Bishop's Falls company stripped of contract to build tomb of the unknowns in St. John's

Government officials are scrambling to find an alternate supplier after a Bishop's Falls stone fabrication company was stripped of a prestigious contract to build a tomb of the unknowns at the Newfoundland National War Memorial in St. John's.

But despite the setback,Infrastructure Minister John Abbott is guaranteeing that the project will be ready for the 100th anniversaryand re-dedication of the memorial on July 1.

"Absolutely. We have no choice," Abbott said. "We will pull out all the stops to make sure that that is done. That's our commitment."

The contract includes the tomb construction andinstallation at the war memorial in St. John's. It's the centrepiece of a $6-million refurbishment of the Newfoundland National War Memorial, in the heart of downtown St. John's.

As part of the project, an unknown soldier from Newfoundland and Labrador who fell in battle during the First World War and is buried in northern France will be exhumed and returned to St. John's. The soldier's remains will be interred in the tomb during a historic ceremony on July 1, 2024, which is the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the memorial.

Abbott confirmed toCBC News on Wednesday that the $105,000 contract with Ocean Floor Granite was terminated because the company is not able to finish the project.

"Wehave started to seek out other suppliers and the project as a result will be back on track," he said.

Ocean Floor owner Mark Brace said he learned of the contract cancellation when contacted by CBC News.

"It's a very big insult to Newfoundlanders and all the veterans," Brace said. He also said he doubts that any new supplier will be able to meet the timelines for the project.

"I don't believe that there's going to be a tomb," he said.

• Remains of unknown soldier to be repatriated for St. John's war memorial's centennial

But Abbott said officials are in contact with stone specialists in other parts of Canada.

"We'll be moving forward very shortly with a new supplier."

Meanwhile, Brace is threatening legal action, saying he's faced repeated obstacles from government officials.

"It just goes to show you thatno matter what you tackle they're going to make it very difficult," he said.

Brace established Ocean Floor Granite six years agoand has been struggling to revive a business that had been dormant for years.

Not connected to the grid

The stone fabrication plant is no longer connected to the provincial power grid because thieves stripped away important electrical infrastructure in order to access the valuable copper.So Brace was powering his plant with an industrial generator.

In April, the companywas awarded the contract to build the tomb, with the vault made from Newfoundland black granite known as black gabbro sourced from the company's quarry at Jumper's Brook, just outside Bishop's Falls. The cover was to be made from a Labradorite stone known as "Blue Eyes," which would ensure the tomb comprises stone from both Newfoundland and Labrador.

• This 30-year-old is building a tomb for unknown soldiers. For him, it's personal

Brace spent weeks testing various blocks of gabbro for the vault. He said one of the blocks has been cut to size and polishedand is now is the possession of a Gambo company that specializes in engraving. He said the vault is still a solid block.

He said he slept many nights at the plant over the summerto deter thieves from interrupting work on the tomb project.

Brace also saidhe subcontracted a company in Italy to fabricate the tomb's cover because of the complex cuts required. He said the cover is ready for shipment from Italy.

A few months ago, the department advanced the company a progress payment of more than $30,000 for tomb and engraving samples, but those samples were never delivered, said Abbott.

"We don't have any product," he said.

WATCH | Infrastructure Minister John Abbott defends hiring of Ocean Floor Granite:

John Abbott defends hiring local company running on a generator thats now terminated from National War Memorial project

10 months ago

Duration 1:52

Stone fabrication company Ocean Floor Granite was awarded a $100,000 government contract to build a tomb that would be home to an unknown Newfoundland soldier that died in the First World War. But an inspector shut down the work, stating the electrical system was not up to code. The CBCs Terry Roberts pressed Infrastructure MInister John Abbott on why the government was convinced the company was right for the job in the first place.

This fall, meanwhile, an inspector from the Department of Digital Government and Service N.L. visited the plant and issued a stop work order.

In a statement, the department said the plant does notmeet modern electricalstandards.

"Upgrades to comply with the Canadian Electrical Code were required and must be completed by a certified electrical contractor.A building plan design, developed and stamped by an engineer or architect, was also required and needed to be submitted to the department for review," the statement reads.

Abbott felt Brace 'could deliver'

Brace said government officials were aware he was using a generator before awarding the contract. When asked about the decision to award such an important commission to an upstart company without a firm power source, Abbott said the department was keen on hiring a local supplier and felt Brace "could deliver."

But after another department of the government shut down Brace's operation, Abbott said, there was no choice but terminate the contract.

"We're at a point where time is not on our side to continue with that contract," Abbott said.

Brace said he could have finished the project if he had been allowed to continuing operating the generatoror if the provincial government hadpaid the cost of reconnecting his plant to the power grid.

"I'm not allowed to finish a project the way they allowed me to start it,so I thinkit's timefor the government to really step up and wake up for their people" Brace said.

The war memorial restoration project is a partnership between all three levels of government, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the Royal Canadian Legion, NL Command.

Legion spokesman Gary Browne declined to comment, saying it was a "contractual issue" between the province and a private company.

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