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New Envision Canada Program Manager Role Will Help Drive Use of the Rating System in Canada

12-December-2022

ISI’s Canadian partner organization, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), has appointed Lourette Swanepoel as the Envision Canada Program Manager.

Creation of this new part-time position marks a key stage in the collaboration between ISI and CSCE to advance sustainable infrastructure practices in Canada. In December 2021, ISI and CSCE announced their intention to work together through a formal partnership agreement, paving the way for ISI to work directly with the largest civil engineering professional association in Canada. The fruits of that agreement led directly to the launch of Envision Canada in March 2022. Today, the Envision Canada Program Manager role is a new opportunity to further steer adoption of the Envision Sustainability Framework and Rating System for infrastructure in the country.

“ISI is thrilled with Lourette’s appointment to this role. She is eminently qualified and highly respected in the field of sustainability and the application of Envision, says Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s Managing Director. “I look forward to working with her and leveraging her skills and background to advance joint CSCE-ISI goals around Envision awareness, capacity building, and innovation.”

As Envision Canada Program Manager, Lourette will work with the CSCE-ISI Joint Task Force to achieve three main goals:

  • Improving awareness and uptake: Promoting the benefits of Envision and advocating for its application to Canadian infrastructure.
  • Building capacity: Ensuring there are sufficient resources to successfully apply the Envision framework in Canada.
  • Fostering innovation: Demonstrating how Envision fits in the Canadian context and represents Canadian needs and values.

Lourette Swanepoel has more than 20 years of experience in the sustainability field, including working with Envision for 10 of those years. She has played a pivotal role in the early adoption of Envision across North America, led the Envision verification processes for several Canadian projects, and acted as senior Envision advisor to public agencies and private companies. She has been an accredited Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) since 2013, an approved Envision Trainer since 2015, and an Envision Verifier since 2018. She currently serves on the Envision Review Board, a technical committee that ensures the ongoing refinement and continued relevance of Envision.

Lourette will invite Canadian ENV SP credential holders to a meeting in January.

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Envision Canada by the numbers:

Did you know? Canada is the country with the highest number of Envision-verified projects (14) outside the United States. With the exception of the Northern Territories, there are projects seeking Envision verification in in every region in the country, with some of the most complex projects in the country earning an Envision award for sustainability, including the Port of Vancouver’s Centerm Expansion Project, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project. Canada has a thriving and engaged ENV SP community numbering more than 550.

York Region’s 2nd Concession Project Receives Envision Bronze Award

6-December-2022

ISI has awarded an Envision Bronze Award for sustainable infrastructure to the 2nd Concession Project, a major north-south arterial corridor under the jurisdiction of the Regional Municipality of York (York Region). Located in the Town of East Gwillimbury, this is the second project in Ontario to earn an Envision award for sustainability and the first project in the transportation sector in the province to do so.

The project in brief

The 2nd Concession project—the largest project ever undertaken by York Region’s Transportation Services Department—was a necessary investment in infrastructure to accommodate the tremendous growth in York Region and the Town of East Gwillimbury in particular. The six-kilometer corridor, extending from Bristol Road to Queensville Sideroad, crosses the Rogers Reservoir, a popular conservation area and recreational trail in the East Holland River watershed, which the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority manages.

This project widened the 2nd Concession from two lanes to four and included trails, three bridges, retaining walls, active transportation facilities, and stormwater management.

Some of the unique elements of this project included:

—An elevated wooden boardwalk through wetlands and marshes connecting forests with growing residential communities.
—Benches, bike racks, and a flagstone meeting area.
—A wooden-clad pedestrian bridge in the Rogers Reservoir overlooks the historic canal and lock system, which the project protected and preserved.
—Bridges spanning an active rail corridor and the Holland River.
—Curvilinear and terraced tree-patterned retaining walls.
—Dedicated cycle tracks (the first in the Region).

Quotes

“Congratulations to York Region and its project partners on earning an Envision Bronze award for sustainable infrastructure for the 2nd Concession project. This award results from tremendous teamwork, leadership, and community collaboration. Everyone in the area should be proud of this achievement. Protecting and enhancing the corridor area as an important resource for residents was given high priority in the planning and construction of the project, with a context-sensitive design maintaining or improving the natural systems and community quality of life aspects receiving careful attention.”
—  Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s managing director.

“Yesterday was the first time we took our dogs for a walk along 2nd Concession. The view from the bridge is amazing. The viewing platforms on the bridge are a nice touch. The boardwalk for the trail blends in well with the environment. You and your staff have done a wonderful job on this project.”

— R.W. a long-time resident living in the project corridor

This project had verified sustainability achievements in the following areas, among others: meaningful stakeholder engagement; improved infrastructure integration; improved mobility, safety and access; and wetland restoration.

View the full announcement in our Project Directory.