FIRM HOLD ON TITLE . . . Official placement in produc- largest zinc plant. Explaining the plant to Union of tion of Cominco’s $210 million zinc electrolytic and B.C. Municipalities president Audrey Moore is Ted smelting plants in 1983 gave the company’s Trail Fletcher, vice-president of Cominco’s B.C. group operation a firmer hold on the title of the world’s Costews Photo Cominco opens plant By CasNews Staff have been made in electrolysis and melting, although the Cominco's modernization program reached another fundamentals of the process are the same. In 1974 a milestone on Oct. 26, 1983 when the completion of its $210 40-ton,per-day electrolytic pilot plant was placed in million zine electrolytic and smelting plant was marked with operation making use of new concepts. an official ceremony. In 1977, following an exhaustive study, a long-term plan Cominco chairman and chief executive officer, Norm was adopted for the modernization and éxpansion of the lead Anderson, praised all associated with the project. and zinc operations. The overall cost will be more than $700 Mayor Chuck Lakes of Tr: filling in for provincial million, with environmental improvements requiring some Industry Minister Don Phillips who was fog-bound in $200 million of the amount. Victoria, gave the signal which set two huge cranes in action A highly important element of the program is the E&M removing zinc-plated cathodes from the electrolytic cells. Plant. A large “gold” key was passed around, symbolically Site preparation began in March, 1979. From the illustrating the construction period. concept, based on the pilot work, through feasiblity studies, Norm Booth of the engineering group gave it to Roger design and construction, it has been virtually an all-Comineo Watson, manager of the Trail modernization project, who in show. Hundreds of employees have contributed their turn passed it to production group representative Peter expertise and hard work to the long and complex job of Player. The new plant, said Player, will allow Cominco “ making it the reality of today. continue to produce the highest quality zinc in the world.” What happens inside the plant is purified zinc sulphate Completion of the “E&M Plant” means the major part of _ solution is fed to the cells. Zinc is plated out of the solution, the modernization and expansion of zinc production at Trail _ stripped from the aluminum starter sheets, melted and cast has now been achieved. into product. In the plant it is the precision operation of this Cominco pioneered electrolytic zinc production at Trail flow, with optimum efficiency, on a large scale, to produce im 1916 to meet the need for the metal in World War I. product of the highest quality in the industry . . . which has Through the years many improvements and expansions been the objective ‘successfully met. Know Anyone New Who Has Recently Moved To Our Fair City Services Welcome Wagon Provides: *x Welcoming New Residents * Welcoming New Babies * Welcoming New Brides PHONE: today’s growing trend to put telephone cables and other overhead wires in conduits (pipes) underground. Most new subdivisions in B.C. opt for underground services tomatically and burying such servites is often one of the features of municipal ur- ban renewal programs. When Pee! recounted his experience he was working on a major urban redevel- opment program on Kam- loops’ Tranquille Road, but he believes that he is a typical member of B.C. Tel's cable maintenance crews. He says that the result of the trend’ towards under- ground wiring is to put him- self and his colleagues un- derground for a lot of their working days. This‘ meant that they have had to master many specialized safety rules in order to work in the poten- tially hazardous environment of the underground manhole. “You have to check on who has been there last,” he says, before he can begin to remove the heavy cast iron manhole cover to start on his repair or construction task. This means detailed checking on the notes he is given when he is assigned to a particular manhole to give him a firm idea of what he can expect. Once he has reviewed his notes, Peel says that. he qakes a detailed check. of the neighborhood near his target manhole for other kinds of contruction work. He makes a_ particular point of keeping an eye out for paving and road construc- tion crews because experi- ence has taught B.C. Tel that disturbed pavement may mean leaky gas mains. Often such leaks are un- detectable to passers-by, but they can spell trouble for the cable splicer. Gases can find their way underground along the cable conduits and fill a manhole with unbreathable and explosive mixtures of gas and air. Sometimes the same effect can be produced by the natural decay of buried gar- bage or vegetable matter which generates methane (marsh gas), which can be as tC COs = >) MAN-HOLE MAN B.C. Tel veteran Jim Peel has worked as a construction cable splicer for two years. He takes care when working in man-holes. poisonous or explosive as the variety supplied in gas mains. For the same reasons, Peel is. trained to watch out for service stations in the area. occasionally their under ground gasoline tanks can spring a leak and allow some of the céntents to seep into nearby sewers or along the conduits to fill a manhole with a potentially explosive mixture of air and gasoline vapour. Once his area check is complete, Peel can set up the familiar yellow, white and blue B.C Tel van and prepare to enter the manhole. He enters after he is