation, says there’s three main help solve the area’s huge infra- reasons: governments are running structure problems. Mayor Cecil deficits and not allocating enough Clarke has developed a funding to infrastructure, which 300-million dollar plan for fixing compounds the problem annually; roads, arenas and other infra- existing infrastructure is aging; structure over five years. and the Feds are imposing much CBRM’s pitch calls for the higher standards for water and federal government to pay 50 per sewer, which is leaving municipal- cent of the municipality’s five- ities scrambling to upgrade their year-plan with the province and assets, with scarce funding the municipality each paying 25 around to do so. per cent or $75 million. Overall, the infrastructure Clarke is arguing that CBRM is spending deficit in Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia Road Builders Association (NSRBA) 2013 Board of Directors: back row (left to the only city in Atlantic Canada right): Bob Bernier, Brian England (former Director), Pam Sullivan, Chris Meunier and CCA/CICC huge. Lake points out that a 2009 with double digit unemployment representative John Flemming. Department of Transportation and at the same time is being Middle row (left to right): Stephen Weeks, President Andrew Lake, Office Manager Carol and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) required by regulations to up- Ingraham, Vice President Greg MacDonald and Phil Sullivan. report indicated the province grade $454 million in wastewater needed to spend 400 million over Front row (left to right): Mark Underhill, Immediate Past President Donald Chisholm, Executive each of the next 10 years to get Director Grant Feltmate and Calvin Flight. the system in decent shape. See INNOVATIVE /11 Absent: Dave Wilson Contributed 22013013 NNSRBASRBA MMembershipembership LListist 3091592 Nova Scotia Limited Basin Contracting Limited Direct Traffi c Control Inc. Holcim (Canada) Inc. Martin Marietta Materials Canada Ltd. Control Systems www.nsrba.ca Aberdeen Paving Limited Bell and Grant Insurance Dyno Nobel Limited Howard E. Little Excavating Limited McAsphalt Industries Ltd. Ormac Industrial Supply Inc. Absolute Traffi c Services Limited Bell Mobility Inc. Earthmover Atlantic Ltd. HSBC Bank Canada McLennan Sales Division of EMCO Ltd. OSCO Concrete Acklands-Grainger BERPIC Inc. East Coast Capital Inc Industrial Cold Milling McLeod Safety Services Ltd. Parts for Trucks Aggregate Equipment (Atlantic) Ltd. Bird-Stairs Eastern Fence Erectors Inspec-Sol Inc. McNally Construction Inc. Peterbilt Atlantic Allnorth Consultants Ltd Black & McDonald Ltd. Eastern Infrastructure Inc. IronPlanet Metso Minerals Canada Inc. Pura Vida Financial Services Stantec Consulting Ltd. Allstar Rebar (Nova Scotia) Ltd. Bluewave Energy Elmsdale Landscaping Limited Irving Oil Commercial GP MFE Manufacturing Inc. R. S. T. Industries Ltd. Strescon Ltd. Allterrain Contracting Inc. Bourque Security Services NS EXP J. R. Eisener Contracting Ltd. Miller Tirecraft Reinforced Earth Company Ltd. Strictly Sales & Service Inc. ALPA Equipment Company Ltd. Brenntag Canada Inc. Fairley and Stevens Ford Lincoln K & M Inspection Consultants Ltd. Modern Enterprises Ltd. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (Canada) Ltd. Strongco Equipment Limited Alva Construction Limited Brycon Construction Limited Fraser & Hoyt Insurance Ltd. L. S. W. Wear Parts Limited Multiserve Petroleum Equipment Ltd. Roadtec Inc. The Canadian Salt Company Ltd. AMEC Environment & Infrastructure Canada Culvert Gary Parker Excavating Ltd. Lafarge Canada Inc. Municipal Ready-Mix Ltd. Ron Chisholm Hydro Seeding Ltd The Cat Rental Store/Hewitt Rentals Archibald Drilling & Blasting (1986) Ltd. Casey Concrete Ltd. Gateway Insurance Brokers Leica Geosystems Ltd. Norquip Supply Ltd Roto-Mill Inc. Trans East Trailers Ltd. ARMTEC Limited CBCL Limited Gateway Materials Ltd. Lepage Equipment & Parts