CBCL Wins National ACEC Award for Excellence in Engineering with Clyde River Harbour Development Project
CBCL, with Joint Venture Partner Canadrill, is proud to have received a national Award of Excellence from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Canada (ACEC-Canada) for the Clyde River Harbour Development, an infrastructure project that is helping strengthen safety, economic opportunity, and community resilience in Clyde River, Nunavut.
Delivered in a joint venture with Canadrill Limited on behalf of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Small Craft Harbours program, the project created a modern commercial harbour designed to serve the community for generations to come. Located on Baffin Island, Clyde River relies heavily on marine transportation for essential supplies, fuel, construction materials, and access to traditional harvesting areas. The new harbour provides safe, reliable marine infrastructure that supports both community needs and long-term economic growth.
CBCL led project management, community consultation, environmental permitting, and multidisciplinary engineering services, bringing together expertise in marine, civil, geotechnical, coastal, and electrical engineering. The resulting infrastructure includes a new fixed wharf, climate-resilient breakwaters, improved access roads and ramps, and marine facilities designed to withstand Arctic conditions over a 50-year design life.
What makes this project particularly significant is its deep integration of Inuit knowledge and community participation. Throughout planning and design, local residents, Elders, harvesters, and marine users helped shape key project decisions through engagement conducted in English and Inuktitut. Community engagement and Inuit knowledge informed environmental assessments, ice and coastal modelling, and construction planning, ensuring the final design reflected both modern engineering practices and generations of local experience.
The project also delivered meaningful social and economic benefits. Approximately one in four households in Clyde River owns a boat, making safe marine access critical for traditional hunting and fishing, food security, and cultural continuity. The new harbour provides sheltered facilities for vessels, protects valuable household assets, connect the community to the goods and supplies it relies on throughout the year. It also creates the opportunity to develop a local commercial fishery, supporting long-term economic growth in the community.
The ACEC-Canada award recognizes not only engineering innovation, but also projects that create lasting positive impacts. The Clyde River Harbour Development stands as a powerful example of how thoughtful infrastructure can improve safety, strengthen local economies, support Indigenous communities, and enhance quality of life. Through collaboration, cultural respect, and technical leadership, CBCL helped deliver infrastructure that will serve the people of Clyde River for decades to come.
