National Award winners recognized at ACEC Gala
October 24, 2017
By
CCE
Twenty Awards of Excellence were handed out, with top prize, the Schreyer Award, presented to Ausenco Engineering for the Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel, other special awards went to Knight Piésold, RJC Engineers, Stantec, COWI North America, and McElhanney Consulting.
OTTAWA – From efficient buildings and bridges to resource development and water conveyance, consulting engineering firms from across the country were rewarded on Tuesday, October 24 for their leading-edge projects at the 2017 Canadian Consulting Engineering (CCE) Awards gala.
“These awards not only provide the opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions that consulting engineers make to our local communities, they showcase these outstanding achievements on a national stage,” said ACEC President and CEO John Gamble. “They bring focus to the important role that these projects, and consulting engineers in general, have on the social, economic and environmental quality of life of all Canadians.”
Of the 20 Awards of Excellence handed out at the Gala, five of the projects were recognized with Special Achievement Awards.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS & AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
The SCHREYER AWARD, the top prize presented to the project that best demonstrates technical excellence and innovation, went to Ausenco Engineering for the firm’s work on the Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel in Vancouver. Other consulting engineering firms on the project included Golder Associates, McMillen Jabobs and Hatch.
The project for Metro Vancouver replaced a critical water supply pipe crossing beneath B.C.’s Fraser River, increasing the seismic resilience of the resource for a growing population south of the Metro area.
Knight Piésold claimed the TREE FOR LIFE AWARD, presented to the project that best demonstrates outstanding environmental stewardship, for the Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project in B.C. With nine intake structures on different creeks and tributaries all feeding into a single high-pressure penstock, this was an extremely complex hydroelectric design.
The ENGINEERING A BETTER CANADA AWARD, for the project that best showcases how engineering enhances the social, economic or cultural quality of life of Canadians, was presented to RJC Engineers & Stantec for Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in Calgary.
This building required a sophisticated integration of mechanical, acoustic and structural engineering, and now serves as a landmark in a revitalized section of Calgary.
And this year there were two AMBASSADOR AWARDS handed out for projects constructed or executed outside of Canada that best showcase Canadian engineering expertise.
COWI North America (formerly Buckland & Taylor) won for the work done on the World Trade Center Transportation Hub (Oculus) in New York City, and McElhanney Consulting also won for the Atal Setu (Basohli Bridge) built in Jammu & Kashmir, India.
This is the 49th annual edition of the Awards, held jointly by Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine and the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC/AFIC).
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Buildings Category:
- Lazaridis School of Business & Economics – VanBoxmeer & Stranges Engineering
Transportation Category:
- Abraham Lincoln Bridge – COWI North America
- Burgoyne Bridge Replacement – Harbourside Engineering and Parsons
- Halifax Shipyard Modernization Project – Hatch
- Mayerthorpe Rail Bridge Replacement – Klohn Crippen Berger
- Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge Replacement – Parsons
- Evergreen Line Rapid Transit Project – SNC-Lavalin
Water Resources Category:
- Fort McMurray Wildfire: Wastewater & Stormwater Recovery – Stantec
Environmental Remediation Category
- Barrie Landfill Reclamation and Re-engineering – Golder Associates
Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy Category:
- Central at Garden City District Engery System Mini-Plant – Kerr Wood Leidal Associates
- Online Control System Migration of an Industrial Centrifuge – CIMA+
- Jimmie Creek Hydroelectric Project – SNC-Lavalin
Special Projects:
- Wildlife Detection System – PBX Engineering
International Category:
- Northern Region Small Towns Water and Sanitation Project (Ghana) – Cowater International and Norda Stelo
Community Outreach Category:
- amiskwaciy Academy Sweat Lodge Shelter – Stantec
In addition, ACEC presented four awards to deserving individuals at the Gala.
The 2017 Beaubien Award for lifetime achievement, was presented to Wayne Clifton, P.Eng., M.Sc., D.SC., President of Clifton Associates.
The Chair’s Award for exceptional contributions to the industry, was bestowed to Enrico Vink, Managing Director of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), and to David A. Raymond, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies.
The 2018 Allen D. Williams scholarship, recognizing a young professional’s commitment to consulting engineering, was awarded to Michael Walker, P.Eng., PE, PMP, Project Manager at McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.
The award-winning projects from this year’s Awards are described in full in the October-November 2017 issue of Canadian Consulting Engineer at www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/digital-edition/.
In November, follow the #20DaysOfExcellence in engineering campaign on Twitter and at www.acec.ca/20daysofexcellence to watch videos of the winning projects and to learn more about the impact of consulting engineering on our quality of life.
Complete portfolios of all the 2017 entries will be available in the Showcase of Entries by the end of November at https://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/awards/showcase-entries/.