Tuesday, November 9, 2010 - Dawson Road is Open to 2-Way Traffic

Good morning.

At 4:20 pm, Monday, November 8, the crew moved the pylons to the side of Dawson Road in front of our shop, Plants For All, at 66 Dawson Road.  With that, Dawson Road was opened to 2-way traffic.  That indeed is good news.

Earlier in the afternoon the white lines for the bicycle lanes were painted and the yellow centre line was painted.

There is still some top coat paving to be done in the access ways to the businesses and the landscaping still needs to be done. So please, continue to watch for the construction crew.

Dawson Road is Open for Business, so Come on Down!  And with that, this blog is finished.

Brian Osmond

Plants For All
visit my plant blog at http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 - This is the Last Post of Dawson Road Today

Good Wednesday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! Today is the last day that I will be making regular posts to this blog, Dawson Road Today and it represents the 118th post since the blog was started in late May.

Yesterday the number of crew members on site was light. Many of the crew members and equipment that were originally working on the Dawson Road reconstruction project have been reassigned to the Edinburgh Road reconstruction project. No doubt, this has contributed somewhat to the Dawson Road project running past a completion date of September 30. Subcontractor, Stacey Electric, was on site down at the Speedvale Avenue end of Dawson Road. One of the metal poles that held the walk sign on the west side of Dawson Road had to be relocated a few feet, as can be seen in this picture.Stacey Electric will be doing the actual electrical reconnection.

The Dawson Road reconstruction project is very close to being completed. Dawson Road between Shelldale and Speedvale Avenue has been fully reconstructed. The water mains and sanitary sewers have been completely replaced. A new storm sewer system has been installed to replace the old roadside ditch and culvert system. We now have curbs and gutters and sidewalks along both the East and West sides of Dawson Road. Either already complete or still in the works are adjustments to third-party utility services including Hydro, telephone, cable, fiber wire and natural gas. A lot of work is now complete.

Work yet to be completed includes marking the new road surface with lane and bicycle lane lines. This work will likely be done this week weather permitting. We will have a bicycle lane on either side of Dawson Road. The access ways to business parking lots need to be graded and paved. This work will be subcontracted out. The final landscaping and grading from the curbs to the business property lines needs to be finished and this work will be subcontracted out. This will include the installation of several trees along each side of Dawson Road.

November 2, 2010

May 18, 2010

The following two pictures show Dawson Road as it was back in May shortly after the blog was started and Dawson Road as it appears as of yesterday afternoon.

Because this blog will not be maintained after today and because the construction work is not yet complete, I have created a dedicated Dawson Road Today page on my new plant blog, to which I'll post significant updates as they happen, until the completion of the project. You can get the latest status of Dawson Road Today at http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

Actual work on the Dawson road reconstruction project started on April 16 with Guelph Hydro on site. I started this blog in late May and posted every weekday, excluding holiday Mondays, until today. The purpose of the blog was to positively report on the status of the reconstruction project as a service to customers of the businesses of Dawson Road and to support and promote any Dawson Road businesses that wanted to be involved. On a personal note, I wanted to learn how to do a blog. Now after 118 posts, with an average of three hours per post in research and preparation, it is time to draw it to a close.

This has been a very positive experience for me in that I've made friendships with a lot of new people, learned a lot about construction, learned more about blogging and computer interaction on the Internet and made a lot of new contacts. On the downside, the extended disruption to easy access to the businesses of Dawson Road has been devastating to those businesses catering to the day-to-day retail trade. Even though I know of businesses, around the city, that have been forced out of business due to construction, I believe that all of the businesses on Dawson Road have managed to stay open. I respectfully ask that all consumers consider shopping with the businesses on Dawson Road. We are open and now have a beautiful new road with easy access.

As of the time this post is being published, I have had 2426 page views. I am very pleased with that and thank all those who have continued to read. I've received several supportive comments, e-mails, phone calls and personal communications and I'm grateful for that.

All of the posts in this blog have been prepared using Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software. That is another thing that I wanted to learn how to use. I don't think that it allowed me to get done any faster; but I think it made the words flow more smoothly and naturally.

The most popular browsers used by visitors to this blog are - Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari in order of preference. The majority of page views are from Canada, which may seem only natural; but I have had a strong readership from the US and Great Britain, with a smattering of readership from Asian and South American countries. Page views by computer operating systems were ranked - Windows at 66%, Macintosh at 25%, with the remaining 9% coming from Other Unix, Blackberry and Linux.

