Wrong contractor for job?

T&A Rock Works would like to address the rockslide situation on Highway 97 near Summerland.

To date, we have not been involved with the emergency work nor have we ever been contacted by Argo Road Maintenance regarding the situation.

We are writing to question the decision to hire the current rock works contractor for the slide. Argo Road Maintenance decided to hire a rock works contractor with approximately one year of experience and which consequently lacks the qualified personnel, and equipment to complete a job of this magnitude and urgency.

The contractor needed qualified slope stabilization employees, so they turned to other contractors’ employees to patch together a crew. At the emergency outset, the contractor didn’t own the necessary specialty equipment and opted to “borrow” some equipment from another company.

It is a requirement by the Ministry of Transportation for contractors to submit a list of owned and insured equipment in order to be qualified for highway projects. It’s also typically required that contractors provide a list of similar jobs that they have completed and a list of qualified employees, with their experience detailed.

We own a fleet of equipment that is registered and insured with the ministry. This qualifies us to be able to respond to emergencies if contacted.

Secondly, our office, personnel, and equipment are located 40 minutes away from the slide, which would have allowed us to respond to the call, organize, and reach the jobsite very quickly.

M. Witham