Terasen Gas donates dump truck to Mal-U

It’s not everyday that someone calls up and asks, "would you like a dump truck?"

That’s what happened when Jack Van Doorn, an instructor in Malaspina University-College's Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Mechanics program, picked up the phone recently. On the other end of the line was Brian Neary, distribution service agent for Terasen Gas.

"Terasen Gas had a 1994 Ford dump truck that we didn’t need anymore," explained Neary. "It was too small for the types of heavy deliveries we do. I heard about Malaspina’s Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Mechanics apprenticeship program, and asked my manager, Dwain Bell, if we could donate the truck to Malaspina. He said yes, and that's when I called Jack Van Doorn."

Van Doorn and Fred MacDonald, Dean of Trades & Applied Technology at Malaspina, were delighted to receive the donation. The dump truck is in pretty good shape, said Van Doorn, and will be used immediately as a teaching tool. Students enrolled the Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Mechanics program will remove the transmission, and student apprentices in automotive program will rebuild it.

"Once the transmission is rebuilt, the truck will be used for two purposes: as a shop truck for deliveries and pick-ups because of its one tonne rating, and also in our training program for third-year students learning about alternative fuels," Van Doorn said.

"The dump truck runs on both gasoline and natural gas, and so it fits nicely into our training program," he added. "We didn’t have any vehicle that actually ran on natural gas before, so this is a great addition to the department. We’re just ecstatic about it. The students can’t wait to start playing with it."

"On behalf of Malaspina, I extend a heartfelt thank-you to Terasen Gas for this extremely generous donation," said MacDonald. "Donations like this from our friends in industry really help keep our trades programs alive."

Neary hopes the donation will motivate other local companies to donate equipment to Malaspina’s trades programs. Acquiring up-to-date modern equipment is always a challenge for any trade school because of the high costs, said Van Doorn. "We have an extremely limited budget so it’s difficult to get newer equipment for our programs," he added. "We have 54 students in the program, but staying current with the kind of equipment that’s out there in industry is difficult. That’s why donations from companies like Terasen Gas make such a wonderful difference."

Van Doorn added that the timing of the dump truck donation couldn’t be better. "Our old shop truck is so rusty, you can see the road through the floor," he said. "Thanks to Terasen Gas, we can finally replace it."