News - Envision Canada

Fairview Cove MCEF project in the Port of Halifax Project is awarded Envision Verified

9-August-2023

The container ship ONE Magnificence at PSA Halifax Fairview Cove. Photo credit Steve Farmer.

Earning high levels of achievement across several Envision sustainability credit areas, this project will improve efficiency, safety and operations of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at the Port of Halifax.

The Halifax Port Authority (HPA) had long identified the need to decrease port congestion and plan for future increases in container processing demand. But the Fairview Cove Marine Container Examination Facility (MCEF) project will go much further, delivering speedier turnaround times, enhanced port security, and significant environmental and community benefits.

SOUNDBITES

“Integrating sustainability into our core business practices is essential for future success,” said Captain Allan Gray, President and CEO, Halifax Port Authority. “The completed Marine Container Examination Facility will improve overall operational efficiency while advancing our sustainability goals. It can serve as a framework for future projects on our path to becoming One Port City.”

“This project is a milestone for the Halifax Port Authority and a reflection of the dedication to sustainability, collaboration and moving beyond “Business as Usual” practices,” said Jill Roth, Project Lead ENV SP.

Kristi Wamstad, ISI’s Verification Director, said: “ISI congratulates the Halifax Port Authority and the project partners on the success of the Fairview Cove Marine Container Examination Facility project. It optimizes rapid and reliable container inspections and helps to achieve the Port’s net-zero emission goals.”

STM’s new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station in Montréal earns Envision Gold Award

23-February-2022

This is STM’s second Envision-verified project. Previously, STM’s Côte-Vertu garage was awarded Envision Platinum in September, 2021.

–French Translation Follows–

The new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station project in Montréal, Québec was awarded a Gold Envision Rating for sustainable infrastructure. Built in partnership with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo, and the McGill University Heath Centre (MUHC); this project was designed to provide universal access to the Vendôme intermodal hub from the MUHC.

The project consists of developing a new entrance to the Vendôme metro station and a pedestrian link between Maisonneuve Boulevard, the Vendôme intermodal hub, and the MUHC. The new Vendôme station infrastructure, including the entrance, train station platforms, a pedestrian tunnel leading to the hospital complex, and walkways, are equipped with elevators and universal accessibility devices, such as enlarged motorized butterfly doors and swing gates.

The aims of this project are to:

— Improve traffic flow and capacity within the station to meet the increasing number of users.
— Connect the MUHC to the Vendôme intermodal hub.
— Make the station universally accessible.
— Improve the operational efficiency of the station.

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

–French Translation–

Le projet de nouvel édicule de la station de métro Vendôme à Montréal, au Québec, s’est vu décerner la distinction Envision Or pour son infrastructure durable.

Il s’agit du deuxième projet Envision pour la STM. Leur premier était le projet de Garage Côte-Vertu qui a reçu Envision Platine en septembre 2021.

Le projet de nouvel édicule de la station de métro Vendôme à Montréal, au Québec, s’est vu décerner la distinction Envision Or pour son infrastructure durable. Construit en partenariat avec la Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo et le Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM), ce projet a été conçu pour offrir une accessibilité universelle au pôle multimodal Vendôme depuis le CUSM.

Il comprend la construction d’un nouvel accès menant à la station de métro Vendôme et un lien piétonnier entre le boulevard De Maisonneuve, le pôle multimodal Vendôme et le CUSM. Le nouveau bâtiment d’accès à la station de métro facilite grandement les déplacements pour toutes les clientèles, notamment celle à mobilité réduite. Les quais de la gare exo, le tunnel piétonnier menant vers le Centre universitaire de santé McGill, ainsi que les aménagements de surface sont pourvus d’ascenseurs et de dispositifs d’accessibilité universelle, tels que des portes-papillon motorisées élargies et des portillons à vantaux.

Le projet vise à :

— améliorer la circulation à l’intérieur de la station et sa capacité d’accueil pour tenir compte du nombre croissant d’usagers;
— relier le CUSM au pôle multimodal Vendôme;
— rendre la station universellement accessible;
— améliorer l’efficacité de la station sur le plan opérationnel.

