the all the high-rise buildings that you see downtown or the
bridges you see intersecting the highways,” he said.
He takes a lot of pride in the structures he helps build and
he also loves taking on the challenges that come with piling
jobs, such as unforeseen issues with demanding ground con-ditions
or unwanted water.
“It’s amazing to be able to work through these issues,”
he said. “When problems come up, there’s always a way
around it.”
Paswisty believes that learning to overcome issues is actu-ally
great on-the-job training for piling workers like himself.
“You won’t really get very far if you don’t have those chal-lenges
to keep you on your toes,” he said.
He recalls that one of his toughest jobs was drilling rock
socket piles for a CN Rail line overpass over Pembina Highway
in Winnipeg in 2017.
“Man, that was some of the hardest rock I’ve ever drilled
in, and the water just seemed to come in from everywhere,”
he said, adding that high-powered pumps were required to
keep the water out and allow cameras to be sent down for
socket inspection.
Paswisty has fond memories of working in Fort McMurray
for numerous projects in the Athabasca oil sands. “In Fort
Mac, there are a lot of good guys out there,” he said. “You get
to meet people from all around the world.”
He says the pay was great as well, and he enjoyed being
able to travel to Calgary to see family during 10-day breaks
in-between his 20-day work shifts.
PERSONNEL – IN THE RIG
Paswisty, who has an eight-year-old son and a two-year-old
daughter, has travelled a lot during his time in the piling
industry and says he’s thankful to be back working in his home
city. Paswisty is currently working for HCM Contractors Inc.,
driving pipe and batter piles as well as performing shoring,
test pile and caisson jobs around Calgary.
“I’m fortunate that with the company I’m now with, I can
stay in Calgary and it’s great for family,” he said.
PILING CANADA 51
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