Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Kingston

Global Adjustment Mitigation & Resiliency Project

The changes resulting from the Global Adjustment mitigation and resiliency project will create additional capacity to support the decarbonization of heating systems, enable electric vehicle charging, and accommodate future growth across the Base.

Delivering multi-phase infrastructure at CFB Kingston required an integrated, adaptive approach to manage evolving scope and interconnected systems. HH Angus executed several related projects:

Phase 1 – Royal Military College: 3MW Global Adjustment (GA) mitigation generators, with installation in 2025 and completion in 2026
Phase 2 – McNaughton Barracks: Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for power offset and GA reduction; new service entrance switchgear for 2025, with completion in 2026
Phase 3 – Vimy Barracks: BESS for GA mitigation scheduled for completion in 2026

Under Johnson Control’s Energy Performance Contract, HH Angus was engaged to enhance resiliency and deliver GA savings, beginning with a feasibility study to define optimal solutions. At McNaughton, obsolete switchgear and deteriorated medium-voltage feeders were replaced, along with new solar and BESS systems to reduce peak demand. At Vimy, BESS provides additional demand mitigation.

As scope expanded, HH Angus added replacement of the adjacent Royal Military College’s main 44kV transformers—one having failed—and recommended a second 44kV transformer at Vimy to improve reliability, as prior inter-ties to McNaughton and Utilities Kingston were no longer available.

SERVICES
Prime Consultant | Electrical Engineering

PROJECT FEATURES
New system provides increased capacity for future growth | Decarbonization of heating, and electric vehicle charging | Feasibility Study | Condition Assessment | Ongoing

LOCATION
Kingston, Ontario

KEY SCOPE ELEMENTS
Global Adjustment mitigation systems | Electrical infrastructure upgrades | Transformer replacement and upgrades | Energy performance and demand reduction | Feasibility and solution development | Phased delivery across multiple facilities

Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Petawawa

Global Adjustment

The work integrated new controls, emissions systems, and utility coordination, all while maintaining continuous facility operations through careful planning and temporary power solutions.

HH Angus was engaged to retrofit an existing 1800 kW diesel generator and add a new 1250 kW unit for parallel grid operation with remote dispatch and Urea emissions after-treatment. Grid controls included anti-islanding protection, SCADA integration, and transfer trip functionality. The new generator required replacement of the local 1500 kVA transformer. Maintaining uninterrupted facility operations was a key challenge, as the existing generator supported life-safety systems.

HH Angus coordinated carefully, deploying rental generators and using fast change-out methods such as single-bolt bus duct to minimize shutdowns.

Although budget constraints were a factor, a broader financial review justified the higher capital investment based on stronger long-term payback. Collaboration with the local utility further streamlined the schedule: protection systems were installed once, in coordination with the utility’s concurrent substation upgrade, eliminating redundant work.

SERVICES
Prime Consultant | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering

PROJECT FEATURES
1800kW diesel generator retrofit | 1250kW generator upgrade | Completed 2020

LOCATION
Petawawa, Ontario

KEY SCOPE ELEMENTS
Generator retrofit and upgrade

Opercule Urban Fish Farm

The Opercule Fish Farm project is a pioneering initiative in the heart of Montreal, representing the first urban fish farm in Canada. This innovative project is based on a unique approach to fresh fish production, combining cutting-edge technology, respect for the environment and a local supply network.

Opercule annually raises 25 to 30 tonnes of Arctic Char, a fish species highly prized by Montreal restaurants and residents, and raised without the use of chemicals, hormones or antibiotics.

The primary goal for the Opercule Fish Farm was to create an eco-friendly, sustainable fish farm with a low impact on the environment and providing excellent living conditions for fish. HH Angus worked closely with the client to understand their unique and ground-breaking vision and was able to design innovative solutions tailored to this one-of-a-kind project. The project’s design also stands out for its ability to produce fresh fish locally in a non-coastal city.

This model of aquatic urbanism fits perfectly into a context where demand for local, sustainable products is growing. Working with the HH Angus design and engineering team, Opercule is meeting Montreal’s appetite for Arctic Char by supplying top-quality fish while reducing the usual carbon footprint associated with transporting seafood from coastal regions.

The project's innovative design and short-supply chain production model allow Opercule to raise high-quality fish in an urban environment in response to a growing local demand for sustainable food products. Fish swimming in the morning can be on diners’ plates the same evening, frequently delivered to restaurants by e-bikes to further reduce the product’s carbon footprint.

SERVICES
Prime Consultant | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering

PROJECT FEATURES
Canada’s first urban commercial fish farm | Sustainable production processes | Reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional fish farming methods | Closed circuit production loop

LOCATION
Montréal, Quebec

KEY SCOPE ELEMENTS
Design and engineering to enable production of food fish in a dense urban environment, utilizing municipal services infrastructure| Production of technical reports for provincial Authorities Having Jurisdiction, due to uniqueness of the project | Custom design solutions to respond to changing operational conditions

Enabling production at scale

No design references or construction expertise existed for this pioneering enterprise, and the client placed their trust in HH Angus’ ingenuity and adaptability to deliver the vision.

