Sarcelle powerhouse is taking shape - Hydro

Volume 8, Issue 3, September 2010
Sarcelle powerhouse
is taking shape
Final sprint at Rupert
Civil works are coming to an end
at the Eastmain-1-A jobsite
People with a powerful vision
Every jobsite must come to an end!
The Rupert diversion jobsite —I was there!
MEM – Since 2002, thousands of
people have worked on various
aspects of the Rupert diversion
project. By the end of 2010, everyone will have to say goodbye.
This significant, inevitable step
will be taken with pride!
While hundreds of workers were
still present at the workcamp,
SEBJ organized activities to
thank them and to highlight all
the hard work that went into the
project.
Thanks to the cooperation of the
Eastmain and Sarcelle jobsites,
tours were organized in July and
August for workers from Nemiscau workcamp. These workers
really enjoyed discovering the
other jobsites of the Eastmain1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert project in
the company of friends and
co-workers. Thank you to
all participants, guides and
organizers!
The culmination of these Appreciation
activities [activités Reconnaissance]
was held on August 21. Site Manager,
Gervais Savard, and Virgile Albert invited
all employees and workers to a Rupert
signature supper: pictures of the workers decorated the walls of the cafeteria,
superb weir-shaped cakes were served
and a video of progress at the jobsite
from 2007 to 2010 was shown on a giant
screen. The 2007–2009 souvenir album
got a great reception, and the project’s
colors were on display. An evening under
the big tent followed, where laughter
and memories joined to create memorable and touching moments!
Cake representing the weir at KP 290
The imminent end of the project should
be celebrated and shared—shared with
the emotion, enthusiasm and respect
that we developed while working to
accomplish this unique project.
Group from Nemiscau touring the Sarcelle jobsite
The 200,000th passenger
MV – On July 7, 2010, Air Creebec and SEBJ celebrated the 200,000th passenger
to travel aboard Air Creebec as part of the Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert project.
Mario Lavoie, laborer for contractor CRT-Hamel, received a watch from
Connie Ragusa, an Air Creebec representative, and a laminated print from
Denis Lalonde, representing SEBJ.
Supervisor – Public Relations / Magazine Editor: Bionda Miotto / 819 672-2200, ext. 3854 miotto.bionda@hydro.qc.ca
Advisor - Public Relations and Editor-in-Chief: Jimmy Lavoie / 819 865-2100 poste 4159, lavoie.jimmy@hydro.qc.ca
Writers: Pascal Dion, Catherine Langlois, Marie-Ève Morin, Liza Perron, Mélanie Vachon
Contributors: Claude Perron , Normand Faubert
Translator: Margaret Kane Savage, Reviser: Isabel Fonte
Graphics: Paul Salois Design / Photographer: Paul Brindamour / Printer: Imprimerie Lebonfon
Eastmain Magazine is published by SEBJ Public Relations for the workers of the Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert project.
Internet site: www.hydroquebec.com/rupert. Extranet site: www.extranetsebj.ca. (© SEBJ, All rights reserved)
Eastmain Magazine is printed on chlorine- and acid-free EcoLogo certified paper, made in Québec, containing 100% post-consumer fibre, manufactured using biogas energy.
2 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
People with a powerful vision
LP – Concreting of the three sections of the Sarcelle powerhouse’s water intake began in April 2009 and will end
this fall. It has required more than 10,900 cubic metres of
concrete.
One aspect of the special configuration of the intake’s
openings is the shaping of the concrete above the gates.
Two successive curves, known as lintels, will efficiently
direct the flow to the generating units.
Although concreting is progressing rapidly, work at the
water intake is not over. The arrival of workers from company CIE Euler, assigned to install the stoplog slots and
the trashrack slots, signals another step in the work on this
section of the water intake.
Lintels of unit 22 – Location of gate slots
Upstream view – water intake
Upstream view – Tower crane access road and track location
Eastmain Magazine, September 2010 3
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Sarcelle jobsite
Upstream sector
Sarcelle jobsite
Downstream sector
MV – Diffuser construction is coming to an end. By midSeptember, more than 12,000 cubic metres of concrete will
have been poured in this area.
The process of installing the steel structure of the service
bridge’s deck began with the concreting of nine columns.
