CNAM is pleased to announce that our annual awards to recognize Asset Management in Canada are back!
The 2025 awards will be presented at the CNAM 2025 National Conference
Awards Information
WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION?
Award submissions are due by 11:59pm EST on January 15, 2025
WHAT IS THE APPLICATION FEE?
There is no application fee to enter the CNAM Asset Management Awards.
CAN I RESUBMIT?
Yes, an applicant may resubmit a proposal but must provide a new application form, an updated summary, and the supporting information.
CNAM WILL PRESENT FOUR AWARD CATEGORIES AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
- Tereo Innovator Award
Is your organization successfully implementing novel or innovative asset management approaches to improve how you conduct your regular business? If so, we want to hear your story and encourage you to submit an entry for the annual CNAM Tereo Innovator Award.
- Visionary Award
Is there an individual who has made a significant contribution or demonstrated a long-term commitment to advancing the asset management industry in Canada? If so, we want to hear their story and encourage you to nominate the individual for the annual CNAM Visionary Award.
- CNAM Volunteer of the Year Award
Do you know someone who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment as a volunteer for CNAM webinars, events, and Committees; or someone who has gone above and beyond when it comes to engaging CNAM membership or promotion through social media sharing AM knowledge or CNAM events? If so, we want to hear their story and encourage you to nominate the individual for the annual CNAM Volunteer of the Year Award.
- Future Leader’s Symposium Award
The Future Leaders Symposium (formerly the Student Research Symposium) is an annual event hosted at the National Conference. It highlights research and asset management advancements taking place at universities across Canada and the broader global asset management community.
Awards Criteria
The criteria for each Award are as follows:
Purpose of Award:
The award recognizes one or both of the following:
- Recognize demonstration of recent innovative talent in developing and successfully implementing a new concept, process or procedure in the field of Asset Management
- Recognize demonstration of significant improvement in business performance through the adoption of asset management tools and techniques or approaches
Criteria:
Candidates must meet one or more of the following:
1. Development and implementation of:
- Organizational change to support and enable effective Asset Management
- Risk assessment and analysis techniques to quantify asset-related risks and processes to ensure associated risk mitigations are implemented
- Whole life costing approaches to support optimal investment decision-making
- Decision support tools and associated processes to determine optimal actions and associated investment plans for assets
- Implementation of enhanced regimes for operational asset care
- Implementation of robust emergency preparedness and response capabilities
2. Innovative or novel approaches to:
- Asset management performance measurement and data collection
- Deriving enhanced asset knowledge from asset information systems
- Use of asset knowledge to improve decision-making and optimize the reliability or efficiency of assets
- Competency improvements and the development of asset management skills
3. Improvements in business performance:
- Improvement in service delivery to customers/users
- Cost minimization
- Robust and transparent approaches to risk management
Eligibility
- Asset Owners – any organization responsible for physical assets and their revenue, reliability and safety outcomes
- Service Providers – any organization that supports asset owners or that applies asset management systems on behalf of the asset owner
* Applicants can be self-nominated or nominated by others.
Submission Requirements:
Complete the short application form and video submission. Your application will not be considered unless all the requirements have been met.
Application Form Preview (*required information)
Application Submitted by*: Asset Owner and/or Service Provider
Name of Organization*:
Name of Submitter*:
Phone Number of Submitter*:
Email of Submitter*:
Email of Nominee*:
Executive Summary*: The summary may contain a maximum of 300 words and should be similar in nature to a press release.
Candidates must meet one or more of the following:
- Development and implementation: To what extent does your project or service meet the following criteria? (max 250 words)
- Organizational change(s) to support and enable effective Asset Management.
- Risk assessment and analysis techniques to quantify asset-related risks and processes to ensure associated risk mitigations are implemented.
- Whole life costing approaches to support optimal investment decision-making.
- Decision support tools and associated processes to determine optimal actions and associated investment plans for assets.
- Implementation of enhanced regimes for operational asset care.
- Implementation of robust emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
- Innovative or novel approaches: To what extent does your project or service meet the following criteria? (max 250 words).
- Asset management performance measurement and data collection.
- Deriving enhanced asset knowledge from asset information systems.
- Use of asset knowledge to improve decision-making and optimize the reliability or efficiency of assets.
- Competency improvements and the development of asset management skills.
- Improvement to business performance: To what extent does your project or service meet the following criteria? (max 250 words)
- Improvement in service delivery to customers/users.
- Cost minimization strategies.
- Robust and transparent approaches to risk management.
Winners may be asked to present their winning entry at the Education, Research, & Training (ERT) webinar to be held in 2025 at a date mutually agreed upon. If chosen, please indicate a month that would work best for your team to present.*
Press Release*: Please submit a draft press release as if your submission wins.
Video Submission
Please submit a video, 2–3 minutes in length that includes a brief description of the project in association with the awards eligibility and criteria (i.e. outlining the approach taken and associated outcomes).
