Part Two, The Different Trades That Make Up Your Local
I retired recently, and before I fully settle into that next chapter, I wanted to say something about the crew I was lucky enough to work with.
The Millwrights
When I joined the millwright group in 2008, back when it was AECL, we were ten strong. Over the years, now CNL, that number was reduced to five, myself included. What never reduced was the professionalism, skill, and teamwork.
Radiological decommissioning isn’t easy work. It’s technical, it’s dirty, there’s math involved, and it carries serious responsibility. Every task requires planning, calculations, and constant attention to safety.
On a normal day, these guys are working on heavy equipment. From Overhead Cranes to backhoes and boom lifts. There is also welding, machining, mechanical rebuilds, hydraulic or pneumatic troubleshooting, and low-voltage repairs. That alone would keep most shops busy.
But that’s just the start.
There are critical fans and pumps, Air compressors, generators and even laundry equipment. If it breaks, they figure it out. If it needs installing, they install it. If it’s complicated, they look forward to it, No shortcuts. No drama. Just solid trade work.
Quite a bit of the work is done in respirators and Tyvek suits. Jobs like fuel retrieval involve heavy crane work and rigging. Repairs on manipulators and lab equipment can also be added to the list.
Some days you’re climbing what feels like endless ladders or working 80 feet in the air from a lift. Other days you’re crawling on your stomach in a confined space or lying on your back under a piece of equipment dripping oil or water from melting ice. Not all work happens inside a building as some equipment is too big to fit indoors, and plenty of jobs happen outside, exposed to whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at you that day.
What I appreciated most was how everyone brought their own strengths. Some guys thrive on heavy equipment. Others are at their best doing precision work or troubleshooting something that refuses to cooperate. But nobody kept knowledge to themselves. If one person got stuck, another stepped in. No ego. Just teamwork.
Working with them was never a burden. It was a pleasure, and I’m proud of that crew.
On a personal note, I want to say thank you.
For giving me a hand when I needed it.
For looking out for me when I wasn’t sure.
For the laughs on the hard days, and the quiet nods on the days when words weren’t necessary.
Four millwrights strong…. The work carries on.
