All the best, The Editorial Team We will keep adding business units that enhance our offering and separate us from our competition. “ ” Editor From The Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue of Construction Source Canada, the magazine that highlights the best in building and building products from across the country. In this edition, we’ve looked at a broad spectrum of companies and organizations spanning the design, construction, and property development sectors. This time out, we’ve shown our spotlight on a mix of public and private entities located all across Canada, including organizations in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Our cover story, for example, is the City of Richmond Hill, located in the York Region in Ontario. They are a city committed to building a “vibrant, inclusive, and more sustainable future,” according to John Tiberio, a longstanding project manager. We spoke to about that commitment and how they are living up to it. We also highlighted their ongoing Bayview Hill Park Revitalization project, which the community is very excited about. Additionally, we spoke to Mohammad Kashani, a key player in the city’s Infrastructure and Engineering Services Department. He talked to us about how the city balances new projects with rehabilitative projects – how they’re able to “enhance existing infrastructure while also building for future generations.” In particular, he highlighted a recent project that achieves both aims, involving the rehabilitation of a 2.2-kilometer stretch of cast iron water main on Carrville Road. For that project, the city utilized an innovative delivery method that minimized disruption while simultaneously improving water quality and pressure. Mohammad walked us through how they pulled that off. Also featured in this issue is Trochu Housing Corporation (THC), a not-for-profit organization wholly owned by the Town of Trochu in Alberta, dedicated to the purpose of enhancing the lives of seniors in their community. In pursuit of that purpose, they are currently spearheading the development of a 74-unit seniors housing facility valued at approximately $45 million. Sam Smalldon, president of THC, talked to us at length about that project, and about their hopes for it to serve as a model for other communities in the region. In the private sector, meanwhile, we take a look at a variety of companies, among them Polar Engineering. They are a comprehensive engineering, design, project management, and commissioning engineering consulting firm based in Victoria, British Columbia, with additional offices in Vancouver, as well as Canmore, Alberta. They have been involved in some landmark projects in their time and have won some prestigious industry accolades for their efforts. In our conversation with, Ian Welle, the company’s founder and principal engineer, we highlighted some of those projects and the awards they won. For more on those stories – and more like them, about other innovators and industry leaders, in both the public and private sectors – just keep reading.
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THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA With a readership exceeding 145,000 senior executives, The Construction Source takes immense pride in providing an enticing platform to amplify your message to the most pivotal audience – your valued customers. Whether your aim is to promote an exciting new condo development, attract crucial financial investments for upcoming projects, or establish a commanding brand presence, we’re here to assist you every step of the way. To explore opportunities for featuring your company or showcasing your latest project in The Construction Source, please reach out to our Group Publisher. Jermaine Poulsen e: info@theconstructionsource.ca The Costruction Source Canada 202 - 1200 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5R 2A5 E: info@theconstructionsource.ca Executive Publisher Jermaine Poulsen COO Alexandra Box Editor in Chief Zach Janes Director of Operations Jacqueline Van Belois Derrick Pelley Business Development Managers Mary Ann Taylor Douglas Thomson Production Manager Brennan Midghall Digital Strategist Pranim Thapa Administration Manager Belyn Quijance-Dorero
MAY 2025 CITY OF RICHMOND HILL Building a sustainable future POLAR ENGINEERING Start-to-finish engineering CENTREVENTURE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Here to help FRANK HILBICH ARCHITECT INC Dedicated personalized service ACCESS ENGINEERING For engineers, by engineers MMP ARCHITECTS Finding those little gems WOLF HOMES Love to build SYLVAN CONSTRUCTION Built on trust TOTAL PLUMBING Growing and having fun TOWN OF TROCHU A place to stay TRANSAQUA Building a more resilient future ARCHITECTURAL DOSE An all-in-one experience INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS INCINERATING TOILETS IN THIS ISSUEMAY 2025 ACCESS ENGINEERING TRANSAQUA
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Building a sustainable future
Richmond Hill, located in the south-central area of York Region in Ontario, is a city committed to growth and transformation. For years, it has been evolving into a vibrant community that prioritizes sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation. The city is continuously enhancing its public spaces and infrastructure with a focus on environmental stewardship and community well-being. This balanced approach is evident in the recent projects the city has undertaken, all of which are aimed at improving the quality of life for residents and making Richmond Hill a better place to live and work. “At Richmond Hill, we’re building a vibrant, inclusive, and more sustainable future,” says John Tiberio, a longstanding project manager with the city. “We’re creating spaces where people will want to spend their time. We’re creating spaces that make people excited about their community.” For example, the city invests in park spaces, as those spaces foster social interaction, encourage physical activity, and generally enhance community well-being. “We’re creating a lot of spaces where people can be active and form social connections,” John explains. “We believe that’s important, especially these days. We want to draw people in and allow for them to form a community-based connection – and we want that for people of all abilities. We want to be an inclusive city; we want all Richmond Hill residents to be able to enjoy our spaces.” John has personally been working at the City of Richmond Hill for well over 20 years. He started when he was in high school, through a co-op program in the planning department. He later studied landscape architecture at Ryerson Polytechnic University (currently knows as MAY 2025
