This year’s winners of Canada’s engineering awards announced

AECOM Montreal team accepting the Ambassador Award at the 2016 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards in Ottawa on October 25. Photo: ACEC

The winners of the 2016 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards were presented on October 25. Twenty  projects received Awards of Excellence at the gala dinner held at the Shaw Convention Centre in the heart of the nation’s capital.

“These awards showcase the outstanding talent and expertise of consulting engineers across Canada,” said ACEC President and CEO John Gamble. “By recognizing these projects with national awards, we highlight the important contributions of engineering firms to Canadians and the huge impact they have both here at home and around the world.”

Among the 20 projects, five were recognized with Special Achievement Awards for demonstrating a high level of technical innovation, dedication to the environment, Canadian expertise abroad, engineering that most enhances Canadians’ quality of life, and community or societal enhancement.

Now in their 48th year, the awards are a joint program of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC) and Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine.  They are considered the highest recognition for completed projects by the consulting engineering industry.  The jury consisted of 11 independent distinguished engineers and others involved in construction.

Following are the winners.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS & AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

SCHREYER AWARD ( presented to a project that best demonstrates technical excellence and innovation):

Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, Surrey, B.C. Image: Fast + Epp.

Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, Surrey, B.C. – Fast + Epp

The building has an undulating roof structure with hanging timber “cables” suspended between large concrete buttresses. While hanging systems have historically used steel cables, structural engineers Fast + Epp used wood for the design.

TREE FOR LIFE AWARD (presented to a project that best demonstrates outstanding environmental stewardship):

Enerkem Alberta Biofuels plant in Edmonton, Alberta – BBA

BBA provided detail engineering for the world’s first commercial biorefinery that converts non-recyclable household garbage into clean, renewable energy. By reducing the amount of garbage going to landfills, it’s estimated the plant will reduce carbon CO2 emissons by 110,000 tons per year.

AMBASSADOR AWARD (presented to a project constructed or executed outside of Canada, which best showcases Canadian engineering expertise):

Improved method for planning protection infrastructure against natural disasters caused by climate change in Haiti – AECOM.

Asked to conduct preliminary studies for flood-protection infrastructure investments for five watersheds in Haiti, AECOM developed an innovative technique combining engineering, hydrology, and social economy.

ENGINEERING A BETTER CANADA AWARD (presented to a project that best showcases how engineering enhances the social, economic or cultural quality of life of Canadians):

Mistissini WoodenBridge, Quebec. Image: Stantec

Mistissini Wooden Bridge, Mistissini, Quebec –  Stantec

For a First Nations community in northern Quebec, Stantec designed a beautiful 160-m long glulam wood beam arched bridge across water, giving access to lands for development. It is one of Canada’s longest wood bridges and was built with participation of the local community.

OUTREACH AWARD (presented for a company’s role in donating their time and/or services for the benefit of a community or group either in Canada or on the international stage):

Rio Abajo Footbridge in Esteli, Nicaragua – COWI North America and Kiewit

The engineers went to an isolated community in Nicaragua to help design, build, and provide funding for, an 81-m footbridge over a fast-moving river. The bridge provides the community with their first year-round access to schools, clinics and markets in a nearby town.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Category: Buildings

– Whale Cove Arena, Nunavut: Sustainable Ice Plant Design and Implementation –  Accutech Engineering

– Westmount Recreation Centre, Que.  CIMA+ s.e.n.c.

– Robinson Place Ontario Government Building LEED EB:O&M Platinum, Peterborough, Ont. – Morrison Hershfield

– 351 Water Street, St. John’s, Nfld. – Stantec

– Varennes Net-Zero Library, Que. – Stantec

Category: Transportation

– Union [TTC] Station and Front Street Revitalization, Toronto, Ont. – AECOM

– West Toronto Diamond Rail-Rail Grade Separation, Toronto, Ont. – Parsons

– Low Level Road Project, North Vancouver, B.C. – Stantec

Category: Environmental Remediation

– Giant Mine Roaster Complex Decontamination and Deconstruction, Yellowknife, NWT – AECOM

Category: Natural Resources, Mining, Industry & Energy

– Whitehorse Diesel to Liquefied Natural Gas Conversion Project , Yukon – Allnorth-KGS Group-CAP Engineering

– Capilano Break Head Tank and Energy Recovery Facility, North Vancouver, B.C. – Knight Piésold Ltd.

– Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture Storage Project, Estevan, Sask. – Stantec

Category: Project Management

– Lower Mattagami River Project, Kapuskasing, Ont. – Hatch

– Goldcorp – Éléonore projet, Rouyn-Noranda, Que. – SNC-Lavalin Inc.

Category: International

– Coastal Protection in Cotonou, Benin – Norda Stelo.

For more information:

Detailed articles about the winning projects, photos of the winning teams, and the jury and their comments, are presented in detail in the October-November 2016 issue of Canadian Consulting Engineer. Click here. www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/digital-edition/

In November, follow ACEC’s #20DaysOfExcellence in engineering campaign on Twitter and at www.acec.ca/20daysofexcellence to watch videos of the winning projects.

Complete portfolios of all the 2016 entries will be available in the Showcase of Entries by end- November at https://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/awards/showcase-entries/

For general information about the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, click here.

Awards