When Canadian Pacific Railway Company made the decision to move their National Network Service Centre from a leased space into a 100+ year old blacksmith shop, Ernst Hansch Construction Ltd. was hired to plan and facilitate the design and renovations. Virtually unchanged in the past century, the space came equipped with several challenges, including large pits, cranes, a steam mechanical system, lead paint, asbestos and outdated electrical.

The Ernst Hansch Construction Ltd. team repaired the failing wooden roof beams and reinforced the entire structure prior to construction in order to extend the building’s lifespan and mitigate the need for costly repairs in the future. New comfortable, contemporary spaces were created for Canadian Pacific Railway’s main call centre, including administrative offices, meeting rooms, kitchens, washrooms, storage areas and training facilities.

Although extenuating circumstances resulted in an initial delay of several weeks, Ernst Hansch Construction Ltd.’s value engineering expertise ensured that the project to was completed well ahead of schedule. Collaborating closely with Canadian Pacific Railway throughout the project, solutions were developed that resulted in significant savings for the client. The century-old blacksmith shop is now a bright, modern national-caliber service facility that upholds Canadian Pacific Railway’s high corporate standards and state-of-the-art systems and technology.