Restoration/Rehabilitation/Mainte-
nance Project (Canada) on behalf of
Local 7, awarded by the International
Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craft-
workers (the third such award since
Swan took his position in 2007).
Swan is also quick to praise the quality
and integrity of buildings made by tal-
ented craftsmen with masonry mate-
rials. “They stand the test of time,” he
says. “Part of my mission is to educate
builders on the economics of using
brick, tile, stone, terrazzo and marble.
There is a desire on the part of people
to build buildings cheaper and faster,
which results in inferior quality build-
ings that require more maintenance,
more frequently.”
“When I first came to Ottawa in the
1980s, you would build a school en-
tirely out of masonry,” continues
Swan. “What they are doing now is
taking masonry out of construction
and replacing it with all kinds of infe-
rior products.” Swan says he hopes to
see this trend reverse.
Historic buildings are not the only
example of the advantages of build-
ing with masonry. For example, Otta-
wa-area school Longfields-Davidson
Heights Secondary School built in
2007/2008 has received the Ontario
Masonry Design Award as well as a
Craft Award for Best Concrete Mason-
ry Unit Project in North America from
the IUBAC.
Awards like these are a “wonderful
recognition of the fact that the guys
in Local 7 and the signatory contrac-
tors that they work for are doing an
exemplary job.”
In addition to accolades such as these,
members of Local 7 enjoy very com-
petitive benefits, which include safety
training, IUBAC pension, RRSP contri-
butions and a health plan. For more
information on Local 7, please visit
*Source: bacweb.org
JULY 2018 | BUSINESS ELITE CANADA 13
