MCRT Infrastructure Project

This project provides engineers, geoscientists, and other professionals and decision-makers with advanced knowledge and skills in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

About


Project Description and Objectives

The purpose of the project is to provide engineers, geoscientists and other professionals and decision-makers with advanced knowledge and skills in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Specific objectives are:

  1. To build awareness and knowledge among professional engineers, geoscientists, and other stakeholders to integrate climate change solutions into design and development to promote climate resiliency and climate mitigation in Manitoba.
  2. To increase skills, capacity, and tool usage among professional engineers, geoscientists and other stakeholders to integrate current and future climate information and data into analysis, planning, and decision making on projects.
  3. To enhance collaboration with stakeholders in Manitoba and across Canada, fostering a strong community of practice, knowledge, and expertise.

The project will equip professional engineers, geoscientists, professionals, and decision-makers to design infrastructure and other projects that protect the public from extreme weather while reducing carbon emissions.

The project will include consideration of the following subjects for potential development:

  • Climate Change Mitigation Solutions
  • Green and Natural Infrastructure Innovative knowledge
  • Flood and Drought Mitigation
  • Clean Technology and Green Economy
  • Climate Information Interpretation.

Development and delivery of a pre-training survey and engagement conversation with our members and other stakeholders will determine the appetite for and identification of subjects for further development.


Project Tasks

  • Establish a Manitoba Climate Resiliency Training Project (MCRT) Working Group.
  • Update environmental scan research to identify providers of courses consistent with the identified training requirements and to identify where new courses need to be developed.
  • Update and deliver three infrastructure sector training courses that were initially delivered in the MCRT offering. These include:
    • Infrastructure Climate Risk Assessment – featuring the PIEVC Process
    • An Introduction to Climate Change through Codes, Standards, and Regulations
    • Nature-Based Infrastructure Solutions to Enhance Resilience
  • Create training courses and other capacity building initiatives which will include mitigation strategies and technologies.

Target delivery of updated courses in the 2023/24 fiscal year.
Target delivery of new courses in the 2024/25 fiscal year.

 

Our Team


Curt Hull, P.Eng.
Project Manager

Curt Hull has a consulting practice in sustainability in Manitoba and has been Project Director of Climate Change Connection in Winnipeg since 2007. He works with NGOs, businesses, universities and colleges, as well as all levels of government to create a fossil-fuel free future. He currently serves on the board of Sustainable Building Manitoba and the Climate Reality Project Canada. Since 2016, he has been working on clean energy and sustainability projects with diesel and winter road dependent First Nations in Northern Manitoba. Since 2018, he has been working with and advising Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba on their climate change initiatives. He is currently Project Manager of the MCRT project for the Association.


Soffia Baragar (She/Her), M.A.
Project Researcher and Research Analyst

Soffia Baragar has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Winnipeg, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Iceland. Most recently, in December 2022, she finished and graduated with a Master of Science in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Soffia has experience working in government relations at Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba and experience conducting research in academia and in the non-profit sector. She was very involved in Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba’s BRACE/MCRT Project in research and research analysis from October 2021 to April 2022, and is fulfilling those responsibilities again for MCRT Infrastructure Project.

Monika Franz-Lien, B.Comm.Hons., CPSM
Project Coordinator and Communications

Monika Franz-Lien retired from the Manitoba Civil Service in June 2017 after a 32-year career in nine different departments, with her experience spanning from Human Resource Management to Policy and Program Analysis, Training and Organizational Development, and Organizational Performance Measurement. Since 2017, she worked for two years at Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba as the maternity leave replacement for the Administrative Assistant in Government Relations, and one year as the Director of Skills and Talent at EMILI. She was heavily involved in Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba’s BRACE/MCRT Project in project coordination and communications from April 2021 to April 2022, and is fulfilling those responsibilities again for MCRT Infrastructure Project.

 

Contact Us

If you have any questions or comments about the MCRT Infrastructure Project course offerings, or suggestions for additional climate change mitigation course topics, we’d like to hear from you. Please contact mfranz-lien@EngGeoMB.ca, MCRT Project Coordinator and Communications.

MCRT Infrastructure Project Training Courses

Registration is now open for the MCRT courses. Click on the course titles for course content information and to register for these MCRT courses.

Course 1: Infrastructure Climate Risk Assessment and how to conduct an assessment featuring PIEVC

Course 2: Natural Infrastructure Solutions to Enhance Climate Resilience

Course 3: Introduction to Climate Change through Codes, Standards, and Regulations

Course 4: Introduction to Geothermal Engineering and Energy Modelling

Upcoming Training and Conferences

All EngGeoMB MCRT Climate Change training events as well as external climate change training events and conferences that may be of interest to practitioners will be advertised on the Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba’s event page and can be found using the “Climate Change Training” filter.

Survey Results

Survey Results of Training Needs and Delivery Preferences: March 2023

*Survey Report Now Available*

The Manitoba Climate Resilience Training (MCRT) Project Team extends its appreciation to the 188 engineering and geoscience practitioners and the additional 222 allied professionals and infrastructure decision-makers, including architects, planners, and certified technologists/technicians, who responded to the recent survey to identify training needs related to mitigating and adapting to climate change in their work.

The following organizations shared the survey with their members/affiliates:

  • Manitoba Construction Sector Council
  • Manitoba Building Trades Institute
  • Manitoba Association of Architects
  • Manitoba Professional Planners Institute
  • Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
  • Manitoba Municipal Administrators Association
  • Association of Manitoba Municipalities
  • Keystone Agriculture Producers
  • Eco-West
  • Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Public Works Association

Recordings

Climate Change Mitigation and Resiliency Training Recordings: MCRT Infrastructure Project Winter 2023

Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba’s YouTube channel, as well as ClimateWest, are the ongoing repositories for the course recordings and handout material generated in the Winter 2023 MCRT Infrastructure Project. Practitioners can access training materials related to climate resilience at these sites.

EngGeoMB YouTube channel: