Grant Acheson

Biography

I entered RRMC from Ponoka, Alberta in August, 1974 and transferred to RMC for my final two years in 1976. I graduated in the civil engineering program. My military engineer training between academic years took place in CFB Chilliwack including Phase 1V through the fall of 1978 following graduation. My first posting in 1979 was 1 Construction Engineering Unit in Winnipeg. This was a great posting for a young, single engineer as I travelled extensively throughout Canada conducting engineering studies and construction projects. Most interesting was work in the High Arctic. My only “overseas” deployment was to the former Canadian Naval Station in Bermuda!

In 1982 I was posted to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Chilliwack as a Captain Troop Commander of Park Troop. This was a heavy equipment, water supply and Regimental resources troop. In the spring of 1983, I released from the CAF to take up the position of Engineering Officer in the Base Construction Engineering section. I also married Judy Quinn, who I had met while posted to Winnipeg. I managed an engineering office of designers, draftsmen and contract coordinators for 12 years until the base closure was announced.

In 1995, I left the public service to become the City Engineer for the City of White Rock. I commuted to the City from our home in Chilliwack for three and a half years before moving on to the Chief Building Inspector job with the City of Abbotsford (half the commute!). From 1998 until retirement in 2011, I progressed with the City to Director Development Services and then General Manager, Infrastructure.

Meanwhile, after a 10 year gap, I had rejoined the Army in 1993 as a reservist with 6 Field Engineer Squadron. I served the Unit as Commanding Officer from 2004 to 2008 at which time the Unit expanded and became 39 Combat Engineer Regiment. In 2011 after finishing with Abbotsford, I started a full time reservist position as the Construction Engineering Officer at Area Support Unit Chilliwack.

I retired as a Major at the age of 60 in 2016. Judy and I now live on 4.5 acres in a rural area of Chilliwack where we enjoy reading, hiking, snowboarding (me only!), geneology (Judy only!) and volunteering in our community. We have travelled the world extensively and look forward to resuming that with the coronavirus mostly behind us.