CPD Corner
Not ready to stop CPD, profiling Robert Story
Mark Gardin, PQS
For this instalment of the CPD Corner I thought I would take the opportunity to profile a truly great quantity surveyor who is a long time practitioner of continuous professional development. Robert Story, or better known simply as Bob, has spent his entire career in the electrical field much of it as an estimator and quantity surveyor in Atlantic Canada. He is a Honourary Life Member of CIQS Maritimes.
Bob was born March 19, 1923 in the north end of Halifax. His father was a World War I veteran and served with the Calvary for Canada. In 1940, at age 17, Bob joined the workforce as an apprentice electrician at the Halifax Shipyards until June 1942 when he enlisted in the army and served in England, France, Belgium and Holland during World War II. While serving, he volunteered to join the Special Forces and returned back to Canada in July 1945 to train in Nova Scotia. But only a month into the training, the unit was disbanded after the war in the Far East ended. Bob quickly returned back to Halifax Shipyards and continued as an electrical apprentice until November 1947 when he was transferred to the electrical drawing office working on the destroyer ship programme. In May, 1947 he married his wife, Mary, and they will soon be celebrating their 66th anniversary. Bob and Mary have three
Pictured above left is Bob’s father after WWI and above right is Bob after WWII. 6 | CONSTRUCTION ECONOMIST | www.ciqs.org | Spring 2013
daughters and one son and now enjoy six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. In 1950, Bob joined Bedard & Girad Ltd, an electrical contractor and worked in the field on many different sites in the Maritime Provinces until 1952 when he was asked to join the estimating department. In 1955, he moved to Canadian Comstock International and opened an office in Dartmouth, NS. Bob worked as an estimator and project manager on major projects throughout Atlantic Canada. Bob remembers one of many interesting projects he worked on in Northern Nova Scotia where he estimated and project managed the electrical contract for a Receiving and Transmitting Facility for NATO. The project involved constructing an enormous underground bunker. “Every piece of rebar had to be grounded and there were 20 men mostly welding ground bars for nearly two years.” Another interesting project was the Springhill Institution – a medium security penitentiary. “It was the first precast project in Nova Scotia and nobody quite knew how to estimate productivity for site labour. I remember the project was so large, my estimate was over five inches thick of paper.” “And back in those days everything was done on a handshake. Whether it was to award a job, order materials, or lend some of your men to the competitors to help them get their job done. It was much easier back then because the jobs were not under the same pressures to be completed as they are today.” After 10 years with Comstock, Bob joined F.C. O’Neil Scriven Associates Ltd, a large consulting and design firm in Halifax performing many duties including budgeting, project management and drawings. In 1971, F.C. O’Neil Scriven loaned Bob to Public Works and Government Services Canada where he was involved in building design and costing in the electrical section. Following three years with the Federal Government, Bob rejoined Canadian Comstock International as estimator and project manager in their electrical division in the Dartmouth Office.
