News
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Selkirk adopts Winnipeg’s road construction standards based on U of M research
Following a five-year asset management improvement project, the city of Selkirk, Man., has adopted the same road construction standards as are used in Winnipeg, based on extensive research by the University of Manitoba’s (U of M’s) municipal infrastructure chair, Ahmed…
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HDR promotes Tara Erwin to lead transportation teams in Eastern Canada
HDR has promoted Tara Erwin to a new role as the engineering firm’s transportation lead for Eastern Canada. Based in Richmond Hill, Ont., Erwin will provide strategic direction for the firm’s transportation teams, diversify their technical offerings and co-ordinate staff…
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Feds list engineering among essential services during COVID-19 crisis
On Apr. 2, federal minister of public safety and emergency preparedness Bill Blair released “Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a non-binding, advisory document intended to assist jurisdictions and businesses in determining which employees…
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ASHRAE responds to COVID-19 with new epidemic task force
In an effort to respond to the current global COVID-19 pandemic and provide guidance for preparing the built environment for future epidemics, ASHRAE has established a new epidemic task force. The group-within-a-society will help deploy technical resources to address current…
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Bird Construction marks 100th anniversary
Bird Construction, a general contractor headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., and ranked among Canada’s largest builders, is marking its centenary, having commenced its first job back on Mar. 29, 1920. Hubert John Bird founded the company in Moose Jaw, Sask., with…
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COVID-19 and standard CCDC/CCA clauses
At the time of this column’s writing on Mar. 30, 2020, Canada has reported 7,297 cases of COVID-19 (both presumed and confirmed). In a continued effort to ‘flatten the curve’ and slow the spread of the virus, the federal and…
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Engineers Canada transfers PIEVC Program to ICLR
Today, Engineers Canada announced an agreement to transfer ownership of its Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) Program—including the protocol for infrastructure climate risk and vulnerability assessment—to the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR). ICLR has partnered with the Climate…
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OPG refurbishes Unit 2 nuclear reactor
SNC-Lavalin and its project partners have completed construction on the Unit 2 reactor at Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG’s) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, marking a significant milestone in a major refurbishment project intended to extend the life of the station by…
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NIST tests could bolster fire safety for office buildings
Engineers and technicians at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have investigated how fires cause office buildings’ floors to collapse, conducting tests that are hoped to lead to stronger building codes and improved design tools. The engineers…
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Reviewing Ikea’s geothermal chiller
In 2011, furniture retailer Ikea commissioned and implemented a frictionless magnetic levitation (maglev) centrifugal chiller to heat and air-condition a major distribution centre in Brossard, Que., by means of geothermal energy. The system achieved unprecedented energy efficiency for the facility,…
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ACEC-Canada asks federal government for industry support
The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada) has written to the prime minister and several cabinet ministers with specific recommendations for how the consulting engineering community can retain its capacity to help the federal government mitigate the COVID-19…
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PM Springfest rescheduled
Given ongoing developments with the COVID-19 crisis, the organizers of PM Springfest—an annual event for buildings’ engineers, property and facility managers, developers, owners and operations and maintenance (O&M) staff—have rescheduled the show from early April 2020 to late March 2021.…
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CCA recommends keeping construction operational
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA), which represents more than 20,000 member firms across the country, is recommending construction and related manufacturing activities remain operational, for the time being, during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The association points out, as part of…
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ASHRAE addresses COVID-19 crisis with infection control course
On Apr. 7, ASHRAE will offer a timely online course focusing on the role of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in infection control for health-care facilities. “Although COVID-19 is not considered an airborne contagion, it appears it can be…
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As Ontario closes non-essential workplaces, essential construction continues
To further contain the spread of COVID-19, the government of Ontario has ordered the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces effective today at 11:59 p.m. ET. The closure will be in effect for 14 days, with the possibility of further…
