Cranbrook company bridges the gap from finalist to award winner

Cranbrook business Glacier Technical Services Ltd. wins 2014 Deputy Minister Consulting Engineers Award

Replacement of the Little Sand Creek Bridge, Jaffray, B.C. (left to right): Andrew Madell, site supervisor for the general contractor, Copcan Contracting; Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines; Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure; and Brent Shypitka, president of Glacier Technical Services. — Photo courtesy Brent Shypitka

If you travelled along Highway 3 through Jaffray between March and September 2014, you have Glacier Technical Services Ltd. and Copcan Contracting Ltd. to thank for minimal delays despite ongoing construction to replace Little Sand Creek Bridge.

The original bridge was replaced with a 20-metre, three-lane road complete with a left-turn lane and a sidewalk to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist traffic.

The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) contracted Glacier Technical Services to supervise construction of a traffic detour and bridge replacement. Glacier won first place in the Excellence in Construction Management and Supervision Services category at the 2014 Deputy Minister’s Consulting Engineers Awards for its exceptional work on the Little Sand Bridge Replacement.

According to the ministry’s February 4, 2015 press release, Glacier Technical Services’ on-site efficiencies ensured two-lane traffic flow, without incident or delay, during the busy summer months.

The workers place the concrete in front of a deck machine that provides the final deck elevation/grade for the Little Sand Creek Bridge. — Photo courtesy Brent Shypitka

“Glacier Technical Services clearly demonstrated their extensive and varied construction experience and expert supervisory skills while overseeing this bridge project,” said Todd Stone, minister of MOTI.

Placing concrete in the east abutment of the Little Sand Creek Bridge. The west abutment is already constructed in the foreground. — Photo courtesy Brent Shypitka

President and owner of Glacier Technical Services Brent Shypitka said that Glacier managed the necessary site modifications between the ministry and the contractor and that maintaining the detour and preventing traffic delays despite necessary site modifications were important aspects of the job.

“Communication and an understanding of what was required enabled all parties to be proactive and efficient in solving these issues and expedite the works to prevent delays to the project,” he said.

Shypitka and his wife, Michelle, opened their business' doors in 1996. Since that time, Glacier has been contracted for over 20 MOTI projects, offering supervision and management of commercial and industrial projects such as bridge, highway, dam and city infrastructure from design stage to project completion. While Shypitka generally manages projects with one or two employees, he says he’s had projects that have required up to six employees.

Shypitka considers the recent Little Sand Creek Bridge project to be average-sized, citing the Donald Bridges and Approaches Project on Highway 1, 20 kilometres west of Golden, as his largest project to date. With a capital cost of approximately $55 million, that project required Glacier to team up with another consulting firm, Saanburn Technical Services Ltd., to supervise construction. Both were finalists for the Deputy Minister’s Excellence in Construction Management and Supervision Award in 2012.

The Donald Bridges project was completed in 2013 and upgraded approximately 3.5 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway from two- to four-lane traffic. It included construction of the Donald Bridge across the Columbia River and the Donald Overhead Bridge over the CP Rail line.

When asked about receiving top honours this year, Shypitka said it was very rewarding to receive recognition and appreciation for the work he provides, adding that in the construction trade you are rewarded by working with so many great people.

“You start a project with everyone having a role and a responsibility," he said, "and the success of the project depends on the hard work and dedication of everyone.”

Shypitka considers organizing your life in a way that allows you to feel proud of both your business and personal life to be the greatest challenge and the best advice to business owners.

“Any level of work in the construction trade requires a lot of travelling and out of town work. Maintaining a successful marriage for close to 30 years, raising three children who are now adults and pursuing their own careers and now having two grandchildren, I consider a huge success,” Shypitka said.