Conuma Tailings Storage: Wildlife Baseline Assessment

Expertise Environmental
Market Earth & Environment, Energy & Resources
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Conuma Resources Ltd.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Conuma Resources Ltd. retained PRI in 2021 to develop an environmental baseline for the Willow Creek Extension (WCE) property, located south of Chetwynd, BC, between Conuma’s existing Willow Creek and Brule Mine properties. Conuma has identified WCE as a potential successor to the Willow Creek Mine.

The baseline assessment covered a maximum disturbance area (MDA) of 971 hectares — representing the geographic extent where direct project effects would occur — surrounded by a 2,492-hectare local assessment area (LAA), within which indirect effects could potentially extend into the broader landscape.

CHALLENGE:

To support a future Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) Application, Conuma needed a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary environmental baseline that met the data requirements set out by the BC Environmental Assessment Office, specifically:

The Joint Application Information Requirements for Mines Act and Environmental Management Act Permits (BC MEMPR / MoECCS, 2019)
The Application Information Requirements Guidelines (Province of BC, 2020)

This required coordinating four distinct technical field assessments across a large and ecologically varied landscape, integrating specialized subcontractor expertise while maintaining consistent quality, methodology, and reporting standards suitable for regulatory submission.

APPROACH:

PRI served as both Project Manager and Terrestrial Lead, coordinating a team of specialist subcontracting consultants to deliver four core components of the baseline assessment:

Bioterrain Mapping — supporting Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping, Terrain Stability Mapping, and Geohazard Mapping (subcontracted to Sitkum Consulting Ltd.)
Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) — including detailed mapping at Ecosystem Survey Intensity Level (ESIL) 4 within the MDA
Rare Plant Assessment (subcontracted to EcoLogic Consultants Ltd.)
Soil and Plant Tissue Sampling for Metals Analysis — with laboratory analysis conducted by ALS Labs, Burnaby, BC (subcontracted to Entia Environmental Consultants)

The mapping work identified Ecosystems at Risk and other valued components, including old forest, wetlands, and riparian ecosystems, ensuring the baseline addressed the full scope of ecological values relevant to a future EAC Application.

OUTCOME:

PRI successfully delivered the Baseline Report to Conuma in March 2022, providing a robust, regulator-ready environmental baseline for the Willow Creek Extension property. The report fulfilled the data requirements outlined in both governing AIR documents, positioning Conuma to advance the WCE property toward a future Environmental Assessment Certificate Application.

LT2 CarbonFree Technology Projects

Expertise Geotechnical
Market Renewable Energy
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Various LT2 Clients

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
PRI has been on-site for the past month and a half supporting the CarbonFree Technology LT2 Projects, completing geotechnical investigations and foundation testing activities for utility-scale solar developments. Drawing on extensive experience across renewable energy projects in Canada and the United States, PRI applied proven investigation methodologies to deliver the subsurface information needed to reduce foundation-related risk and optimize design.

CHALLENGE:
Utility-scale solar projects carry significant foundation installation risk due to the sheer number of foundations required across variable subsurface conditions — including differing soil types, groundwater, and shallow bedrock. Beyond the solar arrays themselves, major electrical infrastructure such as substations carries substantially greater foundation loads, requiring a deeper and more detailed understanding of ground conditions to avoid costly design changes and delays during detailed engineering.

APPROACH:
PRI implemented a multi-phase investigation and testing program tailored to the site:

Solar array and substation investigations: Standard array foundation investigations were paired with deeper, targeted boreholes at proposed substation and major equipment locations to characterize subsurface conditions under higher foundation loads.
Helical pile probing and testing: A series of helical probes were distributed across the site to develop depth-versus-torque profiles, flag areas of installation difficulty, and inform constructability. Representative helical test piles were then installed and subjected to axial and lateral load testing to validate design assumptions — with axial capacity typically governing in this northern climate due to frost uplift.
Driven pile evaluation: Using the helical probing and geotechnical data, driven pile test locations were selected to compare the performance of W-section and HSS round foundations. Installation data (including drive time by depth) were correlated with subsurface findings, and all test piles underwent axial and lateral load testing to confirm capacity and constructability.

