Archived News Releases

April 11, 2003

Dillon Consulting of Winnipeg has won an Award of Excellence for Innovation in Consulting Engineering for its work on the Golden Boy restoration project, Transportation and Government Services Minister Scott Smith said, as he offered his congratulations to the firm.

"On behalf of all Manitobans, we thank Dillon Consulting for their role in restoring our Golden Boy and congratulate them on winning this prestigious award," said Smith. "The Dillon staff represents the diversity of local skills, talent and expertise that made this project so successful."

The $1 million Golden Boy restoration project was judged the best of the 11 entries in the innovation category. The annual competition is limited to members of the Consulting Engineers of Manitoba. A total of 24 projects ranging from highway designs and power transmission lines to environmental assessments and bridges was submitted. Projects from across Canada and from as far away as Yukon, Ghana and Uganda were entered.

The 17-foot (5.25-metre), 3,640-pound (1,650-kilogram) statue was removed from the Legislative Building dome in February 2002 after the support post was found to be extensively corroded. The resulting restoration of the Golden Boy was managed by Dillon Consulting and involved a wide range of Manitoba companies.

"The restoration of the Golden Boy was one of the most unique public works project in Manitoba history," said Smith. "It is very appropriate that Dillon Consulting should be recognized for their innovative approach to saving this proud symbol of our heritage. The judges specifically cited their ability to overcome many unique challenges presented by this project."

Judging criteria applied to each entry includes innovation, application or advancement of technology, added value, complexity, technical excellence, management of risk, and social, economic or environmental benefit to society.

The winning entries were announced at the third annual Awards of Excellence in Consulting Engineering for Manitoba awards ceremony on April 9 in Winnipeg.

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