Off The Rails

The Last Spike

After 40 years the railway tracks behind the Ice Cream Parlour are gone. The city welder was brought in to cut up the 80 meters of  track so the excavator could place the track sections into a truck for transport to the recycling depot. Although the track is rated as "light gauge", a 3 meter length weights in excess of  200 Kg. Once the tracks are removed the rail ties and gravel will be removed as well. Soil will then fill the track bed area and grass will be planted. Just think, one day your new car may just contain a small amount of Burnaby Village history......

Construction Projects

The village projects for 2011 have started. First on the list is the replacement of drain lines that have become blocked over the years and no longer function. The new drain line will address long standing drainage issues with the Memorial fountain and the Church basement. Stay tuned for more project updates as they happen.

General Store Rear Walkway

Before

After

Drainage improvements to the General Store walkway are almost complete. The broken asphalt has been replaced by roman pavers and a retaining wall was constructed to hold back the soil. New drainage lines have been installed for the downspouts and catch basins will now drain away any surface water from the lawn. Several sections of water damaged siding will also be replaced. The gas meter at the south end of the walkway was upgraded to present day seismic standards and a proper metal cage was also fitted around the meter. For special events power points where added to the north side of stride studio.

West Side Drainage Work

A steady hand

Location of  seating

The excavation of the west side rear sidewalk is well underway. The surface blacktop has been removed including twelve inches of material to make room for the new surface. The work will also involve installing a drainage system that will keep the path from flooding during heavy rains. To accommodate the new sidewalk a gas line will have to be moved and tree roots pruned to give the walkway the 48" width required for wheelchair access. The old flower bed will be replaced with a bench that will be incorporated into the design of the retaining wall. The work should take about two weeks to complete if the weather cooperates.

Public Scale Gone

The Public Scale is down and ready for removal. The pit left by the scale platform will be filled with gravel and the hole in the lawn will be filled with soil. The pit will be resurfaced with blacktop later this year when the drainage work around stride studio in done.

Public Scale Demolition

The Public Scale is scheduled for removal Monday Aug.16th. The city Carpenters will demolish the building and scale platform as well as remove the wood.

Washroom Renovations

Just a reminder that the city Carpenters will be starting the Discovery room washroom renovations tomorrow. They will be here until the end of the week.

Painting Prep

Preparation for painting has begun. The Church, Royal Bank and several other building fronts will be painted this year. The painting will be done over the next two weeks weather permitting. Please use caution around the painting work area and heed all 'wet paint' signs.

Fall Harvest

The warm autumn days are slowly giving way to cooler temperatures, so its time to harvest the crops. Keith shows off the bounty from Love's garden. Flowers, carrots, beans and turnips make up some of the harvest but the brussels sprouts will camp out a while longer.

"Hold my calls"

Gentleman Gardener Keith Thompson rides his trusty John Deere to the photo shoot. Nancy has dressed Keith up in period costume to snap some promotional photographs that will be used in future advertising media. Gardeners in the early 1900's wore a tie and vest when working on the grounds and gardens. Unfortunately Keith was not able to find a pair of steel toed oxfords to match.

ICP Mansard Roof

The mansard roof section of the ICP has now been fitted with new shingles. The awning will be re-attached next week. The roofers are now concentrating on the awning over the Herbalist shop, from there they will move to the music shop awning. All the roofing work will be completed by the end of September, ready for the rain.

ICP Roofing

The shingles on the mansard are now being replaced. The flat roof section over the east mall is complete and now the tinsmiths are in the process of installing new flashing on the parapet. Once the shingles are replaced the awning will be re-attached over the ICP deck. The work should continue for another week or so depending on the weather.

Top Coat

Over the next four days the final layer of roofing material will be applied. Once this is complete new pre-painted metal flashing will be installed. A waterproof membrane (white material) is applied to the parapet before the flashing is installed. The installation of the flashing will begin later next week.

Home Stretch

The water proof membrane on the ICP roof is now complete. When all the vents and tar pots have been installed the final layer of the roofing system will be torched on. This final layer is coated with ceramic particles that protect the underlying materials from degradation due to the high ultraviolet component in sunlight. Once the process is complete the estimated life span of the roof will be about 40 years!

Rotten Roof

As with many projects in the village there are always unexpected surprises. The rear ICP overhang was discovered to have several small sections of rotted roof decking. The Carpenters are repairing the rotten sections so the roofing can continue on schedule. If the weather holds the hot tar kettle may be removed as early as Saturday......yea!

Dragster to Pacific National Exhibition

Keith with a little help from the crane, positions the Dragster ecosculpture on the flatbed trailer for it's trip to the PNE. The dragster will be on display with other Burnaby ecosculptures for the duration of the exhibition.

Royal Bank Roof

The Royal Bank roof replacement is underway. The Roofers have started installing the new shingles on the Royal Bank. The bin for the old shingles is located on the real lawn of the Realestate building. For safety the walkway between the Royal Bank and the Music will be closed while work is being done on the north side of the building. Staff may access the Royal Bank lounge by the front of the building. Once work is complete on the north side the walkway will be reopened. Please use caution when in the area.

Tear Off

With warm dry weather predicted to continue for the next two weeks tear off of the old roof has begun. The amount of material needing to be disposed of will fill several large demolition bins. This process should be complete by the end of this week after which they will start putting down the new roof.

Roofin in the Rain....?

The load in of materials for the ICP roof project continues. The large green packages are actually Styrofoam blocks that are used to insulate the roof. Once the insulation is installed additional layers will be applied including a tapper layer that will channel rain water to the roof drains. Due to the rain the roofers will not be working today. Friday's forecast is calling for sun so expect to see the roofers back on the job.

ICP roofing project underway

Marine Roofing are on site preparing to replace the ICP roof. Most of the materials will be stored on the roof but there will be equipment on the ground located behind the ICP. The tar kettle will be set up at the south end of the handcar track and a fence will be erected around the kettle for safety. There will be a large bin located on the handcar track directly east of Bells. The bin will receive all the old ICP roof material. Please remember to check the BVM Bulletin calendar for information on the ICP and Royal Bank roofing projects as they progress.