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DARTMOUTH–If there are two things you should know about Matthew Lohnes, it’s that he’s an adrenaline junkie and has salt water in his veins. Being a co-owner of Dominion Diving perfectly satisfies those traits.
“I always enjoy nasty weather. I’ve been out there when there’s hurricanes and when the ships are going whack,” said Lohnes, who adds he once witness a rogue wave knock out the windows of a ship.
“But I’ll make sure everybody comes out alive and have fun as well.”
Over the years, Lohnes has been involved in the recovery of crashed planes, major oil and gas projects, and was close to being involved in one of the 21st century’s greatest mysteries.
Dominion Diving has been in business in Halifax for 53 years. It was started by Matthew’s father Barry Lohnes and Barry’s friend Jim Ritcy. Matthew recalls how it all started as a hobby back in the 60s for the two men.
Barry was a great drummer and Ritcy knew how to dive. So, the two friends agreed to teach each other their skillset. From there, it blossomed into a successful business.
“They bought a boat and started the company diving inside the harbour and up the coast; all the jobs that most people wouldn’t want to take on,” said Lohnes.
“My dad and Jim got their name known real fast as two crazy, willing, guys who would do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Today, Dominion Diving is owned by Matthew and his brother Robin. It has three general areas of expertise: diving, salvage, and the use of underwater robotics (ROVs). Click here to read part one of Huddle’s story on Dominion Diving, where we talked to Co-owner Robin Lohnes about the salvage side of the business.
Matthew Lohnes specializes in the ROV side of the business. It’s something that has fascinated him since he was 18; the same time he started being a full-time member of his dad’s business. Even though he started learning about robotics as a teenager, he is still doing training to this day as the technology evolves.
“You’ll never finish. That’s the best part of an ROV. The only thing that limits what an ROV can do is the human mind itself,” says Lohnes.
“I always think outside the box; I drive my crew crazy with some of my ideas, and then they just make it happen. Funny how that works.”
Lohnes and his Dominion Diving team is currently in Toronto, working on a major geothermal project: a deepwater lake cooling system. The system needs a three-kilometre pipeline extension so the people of Toronto can keep cool and have plenty of clean water to drink.
“They take the cold water from the deep parts of the lake. They use it to air-condition the buildings and they filter it and use it for drinking water,” explains Lohnes.
When you’re a member of Dominion Diving, you never know what kind of job will pop up, and where in the world it will take you. Lohnes once got a call in the middle of the night for a job in Florida. He and his team packed up their giant work truck and drove …….