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Toronto Metropolitan University) and worked for a couple summers with the city as a student. After graduating and working towards earning his professional Landscape Architect designation at Schollen & Company Inc., he returned to a role with the city in 2003 and he hasn’t looked back. “I love working here,” he says. “The projects have been so interesting, with a lot of variety and a good emphasis on resilience and environmental sustainability through thoughtful and effective design. It’s important to preserve our environment while creating spaces for the public to enjoy, and that’s what we’ve been doing.” Mohammad Kashani is the city’s manager of the design and construction division within the Infrastructure and Engineering Services Department. He’s been in his current role since 2019, though his career as a professional engineer and project manager goes back over 25 years. He, too, appreciates the city’s focus on sustainable development, as well as its commitment to building “a liveable and resilient community.” “I really enjoy working in Richmond Hill because we do such a good job managing growth,” Mohammad says. “In my time here, we’ve done a great mix of new projects and rehabilitative projects. We’re able to enhance existing infrastructure while also building for future generations as well.” As an example of a recent project that achieves both aims, Mohammad points to their work rehabilitating a 2.2-kilometer stretch of cast iron water main on Carrville Road. That project stands out for its innovative use of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) – a trenchless method for repairing damaged pipes by inserting a resin-saturated liner that is then cured to form a new, seamless pipe MAY 2025
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MAY 2025 within the old one. By opting for this trenchless technology, Mohammad and his team, led by Kyle Paterson, project manager, were able to reduce traffic disruptions, lower environmental impacts, and improve water quality and pressure. The city completed that project late last year. Because of their decision to go with CIPP, Mohammad says they were able to finish ahead of schedule – the deadline was the end of the year, but they were wrapping up by the end of November. “So, it was a very successful story,” Mohammad says. “It was a win for all the stakeholders. We delivered high-quality results with lower disruption, and the community now enjoys improved water service.” Another project the community will benefit from, in a different way, is the Bayview Hill Park Revitalization project. Like the name implies, this project involves revitalizing an existing community park located in the heart of the Bayview Hill community. Originally, this eight-hectare park consisted of a soccer field, a softball diamond, two playgrounds, basketball court, and five tennis courts. According to John, several amenities have reached “the end of their life cycle and need replacing.” Rather than simply repairing the existing amenities, however, John says the city decided to “take a look at the park holistically.” Through extensive consultations with the community, they learned what residents wanted most from their public parks and they responded to those wants
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA and needs. They introduced pickleball courts, one additional tennis court, a walking trail, a naturalized planting area, a combined splash pad and ice-rink, playground, a washroom building, and a more versatile multi-use sport court to replace the basketball court. The city’s goal wasn’t simply to restore the existing amenities to their former functionality. Instead, they were upgraded to current safety and design standards while meeting the needs of the community. For example, an additional tennis court and four new pickleball courts were added to address the growing interest in the community. Construction on the Bayview Hill Park Revitalization project is being undertaken in phases. The south side – which includes four pickleball courts, six tennis courts, and the new walking trail and planting area – is already complete and open to the public. The north side – which includes the new playground area, as well as the splash-padand-ice-rink combination – is expected to be completed by the summer. “The public is very excited about this revitalization,” John says. “It’s something that people are really thrilled about. It’s going to give residents something fresh, exciting, and a splash of curb appeal. When it’s done, it’s going to inject a lot of excitement in the community.” From a personal perspective, John couldn’t be happier with the progress. The portion that’s been completed, he says, “looks fantastic.” “It’s gone really well, I’m really happy with it,” he says. “I can’t wait for people to get out there and start using it.”
MAY 2025 Meeting people’s evolving needs In order to deliver important infrastructure projects like the Carrville Road Water Main Replacement, and important recreational projects like Bayview Hill Park Revitalization, the City of Richmond Hill relies on a network of skilled consultants and contractors, based in Ontario. When selecting those partners, they consider more than just price – they also look at their track record, their values, and their industry reputation. Latitude67, for example is a prequalified landscape contractor experienced in a general contracting and excavation works. They have been working throughout the province for over 40 years providing construction services in a variety of sectors, including the public development sector. They are well known for the quality of their work, the experience of their people, and their uncompromising ability to meet the expectations of their clients.
