Each year, Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) hosts Sailpast, an event steeped in nautical tradition that celebrates the opening of the sailing season. RCYC members work hard to prepare their boats for a ceremonial inspection, which is complemented by daylong festivities such as dinner and dancing that’s enjoyed by members young and old alike.
This video of the 2016 Sailpast nicely captures the spirit, customs and camaraderie of the event.
RCYC recently held its 68th annual Sailpast, and our project team–hired last year as construction manager to lead a substantial interior and exterior renovation of RCYC’s Island Clubhouse–was put to the test to ensure the iconic building located on Toronto Island was ready in time for the event.
Here was the hitch: the project had been delayed a week due to loss of power and access to Toronto Island as a result of a severe ice storm event that rocked the city for several days in mid-April. But the 68th Sailpast simply had to happen, and our project team needed to find a way to make up the lost time.
While RCYC members cleaned and maintained their boats in preparation for 2018 Sailpast, our project team pushed hard to ensure several areas of the Island Clubhouse would be ready for the big day. These areas included the clubhouse’s facade, second floor area, ground floor area–including the dining room and bar–washrooms and elevator. Extra shifts were added and work amongst trades was carefully coordinated to hit maximum team productivity.
This video produced by RCYC shortly before 2018 Sailpast depicts the project team working to get the facility shipshape for the event. Updates on construction progress are provided through a room-by-room tour of sections of the clubhouse, which in some cases captures workers in action. The video is a testament to Dalton’s commitment to a professional, well-organized worksite and the health and safety of our team.
Under the leadership of Dalton project manager Jeff Pearson and site manager Sam Catricala, the large, multi-disciplinary project team–which included close to 30 consultants trades and suppliers–worked together to successfully turn over occupancy to RCYC in advance of Sailpast.
It’s a remarkable achievement that we’re quite proud of given the challenges that were presented, which, in addition to the ice storm event, included delivering materials and supplies by boat (which we explored in this blog post) and unknown site conditions that arose while working on a heritage facility that is nearing 100 years in age.
Here are a few pictures proudly snapped by Sam that highlight some of the team’s fine work:
