McGill & Associates Engineering Ltd.
4610 Elizabeth Street V9Y 6L7 Port Alberni, BC, Canada

McGill & Associates Engineering Ltd. has been providing topographic and construction surveying services to Vancouver Island for over 30 years. We currently have two fully equipped survey crews who are qualified and capable of meeting the needs of any surveying projects. Having two survey crews allows us the flexibility to complete projects with tight deadlines. Our experienced surveyors have completed thousands of surveys using conventional total stations or a one-man robot...ic instrument. Our ongoing training and updating of our equipment ensures that our surveyors are up to date with the latest technology in the industry. Following our surveys, our trained technicians translate the survey data to produce CAD drawings showing maps, base plans, engineering drawings, as-built information, and construction layout. Our surveying services include: Aerial Topographic Surveys As-Built Surveys Topographic Surveys Construction Stakeout/Layout Design/Route Surveys Marine Surveys

Coulson Aviation specializes in helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, and airliner passenger transport. Their complex at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport serves as a base for their maintenance and high tech fabrication, as well as a hangar for their helicopter operations. McGill Engineering has assisted the Coulson Group with the design of the Helicopter Hangar, the Motor Maintenance Building, and the final expansion for the Composite Materials Fabrication Shop, each with its own challenges and specific requirements.

Funded by a generous donation from the Helen Ford Foundation, the Capitol Theatre was renovated from a historic movie theatre to a state of the art playhouse. While maintaining much of the original look of the building, the project included the excavation and construction of a new basement under the existing structure and an expanded front of the house and lounge. The structure consisted of a wood frame roof, supported on a steel frame, with a suspended concrete floor.

Renovations to the Best Western Barclay Hotel in Port Alberni included removal of several bearing walls and modifications to components of the original Lateral Force Resisting System. The updated look of the building is made up of heavy timber posts and beams spanning over new full height windows. Inside the hotel, the floor space was reconfigured to create new meeting and conference rooms.

A surface water collection system was required to prevent landfill leachate from polluting the neighbouring lands of the Alberni Valley Landfill. A barrier was needed to capture any leachate and to convey it to the landfill treatment lagoon. This project included the design and construction of a containment berm, a leachate pumping station, and a diversion channel and pipeline around the perimeter of the landfill. By intercepting leachate before it could leave the site, potential pollution of neighbouring properties and downstream water bodies was prevented.

The aging sewage collection system in the North Port area of Port Alberni was subject to wastewater overflows during periods of heavy rainfall, caused in part by excessive infiltration and inflow (I&I) and the inability of old pump stations to keep up with the storm flow. The intent of the Abatement Project was to divert raw sewage from the areas prone to overflows and to convey them directly to the City’s treatment facility. The project consisted of the design and construct...ion of a separate gravity force main servicing the Upper Johnston area, and new pump station and forcemain servicing Lower Johnston, and an underwater crossing for both mains beneath the Somass River and through the Somass Estuary to the treatment lagoon. The project was completed with the cooperation and approval of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Port Alberni Port Authority, Transport Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and both the Tseshaht and the Hupacasath First Nations.

Members of our staff have been working with the Cherry Creek Water District (CCWD) for over 40 years. During this time we have been involved with the planning, design, extension, and upgrade to their water distribution system. In recent years, the Vancouver Island Health Authority has implemented their 4-3-2-1 drinking water standards policy. We have been involved with the planning needed to provide direction to the CCWD regarding changes required for their water system t...o achieve compliance with these standards. The first step in the direction of meeting new regulatory requirements was the replacement of the existing water intake at the diversion dam which is the main source of water for the CCWD. The new intake allows for future population increases, meets fisheries requirements, and will also form part of the future upgrade to meet the 4-3-2-1 requirements.

