William Osler Health System – Brampton Civic Hospital, New Ontario Science Centre, Gordie Howe International Bridge take top honours McCarthy Tétrault's Godyne Sibay named 2026 Lifetime Champion Award recipient
Toronto (November 10, 2026) — Things are looking golden today for an Ontario hospital recognized for consistently delivering excellent operations and maintenance services for its staff and patients after more than two decades in operation.
The William Osler Health System – Brampton Civic Hospital was among six infrastructure projects — and their teams — honoured this afternoon at the 2026 National Awards for Innovation & Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships.
The awards program, supported by AECOM, Amico, BTY Group and McCarthy Tétrault, is a national recognition of excellence in project development, investment, innovation and long-term service delivery. Since 1998, more than 60 projects have been fêted across Canada.
“In the face of challenges from abroad and the need to drive growth and new economic opportunities from within, Canada has entered a new era for infrastructure. This year's winners offer a compelling reminder of the capabilities our industry brings to the table. Their work spans different sectors, challenges and stages of a project's life cycle, but each reflects a shared commitment to delivering critical infrastructure and lasting value for Canadians,” said Brad Nicpon, Chair of the Awards Selection Committee and Partner, McCarthy Tétrault.
“The people behind these projects deserve tremendous credit for their hard work, ingenuity and dedication. They've tackled difficult challenges, found practical and creative solutions, responded to the needs of their communities and shown just how much can be accomplished when talented teams work together.”
The Awards Committee also presented Godyne Sibay, Senior Strategic Advisor and Counsel to McCarthy Tétrault, as its 2026 Lifetime Champion Award recipient.
As an internationally recognized and rated infrastructure and real estate lawyer, Sibay has extensive experience in project development, public-private partnerships, public procurement, real estate, leasing and construction. Her leadership, commitment and expertise have demonstrated how great projects can be delivered with collaborative teamwork, diverse teams and innovative solutions, the committee noted.
She also held numerous leadership, advisory and board roles in organizations working to build strength in our communities and leadership capacity, including co-founding the Urban Land Institute’s Women’s Leadership Initiative in Toronto and the Toronto chapter of the Women’s Infrastructure Network.
MEET THE 2026 PROJECT WINNERS
Transaction Category:
GOLD – New Ontario Science Centre
The New Ontario Science Centre is set to transform Toronto’s waterfront into a purpose-built destination for science, education and culture as part of the redevelopment of Ontario Place. The approximately $1.04-billion project marks Infrastructure Ontario’s first use of a design-build-finance-maintain semi-wide equity model. The structure combines construction-stage financing with substantial private equity invested for its 30-year operations and maintenance period, linking long-term financial accountability with asset performance.
Partners: Infrastructure Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, and Ontario Science Partners (John Laing Limited, Sacyr Infrastructure Canada Inc., and Amico Major Projects Inc.)
SILVER – Williams Treaties First Nations Investment in Darlington New Nuclear Project
This landmark collaboration is creating a pathway for meaningful Indigenous participation in one of Canada’s most significant clean energy infrastructure projects. WTFN Investment Holdings LP, the collective investment vehicle established by seven Williams Treaties First Nations, is investing $700 million in Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project. The project is expected to generate approximately 1,200 MW of electricity — enough to power the equivalent of 1.2 million homes — and is under consideration by the Major Projects Office. The transaction is supported by federal and provincial loan guarantees, enabling WTFN Holdings to access competitively priced private-sector financing for its investment. Once all four small modular reactors (SMRs) are complete, WTFN Holdings will have the option to convert its investment into a minority equity ownership interest.
Partners: Williams Treaties First Nation (WTFN) Holdings, Canadian Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corp., Building Ontario Fund, and Ontario Power Generation
Design & Construction:
GOLD – Gordie Howe International Bridge
This international crossing, the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and the first new major trade link between the United States and Canada in four decades, is an engineering landmark. The 2.5-kilometre bridge, supported by two 220-metre towers, was constructed to meet the most stringent Canadian and U.S. requirements. The team used an unbalanced cantilever construction method, enabling crews to build over the Detroit River from the completed structure and minimize impacts to the busy waterway more than 40 metres below. Opened in July 2026, the $6.4-billion project includes construction of the bridge, Canadian and U.S. ports of entry and a major highway interchange across two countries, as well as 30 years of operation, maintenance and rehabilitation.
