RCMP
I am one of Canada’s Departmental Representative for the RCMP. I have recently been in a partnership with the Mayor and Council of Vegreville, responsible for providing oversight and guidance in the design and construction of the greenfield construction of policing accommodations in Vegreville, AB.
From August 2017 through to July 2019, I had the distinct pleasure of being associated with Atkinson Construction, and in particular, Burke Atkinson, President of ACL, and Shaun Bernard, one of ACL’s premier Site Superintendents, in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, 960m2 facility.
The construction phase of the project was completed on time and within the projected budget.
Both Burke and Shaun have been excellent to deal with. For Burke’s part, working through issues with regard to interpretation of contract documentation, proposing creative solutions, providing contractual obligations, magnanimous offers to see us through project challenges, and all-around authentic care for the RCMP’s interests and strategic wishes, I could not ask for better.
Additionally, Shaun possesses a combination of not only a rare and keen mastery of the commercial construction body of knowledge, but a honed, innate ability to professionally and effectively handle the many sub-trades coming through his site. Not only does he efficiently work with tradespeople collaboratively, but he enjoys their reciprocal respect. Shaun is adept at reviewing trades peoples’ work, catching errors and omissions for the overall betterment of the project.
As an Owner’s Representative, you can appreciate the value of these combined skill sets.
Both Burke and Shaun also possess “unteachable” soft skills vital to collaborative solutions and effective communications towards the end of success: personability, respect, maturity, a sense of humour and good-natured attitude.
I would not hesitate for a second in recommending Burke, Shaun, and ACL to you professionally for your Prime Contracting needs.
– Kev Kaechele, Sr. Project Manager, RCMP
WELCA
In 2016, after 20 years of stops and starts in planning, the Whitemud Equine Learning Centre Association (WELCA) partnered with the City of Edmonton to fulfill a long-standing dream to build an indoor riding arena facility.
A government/non-profit partnership is a challenging relationship to navigate, and it is doubly so when it comes to building a multi-million-dollar facility. The project team is large, unwieldy and not always on the same page.
Fortunately for all involved, the construction project was led by the team of Burke Atkinson, Project Manager and Shaun Bernard, Construction Superintendent. Their leadership and experience were the reason that the project was considered a success by all parties involved. Burke is a skillful communicator who works to develop consensus and win-win scenarios for the project team. He and Shaun worked together to ensure that scheduling and deliverable were always on track.
They were competitive in pricing compared to others in our region, but, most importantly, they took ownership of the job. They worked very well with WELCA management, staff and volunteers to ensure that the construction had as little impact on our operations as possible, communicated well with everyone involved, and immediately addressed any issues brought to their attention. Their focus on safety was particularly important as WELCA is a busy public facility with 1000+ visitors per week.
The project was completed on schedule, within budget, and the workmanship was excellent. The arena opened its doors in July 2017, and we have never looked back. Since its completion, I have worked with other contractors who do not take the same pride or ownership of the project – the results have been less than satisfactory.
Due to our experience working with Burke and Shaun, they are definitely our contractor of choice. I highly recommend them.