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MAY 2025 FER-PAL Infrastructure is a successful contractor hired to assist with Richmond Hill’s infrastructure renewal efforts. Specializing in ALTRA CIPP technology, FER-PAL rehabilitates aging water infrastructure with minimal excavation— minimizing disruption to the community while adding over 80 years of service life to critical assets. Their focus on high-quality drinking water systems and strong commitment to environmental stewardship aligns seamlessly with Richmond Hill’s vision for sustainable, resilient infrastructure. NAK Design Strategies is another example of a dedicated consultant hired to administer projects such as Bayview Hill Park Revitalization. They are a top urban design and landscape architecture firm with offices across Canada in Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa. They also have a lot of experience in the public sector and have contributed to some significant public spaces and community master plans across Canada. Their approach to landscape architecture and urban design is focused on contributing to the health and viability of the communities they are working in. Looking ahead, both John and Mohammad are focused on continued collaboration with forwardthinking consultants and contractors, committed to creating “a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable future” for the city – one where parks, open spaces, and infrastructure “enhance community connection, recreation, and environmental wellbeing.” “As our city grows, we’re going to continue to invest in modern, resilient infrastructure that meets the evolving needs of residents,” Mohammad adds. Mohammad cites the Carrville Road water main replacement project as an example of that kind of infrastructure, as it “ensures safe, clean, and reliable water services, extending the lifespan of critical infrastructure through innovative asset management.” The Bayview Hill Park Revitalization, meanwhile, meets the needs of residents in a different way – according to John, it creates “an accessible and engaging public space that promotes recreation, social interaction, and environmental sustainability.” Both those projects exemplify the vision for the city moving forward. As Richmond Hill continues to evolve, its leadership remains grounded in a clear vision: to build a thriving community where infrastructure and public spaces support quality of life, sustainability, and belonging. Key Project Acknowledgments: Bayview Hill Park Revitalization: NAK Design Strategies; Landscape Planning Limited; Baldwin & Franklin Architects Inc.; MGM Consulting Inc; Blackwell Structural Engineers; Sustain Globe Ltd.; NCK Engineering Ltd.; Your Home Audio & Visual; MJS Consultants Inc.; Latitude 67 Ltd; Custom Ice Inc.; Bocam Construction Co., Ltd. Carrville Road Watermain Rehabilitation: FER-PAL Construction Ltd.; TY Lin
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more on Richmond Hill and what makes the city special, as well as the latest news and events, visit https://www.richmondhill.ca/
Start-to-finish engineering
Polar Engineering is a comprehensive engineering, design, project management, and commissioning engineering consulting firm based in Victoria, British Columbia. Their focus is designing refrigeration and energy recovery systems based on the specific needs of their diverse range of clients – including industrial food processing facilities, hockey arenas, curling clubs, large buildings such as hospitals, and multiresidential developments. On every project, they are dedicated to delivering a great product for a reasonable capital cost. “We use our passion for engineering and design to develop innovative and effective custom solutions for each of our clients,” says Ian Welle, founder and principal engineer. “At Polar, we understand that the best refrigeration systems are functional, safe, cost-effective, and energy efficient.” Ian is a veteran of the refrigeration engineering industry, having worked all over the world. While with his previous company, he recalls managing four jobs on four different continents at once. After getting tired of living in hotels and on jets, he moved back home to Victoria and formed Polar Engineering in 2019. In the years since then, Polar Engineering has grown at a rapid pace, adding staff and expanding geographically to include additional offices in Vancouver and Canmore, Alberta. These days, the company works all over British Columbia and Alberta, focusing on industrial refrigeration and large heat pumps for large organizations and municipalities. The values of those projects can range anywhere from $500,000 to $5 million. Oftentimes, Polar Engineering is involved with those kinds of projects from their very conception. MAY 2025
