We don’t think anyone could have predicted what this year had in store for us. With several new and exciting projects, a worldwide pandemic and an array of new safety protocols, 2020 has been nothing short of a challenge.
Despite a few roadblocks, we at RJS Construction are extremely grateful to have been able to power through this rollercoaster year. Behind our fearless leader, Ryan Steward, we’ve fortunately been able to stay on schedule with new and ongoing projects due to his commitment to stay up-to-date with new COVID-19 protocols and prioritize the safety of our team and all workers on site and in the office.
As 2020 comes to an end, let’s take a look at some of our most memorable moments from this year.
1. Annual Winter Summit
After winning the Leader of the Year award in 2019 for outstanding leadership achievement, Ryan was invited to the annual Winter Summit in January to speak on a panel of small business owners. This two-day event, hosted by Breakthrough Academy, brought together hundreds of business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the province to speak about their experiences growing their business. Amid a weekend of snowmobiles, bob-sled races, and team-building exercises, Ryan took this great opportunity to exchange valuable advice with other small business owners and apply new strategies towards our growth here at RJS Construction.
2. University of the Fraser Valley Projects
We crossed quite a few things off the list with our University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) building renewal projects! Still ongoing, we’ve been busy updating their Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses with new department wings, student spaces, and renovations to increase the on-campus experience for all UFV students, staff, and faculty. Throughout the year, we’ve completed updates to the Criminology Department and constructed a new test kitchen for the Stó:lō Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Department (SASET).
The new culinary space, located inside the Trades and Technology Centre, is part of a new culinary arts program at UFV and even made it into the local paper! Read more from the Chilliwack Progress.
3. Cougar Creek – Red Door Housing Project
On the residential side, we started a major project in December 2019 with the Red Door Housing Society’s Cougar Creek neighbourhood in Surrey, where we will be doing a complete envelope remediation, remodelling, and both exterior and interior upgrades. This 45-unit complex provides fully subsidized housing to families, and we’ve been working extra hard to welcome these families back home to newly renovated and updated homes as soon as possible. Although there’s still a lot of work to be done, several units are close to completion as we keep on schedule into the new year.
4. End of Summer Team BBQ
It wasn’t our usual team getaway, but we still got to enjoy each other’s company at our Team BBQ! Taking advantage of the warm weather, we got together – at a safe, respectable distance – to hold a team social at our homebase in Surrey. Great food, warm weather, and some trash talk was definitely involved as a little competitive badminton broke out in the parking lot!
As we enter another round of social restrictions in BC, we’re grateful to be able to look back at these wonderful highlights spent with our team here at RJS Construction. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our staff, we’ve been able to keep everyone safe during this pandemic while abiding to the social restrictions put in place.
2020 wouldn’t have been possible without the support and dedication of every single member of the RJS family.
Whatever 2021 throws at us, we’ll be ready.
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