These nine columns, three per unit, will be equipped with
anchors to secure the beams of the bridge slab.
Downstream view – End of concrete work on diffusers
Powerhouse switchyard
The switchyard is bustling with activity. The six switchyard
towers have been positioned on their bases. Around them,
more than half of the insulators, circuit breakers and disconnect switches are in place.
View of the switchyard
Bases for setting up disconnect switches, circuit breakers and insulators
4 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
People with a powerful vision
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
The two firewalls between the transformers have been
completed, and the four columns supporting the wiring
are 85% concreted. Construction of gravel-filled ditches for
rainwater drainage, excavation of the fence site and formwork for the duct bank have begun. Meanwhile, installation
of the grounding grid is continuing.
The first sections
LP – The first sections of the bulb turbine units arrived at Sarcelle powerhouse in June 2009. Last year, only the
armoring of the three units’ draft tube
cones had been installed. A section
upstream of the armoring will complete that area this year.
2010 is going to be a much more
eventful year. The arrival of the stay
rings, stator casings, sealing rings and
upstream covers by road contributed
to the bustle of activity.
At the jobsite, employees of contractor Alstom began installing the
components of generating unit LS 23
in June.
Stator casing
Stay ring
Viewed from the outside, this section
is located between the stator casing
and the sealing ring. Inside, it contains
the combined bearing, which consists
of the thrust bearing, counter-thrust
bearing and generator guide bearing,
and the shaft through its centre.
Composed of four welded parts, the
stay ring is anchored by concreting
a portion of the vertical stay vanes
extending from its top and bottom. In
addition, two lateral stay vanes have
been welded to the stay ring; they will
be anchored in concrete to hold the
generating unit in place from either
side.
On Sunday, June 27, three of the
welded parts of the stay ring were
installed in the powerhouse. This
assembly, weighing just over 150
tonnes, was first placed at the bottom
of unit 23 before taking its final,
vertical position. It is kept upright
by the lower stay vane, the lowest
section of which will be concreted.
The upper stay vane, attached to the
fourth section, was welded in place on
July 23.
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Sarcelle jobsite
BULB UNITS
Unit 23’s stay ring and sealing ring
5 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
Delivery of the rooms on level 220 to TransÉnergie
BIG STEP FOR SARCELLE
D’ÉTAPE EN ÉTAPE
Architecture et travaux mécaniques / électriques
Centrale de la Sarcelle 2010
D’ÉTAPE EN ÉTAPE
Architecture et travaux mécaniques / électriques
Centrale de la Sarcelle 2010
Abalin Stéphane - Achard Fabien - Arbour Yvon - Asselin Roberto - Auclair Vic - Audet Réal - Bastien Michel - Beaulieu Frédéric - Beaulieu Martin - Beauregard Lucien - Bédard Martin - Bergeron Jonathan - Bergeron François
Bernier Dominic - Blackburn Martial - Blackburn Jean-Claude - Boily Marc - Boivin Yan - Bouchard Yanick - Bouchard Michael - Bouchard Michel - Bouffard Roger - Bourbeau Claude - Brisebois Jacques - Brisson Michel - Bronsard
Simon - Carbonneau Guy - Carbonneau Yves - Caron Gilles - Charbonneau Gabriel - Cherrier Sébastien - Claveau Jerry - Côté Alexandre - Côté Éric - Couture Laurent - Dallaire Dominique - Delorme François - Demeules Mathieu
Derome Mario - Desrosiers Raymond - Doyon Denis - Dubois Robin - Duchesne Daniel - Duchesne Dave - Duchesne Pascal - Dufour Bernard - Dufresne Jean-Guy - Duhamel Alexandre - Dupuis Gaétan - Fontaine Philippe - Fortin
Maxime - Fortin André - Fortin Marc - Fortin Marius - Frappier Dominic - Gagné Serge - Gagnon Dominic - Gagnon Daniel - Gagnon Éric - Gagnon Michel - Gagnon Charles - Gaudet Ghislain - Gaudreau Marcel - Gaudreault Rémi
Gaudreault Louis - Gauthier-Gaudreault Marc-André - Gingras Alain - Girard Jocelyne - Godin Réal - Gosselin Claude - Goudreault Dany - Grant Patrick - Gravel Martin - Gravel Patrick - Grenier Régent - Guérin Bernard - Lalande
