Stan

Phase 1 Membrane Project, Day 2 (August 29, 2025)

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Phase 1 Membrane Replacement Project

Project Mobilization Date: August 11, 2025
Work Start Date: August 28, 2025 
Expected duration: 2–3 months (Completion now expected in January 2026)
Primary contractor: Prostar https://prostar.ca/

Weather: Sunny, 29°C

NOTE: The stairway to the hospital path is closed as of today, and is likely to not re-open until the project is complete.

Work today:

  • The back area of the 244 building has been hosed down and further cleared.
  • A small excavator was brought in to begin removing the dirt from behind the 244 building and the stretch of lawn between the 244 and 248 buildings. It was onsite until around 4 p.m.
  • The dirt was loaded into a dump truck and removed from the complex.
  • Some of the stone work around the stretch of lawn between 244 and 248 has been dismantled and is being stored in the central courtyard.

A few more previously buried drains behind and beside the 244 building have been exposed.

Action shot of the excavator loading dirt into the dump truck.
Behind the 244 building today, August 29, 2025. The existing membrane is visible.
The grassy area has been cleared, with dirt taken offsite and pavers/stones stored nearby.
Another buried drain exposed by the soil removal.
Temporary storage for pavers and related material.
The stairs are temporarily closed, but will remain in place during the project.

Phase 1 Membrane Project, Day 1 (August 28, 2025)

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Phase 1 Membrane Replacement Project

Project Mobilization Date: August 11, 2025
Work Start Date: August 28, 2025 
Expected duration: 2–3 months (Completion now expected in January 2026)
Primary contractor: Prostar https://prostar.ca/

Weather: Cloudy, 26°C

NOTE: I am resetting the day count, as work officially begins today.

The work permit has been obtained and is now posted on the C-can. Work has finally resumed 17 days after mobilization.

It’s official!

Today. 3–6 workers (I was unable to get a precise number) spent the day removing the soil from behind the 244 building, exposing the membrane that will ultimately be removed and replaced.

You may see a great deal of water in some of the shots below. The Copperstone strata property manager ordered the irrigation system to this area cut off last year, so this water is seeping in from the irrigation system installed for the gardens that are part of the new Royal Columbian Hospital Acute Care Tower next door. Strata Council is working with Ellis Don and others to resolve this issue.

Meanwhile, removal of soil behind the 244 building and between buildings 244 and 248 will continue this week.

The membrane replacement project is currently slated to be complete in November.

Soil removed, revealing the irrigation system (currently capped off) and the existing membrane.
This drain was completely buried and non-functional. The cover has been damaged beyond repair.
Exposed water ingress.

Clean-up in the 244 garbage room (Aug. 24, 2025)

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This problem seems to have begun when the garbage contractor pushed the left dumpster back into the garbage room with the lids down. The ceiling of the garbage room is too low to allow the lids to be completely folded back, as should have been (and is normally) done.

The lids were propped open with rods, but this only gives limited clearance. This led to several issues:

  • Someone apparently failed to get their garbage into the dumpster, spilling its contents, including a large amount of packing peanuts, onto the floor. Whoever did this simply left the mess.
  • With the left dumpster difficult to use, people kept throwing garbage into the right dumpster until it was overflowing.

I used a combo of dustbin, picker, broom and work gloves to:

  • Sweep up and dispose of all the garbage on the floor.
  • Redistribute a lot of garbage from the right dumpster to the left one, until the right one was full, but not overflowing. I will monitor the right dumpster, as I suspect people will overfill it again.

I am not on council, but in my opinion, the following needs to happen:

  • The garbage contractor needs to be notified that a dumpster was brought in with the lids down, and this must not happen (it’s possible this was done by someone new or unfamiliar with our garbage room).
  • Owners and tenants need to be reminded to not overfill dumpsters.
Before the clean-up.
After the clean-up.
The right dumpster, after transferring a bunch of its garbage to the left dumpster. Still full, but not overflowing.
Piping and a low ceiling prevent the lids from being folded back once the dumpster is inside the garbage room.

So, how was your Sunday? 😛