Philip Robinson of Pitt Meadows Plumbing and Mechanical was honoured by his peers for his response to the flooding in Abbotsford last year.
B.C.’s construction community presented awards for exceptional leadership to cap the fifth annual Construction and Skilled Trades Month celebrations. The Leadership Awards are designed to be an opportunity for the industry to acknowledge outstanding people.
As soon as Robinson heard about the flooding in Abbotsford in November, he acted, said a release from the BC Construction Association. He was raised on a farm, and knew how devastating the floods would be for so many large family farms.
The company offers vacation time to employees undertaking humanitarian efforts, so Robinson was able to dedicate effortse to helping in the restoration of several properties.
There was a crucial moment when a group of people were working day and night to stave off another diking breach, and the Pitt Meadows man was there with sandbags, helping the farming families. He brought Pitt Meadows Plumbing’s emergency response trailer to Abbotsford for farmers to use, and his efforts motivated the company to donate to the Red Cross.
Robinson gathered a small group that included three of the company’s employees, who went from farm to farm assessing needs and providing assistance. They removed drywall, insulation, and flooring right after the flooding, and then worked on cleaning out the garbage and going into basements and crawl spaces to assist residents.
“Phil has a gift for communicating with people and motivating them to do well, and has a big heart for those who are struggling,” said Sara Searle of Pitt Meadows Plumbing.
Other winners included Scott Construction of Burnaby for the company’s work on a homeless shelter in Vancouver, and Tammy Olsen of Acres Enterprises in Kamloops for her response to the summer wildfires.
“We get through challenging times when we stick together and rise to the level that the situation calls for,” said Chris Atchison, president of the association. “These awards celebrate just a few of the thousands of leaders that kept our industry going through flood, fire, and pandemic this past year, and we thank them for everything they do to keep our workforce safe and productive.”
READ ALSO: UPDATE: White car seen leaving scene of Maple Ridge murder
READ ALSO: Red carpet rolled out for the grand opening of new Community Services building in Maple Ridge
Have a story tip? Email: ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.