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OTTAWA — Canada’s consulting engineering industry honoured its best and brightest recently during the inaugural 2025 ACEC National Awards Gala, which also coincided with the association’s 100^th anniversary.

The awards went to 16 projects that showcased why Canada is at the very top of the consulting engineering field, explains a release.

ACEC also bestowed six projects with special awards for technical innovation, dedication to the environment, Canadian expertise abroad and improvement of Canadians’ social, economic or cultural quality of life.

The ACEC Project of the Year went to Limberlost Place, a tall-timber building in Toronto. Fast + Epp earned the top award as well as the Catalyst Award for pushing the boundaries of tall-wood construction and sustainable design.

The other Special Award winners were:

• AtkinsRéalis – Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation – Outreach Award
• Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. and Stantec for the BMO Centre Expansion in Calgary – Prosperity Award
• EXP Services Inc. for the Nignen Women’s Shelter in New Brunswick, developed through engagement with the Natoaganeg First Nation – Engineering a Better Canada Award
• HH Angus and Associates for the INITIATE2 Infectious Disease Treatment Module – Ambassador Award
• WSP Canada for the PSPC – SPIB, Laboratories Canada – Mississauga Project – Breton Environmental Stewardship Award

Two of the companies who received ACEC Awards of Excellence this year – CIMA+ and gbi – were also recognized at the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Awards in September.

ACEC also gave out three individual awards.

The 2025 Beaubien Award for lifetime achievement was presented to Steve Fleck, who is retired, but was formerly of Stantec.

This award is selected by a jury of his consulting engineering peers for his extraordinary lifelong contributions to the industry.

Fleck’s career of more than 40 years spans many countries, including Sweden, Chile, the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. The large-scale and complex infrastructure projects he has led on behalf of Stantec and AMEC – valued at more than $5 billion – include the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant in B.C., as well as forest industry process plants, energy facilities, and P3s in healthcare, transportation, transit, wastewater and education throughout the world, explains the release.

“An overview of projects led by Steve Fleck parallels the shift of British Columbia into one of the most livable regions in the world and as a world-class centre of engineering,” notes Asifa Samji, executive VP and chief people and inclusion officer at Stantec in a statement. “He has been a tremendous ally and advocate for inclusion, diversity, and equity long before corporate leaders shifted their attention to this topic.”

The Allen D. Williams Scholarship Award went to Gurleen Gang at Ecora Engineering in B.C.

“An exceptional young civil engineer whose ascent to a leadership position at Ecora was swift and stellar, Gurleen has earned an impeccable reputation with clients on multimillion-dollar projects because of his technical abilities, business savvy, and phenomenal people skills,” the release notes. “His passion for civil engineering grew out of his childhood experiences in Kenya, where he developed a deep appreciation for infrastructure and its fundamental role in improving quality of life.”

He has worked on projects such as the Big White reservoir, Kelowna sewer upgrades and the Scenic Canyon slope stabilization.

Lastly, the Chair’s Award was presented to Catherine Karakatsanis of Stantec, who was the first woman to be president of FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, and the only Canadian.

She is not only a trailblazer, but she is also a connector, a mentor and a strong ambassador for Canada and the consulting engineering profession, the release adds.

As a structural engineer, Karakatsanis has worked on high-profile projects across Canada and the U.S.

Her leadership has extended to many volunteer governance positions. She has served on the boards or foundations of, among others, Engineers Without Borders Canada, the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation, the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, and Hydro One Inc. She has also served as president of Engineers Canada.

 “The ACEC National Awards celebrate the outstanding work of Canada’s world-leading consulting engineering firms – projects that improve community life, drive economic growth, and shape the future through innovation,” said ACEC president and CEO John Gamble. “ACEC is proud to highlight the excellence that our firms display both here in Canada and around the world.”

In addition to the gala festivities, the association also hosted a separate 100-year anniversary dinner at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

The Art Deco-inspired event harkened back to the Jazz Age, the era in which ACEC was founded.

“This centennial has been not only an opportunity to celebrate our storied past but to focus on the legacy we continue to build,” observed Gamble. “Over the past century, our member firms have played a vital role in Canada’s growth, from designing critical infrastructure to advancing sustainability and best practices in our industry. ACEC aims to ensure the industry continues to thrive so that it can continue to enhance our collective quality of life.”