The 2013 Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia (ACEC-BC) Awards for Engineering Excellence winners were recently announced at a gala held at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The premier award of the evening, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Engineering Excellence, went to Ausenco for its work on the Ministry of Education’s seismic retrofit guidelines of B.C. school buildings. When these guidelines are fully released in 2013, users will be able to rapidly, and with province-wide consistency, determine the seismic risk of an existing building and optimize the extent of new structure required to achieve “life safety” seismic performance.

Awards were given in five categories: buildings; municipal; transportation; natural resource, energy and industry; and soft engineering, which includes research and pilot projects.

The awards highlight the innovation behind many projects that make people’s day-to-day lives easier and more enjoyable. From a new sewer system in Surrey, B.C., bringing native species back to a part of the Coquitlam River that hasn’t seen them since the early 1900s, to a new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the province’s consulting engineering industry showed off the expertise it uses to deliver sustainable, safe and efficient solutions for clients.

The 2013 prestigious Meritorious Achievement Award was given to John Watson. His extensive work promoting the industry includes serving as president of ACEC-BC and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC).

The 6th Young Professional Award was presented to Selena Wilson of McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. Her resume includes significant roles on major transportation projects and work with the ACEC-BC and International Federation of Consulting Engineers’ (FIDIC) Young Professional groups.