Ltd. North East Truck & Trailer S. W. Weeks Construction Ltd. Turf Masters Landscaping Ltd. Arrow Construction Products Ltd. Chapman Bros. Construction Ltd. GE Canada Equipment Financing GP Liebherr Canada Northeast Equipment Ltd Sackville Trenching Limited United Rentals of Canada Inc. Atlantic Canada One Call Classic Freight Systems Ltd. GEMTEC Limited Lockhart Truck Center Nova Communications Sancton Equipment Inc. Urquhart-MacDonald & Associates Atlantic Explosives Ltd. Conestoga-Rovers & Associates Ltd. General Liquids Canada LVM / Maritime Testing Limited Northern Construction Inc. Say it with Stitches Inc. V. J. Rice Concrete Ltd. Atlantic Industries Limited Conrad Bros. Limited GENIVAR Inc. Mac Williams Engineering Limited Northern Contracting Limited Seaboard/Harmac Transportation Group WAJAX Equipment Atlantic Road Construction & Paving Ltd Consbec Inc. Drilling & Blasting GEOCON Atlantic Ltd. Maccaferri Canada Ltd. Nova Construction Company Ltd. Shaw Group Limited Wallace Equipment Ltd. Atlantic Tractors & Equipment Ltd. Costin Paving & Contracting Limited Gillis Truckways Inc. (Trailer Sales) Mackays Truck & Trailer Ltd. Nova Enterprises Limited SMS Equipment Inc. Weightronic Canada Inc. Atlas Copco Mining & Rock Excavation Craig Manufacturing Limited Grant Thornton Maritime Fence Ltd. Nova International Ltd. Sojourn Signs Wilcraft Concrete Services Technique Canada Creighton Rock Drill Ltd. Graymont NB Maritime Hydroseed O’Regan’s National Leasing Soleno Inc. Will-Kare Paving & Contracting Ltd. Axis Mobility Limited Cumberland Paving & Contracting Ltd. Guarantee Company of North America Maritime Road Recycling Inc Ocean Contractors Limited Source Atlantic Wilson Equipment Ltd. B. Spicer Construction Ltd. D. W. Matheson & Sons Contracting Ltd. Hertz Equipment Rental Maritime Testing (1985) Ltd. Ocean Paving Limited South Shore Ready-Mix Wolseley Engineered Pipe Group Barrett Enterprises Limited Dexter Construction Company Ltd Higgins Construction Marsh Canada Limited On-Grade Inc. Survey & Machine Stanhope Simpson Insurance Ltd. Wolseley Waterworks FForor NNSRBASRBA MMembershipembership aandnd ootherther iinformation,nformation, ppleaselease ccallall 4405-349705-3497 I2 SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013 THE CHRONICLE HERALD MacDonald, Chisholm given Presenting your 2013 award winners: honourary memberships WCB Shield Award: Calvin Flight (Industrial Cold Milling), presented by Stuart MacLean, CEO of WCB. John Chisholm 11th Annual NSRBA Golf Tournament By Heather Laura Clarke Winners: Basin Custom Media Writer Contracting’s team of Pam Sullivan, Curtis Allister MacDonald and John “What I have Isenor, Jeff Sullivan & Chisholm both grew up in the Brad Scott. heavy equipment industry, so it noticed is they don’t was no surprise when these dis- tinguished road builders were run with an issue of recognized as honorary members of the Nova Scotia Road Builders one particular Association. Members had voted unanim- member — it has to ously for MacDonald and Chisholm, and there was much benefit the whole applause when they each accep- ted their membership at the 66th association.” annual NSRBA general meeting in H.W.L. Doane Trophy John Chisholm January. An honourary member- Winner: Jesse Spicer ship may be extended by the Honorary lifetime member, Board of Directors to “any person (B. Spicer Nova Scotia Road Builders in recognition of distinguished Construction), service in the field of road con- Association struction.” presented by Pam NSRBA President Andrew Lake noted that MacDonald has atten- Sullivan (Basin ded every single annual general Contracting). meeting since the inception of the NSRBA back in 1947 — when he drove his father to the very first one. Allister MacDonald was just 12 years old when he began his career in heavy construction. Working for his father as a water- boy, he was responsible for carry- ing the pail and dipper to each of the labourers.