Breaking New Ground—Stories from Defence Construction Breaking_new_ground | Page 16

Richard Golding (Dick) Johnson, B.A., LL.B.
Dick Johnson was appointed DCL’s first
President by the Rt. Hon. C.D. Howe in
1950. During his 12 years with DCL,
Johnson administered Canadian defence
construction contracts and foreign aid
projects valued at more than $1.5 billion.
C.D. Howe gave Dick Johnson instructions to get
on with the job and not to bother him except in real
emergencies: it was up to Dick and his people to use
their experience and judgment to figure out how to get
the work done. There was no procedures manual to
follow. The guidelines were integrity and good business
practice.
Dick Johnson shared his own memories on the 25th
anniversary:
When DCL was born it consisted of little more than
(secretary) Rose Konick and myself. Under a manage-
ment agreement Central Mortgage and Housing
Corporation provided tender calling, site supervision
and other services. By the end of March 1951, less
than five months after its start, DCL had a staff of 29
and was administering over $80 million in contracts,
about half of which it took over from Canadian
Commercial Corporation.
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One of DCL’s earliest urgent needs was for a top flight
Chief Engineer… we were magnificently served by a
succession of outstanding men. In their period on loan
from their companies, as was the practice then, each
made a unique and lasting contribution to DCL.
On May 10, 1951, the government signed the Charter
for Defence Construction (1951) Limited, establishing
it pursuant to the Defence Production Act, to operate
as the tendering and supervisory authority for the
Department of National Defence’s construction require-
ments. Its Letters Patent were issued on May 18, and
DCL was officially a new corporation. Its role was to
create good contracts with respect to DND’s construction
program while meeting the Department’s time, cost
and quality requirements, including maintaining the
minimum possible administrative cost. It was charged
with being fair in its administration of those contracts
with due regard for the interests of both taxpayers and
contractors. As time went on, that would include
ensuring that tenders were advertised as widely as
possible, to ensure that every contractor had equal
opportunity to compete, and making every effort to
award the contracts as quickly as possible after the
opening of tenders.
BREAKING NEW GROUND
DEFENCE CONSTRUCTION CANADA