Carson Templeton

Carson Howard Templeton, Order of Canada, PEng, LL.D DES

Carson Howard Templeton was a pioneering Manitoba consulting engineer, establishing successful consulting firm Templeton Engineering, and specialized in environmental protection. For his work in Canada’s high arctic, he would receive the Order of Canada.

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Education

Born September 9, 1917 in Wainwright Alberta, Carson Templeton graduated from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology with a diploma in mining engineering. He worked in Red Lake, Ontario for two years before returning to Alberta to continue his education. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University Alberta in 1943.

Early Career

During and after World War II Templeton worked on the Canol Pipeline Project in the Yukon (Canol Project - Wikipedia) and the Northwest Territories and on the construction of military airports along the Alaska Highway.

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In 1948 he was appointed assistant chief engineer of the Fraser Valley Diking Board (Fraser River flood of 1948 - Wikipedia). Then in 1950 he was appointed the chief engineer of the Greater Winnipeg Dyking Board where he was charged with the responsibility for designing and constructing a dyking and pumping system to protect Winnipeg from a repeat of the 1950 flood on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

Templeton Engineering Company

In 1951 Templeton returned to British Columbia in the construction industry, but the lure of engineering brought him back to Winnipeg and in 1955 he formed Templeton Engineering Company in a storefront building on Portage Avenue west of St. James Street. The company provided consulting engineering services to municipalities in the Greater Winnipeg area including St. Vital, East Kildonan, North Kildonan, Transcona, Charleswood and West Kildonan until 1972 when Unicity amalgamated the municipalities into modern day Winnipeg.

Templeton provided much more than engineering to the municipalities he served. He guided them in implementing infrastructure and particularly in agreements for subdivision development. Socially, the annual Christmas party and roast for politicians, engineers, contractors and developers became legendary. Many guests enjoyed the barbs and kudos and they responded with similar sharpness. The contact with municipal politicians resulted in the lecture series he established as detailed below.

Greater Winnipeg Flood Protection

Templeton retained an interest in water resources and flood control. During his appointment to Director of the Greater Winnipeg Flood Protection Committee in 1956 he organized the engineering and contracting resources of the province to combat a threatening flood. Then in 1958 Templeton Engineering was engaged by the Royal Commission on Flood Cost-Benefits to provide engineering expertise. The commission’s conclusions, drawn upon the firm’s analysis, were that the benefits of a Red River floodway, an Assiniboine River diversion at Portage La Prairie, and a dam on the Assiniboine River at Shellmouth would far outweigh the costs. If Duff Roblin can be described as the “Father of the Floodway” Templeton was one of the godfathers.

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Under Templeton’s mentorship the firm continued to grow and in 1960 he constructed a new building at 528 St. James Street. In 1966, an additional floor was constructed. Staff enjoyed Friday night socializing at the Paddock bar across St. James Street.

In support of staff development at his company, Templeton established the firm as a partnership in 1964, commencing with three partnering engineers: Bernard Barry P. Eng., Ilmar Reinart P. Eng. and William Greenfield P. Eng. By the late 1960’s staff numbered 175, nine of whom were partners and twenty-five were engineers responsible for major projects. Templeton instituted an innovative reward and re-occurring staff benefit: a paid vacation at a destination such as Florida every four years.

Templeton was an expert in business development. The company specialized in municipal engineering, structural engineering, water projects such as pumping stations, stormwater storage ponds, wastewater lagoons and drainage. It also undertook special studies on benefit-cost analysis, rate base and rates studies. In addition, they performed research projects such as the performance of rigid pavements and pavement spalling, types of grouts for anchors in rock and foundations and anchors in permafrost for the Nelson River transmission lines, and snow and ice engineering.

Teshmont Consultants

In 1966, Templeton Engineering became partners with Montreal Engineering and Shawinigan Engineering to form Teshmont Consultants. Beginning with Manitoba's Nelson River high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line, Teshmont subsequently became global experts in this field and went on to provide engineering services to over 50 percent of the world’s HVDC power transmission systems.

Templeton Engineering Project Portfolio

In the late 1960’s Templeton Engineering participated in the design and construction of the A.E.C.L. Nuclear Research Establishment at Pinawa. This included municipal services, the reactor excavation, building foundations and structures, the active liquid treatment plant, the domestic and reactor process water pump station, and unique corrugated metal pipe pedestrian tunnels which became another research project.

Significant projects from the 1960’s and 70’s era included:

• George C. MacLean 45-million-gallon water reservoir with James F. McLaren Limited.
• St. James Bridge and Interchange with A. D. Margison and associates
• Bridges and causeways such as to Hecla Island and at Garden Hill
• Storm and wastewater sewers including tunneled construction up to 108 inches diameter and watermains up to 18 inches in diameter.
• Stormwater storage ponds
• Wastewater lagoons
• Major subdivisions; Linden Woods, The Maples and others
• Authored a major critique of the development industry in Winnipeg
• Arenas: Eric Coy, Keewatin, Pioneer, East St. Paul, Arborg, and Opaskwayak Cree Nation
• Northern projects in the prairie provinces, the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
• Airport runways
• Rate Base and Rate studies for the Public Utilities Board in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
• Site evaluation and feasibility study of a proposed runway at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, Antarctica (later design and construction supervision)

Templeton Engineering Portfolio of companies

By this time, Templeton Engineering had started to acquire a group of companies and opened offices in Edmonton, Lloydminster and Saskatoon. The companies were:

• Independent Test-Lab Limited
• Linnet Graphics International Limited
• I. D. Systems Limited
• The Partnership in Teshmont Consultants Inc.

