Seeing blue?
Always Pass Safely
saskatchewan.ca/snowzone
You can easily
see an active
snowplow by
the blue and
amber lights.
Here’s what to do:
Slow to 60km/hr
Plows pull over about every
10-15 kms, slow to 60 km/h when
passing a snowplow stopped
with warning lights flashing – it’s
the law!
Be careful in the “Snow Zone”.
Stay back and pass only when
safe to do so.
MHI_0101J_ThinkBig_Ad_3.5x4.75in.indd 1 2018-12-18 4:42 PM
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While these are all feathers in the Association’s cap, Lipp said
helping to bring the Association to the forefront is the one achieve-ment
that she is most proud of over the past 10 years.
“The one that stands out the most to me is how we have raised
the profile of the association, how it’s perceived by the public, the
government, other stakeholders,” she said. “We were trying to ac-complish
the same thing 10 years ago, but we were going about it
the wrong way. There wasn’t a strong vision of what the association
should be and why people should care about the work we do.”
Prodding roadbuilders to tell more of their stories and relaying
the importance of why the industry needs to exist and how critical
it is the province and the economy is crucial, Lipp said. As such, the
Association worked to alter its message from “we’re the roadbuild-ers”
to “we build the economy and here’s how we do that.” It’s im-portant
infrastructure that aids Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector
in moving its product, in addition to improving safety on highways
and getting families to their cabins during the summer.
“Roadbuilders have a lot of self-pride, but it’s not an arrogance,”
Lipp noted. “They don’t boast to the world and brag about building
a bypass or an interchange. They just build roads.”
Roads that fuel Saskatchewan’s economy.
Lipp has worked with governments that have experienced record
revenues during the boom years. Spending on infrastructure was
prevalent to satisfy a growing population and bustling economy.
But she also has had to scratch for every dollar from the Ministry of
Highways during Saskatchewan’s recent down years as the province
dealt with a hefty deficit.
But Lipp admitted some of her greatest challenges have come
from within the Association. She and the SHCA board have cele-brated
several positives over the years. Though it hasn’t always been
a harmonious relationship.
“My first year was very frustrating. The board and I were learn-ing
different personalities and I learned how much I could push the
board, and vice versa,” Lipp said. “Still to this day there can be some
heated debates around the board table, which I think is very healthy.”
Until this year, Lipp was the only female in SHCA’s boardroom.
She’s the only woman in Canada that runs a heavy civil association,
yet she admitted she has never felt slighted by her male colleagues
and counterparts and feels she has the trust from her board.
“We’ve been able to coexist and there’s a mutual respect, which
I really appreciate,” she said. “They know I always have the asso-ciation’s
best interests at heart even if they don’t agree with what
I’m saying.”
Lipp’s at-times fiery demeanor has earned a reputation, albeit one
that is derived from respect. She has attended government meetings
and has often heard after she introduces herself: “Oh, we’ve heard
about you.”
“We have many meetings with the bureaucrats and she has devel-oped
a reputation as being a hard ass and does not give in easily on
our stances,” Barilla said. “Shantel started in this industry not know-ing
a lot about what we do, but when she needs to learn about a top-ic
or the inner workings on some of the specialty items we do, she
uses resources that are available to her to wrap her head around the
situation and be able to hold her own to debate the issues to death.
FEATURE
18 Think BIG | Quarter 1 2019 | saskheavy.ca
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