The Uplands Subdivision is a fully serviced 55 lot development on the eastern limits of Port Alberni. Located by the tree-lined banks of Dry Creek and near the Log Train Trail, the property immediately became a highly sought after location for families to build their dream homes. The subdivision required the extension of the municipal water and sanitary sewer systems to service the property. Stormwater collected within the roads was piped to a man-made channel lined with veg...etation for natural filtration, before flowing into a detention pond designed to limit discharge to pre-development levels. As part of the Stormwater Management Plan and due to the proximity to Dry Creek, a Professional Biologist and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were consulted to determine the appropriate setback from the riparian zone of the stream. As an additional benefit, a walking trail was incorporated into this setback for the use and enjoyment of the public. The project was built by the developer with a condensed design and construction schedule. McGill Engineering worked with Bowerman Excavating and the City of Port Alberni to fast track the design in order to finish the project on time.

In 2008, an infill housing program was completed on the Tseshaht Tsahaheh IR 1, but the demand for housing within the community continued to increase. To meet this demand, the Tseshaht First Nation and McGill & Associates Engineering have teamed up for the construction of three phases over the last five years. During this development we prepared funding applications, design reports, design drawings, obtained funding from the government, performed contract administration, and ...performed construction inspection. Each phase of the development offered its own challenges. The first phase included the biggest challenge of constructing a 3600mm x 1520mm opened bottom arch culvert where the proposed road crossed the creek. Part of the challenge was constructing the creek crossing during the short timeframe allowed by fisheries regulations for instream work. During construction we ran into bedrock and the design of the culvert was revised to include concrete footings tied into the bedrock, concrete weirs, and a thalweg for fish passage. In addition to the arch culvert a wire mesh retaining wall was used for the construction of the road over the bridge. The three phases of the Santu Subdivision has created a total number of 36 lots and provided infrastructure such as water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, paved roads, ditches, utilities, streetlights, and sidewalk.

The Marktosis Reserve IR #15, home of the Ahousaht First Nation, is located on a peninsula on Flores Island in the Clayoquot Sound. As the population of the community grew, a shortage of land suitable for housing resulted. In 1998, Ahousaht began the process to add the lands south of the village to their reserve, and in 2010, construction began on a new subdivision known as Maaqtusiis. In October of 2011, the completion of the subdivision was celebrated with a traditional feast and ceremony.

Coulson Aviation specializes in helicopter logging, forest fire suppression, and airliner passenger transport. Their complex at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport serves as a base for their maintenance and high tech fabrication, as well as a hangar for their helicopter operations. McGill Engineering has assisted the Coulson Group with the design of the Helicopter Hangar, the Motor Maintenance Building, and the final expansion for the Composite Materials Fabrication Shop, each with its own challenges and specific requirements.

Funded by a generous donation from the Helen Ford Foundation, the Capitol Theatre was renovated from a historic movie theatre to a state of the art playhouse. While maintaining much of the original look of the building, the project included the excavation and construction of a new basement under the existing structure and an expanded front of the house and lounge. The structure consisted of a wood frame roof, supported on a steel frame, with a suspended concrete floor.

Renovations to the Best Western Barclay Hotel in Port Alberni included removal of several bearing walls and modifications to components of the original Lateral Force Resisting System. The updated look of the building is made up of heavy timber posts and beams spanning over new full height windows. Inside the hotel, the floor space was reconfigured to create new meeting and conference rooms.

A surface water collection system was required to prevent landfill leachate from polluting the neighbouring lands of the Alberni Valley Landfill. A barrier was needed to capture any leachate and to convey it to the landfill treatment lagoon. This project included the design and construction of a containment berm, a leachate pumping station, and a diversion channel and pipeline around the perimeter of the landfill. By intercepting leachate before it could leave the site, potential pollution of neighbouring properties and downstream water bodies was prevented.

The aging sewage collection system in the North Port area of Port Alberni was subject to wastewater overflows during periods of heavy rainfall, caused in part by excessive infiltration and inflow (I&I) and the inability of old pump stations to keep up with the storm flow. The intent of the Abatement Project was to divert raw sewage from the areas prone to overflows and to convey them directly to the City’s treatment facility. The project consisted of the design and construct...ion of a separate gravity force main servicing the Upper Johnston area, and new pump station and forcemain servicing Lower Johnston, and an underwater crossing for both mains beneath the Somass River and through the Somass Estuary to the treatment lagoon. The project was completed with the cooperation and approval of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Port Alberni Port Authority, Transport Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and both the Tseshaht and the Hupacasath First Nations.