Seine Riverbank Stabilization at the Branch 1 Aqueduct
Riverbank movements near the Seine River crossing threatened the City of Winnipeg’s 100‑year‑old Branch 1 Aqueduct, which carries 40% of the city’s drinking water. KGS Group helped stabilize the riverbank while keeping the aqueduct in service throughout construction, protecting a critical supply and reducing risk to the community.
Our team applied an extensive design evaluation process, a full-scale field-testing program, a ground-breaking instrumentation monitoring program and a highly prescriptive construction methodology to manage risk at each stage of construction.
This approach required more intensive engineering but reduced the construction timeline by one full year and resulted in significant project cost savings. After the stabilization work was completed, a complete revegetation project ensued, ensuring the area was ready for community use for years to come.
Project Highlights
- Planning, design, geotechnical evaluation, construction oversight, monitoring and stakeholder coordination
- Advanced instrumentation program and prescriptive construction sequencing
- Project timeline was completed one year ahead of schedule, leading to significant cost savings
- The site was restored and revegetated, improving the public realm and long‑term resilience
Newton Force Main River Crossing
KGS Group and Associated Engineering designed and oversaw the construction of a new, 466 meter river crossing installed trenchlessly 40 meters below grade to replace the failing Newton Force Main River Crossing. This vital piece of infrastructure supports the wastewater flows from the entire Hawthorne sewer district in Winnipeg. Under dry weather conditions, the Newton Force Main River Crossing transports over 2.3 million litres of wastewater daily under the Red River.
The existing crossing was installed along the river bottom in 1978 and was connected to lands that have become densely urbanized, which limited solutions. An alternate alignment was developed to both reroute the force main and install it safely within the bedrock strata below the river.
The result is a durable, long‑term asset that improves system resilience and safeguards the environment and the community.
Project Highlights
- 466 meter river crossing installed trenchlessly, 40 meters below grade
- Horizontal directional drilling with horizontal and vertical curves – a first in Manitoba
- 780 meters of new force main on an alternate alignment in bedrock below the river
- Replaces 1978 river‑bottom crossing which lowers environmental risk and maintenance needs
Cote First Nation Solid Waste Transfer Station
Cote First Nation had been experiencing significant solid waste management challenges including inconsistent collection services and unmanned and non-engineered dump sites throughout the Reserve. Additionally, the main landfill site was note engineered which posed a significant risks to the surrounding soil and groundwater.
To ensure waste was being managed in a sustainable manner, Cote First Nation engaged KGS Group to review their waste management practices and design and oversee the construction of a new solid waste transfer station. We also supported community engagement events to share the importance of transfer stations and responsible waste management practices.
During construction, nearly 2,000 hours were completed by Cote First Nation members, and the total value of purchased material, worker wages and equipment rentals from the Nation was approximately $126,500. This project also presented on-the-job training and mentorship opportunities for members of Cote First Nation and was seen as a community-driven process that was mutually beneficial to everyone.
The positive effects of the project will be evident through the waste diverted from unmanned dump sites, the protected soil and groundwater, and the sense of empowerment felt across Cote First Nation to continue with responsible waste management practices.
Project Highlights
- Design and oversaw construction of a new solid waste transfer station
- 2,000 hours contributed by Cote First Nation members to complete the project and $126,500 spent on local materials, wages and rentals
- Improved protection of soil and groundwater with waste diverted from unmanned landfills
- On‑the‑job training and mentorship for Cote First Nation members
Royal Canadian Mint Geothermal Process Cooling System
KGS Group partnered with the Royal Canadian Mint to design and oversee construction of a cutting-edge, open‑loop geothermal cooling system for a new coin‑making process – a first for the Mint. The system uses groundwater’s stable temperature to cool equipment, replacing energy‑intensive chillers and cooling towers, nearly eliminating greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional cooling.
Cooling now relies on a single pump and as the water absorbs heat from the equipment, heat pumps capture that free energy to warm the building through space heaters and ventilation systems. The conditioned water is re‑injected to the underground source, providing thermal balance and long service life.
KGS delivered an integrated design, controls coordination and construction oversight to bring the system online safely, with minimal disruption to operations. While this project significantly reduced the Mint’s energy use, the success here is the reduced environmental impact it will have for years to come.
Project Highlights
- Open‑loop geothermal process cooling with groundwater source and reinjection
- Single‑pump cooling loop with heat pumps that recover waste heat for building heating
- Integrated space heaters, ventilation equipment and facility controls
- Reduced energy use and lower operating costs
- Cooling-related GHG emissions nearly eliminated
- Thermal balancing for longevity, reduced environmental impact and reliable year‑round operation
Birds Hill Lake Improvements
KGS Group, with Scatliff + Miller + Murray, delivered a $4.2 million program to expand Birds Hill Provincial Park’s lake and beachfront and modernize supporting infrastructure improving the public’s experience at one of Manitoba’s most popular recreational destinations. KGS Group rehabilitated the lake bed to improve water quality and added roughly one‑third more lake and beach-front area.
