WATERLOO, Ontario, Canada, July 2010 - Though still under construction, The Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute was recently honoured by leaders in the building industry as the first-ever Gold Seal-managed project in Ontario.

The Gold Seal distinction is the only nationally accredited award program for superintendents, estimators, building managers and other supervisory personnel involved with major construction projects. To attain the certification, individuals must have five years of experience, a high level of training, and score 75% or better on a national exam. For a building project to be labelled as Gold Seal-managed, all trade contractors undertaking contracts of $100,000 or more must have at least one Gold Seal certified professional on site – and there are approximately 50 such individuals involved with Perimeter’s expansion project.

“We’re proud to be affiliated with the Perimeter Institute,” said Jason Ball, President of Ball Construction, the main contractor on the project. “It’s a terrific facility, it’s a world-class facility, and it’s only proper that Perimeter Institute would have a Gold Seal certified managed project.”

Michael Duschenes, Chief Operating Officer for PI, praised Ball Construction and their partners for their work on the research centre expansion thus far. “PI is an institute that has always been extremely ambitious, always set the bar very, very high, and has always enjoyed surrounding itself with individuals, organizations, and partners who set the bar equally high,” Duschenes explained. “In a year’s time, we will have nearly double the research space and ability to triple the number of on-site scientists, so we want to ensure a fantastic facility where they can really maximize their research productivity, and that’s what the expansion is all about.”

A Gold Seal presentation ceremony included representatives of all the contractors and tradespeople involved. Also on hand were Michael Atkinson, President of the Canadian Construction Association; Wayne Morsky, Chair of the Canadian Construction Association; Clive Thurston, President of the Ontario General Contractors Association; and Martha George, President of the Grand Valley Construction Association.

From right: Jason Ball, Wayne Morsky, Martha George, and Michael Duschenes during the Gold Seal certification ceremony.

Current progress on The Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute

Building rendering of The Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute

For further information contact:
Lisa Lambert
Communications Coordinator
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
519-569-7600 x5051
llambert[at]perimeterinstitute.ca

Prof. Stephen Hawking, the PI Distinguished Research Chair for whom the expansion is named, toured the construction site with Brian Lasher, PI's Project Manager, Facilities and Operations, during a recent visit to the Institute.