Project Management Award of Excellence
Wanuskewin Heritage Park Bison Facilities Associated Engineering
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An opportunity in refurbishment For thousands of years, the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Plains followed the bison, which provided food, clothing, shelter and tools. Following the arrival of settlers and the construction of homesteads and ranches in the late 1800s, hunting and loss of habitat drove the bison to near-extinction, reducing their population from 30 million to less than 1,000. The demise of the bison, sacred to the identity of the Plains Cree, was simultaneous with the destruction of the way of life for Indigenous people. Wanuskewin Heritage Park was established in 1992. By 2015, it needed to be refurbished and upgraded. The Wanuskewin Heritage Park Authority saw an opportunity to return a resident herd of genetically pure bison to the Northern Plains. The authority retained AE to design, tender, oversee construction of and manage a $3.5-million program. AE’s team learned from leaders and elders, participated in cultural events and consulted with equipment vendors, facility contractors and experienced bison herd managers from Parks Canada, who had previously helped establish herds at Banff, 48
CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER
Elk Island and Grasslands National Parks. The design included 73 ha of paddocks, conversion of lands to native grasses, perimeter fencing, a 223-m2 bison handling building with fenced sorting facility, a 201m2 maintenance operations building, an 84-m2 storage building, site grading, utility servicing and sanitary sewer upgrades. Construction had to be completed ahead of the bison’s arrival. Through a collaborative approach with the park authority, First Nations, elders, stakeholders and experts, AE delivered Wanuskewin’s bison facilities on time and under budget. A symbol of hope and reconciliation The Wanuskewin Heritage Park Authority owns and operates an internationally renowned interpretive centre for research and improving the public’s understanding of the Indigenous tribes of the Northern Plains. It wished to further increase the visibility of the park through advancement of educational programs, preservation of its biodiversity and unique ecology and the return
of the bison. To achieve its vision, the authority announced a $40-million ‘Thundering Ahead’ campaign to renew and upgrade its facilities. AE managed the design and construction of infrastructure to facilitate the return of, care for and safe public engagement with the bison. A collaborative approach fostered a free flow of ideas. In December 2019, six young bison from the Grasslands National Park herd in southwestern Saskatchewan returned to Wanuskewin. A month later, four pregnant cows and a mature bull from the U.S. reconnected with the herd. All were descendants of the historic Northern Plains bison. Four months later, the first bison calf in 150 years was born at Wanuskewin. Today, with a herd of 17 bison, the facility has begun to fulfil the vision of returning the animals to the Northern Plains as a symbol of hope and reconciliation. Leading to discovery The project restored what had become cattle September/October 2022
PHOTO COU RT E SY A S S O C I AT E D E NG I N E E R I NG
anuskewin Heritage Park near Saskatoon is a research centre that honours Indigenous peoples and educates visitors about local tribes. Associated Engineering (AE) provided design and project management for facilities to care for bison. Thus, in 2019, 150 years after they were driven to near-extinction, bison returned to graze again on the Northern Plains.