OUTCOME:
The combined probing, installation monitoring, and load testing programs allowed PRI to validate foundation performance, confirm constructability across the site, and optimize the final foundation configuration ahead of full-scale production. This proactive, data-driven approach reduced construction risk, improved cost certainty, and gave the project team confidence that the selected foundation systems would meet both structural and constructability requirements — de-risking the project from a geotechnical perspective before installation began at scale.

Kelowna International Airport Culvert Upgrade

Expertise Geotechnical
Market Transportation & Infrastructure
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Kelowna International Airport (YLW)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Kelowna International Airport Culvert Upgrade replaced two aging culverts on Mill Creek with a modern, open-bottom box culvert designed to better support natural creek function at the airport site.

CHALLENGE:
The existing culverts were aging and restricted natural creek flow, limiting fish passage and creating flood risk during peak water conditions. Any upgrade needed to address both ecological function and flood resilience without disrupting critical airport operations.

APPROACH:
The team designed and installed an open-bottom box culvert to replace the two existing structures, creating a crossing that better mimics the creek’s natural bed and supports aquatic habitat connectivity, while also improving hydraulic capacity to handle peak flows.

OUTCOME:
The new culvert reconnects approximately 2 km of upstream habitat, improving fish passage and creating healthier conditions for aquatic species. It also enhances flood resilience by reducing bottlenecks during peak flow events, helping protect airport infrastructure, support emergency access, and strengthen long-term operational reliability, demonstrating how targeted infrastructure investments can advance sustainability alongside safety and resilience goals.

925 Laurier Avenue

Expertise Structural Egineering
Market Property & Buildings
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: A Private Developer

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
925 Laurier Ave — a high-density residential development featuring a concrete podium supporting wood-frame residential units above, designed to maximize footprint and density on a tight urban lot.

CHALLENGE:
The site left little room for error: every square foot had to be maximized to make the project viable, while keeping construction cost-effective. Success depended on solving the “parts no one sees” — the foundations and structural systems — since gaps between consultants on these elements often lead to costly delays and change orders.

APPROACH:
We integrated structural and geotechnical expertise under one roof, treating the building and the ground it sits on as a single problem rather than separate scopes. This eliminated the “seams” between consultants and allowed us to engineer a robust concrete podium to carry the wood-frame units above. We stayed engaged through every phase of construction, from the first foundation pours in winter through final wood-frame assembly, coordinating design from initial concept through completion.

OUTCOME:
The build stayed on schedule, with every detail matching the original coordinated design. The developer received a defensible, buildable project that protects their investment, and future residents gained a reliable, well-engineered home.

Lakeshore Boulevard West Multi-Family Highrise

Expertise Geotechnical
Market Property & Buildings
Location Eastern Canada

CLIENT: Apria Inc.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI completed a combined geotechnical and hydrogeological investigation to support the design of a proposed six-storey mixed-use development — 60 residential units over ground-floor retail with two underground parking levels — on a roughly 1,410 m² urban infill site south of Lakeshore Boulevard West. The program characterized the overburden and shale/limestone bedrock, established the groundwater regime and dewatering requirements, and delivered foundation, excavation, shoring and groundwater-control recommendations for redevelopment of the former auto-service property.

CHALLENGE:

The constrained urban infill site abutted existing buildings yet required a two-level basement excavated into shale/limestone bedrock beneath a shallow groundwater table. Interbedded limestone, highly variable rock quality (RQD 0–79%), and groundwater chemistry exceeding City of Toronto sewer-discharge limits added significant excavation, shoring and dewatering complexity.

APPROACH:

PRI delivered an integrated geotechnical, hydrogeological and — with D.M. Wills — environmental program, combining SPT drilling, rock coring and Point Load testing with three months of groundwater monitoring and slug testing. The data were used to model dewatering volumes, define foundation and shoring parameters, and benchmark groundwater quality against municipal discharge criteria.

OUTCOME:

The work confirmed competent bedrock suitable for shallow/raft foundations at 750 kPa (ULS), defined secant-pile shoring and rock-anchor parameters for excavating next to neighbouring buildings, and quantified short- and long-term dewatering rates and permitting requirements (PTTW/EASR). Results were issued in signed Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Investigation reports supporting the City of Toronto SPA/rezoning submission.