Please ensure this video is recorded in a landscape format as if giving a professional presentation to colleagues online. Note that if your submission is selected, your video will be shown at the conference during the awards ceremony.
Purpose of Award:
- Recognize an individual who made a significant contribution to advancing the asset management industry in Canada
OR
- Recognize an individual who demonstrated consistent long-term commitment and dedication to advancing the Canadian asset management industry.
Criteria:
- The individual who has made an significant contribution to advancing the asset management industry in Canada.
- Demonstrated consistent long-term commitment and dedication to advancing the industry in Canada.
Eligibility
- Individuals from either the private or public sector.
- Individuals must have been a CNAM member of good standing (current or retired).
- Joint nominations are welcome.
- Applicants may be self-nominated or nominated by others.
Submission Requirements:
Complete a short application form. Your application will not be considered unless all the requirements have been met.
Application Form Preview (*required information)
Name of the Individual(s) and/or Organization being nominated*:
Name of Organization*:
Submitter*: Individual(s) or organization(s) from the private and/or public sector.
Phone Number of Submitter*:
Email of Submitter*:
Email of Nominee*:
Is this a Joint application?: Yes or No (joint applications are encouraged)
If yes: Co-Nominator Name and contact information:
Executive Summary*: Please provide an executive summary of the impact the nominee has had on the asset management industry through either the advancement of the asset management industry in Canada or demonstrated significant long-term commitment and dedication to the Canadian asset management industry. The summary may contain a maximum of 500 words and should be similar in nature to a press release.
Press Release*: Please submit a draft press release as if your submission wins.
Purpose of Award:
- Outstanding commitment as a volunteer for CNAM events, and/or Committees.
OR
- Demonstrate a high-level of engagement at and during CNAM events.
OR
- Engaged with another Asset Management individual or organization to provide education and knowledge to advance Asset Management
OR
- Demonstrate a high-level of engagement on promoting CNAM on social media platforms.
Criteria:
1) Demonstration of significant commitment as a volunteer for CNAM events, and Committees. (# of Committees involved with)
2) Volunteered a minimum 1-year term with CNAM
3) Statistics on attendance from Committee meetings, webinars, and CNAM events.
OR
Promoting CNAM membership and engaging new members of CNAM (referral rate)
OR
Copies of online posts or statistics from their online presence.
Eligibility
- Individual from either the private or public sector.
- Individual(s) must be a CNAM member in good standing.
- Applicants nominated by others.
Submission Requirements:
Complete a short application form. Your application will not be considered unless all the requirements have been met.
Application Form Preview (*required information)
Name of the Individual(s) and/or Organization being Nominated*:
Name of Organization*:
Submitter*: Individual(s) or organization(s) from the private and/or public sector.
Phone Number of Submitter*:
Email of Submitter*:
Email of Nominees*:
Is this a Joint application?: Yes or No (joint applications are encouraged)
If yes: Co-Nominator Name and contact information:
Executive Summary*: Please provide an executive summary of the nomination and how they meet one of the following:
- Significant commitment as a volunteer for CNAM events, and/or Committees.
OR
- Demonstrate a high-level of engagement at and during CNAM events.
OR
- Engaged with another Asset Management individual or organization to provide education and knowledge to advance Asset Management
OR
- Demonstrate a high-level of engagement on promoting CNAM on social media platforms.
The summary may contain a maximum of 250 words and should be similar in nature to a press release.
Press Release*: Please submit a draft press release as if your submission wins.
Video Submission (Optional)
You may submit a video, 2–3 minutes in length that includes a brief description of the individual in and how they best fit the award.
Please ensure this video is recorded in a landscape format as if giving a professional presentation to colleagues online. Note that if your submission is selected, your video will be shown at the conference during the awards ceremony.
Purpose of Award:
Highlight research and advancements in the field of infrastructure asset management and encourage the next generation of asset managers to consider a career in the industry. Note, research topics outside of the list below are still encouraged to be submitted.
- Asset Management Fundamentals
- Asset Data & Information Management
- Decision-Making & Planning
- Natural Asset Management & Climate Change
- Organizations, People & Leadership
- Maintenance Management & Strategies
- Other topics related to Asset Management are welcome
A panel of judges will review submissions, and qualifying students will be invited to present a poster of their work in person at the Conference for cash prizes! In addition to the prize money, all participating students will receive travel stipend funding from CNAM to offset the cost of attending the conference
CNAM will be accepting paper submissions to be included in annual conference proceedings. A paper for the peer-reviewed conference proceedings accompanying your presentation is welcome but not required to participate.
*Please note all poster presentations must be delivered in person at the conference.
Criteria:
Work to be judged based on the following:
Novelty – Is the research addressing a new problem? Is it proposing a novel solution to a known problem? Has this type of work been done before?
Practicality – Is the proposed approach practical to implement? Can it result in tangible improvements to the status quo?
Need – Is there need for this research? Is the problem that it is solving important to the asset management community?
