By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Nov. 29, 2014
The owner and employees of Baos Mechanical may live in Squamish, but they have to look for work in Surrey, Abbotsford and other Lower Mainland towns.
There just isn’t a lot of work for the trades in Squamish, says operations manager Jay McKinney.
“If there was more work here, we wouldn’t have to commute.”
Baos Mechanical sources workers from the town they go to work in. It’s an arrangement that works quite well for those workers, but not for people like Tyler Langstaff, a gas outfitter with Baos Mechanical.
Born and raised in Squamish, Tyler Langstaff says he would like to live and work in Squamish.
“I’d like to live here, but I will have to go wherever the work takes me,” he says.
By 2017, Langstaff hopes work will take him to Woodfibre.
Baos Mechanical was one of the local companies in attendance at the business information session organised by Woodfibre LNG at the Sea to Sky Hotel on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Photo: Gagandeep Ghuman
Also present in the crowd of 1oo people was Tom O’Brennan.
A resident of Squamish for 30 years, O’Brennan runs Wrench Tech contracting, a heavy equipment repair, welding, and steel fabrication company.
Unable to find meaningful work after the Olympics, O’Brennan moved north to work with Ledcor in a mining project. It was ‘horrible’ work, he says, and he decided to move back to Squamish to find work locally.
He also hopes to find some contracting work with Woodfibre LNG and believes Squamish needs some industry.
“There is a spot here for an industrial worker that isn’t available now,” he says.
There will be business opportunities for local companies in construction, remediation, marine transport, medical services and supplies, installation, structural fabrication, etc, company representatives told the gathering.
WLNG will delegate its contracting work to a large EPC (Engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor who will then subcontract work to local companies.
The company’s technical and engineering arm, PECTech, will design and construct the project and then hand it over to WLNG to operate.
The company plans to bring large constructed modules, about one-third of the project, from the Far East to be installed.
But about one-third of the project—plant control centre, warehouse, heliport, pipes systems—will be constructed locally, said WLNG project director Alex Brigden.
He encouraged companies to register on the Woodfibre website so the company’s contractors can have a ready access to local contractors.
Brigden also said the project will create 100 full-time jobs and 500 construction jobs. Some of the operational jobs may include jobs like a lab technician, warehouse helper, marine engineer, mechanic, fire team member, etc.
The company plans to hold a job fair in the spring of 2015.
Last week, the provincial government also launched a new website, (www.LNGBuyBC.ca) where local companies can register and pitch their goods and services to LNG proponents. Gordon Wilson, the program manager, said 300 companies have registered on the website.
As part of its ongoing series on LNG, the province will organise a seminar in Squamish on Dec 16 and 17th at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.
The purpose of the seminar is to educate people about LNG and career options in the industry, Wilson said.
peter austen says
However most jobs will be highly specialized and given to out of town workers . Look at quest U.. All the academic staff are not from round here mate. Not good enough. You are never a prophet in your own land. 300 companies have registered to continue the devastation and desecration of our beautiful Howe sound. UGH
Larry McLnnan says
Peter’s argument appears to be that, unless an employee is “not from around here..” the business is bad for the community. Apparently new people moving to town is somehow deleterious to Squamish and area. Actually, the WLNG project estimates that, of about 120 full time jobs, about 85% will be from local sources. By the way , Peter, you use the term “mate” which has a distinctly Auzzie/Kiwi connotation to me. Are you from “around here” ?
Ed Alder says
As a 19 year resident of this beautiful valley, I look forward to the opportunity to work at a technical career with WLNG it would bring my commute down from 1400 km to 6 km! And still work in the same growing industry that provides our great province with so much of the tax base to fund social programs we often take for granted.
ACB says
Always curious why so many people who work in Northern BC and AB call Squamish home? Why they don’t live closer to work? When I ask, I get the same answer every time – It’s so beautiful here. I agree 100%.
The oil sands and gas fields of BC are an assult on the senses and nobody given the choice would raise their families in these locations for any number of health and safety reasons. So to Ed and others like him, let’s not destroy this awesome town. Surely we can all put our heads together and attract/build industry that will see you and others gainfully employed in town without risking what we ALL appreciate about living here.