PICK-UP HOCKEY NIGHT IN KAF HAS - SNC

The
SANDPAPER
SNC- L AV ALI N P AE
I NC . NE WS LETTE R F OR
C A NC A P E M P LO YEES &
F A MI LIES
CANCAP SCORPIONS—Hockey Night in KAF Update
Scorpions in Fine Form During Both Pre-Season & Start of the Regular Season
UNDEFEATED DURING PRESEASON. Congratulations to
the CANCAP Scorpions,
who continue to impress us
all with the skill and prowess
that won them the ROTO 6
KHL championship title in
February of this year. The
ROTO 7 pre-season began
on May 22nd and the Scorpions sailed undefeated
through all three of their preseason games—with double
digit wins for every game!!
was formed to take out the
Scorpions!! We look forward
to meeting this team again.
Hopefully we can show them
what we’re really made of.
REGULAR SEASON BEGINS.
The Scorpions carried their Scorpions Goaltender Thomas Doucet in action.
winning streak through to
the first game of the regular
SCORPIONS FANS. Once
season as well. They won the
again, the fans give the ScorJune 3rd game 5-2. On June
pions energy and motivation
10th they suffered their first
and help guide the Scorpions
loss since December 2008!!
to victory again and again.
Intent upon giving the ScorSo THANKS A MILLION to
pions a run for their money,
all of you who come out to
a rival team to reckon with
support the team. Keep on
has been formed—CIE Cmdt.
coming out and cheering
Rumour has it that this team
your Scorpions to victory!!!
PICK-UP HOCKEY NIGHT. Pickup hockey night has changed
and CANCAP now has the
rink on Saturday nights instead of Fridays. Come join
fellow CANCAPers for Saturday night KAF hockey fun!
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS WIN THE
STANLEY CUP. Several CANCAP employees were sporting red eyes and yawns on
KAF on Saturday, June 13th,
having woken up super early
to watch the Stanley Cup
final. The game (and the coffee) started at 04:30am Kandahar time, and many KAF
hockey fans just could not
miss it! The Pittsburgh Penguins were victorious, and
CANCAPers waved goodbye
to another NHL season for
the year….no problem, KHL
continues!
Thanks to Jo-Anne Bisson who
continues to send out Scorpions
updates after every game!
PICK-UP HOCKEY NIGHT IN KAF HAS CHANGED!
Join us every SATURDAY NIGHT in KAF!
7:30pm-9:00pm
CANCAP has the KAF rink booked for pick-up hockey.
Equipment is available, so come on out and play some hockey!
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
VOLUME II, ISSUE 2
MAY / JUNE 2009
Special points of interest:
CANADA’S PRIME MINISTER, MINISTER OF N ATIONAL DEFENCE & CHIEF
OF DEFENCE STAFF VISITED
KAF IN MAY. SEE PHOTOS
FROM THEIR VISIT ON PAGE
11 OF THIS ISSUE!
Inside this issue:
CANCAP SCORPIONS
1
H&S CORNER —HEAT
2
STRESS PREVENTION
THE CANADA ARMY RUN— 3
SEPT. 20, 2009
ROTO 7 50/50 DRAW
UPDATE
3
NEW PM’S MESSAGE–
GILLES LANGLOIS
4
5
JUST FOR FUN
LIFE LESSONS FOR CITY KIDS 6
PROGRAM MANAGER’ S
CORNER
7
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT— 8
TRAVEL TALES
MEET THE PMOO PERSONNEL—DAVE ROOKE
10
PM & MND VISIT KAF
11
DUNCAN CAMPBELL PUTS
FIRST-AID TRAINING TO USE
12
CENOTAPH GETS
REFURBISHED
13
OASIS UPGRADE
14
APRIL BBQ PHOTOS
18
MAY BBQ PHOTOS
19
FAREWELLS
20
WELCOMES
21
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
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& F A M I L IE S
Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
CANCAP HEALTH & SAFETY CORNER
Stay Cool, Safe and Healthy During the Kandahar Summer
Safety in Operations….
Heat Stress Prevention
Heat stress is a critical hazard to keep in mind, especially during the summer
months and in environments where high temperatures exist on a regular basis.
Heat stress disorders present themselves as warning signs of heat stress when
the body’s temperature rises above its normal core temperature. Heat stress
manifests itself in the following symptoms (from least severe to most severe):
Know & recognize signs
of heat stress in yourself
and others.
Heat Rash
Red bumpy rash with severe itching.
Heat Cramps
Painful cramps in arms, legs or stomach which occur suddenly
Heat Exhaustion Heavy sweating; cool moist skin; body temperature over 38ºC;
weak pulse; normal or low blood pressure; person is tired and
weak and has nausea and vomiting, is very thirsty, or is panting
or breathing rapidly; vision may be blurred.
Heat Stroke
High body temperature (over 41ºC ) & any one of the following:
The person is weak, confused, upset or acting strangely; has
hot, dry, red skin; a fast pulse; headache or dizziness. In later
stages, a person may pass out and have convulsions.
