250 infrastructure leaders convene in St. John’s for four days of keynotes, technical tours, awards, and a renewed international partnership.
ST. JOHN’S, NL — The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) successfully hosted its 2026 National Conference: Rising Tides — from May 4 to 7, 2026, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The four-day event welcomed 250 delegates from across Canada, bringing together practitioners, decision-makers, researchers, and innovators to advance practical solutions for the long-term sustainability of Canada’s public infrastructure.
National and International Keynotes
The program featured keynotes from leading voices across the sector. Amanpreet Bains of the Township of Mapleton opened the conference with a grounded perspective on asset management in smaller municipalities. The Honourable Barry Petten, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for Newfoundland and Labrador, addressed delegates on Tuesday — underscoring the growing recognition of asset management at the highest levels of government. Eddie Sheerr, Founder of Sheerr Weather, examined the implications of changing climate patterns for infrastructure risk, while David Jenkins, CEO of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), closed the conference with a global perspective on the future of the profession.
The Honourable Barry Petten, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for Newfoundland and Labrador, addressed delegates.
A Broad and Diverse Program
Delegates participated in panel discussions, including the Rising Tides Panel on Climate Resilience and Vulnerability in the Atlantic, and selected from dozens of concurrent sessions across three streams: Advance, Adapt, and Anchor. Topics spanned AI-supported capital prioritization, digital twins, Indigenous-led stewardship, urban forestry, financial planning, and northern realities. Technical tours offered delegates an up-close look at infrastructure sites across the St. John’s region.
Rising Tides Panel on Climate Resilience and Vulnerability in the Atlantic [Photo by Ray Campbell]
Technical Tours: Seeing Infrastructure Up Close
A highlight of the conference experience were the technical tours, giving delegates a rare behind-the-scenes look at real infrastructure in action. On Monday, attendees could choose between a tour of C-Core, a world-leading ocean technology centre, or the Petty Harbour Hydropower Plant — a historic site generating clean energy on the edge of the Atlantic.
On Thursday afternoon, delegates had the choice of visiting The Rooms, Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial museum and archives; touring the Canadian Coast Guard Helicopter Hangar at St. John’s Airport; or walking through the City of St. John’s Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility. Each tour offered a tangible connection between the sessions in the conference room and the infrastructure that communities depend on every day.
Tour attendees at the City of St. John’s Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Newfoundland Hospitality: Dine Arounds, the Screech In, and the Spirit of Newfoundland
CNAM conferences are as much about connection as they are about content, and St. John’s delivered on both fronts. The fun started right away on Monday evening, when delegates were welcomed with the iconic Screech In ceremony — kissing the cod and raising a glass of Screech rum to become honorary Newfoundlanders — a joyful, only-in-Newfoundland welcome to the week ahead.
Dine Arounds sent delegates out to explore the city’s vibrant restaurant scene — from The Celtic Hearth to O’Reilly’s Irish Newfoundland Pub and beyond — creating the kind of informal connections that last long after the conference ends.
A delegate takes part in the traditional Screech In — kissing the cod to become an honorary Newfoundlander. [Photo by Ray Campbell]
Celebrating Excellence: The 2026 CNAM Awards
On Wednesday, May 6, CNAM recognized outstanding contributions to public infrastructure asset management at its annual Awards Banquet. Award recipients included the Regional Municipality of Niagara (Tereo Innovator Award), the Regional Municipality of York (Green and Climate Award), and the MICAMP program (Indigenous or Small Communities Award). Dharmen Dhaliah received the Visionary Award, Courtney Klassen was named Volunteer of the Year, and Shajib Guha of McMaster University took first place at the Future Leaders Symposium.
A heartfelt thank you to all of this year’s nominees — your work is the foundation of this community. Nights like this are a reminder of how much passion and dedication exist across Canada’s asset management sector, and we are grateful to everyone who came together to celebrate it.
Learn more about the 2026 CNAM Award winners at cnam.ca/cnam-awards.
Master of Ceremonies, Coady Cameron, Board Chair and Founder of Total Pave Inc., at the 2026 CNAM Awards Banquet. [Photo by Ray Campbell]
A Renewed International Partnership
The conference also marked the signing of a renewed trilateral Memorandum of Understanding between CNAM, IPWEA, and NAMS Canada, reaffirming a shared commitment to advancing sustainable infrastructure asset management through international collaboration, professional development, and knowledge-sharing.
Read the full announcement at cnam.ca.
From left: Zawad Abedin, Director of Engineering & Operations, Lheidli T’enneh Nation; Nzinga White, Executive Director, Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM); Nicole Allen, Executive Director, NAMS Canada; Cassandra Pacey, Chair, CNAM; and David Jenkins, CEO, Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) [Photo by Ray Campbell]
The 2026 CNAM National Conference was a testament to the strength and dedication of Canada’s public infrastructure asset management community. From the shores of the Atlantic to the informative sessions, tours, and conversations that filled four remarkable days in St. John’s, attendees were reminded why this work matters, and why the connections built along the way are just as important as the solutions shared. CNAM looks forward to continuing this momentum in the year ahead.
CNAM thanks all attendees, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and volunteers who made the 2026 National Conference a success.
More photos from the 2026 CNAM National Conference are available on our Past Conferences page.
About the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM): The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) is Canada’s national association dedicated to advancing public infrastructure asset management. CNAM provides leadership, innovation, and collaboration to support practitioners across all levels of government, Indigenous communities, academia, and the private sector. Learn more at cnam.ca.