I would like to thank

• Charles Groen, Project Inspector from Pitura Husson Ltd. for his regular updates on the status and details of the project that formed the backbone of most of the technical information I used in the blog
• Jennifer Hazelton, Project Manager from Pitura Husson Ltd. for her presentation and presence at the public information sessions back in March and her continued support in supplying me with drawings and technical data
• Stacy Hare, Communications Coordinator, Corporate Communications, Information Services, City of Guelph - my liaison with the city in providing updates from the city
• Linda Osmond, my wife - we will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary on November 7 (nothing has stopped me before from interjecting a few personal notes) for contributing to the blog on several occasions with pictures, interviews and insight
• the construction crew of Bel-Air Construction - for doing a good job and showing consideration to the users and businesses of Dawson Road, for answering my multitude of questions and providing their insight
• Canada Post for making regular postal delivery, especially when access was physically difficult. You may be inclined to take this service for granted but it is essential to the life of a small business
• Guelph Transit for providing regular and consistent bus service on route 22
• City of Guelph garbage collection for getting here on a regular basis

So for one last time, come on down, I would love to see you on Dawson Road Today!

Brian

Plants For All

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 - Dawson Road Reconstruction is Almost Done

Good Tuesday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! I thought when Halloween was over I would have some breathing space; but I guess the things that were piling up are staring me in the face now.

As you come onto Dawson Road today and into the construction site you will be directed by the orange and black arrow sign to go into the right hand lane.  There was a lot of construction traffic on Dawson Road yesterday. The crew were working in several areas to prepare the access entryways to the business parking lots for paving. As well they were in filling and compacting material in preparation for landscaping. In these two pictures you can see some of the old pavement that has been removed from our parking lot entryway and some piled up base material.

The following update was issued by Guelph Remastered yesterday relating to the Guelph Transit System and to bus route number 22 which services Dawson Road:

Guelph Transit Route 1, 7, and 22 Service Advisory: October 12 - Late November

Due to construction taking place at the 5 points intersection, route 1 Woodlawn, 7 St. Joseph’s Hospital, and 22 Conestoga will be temporarily detoured away from this intersection, travelling on Suffolk Street to and from St. George’s Square. This detour will be in effect at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 12.  

The bus stops on Woolwich Street, between London Road and Wyndham Street North will be out of service. A temporary stop will be located at 190 Norfolk Street, serving passengers travelling to St. George’s Square.

The weather for today is going to be clear but cool again. Tomorrow is going to warm up slightly and expected to be sunny. Hopefully, this will make for a couple of good construction days.

I will be terminating this blog with tomorrow's post, even though I anticipate the project will not be done. Rather than leave it unfinished and up in the air, I will post updates to a dedicated page on my new plant blog until the project is in fact done. You can find my new plant blog at Plants For All Blog.  Please check the new blog out now and bookmark it so you can catch the updates when I post them starting next week. Of course, you could e-mail me at any time for an individual update at plantsforall@ody.ca 

I will have some interesting stats about the blog and some background into its development tomorrow.

If you're coming down to Dawson Road today, please drive slowly and carefully, watching for the construction workers and being careful as you drive over the curbs into the business parking lots. And of course, we would love to see you on Dawson Road Today.

Brian

Plants For All

Monday, November 1, 2010 - Topcoat of Paving Done Saturday

Good Monday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! This is the last Monday morning that this blog will be posted, as I am closing off this blog with the last posting being Wednesday, November 3rd.  With this being November 1, we are into the 8th calendar month of this construction project. More on that later.

This past Saturday the crews were working on putting on the topcoat of paving on Dawson Road from Shelldale Crescent to Speedvale Avenue. Yes, that's right Saturday. They were working Saturday to catch up on some of the many construction jobs in the city requiring their services. It looks good.

Later this week they'll be working on the landscaping of the boulevards and the sways from the sidewalk to the business property lines. There are still two old utility poles on the west side of Dawson Road that need to be removed. It would be best if this was done before the landscaping of the boulevards. However, there appears to be some scheduling issues with some of the service providers such as cable, telephone and fibre wired that may not allow this.

Yesterday of course was Halloween. Halloween is a big-time in our family for getting together and enjoying each other's company. Saturday, Linda and I held her annual Halloween party for our grandchildren and a few friends in our apartment. Once again, we had a very good time and for a few hours a break from reality. On Sunday, we left town to visit a son and his family and celebrate Halloween with them. As we were leaving Guelph we were pleased to see that several neighborhoods were getting into the spirit of Halloween with elaborate decorating of the houses and properties. This picture shows some of the game activities at our party Saturday.

At the start of  today you will be directed to drive into the construction site into the right hand lane and travel north.  Even though the project is nearing completion, there are still construction workers on site.  Please follow the rules and the pylons and drive safely.

Time Change: Apparently there is still some uncertainty about when our fall time change takes place because not too long ago it was the last weekend in October. In the Guelph time zone, Daylight Savings Time will end early in the morning of Sunday, November 7th at 2 am (1:59:57 to be more precise) when the clocks are turned back 1 hour to become 1 am Eastern Standard Time. (November 7 - easy for everyone to remember because that is the celebration of my wedding anniversary.)

