Growing Our Relationship with Fisheries and Oceans Canada

In 2018, Urban Systems started building a relationship with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the federal department dedicated to Canada’s oceans and aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on wild salmon in British Columbia. This partnership has been built on a foundation of trust, consistency, and reliability—all core values of our business. Urban Systems recently applied for another Request for Services (RSP) and was successfully granted a new standing offer for a minimum of three years.  

The Work

While DFO projects are often associated with environmental consulting, our support has been focused on water engineering, land planning, asset management, Research and Public facilities, and co-designing solutions with DFO’s fisheries experts. Much of the work revolves around protecting wild salmon in British Columbia.

• Water system engineering

• River and habitat restoration and enhancement

• Public facility planning, design, and construction

• Condition assessment

• Conservation hatchery design

Conservation Hatchery Design 

One of the impactful projects we’re working on is the design and construction of two salmon conservation hatcheries. Beginning with feasibility work in 2022, this initiative now involves partnering with two Nations and DFO to support salmon stocks considered extremely vulnerable: the Chilcotin River chinooks (Fraser Watershed) and Kitwanga River sockeye (Skeena Watershed). Once completed, the salmon conservation hatcheries will be operated by the Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG) and Gitanyow Fisheries Authority (GFA), respectively, and will offer opportunities to enhance other local wild salmon stocks in critical conditions. For these hatcheries, our team serves as the prime design consultant, overseeing site development, civil infrastructure, aquaculture system integration, building design, and project management, involving other engineering disciplines and architects as needed. 

Collaboration is key to this project’s success. DFO contributes expertise in fish rearing and aquaculture, while our Urban Systems team brings strength in collaboration, project delivery, civil work, and public building planning. Decision-making is shared, with an emphasis on open communication and continuous feedback. For engineer-in-training Breanna Lapointe, the experience has also been formative:

“Being a part of this project has grown my project management and consulting relationship skills. Collaborating with DFO has shown me what building a truly collaborative and trusting relationship looks like.” 

Construction for the Wilp Ho’Dix (Gitanyow) hatchery is set to begin in spring 2026, with project completion anticipated by March 2027. 

The Power of Collaboration

Strong, long-term relationships built on trust are the backbone of our success, and our work with DFO is no exception. Simon Duplus, an engineer based out of our Courtenay office, reflects on the relationship:

“As with many relationships, our ability to interact with the DFO team regularly is key. We often interact face to face, on-site, or when they visit our office. It is sometimes project related, and sometimes we are simply trusted thinking partners on subject matters like project delivery, asset management, land planning, or infrastructure management. We don’t position ourselves as a “commodity” or “expertise” consultant, but rather as a constructive problem solver, dedicated to looking for simple and efficient solutions.”  

Working alongside DFO has helped our team gain valuable insights into engineering within a new market. Besides larger facilities, DFO projects typically go fast, from planning to design and construction within a few months. The project team have taken this unique opportunity to learn as much as possible and plans to share these insights across Urban so others can explore similar opportunities.  

By navigating unfamiliar challenges and adapting our approaches, we are fostering growth and expanding our network, positioning ourselves as leaders in innovation and collaboration. DFO has expressed appreciation for our people-first approach to work. Our focus isn’t just on transactions; we’re committed to the entire project, which helps our team build strong connections with clients. 

“Managing fisheries facilities is complex and comes with urgent, shifting priorities. DFO values our support because we love tackling challenging problems with them— fostering collaboration, adaptability, and high–quality professional service” says Duplus. 

The team is proud to continue building on the relationship with DFO and is excited about what this partnership will bring in the years ahead.