Tri-City takes on large and small projects for government agencies, private developers, and oil and gas companies, with a focus on safety and communication.

Premier Business Partners:

Superior Concrete Pumping E-Construction

Like most contractors based in western Canada, Tri-City Contracting Ltd. has more work than it can handle these days. And, just like its competition, the company is trying to keep up by hiring as many qualified employees as possible.

“It is so busy, we’re just trying to find the right guys and staying ahead of everyone by moving into different areas and trying different things,” Operations Manager Blair McCaffrey says.

Today, the company takes on large and small projects for government agencies, private developers, and oil and gas companies. Tri-City operates throughout Northern Alberta.

“Tri-City believes construction is a team effort involving the owner, the design team and the construction team, led by proper project management,” the company says. “We then appoint a competent and experienced superintendent to expedite the construction project within the designated schedule and budget. Tri-City stresses the importance of good communication, administrative excellence and diligent follow-up.”

The company is a member of the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association. Tri-City says through these associations it supports industry-developed safety programs, apprenticeship training, standardized construction documents and fair-tendering policies.

New Markets
Tri-City recently completed its first installation of heavy steam aboveground pipe, which, McCaffrey says, is a new capability for the company. EnCana FCCL Oil Sands Ltd. owned this project, and it was located in the Cold Lake Air weapons range.

As with its other projects, Tri-City had trouble finding the personnel with the appropriate experience. But the company found employees based in Ontario through word-of-mouth recruiting and past associations who had the know-how to make this project a success.

“We had to go find the people to do it, but it turned out really well,” McCaffrey adds. “We learned a lot from it and we’re working on bidding for more as we speak.”

Tight Scheduling
Tri-City is also the general contractor for a project at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) 4 Wing Cold Lake. The company was brought on to install new sanitary and storm sewers, water mains, services to existing buildings, telecommunications duct banks and perform reconstruction of roadways.

Tri-City started work on the first phase of the project in July and McCaffrey says it will be completed in November.

Phase 1 involves approximately 3,300 meters of pipe that range in diameter from six to 20 inches. Phase 2 of the project should be completed in November 2009. Phase 2 involves 20-inch fire water pipe, force mains, sewer and new gravity sewer, and water mains for another portion of CFB Cold Lake.

McCaffrey says the most challenging aspect of this project is the fast-track schedule that must be completed within Alberta’s short construction season.

To make sure the $18 million job remains on schedule, Tri-City solicited only its most reliable subcontractors that it knew would get the job done on time. Also, the company will use only its best crews to make sure the Tri-City portion of work is done properly.  

During preconstruction, Tri-City says it did all it could to find existing utilities under the base to hopefully avoid delays.

Fortunately, Tri-City has worked with the Defence Construction Canada, the project’s owner, recently completing a $3 million underground steam line at the same base, so McCaffrey does not foresee any problems if undiscovered underground utilities show up.

“The CFB was built 50 years ago, so there are many unknown underground utilities that have never been tracked,” he adds.

“We don’t have to react too much; we’ve been there and done that. We knew what we were getting into, so we’ll just work through it and alert the owner and work through the hurdles as best we can.”

About 4 Wing Cold Lake
Known as the “home of the fighter pilot,”4 Wing Cold Lake CFB hosts tactical fighter training, according to the Canadian Air Force.

The CFB also deploys and supports fighter aircraft at a moment’s notice to fulfill the domestic and international roles of Canada’s Air Force.

As Canada’s busiest and largest fighter wing, 4 Wing houses two operational CF-18 squadrons and two training squadrons, including Phase IV of NATO Flying in Canada, and numerous premier support units. It also hosts the annual Maple Flag Exercise.

The Air Force says 4 Wing has some of the best and most sought-after amenities in the world, including an almost unrestricted 1.17 million hectare air weapons range equipped with state-of-the-art threats and targets.

“As an international Centre of Excellence for tactical fighter operations, deployable combat support and leading-edge training, 4 Wing focuses on people, leadership, innovation and technology,” the Air Force adds.