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In many cases, the company has even helped their clients to acquire provincial or federal grant funding available for companies seeking to reduce their energy consumption. In the last two years, Ian estimates they have helped clients in Western Canada earn more than $35 million in grant money. According to Ian, that kind of “start-to-finish engineering design and consulting” is a rarity in their industry. He believes Polar Engineering is “one of, if not the only industrial refrigeration engineering firms that works with clients all the way from beginning to end.” “We work with them to apply for grants at the beginning, then we complete the detailed design, and then we stay on board all the way through to the commissioning phase at the end to make sure everything works properly,” he explains. “We have a lot of expertise in all those different project stages. “The whole process – from helping clients acquire grant funding to making sure everything’s working properly after the fact – can take anywhere from one-to-four years,” adds Tyler Parkin, project engineer. “In that time, we tend to form really strong relationships with our clients.” Ian credits the strength of those client relationships to the company’s commitment to understanding clients and responding to their unique needs. He says their motto is “we listen first and we engineer second.” “It’s always our goal to make sure that we’re hearing what our clients’ needs are, and then we’re delivering based on those needs,” Ian says. “We’re not going in with a preconceived idea about MAY 2025
what they need and then saying ‘here’s a solution we’ve done 10 times before, so therefore you’re going to want that solution too.’ We produce lots of documentation in the beginning to make sure we really understand what they need for a win, and then after that we just work towards making it happen.” “That’s one of the big things that sets Polar apart from others,” Tyler says. “There are other organizations who do industrial refrigeration work that do have a preconceived notion of what the client will need and they’ll just give them an off the shelf solution to partially reach some of their goals. That’s not us. Our focus is more on site-specific industrial refrigeration and energy recovery systems. That allows us to accomplish more of our clients’ goals than many other organizations would.” That site-specific approach has proven very successful for Polar Engineering in terms of client loyalty. Ian estimates that of their current clients, 80 per cent are repeat ones. That approach has also led to industry recognition in the form of awards and accolades. In 2022, for example, the magazine ‘Canadian Consulting Engineer’ named Ian one of their ‘Top 10 Under 40,’ for which he was nominated by his peers in the industry. Then in 2023, Polar Engineering won the Danfoss EnVisioneer of the Year Award in the ‘Engineering Consultant’ category. The annual EnVisioneer of the Year award competition is hosted by Danfoss, a global company that designs, manufactures, and sells engineering solutions focused on increasing machine productivity, reducing emissions, THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
MAY 2025 lowering energy consumption, and enabling electrification. Every year, they recognize North American original equipment manufacturers, building owners, municipalities, contractors and end users that have introduced a new product, opened a new facility, or invested in a building or system upgrade in the past 18 months that uses Danfoss products or solutions to realize significant energy and environmental savings. Entries are judged by an independent panel of distinguished experts representing various disciplines. Polar Engineering won their 2023 EnVisioneer award for their work on the low-GWP, hightemperature heat pump at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Center. That pump was built by Fraser Valley Refrigeration using Danfoss solenoid, isolation, and electronic expansion valves, including the Colibri EEV – an electronic stepper motor valve designed for precise liquid injection into evaporators for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. This heat pump has helped reduce natural gas usage at the recreation centre by 90 percent. As part of an energy recovery system, the heat pump recaptures waste heat from the ammonia refrigeration system on site and uses it to offset the boiler loop load of the facility, resulting in an annual savings of 284 tons of carbon emissions and $22,000 in fuel costs. Ian says they highly value the award they earned for that job, as “Danfoss is one of the most respected and largest companies in our industry.” He credits the victory to their emphasis on innovation and their commitment to always pushing forward and trying new things. Learn More Boost efficiency with our Plate Heat Exchangers, designed for: • High-capacity production & cost efficiency • Superior thermal performance • High fatigue resistance • Seamless adaptation to new refrigerants with flexible design Your Trusted Partner for Heat Pump Manufacturing Let’s build the future of heat pumps together!
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA “We love to be the first in North America to build with new types of products,” he says. “We do that all the time. We’re always pushing the industry forward and trying to do a better job. We’re just constantly evolving and constantly, continuously improving. And that has really allowed us to stand apart as well.” Over the years, Polar Engineering has also been recognized repeatedly by industry bodies including the Alberta Association of Recreational Facility Personnel (AARFP) and the Recreational Facilities Association of British Columba (RFABC). Those two organizations represent approximately 80 per cent of Polar Engineering’s clients, and their awards are the ones “we really, really care about.” “We’ve gotten lots of awards from those associations over the years, and that really means a lot to us,” he says. “Those awards come from our clients and they prove we’re doing the right things.”