Writing and Clarity – How well does the candidate communicate their area of research?
Eligibility
- Research conducted primarily by a student at any academic level.
- All poster presentations must be delivered in person at the conference.
- Willingness to present on any day of the conference
- Applicants must hold a CNAM Student (available for free here) or Graduate Membership
Submission Requirements:
Complete a short application form. Your application will not be considered unless all the requirements have been met. Multiple students can be included in a single application if the work is collaborative, but a single travel stipend will be split between the team.
Application Form Preview (*required information)
Student Name*
University / College*
Phone Number*
Email*
Abstract Title*
Abstract*: Summarize your research including motivation for the work, key research objectives, methodology, and summary of key findings (max 500 words)
Winner of the Student Research Symposium Award may be asked to present their winning entry at the Education, Research, & Training (ERT) webinar to be held in 2025 at a date mutually agreed upon. If chosen, please indicate a month that would work best for you to present.*
General Entry Rules
- The awards will be administered by the CNAM Awards and Recognition Committee, a subcommittee of the CNAM Board of Directors.
- The Awards and Recognition Committee shall consider all applications properly made and material submitted with or in support of the application.
- Material submitted with or in support of any application shall be received on the condition that:
- CNAM shall not return such material or any portion thereof to the applicant.
- CNAM may make such disclosure of the names of applicants and a brief summary of the details disclosed in such material (unless the applicant specifically requests for this not to be done) as CNAM considers appropriate.
- In the case of the award-winning applicant, CNAM may utilize photos, award videos and additional information as it deems appropriate (e.g. for news releases, advertisements, website, awards ceremony etc.).
- No claim shall be made and no action shall be brought against CNAM, its Directors, Officers or members of the Awards Committee arising out of the use made of such material or of any such disclosure.
- The applicant warrants that disclosure of material submitted with, or in support of, his/her application does not breach the terms of any contract of employment or any contract, and that he/she is entitled to make use of the material.
- At the discretion of the Awards and Recognition Committee, applications made in any year may be carried forward to following years. The applicant shall be notified if this occurs.
- The decision of the Awards and Recognition Committee is final. If in the opinion of the Awards and Recognition Committee there are no applications considered suitable during a given year, no Award shall be given.
- Each applicant must sign the prescribed Application Form, which will constitute their agreement to be bound by the General Entry Rules of the Awards.
- Nominees will be notified via email that they have been nominated for an award
- Award winners have the option to provide a 1-minute acceptance speech at the awards gala. Acceptance speeches must not be promotional in nature.
Confidentiality
- Applications may be sent to outside experts for assessment.
- While the evaluators are asked to keep their findings in confidence, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE CONFIDENTIALITY. Therefore, if this is of concern to you, please wait until specific tools or techniques are protected by a patent before entering the awards program.
If you have any questions, please reach out to:
Sharvari Katekar | CNAM Membership Coordinator
membership@cnam.ca
On Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 Asset Management professionals from across Canada came together at the annual CNAM conference to celebrate excellence in Asset Management. The Tereo, Student Research Symposium, Visionary, and Volunteer of the Year Awards were presented.
2024 Award Winners
Tereo Awards
Recognizes organizations that are implementing innovative new concepts, processes, or procedures; or the demonstration of significant improvement in business performance through the adoption of asset management tools and techniques.
1st Place – City of Coquitlam
2nd Place – Parks Canada Agency
The 2nd Place Tereo Innovator Award was presented to Parks Canada at the 2024 Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) Conference, for their work with Associated Engineering and Dillon Consulting Limited on the development of innovative asset analysis approaches. The initiative employed data-driven analysis to evaluate maintenance needs, code and accessibility improvements, energy and GHG opportunities and climate vulnerabilities and adaptations. Parks Canada’s Real Property & Asset Service Management team uses asset management planning to assess and manage risks associated with the Agency’s diverse asset portfolio.
Karina Verhoeven, Parks Canada’s Acting Manager of Asset Operations & Maintenance, highlighted the value of the team’s collaborative approach, “Focusing on planning and executing maintenance, combined with the team’s operational asset management experience, provides an essential link between strategic priorities and implementation.” The advancements for their unique portfolio of infrastructure assets earned it recognition as the runner up to the 2024 CNAM Tereo Innovator Award.
3rd Place – Regional Municipality of York
The 3rd Place Tereo Innovator Award was presented to the Regional Municipality of York (RM, York Region) for its development of a new Water and Wastewater Asset Management application, at the 2024 Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) Conference. The RM’s new application pulls data directly from different corporate databases into profile pages for every water and wastewater system, facility, watermain and sewer. The profile pages display asset-specific information, establish clear relationships between assets and levels of service, and include interactive maps for geographic context.
