Expertise crossing borders for the Toronto Basement Flooding Protection Program

The City of Toronto in Canada is undertaking the Basement Flooding Protection Program to decrease pressure on the sewer systems and overland drainage routes during heavy rain. As part of the programme we undertook two of several “bundles” of the Capacity Assessment Studies (CAS) Project, with the overall aim being to identify capacity issues and develop solutions to resolve them.

The bundles were further split into several key stages:

• TM1—Preliminary assessment and flood cluster identification
• TM2—Hydrologic and hydraulic modelling and assessment
• TM3—Preferred solutions development
• TM4—Assignment scope development and prioritisation

Expertise can cross borders
The beauty of Stantec is our global reach; we can collaborate across borders, even when they’re shut, and share resources to prevent workload bunching. Having previously worked with colleagues in Edmonton, Canada to successfully deliver the Stormwater Master Plan for Napier City Council in New Zealand (NZ), our Drainage Modelling team in NZ was able to return the favour and assist with hydrologic and hydraulic modelling and assessment (TM2) on the CAS Project.

Knowing the CAS Project was in need of resources, Water Resources Engineer Neal Cody in Edmonton put Senior Project Manager Dave Eadie in Toronto, the head modeller for the study, in touch with Drainage Modeller Team Leader Ali Paine in Wellington, NZ to discuss the project. Within a week, the NZ modellers were identified and started the onboarding process. Wellington modeller Janine Bidmead joined Ali plus two modellers from Auckland—Suyash Joshi and Qihang Pan—to make up the team of four. Additional support from Graduate Civil Engineer Nethila Pinto in Brisbane, Australia has also helped progress the CAS Project.

NZ modellers working on TM2
The NZ modellers assisted with TM2 activities for the identified study areas within bundle F. This involved various model build components and assessment of both the stormwater and wastewater within the drainage network system, with Suyash leading the stormwater component and Ali leading the wastewater component of the project.

Although opportunity for influencing the direction of the project at this stage was minimal (having been well progressed and coupled with an imminent deadline) Stantec NZ still had opportunity to provide feedback to help the project develop and add value. For example, issues were identified by the QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) process regarding application of the future population in the study areas. This led to the Canadian team adopting a methodology developed by Stantec NZ which addressed the issues. Geographic information system processes were also developed to help automate and progress the project.

Working across time and space
The time difference between NZ and Toronto (NZ 16 hours ahead) allowed some overlap in working hours between the two project teams. Both night owls, Dave Eadie in Toronto and Water Resources Engineer Ashley LeMasurier in Ontario worked some less-than-sociable hours to support the NZ team. But the comprehensive use of digital platforms such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and OneNote really pulled it off, enabling communication between teams, posting of questions, and documentation of QA/QC and key decisions; the platforms facilitated quick and easy communication between the teams and complete transparency in their decision-making processes.

The use of comprehensive digital platforms for future projects is a no-brainer, particularly with the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic has created. Our primary goal is meeting deadlines while ensuring the highest standards are maintained; sharing work and helping our global colleagues can achieve this.

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.

Media Contact                                               
Paul Bromiley                                                   
Communications & PR Manager Asia Pacific
Ph: +61 2 9493 9717                                        
paul.bromiley@stantec.com