“We Built That.”
Canada’s Building Trades Unions is celebrating the successful completion of Canada’s largest industrial project, B.C.’s LNG Canada export facility and Coastal GasLink pipeline, with that simple declaration highlighting the skills, effort and pride of accomplishment of its members.
On June 30, seven years after making the final investment decision to proceed, LNG Canada successfully loaded the first cargo of liquefied natural gas at the new Kitimat, B.C. plant, Canada’s first large-scale LNG export facility, destined for overseas markets.
The project is expected to contribute up to $23 billion to Canada’s economy over the next 40 years.
LNG Canada calculated that over 50,000 workers directly contributed to building LNG Canada Phase one, and constructing the connecting the Coastal GasLink pipeline employed more than 25,000.
The project included the construction of the second largest LNG storage tank in the world, standing 56 metres high and 75 metres in diameter with a volume of more than 225,000 cubic metres.
The final weld on train one of the project took 48 hours of continuous work from teams of welders working in shifts. More than 380 pipe welders had worked on the project since construction began.
“This milestone is a testament to the incredible skills and dedication of Canada’s unionized tradespeople, who built the infrastructure that puts Canada on the map as a responsible and reliable LNG exporter,” said CBTU’s executive director Sean Strickland.
“The idea behind the campaign is to say, in Canada, despite some of the negative rhetoric, we can get things done. And LNG Canada and that plant is a prime example of getting big things done.”
The campaign, which launched Aug. 6, features a set of videos featuring unionized trades workers discussing their roles on the project.
Electrician Landon Andrei of IBEW Local 993 of Kamloops, B.C. is employed by Fluor, which worked in joint venture partnership with JGC Corporation delivering engineering, fabrication and delivery of modules and construction of the project’s infrastructure, marine structures and LNG storage tank.
Andrei, who said he was comfortable in front of a camera given his background as a former gospel singer, recalled his “We Built That” moment on the Kitimat site.
“Two rotations ago, I had an opportunity to climb to the top of the tank and OSBL (outside battery limits), which is the highest possible location that you could be onsite,” he said. “I just looked out across the site, and I’m looking at all of the different areas that I’ve done, and all these flashbacks of memories that I’ve had with individuals that I’ve met on site that are lifelong friends now, and stand there and go, ‘Wow, we built that.’
“You start to realize, you’ve contributed to something bigger than yourself.”
Strickland referred to the proposed infrastructure portfolio of the new Major Federal Projects Office and said undertaking a “nation-building project” like the export facility not only shows the world Canada has the skills to complete major builds but it also helps build skills, providing the experience that helps thousands of apprentices achieve certification.
Andrei was one of those. Prior to signing on to the LNG Canada project over three years ago, he was working for a non-union employer and, he said, he never quite had the discipline to work toward journeyperson status.
“When I joined the union, and I get on this project, and I’m being surrounded by people that have the skills and the training that they have, I was really pushed by a lot of different guys onsite,” Andrei said. “‘You have the experience, you have the skill, why not get the ticket that you need?’”
So he did, working to put in the classroom work required and finally obtaining his Red Seal papers. He also showed interest in gaining experience as a foreman, became a Nex Gen mentor on the job for the local and recently joined his local’s business manager at an IBEW All Canada progress meeting in Alberta.
During that time Andrei also became engaged, helped support his partner Madison through nursing school, got married this spring and is now ready to start a family.
“Working on this project, you talk about personal growth and networking and meeting people, and it’s an opportunity for leadership and self-initiative,” he said.
“It’s enabled me to provide some stability to life”
