SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Premier Floyd Roland gave recognition to the behind-the-scene workers who are tasked with keeping government running in the NWT at the legislative assembly on May 18.

Sukhdev Cheema, director of design and technical services for the Department of Public Works and Services, accepts the Dave Ramsden Career Excellence Award from Premier Floyd Roland at the Premier's Award ceremony held on May 18 at the legislative assembly. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo

"Congratulations to your commitment in building a better place for tomorrow," said Roland.

The Great Hall of the legislative assembly was packed with family, friends and co-workers of the 57 recipients, 48 from Yellowknife and nine from Fort Smith.

This was the first year the Dave Ramsden Career Excellence Award was given. Ramsden was a longtime senior bureaucrat with the GNWT who died of cancer last year. He was a former deputy minister for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, the Department of Health and Social Services, and held senior management positions with the Department of Public Works, and NWT Power Corporation and Secretary of Cabinet.

Penny Ballantyne, the secretary of cabinet, said Ramsden was a shining example of service.

"He had a deep humanity and would take the time to deal with people on a personal level," said Ballantyne.

The award was given to Sukhdev Cheema, the director of design and technical services with the Department of Public Works and Services.

Over an almost 30-year career with the GNWT, Cheema has worked on many programs, one of the most recent being biomass heating systems for GNWT buildings.

"It would take two days to explain what I have done," said Cheema with laugh.

Biomass heating systems have been installed in the following buildings: Thebacha campus of Aurora College and P.W. Kaeser High School in Fort Smith, the legislative assembly in Yellowknife, K'alemi Dene School in Ndilo, Chief Jimmy Bruneau Regional High School in Behchoko and all of the schools in Hay River.

The savings from biomass heating in the 2010-2011 fiscal year equaled $750,000 of a for the GNWT.

The biomass energy system idea came after a tour of Finland, Sweden and Norway with MLA David Krutko and MLA Bob Bromley two years ago.

Cheema got his bachelor of engineering degree in India and then moved to the University of Cincinnati to receive his masters in engineering. After coming to Canada he supervised construction projects for a consulting company in Sudbury, Ont., and after eight years was head of the engineering department.

Cheema moved to Yellowknife in 1982 and has called it home ever since. Cheema was happy to have been the first recipient of the Ramsden award.

"It is a great honour to receive this award. Dave and I worked together. He was a very smart man and we respected each other," said Cheema.

Fact File

PREMIER'S AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Premier's Award of Excellence (Individual): Mr. Benoit Boutin

Premier's Award of Excellence (Team)

Community Social Work Team, Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority: Tracy MacPherson, May Tourangeau, Joanne Gauthier, Kristy Jones, Mary Bishop, Jylian MacLeod, Roxanne Wever

Technical Support Services Group: Sukhdev Cheema, Richard Cracknell, William Wyness, Heather Hayne, John Dick, Kelvin Hawkins and Douglas McKie.

Team Fire Science: SPARCS, Environment and Natural Resources: Franco Nogarin, Vera Green

Premier's Collaboration Award: Mackenzie Gas Project National Energy Board Intervention Project

Deborah Archibald, James Fulford, Michael Joko, Roland Priddle, Wayne Taylor, Chris Sanderson, Keith Bergner and Dr. Robert Mansell.

Tundra Ecosystem Research Station and Annual Science Camp, Environment and Natural Resources and partners: Steven Matthews, Brenda Hans, Tasha Stephenson, Stephanie Yuill, Thomas Andrews, Diane Baldwin, Michel Rabesca, Bernadette Rabesca and Dora Nitsiza.

NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Team: Meghan Beveridge, Jennifer Skelton, Aiyana Lajeunesse, Katarina Carthew, Mark Warren, Jane McMullen, Judy McLinton, Ella Stinson, Carole Mills, David Livingstone, Teresa Joudrie, Tricia Melander-Forde, Michele Culhane, Jennifer Dallman-Sanders, Sevn Bohnet, Joe Acorn, Mardy Semmler, Joline Huskey, Freda Taniton, Richard Binder, Tim Heron and Robert Sandford.

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