Breaking New Ground—Stories from Defence Construction Breaking_new_ground | Page 17
Dick Johnson later summed up those first years:
The feeling in DCL in the early days was one of excitement over the
challenges provided by the sheer size and variety of the projects. With fresh
memories of World War II and the urgency of the Korean Crisis, there was a
sense of drive and importance that inspired splendid teamwork. This was
followed by satisfaction and pride as jobs were completed in spite of
material shortages and tight labour supply.
Did You Know?
From its inception, Defence Construction (1951)
Limited was commonly referred to as DCL. In 1990, the
Federal Identity Program Policy came into effect and
the Corporation became known as Defence Construction
Canada, or DCC for short.
Going forward
CMHC was one source of manpower for the new DCL; as Dick Johnson had
noted, the second was the construction industry, which cooperated by
making key personnel available. These were often known as dollar-a-year
men, so-called because private industry offered their services in management
capacities to DCL for a nominal $1.00 per year as a civic gesture.
Some of the notable initial staff included Grange Kingsmill, Bob Shaw, John
Stirling, Dick Balfour and Emmet Molyneux, the first three of whom served
successively as Chief Engineer. The engineering and architectural professions
similarly gave full support to the fledgling organization.
With his background in the construction industry, Dick Johnson was noted
for his tough but understanding approach that emphasized fairness to
all parties. Joe Bland paid tribute to that approach, calling it the core of
DCL’s esprit.
There is a bond among us that comes from a common commitment to
integrity and to excellence. We know that excellence is a goal and that
integrity is a fundamental. And knowing this, we build on a sound
foundation. These are high-sounding ideas, but to me they are appropriate
to the company.
BREAKING NEW GROUND
DEFENCE CONSTRUCTION CANADA
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