The Young Civil Engineer

About the Book

In June 1915, on her 11th birthday, Gabrielle is looking forward to a day of adventures! Little did she know that her adventure would last more than two years!

Her father works at the construction site for a bridge over the St. Lawerence River at Quebec. The first attempt to build it resulted in a major engineering failure and more than 70 workers lost their lives.

Gabrielle meets the Chief Engineer of the bridge company who, seeing her interest in the project, invites her to learn about bridge building. Her journey begins.

The book presents accurate engineering and historical facts and from an 11 year old's perspective. Visual material (historical photos, drawings and graphics) supplements the text and add to the educational value of the book.

A teacher's curriculum package is available for this book through www.ykm.ca

Reviews:

From: - Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada

"Thank you for sharing with me your first book, The Young Civil Engineer - The Quebec Bridge. I am always pleased to see Canadian history and culture being documented. Hopefully this book will inspire a generation of young Canadians to think about what they can contribute to the field of engineering in the future. I wish you the best in all your endeavours."

From: - Dr. Alistair MacKenzie, P.Eng., Past-Chair of Historical Committee of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, Professor at Ryerson University

"Aimed at children of around the age of the book's heroine (11/12 years) this book provides a much needed source of information on the nature of the civil engineering profession at just the age at which school children start to become aware of the possibilities that await them in the future. By following the story of the construction of one of Canada's truly exceptional and historic civil engineering projects, the book vividly illustrates the challenges inherent in works of this magnitude and demonstrates the will to succeed against heavy odds that characterized the efforts of engineers of that era."

From: - Sherif Barakat, Ph.D., P.Eng., Vice President, National Research Council Canada

"Now that I had the chance to read your book, I can tell you that I found it great both educationally and culturally. I learned a lot about bridges (not being a structural engineer) and I learned also a lot about the life in Quebec during this era, not to mention about the history of an important engineering achievement. Well done to the authors and thanks for giving me a copy."

From: - Ruth Dempsey, Ph.D., Educator & Counsellor in Private Practice, Former Professor in Education at the University of Ottawa, Lecturer in Human Development and Aging

"Science and Technology teachers will find this book an ideal introduction to the theme: "Forces, Mechanisms and Materials" for students ages 9 and up. Following Gabrielle, as she jot notes and make drawings in her burgundy engineering notebook, the students will learn easily the language of forces, trusses, caissons and cables, and why the engineers include in their calculations the impact of earthquakes and the build-up of ice on the St. Lawrence River. For young Canadians, learning about their country and its place in the world, The Young Civil Engineer - The Quebec Bridge is a must read."

About the Author

Guy Y. Félio, Ph.D., P.Eng

Dr. Félio is a civil engineer trained at the University of Ottawa (B.A.Sc.), Carleton University (MEng.) and Texas A&M University (Ph.D.) After teaching civil and geotechnical engineering at UCLA, he returned to Canada as a consultant. He joined the National Research Council (NRC) in 1992 to become the Director of Urban Infrastructure research. He is presently an NRC Visiting Researcher at Infrastructure Canada.

Dr. Félio was involved in scientific missions to study the impacts of earthquakes on buildings and infrastructure. He traveled to Mexico City in 1985, San Francisco in 1989, Kobe (Japan) in 1995 and he led the Canadian Scientific Mission to the Taichung (Taiwan) earthquake in 1999.

Dr. Félio has been involved in engineering education to elementary students since 1998, participating in the NRC Engineering Challenge during National Engineering Week for the last 4 years. He has taught bridge building to elementary students for several years. He also enjoys building wood models and crafting custom-made walking sticks.

Roxanne Brousseau-FŽlio, M.Ed.

Roxanne Brousseau-Félio obtained her B.A. in Media Communications ('81) from the University of Ottawa. She continued her academic work at Texas A&M University where she graduated with a Master's in Education specializing in Educational Technology ('84). Her career progressed towards the Film/Television production industry in Los Angeles. She worked on productions such as the Emmy Award-winning sitcom "The Wonder Years" at New World Television, the internationally renown William Morris Agency's Story Department, Condé Nast Publishing (House and Garden Magazine) and the Educational Division of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The new millennium directed her towards teaching. She obtained her B.Ed. (Teacher Education) from the University of Ottawa (2000) and worked as a teacher in public and private schools as well as exploring home-schooling. She initiated a number of workshops targeted to youth, including the successful "Art Factory", for a local private school and for Ottawa area home-learners.

Based on her current studies with Harvard University's Education Wide program, she is developing practical applications using Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (M.I.) theory within the learning environment. She is currently developing web based M.I. Digital Student Portfolios and enjoys creating art works.