INNOVATION November-December 2013

l et ter s

Letters to the Editor containing your views on topics of interest or concern to members are encouraged. While we welcome your input, due to space limitations we may be unable to publish all letters received. Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily endorsed by APEGBC. Letters can be e-mailed to mgrady@apeg.bc.ca.

Remembering Frank Baumann, P.Eng. Frank Baumann, P.Eng., geotechnical engineer, mountaineer, husband, and father died Friday, November 1, 2013, with his family by his side following an auto accident. On the morning of Thursday, October 24, Frank gave an outstanding avalanche engineering presentation to APEGBC’s DEGIRS community in Whistler, before heading to a jobsite where, on the way, his vehicle went off

the Lillooet river bridge. Frank suffered multiple critical injuries. As the founder of Baumann Engineering, Frank specialized in the management of terrain and slope hazard issues. He was well respected for his snow avalanche and natural hazards assessments, post-event reviews, his many public presentations to outdoor groups, and his fierce devotion to public safety. Frank’s many interests included the Varsity Outdoor Club at UBC, teaching in Squamish and at BCIT, Whistler Volunteer Ski Patrol, Squamish Search and Rescue, and the Kawkawa youth camp at Hope. Frank was equally well known for his willingness and ability to share both his technical knowledge and his sense of humour. Frank is survived by his wife Nadine, daughters Katherine, Julia, and Amy Robinson. He will be sorely missed by many. John Morgan, P.Eng., FEC On behalf of DEGIRS and the Sea to Sky Branch

Steve Hedberg, P.Eng. , President & CEO of BGC Engineering Inc., and Geoff Dickinson, P.Eng. , President of TerrAtlantic Engineering Limited are pleased to announce the merger of their two firms. BGC is a 300 person international consulting firm specializing in geotechnical and water resources engineering and applied earth sciences. TerrAtlantic adds advanced geotechnical testing capabilities to the team and further strengthens BGC’s expertise in geotechnical engineering and in groundwater resources. BGC and TerrAtlantic have successfully partnered on various projects in the last several years and both companies believe that joining forces is the natural next step in their business relationship. “BGC has always been impressed with the caliber of work from TerrAtlantic and we are very pleased to be able to offer an even wider range of services to current and new clients” said Steve Hedberg. TerrAtlantic’s current offices in Fredericton, Saint John and Dartmouth will be complimented by BGC personnel in Halifax and Baddeck, bringing their united Atlantic Canada team to 30 individuals. “ BGC and TerrAtlantic intend to continue their one-to-one contact with clients with no major changes other than the benefits this merger will bring” said Geoff Dickinson, “Client satisfaction is paramount to us and combining our range of services and resources will ensure that we are able to continue to build on our excellent working relationships with Atlantic Canada and worldwide clients” For more information on TerrAtlantic and BGC please go here: www.bgcengineering.ca and www.terratlantic.nb.ca

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