We Can Contracting has been providing fabric structures in the region for the past 10 years. They are now offering their clients Calhoun engineered fabric structures. Courtesy Photo

MORRISBURG – Joey Van Koppen owner of We Can Contracting Fabric Building Sales and Installation has been busy despite the pandemic shutting the province of Ontario down.

Farming is considered an essential service so agricultural dealers are able to continue to work with them.

“During the first COVID-19 lockdown you had to be working for an essential service and we did work for farmers who were an essential service,” he said.

With the second lockdown the same rules apply.

“Farmers are ordering buildings,” said Van Koppen.

We Can Contracting is Ontario’s leading authorized dealer for Calhoun, Winkler and Norseman fabric structures.

The mild winter has extended his construction season.

“They are on a concrete foundation. Before snowfall we got them ready,” he said.

We Can Contracting, located in Morrisburg, Ontario has been installing fabric structure for farmers in the area for the past 10 years.

Recently they added Calhoun fabric buildings to their product. They have taken over the Calhoun line from Dennis Fife.

He is excited about the Calhoun fabric products.

He said all of the components are Ontario made and thoroughly tested.

The structures are built with hot dipped steel. The process protects the steel products from corrosion due to a metallurgical bond that occurs when steel is submerged in molten zinc. The reaction creates intermetallic layers, harder than the base steel itself, resulting in an extremely abrasion resistant coating that can last for decades.

Van Koppen said, “Let’s say you wanted to change your cover in 15 years, you could do that and have a new building again. The trusses would be like new underneath.”

“It is not all farms, we did a few riding arena projects. We did a big building at a fertilizer plant throughout the year.

The buildings vary in size and use. “They all have different sizes and purposes.”

Many of the structures We Can Contracting puts up for farmers in the area are buildings designed to store equipment or commodities for example.

Van Koppen said he listens to what a client may want and he can custom make the structure to suit whatever purpose the client has in mind.

For farmers, he builds buildings designed for hay and machine storage as well as buildings to be used as heifer barns.

We Can Contracting also looks after commercial needs. It has buildings designed for storage of tires and limber as well as vehicles.

He also puts up personal storage structures.

Van Koppen said fabric designed buildings have been in production for 20 years and new technology has made them more durable, and last longer.

One of the obvious concerns is how well a building will do when confronted with snowy weather. His buildings are designed to handle the weight of snow an Ontario winter can deliver.

“You want to make sure your building is designed for the right snow load.”

Van Koppen said he has seen conventional buildings collapse and then be replaced by a fabric building.

He said his buildings are designed to last longer than the warranty period as long as they are properly cared for.

For more information about We Can Contracting, go to wecancontracting.com or call them at 613-551-2843 or email them at savenow@wecancontracting.com.