With this application, users can instantly find a variety of asset information including drawings, operation manuals, logbooks, sample test results, work history, flow history, compliance data, lifecycle cost forecasts, and much more. This innovation is a ground-breaking approach to access information for York Region’s Public Works department and has already garnered praise from teams who use it to improve efficiencies. Through the development of this application, the Department has demonstrated commitment to its operational priorities, earning it second runner-up in the 2024 CNAM Tereo Innovator Awards.
Visionary Award
Recognizes an individual who has made an integral contribution and long-term dedication to advancing the asset management industry in Canada.
Dr. Khalid Kaddoura
Dr. Khalid Kaddoura has been dedicated to the asset management discipline for more than a decade through academic, professional and volunteer work. With a PhD in infrastructure management from Concordia University, Dr. Kaddoura has made contributions to more than 30 journal and conference papers. He has also developed an Asset Management framework powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to support infrastructure decision-making.
Dr. Kaddoura is pioneering advanced applications of AI, leading the development of AECOM’s innovative PipeInsights cloud-based infrastructure management solution. This tool was developed based on his expertise in sewer risk management and condition assessment, and it optimizes interventions to assist asset owners in developing actionable capital improvement plans.
Dr. Kaddoura’s serves as an Associate Editor for one of ASCE’s journals, as a Project Advisory Committee member for the Water Research Foundation, and as a member of the Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute’s Asset Management Committee. He serves as a mentor and a guide for students and peers, and his contributions to building asset management approaches and developing interest in the practice have earned him CNAM’s Visionary Award for 2024.
Volunteer Award
Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a significant commitment as a volunteer for CNAM webinars, events, and Committees; or who has gone above and beyond when it comes to engaging CNAM membership or promotion through social media sharing AM knowledge or CNAM events.
Leslie Nanibush
Leslie Nanibush was awarded the 2024 CNAM Volunteer of the Year award, for building a culture of collaboration for municipal asset management through her leadership on committees and special projects. Leslie is the Asset Management Coordinator with the Township of Wilmot. She has dedicated her personal time and passion to building buy-in, support, and interest in asset management within and outside of her organization – making her truly a champion of asset management.
Leslie has contributed her experience and expertise through leadership on CNAM committees and presentations at conferences and events, including the CNAM Annual Conference. She regularly promotes asset management principles and learning opportunities on social media platforms. Through her volunteerism, Leslie has dedicated time and efforts to improve the value and benefits gained from member investments in CNAM.
Leslie has also helped to build a peer cohort of Asset Managers across Ontario. This cohort meets regularly with subject matter experts and shares knowledge, as municipalities collectively navigate the journey towards O. Reg. 588/17 compliance. Leslie is truly a champion of asset management, earning her recognition as the 2024 CNAM Volunteer of the Year.
Student Research Symposium Award
Recognizes innovative research in the asset management industry.
Abdelhady Omar – An Integrated Framework for Automated Data Acquisition and Probabilistic Failure Models in Concrete Bridges
Abdelhady is a Civil Engineering Ph.D. student at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Their research interests include infrastructure assets modeling and management, artificial intelligence applications in civil engineering, sustainability in construction, and risk-based inspection and maintenance of infrastructure.
The abstract for their winning presentation was as follows: Development of innovative and reliable bridge infrastructure asset management tools to support optimized budget allocation and timely intervention plans is of paramount concern to transportation agencies. However, such development is usually impeded by the lack of effective bridge data management and utilization. Data are often scattered across various databases in different formats, posing significant challenges to access and analysis. In addition, inspection data, e.g., types and extent of defects across bridge components, are predominantly unstructured and buried within textual reports without being effectively utilized. In this context, the current research aims not only to develop a structured, integrated bridge data repository primed for advanced data analytics but also to harness this wealth of data to develop innovative asset management models for bridge owners to assist in informed decision-making.
Previous CNAM Award Winners
On Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 Asset Management professionals from across Canada came together at the annual CNAM conference to celebrate excellence in Asset Management. The Tereo, Student Research Symposium, Visionary, and Volunteer of the Year Awards were presented.
2024 Award Winners
Tereo Awards
Recognizes organizations that are implementing innovative new concepts, processes, or procedures; or the demonstration of significant improvement in business performance through the adoption of asset management tools and techniques.
1st Place – City of Coquitlam
2nd Place – Parks Canada Agency
The 2nd Place Tereo Innovator Award was presented to Parks Canada at the 2024 Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) Conference, for their work with Associated Engineering and Dillon Consulting Limited on the development of innovative asset analysis approaches. The initiative employed data-driven analysis to evaluate maintenance needs, code and accessibility improvements, energy and GHG opportunities and climate vulnerabilities and adaptations. Parks Canada’s Real Property & Asset Service Management team uses asset management planning to assess and manage risks associated with the Agency’s diverse asset portfolio.
Karina Verhoeven, Parks Canada’s Acting Manager of Asset Operations & Maintenance, highlighted the value of the team’s collaborative approach, “Focusing on planning and executing maintenance, combined with the team’s operational asset management experience, provides an essential link between strategic priorities and implementation.” The advancements for their unique portfolio of infrastructure assets earned it recognition as the runner up to the 2024 CNAM Tereo Innovator Award.
