Member Profile – John Hickling

Retrofits, upgrades and green building practices increase efficiencies for School District 67

BY LISA FATTORI

As Director of Maintenance for School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha), John Hickling is responsible for all of the operational and capital projects of 20 schools. Since assuming the position in 1998, Hickling has facilitated preventative maintenance programs, a work order management system, and energy retrofit programs that upgraded schools to be more energy efficient. John Hickling “A year ago, we performed significant upgrades on our schools’ electrical systems,” Hickling says. “Natural Resources Canada and Fortis Power helped to fund the $1 million energy retrofit program, which is expected to have a five-year payback on the investment.”

School District 67’s fluorescent light fixtures were retrofitted with high efficiency electronic ballast and T8 tubes. The oneinch diameter tubes provide more illumination per tube and the reduction of fixtures will provide significant energy savings.

Other capital projects include the improvement of parking lots and updating main entrances to schools. “We recently completed a new office and entry for McNicoll Park Middle School and have begun a half a million dollar update of the entrance, main office, and staff room at Summerland Secondary School,” Hickling says. “It’s important to update the entrances of older facilities so that the schools are more open and welcoming.”

Hickling began his career in the building trades in the late 1960s and was a general contractor until 1984, when he took the position as Senior Projects Officer with Public Works Canada. In 1990, he applied to School District 23 in Kelowna, and moved from Assistant Supervisor of Maintenance to Superintendent of Maintenance. Over the years, Hickling has supplemented his work experience with extensive training and has earned extra certification, including a 1984 Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyor diploma, a certificate in Computer-based Information Systems from U of Victoria, and is a Gold Seal Certified Project Manager with the Canadian Construction Association.

“After high school, I started my career in accounting, and worked weekends as a carpenter,” Hickling says. It soon became clear that I could make a lot more money in the construction industry and I became hooked.”

After attaining his carpenter’s papers, Hickling worked in Vernon as a carpentry foreman on renovation projects, including schools and a hospital. He taught night school for trades’ people at Okanagan College, and was Superintendent of the Power House at the Mica Dam at Columbia River. Hickling’s experience includes the position of General Superintendent with Kelowna-based Westen Construction, where he became an Associate and Junior Partner.

“I was also a B.C. representative for the Energy Efficiency Group, which was a federal initiative that reported to Natural

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Resources Canada,” Hickling says. “Our job was to come up with ideas for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in schools across Canada.”

Hickling’s expertise in commercial construction, estimating and green building practices made him the ideal person, to help oversee the construction of the new Penticton Secondary School. The new $44 million Penticton Second ary School is a model of green building practices that will save the school approximately $50,000 in energy costs per year. The school is proof that green building, lower operational costs and aesthetically-pleasing architecture is fully attainable for a public institution.

“There is an expectation that schools are public facilities that should be used outside of the 9 to 3 instruction time, by the community at large,” Hickling says. “An attractive school entices students to stay longer, which lowers the drop-out rate. A great facility, as is great teaching, is an important part of the education equation. Students and staff should feel proud of where they go each day – from the grounds, to the entrance, to the interior of the school.” ❏