Poor dad. He wanted sons but his sperm wouldn't cooperate. So he dressed Pickiest Sis up like a boy when she was very young. When we came to America, he took us all to get toys. Not plush, that was mom. No, dad took all his girls to get Matchbox models. My yellow cement truck, so beloved, is still with me. I am fascinated with construction sites, love cement trucks, so when we passed by Ocean Concrete's plant on a visit with Granville, along with a sign that said "Open House", I was whooping with joy.
I am not in construction so I can't attest to Ocean Concrete's product. I do know they did the bases for the Burrard St Bridge and some other sites I don't remember from the open house tour.This is their smallest plant and undoubtedly the most photographed. Because they have the Os Gemeos Giants, those cherished silos painted by Brazilian twins for the third Vancouver Biennale that have become so much a part of the Vancouver skyline. You want to hug them, climb them. They are huge so just admire them. During the open house, while there is no tour of the plant(probably too dangerous), you can get up close and personal to these silos and the cheerful, colorful cement trucks. During the open house, I found out the cement truck drums, since they wear out, aren't painted but decorated with decals. It was a clever move for Vancouver tourism to use the trucks to advertise the Granville Public Market. So you have cement truck drums that are asparagus, strawberries, and other brightly colored, joyous designs. Cute may not be a word commonly used to describe plants or their equipment, but darn it, this place is absolutely adorable. Enchanting enough that apparently one of Ocean's problems is catching the tourists who sneak in to take photos when the place is off limits to the public(Okay, okay, I was tempted also but my more conservative friend was with me). The open house has a tour, with many facts about concrete, which I always thought was cement. It isn't. Cement is the silica base without the water. The workers can get pretty scientific, if you are a buyer and want to know more tech facts, like additives, drying time(without retardants, once mixed, concrete must be used within 2 hours) etc. Kids get to climb in and out of the colorful trucks. There were even vintage trucks(a baby, compared to the modern, huge ones). The tour was informative and there were booths set up, one demonstrating the entire concrete construction process, one devoted to additives, one for face painting and balloons. The open house is kid and dog friendly and for anyone who wants to get close to some charming trucks and touch the giants(well, part of their feet). Ocean Concrete is apparently a very decent company because I spoke to a long time manager who had nothing but praise for the owners.
If you are on Granville Island, do pass by this plant to look at the trucks and the Giants. I read a few days ago that the Os Gemeos might be in jeopardy because the Biennale has been unable to raise the funding of $35,000 every two years for their maintenance. I hope Vancouver finds the money to keep these artsy silos that bring a smile to everyone who sees them. read more