Partners: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and Bridging North America General Partnership (FlatironDragados, Fluor, Aecon, AECOM, ACS Infrastructure)
SILVER – QEW/Credit River Improvement Project
This $314-million project modernized a critical 2.6-kilometre section of one of Ontario’s busiest highways while preserving an important heritage landmark. The team widened the QEW from six to eight lanes and delivered a new 250-metre twin bridge over the Credit River alongside the rehabilitation of the historic Credit River Bridge. A defining construction innovation was the incremental launching method used for the new twin bridge. Constant-depth steel box girders were advanced across the Credit River from one abutment using a launching nose, eliminating the need for cranes and temporary towers in environmentally sensitive areas. The approach also reduced impacts on the navigable waterway. Throughout construction, detailed staging kept the QEW operating while major bridge, highway and interchange work moved forward.
Partners: Infrastructure Ontario, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, and EDCO (EllisDon and Green Infrastructure Partners, formerly Coco Paving)
Service Delivery:
GOLD – William Osler Health System – Brampton Civic Hospital
Nearly two decades after opening, Brampton Civic Hospital remains one of Ontario’s busiest community hospitals and a major health-care hub for Brampton and Peel Region. The facility opened in 2007 with 608 acute care beds, 16 operating rooms and capacity for 90,000 emergency visits, 160,000 ambulatory care visits and more than 4,000 births annually. It is one of Canada’s earliest major acute-care hospitals delivered through a design-build-finance-maintain public private partnership agreement. The partnership has maintained service continuity while adapting to growing patient volumes, changing clinical requirements and evolving health-care priorities. The agreement’s life cycle approach also created clear accountability for asset performance and helped establish a model subsequently used for health-care infrastructure across Canada. Recent service delivery innovations include an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-powered fault detection & diagnostics platform that monitors thousands of building automation control points in real time, and a digital asset tagging system to help staff locate high-demand items.
Partners: William Osler Health System and the Healthcare Infrastructure Company of Canada (EllisDon, Fengate, Carillion, Plenary Americas, Borealis Capital, EllisDon Facilities Services)
SILVER – Toronto South Detention Centre
The 1,650-bed maximum-security correctional facility, open since 2014 in Ontario, uses a public-private partnership model that includes construction and a 30-year maintenance period. Since opening in 2014, the project team has delivered consistent operational performance and proactive asset management within a continuously operating, high-security environment. The partnership has also adapted to evolving government priorities, including the successful fast-tracked expansion of correctional capacity through the TIC Repurposing Project. Long-term operations continue to incorporate the facility’s original LEED Silver sustainability features, including ground-source heating and cooling. Together with preventative maintenance, life cycle planning and ongoing monitoring of critical systems, these features support the performance and condition of the facility more than a decade after opening.
Partners: Infrastructure Ontario, Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General and Integrated Team Solutions (EllisDon Corp., Fengate Capital Management, Zeidler Partnership Architects and Johnson Controls LP)
The awards committee includes: Brad Nicpon (Chair) Partner, McCarthy Tétrault; Rupesh Amin, Founder & CEO, Conqora Capital Partners Inc.; Derron Bain, CEO, Concert Infrastructure; Lawren Green, Executive Vice President and Head, Kiewit Development Company; Peter Hepburn, Managing Director and Head, Infrastructure and Project Finance, National Bank Financial Markets; Sherena Hussain, Founder, Academic Collaboration Consulting (ACC) and Research Fellow, Infrastructure Institute, University of Toronto's School of Cities; Monte McNaughton, Founder, MGM Strategies and former Ontario Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; Tim Murphy, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer, Aecon; Divya Shah, Principal Advisor, Project Finance & Structured Finance, Export Development Canada (EDC); and Lindsay Wright, Partner, KPMG’s Infrastructure, Capital Projects and Sustainability team.