3rd Place – Regional Municipality of York
The 3rd Place Tereo Innovator Award was presented to the Regional Municipality of York (RM, York Region) for its development of a new Water and Wastewater Asset Management application, at the 2024 Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) Conference. The RM’s new application pulls data directly from different corporate databases into profile pages for every water and wastewater system, facility, watermain and sewer. The profile pages display asset-specific information, establish clear relationships between assets and levels of service, and include interactive maps for geographic context.
With this application, users can instantly find a variety of asset information including drawings, operation manuals, logbooks, sample test results, work history, flow history, compliance data, lifecycle cost forecasts, and much more. This innovation is a ground-breaking approach to access information for York Region’s Public Works department and has already garnered praise from teams who use it to improve efficiencies. Through the development of this application, the Department has demonstrated commitment to its operational priorities, earning it second runner-up in the 2024 CNAM Tereo Innovator Awards.
Visionary Award
Recognizes an individual who has made an integral contribution and long-term dedication to advancing the asset management industry in Canada.
Dr. Khalid Kaddoura
Dr. Khalid Kaddoura has been dedicated to the asset management discipline for more than a decade through academic, professional and volunteer work. With a PhD in infrastructure management from Concordia University, Dr. Kaddoura has made contributions to more than 30 journal and conference papers. He has also developed an Asset Management framework powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to support infrastructure decision-making.
Dr. Kaddoura is pioneering advanced applications of AI, leading the development of AECOM’s innovative PipeInsights cloud-based infrastructure management solution. This tool was developed based on his expertise in sewer risk management and condition assessment, and it optimizes interventions to assist asset owners in developing actionable capital improvement plans.
Dr. Kaddoura’s serves as an Associate Editor for one of ASCE’s journals, as a Project Advisory Committee member for the Water Research Foundation, and as a member of the Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute’s Asset Management Committee. He serves as a mentor and a guide for students and peers, and his contributions to building asset management approaches and developing interest in the practice have earned him CNAM’s Visionary Award for 2024.
Volunteer Award
Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a significant commitment as a volunteer for CNAM webinars, events, and Committees; or who has gone above and beyond when it comes to engaging CNAM membership or promotion through social media sharing AM knowledge or CNAM events.
Leslie Nanibush
Leslie Nanibush was awarded the 2024 CNAM Volunteer of the Year award, for building a culture of collaboration for municipal asset management through her leadership on committees and special projects. Leslie is the Asset Management Coordinator with the Township of Wilmot. She has dedicated her personal time and passion to building buy-in, support, and interest in asset management within and outside of her organization – making her truly a champion of asset management.
Leslie has contributed her experience and expertise through leadership on CNAM committees and presentations at conferences and events, including the CNAM Annual Conference. She regularly promotes asset management principles and learning opportunities on social media platforms. Through her volunteerism, Leslie has dedicated time and efforts to improve the value and benefits gained from member investments in CNAM.
Leslie has also helped to build a peer cohort of Asset Managers across Ontario. This cohort meets regularly with subject matter experts and shares knowledge, as municipalities collectively navigate the journey towards O. Reg. 588/17 compliance. Leslie is truly a champion of asset management, earning her recognition as the 2024 CNAM Volunteer of the Year.
Student Research Symposium Award
Recognizes innovative research in the asset management industry.
Abdelhady Omar – An Integrated Framework for Automated Data Acquisition and Probabilistic Failure Models in Concrete Bridges
Abdelhady is a Civil Engineering Ph.D. student at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Their research interests include infrastructure assets modeling and management, artificial intelligence applications in civil engineering, sustainability in construction, and risk-based inspection and maintenance of infrastructure.
The abstract for their winning presentation was as follows: Development of innovative and reliable bridge infrastructure asset management tools to support optimized budget allocation and timely intervention plans is of paramount concern to transportation agencies. However, such development is usually impeded by the lack of effective bridge data management and utilization. Data are often scattered across various databases in different formats, posing significant challenges to access and analysis. In addition, inspection data, e.g., types and extent of defects across bridge components, are predominantly unstructured and buried within textual reports without being effectively utilized. In this context, the current research aims not only to develop a structured, integrated bridge data repository primed for advanced data analytics but also to harness this wealth of data to develop innovative asset management models for bridge owners to assist in informed decision-making.
On Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 Asset Management professionals from across Canada came together at the annual CNAM conference at the Fredericton Convention Centre, Fredericton, NB to celebrate excellence in Asset Management. The Student Symposium Awards, the Tereos, the Visionary and Volunteer Awards were presented.