I will be terminating this blog Wednesday, November 3rd, even though I anticipate the project will not be done. Rather than leave it unfinished and up in the air, I will post updates to a dedicated page on my new plant blog until the project is in fact done. You can find my new plant blog at Plants For All Blog.  Please check the new blog out now and bookmark it so you can catch the updates when I post them starting next week. Of course, you could e-mail me at any time for an individual update at plantsforall@ody.ca 

The weather has certainly taken a cool dip; but it is November after all.  This being Monday, I will be in the store, Plants For All at 66 Dawson Road,  after 12:30 pm and would love to see you here on Dawson Road Today!

Brian

Plants For All

Friday, October 29, 2010 - Happy Halloween

Good Friday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

Yesterday was pretty well a miserable day all around. I was not on site for most of the day. Late in the morning I was traveling through the intersection at Dawson and Speedvale and saw several crewmembers directing traffic; but I don't know what construction work was being done. In my late-night drive around I couldn't see what had been done differently from the previous day. Therefore, I assume that the wet weather halted construction on Dawson Road yesterday.

Follow-up to the closed gas station on Edinburgh Road: I reported that the gas station had been closed due to construction. This is the information posted on the windows at the gas station. We have learned from Royal City Restaurant, the Chinese Restaurant business next door to the gas station, that the gas station has been sold. I will be watching the site to see what develops.

Today, October 29, the QB2 Restaurant at 86 Dawson Road will be having another one of their special buffet dinners. The last one was a big success. I see that they changed the menu a bit and they suggest that you phone for reservations. Here is the new flyer promoting this event. Left click to enlarge it to make it readable. 

This Sunday is Halloween. Please exercise extra caution when driving and watch out for the little ghosts and goblins and ghouls. Happy Halloween to you all.

I will be terminating this blog one day next week, even though I anticipate the project will not be done. Rather than leave it unfinished and up in the air, I will post updates to a dedicated page on my new plant blog until the project is in fact done. You can find my new plant blog at Plants For All Blog.  Please check the new blog out now and bookmark it so you can catch the updates when I post them starting next week. Of course, you could e-mail me at any time for an individual update at plantsforall@ody.ca

When you come onto Dawson Road Today you will be directed by the orange and black arrow sign into the right hand lane. Please drive with caution especially as you drive into the business parking lots.

Have a great weekend and I'll talk to you Monday.

Brian

Plants For All

Thursday, October 28, 2010 - A Guelph Remastered Initiative

Good Thursday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

The construction crew was working yesterday on preparing some of the road surfaces for final paving. Most notably, down at the Speedvale and Dawson Road intersection, down at the Shelldale and Dawson Road intersection and a small section in the southbound lane of Dawson Road at Willow Road.

When you come on to Dawson Road today and into the construction site you will be directed into the right northbound lane by the orange and black arrow sign. Be careful when leaving Dawson Road to enter a business parking lot because there are several of the access ways that have not been ramped up to the curbs. We don't want you getting your car hung up on a curb.

A note to Dawson Road businesses - in the following update from Guelph Remastered, the city of Guelph is offering to display an ad promoting your business free on the Guelph Remastered web site. Review the details in the following and get your ad in. It sounds like a good idea from the city. Note the deadline is October 31.

We can help promote your special offers, promotions, loyalty programs, coupons, sales and anything else you’re doing to increase your business during construction.
We’ll feature your promotion on the main page of the Guelph Remastered website. The site gets about 1000 visitors a week!
E-mail the following information to remastered@guelph.ca:

• your name 
• business name
• description of business
• promotion details
• business location
• business phone
• business e-mail
• business website

Send all the details to remastered@guelph.ca or call 519-822-1260 x 2611 by October 31 and your promotion will be posted by November 5.

This Friday, October 29, the QB2 Restaurant at 86 Dawson Road will be having another one of their special buffet dinners. The last one was a big success. I see that they changed the menu a bit and they suggest that you phone for reservations. Here is the new flyer promoting this event. Left click to enlarge it to make it readable. 

Brian

Plants For All

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - More Fine Eating at the QB2

Good Wednesday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

It looks as though the weather may be an important player in how quickly construction work is done. Yesterday started out as a good construction day and then brought everything to a halt late in the afternoon with heavy rain and high winds. In spite of all the heavy rains throughout the evening, it would appear as though we've got off light compared to other areas of southern Ontario. When I arrived back at my shop late last late, it was another fine fall night. There is certainly a difference in the aftermath of a fall rain as compared to the aftermath of a spring rain.