Jean-François - Landry Jasmin - Landry Yvon - Lapointe Bernard - Laprise Daniel - Larocque Guy - Larouche Jacky - Laurin Michel - Lavoie Gérald - Leclair Nicole - Leduc Jean-Paul - Lemelin Jean-François- Lévesque David Lévesque Guy - Macédo Patrice - Marcil Patrick - Marcotte François - Marcoux Pascal - Marineau Jean - Marion Ronald - McKoy Gérard - Ménard Dave - Minville Sébastien - Moreau Éric - Morel Réal - Munger Hervé - Murray Jean
- Nault Christian - Ouellet Alain - Ouellette Simon - Painchaud Éric - Pascal Claude - Patenaude Robert - Patoine Steeve - Payant Gilbert - Perron André - Pilote Pierre Luc - Pilote Julien - Poulin Amélie - Reimnitz Robert - Riberdy JeanPierre Rioux Éric - Robert François - Rochefort Jean-Michel - Rochefort Louis-Francis - Rondeau Jean-Marc - Rouillard Sylvain - Roy Adrien - Sabourin Patrick - Salesse Louis - Samson Marco - Savard Guy - Scopelleti Martin - Séguin
Serge - Selseotes Marc - Simard Marc-André - Simard Claude - Simard Louis - St-Cyr André - Therrien Steeve - Tremblay Charles-David - Tremblay Olivier - Tremblay Martin - Tremblay Jean-Pierre - Tremblay Sylvain - Tremblay Yvon
Tremblay Sylvain - Tremblay Jimmy - Tremblay Bernard - Tremblay Raymond-Mari - Van der Heyden Nicolas - Verreault Kevin - Vézina Maxime - Vinette Maxime - Zacarias Angelito Raym
LP – On Saturday, July 24, joint venture Cegerco Lambert and
Somec delivered various premises that will belong to HydroQuébec’s TransÉnergie division.
The six rooms that were delivered, in the presence of members of the Hydro-Québec team and SEBJ employees, contain protection panels, automatic control systems, electrical
equipment, batteries and a laboratory. They are all located
in the level 220 service area, adjacent to the future Sarcelle
powerhouse switchyard.
Level 220 is the top floor of the powerhouse, 220 being the
number of metres it lies above sea level—level 0.
These rooms were delivered well ahead of the deadline, which
was September 15. To mark this major step, a place mat commemorating how quickly the work was completed was given to
every worker, and a special cake was prepared for the occasion.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed directly or
indirectly to this achievement!
PD – The Oujeck satellite workcamp, like all camps, had a
limited lifespan. Oujeck workcamp was closed on June 20,
and until weir construction is finished, the workers will live
either at the km 257 workcamp or at the one in Waskaganish.
At peak occupation, Oujeck workcamp housed more than 225
workers from several companies working on the Rupert weirs.
Closing a workcamp involves not only cutting its power, but
dismantling it. Two contractors—Larouche Construction and
Denis Lavoie & fils—started dismantling Oujeck workcamp
in late August and will continue until late October. About 70
modules will have to be relocated. Some of the dormitories
6 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
will be moved to Nemiscau workcamp. The rest will travel
nearly 1,650 kilometres to the Romaine project’s Murailles
workcamp.
Users of the Route du Nord and the James Bay Highway will
have to be careful, since the modules take up a good part of
the road. Stop on the shoulder when you meet the escorted
convoy.
People with a powerful vision
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Moving on and moving out
MEM – The summer was not exactly restful for workers at the Rupert diversion project. Although four of the eight weirs
had been completed, those at KP 33, 170, 223 and 290 needed a lot of work—we can now make out their final shape.
Even though the project is drawing to a close, everyone is still working diligently! Here is how work is progressing:
KP 33
The weir at KP 33 is now in service,
making it one of the most impressive of the eight hydraulic structures on the Rupert River.
The left channel is permanently
closed and water is flowing over
the newly built weir. From now to
mid-October, various types of fill
will be placed to build the dam.
Meanwhile, the temporary bridge
will be dismantled.
KP 33
KP 170
Construction of the weir in the
right branch of the Rupert River
moved ahead quickly once the
weir in the left branch had been
started up.