Tereo Award 1st Place – Lake Huron and Elgin Area Primary Water Supply Systems (Regional Water) and Dillon Consulting Limited
The 1st place Tereo Award was presented to Lake Huron and Elgin Area Primary Water Supply Systems (Regional Water) and Dillon Consulting Limited for the 2022 updates to the water utilities’ asset management plans at the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) annual conference. “Advancing asset management practices by integrating climate change in the risk assessment as well as adding digital technology assets as a separate category of assets were exciting additions in this update,” stated Darla Campbell Project Manager with Dillon Consulting Limited.
In the process of updating its Asset Management Plans, the Lake Huron and Elgin Area Primary Water Supply Systems started with establishing an Asset Management Policy. This policy set the stage for an update to the Levels of Service (LOS) Framework and risk mitigation strategy that aligns with the policy and with ISO 55000 as a best practice. Director, Regional Water, Andrew Henry highlighted the value to operationalizing asset management. “Ongoing updates to the Asset Management Plans further integrate asset management and asset planning processes into the Regional Water’s day-to-day business processes.” A state of the infrastructure report for the utility’s $680 million CDN assets was presented in June 2022 and will be updated on an annual basis, measuring performance against the target LOS. Alignment of the key drivers for investment with the policy and LOS demonstrates robust application of asset management and supports service delivery for the 15 municipalities today (combined population of 500,000), and the Oneida First Nation community in the near future. Senior Manager, Capital Programs, Billy Haklander, acknowledged the team’s efforts, “It was a team effort, our staff working with Dillon Consulting and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, in developing our fourth-generation asset management plans.”
Tereo Award 2nd Place – City of Regina
The 2nd place Tereo Award was presented to the City of Regina’s Asset Management team for creating Regina’s first State of Infrastructure Report (Report) at the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) annual conference. The Report looked at all City-owned assets and the replacement value, remaining life, condition and amount of investment needed.
Karen Gasmo Director, Sustainable Infrastructure acknowledged “The State of Infrastructure Report was the first time we pulled together a report on all the assets for the entire organization. This project came together through a holistic approach with multiple divisions collaborating on the collection of data and analysis of information. The process increased knowledge and awareness across the organization. The Report is a vital decision-making tool to ensure we deliver services effectively and sustainably into the future.”
The City is committed to advancing a best practice approach to asset management so residents can continue to rely on the necessary and desired services that make Regina an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest in.
CNAM Visionary Award – Christiaan Lombard
The Visionary Award recognizing an individual who has made an integral contribution and long-term dedication in advancing the asset management industry in Canada was presented to Chris Lombard, Asset Management Leader for the Americas Water business at AECOM.
For over two decades, Chris Lombard has been working closely with Canadian municipalities to help them optimize their asset management strategies, collaborating with colleagues around the globe to bring the latest asset management practices to Canada. Chris’s passion for asset management extends far beyond his workplace. He has mentored dozens of young professionals, cultivating the next generation of asset management experts. Most recently he designed and delivered a course in asset management to more than a hundred professionals from around the world. Chris is known for his progressive approach to asset management by leveraging the latest tools and technology, being among the first to include natural assets and consider the impact of climate change. He is frequently sought after by American utilities for his expertise and valuable insights.
Volunteer of the Year Award – Mike Benson
This year’s Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Mike Benson. Mike has been a leader in asset management (AM) in Canada since 2015. He grew up in Fredericton, NB and completed his B.Sc.E and M.Sc.E degrees in civil engineering from the University of New Brunswick (UNB). His masters’ degree focused on sustainable performance of public infrastructure projects. Upon graduation, Mike joined R.V. Anderson Associated Limited as an Asset Management Engineer where he quickly became an Associate.
Mike is involved in both the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) to advance AM practices. He was a 2016 CNAM student research symposium winner, joined and later chaired CNAM’s New Professionals Network (NPN).
Recently, Mike began his PhD specializing in infrastructure asset management and co-founded DCA Consulting Inc. where he continues to deliver AM projects across Atlantic Canada. He was a 2023 CNAM National Conference planning committee member as conference co-chair, leading the development and execution of the technical program.
Student Research Symposium
Congratulations to Thiago Muzzi this year’s recipient of The Student Research Symposium Award. Thiago abstract titled “Investigating Impacts of Spring Thaw on Ontario’s Low-Volume Roads for Improved Asset Management” was judged, based on novelty, practicality, need, and overall presentation quality. His research demonstrated a deep understanding of the complexities and challenges in the asset management field and presented creative ideas with the potential to impact the industry.
2022 TEREO Award Winners!
After not having awards in 2020 due to the pandemic, and then a fully virtual return in 2021, the 2022 Annual CNAM Tereo Awards were back live at the gala in London, Ontario with the ability for a virtual audience to watch at home. Though some award winners were not able to join us in person to accept their award, we were connected as an industry to celebrate the achievements of our friends and colleagues.
Congratulations to all our 2022 winners!
Keep up the great work as an industry, and get ready to submit for awards in 2023!