MAY 2025 A nice number In addition to building strong relationships with clients, Polar Engineering has also built strong relationships with their other key industry stakeholders, including their employees, their contracting partners, and their roster of suppliers and vendors. According to Ian, those relationships are built on collaboration and many of them go back to the company’s beginning. For example, Polar Engineering enjoys a longstanding relationship with Doucette Industries, which has been leading supplier of heat exchangers, vibration absorbers and OEM parts to the HVAC/R industry since 1975. Doucette offers a complete product line, allowing them to make unbiased recommendations of the best solution for each application, as well as responsive technical support and training in order to assist customers with inquiries and challenges. Polar Engineering highly values their commitment to providing both exceptional products and exceptional service – that kind of dual
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MAY 2025 commitment is what they look for in all their partners. Moving forward, in collaboration with partners like that, Polar Engineering aims hopes to continue growing, both in terms of company size and project size. In terms of projects, they have been involved in some really significant ones in recent years, and they want to maintain that momentum. One recent example is the Oak Bay Recreation Centre in Victoria, where they implemented a custom designed pool dehumidifier that utilizes a sitespecific heat pump to simultaneously dehumidify the pool area, while also supplying hightemperature water to the facility’s centralized boiler loop—reducing boiler runtime and offsetting heating loads throughout the building. Another standout project is the Kin Centre arena in Prince George, where they integrated a custom-engineered heat pump with the facility’s existing ammonia refrigeration system. This heat pump captures waste heat from the refrigeration plant—heat that would normally be rejected to the atmosphere—and elevates it to a high temperature to efficiently meet the facility’s heating needs. These smart retrofit projects have significantly reduced natural gas consumption for both space and water heating—delivering major cost savings and a substantial cut in facility greenhouse gas emissions. As for the size of the company, Ian says the goal is to double in size over the next two to three years. That will involve adding staff and expanding their Vancouver and Canmore offices in order to meet the large demand in those two areas. “I think a nice number for us would be double the size we’re at now,” Ian says. “That’s what we’re pushing for. Once we get there, we’ll probably sit at that number for a while, because we don’t want to grow too big too fast. We don’t want to dilute what makes us special. We always want to be able to build really close relationships with our clients and offer solutions that meet their unique needs.”
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more on Polar Engineering, their services, their past projects, and their vision and values – and to get in touch with Ian, Tyler, and the rest of their expert team – visit https://polareng.ca
Here to help
CentreVenture Development Corporation is an arms-length agency of the City of Winnipeg, with a mandate to provide leadership in the planning, development, coordination, and implementation of projects and activities in the city’s vibrant downtown.With a focus on creating mixed-market residential spaces, preserving heritage buildings, and fostering public-private partnerships, their goal is to redefine the urban landscape while addressing key social issues such as housing insecurity and homelessness. These days, under the leadership of recentlyappointed CEO Rochelle Squires, CentreVenture is actively working on several significant and transformative projects that contribute to those goals. A highlight is their Market Lands initiative in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. There, on the site of the city’s former Public Safety building, CentreVenture is collaborating with the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation 2.0 to create a cutting-edge mixed-income, mixed-use project designed for net zero energy consumption. The Market Lands project will include a ninestorey mixed-use building with 96 new apartment units ranging from studio to two-bedroom units, with affordable and market rents. The mixedincome model will assist in breaking down socioeconomic and cultural barriers and foster a diverse and inclusive residential community. The project will also include a ‘Creative Hub,’ a 20,000-square-foot area dedicated to arts and culture organizations. Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA) will be one tenant – they are a Winnipeg-based artist-run centre that encourages the intellectual and creative development of women and non-binary people in MAY 2025 John Hirsch Way in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District. The public realm was redeveloped through the Exchange Waterfront Neighbourhood Development Program to prioritize pedestrians, protect and enhance the urban tree canopy, and integrate public art.
