Transportation
We have a long history of planning and delivering the highways, bridges, airports, and transit systems that take us where we need to go.
In Ontario, we led the electrical design for the Terminal 1 gate upgrades at the Toronto Pearson Airport, helping the airport authority welcome larger aircrafts. The Terminal 3 Redevelopment Program improved passenger flow and introducing new facilities and retail spaces with the help of our capabilities in structural, mechanical and electrical, civil, and airside engineering.
Within the transit sector, we are a key member of the technical advisor team for the new 10-mile (16km) Ontario Line, which will not only provide greater access to the Greater Toronto Area for thousands of local residents, but also reduce congestion, greenhouse gases, and fuel consumption across the city.
Major transportation expansions are planned for British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, and we are involved with many of them. We are key players in delivering the future Broadway Subway Project, offering our expertise in tunnelling, fire and life systems, transit structures, and systems to bring an underground light rail system to one of the region’s busiest hubs.
The Burrard Inlet Rapid Transit Study explores future rapid transit solutions to the North Shore, and we led an interdisciplinary study team to shortlist potential options. We are also envisioning trade networks across the region by leading the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Gateway Rail Assessment and finding development opportunities for terminals and regional rail.
Our team also helps owners define the policies that improve transit operations. For example, we recently supported the Toronto Transit Commission and York Region Transit with the development of their five-year fare policy. We analysed current policies and practices, surveyed international best practices, and conducted extensive modelling. These efforts will help renew the integration between transit service and fares in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Region.
Owners also benefit from our in-depth look at transportation possibilities. In Vancouver, we are leading a transit study for the Sen̓áḵw mixed-use development by Westbank and the Squamish Nation. With 6,000 rental homes and limited car access and parking, the new development will benefit from access to local transportation options. We are studying feasible transportation improvements that can link to a streetcar service, an electric ferry service, and a vertical connection to the Burrard Street Bridge to access the local bus and cycling and walking paths.
Built environment
In Saskatchewan, we were retained as the lead mechanical and electrical designer for Mosaic Stadium, a state-of-the-art sports facility and home to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Our designs have made playing and attending more comfortable and have helped extend the playing season by two months per year. The stadium roof’s design all but eliminates the effects of wind while allowing sun into the stadium, increasing the operating temperature up to 68°F (20°C) throughout freezing winters.
Water
As municipalities across British Columbia continue to grow, so does their need for essential services. We are supporting the expansion of the local water supply by serving as construction manager for the Second Narrows Water Supply Tunnel, designed to withstand a major earthquake and hold three water mains conveying clean, safe drinking water to millions of residents in the Lower Mainland.
Similarly, we are the lead designer for the Capilano Main No. 5 Water Supply Tunnel under Vancouver’s well-known Stanley Park. This project replaces the existing water main built in the 1930s with a new water main able to withstand a major seismic event.
Our work with the local water supply includes speciality projects, such as the Coquitlam Intake Tower Seismic Upgrade. Standing alone in the Coquitlam Watershed, this 100-year-old heritage water tower is vulnerable to major earthquakes. Our team, using their deep understanding of seismic risks and nonlinear time history analyses, has developed upgrade concepts to preserve this structure for years to come.
Advisory
In Yellowknife, the Stanton Territorial Hospital underwent an important renewal program to increase its capacity to provide timely, modern care to both the Northwest Territories and the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. We began our work with providing facility management and lifecycle advisory services, before going on to provide technical advisory services for operational readiness. Thanks to our upfront work, our client was incentivized to design, build, and operate the hospital in a way that keeps operational performance, facility availability, and service quality as top priorities.
The new $2.2-billion, 772-bed University of Montréal Hospital (CHUM) in Quebec is a space for not only leading medical teaching, research, and specialised services, but also the local community. We were the Independent Certifier for this design-build-finance-maintain project. Phases 1 and 2, the research centre and campus hospital, respectively, have been successfully completed and are in operation. Phase 3, the administration buildings, will be complete in 2021.
Energy
In Calgary, our energy team is designing natural gas pipelines for markets in both Canada and the United States. The 128-mile (206km) North Montney Project in British Columbia’s Peace River Regional District is one of these projects, boasting a pipeline 42 inches (1.1 meters) in diameter, metering facilities tie-ins, valve sites, and an in-line inspection facility.
We are also working on the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project providing design and engineering services for 164 miles (265km) of this 217-mile (350km) pipeline, including trenchless watercourse designs, compression and meter station facility tie-ins, and in-line inspection facilities. Once complete, it will carry natural gas from northwestern Alberta to local and international export markets.
Climate resilience
An important part of our Canadian business is our commitment to the growing challenges around sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change. We are moving forward with our clients, exploring opportunities for resilient infrastructure and supply chains, as well as solutions that help them meet their sustainability goals.
We have worked with the City of Toronto to help build a more resilient city, beginning with climate resilience assessments for the seven most critical City-managed buildings, plus 18 facilities providing vital city services. We then undertook a major climate change adaptation project at the iconic City Hall. We developed a web-based resilience assessment tool and helped integrate resilience and sustainability into Toronto’s building condition assessment process.
Identifying vulnerabilities and creating adaptation plans for communities continue to be key service offerings. The Town of Halton Hills in Ontario has prioritised resilience for its local infrastructure and critical facilities, and our team has helped assess its structural, electrical, and mechanical vulnerabilities. Using our Canadian team and global experts, we helped guide the development of a town-wide Adaptation Plan and a path forward to safeguard their important facilities.