Manitoba awards recognize consultants’ report opposing the U.S.
April 12, 2002
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
Consulting Engineers of Manitoba have named the winners in their annual awards of excellence program, and gave the...
Consulting Engineers of Manitoba have named the winners in their annual awards of excellence program, and gave the top award to an engineering report that is being used to fight a U.S. water diversion project. The U.S. proposals threaten Manitoba’s aquatic environment.
The 2002 Manitoba Awards of Excellence in Engineering awards recognize service to society, innovation and technical excellence. This is the second year they have been given.
The top award, called the Keystone Award, was given to TetrES Consultants for the “Appeals of the Garrison North West Aqua Water Supply” project.
TetrES prepared a report that assembled compelling evidence to critically challenge the United States Bureau of Reclamation plans for a water diversion project. The engineers identified extensive errors and omissions in the Bureau’s documents. The report is being used in ongoing litigation in American courts.
The awards program jury, led by Mal Symonds, engineer-in-residence at the University of Manitoba, wrote of TetrES’ report:
“This is probably the most significant study done in the past decade with respect to the environment in Manitoba, but perhaps, even more important with respect to the relationship between Canada and the United States. It shows, in a very convincing manner, that we should not acquiesce to U.S. pressure for something we believe in and feel strongly about, and, in this instance, in which we are morally and technically correct.”
Awards of excellence in the awards also went to the KGS Group for the Rosenort Flood Protection project (resource development), to Crosier Kilgour & Partners for the Stabilization and Temporary Support of the Princess Street facades (buildings), TetrES Consultants for the Effects of Combined Sewer Overflows on Water Quality in the City of Winnipeg (environmental), and to UMA Engineering for the Seine River Siphon Slope Stabilization (innovation).
The honours were given out at a dinner attended by 300 people last Thursday (April 4).
