Survey Technology program at SIAST set career path for Barry Way

Barry with wife, Laurie and children (L-R) Bailey, Brenna, Hali, and Connor.

City of Medicine Hat Wastewater Treatment Plant - UV Facility Inset: Barry with a 25 pound lake trout he caught on Cree Lake in Northern Saskatchewan.

As a child, Barry Way enjoyed drawing, carving, building, and assembling things. Although he didn't know it at the time, these interests would later come to be significant in choosing a career in survey technology and CADD.

As a young man, Barry planned to go into engineering college at the University of Saskatchewan. To be accepted at the university, he entered the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Survey Technology program to “boost” his grade point average. His plan was to complete the first year at SIAST and then go on to the engineering program at the university. While at SIAST Barry says, “The problem with my master plan was that I really enjoyed the SIAST program. The program provided an opportunity for hands-on designing, drawing, and building, rather than focusing on theory. I enjoyed the SIAST program so much that I completed the course with top honours and couldn't wait to put my skills to work.”

After working for a small company in Saskatchewan, Barry was offered employment with Associated Engineering. He had heard positive things about Associated Engineering and accepted the offer. Barry says, “Associated Engineering is a great company with hard working and reliable people, and, more importantly, strong leadership. The company's reputation drew me in, but the people have kept me here.” Barry worked in the Regina office where he met and became friends with Ken Hicks. Relates Barry, “Aside from the awesome fishing trips and Ken's words of wisdom, “big lure…big fish”, I am indebted to Ken for instilling the importance of attention to detail and of getting the job done efficiently. I believe if you are going to do a job, do it right - it takes as long to do a job poorly or wrong as it does to do it right, so why not do it right the first time!”

These values can be seen in the development of Barry's own personal philosophy for management. “To be successful, personnel, project, and client management cannot be separated. My philosophy is, we are problem solvers and solution providers. I believe that it is unacceptable to identify and define problems without coming to the table with solutions. This holds true in all parts of our lives. We are in the business of making the lives of our clients easier and providing creative, cost efficient solutions.”

In 2002, Barry was faced with new challenges after relocating to Medicine Hat, Alberta. At that time Barry was the only AE employee living in Medicine Hat. Embracing the challenge, Barry has made the most of opportunities presented to him, establishing our Medicine Hat office.

Some of the highlights of his career thus far have been working on a large water supply, water treatment, and distribution project in Ethiopia, being the lead site representative (Phase 2) and lead civil designer (Phase 3) for the Buffalo Pound to Regina Pipeline Twinning, as well as starting the satellite office for Associated Engineering in Medicine Hat and watching it grow.

With four children and volunteering to coach indoor and outdoor soccer, Barry has a busy life outside of the office. In addition to being involved with his children's sports and school activities, Barry enjoys snowmobiling, pedal biking and touring, exploring new places, and, of course, “coming home to a supportive family after a hard day's work!”

District of Lake Country's Town Centre Road and Town Centre upgrades reflect municipality's arts and cultural heritage

Lake Country is a district municipality with a population of approximately 10,000 in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Lake Country comprises four communities: Winfield, Okanagan Centre, Oyama, and Carr's Landing. The city of Kelowna lies to the south, while the city of Vernon lies to the north. As its name suggests, there are a number of lakes in the vicinity of Lake Country, and outside the municipal boundaries in the hills to the east, including Okanagan Lake, Wood Lake, and Kalamalka Lake. Located on the shores of Wood Lake and Okanagan Lake, Winfield is the southernmost of the Lake Country towns.

Intersection of Hill Road and Town Centre Road showing use of pavers for both sidewalks and crosswalks as well as decorative features such as bollards and street lighting.

Prior to the incorporation of the District of Lake Country on May 1,1995, local businesses and politicians lobbied for a distinct town centre for the Winfield area. Planning documents were prepared before and after incorporation to facilitate this goal. Highway 97, an arterial highway, runs through the centre of Winfield, the major population centre in the District, and was the main road serving local businesses.

As growth occurred, there were increasing conflicts between local and regional traffic and in land-use decision-making. In 2002, District of Lake Country and BC Ministry of Transportation staff began discussions and negotiations to develop a plan that addressed the needs of both parties. The Ministry of Transportation wanted to preserve this important regional and international arterial route, and the District goal was to develop a viable town centre. Mutual interests were agreed upon which included safety and mobility, economic development and development processes, and access management principles.

With the adoption of the Community Charter in 2004, the District and the Ministry entered into an Access Management and Partnership Agreement whereby costs could be allocated to both parties within the framework of this enabling legislation. A functional design was prepared and agreed upon, as well as a cost sharing formula. With the agreement in place the District retained Associated Engineering for detailed design and obtaining funding for design and construction of the first phase of the Town Centre Access Management Plan.

View of New Town Centre Road landscaping, and decorative street lighting.

Associated Engineering has been involved in the project since the conceptual design, and completed the preliminary road design for both the proposed Town Centre Road and Highway 97 adjacent to the project. Following preliminary design, Associated Engineering was involved in discussions with the Ministry of Transportation and the District of Lake Country to optimize the design to accommodate the requirements of all stakeholders. With the design complete, Associated Engineering tendered the project which included a public open house to inform and advise the area residents what to expect for the duration of construction. Once the contract was awarded, Associated Engineering provided contract administration and full time site inspection.

The project is situated adjacent to Vernon Creek which required environmental monitoring throughout the construction window. Two retaining walls and slope stabilization was required to allow the proposed cross section to pass by Vernon Creek. The roundabout included as part of the project is a first for the District of Lake Country. The design of the roundabout allows for seamless traffic and pedestrian flow in an active area of town in close proximity to a school, an assembly hall, and the municipal offices.

The project also included significant urban upgrades such as the addition of streetlights that accommodate both banners and hanging planters including an integrated irrigation system to each hanging planter. Trees along the boulevard have been serviced with electrical connections to allow for decorative lighting, which were used this past winter season. Project Manager, Alan Emery, advises, “The District of Lake Country's aim was to build the road and create urban landscape standards, so that the town centre core reflected the municipality's arts and cultural heritage and, as the core developed, the town centre roadway could provide vehicular access as well as areas for sidewalk cafes and street events.”

AE personnel involved in the project included Alan Emery, Sam King, Dallas Harrington, Rob Moonen, Jason Forest, Damian McGuinness, Don Daigneault, Orest Shybunka, and Ted Miller.