An update on the gas station on Edinburgh Road - I have learned, on my own, that the Rainbow Esso gas station on Edinburgh Road has closed due to the construction. That makes me sad. Sad for the owner/operator, the employees, the customers and the local business community. There is a cost to this $48 million that the city is saving.

On a happier note, the crews keep working on the curbs, sidewalks and boulevard landscaping. The crews from JNF Concrete and Bel-Air Construction seem to work well together. JNF is subcontracted by Bel-Air and they have worked on several other jobs in southern Ontario. On Monday they installed a cement pad to accommodate a bus stop in front of our store, Plants For All at 66 Dawson Road. Yesterday, Linda took this picture of some of the crew members working on that pad cutting expansion slots.

This Friday, October 29, the QB2 Restaurant at 86 Dawson Road will be having another one of their special buffet dinners. The last one was a big success. I see that they changed the menu a bit and they suggest that you phone for reservations. Here is the new flyer promoting this event. Left click to enlarge it to make it readable. You may be able to left click it again to make it even bigger.

I have decided that I will terminate this blog, Dawson Road Today,  early next week whether the construction is finished or not.  There is not enough new activity going on to advise you about, without the whole thing sounding like a commercial for Plants For All, which was never the intention. I am ready for this project to be done.

My new plant blog is being well received. We have been promoting it at the talks that Linda and I have been doing and by way of this blog, Dawson Road Today. I hope that we can develop it to be more of a two-way, give-and-take communication project. Please visit my new plant blog and let me know what you think Plants For All blog 

With Halloween fast approaching it's a very busy time for me personally. We have a Halloween party for our grandchildren and a few friends. I enjoy this time very much.

When you come onto Dawson Road today and enter the construction site you will be directed into the left-hand lane by the orange and black arrow sign.  Please drive carefully, especially when exiting Dawson Road into the businesses because the driveway accesses have changed and are changing as the crews finish up the curbs and the sidewalks.

Have a great day on Dawson Road Today!

Brian

Plants For All

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - A Lot Getting Done

Good Tuesday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

Monday was a good day for construction and Dawson Road in front of our shop was a hive of activity all day. The weather was mild and the rain held off, allowing a lot of the concrete work on sidewalks and curbs to be done. Last night was another beautiful evening with mild temperatures, overcast skies and no wind. However, I fear it is the calm before the storm. Today is forecast to be very windy this afternoon with chance of showers or even thunderstorms. We'll have to see how that plays out.

When I got to my shop yesterday afternoon, the crews had rerouted my driveway access in order that they could work on finishing the curbs and sidewalks over the driveway. They were working on the curbs and sidewalks at a few access points along the west side of Dawson Road. The cement work is done by the crew from JNF Concrete Ltd. from London and they are supported by the crew from Bel-Air Construction. These pictures show some of the activity about midafternoon. When they lay so much concrete, they leave some crew on site late into the night to allow the concrete time to set without interference from vandals. When I arrived back to the shop very late last night, I found that to be the case. Just before I left my shop about 6:30 yesterday afternoon I inquired of some of the crew members what the large cement pad was for in front of my shop. They told me it was a bus stop pad.  I had forgotten, or never knew, that we were getting a bus stop in front of our shop; but reference to the original drawings presented at the open house before the project started, confirmed that there should be one at that location. I am pleased. The first picture is looking south from my driveway at Plants For All at 66 Dawson Road and the second picture is looking north from  my driveway. Left click on the image to enlarge it.

The election results are in. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who ran for a position in yesterday's municipal election. You can get all the detailed results at www.guelph.ca/vote

Yesterday afternoon I was able to get the posting up to my new plant blog about what we do with our compostable material. This is one of the most commonly asked questions we get from our clients in the offices. I think you'll find the answer interesting. Visit my new plant blog at http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

I didn't get any answer back from the City about the status of the Rainbow Esso gas station on Edinburgh Road. Is it closed for good or is this a temporary situation? If you know the answer to this, please send a comment to this post or e-mail me at plantsforall@ody.ca

Monday was a good day for construction on Dawson Road. Each day is getting easier to get around. Come on down to Dawson Road today and see how your tax dollars are being spent and please drive carefully and follow the signs and pylons.

Brian

Plants For All

Monday, October 25, 2010 - Vote Today

Good Monday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! 

I came back into my shop late last night to prepare this post. To my mind, it was a very pleasant night, almost surreal. The temperature was mild, the rain from earlier in the evening had stopped, there was a heaviness  of mist in the air; but not quite fog. I drove back to the store with my van window down, which is probably why I was able to hear some distant voice telling me to turn on my headlights. From the tape player in  my car the gentle Celtic haunting sounds of Loreena McKinnett relaxed any concerns I had. The mist in the air was enough to block the view of the night sky stars, allowing only the reflections from the full moon and the still lingering Jupiter to shine through.  It had been a good weekend.