To support the lake expansion, several elements of the park’s infrastructure were also improved with the goal of increasing the reliability, safety and efficiency of existing systems. Improvements included expanding and repairing the active transportation network, upgrading dated sewage systems, improving the east and west parking lots as well as repurposing existing assets to serve new, innovative functions within the park.
Our multidisciplinary team provided integrated design and construction support, coordinating work within an active, high‑use park to protect visitors, maintain access and deliver efficient sequencing. The result is a larger, cleaner lake, safer and more reliable park systems, and amenities that better serve hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Project Highlights
- Multidisciplinary design and landscape architecture and construction support
- Roughly 33% more lake and beach-front area, east and west parking lots improved, active transportation routes expanded and repaired, sewage systems upgraded
- Lake‑bed rehabilitation to improve water quality
- Increased capacity and accessibility, higher reliability, safety, and efficiency, enhanced visitor experience for hundreds of thousands annually
Seven Oaks School Division Learning and Service Centre
Seven Oaks School Division needed an upgraded bus service facility. Seeing this as an opportunity to bring a larger vision to life, they acquired a 50-acre parcel of land for development of an all-encompassing Learning and Service Centre. This new centre would not only meet current service needs but would also serve as a multi-use space where students, parents and the broader community could come together for land-based learning and play.
KGS Group collaborated with PCL and Prairie Architects to achieve the aggressive project schedule, providing mechanical, electrical, civil and structural engineering services as well as construction administration services. Integrated design and collaboration among the project team were key to keeping costs within the school division’s budget while maintaining the project vision.
A modern space was created to house the school division’s transportation, operations and maintenance departments as well as conference rooms and vocational trades classrooms. Incorporating a combination of Indigenous and western perspectives, KGS worked with the project team to bring the client’s vision to life.
Project Highlights
- An agricultural learning centre providing unique opportunities for hands-on learning and service space for garden and greenhouse produce
- Three kilometers of granular walking trails
- A toboggan hill
- Naturalized storm water retention pond
- Wawiyia’kiti’gahn (circle garden), used as an outdoor teaching area
- A naturalized landscape and planned agricultural plots for community vegetable gardens
University of Manitoba Fort Garry Riverbank Asset Management
On the northwest side of the University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus, which is located on Treaty 1 Territory, 600 meters of Sifton Road along the Red River acts as the Primary Line of Defense (PLD) dike, protecting the City of Winnipeg from flooding. Along the riverbank, ongoing and uncontrolled surface water discharge from Culvert 108 created over-steepened slopes and was threatening the integrity of this portion of Sifton Road.
KGS Group designed an innovative solution to reconstruct Culvert 108, Sifton Road and the PLD dike system. A first for this technology in Winnipeg, the solution used buoyant lightweight fill material anchored with helical piles. Additionally, the land drainage system was redesigned, Culvert 108 was upgraded to prevent future damage and supplemental vegetation was planted. The result was an area that is fully integrated with the surrounding ecosystem and is ready for future use opportunities while protecting the community.
Project Highlights
- Designed a solution to reconstruct Culvert 108, Sifton Road and PLD dike system to restore flood protection and roadway function
- The solution, a first for this technology in Winnipeg, included buoyant lightweight fill anchored with helical piles
- Redesigned the land drainage system to control and safely route surface water, reducing erosive outflows to the riverbank
Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba Basins Flood Mitigation Study
The flood of 2011 highlighted several potential “weak links” in Manitoba’s flood control system, which resulted in widespread damage across the province. To address the propensity for flooding in the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba basins, KGS Group carried out a flood mitigation study, which identified major flood vulnerabilities and assessed a wide range of measures to improve protection in the region.
A vast amount of data was reviewed and over 70 mitigation options were evaluated including dikes, reservoirs, diversion channels, wetland restoration and development controls. As well, a number of sophisticated models were developed to calculate cost-benefit ratios and the economic viability of the options.
Working collaboratively with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, the project team developed a technical workshop and held public open house events to incorporate important feedback into the study findings.
The results of the study identified over $1 billion of flood mitigation upgrades required to increase the flood protection level to provincial standards across the basin. The results will also serve as the foundation for major flood mitigation programs for the next several decades.
