The Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA) is pleased to announce the City of Pointe-Claire, Québec, as the winner of the CPWA 2021 National Public Works Week (NPWW) Awards Contest.
Pointe-Claire’s 2021 NPWW celebration competed for the award with other Canadian municipalities with populations between 25,000 and 99,999. The 2021 NPWW award will be presented by CPWA President, Rylan Wadsworth, during Pointe-Claire’s November 16, 2021, Council Meeting at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 451 Saint-Jean Boulevard.
Accepting the award for Pointe-Claire will be the Director of Public Works, Erik Rolland. National Public Works Week annually recognizes the tens of thousands of men and women in North America who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services collectively known as public works.
In May of each year, municipalities throughout the U.S. and Canada celebrate NPWW with open houses, project and facility tours, parades, education, media events, school visits, and career events. Municipalities also use the week to recognize their staff—the women and men who play such an important role in their community’s quality of life.
“National Public Works Week is a great opportunity to educate residents about the services, personnel, and infrastructure assets that comprise public works,” said Wadsworth. “While not always visible, they are essential to the vitality of our cities and towns.”
Like in other communities, NPWW celebrations in Pointe-Claire looked a lot different this year. City staff were challenged to reimagine their community outreach and public education and awareness efforts. Many events and activities that would have typically occurred in person, were held virtually.
City staff created two educational videos demonstrating how everyday public works tasks are completed: a pothole repair and a water main break repair. These tasks highlight the important responsibilities of public works departments, such as road construction and maintenance and water and sewer services, that often go unnoticed every day by residents.
Both videos describe the steps necessary to complete the work and highlight Pointe-Claire Public Works employees undertaking the repairs. The operational videos were shared, along with infographics, photos, and 28 Facebook and Instagram stories, as part of a 10-day virtual event of extensive social media engagement with local elementary schools and the public.
Engagement included testimonials from current employees presenting public works as a career choice and information about how to apply for a job with Pointe-Claire’s Public Works Department.
Water main break repair: https://www.facebook.com/105272067858493/videos/489468082203530
Réparation d’un bris d’aqueduc (French version):
Pothole | Nids-de-poule (bilingual version): https://www.facebook.com/105272067858493/videos/177886674245333
“CPWA is honored to recognize the City of Pointe-Claire’s efforts to celebrate National Public Works Week,” Wadsworth said. “By taking residents ‘behind the scenes’ with their operational videos and extensive outreach, Pointe-Claire showed how critical public works is—not just during National Public Works Week, but every week.”