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the visual arts by providing education and critical dialogue. Urban Shaman will be another – they are an Aboriginal artist-run centre rooted in the cultivation of Indigenous art. Furthermore, like the project name, the Market Lands will also feature a market concept, and be home to several local food producers. Those food producers will use the space to prepare, package, and distribute their food, and visitors will be able to come and experience a “range of culinary delights.” “This is a project with a really unique history,” Rochelle says. “The city was gifted the land several years ago, and the gift came with a condition that there would always be some type of public service or amenity on the lot. After the former Public Safety Building was demolished, there was an exciting opportunity for a new initiative. After all, how often do you get an entire parcel of land in the downtown that is ready to go for development?” “Many ideas were proposed,” she continues. “There was significant, significant interest. There was a design competition and the result is what we now call the Market Lands. There are many partners involved in it, but CentreVenture is really pleased to be able to play a key role.” Prior to becoming president and CEO of CentreVenture, Rochelle worked for many years with the Province of Manitoba in several different roles. In her final role, she was Minister of Families, and her responsibilities included working with MAY 2025
people who were facing housing insecurity. She was serving that role when the pandemic hit, which not only exacerbated the housing crisis, but also resulted in the “evacuation” of almost all of Winnipeg’s downtown. “People who came downtown every day for work were no longer coming,” Rochelle recalls. “They were working from home. Downtown revitalization initiatives were put on pause. And because of a variety of circumstances, there was an emergent need for social housing and the burgeoning unhoused population grew and expanded.” As a Minister responsible for social housing, Rochelle focused a lot at that time on supporting transitional shelters, opening up new shelters, and also building new housing units. In that role, however, she saw firsthand how challenging it is for governments to be “nimble and agile” in creating housing to meet a specific emerging demand. CentreVenture, on the other hand, is an organization that does have the nimbleness and agility to move quickly and deliver much-needed housing and development projects at a faster rate, particularly in Winnipeg’s downtown. A year after leaving government, Rochelle was excited to come aboard and help lead that charge. She started in January 2025 and in her limited time there she has already seen a lot of progress. The Market Lands project, for example, is already under construction and “proceeding quite significantly at a rapid pace.” The first phase is projected to be substantially completed by the end of the year, with occupancy to come in the following months. Construction progress on the mixed-use building and arts cube at Market Lands, 148/150 King Street. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
284 William Avenue Before. MAY 2025 An exciting future The Market Lands is a significant project, but it’s far from the only initiative CentreVenture is pursuing. The organization is also actively contributing to the revitalization of several other districts in Winnipeg’s downtown, and they have several other exciting infrastructure projects in various stages of the planning and development cycle. As another example, Rochelle highlights a small heritage building on William Avenue that was falling into disrepair and nearly at the state of demolition before they intervened. They purchased the property and committed heritage funds in order to refurbish and restore the property and put it back on the market. “That building now has many of the historic features it always had, but it’s been refurbished and strengthened, so the building is safe,” Rochelle explains.
“The before and after is dramatic,” she adds. “Before, this little historic building had been neglected to the point of almost needing to be demolished. It was a vacant derelict building that people would just pass by quickly. Today it’s a welcoming and exciting building and is going to bring a vibrant new tenancy to the street. People will be coming to the building; they’ll be occupying the space; they’ll be working there. It will be an exciting addition to the street.” Moving forward, Rochelle sees that project as an example she hopes other developers can replicate. She explains that the goal of the city – and the mandate they have given CentreVenture – is to revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown and bring more residents to the area. The key to doing that, she believes, is taking the historic buildings and underutilized properties already there and bringing new life to them. That William Avenue project is an example of refurbishing a building for commercial use, but she also wants to see a lot of buildings converted into “exciting, vibrant, residential housing units.” “I’m really a huge proponent of mixed-market units,” she adds. “I like projects that can cater to people from a variety of income levels. I want to see urban professionals, new families, people who are going to school, people who have experienced housing insecurity – I want to give them all a place to call home, and that can be done with mixedmarket units. Those are the projects I’m really excited about.” Fortunately, Rochelle says, there are a lot of local 284 William Avenue After. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
MAY 2025 developers who share her vision. She says the city is “really fortunate to have developers who are fearless – who can look an historic building in downtown, and envision a new life for that building and a new neighbourhood for the community.” She says Winnipeg is also fortunate to have a number of local contractors with the skill and experience to help realize those new buildings and communities. When selecting those contractors for their in-house development projects, she says they look for “people who embody the Winnipeg spirit, people who are compassionate, people who are willing to solve problems and look for solutions, and people who are committed to downtown” – and she says there are no shortage of those kinds of partners. Some examples of those partners include Bocksteel Construction, Jilmark Construction, and Concord Projects – all industry leading companies with client-first approaches and sterling reputations in the Manitoba. Concord Projects, for instance, locally-based and highly-respected contractor with expertise in all areas of general contracting, construction management, project coordination and engineering. They are a company that’s been in business over 45 years, and their portfolio includes over 1,000 successful projects, so their reliability cannot be questioned. CentreVenture highly values that kind of reliability. Looking ahead, CentreVenture is also focused on working with faith-based organizations to revitalize historic church properties. Many of those inner-city buildings are over a century old, and “a lot of them need a little bit of love.” Rochelle hopes that CentreVenture can play a key role in helping to “breathe new life into these buildings.” Most importantly, however, Rochelle says the goal of CentreVenture is to build and attract new residential housing in Winnipeg’s revitalized downtown. Currently, Rochelle says there are about 18,000 people living there. They want that number to exceed 20,000 in the new few years and then keep growing from there. Eventually, they’d like to exceed 25,000 residents in the downtown area. “We’d like to ensure that we have adequate housing for everybody in our city and beautiful neighbourhoods for people to live in,” Rochelle concludes. “We have some projects on the horizon that will really contribute to those objectives, and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more on CentreVenture – including more on their mandate, their services, their current projects, and their latest news – visit https://centreventure.com/ Elgin Avenue pedestrianized and with historic spur lines, after investment by the Exchange Waterfront Neighbourhood Development Program.