sure his truck is parked in a safe place that does not interfere more than necessary with pedes- trians and other traffic. At this point he becomes a public relations officer for his company. If the manhole happens to be located near a business (when thi was written Peel was located six feet from the front door of a flower shop), “you have to be sure that your truck is park- ed ina suitable place — not in the way of the business's customers — you have to do that quite often,” Peel says. Once his vehicle is safely parked and con Peel is ready to deal with the man- hole itself. Current B.C. Tel practice is to use a clever little gadget called a J.W. Sniffer. This consists of a box about the size of two frozen juice cans fitted with a sam- plying bulb and a long flex ible probe. Peel puts the probe in the hole in the manhole cover and uses the bulb to draw out a sample of the inside air. A readout dial on the sniffer tells him at a glance if the atmosphere underground is contaminated with any of the dozens of gases or chem- RUMFORD PLACE ‘YOUR ONE STOP WOODBURNING DEALERS”’ Herb and Pat have been professionally trained to assist you with your woodburning requirements. Rumford Place Offers Quality © VERMONT CASTINGS WOODSTOVES ieal vapours which could make work underground hazardous. Once the hole has been found free of explosive mix- ture, Peel uses a neat lever device called a “lid lifter” to remove the hundred-plus kilos of cast-iron manhole cover by himself. He then sets up the famil- iar yellow pedestrian safety barrier (manhole guard) around the open hole and sets blaze-orange safety cones as a further warning for pedes- trians and traffic. Using the power generated by his truck, the cable splicer rigs a high powered venti- lator to force fresh air into the manhole. This is the familiar orange-yellow hose seen by passers-by at sites where B.C. Tel is working in manholes. In cold weather the ven- tilator can be fitted with a propane heater for the com- fort of the cable splicer. Truck power is also used to provide the lights Peel needs to work underground. Peel also calls on the other safety equipment carried on his truck as the job requires it. Safety goggles protect his eyes when cables are pulled through the conduit. A voltage detector and in- sulated gloves which are tested annually are available if Peel encounters and elec- trical situation. On this particular job, Peel is happy to be working in a brand new manhole. Older holes can acquire animal in- habitants like mice, rats and black widow spiders, not to mention the occasional snake. In wet weather manholes can fill with water or become clogged with sewage or street detritus. Peel recalls that last year, while working on a manhole on a steep hill, he was forced to build a temporary concrete collar around the hole to keep run-off water from flooding his work place. 86 Years HERITAGE INN 422 Vernon Street Nelson, B.C. 352-5331 DAVE MARTIN 80 Years WOOD VALLANCE HARDWARE co. LTD. © Wholesale & Retail Hardware © Mine & Mill Supplies | 352-7221 | 593 Baker Street, Nelson, B 48 Years RENWICK'S Portrait Studio Member of Professional Photographers of B.C. — *° Weddings © Children © Family Groups * Passports COLOR EXPERTS Mr. Archie Renwick 577 Ward Street Nelson SHOE STORE LTD. 553 Baker Street Nelson, B.C. Complete Stock of Footwear © Mens ® Womens ® Childrens 352-3034 DON & CORINNE SCHELRUP The spirit of Ni the following a warmth, on makes it a truly Special Place. Progress 1984 OLD SAVOY INN FINE ACCOMODATION Superb Dining at KIP'S Visit our “Downstairs Disco" 198 Baker St. 352-7285 Nelson OWNERS: GABRIAL & IRENE BANYAY NELSON HOME ER TURE APPLIANCES LTD. 561 Josephine Street Nelson, B.C. © For the best in furniture shop at the House of quality 352-6432 ED VULCANO DIBELLA ELECTRIC LTD. 247 Baker Street Nelson, B.C. FRANK & EDI DiBELLA 5 Years = Thunderbird ment, a friendliness, that 616 Vernon Street Nelson, B.C. 352-7211 MEL BUERGE & GUS ADAMS 40 Years Soy Sheps 532 Baker Street Nelson, B.C. 352-6141 MRS. -#. CROISDALE ‘The original Queen's Hote! a ~ Pah QUEEN’S HOTEL 621 Baker Street, Nelson, B.C. George Eisner & Frank DeCoteau AUTHORIZED DEALER HOME APPLIANCES NELSON ELECTRIC co. LTD. 602 Baker Street, Nelson, B 352-: ERIC TOLLES GORDON BATLEY President Secretory-Treesurer Sales — Rentals Cameras — Projectors — Binoculars Dark Room Supplies RAMSAY’S CAMERAS & ART SUPPLIES FULL LINE OF ART SUPPLIES Grumbacher - Talens - Liquitex - Picture Frames One day color film processing (tor most films) 352-6031 476 Boker $t., Nelson Dick & Judy Moulyn Pentex Dealer Woolworth's 502 Baker Street Nelson, B.C. 354-4012 BOUTIQUE Electric & Plumbing Supply Ltd. On the same job, Peel was forced to abandon his hole temporarily when a large © FISHER apa Joyce FIREPLACE DESIGN MOTORS LTD. MODERN Deborah Kathie HERB STORCH RD PLACE EY SERVICES LTD. diesel truck parked nearby with its engine running cre- ated an exhuast-fume ventil- ation hazard. Peel says safety on the job is a continuing concern for the company and his co-work- 295 Baker St. Nelson, B.C. Bus: 352-9414 Res: 229-4692 Plumbi Electrica! Lighting Ceramic Tile Kitchen Cabinets Bring ‘iq,Your Plans of leds, For Free Estimates. WALLS & WINDOWS 547 Baker Street Nelson, B.C. 352-5665 Bridal SUPER SWEEP Ci 735 ers. Before a cable splicer can go out on the job he receives a nine week training program in the specialities of his craft. hep foes ttt me et * Ph a. narra ad RUDOLF “RUDI” FISCHER TIM & TRACY BARRY Helen Petsinis voiced. EEN