Consultez l’annonce complète dans le répertoire des projets.

ENV SP Packet

15-December-2021

Are you thinking about becoming an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP), but aren’t sure exactly what is involved in earning the credential? The ENV SP packet may help.

You can download this publication on our resources page.

CSCE & ISI Partner to Accelerate the use of Envision® in Canada

7-December-2021

A French message will follow / Un message en français suivra

CSCE & ISI Partner to Accelerate the use of the Envision® Sustainable Infrastructure Framework in Canada

Washington, D.C., December 7, 2021 – Communities across Canada are looking for ways to improve the sustainability and resiliency of the built environment, address infrastructure deficits, spur economic recovery, and meet climate change commitments. Recognizing the importance of these crucial goals, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) are pleased to announce their partnership to accelerate the use of the Envision® sustainable infrastructure framework more broadly in Canada.

View the entire announcement in English & French.

La Société canadienne de génie civil et l’ISI s’associent pour accélérer l’utilisation du cadre Envision® pour les infrastructures durables au Canada

Les collectivités de partout au Canada cherchent des moyens d’améliorer la durabilité et la résilience de l’environnement bâti, de combler les lacunes en matière d’infrastructure, de stimuler la reprise économique et de respecter les engagements en matière de lutte contre le changement climatique. Consciente de l’importance de ces objectifs cruciaux, la Société canadienne de génie civil (SCGC) et l’Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) sont heureux d’annoncer leur partenariat visant à accélérer l’utilisation du cadre Envision® pour les infrastructures durables à plus grande échelle au Canada.

View the entire announcement in English and French.

Gordie Howe International Bridge Earns Envision Platinum Rating

2-December-2021

The Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide an essential international crossing between Windsor, Ontario, Canada and Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. This is a once-in-a-generation undertaking that will deliver significant and much-needed transportation improvements for international travelers and will provide jobs and economic growth opportunities, among other benefits.

The Windsor-Detroit trade corridor is considered the busiest commercial border crossing between Canada and the United States, accounting for more than 25 percent of all surface trade between the two countries. The Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide for redundancy at the critical trade corridor with improved border processing and highway-to-highway international connectivity. It also addresses future needs and will provide six lanes to meet anticipated growth in traffic over the years to come.

This project is being delivered through a public-private partnership (P3), a model where the private- and public-sector partners assume an appropriate share of the risks and where the private-sector’s expertise, efficiencies, and innovations are utilized in the delivery of this large-scale project. The P3 model is also good for taxpayers. An independent value-for-money analysis concluded that the P3 model will result in project savings of more than $560 million, a 10.7% difference compared to more traditional procurement methods.

Learn more about the sustainability, resiliency, and equity of this project in the Project Awards Directory.

Envision Packet

29-November-2021

Are you looking for a way to showcase Envision® sustainability and help others fully comprehend exactly what it can do? The 14-page Envision packet may be precisely what you need.

You can download the packet on our Resources page.

STM’s Underground Garage near the Côte-Vertu Metro station in Montréal earns Envision Platinum for Sustainable Infrastructure

29-September-2021

STM’s Underground Garage near the Côte-Vertu Metro station in Montréal earns Envision Platinum for Sustainable Infrastructure

–French Translation Follows–

The Garage souterrain pour voitures de métro a proximité de la station Côte-Vertu (Côte-Vertu garage) project was conceptualized in response to a need for an accessible location to maintain and park trains while relieving mounting pressure on a busy and growing metro network. The underground garage comprises a 10-story building that includes a track for trains to circulate from the Côte-Vertu station to the garage, a large area with a network of tracks to divert trains once they arrive, and three underground tunnels, including two tunnels to park and one to maintain trains.

The goals of the project are to:

Provide a parking area for trains
Increase the capacity of the metro network, enabling the addition of trains on the Orange line, thereby increasing service frequency during rush hour
Support the anticipated growth of the metro network over the next ten years
Ensure enough capacity for the eventual expansion of the Blue line.

View the entire announcement in the Project Awards Directory.