The concreting has been completed, as has levelling of the cofferdam. Since mid-August, water has
been flowing over the weir in the
right branch, signalling the end of
construction at this location. Rehabilitation of the site has begun.
KP 170
Eastmain Magazine, September 2010 7
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Rupert diversion jobsite
Final sprint at Rupert
Rupert diversion jobsite
KP 223
MEM – Fill work on the dam has been completed
since mid-August. Contractor Newco is busy with jet
grouting, which is expected to continue until the end
of September. This technology, already used for the
cofferdam, will ensure that the gravel core of the dam
is watertight.
The next steps will be to dismantle the temporary
bridge and remove the jetty, making it possible to
complete construction of the spawning ground.
KP 223
KP 290
Startup of the weir in the central channel occurred in
early August. Contractor Newco has completed construction of the cofferdams for building the rockfill weir
in the right channel, and the temporary bridge has
been dismantled.
The contractor is now installing the rockfill for the
second weir.
KP 290
Jolly Bay
NF – Since late July, a control structure has been under
construction in Jolly Bay, about 3 kilometres downstream of Rupert dam; it consists of a rockfill weir with
sheet piles.
Since the weir is more than 2.5 metres high and has a
storage capacity of more than 3 hectares, it is subject
to the Dam Safety Act, which introduced a series of
measures governing construction and operation.
8 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
Jolly Bay
People with a powerful vision
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Its purpose is to preserve a body of water that will
prevent fish mortality, to allow fishing and to provide
an environment conducive to goose hunting.
Building formwork for concrete pours at unit LC 12
The second phase of concrete
work is coming to an end
JL – Though the civil works contracts are nearing completion,
major concrete work is still underway at the Eastmain-1-A powerhouse.
In August, Cegerco–Inter-Cité (CIC) finished concreting the wall
of the powerhouse access road. The company is also continuing
concrete work in the turbine area. The generator floor, consisting of precast concrete parts, is also part of the contract. Keep in
mind that the second phase of concrete work includes a total of
over 27,700 m3 of concrete.
Gate slots
Concreting of the powerhouse’s 12 downstream gate slots
ended on July 24. Nordex, subcontractor for Canmec Industrial,
was responsible for concreting the slots, weirs and lintels.
The first pour took place on July 12; in all, it took only 12 days to
fully embed these parts.
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Eastmain-1-A jobsite
Getting ready to install the tower crane on the downstream deck of the
Eastmain-1-A powerhouse
Reinforcing iron workers busy preparing to pour concrete around the
scrollcase of unit LC 13.
Eastmain Magazine, September 2010 9
Eastmain-1-A jobsite
The Eastmain-1-A powerhouse water intake
End of work at the temporary dike
Neilson-EBC finished dismantling the temporary dike at the
water intake in mid-August. This involved removing the sheet
piles, excavating the dike using a dragline excavator and, finally,
reshaping the spur dikes. Water from the reservoir can now flow
freely through the water intake.
End of rock excavation at the Eastmain-1-A powerhouse tailrace
Starting up the tailrace
JL – Neilson-EBC finished excavating the tailrace in
August. A total of 525,000 m3 of rock and 530,000 m3
of overburden had to be removed to clear the channel
through which the turbined water will return to the
bed of the Eastmain River.
Downstream of the tailrace, with the Eastmain-1-A powerhouse in the background
10 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
People with a powerful vision
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
The tailrace will be started up once the cofferdam
downstream of the canal has been removed. Startup
should occur in September.
Ongoing finishing work in the rooms and corridors of the powerhouse
Electrical and mechanical systems
Work on the first mezzanine (level 230) was completed a few
weeks ago. The TAP consortium worked especially hard to
deliver the mezzanine to Hydro-Québec by mid-August.
Finishing work, such as the installation of doors and acoustic
tiles for suspended ceilings, was carried out by the consortium,
which is also continuing to supply and install equipment and
electrical and mechanical systems on almost every level of the
powerhouse.
Installation of components inside unit LC 11’s stator casing
Assembly of the first turbine
JL – Most of the parts necessary for putting together
unit LC 11 have arrived at the powerhouse and the work
of assembling the first turbine is underway (see other
articles on pages 12 and 13). Turbine manufacturer Voith
Hydro installed the casing of the stator directly in the
turbine shaft and has begun assembling the magnetic
circuit and the winding. Now that is precision work!
