KAMSACK, Sask. — Lodge in Kamsack, as well as residents and residents’ families, appreciate the efforts of a Regina tradesman who is skilled in the practice of asbestos removal.
Kerry Cooper, who has a cabin at Madge Lake, volunteered his help eliminating asbestos that had been insulating the old heating pipe joints in the west section of the personal care home, which effectively, considerably reduced the cost of the project.
The lodge has undertaken a two-stage project to replace the asbestos that has been covering the zone valves of the facility’s boiler lines, said Chris Bear, the lodge board’s vice-president, who is being valued for his knowledge of electrical and other technical issues.
Bear, who in July celebrated his 10th year operating Bear Electric in Kamsack, said that many of the lines to the Lodge’s boiler are located in crawl spaces, and because of the asbestos, a known carcinogen, plumbers were not permitted to work on the lines due to safety hazards.
Discussing the situation with Cooper at Madge Lake this summer, Bear told him of the Lodge’s independent structure, and how the board was not sure how to tackle the issue. Cooper, who had been working for the University of Regina’s boiler pipes and was well-versed in asbestos insulation coatings, said he was willing to help, and he volunteered to complete much of the preparatory work.
Cooper had, in fact, previously worked with Associated Asbestos Abatement of Regina, the company that the Lodge had hired to upgrade the zone valves, which control heating in each of the Lodge’s rooms.
Six employees from the company began their work on Sept. 23 and were able to complete the work on the Lodge’s west wing, which was the first stage of the two-stage job, in one day, Bear explained. The rest of the building is to be done during Stage 2, which is scheduled for next year.
Without Cooper’s work, the Lodge would have been forced to hire a number of professionals to do much of the work, including conducting necessary air quality samples.
“His effort and time have saved Eaglestone Lodge a lot of money,” Bear said, adding that Cooper has already agreed to spend time next year when the zone valves in the rest of the building will be changed. Although he won’t be changing valves, he will manage the abatement team to remove the existing asbestos containing materials from the valves to make them serviceable for the plumbers.