TEREO Innovator Award:
First Place: Atlantic First Nations Water Authority Inc. – John Lam
Second Place: City of Calgary – Lorin McConnell
Third Place: City of Yellowknife – Lachlan MacLean
Visionary Award:
Barry Davis
Student Research Symposium:
Tyler Somers – University of New Brunswick
2019 Tereo Awards
On Wednesday, May 8th, 2019 Asset Management professionals from across Canada came together at the annual CNAM conference at the Delta Grand Okanagan, Kelowna, BC to celebrate excellence in Asset Management. The Student Symposium Awards, the Tereos, the Ambassador and Pioneer Awards were handed out.
Pioneer Award Wally Wells, Asset Management BC
Wally Wells, executive director of Asset Management British Columbia (AM BC) and one of the original pioneers of infrastructure asset management in Canada, was chosen by his peers as the recipient of the CNAM Pioneer Award for 2019. Mr. Wells accepted the award at the annual Tereo Awards Banquet held at the Delta Hotels Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, BC as part of the 13th National CNAM conference from May 6-9, 2019.
Wally Wells is a professional civil engineer with over fifty years of experience in both local and provincial governments and the consulting industry who has made significant contributions to the infrastructure and asset management sector and provided consistent leadership in building the asset management profession in Canada. Wally was a member of the team that lead the first major assessment of the ‘infrastructure industry” across the country which resulted in the National Framework for Asset Management – which was effectively, the beginning of the industry in Canada. Mr. Wells joins the ranks of previous CNAM Pioneer Award recipients Konrad Sui, Gerry Davis and Mark Knight.
Wally continues to lead the way on national and BC asset management efforts as a speaker, facilitator and thought leader on many association boards, FCM committees and industry groups including Asset Management Canada – a national alliance and coordinating body of asset management communities of practice across Canada.
Ambassador Award Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Municipal Asset Management Program
The Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) is a $50 million capacity-building fund entrusted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) by Infrastructure Canada (INFC) to enable the adoption and improvement of asset management practices across Canada’s municipal sector. Over the past few years FCM’s MAMP has significantly moved the yard stick forward across the country by building awareness about asset management, providing technical assistance to build capacity in asset management, providing grants for municipalities to build capacity in asset management and by mobilizing asset management knowledge and fostering pan-Canadian collaborations.
Actions and Achievements
2017-2018 was MAMP’s first year of implementation. MAMP has been highly successful this year, meeting all its objectives and establishing a strong network across the country that will enable continued success in the coming years. The program’s portfolio of municipal grant projects and partner-led programming is reaching MAMP’s target audience – small and medium-sized communities in every province and territory across Canada – and enabling them to improve their asset management practices. Most critically, MAMP has successfully fostered a strong and collaborative network of partners and stakeholders that is central to the program’s success.
Tereo Awards
1st Place – City of Selkirk
Selkirk has taken a thoughtful and detailed approach to managing the city’s assets, in a proactive way, and in a matter of a few short years has literally rewritten the book on capital asset management and how to integrate climate change into everyday planning.
Selkirk council initiated the move to improved asset management and the city’s Capital Asset Management Program team, known as CAMPers, was born. Their first step was developing an asset registry database that identified the city’s core assets. Since then the city has been recognized numerous times for its leading role in both asset management and climate change, including CAO Duane Nicol being asked to represent Manitoba on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities technical advisory working group and being a recipient of FCM’s Climate and Asset Management Network grant funding. His most recent role is on the Municipal Climate Services Collaborative technical working group.
Nicol said the city set a goal to become a leader in asset management and climate change and he’s proud with the substantial progress made.
2nd Place – City of Vaughan
The City of Vaughan is one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities with a population of about 335,000. “Our City is building a sustainable, connected and modern asset management system by putting fiscal management and environmental sustainability at the centre and by ensuring the City’s resilience is driving all our infrastructure decisions”, says Vince Musacchio, Director of Infrastructure Planning and Corporate Asset Management.
The City’s Corporate Asset Management’s role is primarily to provide an internal support service coordinating Asset Management (AM) practices and improvements across the city by leading corporate-wide strategies and initiatives that improve AM processes, technologies, skills and data. The City’s Corporate Asset Management department has focused on developing a robust approach to infrastructure risk management in line with operational and maintenance strategies, implementation of effective mobile condition techniques, streamlining of pipeline defect assessments and data, development of an efficient long-term parks renewal plan and Council approval of five corporate policies to ensure the that Vaughan’s $4B of infrastructure is managed in accordance with the City’s strategic priorities with fidelity to the public’s trust.
3rd Place – The City of Waterloo
The City of Waterloo has received a Tereo award from the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) for excellence in asset management. The city was recognized for a new and complimentary cross-asset management tool that is helping the city be more efficient when identifying assets requiring renewal activities by optimizing timing while maintaining a high level of service with minimal disruptions to the community.
