Inge Anderson Award of Merit

This award recognizes CDA members who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge and practices related to dams in Canada. Since 2021, the award is offered every year to a member of CDA. The Inge Anderson Award of Merit is CDAs’ highest award and it honours the memory of Inge H. Anderson, P.Eng..

Meet Gord McKenna, 2022 recipient:

Gord McKenna is a geotechnical engineer and geologist who builds mining landforms. He brings 35 years experience in mine operations and international consulting for oil sands, coal, diamond, and metal mines.
McKenna Geotechnical provides independent geotechnical review, design, and advice to mines, regulators, and communities. Gord sits on ten geotechnical review boards, is an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta, and chairs the Landform Design Institute.  
Gord is a builder. He and his multidisciplinary teams have designed and built 26 reclaimed watersheds that cover 54 square kilometers and host 38 wetlands and 120 kilometers of streams. He has co-authored 100 technical papers and book chapters and led 40 landform design courses. He is actively supporting mines and the mining industry as they incorporate tailings landform design into their operations to meet corporate and GISTM requirements.
Gord’s specialties include mining geotechnique, tailings dams, soft tailings, and landform design. He has a BASc in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Alberta. 

The previous recipients are:

  • 1993 - Inge Anderson
  • 1995 - Gary Salmon
  • 1997 - Barry Hurndall
  • 1999 - Guy Laroque
  • 2001 - Tony Tawil
  • 2004 - Ray Stewart
  • 2006 - Gaétan Guertin
  • 2008 - Desmond N.D. Hartford
  • 2010 - Gerard Verzeni
  • 2012 - A.R. (Tony) Bennett
  • 2014 - Jean-Pierre Tournier
  • 2016 - Stephen Rigbey
  • 2018 - Norbert (Nordie) Morgenstern
  • 2020 - Edward (Ed) C. McRoberts
  • 2021 - Richard Donnelly
  • 2022 - Gord McKenna

Inge Anderson Award - Nomination Form

Who was Inge Anderson, P.Eng.?

The Inge Anderson Award of Merit is CDAs’ highest award. It honours Inge H. Anderson, an engineer who was instrumental in creating the foundation for CDA. Fittingly, he was the recipient when it was first awarded in 1993. Inge graduated in Civil Engineering with distinction in 1957 from the University of Alberta.  He also took post graduate courses in hydrology, soil mechanics and highway engineering. From 1956 to 1988, Inge worked for the Alberta Government, first on design and construction and then on dam safety. As the Director of the Design and Construction Division, Inge spearheaded dam safety legislation for Alberta and the formation of the Dam Safety Branch. That branch managed safety for the dams owned by the province, as well as regulating about 1400 dams.

After retiring from government, Inge was the Manager of Mine Development for Suncor overseeing their massive tailing dams, and then brought his experience to consulting, specializing in dam design and safety. Inge was passionate about creating a forum where all interested Canadians could share knowledge about dam safety. He was the first President of the Canadian Dam Safety Association (CDSA) and was the moving force in the development of national dam safety guidelines. The guidelines were of interest not just in Canada but internationally; Inge was part of a team presenting workshops in India, Malaysia and Central America.  When CDSA merged with CANCOLD to form CDA, Inge was the Chair of the Guidelines Committee.  Inge also presented numerous technical papers, conducted workshops and guest lectured at universities across Canada.

The name Inge Anderson is synonymous with the CDA and the development of guidelines of engineering practice for the safe management of dams. In 2008, the Engineering Institute of Canada inducted Inge as a Fellow, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the engineering profession in Canada.

 

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