FREDERICTON, N.B. — As they prepare to get an early start on $115 million of tendered contracts this year, members of The Road Builders’ Association of New Brunswick will be meeting this week.

On the first day of the annual meeting this year, members will attend a general business meeting to hear reports from auditor Jim Hughson, secretary/manager of the association as well as from President Paul DeMerchant, who says 2002 was a strange year for the road builders in the province.

“We started the year optimistic with an increased capital budget and the promise of early tender calls. This optimism turned to disappointment, when for a variety of reasons, tenders and the construction of many projects were delayed and the construction of many projects started late with difficult completion dates,” he says.

“Despite the slow start,” he continues, “the value of work tendered by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation this year will exceed $115 million. A significant portion of this money carried over into the next year giving our members an important early start on many contracts.”

In lieu of workshops this year there will be a special presentation by Ben Joyce, managing director of BMO Nesbitt Burns entitled Canadian Financial Markets 2003 and Beyond. The president’s reception, a buffet supper and the Children’s Wish Foundation auction will follow this.

Wednesday begins with bowling at Kingswood Park in the morning followed by a luncheon provided courtesy of Irving Oil Limited. An afternoon address by Transportation Minister Percy Mockler will lead to another presentation by Fred Blaney with the Department of Transportation who will discuss 2002 construction season highlights. An update of association activity will also be presented by Roy Silliker, general manager of N.B. Construction Safety Association.

The meeting will conclude with an evening banquet and speaker John McLaughlin, president of the University of New Brunswick. Two scholarships will be presented to fourth year civil engineering students John Hogan, a student at U.N.B. in Fredericton, and Cindie Hebert, who attends the Universite de Moncton.