Factors Leading to Heat Stress
High temperature and humidity; direct sun or heat; limited air movement; physical
exertion; poor physical condition; some medicines; and inadequate tolerance for
hot workplaces.
Drink LOTS of water—as much
as you need to STAY HYDRATED.
Monitor your urine, the clearer
it is, the more hydrated you
are. If it’s a dark yellow colour—start drinking more! Supplement your water intake with
Gatorade too (replacing electrolytes), when possible.
Preventing Heat Stress
Know signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses; monitor yourself and
coworkers.
Block out direct sun or other heat sources.
Use cooling fan/air-conditioning; rest regularly in cooler areas.
Drink lots of water; about 1 cup every 15 minutes (or more, depending on
circumstances).
Wear lightweight, light coloured, loose-fitting clothes—if your job function permits.
Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or heavy meals.
What to Do for Heat-Related Illness
Inform your Supervisor immediately. While waiting for help to arrive:
•
Move the worker to a cool, shaded area.
•
Loosen or remove heavy clothing.
•
Provide cool drinking water.
•
Fan and mist the person with water.
Rest regularly in cool areas
and use cooling devices
whenever you can.
Visit http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/guidelines/gl_heat.html for more information.
Page 2
Volume II, Issue 2
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
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ISO 9001:2000 Certified
THE CANADA ARMY RUN—September 20, 2009
Help SNC-Lavalin PAE Support Our Troops Through the Canada Army Run
One of the many ways that SNC-Lavalin PAE Inc. supports our
troops is by sponsoring the Canada Army Run (www.armyrun.ca) in
Ottawa, which happens this year on Sunday, September 20, 2009.
Above: Injured soldiers at the 2008 Army
Run award stage accompanied by the General Walt Natynczyk, CDS (left), LGen Andrew Leslie, and CWO Wayne Ford (Right).
Photos copyright Canadian
Department of National Defence
Photo credits: Sgt R. Comeau, Army News
Below: The busy 2008 Army Run starting
line on the corner of Elgin St. & Laurier St.
The proceeds from the Army Run support the Soldier On program,
which is a CFPSA program that provides resources and opportunities
for ill and injured CF personnel to attain and maintain a healthy and
active lifestyle through physical fitness and sport. The Soldier On
fund contributes to optimizing the functional independence of ill or
injured CF personnel or former personnel.
The first annual Army Run was held in September 2008 and was a
resounding success! More than 6,800 runners participated in it.
HOW YOU CAN HELP. This year, the PMOO is looking for volunteers to help us during the run in Ottawa. We’re also going to
enter a couple of teams for the run itself—the categories are 5km or
1/2 marathon. So, if you or any of your friends or family will be in
the Ottawa area on September 20th and would like to help out or
want to join a CANCAP running team, please call the office for
more information or contact Carla Dawes by email:
[email protected].
CANCAP Booth at the 2008
Canada Army Run
A similar event will be held in Kandahar—watch for more information in KAF and in the next issue of The SANDPAPER.
ROTO 7 50/50 DRAW UPDATE
50/50 Proceeds Help Install Solar Lights in a Second School
Thanks very much to those of you who have volunteered to help Roy Harten
with the 50/50 on the Boardwalk on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. He can
always use more help, so if you have a bit of time to spare for a good cause,
please contact Roy: [email protected].
As many of you know, the proceeds from the 50/50 draw are collected to help
the Sayad Pacha School in Kandahar and the project has now been expanded to
include two other Kandahar area schools as well. Solar lights were recently
installed in the second school and the Sayad Pacha and Kandahar Area Schools
Committee continues to work together with the organization Skills Generation
Canada to provide the funding for supplies and support for other projects.
If you’re interested in helping out in ways besides the 50/50 draw, or want to
encourage friends and family to help out, please visit the Skills Generation website (www.skillsgeneration.org) for more information.
An article about Kevin Bellin, another CANCAP employee who connected a
Thunder Bay School with Skills Generation, is featured on page 6 of this issue.
Thanks everyone for your support. Please continue to support the 50/50!
CANCAP’s Roy Harten with May 23rd 50/50
winner CPO2 Raymond, who donated his
winnings to the Afghan schools.
HELP AFGHAN CHILDREN HAVE
A BETTER FUTURE….
GET YOUR 50/50 TICKETS!
AVAILABLE ON THE KAF BOARDWALK
BESIDE TIM HORTONS
ON SATURDAYS FROM 07:00-09:00 HRS
ON SUNDAYS FROM 18:00-20:00 HRS
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Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
NEW PROJECT MANAGER’S MESSAGE
Gilles Langlois’ First Dispatch from KAF
THINGS YOU
PROBABLY DIDN’T
KNOW ABOUT
GILLES LANGLOIS:
FAST FACT #1:
THE YEAR GILLES
GRADUATED FROM
ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE, MANY CANCAP
EMPLOYEES WERE STILL
A TWINKLE IN THEIR
PARENTS’ EYES! GUESS
THE YEAR AND SEE
GILLES—HE’LL GIVE YOU
A PRIZE IF YOU GET IT
RIGHT!
