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Latest Envision Canada Webinars: CSCE Northern BC and Vancouver Island

1-June-2023

May 2023 saw the rollout of more Envision Canada training to CSCE Sections. On May 11th, Negin Tousi delivered an Envision 101 presentation to the CSCE Northern BC Section. Negin is a Project Manager at David Nairne and Associates Ltd., delivering on a range of infrastructure projects for Indigenous communities throughout BC and across Canada. She had previously spent 6 years delivering on water and wastewater treatment and conveyance projects for rural and urban municipalities throughout BC. She has delivered on a range of projects including conceptual design and studies, system management planning exercises, and design and construction projects in the role of project engineer, inspector, resident engineer, project manager, leading to a holistic understanding of project delivery. She obtained her designation as an Envision Sustainability Professional in 2020. She is currently developing internal standards for application of Envision principles on the projects delivered at DNA.

On May 31st, Antonio Castro delivered an Envision 101 presentation to the CSCE Vancouver Island Section. Antonio is an Assistant Project Manager with RAM Consulting. He has several years of experience in civil construction, working on a variety of projects including the design of a vehicle overpass as well as the installation of a storm water diversion sewer. Antonio acquired his ENV SP in 2022 and is working to expand the use of sustainability practices in civil construction throughout Canada.

Three Outstanding Projects Recognized With Envision Awards

25-May-2023

Canadian Envision award recipients were recognized with verification awards presented by ISI’s managing director Melissa Peneycad at CSCE 2023 in Moncton. The recipients were the Centerm Terminal and South Shore Access Project (Envision Platinum 2022), the Vendôme Metro Station Entrance Project (Envision Gold 2022), and the 2nd Concession Improvements Project (Envision Bronze 2022). Each delivers substantial, measurable benefits for sustainability, as measured by achievements across key Envision credit areas.

Peneycad highlighted that these projects were from three different regions of the country and represent only a sample of some of the most outstanding applications of Envision in the country today. There are now 14 projects that have earned Envision awards for sustainability, and these projects represent a wide range of different infrastructure types and sizes.

Accepting the awards: Melissa Peneycad, on behalf of the Société de transport de Montréal (Vendôme Entrance), Jen Johnston, on behalf of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (Centerm), and Clément Boisselier, on behalf of Aecon Group Inc. (2nd Concession). CSCE was represented by Wade Zwicker, President in the presentation of these awards.


Read a short description of these projects below, and click on the links for more information.

Centerm Terminal Expansion Project and South Shore Access Project in Vancouver, B.C.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s gateway to over 170 trading economies worldwide, handling $1 of every $3 of Canada’s trade goods outside North America. This design-build project centers on terminal expansion and improvements which will increase container and vessel handling capacity, but includes off-terminal improvements to the adjacent road and rail network. The combined project helps meet the increasing export and import demand for containers shipped through the Port of Vancouver.

Credits: DP World, AECOM, WSP, Dragados, Jacob Bros. Construction, FRPD.

https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/project-awards/centerm-expansion-project-and-south-shore-access-project/

Vendôme Metro Station Entrance in Montreal, Quebec

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 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.

Credits: Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo, and the McGill University Heath Centre (MUHC); Bisson Fortin and Provencher Roy Architectes (consortium) SNC-Lavalin (resource contributions).

https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/stms-vendome-metro-station/

2nd Concession Improvements Project in East Gwillimbury, Ontario

This project, the largest project ever undertaken by York Region Transportation Services, was designed to accommodate the tremendous growth experienced in the 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.

Credits: Town of East Gwillimbury, Town of Newmarket, Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority, WSP Canada, Aecon Construction and Materials Limited, EXP Services Inc., Metrolinx, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks.

https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/project-awards/the-2nd-concession-project/

Envision Canada Panel Highlights Growing Adoption of Envision

25-May-2023

Jen Johnston, Clément Boisselier, and Greg Zilberbrant appeared on stage for the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Conference Envision Panel in Moncton, N.B. last month, in a wide-ranging discussion about the growing use of the framework to achieve sustainability goals. Speaking to an audience of some 600 civil engineering professionals, the panel offered owner-, supplier- and academic partner- perspectives on Envision application and provided examples from illustrative projects from across the country. The May 25 event was moderated by Lourette Swanepoel, Envision Canada Program Manager and Principal, Calibrate Collaborative Inc.