Dedicated personalized service
Frank Hilbich Architect Inc. is a full-service architectural design and planning firm based in Edmonton, Alberta, specializing in commercial, community, and multi-residential projects. For more than 15 years, they have been providing clients with services spanning the entire process of bringing a building project to fruition. From initial needs assessment, functional programming, and site selection through to concept design, municipal approvals, and detailed design and construction documents, all the way through the construction process – they are there for clients every step of the way, no matter the size, scope, or complexity of their project. “We work with owners and developers to make their project vision a reality,” says Frank Hilbich, the firm’s eponymous principal. “Our clients appreciate our ability and willingness to listen to their needs, resulting in designs that respond appropriately, and services that follow through from start to finish. We are committed to dedicated personalized service on each project, regardless of size.” With 30 years in the industry, Frank brings a background of extensive experience on a wide range of project types and sizes. He officially incorporated Frank Hilbich Architect Inc. in 2006, initially as a holding company for his shares in a different partnership. In 2010, when that partnership ended, he decided to go out on his own and turn it into a practicing operation. Initially, Frank’s intention was to focus on commercial work, but he ended up doing a lot of church projects in the beginning, simply because one kept leading to another. “I had actually worked on churches very early in MAY 2025
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my career as an intern and really enjoyed them,” he says. “I didn’t necessarily think at the time that churches would become be an area of specialty for me, but that’s sort of what happened. At the firm I was working at just prior to launching my practice, we were retained for a large church project that I ended up running from start to finish.” That project led to several other referrals and new contacts, including two church projects that Frank was able to use to launch his own practice. “It can be daunting to start a new firm and then have to figure out where your clients are going to come from, but I’m really thankful for the way that I was able to launch with a couple of fairly significant projects already lined up. From there, I was able to develop relationships with other groups and clients, and church projects continued to arrive.” To this day, Frank Hilbich Architect still does a lot of church projects – Frank says the percentage varies, but on average he estimates at least half of the firm’s work is church-related. In the Edmonton area, he says “we’re kind of known for that.” Additionally, the firm often works on other types of spaces that fall under the category of “assembly occupancy” – things like schools, community centres, and restaurants. “We like working through the kinds of design issues that come up with those types of projects,” he says, “and there’s often an opportunity for a bit of architectural expression with form and space that make them interesting.” Frank and several others at the firm are also persons of Christian faith. Frank believes that’s helpful because it gives them “another level of connection” to those projects. MAY 2025
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“We resonate with the mission of those organizations,” he says. “I think that’s a big part of why we like doing them.” At the same time, Frank believes that experience is why the firm has continued to attract those kinds of projects – clients like working with them because of an in-depth understanding of their spaces and how they are supposed to function. “We just kind of get it,” he says. “We bring a basis of understanding to those projects right from the start, and I think that’s really appreciated by the clients we work with.” “That’s not to say we do the same thing every time,” he clarifies. “Every church is unique and part of our philosophy is treating every one as a unique entity. We try to be open to understanding their individuality and not come in with preconceived ideas. We approach each project on its own terms.” The rest of the firm’s work is comprised of quite a broad base of general commercial work, including commercial retail units, tenant improvements, and a lot of work for public school boards. In the school sector, the firm started off doing small projects, but over the years those projects have gotten larger and more consistent. No matter the type of project, Frank says they try to listen and be attentive to the particular needs of each client. He believes that’s also a big part of why clients choose Frank Hilbich Architect – he makes himself personally available to them. “I have some really great team members who can run and handle projects, but clients know they can always get a hold of me personally if they need to. They have a direct connection with the principal that I think they appreciate.” MAY 2025
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MAY 2025 Exploring opportunities Looking ahead, Frank Hilbich Architect Inc. is conflicted about growing, as they want to make sure they are able to maintain their personal touch and professional culture. Currently, the firm employs a team of 11 people, including another credentialed architect – Rui Nakao, who joined Frank in 2020 with the plan of bringing him into partnership. Rui’s significant experience in multi-family housing and seniors’ complexes, commercial and retail projects has allowed the firm to move to a whole other level. “Currently, we’re wrestling with the question of ‘Do we want to grow?’” Frank says. “The potential is definitely there. There seems to be a lot of opportunity coming our way because of our reputation and our network of contacts, but we’re not sure yet about the next steps. Do we continue to take on whatever comes our way, or do we become more selective and stay at the size we are at?