On the way back to the shop I purposely drove through the intersection at Delhi and Eramosa. The construction work at that intersection is now complete, all the pylons and equipment are removed and the intersection is open for regular traffic. Good news!

After that I purposely drove through the stretch of road on Edinburgh between London Road and Willow Road. That stretch had been closed for several weeks and is now open. Construction on Edinburgh Road will still continue for several weeks yet; so please follow the pylons and posted signs, drive safely and watch for the workers. I noticed that the Rainbow Esso gas bar was not lit up and the windows were covered. It looks as though they are not operating any more. If someone representing the city is reading this today please advise me if they have gone out of business or temporarily shutdown. 

At the start of today, as you enter the construction site on Dawson Road you will be directed by the orange and black arrow sign to enter into the right lane. Please follow the directions and pylons to ensure the safety of the workers and ensure your speedy passage to the business you're looking for on Dawson Road. The Bel-Air Construction crews will be working on in-filling the boulevards for final landscaping and preparation work for the completion of curbs and sidewalks. These pictures were taken last Friday and show how material has been ramped up in our driveway to provide an alternate access while work is done to complete the curbs and the sidewalk.

Today is municipal election day. If you haven't already voted, the polls are open until eight 8 p.m. today. I know that if you want to,  you can find the time to get out and vote, and I hope you do.

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

 Due to the late hour of last evening I did not get a new posting to my plant blog last night. However, today I will post and fill you in on what we do with the compost from our regular plant maintenance clients and show you some of the rewarding results. So, check out my plant blog at the above link this afternoon or even Tuesday morning.

I have decided that I will terminate this blog, Dawson Road Today,  early next week whether the construction is finished or not.  There is not enough new activity going on to advise you about, without the whole thing sounding like a commercial for Plants For All, which was never the intention. I am ready for this project to be done.

Today being Monday, I will be in the store at Plants For All at 66 Dawson Road today after 12:30, so if you get a chance to pop in and say 'hi' I would love to see you.

 Brian

Plants For All

Friday, October 22, 2010 - Say It Isn't Snooooooow

Good Friday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

At 11 p.m. last night, it was snowing on Dawson Road.

JNF Concrete was back on site laying more sidewalk. This time they worked their way on the west side of Dawson Road from Roy-Al Rentals to Speedvale Avenue. They also laid the sidewalks and curbs for the big curved section at Speedvale Avenue on both the west side and east side of Dawson Road. By midafternoon they had all of the freshly laid sidewalk covered with plastic to protect it from the wet elements like rain and snow.

Bel-Air Construction was working on ramping up alternative accesses to the businesses so JNF Concrete can finish the curbing and sidewalks at the present accesses.

It's Friday again, this one seemed to come quick. Take some time to enjoy your weekend. Halloween is a special time for Linda and I and we will be spending part of the weekend decorating our apartment for a Halloween party for our grandchildren and friends.

When you come onto Dawson Road this morning and enter into the construction site you will be directed by the orange and black arrow to drive into the right hand lane. Even though the project is quickly wrapping up, it is important that drivers follow the rules of the construction zone. Please drive with care.

The municipal election is being held this Monday, October 25. If you haven't made up your mind yet, find some time this weekend to learn about the candidates and plan to exercise your right to vote on Monday.  You can find all of the voting information you need and links to the various candidates at www.guelph.ca/vote

Rona Cashway is having another promotion this Saturday, October 23. Buy three items and pay for two. Get more details at the Rona web site or call the store.

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

Brian 

Plants For All 

Thursday, October 21, 2010 - We Have Sidewalks

Good Thursday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

We have sidewalks - aren't they beautiful? From doing my walkabout last night, I don't think they poured any more cement yesterday for sidewalks. The crew from JNF Concrete in London were busy yesterday setting up forms on the west side of Dawson Road from Roy-Al Rentals up to the big curve at Speedvale Avenue. They were also going back over the sidewalks that have already been poured and cutting the expansion slots into the cement with a power saw. This picture shows the new sidewalk in front of our shop Plants For All at 66 Dawson Road and facing south.

Now is a good time to remind you -yet once again, to only drive northbound. There are still people who insist on trying to go the wrong way. One of the workers from JNF concrete told me that the other day he was forced to drop some material he was carrying in the roadway for fear of being hit by someone driving southbound. You are not supposed to be driving southbound yet. The construction workers are not expecting you to be driving southbound and are not looking for you.  Only drive northbound - not southbound. At the start of today when you enter the construction site you will be directed by the orange and black arrow sign to travel in the right hand lane going north.

Guelph Transit issued this update that affects Route 22 , our Dawson Road bus, yesterday.