Jen Johnston, P.E., manager at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, spoke from the infrastructure owner’s perspective, and discussed Envision application in the context of the Envision Platinum Award-winning Centerm Terminal Expansion and South Shore Access Project. Use of Envision facilitated the development of sustainability goals right from the beginning of this project, and went on to inform design-build requirements, permitting requirements, teamwork and collaboration, and many other essential aspects. Envision kept sustainability “at the forefront at every stage of the project.”

Clément Boisselier, Specialist, Sustainability and Environment at Aecon Group Inc. contributed a private contractor perspective and highlighted different projects that have used Envision, such as York Region’s 2nd Concession Improvements Project. Envision use brings so many outstanding benefits when applied early on project teams, not least in ensuring that teams works collaboratively with stakeholders, in providing clarity around sustainability goals, and in “showing commitment to a certain level of sustainability that is measurable,” Boisselier noted.

Adding an academic partner perspective to the discussion was Greg Zilberbrant, Ph.D., an Adjunct Professor and the Program Lead for the Circular Economy and Climate Change Program at McMaster University. He said that by developing their understanding of the Envision system, his students in the dual-certificate program at McMaster gain a tremendous asset they can apply professionally in their sustainability careers. With Envision, there’s an opportunity to tie together many of the program’s key sustainability topics and themes, including about the role of infrastructure decisions on climate mitigation and adaptation; lifecycle assessment and circularity principles; and the climate resilience of infrastructure, Zilberbrant explained.

The speakers together brought valuable lessons and insights on how the Envision framework has been used to achieve better project outcomes for sustainability. The result has been a shift in the way teams can plan, design and deliver infrastructure, setting projects on a path towards higher sustainability performance.

Envision Webinar delivered to CSCE Western and Eastern New Brunswick Sections

8-May-2023

With the 2023 CSCE Conference in Moncton just three weeks ago, Dimitri Pasquion delivered an Envision 101 presentation to the CSCE New Brunswick sections, May 5th, 2023. Dimitri is a civil engineer with more than 20 years of experience on major and small infrastructure projects in Quebec, France and other locations internationally. He is an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and a qualified ENV SP trainer. He has facilitated numerous workshops around Envision credits with multidisciplinary teams and given about a dozen Envision presentations. He is convinced that Envision is the most effective way to minimize the impact of infrastructure and that it perfectly aligns with his personal values.

Envision Webinar delivered to Niagara Region

8-May-2023

On May 8th, 2023, Gustavo Arvizu delivered an Envision 101 presentation to the Niagara Region. Gustavo is a Senior Project Manager at CIMA+ with experience in the management, planning, design and construction of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Canada and abroad. Gustavo’s experience spans the whole project life cycle: from the completion of Environmental Assessments and Master Plans, risk and reliability assessments, servicing studies, infrastructure condition assessments and asset management strategies, to the design, tender and contract administration of water and wastewater infrastructure.

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.

***

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.

Ontario Municipal Engineers Association Webinar Dec. 6

29-November-2022

On Dec 6th from 1 pm – 2:30 pm, Eric Dunford presented the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure framework as part of the Ontario Municipal Engineers Association webinar series. This webinar was organized by the MEA’s Climate Change Committee. Eric is the ESG Sector Lead and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) with Pratus Group in Toronto. He is also an Envision accreditation trainer and third-party verifier. Eric facilitated the design of the first Envision-verified project in Ontario.

For information on MEA’s archived presentations visit: https://municipalengineers.on.ca/events/webinars.html

 

 

Envision at CWWA National Water and Wastewater Conference

11-November-2022

Rina Kurian and Alex Mason presented ‘Envisioning a Sustainable Future for Water / Wastewater Infrastructure’ on Nov 8th at the National Water and Wastewater Conference hosted in Halifax. They argued the need for a common sustainable approach to all aspects of infrastructure development and delivery has never been more important. Rina and Alex described how the Envision framework provides guidance on sustainable practices in the planning, design and delivery of infrastructure. The framework initiates wholistic change from inception to end-of-life for infrastructure by means of decision-making guides rather than prescriptive measures. They outlined how the Envision framework, by encompassing Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural Worlds, and Climate and Resilience, provides a comprehensive, common rating system for assessing sustainability of infrastructure which has been welcomed by the water industry. In 2016, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) developed the Applying Envision 1.0 to Water Projects to provide further guidance in the applicability of Envision credits across Collection Systems, Stormwater, Biosolids and Municipal Resource Recovery Facility.

The presentation focused on the Climate and Resilience aspect, and presented examples where various tools were used to determine the risks and mitigate them. It was argued that a sustainable approach and climate resilience are absolutely critical when implementing water and wastewater infrastructure project to deal with the ever-worsening climate events.

