When the year winds down, committees and boards may find themselves shifting leadership to a new group of officers. As someone who often finds themself as an incoming or outgoing Chair, I know that a formal handover process often gets overlooked. I have failed on occasion to hand off the leadership of a committee without following the critical steps required to give the incoming Chair what they need to start off successfully. Chairing any group comes with enough challenges without being cast into a new pool and being expected to swim.

Meetings, meetings, meetings!

Meetings with staff. Meetings with administration. Meetings with vendors and potential vendors. Meetings with industry groups and oversight committees and adjunct government policy mediators.

Full event details are listed on USP’s website. We thank all our educational session speakers, sponsors, tradeshow exhibitors, and attendees for your participation and contribution to making this event a success. We look forward to seeing you in April!

As we head into the dead of winter, some people could use a refresher on how to survive in emergency conditions during inclement weather. Some people — but we’re Canadians, right?! We know all the usual tips and tricks (keep a first aid kit with winter survival gear in the car, wear layers, stock extra food/water in case of a power out, etc.). But we already know all this, so let’s focus on some not-so-well-known tricks to make your winter as safe as it can be!

Given the proliferation of QR Codes, I developed the ClickBeforeYouDig QR Code and strongly suggest it be incorporated in all damage prevention awareness programs and promotional documentation. It has been provided to the CSA Group with a suggestion to incorporate it into CSA Z662 — the Safe Design, Construction & Maintenance of Pipeline Systems, and CSA Z247 — Damage Prevention for the Protection of Underground Infrastructure, and to the Canadian Common Ground Alliance Best Practices Committee.

Large Project Tickets are designed for pre-planned jobs that continue over a significant area and length of time. The large scope of these projects typically requires a planning meeting between excavators and affected facility owners in the area before locates are requested.

 

It has been another busy year in USP Operations, and we take our annual pause to reflect on what we accomplished this year. It is time to catch our breath before we start up new projects for 2025.

The first quarter of 2024 started out at a sprint. We worked hard to bring you the best event ever for our 40th Anniversary party at the Banff Springs. The event was a tremendous success and got us all off on the right foot for the year. We handed out our first annual Industry Recognition Awards at the event to the very deserving Canadian Fibre Optics (Excavator of the Year), Matt Etherington (Locator of the Year) and Iain Stables (Member of the Year). Congratulations and thank you for your innovations and dedicated support of damage prevention in Alberta.

Earlier this week, Utility Safety Partners learned that Scott Henley, Alberta One-Call Corporation’s first general manager, quietly passed away at his Vancouver Island home. 

Scott was initially contracted for only seven months, to update feasibility and perform vendor evaluations on behalf of Alberta One-Call Corporation's first board of directors in 1983. After choosing the preferred vendor, the directors asked Scott to remain on board to secure office space, hire staff and implement the province-wide computerized communications system.