Bobcaygeon Beach Park Redevelopment

Expertise Geotechnical, Environmental
Market Property & Buildings
Location Eastern Canada

CLIENT: City of Kawartha Lakes

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI Engineering was retained by the City of Kawartha Lakes to peer review the geotechnical, environmental and civil design work for the redevelopment of Bobcaygeon Beach Park — a roughly 7.25-acre waterfront municipal park on a former rail maintenance yard adjacent to Big Bob Channel. PRI delivered earthworks and paving recommendations, a supplementary topsoil sampling and TCLP waste-classification program, risk-based management of contaminated soils, dewatering and construction groundwater guidance, and support for the Parks Canada permit and Indigenous consultation.

CHALLENGE:

The public waterfront park sat on a contaminated former rail maintenance yard directly adjacent to the Bobcaygeon River, requiring cost-effective on-site management of impacted soils without risk to human health or aquatic and terrestrial receptors. PRI also had to reconcile multiple prior consultants’ reports and navigate shoreline works that triggered Parks Canada permitting, Indigenous consultation and archaeological review.

APPROACH:

PRI peer-reviewed the existing geotechnical, environmental and civil design packages and supplemented them with an 18-test-pit topsoil sampling and TCLP waste-classification program. A risk-based soil-management strategy (hard and soft caps) was adopted from the Screening-Level Risk Assessment, fill reuse was benchmarked against OPSS 1010 Select Subgrade Material, and dewatering, construction groundwater monitoring and excess-soil screening were addressed alongside Parks Canada permit support.

OUTCOME:

PRI confirmed the contaminants of concern could be safely managed on-site beneath hard and soft caps, and classified the excess topsoil as solid non-hazardous waste suitable for the City landfill — avoiding costly hazardous disposal. Final earthworks, paving, dewatering and excess-soil recommendations were issued, and the City was supported through groundwater sampling, a cost-savings review, and the Parks Canada RSCP permit and Indigenous consultation process.

Georgetown Solar Project

Expertise Geotechnical
Market Renewable Energy
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Zero E Global Assets

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI Engineering provided comprehensive geotechnical investigation and foundation design services for a 230 MW solar farm in Mossleigh, Alberta — one of the largest-scale renewable energy projects in the province. The scope covered full subsurface characterization, detailed geotechnical assessment, and foundation design recommendations for both driven and helical pile foundations to support the project through design and construction.

CHALLENGE:

A project of this scale demanded a thorough and reliable understanding of subsurface conditions across a large site to underpin confident foundation design decisions. With both driven and helical pile systems under consideration, geotechnical findings needed to support a cost-effective foundation selection while addressing a broad range of site preparation and construction considerations — from groundwater control and frost protection to seismic classification and access road design.

APPROACH:

PRI advanced 30 boreholes and excavated one test pit to characterize subsurface conditions across the site. The geotechnical assessment delivered detailed recommendations spanning site preparation, excavation, groundwater control, backfill and compaction, frost protection, seismic site classification, access road design, and inspection and testing requirements. PRI recommended a pre-production testing program to verify soil capacity and support an issued-for-construction foundation design, including settlement analysis and foundation design parameters. Findings from the investigation informed tailored recommendations for both driven and helical foundation systems.

OUTCOME:

PRI delivered a comprehensive geotechnical investigation and foundation design package that gave the project team the technical confidence to move forward at scale. The dual-system foundation recommendations — balancing performance, site conditions, and cost-effectiveness — provided a strong and practical basis for construction of one of Alberta’s most significant solar energy developments.

Mckinley Beach Pool & Amenity Building

Expertise Structural Egineering
Market Property & Buildings
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Mckinley Beach Corporation

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

North American Group retained PRI for the structural design of the new Mckinley Beach Pool and Amenity Building in Kelowna. The facility features an indoor leisure pool with changing rooms, a large glazed gymnasium, second-level administration offices and boardrooms, and an external hot tub at the south entrance of the pool area.