The new cross-asset tool helps by integrating asset performance information across various assets that are relative to one another (such as roads and the underground infrastructure) providing an opportunity to optimize the timing and rehabilitation methods. The tool integrates asset performance information for roads, sanitary sewer, water distribution and the storm sewer collection networks and enables prioritization based on spatial proximity and renewal requirements. “Our residents want to know that whenever we spend our limited infrastructure dollars that we’re doing it wisely,” said Councillor Jeff Henry, chair of the city’s finance and strategic planning committee. “While underground infrastructure is out of sight, it is top of mind whenever we dig up our roadways. Waterloo’s new cross-asset tool allows us to optimize the replacing roads and underground infrastructure, saving money and limiting disruptions to the community.”
Student Symposium Awards
1st Place Naeem Farooqi, University of Toronto
2nd Place Rania Toufeili, University of Windsor
3rd Place Madeh Piryonesi, University of Toronto
2018 Tereo Awards
Tereo Asset Management Award:
Recognizing excellence in developing and implementing asset management approaches and significant improvements in business performance through the use of asset management tools and techniques or approaches.
1st : City of Calgary- Alberta
In 2016 and 2017, the City of Calgary completed the implementation of its enterprise-wide asset management program. This program has been responsible for the identification of cost deferrals in the order of magnitude of tens of millions of dollars, the identification of infrastructure risk, the foundation for Calgary’s 100 Resilient Cities program and the improvement of front-line customer service levels. This program is the foundation for infrastructure investment plans and strategies as part of Calgary’s 2019-22 business planning and budgeting program: “One Calgary”.
2nd: Region of Halton- Ontario
Within one year, Halton Region’s Public Works Department has developed a transparent and coordinated Asset Management Program. In 2017, the core asset management processes were used to develop the entire $1.9B 2018-2027 state of good repair capital budget to maintain services to customers. “This Asset Management Program has provided staff with a transparent approach to developing our state of good repair capital budget with a line of sight to customer outcomes” said Commissioner of Public Works Jim Harnum. “Halton’s forecasted water/wastewater rate of 5.2% from 2017 has been reduced to 3.8%, largely driven by adjustments to the capital financing based on the Asset Management Program.”
Asset Management Ambassador Award:
Honours efforts that reflect a commitment above and beyond the accepted expectation of the asset management industry in Canada. It recognizes actions that have become a valuable asset to the asset management industry and acknowledges those whose actions have become models for peer recognition.
City of Burlington- Ontario
The City of Burlington’s Asset Management Plan was developed internally and outlines a 60-year needs analysis for all asset types, such as roads, bridges, parks, facilities and vehicles. Burlington is one of Canada’s best and most livable cities, a place where people, nature and business thrive.
“The internally developed Asset Management Plan goes beyond addressing our core infrastructure assets. It exceeds current provincial guidelines set out in the Building Together Guide and is integrated into our organization’s Capital Budget process. By doing so, the plan guides investments in our existing infrastructure and prepares the city for future infrastructure growth and service delivery needs.” Allan Magi, Executive Director of Capital Works
“The city is focused on making informed decisions to support city services that are sustainable and affordable to the public. The Asset Management Plan and Long-Term Financing Plan ensures the city is investing in our existing infrastructure to continue to deliver the high-quality services that residents expect and enhance the quality of life in the city.” Joan Ford, Director of Finance.
Asset Management Pioneer Award:
Honours individuals who have played an integral role in advancing the asset management industry in Canada and celebrates their long-term commitment and unwavering dedication to the industry.
Dr. Mark Knight, Associate Professor, Director of Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT), University of Waterloo.
An Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as the Executive Director of the Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) at the University of Waterloo. Over 25 years of experience in the buried infrastructure asset management and has been addressing the critical issues facing underground infrastructure installation, assessment, repair and renewal, including management, by providing research, education and technology transfer courses. Professor Knight is the co-developer of many decision-support tools that have been implemented in the industry including but not limited to BoreAid, PPI- BoreAid, PPI-PACE, CIPP CALC and a Financially Sustainable Water Infrastructure Asset Management Tool using System Dynamics. A number of his contributions are:
- Pioneered in conducting regular asset management workshops and training sessions since 2004 through CATT and in collaboration with Ontario Good Road Association (OGRA) since 2013.
- Helped in creation of CNAM in 2007, and partnered in several asset management research developments and initiatives in Canada, USA, UK and Australia.
- Supervised more than 20 graduate students whose research were in the area of buried infrastructure asset management and rehabilitation of water and wastewater infrastructure systems.
- Development and implementation of a novel strategic asset management tool in partnership with several municipalities and water utilities in Southern Ontario.
2017 Tereo Awards
1st City of Waterloo
2nd Asset Management BC
3rd Town of Oakville
2017 Pioneer Award Co-Recipients
- Konrad Sui, City of Edmonton
- Gerry Davis, City of Hamilton
Congratulations to the previous winners of the Asset Management Awards! The quality of presentations at the Annual Conference continue to excel and we call upon the presenters to submit to these great projects and efforts for consideration for the Asset Management Awards. Submission dates are February 1st to March 31st of each year and are also announced through the CNAM website.