Photo courtesy CIMA+. Consulting engineering firm CIMA+ has promoted Ali Hadayeghi, P.Eng., to the newly created role of national vice-president (VP) for mobility. Hadayeghi earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Toronto’s Ryerson University—now Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)—and his MASc and PhD in transportation engineering at the University of Toronto (U of T). He held leadership roles at Synectics Transportation Consultants and AECOM before joining CIMA+ in 2009 as director of transportation engineering. He became a partner and VP in 2016. In his new role, Hadayeghi—who is li ..read more

Top left: Travers Solar. Top right: Cold Lake Fish Hatchery. Lower left: Athabasca River Bridge. Lower right: Haskayne School of Business. Photos courtesy CEA. Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) held its 27th annual Showcase Awards Gala on Apr. 26 in Edmonton, presenting 13 awards of excellence and 12 awards of merit. More than 70 of Alberta’s consulting engineering firms are members of CEA. A cross-section of these firms submitted 54 projects for consideration this year. “These awards recognize the best-of-the-best in engineering design and innovation,” says CEA president Jason Maurer ..read more

Photo courtesy GHD. International consulting engineering firm GHD has named Chris Hunter, based in Waterloo, Ont., as its new CEO for the Americas. He succeeds Jim Giannopoulos, who was appointed global CEO earlier this month. Hunter (pictured) earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Hamilton’s McMaster University before joining GHD as a graduate engineer in 1999. He has worked for the firm ever since, most recently as executive general manager (GM) of operations in Canada. “Chris has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a proven track record in fostering sustainable growth and ..read more

Photo courtesy HGC Engineering. HGC Engineering, an employee-owned firm that specializes in noise, vibration and acoustics, has appointed Corey Kinart president. He succeeds co-founder Brian Howe, who served as the firm’s president for 30 years. Kinart studied mechanical engineering at University of Waterloo and worked at Magellan Aerospace for four years before joining HGC in 2006. Over the years, he progressed to associate and senior associate. “I’m thrilled to have Corey step into the president’s role,” says Howe, who will remain as principal engineer and board chair and lead the firm’s v ..read more

Cover image courtesy Arcadis. Consulting engineering firm Arcadis released its annual International Construction Costs Index this week. While its outlook for Canada includes an expectation of rising construction costs and dampened demand in certain sectors, the firm says there are also some ‘bright spots’ on the horizon. In 2023, Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) experienced its slowest growth rate (outside the pandemic) since 2016. While the index forecasts continued slow growth, as  near-cyclical high-interest rates temper investor sentiment, it also suggests Canada’s construction ..read more

Photo courtesy Talk Shop Media. Earlier this week, industry leaders announced the formation of the first-of-its-kind North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium (NPGCC), which will work to decarbonize the commodity value chain between North America and Asia. The NPGCC will aim to expedite progress in the decarbonization of international transportation and shipping of goods—including agricultural products, metal concentrates and steelmaking coal—between Canada, Japan and South Korea through a combination of research, knowledge sharing, advocacy and member co-ordination to advance projects and inf ..read more

Graphic courtesy Hedgehog Technologies. Hedgehog Technologies, a consulting engineering firm with offices in Burnaby, B.C., and Calgary, has unveiled a strategic leadership reorganization. The firm’s leadership team previously comprised: Michael Wrinch as founder, president and CEO; Younes Rashidi as vice-president (VP) of engineering operations; Janesa Charles as corporate controller; and Erin Martin-Serrano as director of business development. Under the new leadership structure, Wrinch and Rashidi are now partners, Charles and Martin-Serrano keep their existing titles, Cale Boudreau is pro ..read more

Photo courtesy WSP. WSP in Canada, headquartered in Montreal, has hired Jazz Pabla as chief innovation officer. He is based in Kelowna, B.C. Pabla has nearly 20 years’ experience in information technology (IT) and digital transformation, including stints with BigWhiteCanada, TNI, Northern Computer, WBM Technologies, the city of Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan (USask). For the past four years, he served as chief information officer (CIO) and director of information services for the city of Kelowna, where he automated municipal processes. In his new role, Pabla will focus on the c ..read more

Logos courtesy Kozar Engineering. Privately owned consulting engineering firm CIMA+ has expanded its geographic reach with the strategic acquisition of Kozar Engineering in Thunder Bay, Ont. Established by Kevin Kozar, P.Eng., in 2012 to provide mechanical engineering services to local clients, Kozar Engineering has grown from a one-room office to a multidisciplinary team of more than 20 design professionals completing projects across North America. The firm’s services now include mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, civil and structural engineering, from project conception through pre-f ..read more

Photo courtesy Stantec. Stantec has hired Jason Thorne as sector leader for its ‘urban places’ practice in Canada. He succeeds Nancy MacDonald, who recently shifted her focus at the firm to the U.K. as a regional infrastructure leader. Based in Toronto, Thorne has more than 20 years’ planning and community development experience, including roles with Ontario’s Bruce Trail Association, Toronto Bay Initiative (TBI), Metrolinx, RegionalArchitects (now SvN Architects+Planners) and Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal. He was most recently Hamilton’s general manager (GM) of planning and economic d ..read more