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BC Hydro’s Site C Clean Energy Project has won the 2025 Lieutenant Governor’s Award from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia (ACEC-BC).

Site C is the third dam and hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River in northeastern B.C.

Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) and AtkinsRéalis (AR) created a joint engineering team that designed and built the project.

They executed the main dam site components – the earthfill dam, diversion tunnels, approach channel, drainage tunnels, power intakes, penstocks, the generating station and spillways.

Site C will deliver an eight per cent increase to BC Hydro’s current energy supply, enough to power 450,000 homes or 1.7 million electric vehicles.

The project started in 2015 and was completed in 2024.

KCB and AR were among16 organizations that were recognized by ACEC-BC for projects in B.C., other parts of Canada and the United States.

The Water Hazard Detection Program for Railway Flood Monitoring won an Award of Excellence.

Tetra Tech developed an AI-driven water hazard monitoring platform that integrates advanced satellite data, artificial intelligence, field observations and historical environmental information in a collaborative geospatial environment.

The platform enables railway operators to identify, predict and communicate water-related threats almost instantly.

The project began in September 2023 as a 2,000-mile pilot study, monitoring high-risk track segments using radar and multi-spectral imagery. Based on the success of the initial phase, owner Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited expanded the system to monitor 12,600 miles of track.

Today, the platform processes over 3,000 satellite images weekly, analyzing 120,000 GB of data to detect more than 1.2 million water bodies and identify hazards such as beaver dams, washouts and flooding risks.

Another 2025 Award of Excellence winner is the Capstan Station on TransLink’s Canada Line in Richmond.

Located on No. 3 Road between the existing Bridgeport and Aberdeen stations, Capstan Station is an important addition to Metro Vancouver’s TransLink transit system.

Designed by RJC Engineers as part of a multidisciplinary team, the $52 million project supports the growth of the Capstan area in Richmond and supports the city’s vision for a sustainable transit-oriented neighbourhood.

The first of its kind in B.C., the project’s design and construction were completed at the same time as active construction of several nearby housing developments.

The primary structural system uses custom-fabricated, mega-steel frame sections to limit the weight of the station as well as an exposed modular mass timber Dowel Laminated Timber roof panel system at the platform and concourse levels that fully conceals the roof’s structural steel framing.

ACEC-BC also honoured individuals who have made lasting contributions to the profession, industry and the broader community.

Allan Russell, CEO emeritus of McElhanney, received the Meritorious Achievement Award.

The jury recognized his long-standing industry leadership, including cross-business collaboration and crisis response, particularly during the 2021 atmospheric river emergency, when McElhanney shared critical data to support rapid public-sector response.

Gurleen Gang, municipal sector lead/project engineer at Ecora Engineering and Environmental, received the Young Professional Award, recognizing excellence in consulting business practices, advocacy, community leadership and technical achievement.

The 2025 ACEC-BC Awards for Engineering Excellence took place May 23 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver.

Over 450 people attended from across the province. This included a mix of consultants, clients and government representatives.

The ACEC-BC Awards program has celebrated the best in consulting engineering since 1989.

The 2025 Awards for Engineering Excellence received more than 50 nominations in a range of categories, including buildings, bridges, energy and industry, municipal and civil infrastructure, natural resource and habitat, projects under $2.5 million, soft engineering and transportation.

ACEC-BC president and CEO Caroline Andrewes says, “The ACEC-BC Awards for Engineering Excellence celebrate the engineers who keep our economy and communities moving.

“With more than $5 billion in annual economic impact in B.C. and over 14,000 high-value jobs supported across the province, our members are delivering world-class projects in B.C., across Canada, and globally.”

To see a full list of the winning projects