The project’s key technical innovation was the development of the Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) system - the first of its kind in Quebec - which allows fish to be produced in a closed circuit, from egg to table.

From the outset, we worked very closely with Opercule to thoroughly understand the challenges and goals. The client had a strong vision for their new company, were deeply committed to its success, and actively involved in the project’s technical aspects. One of the owners brought a background in consulting engineering, and this made our collaboration highly productive.

Reducing environmental impact

The primary goal for Opercule was to create an eco-friendly, sustainable fish farm with a low impact on the environment and providing excellent living conditions for fish.

The RAS process is a sustainable model that significantly reduces the environmental footprint of the operation by reducing not only water but alsoenergy consumption compared to traditional aquaculture. The system minimizes the use of these precious resources, a crucial factor in an urban environment. By recovering, filtering and reusing water, the farm significantly reduces water consumption compared to traditional fish farming methods, which are often very water intensive. The system allows the company to reduce water consumption by 100 – 200 times compared to traditional systems.

In terms of waste management, Opercule uses environmentally friendly techniques to treat the organic and biological waste generated by production, helping to reduce overall environmental impact. The project also promotes use of sustainable materials for the construction and fitout of the facilities, reducing the carbon footprint of the entire system.

In addition, the absence of chemicals, hormones and antibiotics in fish production ensures no soil or water contamination. This approach helps preserve local ecosystems and eliminates the risk of pollution.

Engineering design challenges

The complexity of the Opercule project stems from a number of technical and logistical factors. The creation of an urban fish farm requires a completely unique design adapted to a dense urban environment. The design of a water recirculation system, intended to ensure the well-being of the product from the egg stage to the delivery of the fish, required the development and refinement of innovative technologies in filtration, nutrient management, and optimization of living conditions in confined environments.

Challenges included managing water quality, which is essential for fish health, as well as creating an optimal environment for rearing Arctic Char, known to be a delicate species. This challenge involved the creation of autonomous systems to maintain constant temperatures and pH levels, without the need for chemical treatments. In addition, bio-safety management was a priority to avoid contamination.

During the operational phase, it was discovered that the heat generated by the fish—even though they are cold-blooded—had been underestimated. This required adjustments to operational conditions to maintain stable water temperatures. Despite this challenge, our close collaboration with the client ensured these modifications were implemented effectively, showcasing the team’s problem-solving abilities.

Hamilton Health Sciences Centre (HHSC)

Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Resilience Action Plan

HHSC asked HH Angus to develop a strategic and comprehensive GHG Reduction and Resilience Action Plan to guide HHSC in meeting provincial and federal greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030 and, eventually, "Net Zero" by 2050.

The scope of the work HH Angus provided covered the following HHSC sites (totaling approximately 3,200,000 ft2):

McMaster Children’s Hospital
Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre
Hamilton General Hospital
West Lincoln Memorial Hospital
St. Peter’s Hospital
Ron Joyce Children Health Centre
David Braley Research Building

HH Angus developed a Strategic GHG Reduction and Resilience Action Plan (GRRAP) for HHSC to support their goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This plan included establishing a GHG inventory for Scopes 1 and 2, in addition to forecasting future emissions. (Scope 1 emissions include direct emissions from on-site combustion, and have consistently represented the majority of total emissions. Scope 2 emissions are associated with purchased electricity, steam and/or chilled water.)

GHG reduction targets were set in alignment with leading international frameworks such as the SDGs (sustainable development goals), SBTi (science-based targets initiative), and UNGC (UN Global Compact).

Some key considerations in developing the GRRAP included:

Aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance
Emissions from natural gas combustion
Carbon tax financial risk
Integration of redevelopment with decarbonization
Uncertainty in future district energy and waste heat
Embedding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and sustainability culture

HH Angus completed an analysis of existing energy and sustainability plans, policies, and facility assessments to identify key opportunities for GHG reduction, while adhering to GHG Protocol standards. The newly created GRRAP document outlined the necessary steps, measures, infrastructure requirements, and financial scenarios needed to meet or exceed the proposed GHG reduction targets.

The implementation plan focused on energy conservation, electrification, renewable energy generation, and zero-carbon building solutions. Additionally, HH Angus provided HHSC with a GHG Manager tool to facilitate ongoing scenario modeling.

SERVICES
Prime Consultant | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering

PROJECT FEATURES
7 sites totalling 3,200,000 ft2 | Completed 2025

LOCATION
Hamilton, Ontario

KEY SCOPE ELEMENTS
Mechanical consulting, including ASHRAE Level II energy audit; evaluation for energy conservation measure, review and evaluate maintenance records, capital redevelopment plan | Electrical consulting, including utility analysis, site capacity evaluation | Feasibility study

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Space Optimization Study Using AWS QuickSight

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a leading healthcare provider in Toronto, was seeking to address challenges in medical space utilization. With a diverse array of clinical services and bookable exam rooms, Sunnybrook faced challenges understanding a perceived shortage of space. Yet, intermittent observations suggested that many exam rooms were frequently empty.

