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2 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2004 New drilling and grouting company comes to town By FRANCES NIBLOCK The New Tanner It was the shop, and staff's willingness to relocate to the Acton area, that ultimately sealed the deal for Geo- Foundation Contractors Inc.'s move to Main Street North last month. The company, then lo- cated in Bolton, looked unsuccessfully over a year for a leased facility that would meet its needs. The, GEORGETOWN CINEMAS 3 fentanesigsa) wn, Ontario L7G 448 oo Daily 6:45PM-9:00PM Sat-Sun 2:00PM 2 MeanGirls PG Daily 7:00PM-9:00PM Sat-Sun 2:00PM ( Starts Friday ) 3 The Alamo P63 Daily 6:45-9:10PM (Starts Friday ) 3B Enchanted Ella PG Sat-Sun 2:00PM Gift Certificates Available Lotto Centre - fers ea he yee me artes VU (AYOT Cate GFC_ president Todd Edmunds learned that the former Acton Precision Millwrights building on Main Street North was for sale. Initially, Edmunds said he rejected the idea of relocat- ing to Acton because it would be too long a com- mute for some staff who lived in the east end of To- ronto and Oshawa. "TI talked to my people and a lot of them decided that if we moved the business, they would move too. Almost all of my key people who are re- locating to the area, so in the long run, (the relocation) is going to work out very well for us," he said. Edmunds describes GFC as a "specialist contractor in what we call ground modi- fication work," adding the company began as a division of the USL Group of Com- panies in 1996, to get involved with pressure grouting, which is injecting cement or other materials into the ground to cut off water flow or stabilize the ground. In 2001, that division was split off into its own com- pany -- Geo-Foundations -- and it acquired the assets of a bankrupt Georgetown company, but options were limited, Edmunds said, by the focus on the single-tech- nology pf grouting. He said they looked for technologies well estab- lished in other markets, like the United States Europe, Unstable bridge pier grouping: pre construction Rehabilitated bridge pier grouping: post construction DR. TIMOTHY PELOSO od Family Chiropractic & Massage Therapy Manual treatment for care and prevention of nerve, muscle, bone & joint pain. New Patients & Emergencies Welcome well than to It's far easter to et wel 118 Alma Street, Rockwood 519°856°2624 Thinking of trying a new hobby? New! Watercolour classes for beginners Starting soon. Beginners acrylic classes start Tues. May 18th. Open House & Registration Thurs. April 29.....10 am to 9 pm Fri. April 30..........10 am to 9 pm Sat. May 1............10 am to 5 pm eck us out at: www. paintinfriends.ca or call (519)853-0777 " cerien0® Decorative Art Studio 77 Mill St. E., Acton and investigated why they weren't being used in On- tario. "Tt's only because nobody has taken the initiative to in- troduce them and done all the legwork," Edmunds said. "If all of the geo-technical conditions are similar and the market conditions are similar, then we will look at investment costs and the time it would take to develop that market, and see if it is feasible." A marketing port- folio highlights some of GFC projects and technolo- gies, including the use of micropiles, soil anchors and soil nails to shore up foun- dations for a rail bridge near Brantford, the use of rock anchors to stabilize a grav- ity wall at a Manitoba Hydro generating station, and his- toric masonry grouting at the Peel Heritage Centre in. Brampton and the Library of Parliament in Ottawa. Edmunds said if they can't find the specialized equip- ment they need to work in awkward settings, they will manufacture it at their shop. He said the company doesn't think that "bigger is better, but that smaller and specialized is better," and works with joint venture part- ners in emerging technologies. During the peak season of April to December, GFC em- ployees approximately 40 people, including engineering staff, project management and skilled labour. Off-season there is between 15 and 20 em- ployees. Edmunds said the company is flourishing because it provides innovative, environmentally friendly, cost-effective solu- tions to clients. He said they are also proud of the compa- ny's safety record of three years without a loss-time in- jury. Edmunds said they are still getting settled in Acton, and are in the process of changing to local suppliers. Post office to become passport agency site The Acton Post Office will become a receiving agent site for Canadian passport appli- cations beginning Monday, according to Canada Post. It will be easier to get travel documents in a number of areas as Canada Post, the Department of Foreign Af- fairs and International Trade formalize a pilot project in remote areas where post of- fices were designated as passport receiving agencies. Currently, there are 29 passport offices in Canada -- many with long lines of frus- trated applicants -- and receiving agent pilot project involving 17 post offices in remote areas where staff can assess the completeness of passport application docu- ments. _ On Monday, that pilot project becomes a permanent working partnership between the two government depart- ments, and an announcement will be made identifying the Bower Avenue post office, and post offices in Georget- own, Oakville and Milton, as passport receiving agent sites. Another eight receiving agent sites are scheduled to open over the summer in- cluding Sarnia, Orangeville, Owen Sound and Midland. On. Monday, Department of Foreign Affairs and Inter- national Trade spokesperson Susan Meunier, said the re- ceiving agents can not approve an application. "Post office employees will do a review for com- pleteness once an application has been submitted," Meunier said, adding this will help avoid processing delays due to missing documenta- tion of unusable photographs. "That doesn't mean that they will approve entitlement --the approval of entitlement will be done by the passport office -- but it means you can submit your application in your own community," Meunier said, adding an ad- ditional $10 processing fee will be charged. The passport office has a commitment to issue a pass- port within 15 working days if it is submitted to a receiv- ing agent site. If applied for in person at a passport office, the standard processing time is 10 working days and 20 working days if it is mailed. Currently, there are pass- port receiving agent sites in Barrie, Sudbury (two loca- tions), North Bay, Bradford and Postal Station K in To- ronto. There are two receiving agent sites in Prince Edward Island, and nine in the greater Montreal area. "We want to make our services more accessible," Meunier said, adding 500,000 passports were is- sued in 1990, and*last year, 2.6-million were issued. Bower Avenue post office staff is being trained for the new service this week. ACTON LEGION, BR.197 Sutwtaey May 1, 2004 8p.m. - la.m. FLING ACTON LEGION ____ AUDITORIUM___ Dancing to: Second Ving also featuring Steve Dunn's "Music Machine" $10.00 per person + includes Buffet Tickets available at the Bar.