Project Highlights
- Reviewed and synthesized basin‑wide datasets to establish current and future flood risk profiles
- Evaluated 70+ mitigation options, including dikes and levees, reservoirs and storage, diversion channels, wetland restoration, development controls
- Compiled actionable study deliverables for program planning
University of Manitoba Roadway Capital Improvement Program – Fort Garry Campus
A multi-year endeavour, the University of Manitoba’s Roadway Capital Improvement Program involved the renewal of an aging roadway network throughout the entire Fort Garry Campus. KGS Group was retained to reconstruct 6-lane‑kilometres of urban and rural roads to deliver a more durable, accessible and attractive public realm. The program integrated extensive streetscaping to enhance mobility and the campus experience for everyone.
KGS Group provided project management, design and contract administration with careful phasing to minimize disruption, combining geotechnical and topographic investigations with condition assessments to define repairs, optimize asphalt and concrete pavement structures, and align pathway routes to serve key campus destinations. KGS Group also delivered comprehensive underground utility renewal to improve reliability, serviceability and long‑term performance.
Project Highlights
- Reconstructed 6-lane‑km of urban and rural campus roadways
- Constructed 1.75 km multi‑use pathway
- Installed Broadway paver sidewalks to upgrade pedestrian corridors
- Planted street trees and installed custom benches
- Optimized asphalt and concrete pavement structures
- Relocated traffic signals and delivered campus signage plans to improve wayfinding and safety
- Renewed water mains and sanitary sewers
- Installed land drainage system to support urban trees and stormwater management
- Developed comprehensive renewal designs for water mains, sanitary sewer, land drainage with modular suspended pavement system, steam and condensate lines, chilled water and pre-cast utility trenching
City of Portage la Prairie Utility and Maintenance Facility
KGS Group led a multidisciplinary team to design and construct a state‑of‑the‑art Utility and Maintenance Facility for the City of Portage la Prairie’s public works and utilities departments. With a focus on sustainable design, the new facility exemplifies the hand-in-hand relationship between the health and comfort of those who will use the building and Mother Nature.
After the City was informed their current facility was unavailable long-term, KGS Group delivered a solution that seamlessly integrated an innovative horizontal closed-loop geothermal system, water-source heat pumps and high-efficiency HVAC heat recovery technologies that will withstand Manitoba’s harsh climate. The final result is a new facility 25 times more efficient at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than the standard building in Manitoba.
Project Highlights
- Closed‑loop geothermal wellfield to serve the building’s heating and cooling loads
- Water‑source heat pumps for space conditioning and energy‑efficient distribution
- High‑efficiency HVAC heat recovery technologies integrated into ventilation systems
- Building systems to verify performance and optimize operational settings
University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus Riverbank Management Study
With nearly 4 km of shoreline, the University of Manitoba (UM) Fort Garry Campus is inherently linked to the Red River. The UM has adopted policies to become a leader in ecological, social and economic sustainability to promote a healthier, more active campus while reducing environmental impact.
Aligning with the UM’s sustainability principles, KGS Group provided the university with a 15-year, phased riverbank management strategy that favours restoration of the riparian corridor with naturalized solutions. Integrating geotechnical and ecological concepts, the riverbank management plan is a comprehensive tool to help the university manage risk, promote riverbank health and preserve critical infrastructure. The plan mirrors the dynamic nature of the river, allowing for updates over time to reflect changes to the riverbank and the campus itself.
Project Highlights
- Mapped and segmented 4 km of shoreline to create reach‑based inventories and prioritize restoration actions
- Completed integrated assessments of bank stability, erosion risk, riparian condition and habitat value
- Defined naturalized restoration treatments (e.g., riparian revegetation, bioengineering/soft stabilization, setback planting)
Gillam Subdivision Passive Groundwater Drainage Project
The “Crayola” subdivision in Gillam sits on soil that retains a high groundwater table. Over time, seasonal freezing and elevated groundwater led to disturbance of several structure foundations. To address this persistent issue, KGS Group leveraged the timing of a planned sewer and water infrastructure renewal to design and implement a simple, robust groundwater drainage system.
By using common trench excavation, engineered drainage piping and readily available backfill, the installation of the groundwater drainage system was simplified and optimized. Because there are no moving parts, continuous drainage of groundwater occurs passively by gravity.
Designed within the new sewer and water corridors, the system simplifies future maintenance and construction, while providing easy access points for the interconnection of foundation drainage systems throughout the subdivision.
Project Highlights
- Excavated common trenches within new sewer and water corridors to integrate groundwater drainage
- Installed engineered drainage piping to collect and convey groundwater
- Placed readily available backfill to promote free drainage and protect piping
- Eliminated mechanical components – no pumps or moving parts
- Established future tie‑in locations to enable interconnection of foundation drains across the subdivision