FAST FACT #2:
IN HIS PREVIOUS LIFE,
GILLES WAS IN THE
ARMY MECHANICAL &
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING BRANCH, WHICH
EXPLAINS HIS SOFT SPOT
FOR LEM-ITES, TRUCKS
AND THINGS THAT
GO BANG.
FAST FACT #3:
GILLES SPENT FIVE YEARS
IN LAHR, GERMANY IN
THE LATE EIGHTIES AND
WOULDN’T YOU KNOW
IT, IN CHATTING WITH
THOMAS DOUCET, HE
DISCOVERED THAT AT
ONE POINT, THOMAS
WORKED IN HIS UNIT AS
A BUS DRIVER IN THE
BASE TRANSPORTATION
SECTION!
SMALL WORLD….
Who has ever said “I will
never come back here again”?
Some people tell me that I said
that and I would be lying if I
said I didn’t. At the time, I
thought that I had been lucky
enough to be the Deployed
Project Manager twice and was
pretty sure that I would not
have the chance to do it again.
As you know, Jack Phillips had
to leave the project early. Partly
because of my past experience
and partly because I speak
French, I was asked to replace
him. Such is the nature of this
project that the misfortune of
one can be an opportunity for
another.
Jack did a great job while he
was here and he left me with
quite a challenge to continue
what he has been doing. He
led our team in a time of great
changes that impacted each one
of you who were here at the
time. I am sure that Jack would
have preferred not to have to
implement those changes and
associated vacation restrictions,
but as the good leader that he
is, when the going gets tough
you hunker down and do what
needs to be done. We must
admire Jack and his staff who
saw us through these hard
times. And do not forget to
give yourselves a pat on the
back for accepting these
changes and carrying on with
your work. I am sure that you
all join with me in thanking
Jack for his efforts and wishing
him good health and good luck
for the future.
I have only been here for a
month and much to my good
fortune, our Program Manager
Page 4
CANCAP PM Gilles Langlois with the Honourable Peter Mackay, Minister
of National Defence during Mr. Mackay’s recent visit to KAF.
Ian Malcolm came to visit us
last week and announced some
relief is in sight for previous
vacation restrictions. We
should receive the formal guidelines to implement these welcome changes by the end of
June and we will implement
them as soon as possible so that
everyone can derive the best
possible benefits from them.
However, we will need your
understanding as it will take
time to figure out each and
every situation and fairly apply
the new guidelines that are
forthcoming. Remember that
there are nearly 300 of us here.
I am also pleased that our Perks
Program, which is our monthly
lottery and our employee of the
month awards, will be continuing on until at least December.
3 employees, each from different sections, receive this award
each month and each of them
receives $250 in cash. Our
lottery has 3 winners each
month as well, where the winners receive either $150, $350
or $500. Each employee is
eligible to win, even if you are
out on vacation when your
number is drawn.
I want you to know that continuity and stability are two of
my principles and we will strive
to keep a steady approach to all
we do. I am also known as a
team player and I count on
each one of you, regardless of
where you fit into our organization, to do your part so that we
all come out as winners. Others before us have built quite a
reputation for CANCAPers
and we owe it to them to keep
it up. I am looking forward to
spending time here with you
and sharing your tough times as
well as your happier moments.
Take care of yourselves and as
my Logistician friends would
say: “Keep on trucking”.
Gilles Langlois
CANCAP Project Manager
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
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C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
JUST FOR FUN
Can Toronto Maple Leafs Fans Handle a Little Ribbing???
Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart
50° Fahrenheit (10° C)
· Californians shiver uncontrollably.
· Canadians plant gardens.
35° Fahrenheit (1.6° C)
· Italian Cars won't start.
· Canadians drive with the windows down.
32° Fahrenheit (0° C)
· American water freezes.
· Canadian water gets thicker.
0° Fahrenheit (-17.9° C)
· New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.
· Canadians have the last cookout of the season.
-60° Fahrenheit (-51° C)
· Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
· Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.
-109.9° Fahrenheit (-78.5° C)
· Carbon dioxide freezes makes dry ice.
· Canadians pull down their earflaps.
-173° Fahrenheit (-114° C)
· Ethyl alcohol freezes.
· Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.
-459.67° Fahrenheit (-273.15° C)
· Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.
· Canadians start saying "cold, eh?"
-500° Fahrenheit (-295° C)
· Hell freezes over.
· The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.
Courtesy of Nick Michaels, Australia
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Volume II, Issue 2
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HELPING CANADIAN KIDS HELP KANDAHAR KIDS
CANCAP’s Kevin Bellin Connects Thunder Bay Class With Skills Generation
Kevin Bellin, a Dispatcher with CANCAP’s Transportation Department in KAF, helped his
Kevin Bellin
wife’s best friend’s grade 7 class from Thunder Bay connect with the organization Skills Generation
to help kids in Kandahar. Skills Generation (www.skillsgeneration.org) is a Canadian charity based
out of Stittsville, Ontario that is dedicated to improving education in Afghanistan. Kevin’s endeavours, including his visit to the class to tell them about his Afghanistan experiences, were featured in
the following article published in the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal on 3 April 2009.
