As of early May 2012, the Donald Bridge project  25 kilometres west of Golden, B.C., was approximately 65 per cent complete. Flatiron Constructors of Canada Ltd. started reconstruction of 3.5 kilometres of highway and the bridge replacement in February 2011, employing 40 to 60 workers—90 per cent of whom are local. As of mid-April, the workers—including subcontracted labour—had clocked 100,000 hours.

Flatiron project manager Rick Morrison talked about improved safety and traffic flow on both the rebuilt section of highway and the bridge.

“Four lanes will allow better traffic flow,” he said, “and new alignment on the curve allows easier transition through the area.”

The project is scheduled for completion in December 2012.

Ken and Susan Lehmann are the owners of Golden Transfer Company in Golden, B.C., and they have been searching for a new location for their company’s warehouse and office for more than four years. When they discovered that Canadian Helicopters Ltd. was vacating its building located at 400 Fisher Road in Golden, the Lehmanns decided to purchase the building and make it their own.

The facility was originally built to meet the needs of Canadian Helicopters Ltd. and work to make the building compatible for Golden Transfer Company began immediately after the Lehmanns took possession of it on November 30, 2011.

Getting elevated

“We had to build up the warehouse to dock height because it was right on ground level,” said Susan. “So we had to pour a concrete wall, fill it up with gravel and then pour concrete on top of that. There were two big doors so they could move their helicopters in and out and we took those out and we put in four truck doors with bumpers and sealed pads so that when the trucks back up, they actually . . . seal to the building so we don’t lose our heat. We had to put another door on the side of the building for our body truck that does local deliveries.”

The floor of the warehouse was raised up four feet, and because of that, Susan said that the electrical system in the building had to be elevated and reloaded as well. To provide heat for the facility, the Lehmanns purchased a De-On Supply Inc. (D.S.I.) Clean Burn furnace—this energy-efficient heating system burns used engine oil that is retained from the trucks at Golden Transfer Company.

“(The furnace) has a compartment . . . when they do oil changes they bring (the used oil) over in a tote bag and pour it in,” said Susan, "and that’s what it uses to run."

Renovations to Golden Transfer Company’s new facility were completed by December 31, 2011, and the company was fully operational by January 1, 2012. According to Susan, the project would not have been possible without the hard work and long hours put in by staff members and contractors. Greg McTaggart and his Golden-based company, Absolutely Hammered Contracting Ltd., worked on the project—and so did several other local construction outfits.

Moving forward

Golden Transfer Company offers refrigerated and general overnight freight-hauling services from Calgary, Alberta, to Golden, Cranbrook and  communities in between. The company’s trucks also run from Cranbrook to Sparwood and from Cranbrook to Nelson. In the future, Susan said that she and Ken will look at expanding their company’s service route to include Revelstoke and Kelowna. The company’s new building can expand to include more loading docks, if the need for them arises.

Meet the owners

Ken and Susan Lehmann are longtime residents of Golden and they live an active lifestyle. Ken has many years of experience as a logging truck driver and he owns two logging trucks. He is also a professional ski instructor and he loves to golf. In her spare time, Susan travels to Alberta and the U.S., showing her American quarter horse, named Jake. 

“BrandSource is a much larger buying group,” said Veronica, told the Golden Star in a recent interview. “So our customers will have access to some exciting new brands and new deals.”

They have always had an electronics section, and although they are no longer associated with The Source, their former electronics supplier, they will still be offering much of the same products as they were before.

“We’re going to continue selling electronics because people need a place to buy them, and it’s important to us to provide that service for the community. We’re just going to be buying them independently now,” said Veronica. “And we’re still the Telus dealer in town. Telus is a good supplier for us, and we’ll be staying with them.”

Martin Gotz of Libertas Custom Homes also commended HübertHaus Timber Frames for custom home design and supply and installation of the timber frame, Coastal Mountain Mechanical for plumbing, Cold Systems Mechanical for duct work, Taro Broughton for electrical and AB Stonework's for the rock work. Gotz said this type of award-winning product would not be possible without the whole team believing in it. 

Congratulations to Martin Gotz, his staff and contractors at Libertas Custom Homes in Golden.

Radon is a radioactive gas that results from the decay of uranium in the earth’s crust. The Kootenay area is classified as high in radon potential. Unfortunately, radon is the top cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. This toxic gas can accumulate in buildings, often concentrating in the basement. The good news is that something can be done about it. That’s where Frank Bertrand comes in.

When a friend of Bertrand’s who had never smoked developed lung cancer, Bertrand decided to do some research and, consequently, tested his own home for radon. Levels were high, but a depressurization system immediately dropped them from 20 to 1.

Now Bertrand is involved with informing others about their options, and helping them decrease the radon they’re exposed to in their own homes.

“It is fantastic to be able to help people and to give them peace of mind,” Bertrand said. “It feels like meaningful work.”

Learn more about radon, and the services of Radon 86 Solutions, through their website.