Celebrating Excellence: Highlights from the 2026 ACEC National Awards Gala

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The 2026 ACEC National Awards Gala recognized outstanding contributions in the consulting engineering sector, featuring awards for project excellence and individual achievements.

OTTAWA – The consulting engineering sector in Canada gathered to honor its top performers during the recent 2026 ACEC National Awards Gala, where a total of sixteen excellence awards were presented. The event also highlighted special awards for notable achievements in technical innovation, environmental stewardship, and contributions to enhancing Canadians' social, economic, or cultural quality of life. The prestigious ACEC Project of the Year award was bestowed upon CIMA+ for its significant upgrades to the SCADA and human-machine interface within Ottawa’s drinking water system. According to a release, this project marked a modernization of essential technology used for the operation of Ottawa's drinking water treatment and distribution network, leading to improved monitoring, control, and optimization of water delivery. The CIMA+ team was responsible for designing a new high-performance system architecture that transitioned from a legacy system with large, stationary consoles, which required updates at each of the 40 sites, to a centralized system operated via lightweight terminals. This transition not only enhanced cybersecurity, efficiency, and reliability but was also executed without any service disruptions. Other notable special award recipients included Klohn Crippen Berger and AtkinsRéalis for their work on the Site C Clean Energy Project, who received the Prosperity Award. BBA Consultants were recognized with the Catalyst Award for their Mangrove Lithium Refining Facility, while Binnie received the Breton Environmental Stewardship Award for the Silver Skagit Road Flood Recovery project. Additionally, BBA Consultants were honored with the Engineering a Better Canada Award for their Saa/Se Energy Project. The gala also celebrated individual achievements with the 2026 Beaubien Award for lifetime achievement awarded to two professionals: Alex Brisson, president and CEO of Norda Stelo, and Darryl Matson, senior vice-president and senior project director with COWI. This award, named in honor of Dr. James de Gaspé Beaubien, the founder of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada in 1925, acknowledges individuals who have made significant contributions to the engineering field. Brisson took charge of Norda Stelo in 2013 during a tumultuous period for the consulting engineering industry in Quebec, marked by an extensive investigation into the construction sector that led to the exit of several executives and a decline in public trust. Focused on restoring integrity, he restructured the board of directors by adding independent members and implemented a code of conduct that all employees sign annually. His commitment to fostering a positive workplace culture is reflected in his initiatives to engage employees through internal committees and open forums. "Alex took over the leadership and left no stone unturned. He created a new value system. He rallied the teams," stated Bernard Bigras, president and CEO of the Association des firmes de génie-conseil – Québec. Matson, on the other hand, is recognized for his innovative work in bridge engineering, including high-profile projects like the Lions Gate Bridge in British Columbia and the seismic retrofitting of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. With over 35 years at COWI, Matson has contributed to leadership development within the firm and is known for fostering trust and collaboration among engineers and clients alike. The ACEC also awarded the Allen D. Williams Scholarship to environmental engineer Jessica LeNoble of Kerr Wood Leidal in British Columbia. LeNoble has played a key role in multimillion-dollar water management projects across Western Canada, contributing to initiatives that integrate western science and Indigenous knowledge for the Burrard Inlet Water Quality Objectives. Her leadership was notably recognized during her co-leadership of the International Water Association’s World Water Camp, where she celebrated the achievements of young professionals in the field. LeNoble plans to utilize the scholarship to enhance her leadership capabilities and foster innovative, inclusive approaches to solving complex challenges in her field.

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