Saskatchewan association changes name and gives out awards

Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan launched a new name and announced its annual awards at a gala dinner in Saskatoon on November 28.

The association is now called the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan (ACEC-SK). The other provincial associations of consulting engineers who have adopted the ACEC identity are New Brunswick, Manitoba and British Columbia.

In its announcement, the association said that rebranding their image would strongly reflect its affiliation with ACEC-Canada and strengthen the voice of the consulting industry across Canada.

ACEC-SK Chair Jason Gasmo suggested that as the world and the consulting engineering industry become more globalized, it is important to strongly associate with the national organization.

ACEC-SK Executive Director, Beverly Macleod said: “Our members are trusted advisors to investors in this province. The unveiling of our new name coincides with a time when our members’ services are in high demand. Investors will benefit from the experience that comes from being part of a larger association.”

At the event, ACEC-SK also gave out its annual awards.

Four firms won 2013 Brian Eckel Awards in recognition of exceptional and innovative projects.

Pinter & Associates won an Award of Excellence in the Environment category for a project entitled “In-Situ Treatment of High Nitrate Loaded Groundwater Plume with a Large Scale Permeable Reactive Barrier” for Viterra Inc. The engineers designed and implemented a cost-effective solution for an environmentally sensitive site in Nothern Alberta that saved 50% compared with conventional approaches. To watch a video about the project, click here.

GENIVAR won an award of merit in the buildings category for the underpinning of Campbell Collegiate, a building constructed in Regina in the 1960s. Structural investigations found that the original foundations did not conform to the drawings and the piles could not support the loads, so they installed reinforced concrete transfer beams and jacked-in steel pipe piles.

Bullée Consulting won an award of merit in the municipal infrastructure and water resources category for the Town of Hudson Bay Water Treatment Plant, which uses an ion exchange process to target THM reduction and organics removal.

Associated Engineering (Sask) won an award of merit in the studies and soft engineering category for the Condition and Operational Assessment of the City of Regina Lift Station. In association with ATAP Infrastructure Management, the engineers helped develop tools for managing the city’s assets, including providing better protection against sewer overflows and flooding.

The Honourable Vaughn Solomon Schofield, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, presented the prestigious Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Meritorious Achievement Award to R. S. (Ray) Pentland, M.Sc., P.Eng., while Eleah Gallagher, P.Eng., a structural engineer with J. C. Kenyon Engineering since 2008, won the association’s Young Professional Award. The Brian Eckel Memorial Scholarship Award was presented to Tessa Lennox, who is completing her final year of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan.

Videos on all the award-winners can be viewed here.