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MAY 2025 “Our current space is full,” he explains. “So if we do want to grow, we’d have to move. And we do like the size we’re at. We have a very good office morale and culture. People really enjoy working here. I’d hate to tamper with that. So it’s an open question as to where we want to go from here.” As for the type of projects they want to be doing, Frank says they want to keep working with churches as well as other community-focused organizations. For example, they have worked with some summer camps – they’d love to do more of those types of jobs. They have also started working with The Mustard Seed, a Christian non-profit organization that cares for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. “We’re working on some housing projects with them, and that’s a sector we want to keep exploring,” Frank says. “We’d love to do more work in terms of housing, particularly supportive and affordable housing. That’s an evolving client area.” Whether the firm grows or not, they would also like to do more work outside Edmonton. Frank personally moved to Calgary recently so Frank Hilbich Architect Inc. has naturally started doing some more work there – mostly on behalf of clients they already formed relationships with in Edmonton. “Our clients are now asking us to do projects for them in Calgary, and since I’m here I’ve been happy to help,” Frank concludes. “They have also come to us with some opportunities in BC – so I did get licensed in BC and now we’re exploring some projects there as well, particularly church projects. Because of our experience, we think we have a lot to offer.”
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more on Frank Hilbich Architect Inc., their expert team, their range of services, and their past and present projects – and to get in touch with Frank and his team – visit https://www.fhai.ca/
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Access Engineering is a longstanding structural engineering consultancy, known for delivering exceptional services on projects throughout British and Columbia and Alberta. Since forming in 1983 as a mom-and-pop shop, they have grown and evolved significantly over the years – particularly in the years since 2017, when Bruce Johnston purchased the company and began a campaign of modernization. “When I got here, the company had a great reputation, it was known for providing a great service, but it was small and a bit behind the times in terms of technology,” Bruce recalls. Bruce is a seasoned professional engineer and Red Seal carpenter with over 15 years of industry experience, including several years with PCL Builders. After acquiring Access Engineering, he spearheaded the development of a proprietary enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to streamline project management, invoicing, and compliance. That software was ultimately called ‘Stackd’ and the impact has been undeniable. Using Stackd, Access Engineering has improved their efficiency, reduced their administrative burdens, and enhanced their financial tracking – and the result has been “pretty significant growth,” Bruce says, both in terms of project size and employee count. After proving the value of the software, Access Engineering sold Stackd’s intellectual property to DesignTIME Solutions Inc. to enable further development and commercialization. DesignTIME was incorporated in June 2024 and Bruce is the CEO, though he’s also still a principal of Access Engineering – he splits his time between the two positions, and two other partners have taken MAY 2025
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over managing partner roles in Prince George and Edmonton. Stackd is now available as an integrated subscription-based software solution for other engineering firms, but it was originally created solely with the goal of facilitating the growth of Access Engineering. The idea for it came from one of the first employees Bruce hired after taking over. “He said if you really want to grow this company, if you’re really an entrepreneur, you need an ERP,” Bruce recalls. “And I said ‘That sounds great, but how do you go about that?’ He said ‘Well, first you need to hire a software developer.’” That employee had a connection with a developer who attended a technical college in Prince George but was living in Brazil. Bruce reached out to him to ask some questions and learned he was interested in moving back to Canada. Access Engineering sponsored his work visa and he came over and started developing the system architecture. Previously, Bruce says Access Engineering had a pretty “archaic” way of documenting things. “We had a blue blinder on the front counter where we would take a piece of paper out of a photocopied pile of papers and write our new project information so that the bookkeeper could put the project in the accounting software and track the invoices,” he explains. “It was really stumble-y and old school. So the first thing we needed to do was put together a project list and incorporate a client and contact list.” Their software developer was able to put together a piece of software with that functionality. From there, they kept refining the software, building new modules and adding new functionality. Eventually, they had a proprietary system that they owned and worked really well for them. They believed the system could also work well for other companies, so they branded the system Stackd and formed DesignTIME Solutions in order to commercialize it. MAY 2025
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MAY 2025 Saving time For engineering companies, Bruce believes the biggest appeal of Stackd is the time it saves – and in the field of consulting engineering, time is money. The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies—Canada sets standard recommended rates that vary depending on the classification of the service, but they start at $150 an hour and can get as high as $400 an hour. “So if you’re an engineering company, the time of the experienced key personnel in your organization is very valuable,” he says. “But often those people are plagued with the administrative burden of creating fee proposals and reviewing formal documentation before it goes out.” In creating and refining Stackd, they focused on creating tools that would help ease those burdens, which make it simpler and easier to issue repetitive types of documentation, such as change management
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