March 10, 2010

Niagara Construction Association award winner honoured for decades-long contributions

Jack Bell still going strong at 79

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

On the eve of his 79th birthday, industry veteran Jack Bell of Bell Contracting and Equipment shows little sign of slowing down.

“If someone asks me when I am going to retire, my standard answer is, ‘When I stop having fun,’ ” he says. “It’s still fun.”

Bell, who has been “hanging around” equipment since he was 10 and went to work for his father at Jack Bell Excavation at 16, is this year’s recipient of the Niagara Construction Association’s Ed Christensen Award.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the association. It was presented at a recent gala in St. Catharines.

“When I got up to accept the award, I thought, ‘holy smokes.’ Ed Christensen was one of the founders of the association. It began to sink in just how important this award is. I felt humbled.”

Bell, who was born in Niagara Falls and grew up on the family farm in Stamford, set his sights on a career in the excavation industry when he was in grade nine at Stamford Collegiate.

“One day, a paving company was ripping up the main street in front of the school,” he recalls.

“I thought, to hell with this (studying). I put down my books, sat outside on the grass and watched the equipment operators at work.”

Bell began his career “keeping grade” while his father excavated sites. Ultimately, he realized his dream of becoming an equipment operator.

In 1958, Bell achieved another goal, of working on the expansion of the Welland Canal.

Both his father and grandfather had been involved in the original project.

“There I was on a 100-ton machine digging rocks out of the canal,” he says. “I had never done this before in my life, but I convinced them (the company in charge of the project) that I would learn fast.”

In 1960, Bell and some partners hung a shingle, opening an excavation business, Andes-Bell Contracting. Twenty-six years later, he and his son Scott set up Bell Contracting and Equipment.

The firm specializes in site work, site servicing, excavation, backfill and rock and concrete breaking.

It does the lion’s share of its work in the Hamilton area. Clients include EllisDon, PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and Vanbots.

One of Bell’s current projects is the Canmet McMaster Innovation Park.

A past president of the Niagara Construction Association, the Virgil-based Bell spends a good amount on the road “chasing jobs” and meeting with customers.

“I’m pretty hands on,” he says.

Business aside, Bell has found time over the years to coach minor hockey in Virgil, referee in the American Hockey League and serve as a volunteer fireman.

In 1975, he was named Niagara on the Lake’s citizen of the year.

At one juncture, in 1979, Bell even served as chair of the Lincoln County School Board. He takes particular pride in that, given his grade 9 education.

“I used to caution teachers that the problem with education was that it was all academic.&rdquo

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