ARTICLE COURTESY OF
THE THUNDER BAY CHRONICLE-JOURNAL.
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.
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Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
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PROGRAM MANAGER’S CORNER
Just Back From Another Visit To KAF
other benefits. For example, we talked about
how, if you only took
one POH trip on your
second contract (which
offers you two trips) that
you were losing some of
your benefits and that we
would increase the VAA
to compensate for that.
We talked about job
sharing, breaks between
contracts and longer-term
contracts. We discussed a 30-day
extension to some dental and
medical benefits after you get
back to Canada.
CANCAP Program Manager Ian Malcolm in ball
hockey action during his recent visit to Kandahar.
J
ust back from a short visit to
KAF where Thom Gasper, our
Finance Director, and I had the
chance to see the project and
meet many of you. It was a most
interesting week where I heard a
lot of valid points and ideas from
our employees. This visit had the
aim of meeting with employees to
talk about changes to the contract
and benefits and to gather feedback on your perceptions. I got
the feedback.
I know that some of the changes
introduced lately have not been
welcomed. The restriction on
days out of theatre and the lowering of expectations on wage increases led the list. I tried to explain why these things have happened and how we are also trying
to find other ways to offer you
We talked about different ways to
use your vacation payout money
at the end of your contract. And
you brought up issues involving
services from the Travel Agency,
issues with getting some tools and
parts, and questions concerning
possible future work with our
company. We will soon be sending out formal instructions about
vacation travel, using accumulated leave between contracts and
job-related items. We also looked
at getting your employee expense
claims settled faster by using our
new bank account on KAF and
we hope to get a process in place
before the end of the summer.
Next, we discussed funding for
the Oasis, the hockey team, band
equipment and other social
events. Last we talked about the
recent contract award that once
again hit a high level and we explained that we intend to send
money to our employees as we
have done in the past.
Our visit once again reinforced
the reality that KAF is where our
company succeeds and that we
need to re-examine some of our
procedures or policies to make
sure that they support our project
employees.
Thanks for the
many ideas that you
brought up including those that may
have been a bit painful to hear. We will
be keeping you
aware of changes
from these points
over the next
months. Thom and
I enjoyed the visit
Ian Malcolm takes the faceoff.
and appreciate the
work you are doing on a very
difficult mission. Take care out
there.
Ian Malcolm
CANCAP Program Manager
KAF MORNING COFFEE CLUB
Every morning, this motley crew
meets for a trusty Timmie’s at the
Oasis. You’re welcome to join
them—if you dare.
You see, if you pick the cup with
the X on the bottom, you pay for
everyone’s coffee!
Thomas Doucet holds the
record—one week cost him $80!!
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Volume II, Issue 2
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OBJECTIVE OF THE TRIP
Rest, relaxation and some night life (see right!)
30-SECOND COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Why this island, which travelers have labeled, 'Isle of Forgetfulness', holds visitors under
its spell, is virtually unexplainable. A great many attribute it to its magic halo - a combination of a clear-blue sky, shining white houses, clean and well-kept towns, tree-covered
countryside and warm, yet not too hot climate. Whatever the case, a good number of
travelers go into raptures when describing this island - made famous by Ulysses.
ENTRY TO THE COUNTRY
Nightclubbing!
Canadian passport and also recommended was a yellow fever shot.
GETTING THERE
KAF to Dubai. Dubia to Doha. Doha to Tunis. Tunis to Djerba. I
spent most of the day travelling and the lucky thing is Djerba is only 3
½ hours behind KAF time so there was no jet lag.
CURRENCY
Beach and blue sky.
Tunisian dinar (about 82¢ CAD).
THE ‘BOB’S YOUR UNCLE’ PART OF THE TRIP
The comedy side. An example of one of my days, I sent the following email from the resort to my family and friends:
Where to start! I had quite a day yesterday. A bunch of people arrived from
France and they’re very elegant people, Speedos and topless women everywhere.
Yesterday all the women were topless on the beach so I thought why not....I live in a
war zone, I’m travelling alone and I’m a single woman...I’ll give going topless a
whirl. Well it took me a few drinks to get the courage up but I finally did it but
silly me forgot to put sunscreen on. Well after awhile I had had enough so I was
attempting to put my top back on when the wind picked up and blew my top away
so I had to run and get it...then I did a nose dive into the sand...still topless.
I finally got my bikini top and ran into my room, red face and all. I decided to go
to another part of the club, where people didn’t see my face plant and had another
drink. I was excited because there were camel rides...I decided to give it a shot.
Page 8
Local Tunisian transportation.
