Thursday, August 20th marked another successful Fransen Summer BBQ out in the parking lot behind building 3031 of the Richmond office.  Fransen team members were greeted with smiling faces, fresh burgers, chips, fruit and drinks.

As always, a big thak you goes out to Maxine and the social committee and the many others who helped put on the festivities.

SunRun 2009 was a great success.  We ran, jogged, walked and sprinted our way along the beautiful 10km course.  It took us through Downtown Vancouver, over the Burrard Bridge to Kitsilano, along False Creek and over the Cambie Bridge to the end (finally…) at BC Place Stadium where we found lots of water and snacks waiting for us! 

Once the dust settled, the Fransen SunRunners placed 13th in the Engineering Division coming in ahead of 47 other teams in the category! Also we improved on our average time by one minute from 2008.  Way to go everyone! Thank you to our Captain, Bindy Grewal for getting our registrations and shirts organized.

Results

Fransen Engineering Ltd - 13th Place Engineering Division

37:47 - Mike Elsinga

40:42 - Robert Thompson

44:28 - Mark Abbott

46:04 - Jordan Hewer

49:20 - Jason Meyer

51:24 - Soheyl Soltani

53:54 - Harish Raisinghani

101:58 - Darren Brown

103:38 - George Mitchell

103:58 - Ian Cook

105:27 - George Coelho

114:47 - Richard Hernandez

137:27 - Marlena Mason-Brown

The first quarterly Mingle of the year kicked off at Sport Central on Thursday, February 19, 2009. As usual, we had a fantastic spread of tantalizing appetizers ranging from onion rings, mini quiches, spring rolls, samosas to sautéed jumbo prawns and chicken wings with every sauce imaginable. Since balance is important in everything we do, an assortment of fresh fruits and veggies completed the mix.

Even though it took a little while to get everyone to participate in the Fransen Speed Meeting activity (a spinoff of speed dating), once we had everyone in two rows facing each other, there was no holding back as each person connected with the other through a series of getting-to-know-you questions prepared by the Social Committee. Throughout the afternoon, five lucky people won some nifty staplers that are environmentally friendly and actually use no staples!

Have you been enjoying the variety of the Charity snack tray recently? We have been experimenting with some new snacks such as the Toblerone bars, sunrype snack bars, exploding gum, salmon jerky, and a plethora of nuts. Richard and I do our best to get to Costco on a regular basis and are always open to suggestions on what you would like to have in the Charity Snack Boxes and Drink Trays.

A friendly reminder to all team members – the snack boxes and drinks in the fridge are financed using the honour system and will continue only if everyone contributes their $1 for each snack. Please keep loans to a minimum and keep in mind that it is never acceptable to take drinks for meetings unless you are paying for each drink immediately.

From Feb 16 – Apr 16, the snack boxes will support Engineers without Borders.

One of our own, Mike Rotzien is now the President of the BC chapter of the ISA. Recently, the ISA changed its name from the “Instrument Society of America” to the “International Society for Automation”. The organization was started as a means for companies to educate their customers about instrumentation. ISA has contributed to over 100 standards that are used in the industry today, including the naming conventions we use on our P&IDs. When I was in school, the ISA sponsored a group of us to participate in technical competitions in Canada and the US. Now as professional member of ISA, I enjoy the opportunity to keep up to date on what is happening at other companies and with other people in our industry.
The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all. Many thanks to Maxine for all her hard work on organizing this event. We look forward to seeing more participants at next year’s tournament.

At least we didn’t crash, right? Dressed as a bunch of crazy bananas, several of our team members represented Fransen Engineering in Canada’s first ever Redbull Soapbox race. Creativity was aplenty as 50 crews of four brought their homemade mobiles down to W. 4th Avenue in Kitsilano not only to compete for the fastest time, but also to entertain the mass of spectators.

 Gordon Campbell himself stopped by to have his photo taken with our team. In the end with the sun scorching and crowds cheering, our banana split strategically maneuvered into 13th overall position. Way to go team!

The 2008 edition of the Fransen Golf Tournament took place on August 23 at the Delta Golf course. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all. Many thanks to Maxine for all her hard work on organizing this event. We look forward to seeing more participants at next year’s tournament.

While the blizzard raged outside, Fransen team members from far and wide enjoyed a delicious dinner, stunning door prizes, and great entertainment at our annual Christmas party. Fransen’s 2008 Christmas Party was our biggest yet. It was attended by 220 team members and their partners from all of our office locations. The Delta Airport Inn did a great job with putting on a fabulous meal and the live band was enjoyed by all. Outside the snow piled high, however it did not dim the spirits of many Franseners who enjoyed the evening until the wee hours of the morning. Special thanks go to Bindy Grewal for her tireless efforts to make a memorable evening for all of us. See you next year!

Social Committee Contact: Maxine Lowe
Another great opportunity to have a bellyful and connect with our team mates! The Fransen Socialites hosted our first lunch BBQ for everyone to come out and enjoy the summer warmth in the company of our colleagues.
Even though the week started out promising with lots of sunshine and no sign of a dark cloud, the day of the BBQ arrived with overcast skies, a dip in temperature, gusty winds, and intermittent showers. But the unexpected weather change was no deterrent for the prevailing Socialites who got decked out in their cowboy hats and Fransen aprons as planned, and all hands were on deck.

Protected by his safety goggles, George Mitchell was at the helm flipping burgers for the hungry crowd. The Social Committee appreciates all the help they received from George Mitchell, Farid Akhavan, Glenn Morgan, Mel Cantor, and Richard Hernandez in making the BBQ a smashing success. Glenn and Richard have now officially joined the Socialites.
Congratulations to Derek Keen, winner of the 50/50 draw. Proceeds went towards our wellness program!

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Social Committee Contact: Bindy Grewal
The Annual Fransen Summer BBQ was held on July 12th at the Delta Country Inn.
This year 180 Fransen personnel and their families were treated to a sunny, hot day. The outdoor pool was a fun way to cool off. Penny provided arts n’ crafts for the young children and the game “Deal or no Deal” for the teens and adults. A delicious buffet was enjoyed by all.

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