Raise the Roof Campaign

Project Update February 5th 2021

Every week we get closer to re-opening beginning of March! This is from 'sweep day'...you can imagine how dirty the courts have become with all the machinery. Huge THANK YOU to the ever present hard working volunteers...Larry H, Graham B, Tim B, Don C, Clint B, Ed Mc, Bryan C, Bob R, Dave G and Tony M. (and anyone else who missed being in the picture) Thanks to Doug H for the great photos!

 

Project Update January 31st 2021

Well here we are at the end of another month!  Our current estimate for project completion is 1 March.  Hopefully the Covid related sports restrictions will be more relaxed by then?  Maybe Bonnie Henry is waiting for our building to be completed before opening PB?

We now have 9 functioning personnel doors and the 3 garage doors.  As soon as a few properly keyed locks arrive we will officially achieve “lock-up” status.  2 or the 4 furnaces are now pumping out heat!!  However, until the fans can be switched on, the heat is only warming the workers up in the lifts.  5 of the 8 fans are now wired and the 12 light clusters are wired.  About 90% of the conduit has been installed.  About 75% of the perimeter fencing is up.  Two new gates (Ian’s cattle gates) into courts 1 & 2 have been created.  All the concrete door sills have been poured.

The tasks still to be completed include:

• short runs of electrical conduit to plugs and emergency exit lights
• all the wire needs to be pulled
• mounting and wiring all the controls and circuits breaker boxes
• plugs and switches installed  – card lock system for the main entrance
• handicap door activators for the main door
• the cross fencing removable sections and end gates need to be installed
• other assorted tasks not the least of which is cleaning the entire playing surface
• final inspections by the project engineers and the occupancy permit

For the washroom trailer, the steel frame over the trailer has been put up by the contractor. Next the volunteer crew will be framing in the enclosed hallway to the washrooms and installing the metal roof and siding.

Everyday we are one day closer to opening!!

 

Project Update January 17th 2021

We have reached the stage where the construction progress is less obvious but you can be assured that lots is happening. Since the last update, contractors have:

• finished the last of the interior roof bracing and bolt torquing
• finished the junction between the roof and the wall on the west side
• finished securing the bottom edge of the fabric for about half of the perimeter
• finished the middle vertical seam on the gable ends
• secured the fabric around the personnel doors
• installed the 3 large garage doors
• hung the 4 furnaces, and 
• started on installing the gas lines to the furnaces.

The VPA volunteers have:

• re-installed the perimeter fence posts and rails on 3 interior sides
• modified the cross fencing to make one section removable and to add a 3 foot gate at the end of each cross fence
• installed a gas line from a large propane tank to the washroom trailer
• hung the 8 large fan motors, including the guy wires and safety wires
• hung the 12 light brackets- modified the wiring arrangement in 48 LED lights
• installed 48 lights on the 12 brackets- continued with installing lots of electrical conduit & junction boxes on the 2 long sides
• continued with creating and installing the supporting frames on the gable ends for more conduit
• constructed 2 large boxes for circuit breaker panels and controls; one on each gable end
• started to run the heavy shielded wires to the 8 fans
• on going, never ending court cleaning.

Many thanks to the busy VPA volunteers and productive contractor personnel.

Project Update January 7th 2021

Another milestone day!  We are now enclosed!!  The Rennie crew made great progress today installing the fabric on both gable ends. 
Over the holiday break, the VPA volunteer electrical crew were hard at work installing conduit down the west side.  When we had some warmer weather, a large crew gave all the courts a good wash.  The surface will need to be cleaned again before we are operational.  It was determined that we can remove the manlift tire marks with a little "scrubbing".
The eight large fan motors have been hung by the "aerial" crew in preparation of their electrical connections.  This week the "fencing crew" made very good progress towards re-installing the perimeter fencing and modifying the cross fencing to provide a removable section between courts and player gates between courts.
Although a few snow shovelling work parties were needed, all things considered, we got to the "enclosed stage" with little interference from snowfall. 

Project Update December 17th 2020

As of this afternoon, all of the roof trusses are up and the last of the roof fabric was installed.  Another milestone event!  Technically we have “Raised the Roof”!  Now we just need a few not so minor finishing touches.
The Rennie crew will be working 3 days next week and expect to get the fabric on the two long sides.  They plan on installing the fabric on the gable ends during the first week of Jan.
Last Saturday VPA crew started on the huge electrical task and  they will continue on that task this Saturday and over the holidays.  Lots of brackets, conduit and junction boxes to be installed before any wire can be pulled.