Volume II, Issue 2
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BEEN THERE, DONE THAT...CANCAP Travel Tales… Continued from Page 8
Club Med Vacation to Djerba, Tunisia with Laurie Marrocco
Well I got on one side and went right over the other side...again red faced. I
decided to go back into my room. Now it was time to get ready for dinner
and I had my shower then sprayed on my perfume forgetting about my sunburned chest, all that comes to mind when the perfume hit my skin was Lord
of the Dance, I jumped up and down with my feet doing something funky
while I was in the air. After I got dressed I opened my door because my chest
was on fire and I went back into the bathroom, well when I came out there
was a cat sitting on my bed, I don’t know who jumped higher, I was wearing
sandals with no tread and ceramic floors, you’ll be happy to know I can still
do the splits at my age.
Laurie’s room at the resort (above) & the view (below).
The resort Manager came up to me today and was laughing and thanked me
for making his guests laugh....I guess they either saw me running for my bikini
top and my nose dive or saw me fall off the camel....did I mention I’ve never
seen a camel smile until yesterday.
I also managed to go horseback riding (which I’ll never do again, I’m finally walking
normal again), 4 x 4ing on the beach and a ride in a dune buggy…during each of
these activities I couldn’t bring along my camera but I saw some beautiful sights. I
ended up getting very sick my second
week (a very bad virus) so I couldn’t
partake in the other adventures I had signed up for.
THE LAST SUPPER (BEST/TRADITIONAL MEAL)
Local cuisine is couscous, chickpeas, dates, lamb and mint tea however my favorite dinners included all the fresh seafood and fish I
could eat, being right on the Mediterranean Sea I took advantage of it.
LE ‘THIS REMINDS ME OF KANDAHAR’ PART OF THE TRIP
Absolutely nothing about my trip reminded me of KAF.
TOTAL $ DAMAGE $ FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP
The main pool (and perhaps the umbrella that
Laurie got trapped in?)
For 2 weeks including the 3 flights from KAF plus the cost
of the resort was about $2,500.
GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN (STAYING SAFE)
Female travelers - I was a little nervous travelling alone since it was my first time going on vacation alone. I was
aware of my surroundings at all times and had no problems. Once I arrived in Djerba I took a taxi to the resort
and gave the taxi driver too much money, he was very honest to point it out and give me the rest back. I got a little
tired of the resort workers hitting on me, it got so bad that I had to sit out far away from the main building
where they couldn’t find me. I’m not a fan of travelling alone so
next trip out I will go with someone.
Tunisian woman
dancing in local dress.
SOUVENIRS TAKEN HOME
I had minimal time to shop while I was in Dubai so I took advantage of shopping at
the boutique on the resort. They had wonderful clothes that were locally made. I
bought the usual souvenirs like t-shirts, pens, costume and locally made jewelry.
NEXT TRIP (ITINERARY IN THE WORKS)
I’m either going back to Canada for a visit, Ireland or Italy….decisions decisions!!
Locals.
SHUKRAN (Thank-you) Laurie!
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MEET THE PMOO PERSONNEL
Dave Rooke—Permanent Planner
Dave (aka “Chopper Dave”) Rooke joined
DAVE ROOKE,
CANCAP’S
PERMANENT PLANNER
HAS BEEN WITH THE
SNC-LAVALIN PAE
PMOO SINCE
MAY 2008.
HE’S ALSO KNOWN
AS “CHOPPER DAVE”?
ANY IDEAS WHY?
READ THIS ARTICLE
TO FIND OUT!
our Project Management Office Ottawa
(PMOO) in May 2008 where he started off
as our Director of Operations. Why is he
called Chopper Dave? To no one’s surprise,
this is because he served as a helicopter pilot
in the Canadian Forces. In fact, Dave
started as a Gunner, then went to piloting
helicopters and eventually retired from the
military after commanding 5 Wing Goose
Bay for several years. Since leaving the Air
Force, Dave has been involved with planning
and managing contract work overseas including Bosnia, Kabul and Kandahar.
Dave spent two weeks on KAF in late May,
which was not his first visit to the base.
Prior to joining CANCAP, he served in
KAF as the Deputy Project Manager and
Director of Air Operations with ATCO.
Dave said that he was amazed at the
changes on the base since his last tour and
surprised by the amount of construction
still going on. “It’s like a small city but busy
like Dubai. The traffic is crazy even though
the speed limit is so low!”
Dave visited KAF as part of a combined
team consisting of CANCAP and military
representatives reviewing the Project. He
came back enormously impressed with what
he saw and said “What a great Project we
have on KAF. The people are really doing a
fantastic job; the military recognize what
CANCAP is doing and how important we
are; and we have a strong project team.”
Working with our managers, Dave was able
to identify several areas where we may need
to change our approach or organization.
He also looked at the possibility of new
work with the Air Wing on KAF, and we
expect to see yet another task order amendment in the near future as a result.
Dave is now back in Ottawa working on our
plans and helping DND with planning for
future support efforts. His experience, enthusiasm and good nature make him a very
welcome part of our PMOO Team and we
are glad to have him.
‘Chopper Dave’
in KAF
AFTER OBSERVING THE CANCAP TEAM’S GREAT WORK ON KAF
DURING HIS RECENT VISIT IN MAY, THIS IS WHAT DAVE HAD TO SAY:
“WHAT A GREAT PROJECT WE HAVE ON KAF. THE PEOPLE
ARE REALLY DOING A FANTASTIC JOB; THE MILITARY
RECOGNIZE WHAT CANCAP IS DOING AND HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE; AND WE HAVE A STRONG PROJECT TEAM.”
