Many people may have been able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that wasn’t the case for many of the city’s public works employees.
The City of New Westminster has proclaimed May 15 to 21 as Public Works Week, which recognizes the vital importance that public works, infrastructure, facilities, emergency management and services play to the health, safety and well-being of people in New Westminster.
Gabe Beliveau, the city’s manager of engineering operations, said staff are very excited to be reintroducing the public works week celebration, after it was halted by the pandemic.
“It’s a great way for municipalities of all sizes and natures across North America to explore and to share the pride in the work we do, to educate of the importance in the daily aspect in the projects that we all undertake,” he said. “And it allows our staff to express pride in their workplace and to be able to really show off what we do for a living.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote said the pandemic highlighted the need for public works and the importance of those services that are often taken for granted.
“The water comes out, the sewers always work and the garbage always gets picked up. But if any one of those went missing, I can sure tell you every single resident in the city would know immediately,” he said. “I think we do need to spend time to recognize and highlight the importance of that important work in our community.”
The city’s proclamation states that such facilities and services could not be provided without the dedicated efforts of public works professionals, who are responsible for and must plan, design, build, operate and maintain transportation, water supply, wastewater systems, solid waste collection, public buildings and other structures and facilities essential to serve citizens.
Mike Antoniali, the city’s coordinator of parks and open space maintenance, said a staff appreciation lunch is one of the ways Public Works Week will be celebrated in New West. In addition, he said some Grade 8 students from Fraser River Middle School have been invited to visit the works yard to check out some displays and see the type of public works provided by the city.
“Students can actually can get inside a garbage truck and use a joystick to tip the cans which is always fun,” he told council. “We will do a demonstration of how we repair roads with an asphalt patch with a road crew. And then we will have a towing display of a rolled over car and how to safely roll it back over and hook it up to a tow truck. And then a few other things; a tour of the sign shop and what not. It should be a fun day.”
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