Dave Poole

After the catastrophic train derailment that took place in Lac-Mégantic in 2013, which claimed 47 lives, the issue of rail proximity safety was brought to the forefront for Canadian municipalities. The City of Calgary reached out to Dillon to develop a method to assess the risks so that future development could take place while protecting public safety. 

Transport Canada required a method to assess the risk of ship-source oil spills in Canadian waters. While oil spills are unlikely, Transport Canada needed a methodology to assess the risk posed by future projects and potential growth in marine traffic. Dillon led the development of an Area Risk Assessment (ARA) Methodology that determined the probable locations and volumes of ship-source oil spills, where the spills would travel and what would likely be impacted by the oil. 

Opened in September 1875, Blackfriars Bridge is a single span structure over the north branch of the Thames River, connecting Ridout Street North to Blackfriars Street near the northwest corner of the Central Business District of London, Ontario. It is the only bowstring arch truss of its kind in Canada, only one of four that still carry vehicular loads in North America and the only bridge of its kind open to two lanes of traffic. It is the oldest wrought iron or steel through truss bridge on the Ontario Heritage Bridge List. The City of London retained Dillon to complete a risk assessment, environmental assessment, as well as provide the detailed design and tendering services for the preferred rehabilitation option.

The Souris River Basin, which borders the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and North Dakota in the USA, had major flooding due to a June 2011 rainstorm. A rail company in the area was faced with business interruption, property damages and lost revenue from crops damaged in the flood. To substantiate a contingent business interruption claim, Dillon analyzed the cause and effect linkages of the storm to the affected areas.