Rotor assembly, which will be done in the unloading bay
of the powerhouse, will begin shortly.
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
Eastmain-1-A jobsite
Unit LC 11 stator casing
View of the stay ring from inside the scrollcase
Eastmain Magazine, September 2010 11
Generating units
The wicket gates arrive at the powerhouse
CL – On July 28, the first wicket gates
arrived at Eastmain-1-A powerhouse
on a double semi-trailer. This truck with
two trailers is the first of three required
to deliver the 72 wicket gates—24 per
unit. These parts, manufactured by
Voith Hydro, were meticulously designed
and manufactured to have an optimal
hydraulic profile.
How does it work?
The water flows into the penstock and
then to the scrollcase where it is evenly
distributed by the stay ring. The water
then reaches a second set of blades,
which are adjustable: the wicket gates.
Their opening (also called the gate
position) can vary from 0 to 100%.
Well-traveled wicket gates
The initial stage—design— was carried
out at Voith Hydro’s factory in Germany.
“The shape of the wicket gates was
developed and designed specifically
for the Eastmain-1-A generating units,”
said Dany Morin, Voith Hydro Project
Manager. “A scale model was used
to adjust and check their hydraulic
profile.”
12 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
The 24 wicket gates of unit LC 11 were inserted vertically between the stay ring and the turbine runner.
Once the optimal shape had been established, “the 72 wicket gates were cast
at Voith Hydro’s foundry in Brazil. Then,
after being machined, they were sent
by ship from Brazil to the United States,”
said Mr. Morin. “The wicket gates for the
first unit completed their long trip to the
jobsite on a flatbed truck, while the other
two sets are still in storage in Montréal,”
he added.
Installation
At the end of August, the first 24 were
inserted one by one into the bottom ring
of unit LC 11. The overhead travelling
crane raised each wicket gate to its final
position using the longer journal—the
upper wicket-gate journal. The shorter
journal will be inserted into the bottom
ring. The head cover will then be fitted
over the longer journal. Once installation
is complete, the only visible part of the
wicket gates will be their blades, which
will remain in contact with the water.
Wicket gate numbers
Number of wicket gates per unit: 24
Weight of a single wicket gate: 2,980 kg (6,570 lb.)
Alloy: ASTM A743 grade CA6NM stainless steel
Arrival of wicket gates for units LC 12 and LC 13: mid-October and early December
People with a powerful vision
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
A key role
The wicket gates will be inserted between the turbine runner and the stay
ring of each unit. They will be in direct
contact with the water, where their
role is to channel more or less water
to the turbine runner depending on
demand for electricity and operating
strategy. Contrary to popular belief, it is
the wicket gates—not the main gates
of the water intake—that govern flow
to the generating unit. Their role is
therefore crucial.
Turbine runners for the Eastmain-1-A powerhouse
An epic journey from Brazil to Chisasibi!
JL – This unprecedented operation was
required because of the unusual size of
the Eastmain-1-A powerhouse’s three
turbine runners. Since the runners
weigh in at around 120 tonnes and
have a diameter of about 7 metres,
hauling them up the continent across
so many roads and bridges would have
been difficult, if not impossible. The
only viable solution was to ship them.
A long trip
A long trip covering thousands of
kilometres had to be organized
between São Paulo and Chisasibi.
This enormous undertaking was
meticulously planned over a year in
advance.
“Our main constraint was the short
period of ice-free navigation in James
Bay, which only lasts from June to
September,” said Jean-Pierre Motard,
Section Manager – Project Control. “We
had to make sure the manufacturing
was completed in time for shipping to
be done within this window.”
Since the ships could not dock directly on the banks at
the village of Chisasibi, a delicate ship-to-barge transfer
operation was required.
Weight
Number of blades
Diameter
Height
Type of steel
120 tonnes
13
6.8 metres (at the base)
4.19 metres
ASTM A743 grade
CA6NM stainless steel
Turbine manufacturer Voith Hydro
was responsible for manufacturing
and transporting the Eastmain1-A powerhouse’s three runners. It
subcontracted the transportation to an
expert in the field: Panprojects of the
Panalpina group.