Guelph Transit Route 3, 22, 23 and 24 Update: October 20

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 09:38 AM PDT

Guelph Transit Route 3, 22, 23 and 24 Update: October 20

Work on Paisley Street has been completed.  Route 3 Waterloo Fife, 22 Conestoga, 23 Paisley Imperial, and 24 Industrial will return to service along Paisley Road at 12:40 p.m. today!

 

The Bel-Air Construction crew is doing a lot of the infilling on the boulevards in preparation for the final landscaping and driveway grading. This necessitates bringing in additional material, moving existing material and 'shaping' the two together. These photos show some of this work going on around the driveway into our parking lot.

Just arranged last night, Brian, from Plants For All, will be speaking at the Concordia Garden Group Wednesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. on the topic of 'Pest Control and Integrated Pest Management for Your Houseplants'. Keep up-to-date with 'what's happening' at http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

We had quite a bit of rain last night which is kind of lousy but not totally unexpected. I don't know; but I doubt if they can pour concrete for the sidewalks when it's raining. But remember, when it's raining there is less traffic on Dawson Road and easier for you to get into the shops and businesses. So come on down.

Brian

Plants For All 

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - The Working Wounded?

Good Wednesday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

Tuesday was a good day for construction on Dawson Road and the contractor and their subcontractors were able to get a lot done. Subcontractor Seegmiller from Kitchener continued with the paving operations. Subcontractor JNF Concrete continued with the work of building the sidewalks. Contractor Bel-Air Construction supported the work of the two sub-contractors and continued the in-filling for the sway on the west side of Dawson Road.

A couple weeks ago, you will recall, that one of the crew members was hit by a car traveling the wrong way on Dawson Road. That crew members name is Tony, and he was back on site to work this week. Both Linda and I "caught up" what Tony for separate conversations on Tuesday. I don't know the full extent of the injury to Tony's foot yet; but it is likely he will need some physiotherapy. I thought he was clearly frustrated by the lack of consideration of the driving public. He said," why can't people respect the rules. Respect the rules, let us do our jobs and get out of here." Tony later told Linda that the drivers should "have patience and follow the construction signs. Then the work will be done faster and they could get out of everybody's hair."

There is another construction crew member on site sporting an injury. Dave has his left arm tied up in a sling from an injury sustained at home. He told Linda that he was "glad he can do math in his head because he's the surveyor."  Tony and Dave obliged Linda by pausing to have this picture taken.  It is good to have both of these crew members back on the job.

Guelph Remastered issued the following transit update that affects bus number 22 before it gets to Dawson Road and is effective today:

Route 22 Conestoga Detour:
From St. George’s Square, route 22 will turn right on Norfolk Street, left on Suffolk Street West, left on Yorkshire Street North, and right on Paisley Road where it will continue on regular route.  Route 22 will continue to follow the current detour into the Square. Click the link for details: http://guelph.ca/remastered/?p=2697

JNF Concrete from London have made good progress on the sidewalks on Dawson Road in the last couple of days. I am impressed how quickly they can lay the forms, pour the concrete and do the finishing work on the sidewalks. JNF will also be subcontracted by Bel-Air Construction to do the curb and sidewalk concrete work on the Westmount Road and Edinburgh Road construction projects here in Guelph. One of the crew members from JNF was on site until well after 10 p.m. last night doing some extra work on the sidewalk laid already. In this photo, Linda was able to capture four of the JNF crew members hard at work.  Remember to left click on the picture to enlarge it and then click on your browser's back arrow to get back to this post.

You may have noticed that many of our pictures throughout the blog have tried to capture a more casual and personal side to the workers. But make no mistake, these are all hard-working construction crew that work in a professional manner, coordinate well with the other construction crews on site and they're dedicated to completing a quality job here on Dawson Road. I felt obligated to say that.

Today is expected to start out as a fairly good weather day for construction. However, by the end of the day we are expected to be into showers. Remember as I've often said, when it's raining, the traffic is always lighter on Dawson Road and today would be a good day for you to come down and visit the businesses of Dawson Road.

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

 to see an overview of what we discussed at the Salvation Army Heart and Home Group yesterday.

Brian 

Plants For All

Plants For All Blog: Monday, October 18, 2010 - KW Garden Club Talk Well Received

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - I Leave for a Day, and Look What Happens

Good Tuesday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! Yesterday we stopped into our store, Plants For All at 66 Dawson Road, just long enough to load the van with the material we needed to do our presentation at the KW Garden Club in Waterloo.

The street was a hive of activity with the crew from Seegmiller working on paving, supported by the crew from Bel-Air Construction who were also working on in-filling the boulevards on the east side of Dawson Road. I told you yesterday that the paving crew was working last Saturday morning on the intersection at Speedvale and Dawson. They also were able to lay the first base layer of asphalt about 125 m from Speedvale Avenue on the east lane. This picture shows the first new pavement on Dawson Road. Yeah!

