Typically, the layperson will walk past a storm drain or a set of power lines and pay them no mind.
That is, until something goes wrong: widespread power failures, or more recently, in B.C. specifically, atmospheric rivers that devastate entire communities.
These scenarios are where the engineers with CIMA+ excel, through a team of experts equipped with the institutional knowledge of yesteryear combined with the technical foresight to plan for tomorrow.
A plethora of projects with an innovative skill set
Having opened its first office in Metro Vancouver in 2021, CIMA+ has over 30 years of experience in Canada across a comprehensive range of consulting engineering services in the fields of energy and resources, transportation, municipal infrastructure, buildings and communication systems.
“We take pride in our agility and ability to be entrepreneurial and apply business acumen in combination with our engineering skillset,” explains Jeffrey Halliday, CIMA+’s senior director and regional manager for B.C. infrastructure. “We find new ways of doing things to find solutions that are grounded in local knowledge and local understanding of the needs of the community.”
CIMA+ boasts a national team of 3,000+ forward-thinking people with a broad technical knowledge base that’s laser-focused on the future of socially and environmentally responsible engineering solutions.
In the B.C. context, those tenets are embodied in a handful of projects rooted in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing finite resources and adapting to global challenges: the Mill Creek Flood Protection Project in Kelowna; overhead power lines in Naramata or the North Surrey Sport and Ice Complex Project.
“We try to demonstrate the total life cycle value of a project because you need to convey what this project is going to do for you and your community when it’s done,” Halliday explains. “The technical process that goes into it won’t necessarily speak to the everyday person, but what does is explaining that the stream or beach near your home will have clean water that is safe for your family to enjoy.”
Forging the way for future engineers
Innovation lies at the heart of everything CIMA+ does. Through empowering its people with resources and time to explore new ideas, it aspires not to follow trends but to be the trailblazers that set them.
Its unique approach to continued development and evolution sets it apart and keeps the organization at the forefront of its industry. CIMA+ dedicates that same level of attentiveness to training the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) stars of the future.
Halliday and his team are committed to engaging with universities, technical colleges and even high school and elementary students to support tomorrow’s problem solvers.
It’s a multi-faceted approach that includes CIMA+ employees who are members of various national and provincial committees, along with professional associations, engaging young students to provide guidance. As well, a workforce mentorship pilot program pairs senior team members with newer employees to help them transition into the workforce.
“We actively engage with the best and the brightest as they come out of school because they are growing up seeing these issues,” Halliday explains.
“They are learning about the technical aspects around these issues. So, they can work with us to help shape how the rest of us are thinking through different perspectives and with an enthusiasm that really helps us stay agile.”
To learn more about CIMA+ and its ongoing projects and programs, visit cima.ca.