To minimize risks during transportation,
the three runners were sent on two
different ships. After travelling along the
east coast and around Québec by way of
Hudson Strait, the ships entered Hudson
Bay and then headed down to James
Bay. The first ship, carrying two runners,
reached Chisasibi on August 8 and the
second arrived three days later.
Why Brazil?
The steel runners were cast in one piece.
To protect against corrosion and cavitation,
they were coated with stainless steel. Since
no Canadian foundry is capable of producing such large parts, Voith Hydro manufactured the runners at its plant in São
Paulo, Brazil. The three runners are the only
components of all the James Bay projects
that had to be transported by sea to their
destination.
Land transportation
It was impossible for the ships to dock
directly on the banks at the village
of Chisasibi because of their size and
draft, evaluated at more than 9 metres.
Instead, a delicate ship-to-barge transfer
operation was necessary—this took five
days.
Finally, the first runner left Chisasibi on
a specially prepared flatbed truck. The
convoy took the James Bay highway and
the Muskeg–Eastmain-1 road. The first
runner was delivered to the jobsite on
August 14. In all, the land transportation
of the three runners lasted from August
13 to 21.
Each runner left Chisasibi on a specially prepared flatbed
truck and travelled on the James Bay highway and the
Muskeg–Eastmain-1 road.
The runner for the first generating unit
was lowered into the turbine shaft on
August 28, nearly two months ahead of
schedule.
Even before the turbine runners started to turn, you
could say that they had “been around.” Manufactured
in Brazil at the Voith plant, the runners had to be
transported by sea because of their size and weight.
Eastmain Magazine, September 2010 13
THE JOBSITE IN PICTURES
After an ocean voyage from Brazil,
along the continent and around
eastern North America, three turbine
runners arrived in James Bay before
traveling by road to the Eastmain-1-A
powerhouse.
PROFILE
So much gets done behind the scenes
CL – Annie Villeneuve, the brilliant lawyer at the SEBJ
head office, is every bit as interesting as the singer who
shares her name. She loves to travel and her unique and
colorful career is an accurate reflection of her personality:
she is curious, eager to learn and determined to meet the
many challenges facing the project of the decade.
There are a number of steps involved in determining which
approvals are needed and expediting the process of obtaining
them from government departments.
Note that, since the project began, SEBJ has had to acquire
nearly 1,000 sector-related authorizations and meet several conditions. “Every day, I work to ensure that these conditions are met
Annie Villeneuve and advise various stakeholders to ensure that our operations
is a governmental comply with legislation, as well,” she added.
approvals advisor
who has been
Her master’s degree in international law, with a specialization in
working at SEBJ
environmental law, gave wings to her legal career. She studied in
for the Eastmain- Montpellier and Paris and worked in Rome, but it was at Hydro1-A/Sarcelle/
Québec that she decided to put down roots in January 2007,
Rupert project
joining the SEBJ team in early March 2007. “There are considersince 2007.
able challenges at SEBJ. You have to be able to give the right
She answers to
advice at the right time, and a quick turnaround is required to
Philippe Mora
meet tight construction schedules,” said Ms. Villeneuve, who is
and appreciates
very proud that construction has never been delayed or stopped
her team and the for lack of a timely authorization.
many challenges
her work proIn addition to being responsible for transmitting documents to
vides. That work, the various government departments, she will be participating
which starts in
in a major process that will require her services until 2012: public
the earliest stages of the project, is done behind the
consultations. “One of the conditions the provincial Certificate
scenes and sometimes goes unnoticed. So, what does of Authorization imposes on Hydro-Québec is to hold public
she do? “For the most part, I advise and support man- consultations to find out what our Cree partners think of the efagers so that SEBJ can obtain, within the anticipated
fectiveness of mitigation measures that were implemented as
timeframes, the government approvals it needs to
part of the project. I will be asked to prepare the documentation
carry out work in accordance with applicable environ- that shows that we fulfilled our commitments,” she said. This is
mental legislation. I also ensure compliance with the
another major challenge that she will undoubtedly meet with
conditions stemming from the broad authorizations
enthusiasm and flair!
obtained for starting up this great project,” stated Ms.
Villeneuve.
