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City Building: An engineering firm whose goal is to be an employer of choice and a good corporate citizen

Company Profile: Goodkey, Weedmark & Associates Ltd.

When he became the director of Goodkey, Weedmark & Associates Ltd. (GWAL), Francis Bann developed his vision for the company by reflecting on how GWAL had created success over its previous 66 years. 

“I want us to be known as the industry-leading design engineering firm, be easy to work with, and to be the choice employer,” Bann says. “I’m really proud of our team’s work and excited to contribute towards engineering our growth every day. We are making a difference.” 

GWAL, officially incorporated in 1956, is an award-winning electrical and mechanical engineering consulting firm with licensed personnel in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. The company is a division of Englobe, a leading Canadian multidisciplinary engineering, inspection and environmental services firm with a well-established presence across the country. Within its 100-person workforce, GWAL has LEED-accredited professionals and has completed many LEED-certified projects. It also has members of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America — both leaders in sustainable design and practice.

The company works on a range of projects, including multi-unit residential, commercial, light industrial and institutional and has been responsible for the engineering needs of several iconic Ottawa building projects, including the Rogers Centre Ottawa, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the Nepean Sportplex, Zibi, a 34-acre community that will rehabilitate former industrial space into a sustainable residential and commercial area, and the beautiful New Edinburgh Boathouse, a 17,000-square-foot building on the Ottawa River. 

GWAL is proud to be known as a choice employer. 

“We develop our competencies and set high standards,” Bann says. “We strive to add value every day and communicate with ways to connect. We value our team and invest in their growth.”

One way in which GWAL distinguishes itself is with its charitable efforts. 

“At GWAL, we believe in the profound impact of giving back to our community,” Bann says. “We recognize that helping others fosters compassion, empathy and a deeper understanding of the challenges people face.” 

To that end, the company has developed initiatives such as “Diaper Day” and its “Holiday Present Pile” in support of Minwaashin Lodge, an organization that offers programs and services to women and children of First Nations, Inuit and Metis descent. It also designed and sells orange shirts whose proceeds go directly to Minwaashin programs. GWAL’s annual Drive Against Hunger golf tournament is one of several ways in which the company supports the Ottawa Food Bank. Employees also volunteer for food-sorting shifts at the food bank.

In addition to those good works, GWAL has also had the privilege of working on several key community betterment projects, including CHEO, Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, Mikinàk Community, Mosaïq Ottawa (community housing), National Capital Commission (NCC) River House and the NCC’s Westboro Beach House.

“Building better communities by design is the cornerstone of GWAL & Englobe’s commitment to our communities,” Bann says. “Our goal is to inspire others to join us in making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Together, we strive for a better future for us all.”

This article first appeared in the Spring 2025 special “City Building” issue of the Ottawa Business Journal. That publication is available in its digital edition below:

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