It’s also a welcome bonus when your peers and competitors acknowledge the thinking that went into those achievements. I’m very happy to report that 2004 began with this sort of recognition. Since we always work in close partnership with our clients, these awards are also a testament to their foresight and effort. Following are summaries of five awards we received early in 2004.
DEW Line Cleanup
At the Consulting Engineers of Alberta Showcase 2004 awards held in February, SGE Acres shared an Award of Excellence with UMA in the Environmental category for decommissioning five Distant Early Warning sites in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the western Arctic. Since 1992, SGE Acres has worked with the prime consultant, UMA Engineering, to plan and design cleanup operations for 21 DEW Line sites between Komakuk Beach in the Yukon and Cape Dyer on Baffin Island. The cleanup has been carried out on a staged basis within funding constraints. To date, 11 sites have been completed and work on the remaining sites will continue until 2011.
Oldman River Hydro
At the same CEA Showcase, Acres received an Award of Merit in the Water Resources and Energy category for the Oldman River hydro project in Pincher Creek, Alberta. Acres worked with client ATCO Power on this 32-MW run-of-river hydro project from development through final design and construction. The plant can be operated remotely, with flow controlled by Alberta Environment, allowing year-round generation with peak output between May and September.
Kootenay 230-kV Transmission
Consulting Engineers of British Columbia presented this project with an Award of Merit in the Resources, Energy and Industrial Engineering category on Saturday, March 6. Acres acted as the Program Manager over four years for this major transmission development in the southwest interior of British Columbia. At the project’s peak, there were 30 staff working out of Castlegar and the Aquila office in the nearby community of Trail. The project involved 55 km of new 230-kV transmission construction, two new 230/63-kV substations, two new 63-kV switchyards and upgrades of three existing 63-kV switchyards.
Kiskitto Dyke Rehabilitation
The Consulting Engineers of Manitoba’s Awards Gala took place on April 15 and Acres received an Award of Merit in the Resource Development category for the Kiskitto Dyke 7-2 Rehabilitation. This project for Manitoba Hydro started as a routine dam safety inspection. But the discovery that the Kiskitto Dyke 7-2 exhibited signs of potential failure put a nearby First Nations community at risk of flooding. Acres was responsible for designing the rehabilitation of the dyke and control structure including the cofferdams and other temporary works. Improvements in the rehabilitated structure included a redundant control gate, upstream and downstream guides for trashrack and stoplogs, an access shaft for safe inspection and maintenance and vandal proof controls.
Soab Mine Decommissioning
Acres received another CEM Award of Merit in the Environmental category for the Soab Mine Decommissioning. Inco Manitoba engaged Acres to prepare closure plans for the inactive Soab North and South mines, subject to the Manitoba Mine Closure Regulations. In addition to the approved Closure Plans, Acres prepared detailed drawings and specifications to undertake the demolition, rehabilitation and reclamation of the two mine sites. Acres also provided resident technical support during the various decommissioning phases. The Soab mines are the first mines in the Thompson Nickel Belt to be successfully decommissioned with no need for ongoing maintenance.
These five awards are the latest in a long line of honors from various engineering and industry associations across North America and around the world. No matter what country or project, each award is a welcome reminder that hard work and smart thinking always go a long way in the world of engineering.
My sincere thanks to all the employees and clients who’ve helped make these awards happen through the years.