To many people, wires and fuses and switches look like a confusing jumble of, well, wires and fuses and switches. But to Daryl Bjarnason they represent the potential for so much more.
From simply wiring an outlet to creating and maintaining systems that make industrial machinery do its job, Bjarnason is ready to handle any customer’s electrical needs.
His favourite part? He gets to do that work all over the Creston Valley.
“It lets me use some of my strongest skills in the place I call home,” said Bjarnason, who lived here as a child.
His family returned to the valley in 1990 and, aside from five years in Calgary learning his trade, Bjarnason has been here ever since, starting Bjarnason Electrical Service in 2008.
To anyone who knew Bjarnason as a youngster, it’s likely no surprise that he wound up in this trade — he was often building something, usually with Lego, and many of his childhood memories involve playing with batteries and wires.
“One time, I had six or eight D cells hooked up and it melted everything on the table,” he said.
Of course, Bjarnason has since had the training to prevent those types of accidents. He spent four years training to become a journeyman red seal electrician, and followed that with another year to earn an automation and control systems certificate. He is also a B.C. field safety representative, which allows him to install and certify projects to BC Safety Authority standards.
He trained in Calgary, where he was offered more exposure to a variety of electrical work, particularly in the industrial area, which was a key interest.
“We’re competent in all sectors, but our specialty is in the industrial and automation side of things,” Bjarnason said. “When I go out and set up a machine and see it doing the work, that’s what piques my interest.”
The automation side of his job allows Bjarnason a great deal of creativity.
“It increases the flexibility of the equipment and reduces downtime for a business, streamlining a lot of processes that are otherwise manual, which reduces maintenance costs and provides increased awareness of your system,” he said. “It’s got some serious advantages.”
Bjarnason also enjoys working with a wide variety of people and jobs, including residential projects from the ground up to commercial retrofits and service calls to every place imaginable (sometimes at 2 a.m.!).
“We have the best electricians on staff too, serving the valley from two fully stocked service vans,” he said.
All this requires Bjarnason to keep on top of advancements in his field so he can offer the best to his customers.
“To be competent and up-to-date you definitely have to keep learning because technology keeps changing,” he said. “And all of the technology and products are available here that are available in the city.”
No matter what he’s doing — whether fixing an outlet that isn’t working or using his training to create his own series of electric guitars — Bjarnason doesn’t lose interest.
“I love to see electricity making our lives better,” he said.