M6 – Multipurpose Clinical Space | Yuval & Lori Barzakay Brain Health Clinic Study

To gain a clearer understanding of space utilization and identify potential inefficiencies, Sunnybrook partnered with HH Angus, leveraging our expertise in digital solutions and innovative engineering. The goal was to implement a robust monitoring system to capture accurate data on room usage, enabling informed decisions on resource allocation.

This project reflects Sunnybrook’s commitment to operational efficiency, ensuring that resources are optimally allocated to improve patient care and support staff needs.

SERVICES
Prime Consultant

PROJECT FEATURES
Digital monitoring system to inform clinical resource allocation | Enhanced operational efficiency | Patient privacy | Scalable design | Predictive analytics

LOCATION
Toronto, Ontario

KEY SCOPE ELEMENTS
Space utilization measurement and analysis | Data acquisition through sensor deployment | Security and connectivity | Data aggregation and storage | Visualization and insights

Solving Space Utilization Challenges

Sunnybrook’s medical staff expressed concerns about limited space availability, particularly for bookable exam rooms. However, casual observations indicated that some rooms appeared to remain empty. Sunnybrook needed a reliable solution to measure actual room usage accurately while addressing two significant concerns:

Privacy: Ensuring patient privacy was paramount, particularly in sensitive clinical settings.

Accurate Detection: Existing solutions struggled to detect minimal motion, such as during procedures like blood transfusions, where patients may remain largely still.

HH Angus was engaged to design and implement a solution capable of addressing these challenges while delivering actionable insights.

Solution | Smart Sensors and AWS Integration

Our Digital Services team developed an innovative solution leveraging cutting-edge sensors and AWS services:

Sensor Deployment:

- mmWave Sensors: Initial deployment involved mmWave sensors capable of detecting micro-motions, such as breathing, to confirm room occupancy. These sensors were equipped with cellular SIM cards to operate independently of Sunnybrook’s network.
- 3D Stereoptic Sensors: To further expand the data gathered from the various clinics, the move to 3D-stereoptic sensors was used to provide not just occupancy status of exam rooms, but also the near real-time occupancy count data. Enhancing scalability, these sensors could monitor multiple rooms simultaneously, offering greater hardware efficiency.

Security and Connectivity:

- mmWave sensors utilized mTLS (mutual Transport Layer Security) for secure data transmission.
- Custom authorization for 3D-stereoptic sensors was implemented using AWS Lambda.

Data Aggregation and Storage:

- Data was streamed via Amazon Data Firehose and AWS IoT Core, stored in AWS S3, and processed through AWS Lambda.
- A centralized S3 data lake provided a secure, scalable repository for all processed data.

Visualization and Insights:

- Data queries were conducted using AWS Athena, while AWS QuickSight offered intuitive 2D dashboards for near-real-time analysis with minimal latency.

This comprehensive approach ensured seamless integration, robust data security, and actionable insights for Sunnybrook.

Outcome | Actionable Insights and Future Expansion

The solution provided Sunnybrook with detailed, data-driven insights into space utilization:

Initial Findings: The installation was completed in December 2024, and data collection began in January 2025. Analysis of the 11 monitored exam rooms in Sunnybrook’s M-Wing, conducted from January to March 2025, revealed a surprising utilization rate of only 33%. This insight challenged initial staff assumptions and highlighted opportunities for more efficient space planning.

Future Outlook: New medical clinics, which opened in January 2025, will contribute additional data to further refine Sunnybrook’s understanding of space usage and inform future expansion strategies.

Through this project, Sunnybrook is well-positioned to optimize its clinical spaces, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to enhance both staff workflows and patient care delivery.

Key Outcomes Summary

Accurate Space Utilization Data: Revealed underutilization of monitored exam rooms, providing actionable insights.

Efficient Resource Allocation: Enabled informed decisions about space planning and allocation.

Scalability: Designed for expansion, with sensors deployed to additional clinics.

Improved Patient Care: Enhanced operational efficiency supports better patient care delivery.

Predictive Analytics: Tool for staff to forecast resourcing needs based on the day of the week using historical trends

Privacy Assurance: Leveraged secure sensor technologies to maintain patient confidentiality.

AWS Services Used

AWS S3 (Simple Storage Service): Acted as the central repository for storing and
retrieving large datasets, facilitating data analysis and accessibility.

AWS IoT Core: Enabled secure, scalable connectivity for IoT devices, allowing for efficient data collection and integration into the cloud.

AWS Athena: Offered an interactive query service to analyze data in Amazon S3 using SQL, simplifying the extraction of actionable insights from complex datasets.

AWS QuickSight: Provided visualization tools and dashboards for business intelligence, enabling Manulife to derive and act upon insights from their data effectively.AWS Lambda: Supported serverless computing, automating data processing and transformation tasks without the need for server management.

Amazon Data Firehose: Streamlined the capture, transformation, and loading of streaming data, ensuring efficient data flow from IoT devices to storage and analysis tools.

AWS IoT Events: Monitored sensor data for specific conditions, facilitating real-time alerting and response mechanisms to optimize building operations.

AWS Step Functions: Orchestrated complex data processing workflows, coordinating the various components of the ETL pipeline for streamlined operation and maintenance.