When we returned back to our shop last evening shortly after 8 p.m., of course it was dark. However, there was a lot of activity going on as the crew from Seegmiller were actively at work. There were lights and rollers going every which way. Of course, they knew what they were doing; but it was a kind of organized chaos that we're not used to seeing on the construction site after dark on Dawson Road.

On my walkabout late last night I could see much of what was accomplished during the day. It would appear to me that the lane on the west side of Dawson Road has had 2 base layers of asphalt, leaving the asphalt surface about 2 inches below the curb level. The lane on the east side of Dawson Road has had one complete base layer of asphalt and 2 base layers from Shelldale up to in front out Mike the Mover. I expect they should be able to finish the second layer on the east side lane tomorrow. All of Dawson Road now has some level of asphalt surfacing. Yeah!

I also noticed that the wooden forms to make the sidewalks have been partially installed. Forms are in place on the east side of Dawson Road from near Speedvale Avenue down to in front of Brush Cuts Professional Pet Grooming. So the sidewalks are underway. Yeah! I leave for a day and look what happens!

The weather for Tuesday and Wednesday looks to be good for construction with no rain in the forecast and being a bit cool. We're to expect some rain on Thursday, so we'll see what that upsets. I understand that they cannot pave when it's raining.

Our talk was well received at the KW Garden Club yesterday and Linda will be presenting a talk on a different plant topic this morning at the Salvation Army.

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

 to see an outline of what we discussed at the KW Garden Club.

Just as a point of interest, our Dawson Road Today blog, that you're reading now has just passed the 2000 page view mark. I'm very pleased with that and thank you for looking us up.

People who think they know me, should know that I am not a big fan of autumn. However, we've had a pretty good run of fall weather and I think I like it. Most likely though,  I'm just in a state of denial. Anyway, it's a good day to be on Dawson Road today. Come on down, the businesses of Dawson Road would love to see you.

Brian

Plants For All

Monday, October 18, 2010 - Bring on Some More Heavy Equipment

Good Monday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! This is a good news/bad news sort of day.

First the bad news. Two weeks after the scheduled finished date the Dawson road reconstruction project is not complete. Now the good news.

• paving crews worked Saturday, yes Saturday, to catch up on some of their backlog
• the first base of paving was done at the Speedvale Avenue intersection and also about 125 m of the northbound lane from Speedvale
• preparations are in place for paving to continue this morning with all the equipment on site and ready to go
• the crew from NJF Concrete from London will be on site to finish the curb work and the sidewalks this week
• it is anticipated that, subject to weather conditions, everything will be complete by the end of October (2010)

The paving is being done by subcontractor EE Seegmiller of Kitchener. They brought their equipment on to site late Friday afternoon. This first picture shows the Caterpillar paver that will be used to lay the asphalt. This paver weighs in at about 20 tons and uses a unique rubberized belt traction system that "just won't get stuck". Scott from Seegmiller was telling me that Bel-Air Construction has made a real good base, "just like concrete". Seegmiller also did the paving on the Westmount Road job and others around town. With all the construction work going on in Guelph and with several bad weather days, they are very busy trying to catch up and will be working most Saturdays from here on in.

After the asphalt is laid several passes with different types of roller machines are needed to compact and smooth the asphalt. This picture shows four different sizes of rollers that will be used. The largest steel drum roller will weigh in at about 10 tons and has a vibrating feature that will help to compact and smooth the asphalt. In the picture after the first three drum rollers is a rubber tire roller. This roller weighs about 12 tons and has a series of smooth rubber tires that are offset. The purpose of this roller is to seal the surface of the asphalt. Someone from Pitura Hussin will be taking samples of the asphalt to ensure that it has reached the required level of compactness. Remember left click on the picture to enlarge it.

Linda and I attended at the QB2 restaurant Menu Tasting Buffet last Friday evening after 6 p.m. There was a full crowd again, so I suspect that it was a success.  We shared our table with an interesting chap named Paulo, who was a veterinarian specialist living in Guelph and working around southern Ontario, in his own business.

The weather for today looks like it will be good for construction and a little bit on the cool side. As you come on to Dawson Road today into the construction site you will be directed to drive into the right northbound lane. With all of the paving equipment being active today and tomorrow, please pay particular attention to follow directions and pylons to get you safely through the construction site and to the businesses you want to attend.

Linda will be speaking to the Heart and Home Group at the Salvation Army tomorrow morning. Her topic will be "Disaster Recovery For Your Tropical Plants".

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

Brian

Plants For All

Friday, October 15, 2010 - Rain, Rain Go Away

Good Friday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today! Yes, it's Friday morning. I know it's been a short week with the Monday Thanksgiving holiday; but it somehow feels like this week has been one long day. I fully expected that the construction project would be done now and that this blog would be finished but that's not to be, yet.