About the presenters:

Rina is an Environmental Engineer and Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) specializing in municipal wastewater treatment with over 17 years’ experience in the industry. Her interest to leverage existing resources to optimize infrastructure led her to the Envision Sustainability framework. Alex Mason is an Intermediate Engineer and ENV SP with extensive experience in Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments. Rina and Alex work with R.V. Anderson Associates, an Envision Qualified Company with more than 20 ENV SPs.

New resource! Release of an Envision-verified Project Submission

10-August-2022

The most comprehensive project example provided by ISI to date comes from this intermodal transit center project located in the Berryessa district of San Jose, California

For the first time, specific details and Envision documentation from a verified project have been made available as a resource to help other Envision users. This resource includes the Envision scorecard and several Envision credit submittals—including coversheets and supporting documentation—for the Berryessa Transit Center Project, which was awarded Envision Platinum in March 2021.

The project’s owner, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and the lead Envision firm for the project, Keish Environmental, have graciously granted permission to ISI to release their Envision project submission, and it’s now available as a resource to anyone with an ISI account. A link to the materials can be found on users’ dashboards under “Verification Resources” after logging into the ISI site: https://v4.sustainableinfrastructure.org/login.

Every Envision-verified project is different, with a specific context, requirements, and aspirations that cannot be easily extrapolated to another project. Still, the specificity of an actual project example can be tremendously valuable in adding a further layer of insight and visibility into the verification process.

Applicants are expected to find this resource very instructive, as it makes available the written responses and supporting documentation used to meet Envision requirements during project verification.

“The example provides all the materials submitted by the Berryessa project for seven Envision v3 credits,” notes Kristi Wamstad, ISI’s verification director. “It also includes verifier comments and additional documentation from the project team’s resubmission for the second review. This resource really offers Envision users an authentic insight into the verification process.”

“We are indebted to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and Keish Environmental for granting permission to make available their project submission, as this is easily the most comprehensive project example provided by ISI to date,” said Melissa Peneycad, ISI’s managing director.

Berryessa Transit Center: A stand-out example Envision project

There’s also excitement across the Envision community about the high caliber of the first project to be made public. The Platinum-Awarded Berryessa Transit Center delivered diverse, interrelated benefits for environmental justice, restoration of the natural world, adding public space and amenities, improving local character, improving the community’s long-term sustainability, and more.

As ISI’s award announcement highlighted last year, this intermodal transit center located in the Berryessa district of San Jose, California, is a shining example of integrating sustainability in as much of the project footprint as possible, from EV chargers – to a new, multi-modal trail – to habitat restoration in an urban environment – to a contemplative garden honoring the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

“We’re thrilled to have the first Envision-verified project to be shared as a unique resource that can accelerate the use of Envision to evaluate and deliver on sustainability,” said Ann Calnan, Manager of Environmental Programs at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

“It is an honor to be able to ‘go public’ with a project that I am so proud to have worked on, complete with the supporting documentation, knowing how this may assist other Envision users in preparing their projects for verification,” said Rachael Keish, CEO of Keish Environmental.

ISI hopes the release of materials from the Berryessa Transit Center project will inspire other project teams to make their project documentation public, as sharing actual project examples can accelerate sustainability practices and the use of Envision as a vital tool for accomplishing that.

While the information provided in this resource does not supersede the guidance and requirements established in the Envision Guidance Manual (v3), the Guide to Envision Verification for Applicants, Credit Amendments (v3), and ISI Policies, ISI believes this example project submission offers valuable support to applicants and opens a new window into the verification process.

Questions about this resource, or other resources available to applicants, can be directed to info@sustainableinfrastructure.org.

About the partner organizations

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of the region. VTA is responsible for bus, light rail, and paratransit operations and serves as the county’s congestion management agency implementing specific highway improvement projects and performing countywide transportation planning including bikeways and pedestrian facilities. Visit www.vta.org.

Keish Environmental

Keish Environmental provides sustainability, program/construction management, and environmental compliance services. Founded in 2014, the firm specializes in ensuring regulatory permit conditions, stormwater quality requirements, and environmental document mitigations are implemented in the field to allow smooth project delivery. Sustainability is a core value at the firm and our staff are certified as both LEED and Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs). The firm’s practical approach to implementation helps projects achieve the highest levels of sustainability, while completing work on budget and on schedule. Keish Environmental is a certified small business. Visit https://keishenv.com.