Page 10
‘Chopper Dave’ with some of the staff in KAF.
L to R: Terry Squires (DPM), Dave Rooke,
Laurie Marrocco (HR) and Stacey Howard (HR).
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
The SANDPAPER
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
PRIME MINISTER & MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE VISIT KAF
CANCAP Employees Get to Meet PM Stephen Harper & MND Peter Mackay
F
ew people have the opportunity to
say that they’ve heard the Prime Minister of Canada speak in person. Fewer
yet will have an opportunity to meet
and shake hands with our PM or
with the Minister of National Defence (MND), as many CANCAP
personnel did recently! On May 7,
2009, these two high-profile Canadians arrived on Kandahar Airfield to
meet and speak to the Canadian
troops and civilian personnel. Many
lucky CANCAP personnel had the
chance to hear the PM speak (note
the red CANCAP shirts in the photo
to the right) and to meet and shake
hands with the PM and MND during
their recent visit to KAF. Hopefully
they visit KAF again soon!
Thanks to DAVE ROOKE for providing
the photos shown below.
Above: Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits Kandahar Airfield to speak to the troops.
Photo copyright Canadian Department of National Defence.
Image reproduced with permission.
Photo Credit: MCpl Jonathan Johansen, JTFK Image Tech, Afghanistan ROTO 7.
Above left: Samantha Bodie
(CANCAP Environment) with Prime
Minister Stephen Harper.
Above middle: MND Peter Mackay
with Laurie Marrocco (CANCAP HR).
Above right: Kavita Bedar (CANCAP
Engineering (CE)) with the PM.
Left: The PM with Stacey Howard
(CANCAP HR).
Right: The PM with Les McDonald
(CANCAP LEMS).
Page 11
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
AWWW MAN….DO WE HAVE TO?
PMOO Recruiter Duncan Campbell Gets to Put His First Aid Training to Use
As one of our trusty recruiters
Duncan Campbell at PDT.
at PMOO, I get a lot of feedback from new (and returning)
team members during Pre- Deployment Training (PDT). Like
“Why do you people need so
many passport pictures?” or
“You know that’s going to hurt
in the morning.” One comment I’m not used to hearing is
“Thanks for saving me”, and if
it wasn’t for what I learned at
my PDT, I’m absolutely certain I
wouldn’t have heard it recently.
A lot of the training our employees go through (yes,
we’ve done it here at PMOO too–Gas! Gas! Gas!) may
never be needed. But life’s nasty habit of throwing away
the script—regardless of what side of the world you are
on–came into play for me recently, and I was suddenly
glad I didn’t sleep through (all of) PDT.
It was barely 24 hours ago I was riding the Ottawa Express bus to work and I remember it like it was yesterday. From the front of the bus came shouts…gasps…
maybe a “whoa, holy crap, dude!” (I live near the college). An older lady had passed out without warning and
fallen onto the floor. Hard.
I was seated too far back to see anything at first - the
thing I will remember most is that everybody jumped up
and then just….stood there. Motionless!
Then the call went up, one that I hadn’t heard since
training in PDT – “Is there a doctor here? Nurse? Firstaider?” Except this wasn’t a drill. I figured I’d better
spring into action before the driver got all the way down
to “Lifeguard” (although admit it, who wouldn’t want a
Lifeguard to save them?)
Now…if you’re reading the Sandpaper, you have your
Saint John Ambulance, your Combat First Aid, and you
pretty much know what happens next. You just want to
know if the old lady was okay. She was.
After the paramedics took over, I got to thinking that
what I did wasn’t nearly as important as what I learned I
had: confidence. Inner strength, even.
Then I thought, “Wow! That’s kind of cheesy.” So I
pondered some more, harder this time, though I knew it
was going to hurt in the morning. It occurred to me that
in times of adversity–actual adversity–maybe we don’t
find our inner strength: Sometimes it finds us, especially
if we just let it. And I guess in a way, that’s a gift. So
maybe mom was right, it truly is what we learn “after” we
know it all (in KAF of course) that really counts. She was
also right when she said “screw the environment, honey,
drive to work.”
Duncan Campbell
CANCAP Recruiter (PMOO)
THINGS WE EXPERIENCE ONLY IN KAF…
TIMMIE’S
DRIVE
THROUGH
Kandahar
Airfield...
very
Canadian
Page 12
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
The SANDPAPER
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
THE CANADIAN CENOTAPH GETS SOME CANCAP TLC
Ron Richan & Brian Bishop Take on the Task of Refurbishing the Cenotaph
Two CANCAP staff, Ron Richan and Brian
Bishop, both carpenters in the CE department, recently refurbished the Canadian
Cenotaph located inside the Task Force Headquarters compound in KAF. The long hot days
of summer and the cooler winter temperatures
and rain caused the paint to peel and fade.