SEATBELTS
Not buckling up is still one of the leading causes of death on the road.
Today, back-seat passengers are most often at risk.
It is essential to avoid using certain devices intended to loosen seatbelts.
They actually reduce seatbelt effectiveness and could lead to a risk of
trauma in a crash.
In fact, automakers have enhanced the performance of traditional seatbelts by installing pre-tensioner systems to tighten the belts and improve
their ability to minimize occupant movement in a crash.
For maximum safety, there should be no slack in your seatbelt.
14 Eastmain Magazine, September 2010
People with a powerful vision
PROFILE
A smile is worth a thousand words!
MEM – If you’ve ever met him,
he has definitely smiled at you.
If you smiled back, you became
one of his friends. Respectful
and generous, Ghislain Lévesque
is one of those people you
never forget. Carpenter-joinercabinetmaker by trade, he works
for Nemaska Eenou Company
(NEC) doing technical maintenance at Nemiscau workcamp.
With his very talented hands,
he can build, renovate or repair
anything.
Despite being far away from the two
children he is so proud of, he worked
at the Eastmain project for two years
(2005–2007) and the day after his birthday, on March 25, 2007, he joined the
group working on the Rupert diversion
project.
This handyman is thankful that
throughout his childhood his
mother gave him planks of
wood and bags of nails to build
with! Most of his tasks relate to
routine building maintenance,
but some require a bit more creativity, which he loves!
He is meticulous and a perfectionist.
He and the Cree workers around him
respect one another, and Ghislain takes a
real interest in their culture and language, of which he has learned several
words.
No challenge is too great. Ghislain is
ready for anything! In fact, three years
ago he took up powered parachuting,
enabling him to see the most beautiful
landscapes of the James Bay area from
above.
Ghislain was born in Price (25 minutes from Rimouski)
and now lives in Mont-Joli. He apprenticed as a steel
erector for two years and owned his own business as
a carpenter-joiner general contractor for six years. “I
enjoyed being my own boss, but I’m very happy here.
I have great conditions, the perfect work atmosphere
and a tremendous team.” The idea of working on the
James Bay projects came from his feisty personality,
eager for challenges.
Life isn’t always easy, but Ghislain has always had confidence in
himself. “You have to believe in yourself, your ideas, your goals
and your talents and then dare!”
Don’t forget to smile at him—he deserves it!
To illustrate the importance of road safety, here are the numbers for an ordinary day on the streets and picturesque roads of
British Columbia, according to Transport Canada statistics. This is data for a single province and a single day.
•
•
695 motor vehicle collisions will occur •
At least one person will die
215 people will be injured, including 4 cyclists and 6 pedestrians
Here are more sobering numbers. They are from Transport Canada’s annual statistics for 2006.
Collisions and their victims in Canada – 2006
•
•
2,604 fatal accidents • 2,889 deaths • 144,756 bodily injuries (not resulting in death)
199,337 serious injuries (requiring hospitalization)
So remember: Be sure to buckle up!
Claude Perron
Direction principale Sécurité industrielle
Eastmain Magazine, September 2010 15
NF – Seeding of exposed banks is one of the
measures being implemented to mitigate
the impacts of the Rupert River diversion by
reducing erosion and sediment transport on
the one hand, and improving wildlife habitat,
on the other.
Aerial seeding along
the Rupert River
Only areas with silty substrate that were
more than 15 metres wide were selected, for
a total of 155 hectares (ha); approximately
80% of these were in the section extending
from KP 110 to 165.
The seed mix was the one SEBJ usually uses
for revegetation of affected areas in humid
conditions, and it was applied at a rate of
225 kg/ha. It should be noted that the seeds
were coated with an environmentally safe
lime-based product.
GDG Environnement of Trois-Rivières carried out the work from July 2 to 19. The
operation was conducted from the Nemiscau airport using two Piper PA-25 Pawnee
aircraft with a load capacity of 500 kg. On
site, the operation went very quickly since
one hectare was covered every 15 seconds!
The aircraft flew at a speed of 160 km/h, an
altitude of about 10 metres and, of course,
in low- or no-wind conditions (<15 km/h).
On the ground, the marking of planting
plots and quality control of application
rates was carried out by a team from
environmental consulting firm Biofilia.