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Crisis management expert shares business advice during COVID-19
Now is not the time for half measures. Suzanne Bernier, an internationally recognized crisis expert, is calling for businesses to be more proactive in combating the spread of COVID-19. To “flatten the curve” and prevent health-care systems from being overloaded…
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Mary-Ann Bell nominated for SNC-Lavalin board
As part of an ongoing leadership renewal process to support its strategic objectives, consulting engineering firm SNC-Lavalin has nominated Mary-Ann Bell, an industrial engineer by background, to join its board of directors. Bell is currently a corporate director for the…
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Building Lasting Change conference postponed
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has postponed its 2020 Building Lasting Change (BLC) conference due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The event was planned to take place in Toronto in early June. CaGBC made the decision earlier this week,…
UPDATE: 2020 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards timeline
As engineering firms navigate an unprecedented business environment due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine and ACEC-Canada are supporting them by temporarily suspending the Stage 2 and 3 deadlines for the 2020 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards. This change…
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ACEC-BC president up for Women of Distinction Award
Caroline Andrewes, P.Eng., president and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – British Columbia (ACEC-BC) is among the nominees for the YWCA Metro Vancouver’s national 2020 Women of Distinction Awards, in the non-profit category. Andrewes has worked with…
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CMPX 2020 postponed
The Canadian Mechanical & Plumbing Exposition (CMPX), originally scheduled for Mar. 25-27, 2020, has been postponed following the World Health Organization (WHO’s) declaration of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. “Just 10 days ago, we were confident the show would…
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University of Manitoba engineering faculty named after Gerry and Barb Price
University of Manitoba’s faculty of engineering has a new name, following a recent $20 million donation from Gerry and Barb Price. Going forward, in recognition of their generosity, it will be known as the Price Faculty of Engineering. Gerry is…
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New Brunswick introduces legislation to standardize building codes
New legislation was introduced yesterday to put modern building code standards in place across New Brunswick. Dubbed the Building Code Administration Act, the legislation is designed to help ensure the same safety standards are met throughout the province, in alignment…
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Quebec outlines 10-year infrastructure plan
Yesterday, Quebec’s provincial government presented its second Quebec Infrastructure Plan (QIP), representing a record $130.5-billion investment over the next 10 years, up $15.1 billion over the first QIP. Looking ahead from 2020 through 2030, the government outlined four key priorities:…
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CaGBC updates zero-carbon building standard
Today, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) launched Version 2 of its Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard. The update is intended to accelerate the adoption of ZCB practices, help Canada meet its climate-change targets and spur both innovation and job…
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Canadian universities receive ASHRAE grants for undergrad engineering projects
ASHRAE has announced a total of US$153,000 in undergraduate program equipment grants to fund 34 projects around the world, including three at Canadian universities. For the 2020-21 society year, 92 applications—the largest number in the program’s history—were submitted from all…
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Engineers Canada celebrates International Women’s Day and National Engineering Month
To acknowledge its commitment to International Women’s Day, while also celebrating March as National Engineering Month, Engineers Canada participated in both the #EachforEqual global social media campaign and the #NEM2020 national campaign. As this year’s theme for International Women’s Day…
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JLR acquires LCI
J.L. Richards & Associates (JLR) has acquired LCI Engineering to further diversify its services for the industrial market. Both firms are based in Ottawa. Founded in 1994, LCI is a mechanical and electrical engineering firm with a 40-person staff and…
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Canadian Consulting Engineer helps celebrate Women In Construction
Canadian Consulting Engineer joins sister publications On-Site, Rock to Road and Crane & Hoist Canada in celebrating women in the construction industry with a special new website, sponsored by John Deere. Launched last week, in time for International Women’s Day, the site features…
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Samuel De Champlain Bridge engineers honoured for use of precast concrete
The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) has presented a 2020 Design Award to SNC-Lavalin, T.Y. Lin International, Systra International Bridge Technologies (Systra IBT) and Infrastructure Canada for their work on Montreal’s new Samuel De Champlain Bridge. The project was carried out…
