No manual, no problem: Tyron Sanders and the fibre fix that grew

Meet Tyron Sanders. 

Tyron is an IT team lead at Shared Services Canada (SSC) in Calgary, Alberta. He heads the Regional Service Delivery team, which provides IT operational support to federal departments across Western Canada.  

Tyron Sanders, Thierry Crozon, Seneca Dias, Charlene Sobrepena, Dan Moeser, George Jarayan

What started as a simple request from Correctional Service Canada (CSC)—to replace a single network switch at a parole office—quickly evolved into a major infrastructure upgrade across multiple institutions that gave Tyron’s team the opportunity to demonstrate what they do best.   

Two years ago, during a site survey at CSC’s Drumheller Institution, the team discovered that the cabinets and the fibre cabling in the local area network (LAN) room were outdated. The initial assignment was to replace network switches, but many of the new switches didn’t fit the old LAN room cabinets. Additionally, the fibre, dating back to the 1980s, was failing. Upgrading the obsolete backbone fibre would be the real challenge. 

These complex issues motivated Tyron and his team to find solutions. They collaborated with third-party vendors, SSC service lines and CSC to develop a plan. 

They completed the switch replacements in just 2 days, replacing 20 cabinets and 37 network switcheswith minimal disruption and well ahead of the year-end deadline. The result is a more secure, stable and scalable network infrastructure. Reflecting on that initial call, Tyron says, “We thought it was going to be as simple as replacing a lightbulb until we realized we had no ladder.” 

One major hurdle was CSC’s lack of access to SSC-certified vendors. Tyron’s team bridged that gap, helping develop a consumption-based agreement that enabled CSC to access qualified cable design and installation vendors through SSC’s contract vehicle. This agreement ensured transparency, cost recovery and smooth project execution.  

Working in a high-security correctional facility added another layer of complexity. There was no manual for this kind of upgrade—but the team’s persistence and innovation paid off.

This upgrade at Drumheller Institution provides an important learning experience. The tools and techniques developed there are now ready to be rolled out across CSC institutions nationwide. “It’s ready to roll out across Canada,” Tyron says, “now that we have processes, approvals and contractors in place.”

Tyron and his team’s collaboration, persistence and dedication earned them recognition from CSC and a nomination for the 2024 SSC Awards of Excellence in the Collaboration category. What began as a small switch replacement has become a national model for network modernization in federal institutions.  

SSC is the digital backbone of the Government of Canada (GC). Our employees work diligently behind the scenes to ensure the GC is powered to deliver when Canadians need it most. Tyron’s story is just one example. Meet the people of SSC and learn more about how we’rehelping to improve connectivity at institutions across the country, as part of Delivering Digital Solutions Together for Canada.