Search ThisCrazyTrain.com

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Who's Not Been Serving Us Lately? Part 5

Read Part 1, Part 2Part 3 and Part 4
by Chris P. Bacon

Editor's Note: Coincidentally, The Toronto Star ran this story today about construction delays at Clarkson GO Station. I love the headline. Fail is a good word. Fail seems to be the word of the day.

In this installment of Who’s Not Been Serving Us Lately? I revisit Burlington station to check on developments there.  I guess Metrolinx felt compelled to issue a statement given that the December 2013 and June 2014 completion dates were missed.  And what did Metrolinx say?  The following notice is posted about the station, bus loop, and tracks:


Can Metrolinx expound on the “unforeseen underground utility issues”?  Isn’t one of the first tasks of a civil engineering project to conduct a discovery process to verify the location and status of underground services?

How did the project get to this stage before Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. realized there was a problem?  Bondfield’s home page claims the following:
“For 40 years, Bondfield Construction Company Limited has consistently proven itself as one of Ontario’s leading full-service construction companies with a renowned reputation for delivering innovative, quality, cost efficient projects on time and on budget.”
The construction notice bemoans the “exceptionally harsh winter”.  This is Canada, so suck it up buttercup! Other cities in Canada endured the same winter that Toronto did, but their construction projects didn’t hibernate until the spring.  The construction of the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg pressed on during winter.  What does this say about the capabilities of Bondfield engineers and trades people?

Since my original story, a bit of progress has been made on the soffit and fascia of the new station.  Note, too, that the roof now has a ladder!


The construction notice states, “We are working as quickly as possible to complete the station improvements”.  

I’m sorry Metrolinx and Bondfield, but I’m not buying any of this drivel.  The private sector can plan and manage projects through adverse conditions to keep the RBC Convention Centre on track.  It’s now summer and no one is working at Burlington station.  Is Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. hiring staff to deploy to this project?  As I write this article, Bondfield’s career opportunities web page has a total of three job postings. Many Ontarians are out of work.  There is work to do, and funds have been committed, but no one is hiring. 

Is this another case of public dollars going directly to the profit line of big corporations?  I’d like someone to help me understand what’s going on here.  I just don’t get it.

With billions of dollars in capital works projects at risk for The Big Move, I also don’t understand why the mainstream media isn’t having a feeding frenzy trying to identify who at Metrolinx is responsible for this fiasco.

6 comments:

Squiggles said...

Well, it could be a water main break. That happened back last December (?) in Ajax. Nothing has been done, even though they were waiting/ had to wait for nice weather.

Otherwise, a delay of ONE YEAR!!!!!!!! is unacceptable.

Anonymous said...

I'm there every morning and rarely see any work being done.

Anonymous said...

FYI, a bridge and stairs from the parking garage to the platforms was the project on the go prior to this new station - ABOUT 18 MONTHS BEHIND SCHEDULE. Most days, not a worker in sight - must have had an underground thingamajiggee with that project too!

My guess on all of these things - cash flow isn't coming that quick as Metrolinx or Ontario gov't struggle to keep some cash as we get downgraded to 3rd world status.

Anonymous said...

Lol third world status?

Anonymous said...

Ajax has been under construction for 4 years now.

Squiggles said...

Ajax will never NOT be under construction. The world will end before it is done.