Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Ontario (ACEC -Ontario) celebrated their annual Ontario Engineering Project Awards (OEPA), recognizing the Ontario consulting engineering community, on the evening of May 9^th, at the liberty Grand in Toronto. ACEC-Ontario had the honour of having special guests in attendance this year, including Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor–Tecumseh and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, who shared remarks with the audience.

ACEC-Ontario’s member companies are vital to building a stronger Ontario. They provide essential expert advice and services to businesses and governments, helping to solve complex problems and make informed decisions which, in turn, support a thriving society. The OEPA program honours and recognizes the outcome of their efforts.

“This year we were honoured to host distinguished guests and to have the most well attended award gala in the history of the association. The OEPA is really an evening about celebrating the industry’s impact on our communities across Ontario,” stated Andrew Hurd, Executive Director, ACEC-Ontario. “The top recognition of the night, the Willis Chipman award, went to Egis for their “Highway 21 Bayfield River Bridge Replacement” project. This project overcame multiple challenges and is integral to connecting the Bayfield community. This new bridge, spanning a waterway containing at risk species, will meet the future needs of the community while minimizing environmental impacts. To top it off, this bridge is very aesthetically pleasing.”

The OEPA grants ten Awards of Distinction each year, designed to recognize consulting engineering excellence by member companies who put forth remarkable efforts over the year. The 2024 Awards of Distinction go to:

ACEC-Ontario Member Company	Project
HH Angus and Associates Limited	Enwave Pearl Street Energy Centre
CIMA+	Downtown Lindsay Reconstruction
Tatham Engineering Limited	Acton Island Bridge Rehabilitation
Parsons Inc.	Long Point Causeway Bridge Replacement
LEA Consulting Ltd.	Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Science Collaboration Centre
HDR Corporation	Ontario Line Project
TULLOCH	Northern Community Centre
DECAST Ltd.	Vaughan NW Residential Community Underground Stormwater Management Facility
Stantec Consulting Ltd	University of Windsor – Campus Carbon Neutral Masterplan
WSP Canada Inc.	Henderson Sewage Pumping Station

The OEPA project awards have progressed to include further categories that represent the changing landscape of consulting engineering work in Ontario. The Sustainable Development Impact Award recognizes the project that best demonstrates the three pillars of sustainable development: society, environment and economy. This award was presented to WSP Canada Inc. for their “Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure – Road Design & Civil” project. The Internal Innovation for Philanthropy & Community Engagement recognizes contributions to local communities. This year the honour went to GRIT Engineering Inc. for “Perth County Community Engagement” initiatives.

Finally, three new award categories were decided by the 2024 OEPA jury panel, who believed these projects deserved special recognition for the obstacles they had to overcome and the contributions they made to society. These new categories included “Punching Above Weight”, “Carbon Impact Award”, and, for a second year, a “Humanitarian Award”.

The “Punching Above Weight Award” recognizes the remarkable achievements of a smaller, yet mighty firm that has made an outsized impact on their industry and beyond. This award goes to Robinson Consultants for their “York-Peel Feedermain Emergency Repair” project.

The “Carbon Impact Award” was introduced as the world grapples with the challenges of climate change. It is imperative that we celebrate those who are leading the charge in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating environmental impact. This special honor went to AtkinsRéalis Canada for their “Calabogie Generating Station Redevelopment Project – Design and Detailed Engineering”.

The “Humanitarian Award” recognizes firms for work that improves the welfare of people. ACEC-Ontario Recognizes AECOM Canada for their “Mobility as a Service – A Feasibility Study on Implementing Mobility as a Service in the Greater Toronto Area” project. This concept of mobility of service is an open-source engineering solution that improves society.

ACEC-Ontario would like to thank all those firms that participated and submitted projects to be considered for the 2024 OEPA program. We also greatly appreciate our supporters of this year’s event, AXA XL, HUB International, GHD, TULLOCH Engineering Inc., and R.V. Anderson Associates Limited.

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