AE Live

Water is no longer a background issue in Canada, it’s front and centre. From floods to droughts, today’s risks are reshaping how we plan, build, and adapt. In this episode John van der Eerden, Associated's Vice President, Water Resources shares insights from nearly 40 years in the field, exploring how technology, climate change, and long-term thinking are shaping more resilient communities.

This episode of AE Live explores asset management with host Michael Tolboom and his guest, Ryan Woodhouse, an asset management professional based in Calgary. The discussion covers what asset management is, how the field has evolved globally, and why it is becoming increasingly important for organizations facing aging infrastructure, limited resources, and climate-related risks. Ryan shares his career path, explains how asset management helps organizations make informed, risk-based investment decisions, and emphasizes the value of building internal capability. The episode also highlights emerging areas such as climate resilience and natural asset management, illustrated by large-scale projects like Parks Canada’s nationwide asset assessments.

On this episode of AE Live, host Michael Tolboom speaks with Desiree Pastorin, CET, about her unconventional path to becoming a Certified Engineering Technologist and project manager at Associated Engineering. From school photography to leading water treatment plant projects, her story is a testament to adaptability and her passion to support the communities she's involved in. Desiree’s advice? Keep it simple—whether it’s project management or cocktails.

The Associated Engineering Young Professionals Group is available to staff who are getting started in their career, and is committed to furthering the technical, professional, personal, and social development of young employees.

On this episode of AE Live, host Michael Tolboom speaks to Lidia Bradau, Alex Rodrigues, Abigail Smith, and Thomas Siuda, four early-career engineers, to discuss what they wish they’d learned in school, the challenges they’ve faced, and the realities of working in the industry. From mastering building codes and soft skills to navigating interdisciplinary collaboration and adapting to new technologies like AI, their stories reveal that engineering is as much about communication and teamwork as it is about technical expertise. They share candid advice for aspiring engineers, lessons learned from mistakes, and what truly excites them about their careers, along with a few fun tips to wrap things up!

Breanna Jackson is featured on this episode of AE Live to talk about being named one of ITE's 2025 Young Leaders to Follow, and what her goals and passions are in the world of Transportation Planning and Engineering. With projects across western Canada, Breanna has helped communities of all sizes grapple with their changing transportation needs as technology changes the way people move around.

In this episode of AE Live, we chat with Ken Anderson, Manager of our Water team in the Winnipeg office, about the challenges of smart planning for water in the Canadian prairies!

Marta Green, Hydrogeology Technical Specialist with Associated Environmental Consultants, and President of the BC Groundwater Association joins AE Live to talk about her experience supporting groundwater and wastewater projects, helping communities manage their drinking water, and protecting the water supply in our changing climate.

Craig MacDonald, who works with Associated as a Climate Data & Application Advisor out of the Calgary office for the Strategic Advisory Services division joins the podcast to discuss his experiences. Craig has worked on emerging clean transportation technologies and has experience with both Federal and Municipal governments, supporting climate and infrastructure planning and policy, in addition to transportation, water, and wastewater planning. Recently, Craig has also been part of a team that put together the Closing the Infrastructure Gap by 2030 report for Indigenous Services Canada.

Season One included nine episodes for AE Live, and covered topics from seismic retrofitting to traffic planning and Intelligent Transportation Systems, to engineering and environmental work in Canada's northern territories, to bringing international engineering experience to Canadian communities. Hosts Michael Tolboom and Graeme Nix take you around Associated Engineering to meet the people that deliver projects across the company.

For our final episode of 2024, Tonderai Chakanyuka talks about beginning his career in Zimbabwe, moving to the United Kingdom, and then eventually finding his way to Canada. This international experience gives him a unique perspective on delivering infrastructure to communities who often have to balance competing needs of aging infrastructure, climate change, and budgets.