The firm outgrew its building on St. James Street, moved to 1011 Waverley Street and subsequently to its own building at 966 Waverley Street.

Environmental Services

The year 1970 saw the beginning of yet another aspect of Templeton’s career. At the invitation of Alberta Gas Trunk Lines he set up an environmental protection board of independent scientists and engineers to overview the environmental impact of major arctic construction projects associated with gas and oil pipelines. He then became chair of the Alaska Highway Pipeline Panel and chair of the Environmental Protection Board that pioneered the hearing process for Environmental Impact Assessments for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry (Berger Commission). This was the work he was most proud of and 1978 he was appointed to the Order of Canada because of it.

As a result of Templeton’s interest in the environment and social issues, as noted above he formed I. D. Systems Limited (IDS), Social and Socio-Economic Consultants. Staff at IDS included professionals in plant, aquatic, wildlife ecology, biometrics, urban and regional planning, resource development, remote sensing, hydrology, socioeconomics and project management.

The company provided services to clients across Canada and particularly in northern resource development. The group also developed expertise and conducted studies and research in snow and ice engineering which led to a major contract with the British Antarctic Survey for the development of a runway at Rothera Point in the Antarctic.

Professional Activities

Templeton gave much to the community both as professional and citizen and kept on giving into his retirement. Besides the activities mentioned he was: - President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada - Vice-chair of the board of governors of the University of Manitoba - Board member of the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital for 14 years and member of the executive committee. - Established the Northern Environment Foundation

C.H. Templeton & Associates

Templeton withdrew from the Templeton Engineering Company in January 1979. One of the conditions of his withdrawal was that the name of the company be changed (It was changed to I. D. Engineering Company) so that he could commence C. H. Templeton & Associates, Consultants. He then moved to Victoria, B. C.

Environmental Impact Review Board for the Western Arctic

In 1980 he was chosen by the Inuvialuit people to become Chair of the Environmental Impact Review Board for the Western Arctic. This was part of the implementation of the Land Claims Settlement of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. He continued to be engaged in environmental projects in western and northern Canada.

Association Activities

Templeton contributed actively to APEM (now EGM) and various committees. He became registered in the Association on June 20th, 1955. He served on the Consulting Engineers Committee for 5 years and was Chair for one year, was a member of the Employee Engineers Committee for 2 years, Committee to Study the Act for 2 years, Advisory Committee for 5 years, Nominating Committee for 1 year and Bulletin Committee for 10 years.

The Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba presented him with its Merit Award in 1975, its outstanding service award in 1981, and in 1984 conferred on him its Life Membership Award. He was the first member to receive all three awards.

In 1982 Carson was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Manitoba for his life’s work.

Then in 1989, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers awarded him its Gold Medal. This national award is presented to outstanding Canadian engineers and to recognize exceptional achievements.

In 1997 he provided funds to establish a lecture series at the University of Manitoba which bore his name: the Templeton Lecture on Democracy. Through his work in Manitoba, he developed a profound respect for the workings of democracy at the municipal level, a respect which carried through all of his subsequent endeavours. He was passionate about the importance of sustaining democratic values especially after the Quebec referendum of 1995. The series set up lectures by John Ralston Saul, Jefrey Simpson, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Benjamin Barber, Micheal Ignatieff and Chief Justice Beverley McLachlan. He was on the lecture series advisory committee until his death.

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Personal Background

Templeton adopted Winnipeg as his home. He and his wife Laurie purchased a home on Niagara Street and a cottage at Matlock where he enjoyed boating. Here they raised their family, daughter Colleen and son Neil.

Carson Templeton died on October 6, 2004 in Victoria B.C. at the age of 87. He was a congenial colleague who charmed all those he encountered. He was kind, generous, self-effacing, an engaging conversationalist, with a good sense of humour and a well-stocked and curious mind. He was a pioneer in consulting engineering in Manitoba and particularly in environmental protection.

References

1. Winnipeg Free Press Passages
2. MANSCETT 1980+/-
3. William Neville, University of Manitoba, Free Press, October 15, 2004
4. Templeton Engineering Company brochures and pamphlets
5. See Also: Manitoba Historical Society – Memorable Manitobans: Carson Howard Templeton (c1917-2004)

Prepared by

Al Myska, P. Eng., (SM), FEC

Reviewed by Glen N. Cook, PEng(SM), FEC
Ryan Bernier, PEng, FEC
Dave Ennis, PEng(SM), FEC

Posted by

Glen N. Cook, PEng(SM), FEC
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