International Operating Engineer - Spring 2017

Canadian News
Local 793 Upgrades Training Facilities and Equipment
developed and construction work on
the banquet hall will begin in early
2018, followed by the student residence.
LOCAL 793 HAS successfully
completed an $11-million building and
renovation project at the Operating
Engineers Training Institute of Ontario
(OETIO) campus in Morrisburg,
Ontario.
The local has also added to its fleet of
equipment and virtual reality simulators
and is now looking at enlarging its
banquet hall at head office in Oakville
and adding a student residence at the
training centre there.
The revamp of the training building
included the demolition and rebuild of
a dormitory, renovations to an office
and administrative area as well as
electrical, IT and fire code upgrades.
“The training campus in Morrisburg
is now a modern, state-of-the-art
facility that our members can truly
be proud of,” said Local 793 business
manager and IUOE VP Mike Gallagher.
“It’s a place where our apprentices
and members can stay and train in a
comfortable setting.”
The union’s executive board
began planning for the renovation
because the building was in dire need
of improvements. Gallagher had
toured the building and, afterwards,
recommended an upgrade. The board
agreed and approved the renovation
and expansion.
“Apprentices and our members
deserve a world-class training facility
and accommodations,” said Gallagher.
“By investing in the OETIO, we can
continue training heavy equipment
apprentices who will contribute to
the future growth and prosperity of
Ontario.”
The project began in spring 2015.
The office area and main building of the
campus were first to be renovated. The
[above] The new dormitory at the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario campus
in Morrisburg has 70 single-occupancy rooms. Many have views of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
dormitory wing of the campus was then
demolished and rebuilt.
The new dormitory now has 70
single-occupancy rooms with large
windows. Many have views of the St.
Lawrence Seaway. A full fitness area
also complements a gym that’s on site.
Meanwhile, at the OETIO campus
next to Local 793’s head office in
Oakville, a new Liebherr 85 EC-B5 tower
crane has been erected.
The crane will enable students to be
trained in top- and bottom-climbing
procedures. The OETIO is the only
training centre in the world that offers
such training on tower cranes.
The concrete pad for the tower crane
was poured Dec. 2 by Local 793 member
Craig Agar of Pumpcrete Corp. Craig is a
steward at Pumpcrete.
A structure will be built around the
crane to support climbing exercises.
The crane has an extra large cab for
training students.
The OETIO has also expanded its
fleet of crane and heavy equipment
virtual reality simulators.
There are now four new VxAdvantage
simulators in Morrisburg with roughterrain,
tower and crawler crane
scenarios and setups for boom trucks,
excavators, backhoes and wheel
loaders. The Oakville campus has two
new VxAdvantage simulators with
crane, boom truck and concrete pump
scenarios.
Two existing simulators in Oakville
have also been retrofitted and the
OETIO has purchased two smaller
VxTrainer simulators that can be taken
to events.
As for the future, Local 793 is looking
at expanding the banquet hall at its head
office and adding a student residence at
the training campus in Oakville.
Architectural plans are being
The executive board of the local
has set a budget of $25 million for both
projects
Both projects will be completed by
summer 2019 – in time for the local’s
100th anniversary celebrations.
“I had promised during the last
union election that we would be
prudent in expanding the banquet hall
and building the new student residence
and that the local would not be at any
risk,” said Local 793 business manager
Gallagher. “I plan to deliver on that
promise.
“We will enhance our property so that it is more
valuable and we will do it without incurring any debt
whatsoever.”
The banquet hall will be more than doubled in
size. Upon completion, it will have capacity for about
750 people. The student residence will have 43 rooms,
additional classroom space, a gym and lounge area. It
will be built to the north of the existing training centre
and incorporate elements of the former Elliott Hotel
in Toronto, where the founding fathers of Local 793
met in 1919 to draft a letter requesting a charter for
the union.
[above] A new Liebherr 85 EC-B5 tower crane was erected
at the OETIO campus in Oakville.
[left] The concrete pad for the tower crane in Oakville was
poured in December by Local 793 member Craig Agar of
Pumpcrete Corp.
[article & photos] Grant Cameron, IUOE Local 793
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INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
SPRING 2017 17