–French Translation–

Le projet de garage souterrain pour voitures de métro (Garage Côte-Vertu) de la Société de transport de Montréal (STM), a été conçu en réponse à plusieurs besoins dont celui d’avoir un endroit accessible pour entretenir les trains et celui d’équilibrer les espaces de stationnement aux extrémités de la ligne desservie. Situé à proximité de la station Côte-Vertu, il permettra une plus grande fréquence de passages afin de soulager la pression croissante sur une ligne de métro déjà chargée. Le garage Côte-Vertu est constitué de trois bâtiments de surface, dont un bâtiment de dix étages qui plonge sous terre jusqu’aux tunnels pour y loger un atelier d’entretien. Le projet comporte aussi une voie de raccordement pour que les trains puissent accéder au garage à partir de la station terminale Côte-Vertu et un imposant faisceau avec plusieurs appareils de voies pour guider les trains vers l’un des trois tunnels.

Les objectifs du projet sont de:

Ajouter dix espaces de stationnement pour les trains du métro ;
Augmenter la capacité du réseau de métro avec l’ajout de trains sur la ligne orange ce qui accroitra la fréquence de service jusqu’à 25 % aux heures de pointe ;

Soutenir la croissance de l’achalandage prévue pour les prochaines années;
Augmenter l’offre de service en vue du prolongement de la ligne bleue.

Projet vérifié par Envision

New ISI, McMaster University, & CSCE Collaboration in Canada

20-August-2021

City of Red Deer’s Water Treatment Plant RMF Earns Envision Bronze Award

15-July-2021

Washington, D.C.— July 15, 2021 — Home to more than 101,000 residents, the City of Red Deer, which is located in central Alberta, operates a conventional surface water treatment plant that draws water from the Red Deer River and provides clean drinking water to the city and its regional customers. The primary goal of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Residuals Management Facility (RMF) is to improve the quality of the waste stream from the clarification process at the WTP prior to its discharge into the Red Deer River. Improved treatment of the waste streams from the new WTP RMF will reduce the visible plume created by the current discharge, reduce solids sedimentation and associated impacts on fish habitats, improve the river’s aesthetics, and encourage recreational activities.

The project is being constructed on a now out-of-service water treatment plant and sludge dewatering facility. These facilities are being demolished to accommodate the new RMF.

To learn more, visit the Project Awards Directory.

Le manuel de référence Envision v3 est maintenant offert en français | The Envision v3 Manual is now available in French

15-December-2020

English to Follow

Les Canadiens sont proactifs, passionnés et engagés dans la conception et la création d’infrastructure durables, résilientes et équitables; ISI facilite considérablement cette tâche. Jusqu’à présent, le manuel de référence Envision v3 n’était offert qu’en anglais, mais il est maintenant aussi offert en français.

Cela contribuera grandement à offrir à tous les Canadiens l’occasion d’utiliser Envision et de consulter le processus de vérification du projet dans la langue officielle de leur choix.

Depuis la création d’ISI il y a 10 ans, l’utilisation d’Envision a connu une croissance régulière au Canada et les professionnels de la durabilité Envision (PD ENV) ont manifesté un grand intérêt à diriger des projets d’infrastructure civile à travers le pays.

La version française du manuel de référence Envision v3 permet à tous les Canadiens de concevoir et de créer de meilleures infrastructures pour protéger l’environnement, améliorer la santé et le bien-être de la population, et soutenir l’économie.

Pour accéder à votre copie et la télécharger, connectez-vous ou créez votre compte ISI gratuit : www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.

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Canadians are proactive, passionate, and committed to designing and building sustainable, resilient and equitable infrastructure – and ISI has just made this a lot easier. To date, the Envision v3 Guidance manual has only been offered in English, but as of today, it is also available in French.

This will go a long way in providing all Canadians with the opportunity to use Envision and navigate the project verification process in the official language of their choice.

Since ISI’s inception 10 years ago, Envision use has grown steadily in Canada, and there has been a great deal of interest in having Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs) lead civil infrastructure projects across the country.

The French version of the Envision v3 Guidance Manual enables all Canadians to design and build better infrastructure to protect the environment, enhance human health and well-being, and bolster economies.

To access and download your copy, log in to or create your free ISI account: www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.