CHALLENGE:

The project presented multiple structural complexities, including snow drift loads, heavy mechanical equipment on the roof, and a sloping site. The client’s desire for extensive glazing on the south face of the building significantly reduced available shear wall length, requiring an innovative approach to lateral load resistance. Additionally, the long internal spans required for the pool and gymnasium spaces, combined with mixed steel, timber, and concrete construction, demanded careful coordination across all structural systems.

APPROACH:

PRI designed a structural system combining glue-laminated beams and columns with conventional timber construction and shear walls to achieve the required spans and lateral stability. To accommodate the client’s vision for unobstructed south-facing glazing, the upper and lower roofs were designed as cantilevered diaphragm ceilings, eliminating the need for columns or shear walls along the glazed elevation. Roof structures were engineered to carry heavy mechanical equipment loads alongside snow drift demands, and all systems were carefully coordinated across the sloping site and mixed construction materials.

OUTCOME:

PRI delivered a fully integrated structural design that balanced the facility’s complex technical demands with the client’s architectural vision. The McKinley Beach Pool and Amenity Building was on track for completion in July 2024, providing the Kelowna community with a modern recreational facility featuring open, light-filled spaces and unobstructed views to the south.

Beaver Lake Dam I Environmental Management

Expertise Environmental
Market Earth & Environment
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Chandos Construction / District of Lake Country

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI was hired by our clients, Chandos, the contractor, to perform environmental management and monitoring for Year 1/Phase 1: coffer dam construction and Year 2/Phase 2: dam remediation. We liaised with the environmental auditor, project engineers, First Nations archaeological monitors, the District of Lake Country, constractors and sub-trades. We assisted the project team with obtaining permits and troubleshooting project issues and incidents.

CHALLENGE:

Wildlife presence on the site was very high and included salvaging 1000s of amphibians, fish and crayfish, for each year of the project. This was something that was not anticipated during project planning and required PRI’s guidance, contractor training and education, increased compliance monitoring, significant adaptation to mitigation designs and additional resourcing to successfully achieve compliance with permits.

APPROACH:

PRI collaborated with all project participants and undertook a high degree of responsive communications so that environmental mitigation measures were performed in a timely manner to avoid impacts to the construction schedule and maintain project compliance.

OUTCOME:

Successful, compliant and on time completion of the dam remediation, while maintaining positive working relationships with project participants and addressing emergent mitigation challenges.

Zara at Lakestone: Condo & Commercial Development

Expertise Civil Engineering
Market Property & Buildings
Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Dominium Inc./Integra Architecture

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Zara at Lakestone is a 6-storey mixed-use development comprising 86 residential units, main-level retail space, and a two-level underground parkade, located in the District of Lake Country. The project commenced in 2020 and progressed through to near construction completion. PRI provided civil engineering services for the project, including site servicing upgrades, road redesign, and construction-phase field review and closeout services.

CHALLENGE:

The urban infill nature of the development created significant complexity around maintaining safe and functional access for both residents and heavy construction traffic throughout the duration of the build. Upgrading existing site services within a constrained corridor, redesigning the road carriageway and sidewalk, and securing approvals for a road closure and detour route from the District of Lake Country proved particularly demanding, with the approval process for the detour and closure alone spanning several months due to the competing interests of the surrounding community and utility providers.

APPROACH:

PRI worked closely with the developer, project consultants, and shallow utility providers to navigate the municipal approvals process with the District of Lake Country. A detailed road closure and detour route design was developed to safely accommodate both residential traffic and heavy construction vehicles for the full duration of the build. Civil works included the upgrading of existing site services and the redesign of the road carriageway and sidewalk to meet current standards and support the scale of the development. PRI also provided field review services for the contractor covering both offsite works and onsite servicing upgrades, and carried the project through to closeout.

OUTCOME:

PRI’s sustained coordination with municipal staff, utility providers, and the project team successfully secured the necessary approvals to allow construction to proceed without significant disruption to the surrounding area. The detailed detour and road closure design ensured safe site access was maintained throughout the build. With field review and closeout services provided through to project completion, PRI delivered consistent civil oversight from design through to the final stages of this complex urban residential development.