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Message from the President

Rob Kenyon, President of the Canadian Geotechnical Society

Spring 2024

 

Dear CGS Members,

 

I write this message as preparations move forward in earnest for the 77th Annual Canadian Geotechnical Conference, this year hosted in Montreal, September 15 to 18, again in partnership with the Canadian National Chapter (CNC) of the International Associations of Hydrogeologists (IAH). The most fitting theme of this year’s conference is Resilient geosciences for future generations. Planning by the Local Organizing Committee, under co-chairs François Duhaime and Daniel Verret, is well underway with exciting technical and social programs in the works. Come to GeoMontréal 2024 and get your technical batteries recharged while enjoying the local Joie de vivre.

 

From time to time, I hear one of our CGS members wonder aloud what benefits accrue from membership in the Society. One of the first things that come to mind are the number of conferences, lectures, webinars and short courses organized for your benefit by volunteer members of CGS. A short current list of conferences would include the 12th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2024) to be held June 16 to 20, this year in Whitehorse. Our thanks to CGS members Ryley Beddoe and Lukas Arenson for co-chairing and organizing this most timely gathering. Planning is also well underway for the Fourth Pan-Am Conference on Unsaturated Soils, June 22 to 25th, 2025 in Ottawa, co-chaired by CGS members Paul Simms and Sai Vanapalli. Planning is already underway in Winnipeg for the 78th Annual Canadian Geotechnical Conference in 2025. CGS member Kent Bannister (and past CGS VP Finance) is chairing this annual conference which will be organized in collaboration with the Canadian Permafrost Association (CPA). The 8th CGS Sponsored Young Professional Conference, co-chaired by Jenna Roadley and Jack Park, will precede the Winnipeg Conference. Finally, the ASCE Geo-Institute recently held its 28th GeoCongress in Vancouver, with the active support of Andrea Lougheed and the Vancouver Section of CGS. The conference was held outside the USA mainland for the first time and was a tremendous success by all metrics. 

 

By now, members will know that sales of the Canadian Foundation Engineering Manual 5th Edition (2023), co-edited by Ken Skaftfeld and Rob Kenyon, were launched at GeoSaskatoon.  This latest edition of the manual is entirely digital, giving the user all the benefits of using the manual as provided by their personal data file (pdf) software. The manual is significantly expanded, with five entirely new chapters and significant upgrades to many others. You can search the manual digitally, book mark sections, take advantage of hyper-links that take you from  the citation within a chapter to the actual reference, or from a digital map directly to the map source. Users will find this edition easier, faster and generally more convenient to utilize in practice due to these kinds of features. It will save practitioners time and money.  Individual sales  are now available to CGS members,  non-members, and students.  Institutional sales for libraries and corporate organisations  are also available.  Details are provided elsewhere in the magazine and on the CGS website.

 

This issue  of the magazine contains contributions from our Northern Alberta (Edmonton) Section. This is most appropriate as the teaching and research of modern geotechnical engineering began in large part in Canada at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Historical details are available on the CGS website in the virtual archives section.  I.F. Morrison is considered by many to be the father of soil mechanics in Canada. Morrison joined the Unversity of Alberta Civil Engineering department in 1922 and by 1925 Foundation Design was a subject in the undergraduate program. A rudimetary soils mechanics laboratory was established by 1930  and an undergraduate Soil Mechanics course was established separate from Foundation Design by 1931. R.M. (Bob) Hardy joined the University of Alberta in 1930 as a structural engineer, later studying soil mechanics at Harvard University under Tergzaghi and Casagrande. Upon returning to Alberta, Dr. Hardy established an advanced soil mechanics laboratory along with a graduate program in geotechnical engineering. The rest you might say is history. Visit www.cgs.ca to delve further into the history of geotechnical engineering in Canada along with historical perspectives of our pioneers in this field.

 

Since it was created a few years ago, I have  looked forward to receiving my glossy paper copy of Canadian Geotechnique and the articles contained therein.  Production of this CGS  Magazine is the result of a lot of volunteer effort by members of the Society. I ask you to take the time to take a look inside the cover (on p. 3) at the names of the Karma-Link Publishing Team including: Managing Editor Lisa Reny, Editor Nick Beier, eight Contributing Editors) and the CGS Editorial Advisory Board. Thanks so much to each and everyone who is part of this magazine.

 

In the meantime, enjoy the summer. I look forward to meeting you all in Montréal in September.

 

Rob Kenyon

President





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