2021 to 2025
Stantec Consulting Limited is the engineering portion of the massive privately traded company that developed from the small firm Don Stanley founded in 1954. Between when I started during the pandemic to when I left, the company size changed from around 21,000 people to over 30,000 people across the world. The vast majority of growth from acquisition and concentration.
While in Stantec, I spent most of my time supporting the wonderful people of the Civil Industrial Buildings Studio with the rest of my time working on small projects with my direct work team in civil engineering. When Stantec brought in Morrison Hershfield in 2024, things became more exciting for me. More on the esoteric placement in the structure of civil engineers in the Vancouver office later.
I was able to contribute to Stantec's success on the following projects:
- Elk Valley Resources Admin Maintenance Complex, Teck and EVR, to replace the 1960's facility and allow mining on Harmer Pad
- Langford Transit Centre Upgrades, BC Transit, for New Shop Building and (separate) Battery Electric Bus Infrastructure
- Whistle Cessation Rail Safety Upgrades - 4 sites, City of Abbotsford (SRY corridor), MMCD contract administration for improving crossing safety at 2 Avenue, Morey Avenue, Turner Street, and Valley Road
- Crosswalk Upgrades - 5 sites, City of Burnaby, to give people better street crossings for Cardston Court at Keswick Park, Hunter Street at Bell Avenue, Oakland Street at Brantford Avenue, 9298 University Crescent, and Rumble Avenue at Hedley Street
- Kelowna Transit Centre (BEB Infrastructure, BC Transit, for Battery Electric Bus Infrastructure to meet 2040 goals
- BEB Charging Infrastructure - Nanaimo, Whistler, Victoria, Kamloops, BC Transit, to prepare existing transit yards for first wave of battery electric buses
- Union and Venables Rail Crossings, City of Vancouver, for improving crossing safety in the City of Vancouver
- Fraser Street and Kent Avenue Rail Crossing, City of Vancouver
- Jellicoe and Kent Avenue Rail Crossing, City of Vancouver
- Cromie Park Pickle Ball Court and Noise Abatement, City of Delta (Parks), for expanding the capacity and keeping noise down
- Eric Hamber Secondary School Design-Build Design Compliance Monitoring, Vancouver School Board, for upgrading the school for capacity and seismic safety
- EV Charging Stations - British Columbia, Plan Group
- FedEx YVR Temporary Parking - Aylmer Road, FedEx, to construct gravel employee parking
- GVG Burnaby North Shore Road and Rail Improvements - Douglas Road Grade Separation and Holdom Overpass, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Greater Vancouver Gateway Program
- Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project Owner's Engineer, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, for developing the reference design and supporting procurement decisions
- Lockley Lot Upgrade Study at Esquimalt, Public Service Procurement Canada
I practised civil engineering in five ways while at Stantec:
- civil engineer of record
- civil engineering lead
- contract administrator
- acting design manager
- project manager
Project management had too much bookkeeping for my taste, even though it was an important part of keeping project finances healthy.
Where civil engineers fit in British Columbia in Stantec's business centre structure was esoteric while I was there. Our small circle of around 10 engineering professionals and technologists was in the Transportation part of Infrastructure and moved from "Civil South" to "Community Development."
Eventually, we should see a complete Community Development business separate from Transportation in Vancouver.