The teak-wood framing for the granite plaques
of Canada’s fallen soldiers was getting weatherchecked and was also in need of some attention. So, these two CANCAPers took on the
task, spending six days in the +50º C and some
days up to +60º C, with short lunches and no
shade to hide in!!
Brian Bishop putting his art design skills to good use.
Drawing on two years of art design from college, Brian Bishop first penciled new outlines
for the existing Canadian and Afghan flags,
then repainted and outlined them so that they
would stand out from the marble. Finally, he
painstakingly painted the grout seams of the
marble base. All of the lettering on the base of
the memorial was also re-done and outlined.
It is customary for soldiers and civilians alike
to pay respects to the fallen by removing their
headdress. An exception was made in this case
as the only protection from the sun beating
down and reflecting off of the marble was
Brian’s hat. When asked how he felt about
working on this project, Brian, a Branch 10
Royal Canadian Legion Member in Nanaimo,
BC, said he was honoured to be a part of the
restoration of this symbolic memorial.
Working alongside Brian was Ron Richan,
who first applied masking tape to each fallen
soldier’s granite marker, then sanded all of
the woodwork, then applied a coat of varnish, moving on to the next area while the
previous dried. Once areas were dry, he
cleaned off any debris that had blown in
with the wind or fallen off a tree, and sanded
all of the woodwork again. In total there was
six coats of varnish applied, with the sanding
in between! When asked his thoughts on
the project, he responded: “Privileged to be
able to work on this cenotaph”.
I (Cheryl Samek) spoke to Ron and Brian at
breakfast one day to get some last minute
information. When asked how they felt as
they worked on the etched granite plaques
that memorialize each fallen soldier, silence
befell the conversation—it was hard for either
of them to put their feelings into words.
Brian was heading out on his vacation that
day and was proud that he had finished the
project. He looked forward to seeing his
grandfather who was a World War II Veteran. Ron said that there was one last coat
(or two) of varnish needed, then the only
thing left to do was put back the personal
items that had been added by comrades,
friends and family of the fallen.
I met up with Ron on his day off a couple of
days later and went to the cenotaph where
we started gingerly placing the personal memorial items where they belonged. These
included photos, a small Canadian flag from
a uniform and some flowers. These two men
worked very hard so that the Canadian TFK
Cenotaph, a place that we KAF residents
frequently walk by and where soldiers, civilians, friends and family come to pay their
respects to Canada’s fallen soldiers, continues to look respectable. Thanks Brian and
Ron, you should be proud of your work!
Page 13
Ron Richan applying masking tape to
the memorial in preparation
for painting.
Private David Greenslade’s mother,
Lauren Greenslade (standing) and his
father, Donald Greenslade (kneeling)
pay respect to David’s memory during
the Remembrance Day Ceremony at
Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on Nov
11, 2008. Private David Greenslade
was killed in April 2007.
Photo courtesy of DND.
Reprinted with permission.
Photo credit: Cpl Stevo J McNeil
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
OASIS UPGRADE
CANCAP’s Spot for Sanctuary, Refuge & Relief Gets A Facelift
o⋅a⋅sis [ oh-ey-sis] –noun,
1. a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a
spring or well.
Back in Camp Julien days, this definition of Oasis would have been
more applicable seeing as the well had not dried out yet!
2. haven: a shelter serving as a place of safety, sanctuary, refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying or difficult.
Now in KAF, the second definition is much more accurate!
KAF OASIS Now (May 2009)
KAF OASIS Before (December 2007)
All jokes aside, the Oasis is our MWR (Morale,
Welfare & Relaxation) Facility and has been host to
our monthly BBQs, our weekly Saturday evening
drive-in movies (bring your own chair), and our daily
morning coffees! It is for the sole use of CANCAP
employees and it is provided by SNC-Lavalin PAE
for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life for
employees here in KAF.
It is equipped with two
big screen TVs (Xbox and
Wii games included), 3
internet stations, a small
library, card tables and 24
–hour coffee station. The
Oasis recently underwent
some pretty extensive
renovations which added
a second floor and two
new outdoor patios.
Page 14
Randal Gray, one of our skilled trades supervisors in CE, took the lead on this construction
project which began in early February and was
finally finished at the end of April.
The renovations took so long because this was a
“self-help” project and a great deal of volunteer
time was put in by many CANCAP employees.
New Smokers’ Lounge/Patio
The renovations consisted of
relocating a bunker and the
ISOs from the old Oasis,
assembling and installing two
new ISOs, building decks,
building trusses, roofing the
two patios, painting the patios and trusses, pouring cement, re-wiring electrical and
installing air conditioning
units.
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
The SANDPAPER
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
Oasis Upgrade...continued...
A few special thanks need to be said:
Oasis Construction Photo Album
First thank-you to DND for allowing CANCAP to complete this project.
Thank-you to PMOO for funding this project.
