Braeside Community Association’s maintenance director, Bob Byers, does great work
Article and photos by Irena Karshenbaum
You may have had some wonderful times at Braeside Community Centre dancing at a wedding, celebrating a birthday, attending the Stampede Breakfast, skating, sending your little ones to child care or finding a gem of a book to read.
You may have marvelled at how Braeside Community Centre continues to look so nice.
Braeside Community Association has been lucky to have Bob Byers oversee the maintenance and improvement of the Community Centre for almost 30 years.
Bob joined BCA as a contractor around 1992 just after the previous contractor left. He recalls how at the
time the filters over the furnaces looked like “blankets” because they had not been changed in about a year and half. “Now, of course, we change them monthly. Nothing had been oiled, no batteries had been changed, nothing had been done.”
To keep a building healthy and comfortable, it needs ongoing maintenance work. Bob has done that as well as oversee major improvements over the years.
He recalls how early on in his tenure, BCA received Government of Alberta grants for renovating the upstairs and doing the extension connecting the childcare building with the Community Centre. “We renovated the childcare with new doors, improved the ceiling and replaced all the electrical, which was really old.”
Bob can almost be the historian for the building remembering all the work that has been done over the years. In 2012, he recalls receiving another grant for the ice rink from the Government of Alberta. Around that time, flooring was improved and the outer walls were insulated.
2020 has been another important year for major renovations. BCA president, Robert Grigg, and treasurer, Sue Wilson, did the lion’s share of the work to write major grants for funding critical improvements. When the Community Centre was forced to close due to COVID-19, the time was used by BCA to do renovations. New furnaces were put in, new flooring in the Upper Hall and entrance way was installed, the ice rink boards were doubled to prevent damage, the Upper Hall has new lighting, additional security cameras were added, the wainscotting was replaced and there are new washroom facilities.
Bob is keen to give an answer to the most burning question asked of BCA, “Hopefully, the next major project is the elevator.”
Born in Montreal, Bob is coy about his age stating only that he is in his 70s. He graduated from the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineers in Chilliwack, BC from where he eventually was certified as a construction maintenance technician. He began his career in the military as a field engineer and then transferred to construction engineer. He served in the Middle East and all over Canada including in Wainwright, Penhold, CFB Gage Town, Montreal and North Bay. Calgary was Bob’s last posting in the military.
He continues, “I met Joan in Penhold and married her 40 years ago. We moved to Calgary in 1981 and bought a house in Braeside where we’ve lived since. I love Braeside. It’s quiet. It’s a well-kept community and has all the needed things like shops. I love our house.”
After the military, Bob worked for the Government of Canada as a construction inspector. After a few years he switched to part-time and volunteer work. “I was ready to retire, but then I didn’t want to retire. I think working keeps you sharp.”
He explains, “It’s my field of expertise and I deal with contractors very easily and they know where I stand. Because I deal with contractors all the time, I keep current and deal with engineers with the City of Calgary. I enjoy doing it and it gives me a purpose.”
Irena Karshenbaum is the Community Coordinator for Braeside Community Association. She loves to tell Braeside stories [email protected].
