Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 27/01) - During a winter snowstorm this year Gary Craig hopped in his truck, still wearing his dress shoes, and dug out a car stuck in the snow after the driver called the city on a cell phone.

Gary Craig, director of public works for Yellowknife, is leaving for Brockville, Ont., on Saturday. - Jorge Barrera/NNSL photo

And now after three years of service, Craig, the city's director of public works, is moving to Ontario and taking with him 25 years of Northern engineering experience.

Few people know the streets of Yellowknife like Craig, but come tomorrow he will be travelling to Brockville, Ont., for a new job and to be closer to family in Peterborough and Moncton, N.B.

After 14 years with the territory's Department of Public Works and a short stint with a private engineering company, Craig started working for the city in 1997.

When he started working, Craig said he focused on increasing efficiency and informing the public of his department's work.

"(The department) had been run the same for the last 20 years," said Craig.

Craig conducted a major restructuring of the department, one that Tim Mercer, the city's director of corporate services, said saved the city $400,000.

In one of his major changes, Craig saved the city between $150,000 and $250,000 in fuel after he cut back on water tempering --heating the water in the winter before putting it through the pipes.

"We replaced the old pipes with insulated pipes," said Craig. "We didn't need to heat." Craig said City Hall was a great place to work and he was impressed with the calibre of its administration.

"We have an excellent city administration," said Craig. "They're an intelligent bunch of people."

Robert Charpentier, director of finance for the city, said Craig will be missed.

"Gary is very professional and knowledgeable about all aspects of public works," said Charpentier, who noted Craig's sense of humour.

City councillor Kevin O'Reilly said Craig "made a valuable contribution" to the city. "There was a lot of changeover in staff and the department was spread pretty thin but he still made sure the city was running," said O'Reilly. Craig is taking a job as supervisor in charge of the water treatment and waste water treatment for the city of Brockville, a community of 22,000 people on the shores of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Craig said the things he will miss most about Yellowknife are the people and the long summer days.