And a very special thanks to EVERYONE who
volunteered their time, especially those listed
below in LEMS and in CE:
CE:
LEMS:
William Brennan
William Brydson
Randall Gray
James Harris
Sonny John
Denise Mester
Tyson McWha
Lucy Readman
James Reddy
Ron Richan
Richard Rogowski
Jing Shen
Kevin Young
Zhao Dong Wang
Bob Allan
Jo-Anne Bisson
Terry Chisolm
Gary Cooper
Michael Hagen
Gary Hartley
Brian Hayden
Tim Keddy
James Stark
Jean Trembley
Thanks to
JAMES STARK
for providing the
construction photos.
Pouring the concrete
Page 15
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
Oasis Upgrade...continued from page 15
Construction Photo Album Cont’d— Putting on the Roof
THE OASIS AS A
COFFEE PLACE :
“A great gathering
place for a fresh,
hot cup of coffee
with your friends...”
RON SMITH
“The Oasis,
the CANCAP
coffee house!”
JO-ANNE BISSON
“What I like about
the Oasis is the
coffee in the
mornings.”
MANIE VAN DER
WESTHUIZEN
Page 16
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
The SANDPAPER
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
Oasis Upgrade...continued from page 16
Construction Photo Album Cont’d— Putting the Tin on the Roof
THE OASIS AS AN
ENTERTAINMENT
HAVEN:
“We like the fridge
with cold water;
checking emails;
movie night; watching hockey games;
Wii; having a latenight butt (smoking);
when events are
organized there.”
FOOD SERVICE STAFF
“The Oasis, our
internet KAF-eh!
Where good
friends gather.”
CHERYL SAMEK
Page 17
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
PHOTOS FROM EVENTS AT THE OASIS—April 2009
CANCAP’s APRIL BBQ
Page 18
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
The SANDPAPER
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
PHOTOS FROM EVENTS AT THE OASIS—May 2009
CANCAP’s MAY BBQ
Above: CE’s Jim Harris receives the
Employee of the Month Award.
Page 19
The SANDPAPER
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
Volume II, Issue 2
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
FAREWELL FELLOW CANCAPERS!
MAY 2009 Departures from KAF
THE PEOPLE
PICTURED HERE
DEPARTED KAF IN
MAY & JUNE 2009.
WE THANK THEM
FOR THEIR HARD
WORK AND
DEDICATION AND
HOPE TO SEE
SOME OF THEIR
FACES AGAIN
JUNE 2009 Departures from KAF
SOON. SAFE
TRAVELS AND ALL
THE BEST!.
Page 20
Until We Meet Again….
Volume II, Issue 2
N E W S LE T T E R F O R
The SANDPAPER
C A N C A P E M P L O Y E E S
& F A M I L IE S
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
WELCOME NEW CANCAPERS!
We Hope You Enjoy The Show...
MAY 2009 Arrivals in KAF
THE PEOPLE
PICTURED HERE
DEPLOYED TO
KAF IN
MAY & JUNE 2009.
WELCOME TO
OUR TEAM,
STAY SAFE,
AND WE HOPE
YOU ENJOY YOUR
TIME WITH
JUNE 2009 Arrivals in KAF
CANCAP!
Page 21
PROFESSIONALS PROVIDING SOLUTIONS
SNC-LAVALIN PAE INC. NEWSLETTER FOR CANCAP EMPLOYEES & FAMILIES
SNC-Lavalin PAE Inc.
170 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 712
Ottawa, ON, Canada K1P 5V5
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
Phone: 613-565-7853
Fax: 613-565-8245
Email: [email protected]
The SANDPAPER
Volume II, Issue 2
MAY / JUNE 2009
Editors:
Carla Dawes
Cheryl Samek
Thank-you to those who
contributed stories, photos and
content to this issue of the
new SANDPAPER:
Kevin Bellin
Jo-Anne Bisson
Duncan Campbell
Roy Harten
Gilles Langlois
Ian Malcolm
Laurie Marrocco
Nick Michaels
Dave Rooke
James Stark
CANCAP publishes
The SANDPAPER every two months.
If you would like to add your
friends or family members to our
distribution list, please send their
email addresses to:
[email protected]
AIM:
To provide the highest quality services to
our client while achieving our corporate goals.
CORE VALUES:
Integrity, Empathy, Respect,
Initiative, Teamwork, Stewardship, Commitment
GOAL:
To be recognized as a
world-class provider of support services
to the Canadian Forces in Deployed Operations.
This is YOUR newsletter, so get involved and share your
knowledge, news, thoughts, anecdotes and insights.
Please send articles, feedback, ideas, photos and anything
else you’d like to contribute to The SANDPAPER to
[email protected]
Deadline for submissions for Volume II, Issue 3
is August 15th, 2009.
Get your creative juices flowing and contribute as soon as you can!
We look forward to it...
SNC-Lavalin PAE Inc. is a joint venture between SNC-Lavalin Defence Programs Inc.—a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, and PAE Government Services
Canada Inc.—a Lockheed Martin company. These two global leaders have partnered to deliver the Canadian Contractor Augmentation Program (CANCAP)
supporting Canadian Forces overseas deployments. CANCAP currently supports the Canadian Forces mission in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Visit our parent company websites:
www.paegroup.com
www.snclavalinprofac.com