There was no construction work done on site yesterday. The subcontractor, Aecon, was on site yesterday doing some of the wire splicing work for the telephone, cable and fiber wire utilities down near the south entrance to the Plaza at 86 Dawson Road. I expect that the heavy rains Wednesday night and into Thursday morning were the reasons the road construction was put off for a day. The weather forecast today was calling for a bit of rain possibly in the morning and then clearing and warming up for the rest of the day and the weekend. I have no update on when the sidewalks, landscaping and paving are expected to be done.

The big event for today is the Menu Tasting Buffet Event being held at the QB2 restaurant at 86 Dawson Road. Click on the QB2 header at the top of this post to be taken to a detailed menu offering and information on the times of the the event. I know that Linda and I plan to show up there this evening after we close our store at 6.

When you come onto Dawson Road today, into the construction site, you will be directed by the orange and black arrow to drive into the right lane. Please drive slowly and watch where you're going.

Rona Cashway will be closed this Sunday to take inventory. Therefore, get down to Dawson Road today or tomorrow to get your supplies for your renovation projects.

Regarding the municipal election - there are advanced polls on Saturday for each ward should you prefer to vote then instead of on election Day. You can get locations and more information at www.Guelph.ca/vote

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll talk to you Monday. 

Brian  

Plants For All

Thursday, October 14, 2010 - On-site Personalities

Good Thursday morning and welcome back to Dawson Road Today!

Wednesday morning started out cold but the day quickly warmed up and turned into a very pleasant fall day. Good for construction and good for getting around. That all changed last evening when it started to rain over the supper hour and just kept on going. The weather for today is supposed to be wet and cool, so we'll have to wait and see how that affects construction. At the start of today when you enter the construction site you will be directed by the orange and black arrow to drive into the right lane. Watch for and obey the direction signs. It will make your driving on Dawson Road a lot easier.

When I arrived at my shop on Dawson Road yesterday morning it was apparent that at least one driver had not heeded the warning to drive slowly and watch for the exits that access to the businesses. A jeep had tried to exit right off of Dawson Road and with no ramp built up on the side of the exit the jeep had no where to go. It was hung up on the curb and had to be towed off backwards. Please slow down and watch where you're going.

Much earlier in the construction project you may recall that Guelph Hydro installed some new poles in predetermined areas that would better facilitate the smooth flow of traffic in and out of some driveways. The work to remove the old poles started Wednesday. Aecon, a subcontractor who has been on site before working on natural gas pipelines, was on site Wednesday working on accessing the wires carried on the old poles for the services of telephone, cable and fiber wire. Now that the workers have accessed the wires, as shown in this photo, someone else will come in to splice the wires together for connection to the new pole.  My thanks to Joe from Aecon for talking to me and letting me know what they were doing.

I reported last week that one of the construction crew was struck by a car by someone traveling in the wrong direction. There was a newspaper report of the incident in the Guelph Tribune of Tuesday, October 12. The feeling of the crew on site is that the construction worker who was injured may be able to return to work next Monday.

Tomorrow is Friday, October 15 - the QB2 restaurant at 86 Dawson Road is featuring their second Menu Tasting Buffet Event. The first time they staged this event it was an overwhelming success. Plan to attend and arrive hungry because there will be lots of excellent food to eat at a very affordable price. For more information about this event or to see a detailed menu click on the header above - QB2 Menu Tasting Buffet Event October 15 - or call the restaurant at the phone number in the sidebar at the right.

Just a heads up that Rona Cashway will be closed this Sunday, October 17 for inventory. Come down to Dawson Road before then to get your building supplies so you can keep her busy all weekend long.

I don't need to tell anyone that this construction project has been a long haul (I guess I just did), with lots of pressures and stress for everyone concerned.  But we've come a long way baby and had a few good laughs thrown in for seasoning. Here are a few photos of some of the front-line personalities that were on site Wednesday as captured by Linda from Plants For All. Remember you can left click on the picture to enlarge it.

The grading and compacting of the road base continued on the westside lane and the crew got as far as the south entrance to the Plaza at 86 Dawson Road, before stopping for the day on Wednesday. I don't imagine it should take long to finish that, when they can get back at it.

Visit my new plant blog http://plantsforallblog.blogspot.com I am developing more features and pages to that blog as I go along and would certainly welcome your critical suggestions for improvement. If you or you know someone who has an interest in tropical plants for indoor use please refer them to my new blog. Thanks.

If it's going to be rainy today, you know that means the traffic on Dawson Road will be lighter. So come on down and pay a visit to the businesses of Dawson Road today.

Brian

Plants For All