Sectors

If our clients were to describe us in one short phrase, it would be ‘strategic communicators.’ PGL specializes in the environmental sector and is an excellent choice for clients seeking to understand their project sites and contribute to related efforts. We offer high-end consulting services, and our expertise is not limited to specific client types. With offices in British Columbia and Ontario, our dedicated and experienced employees work to foster strong relationships, prioritize clients over projects, and excel in complex situations.

Real Estate

PGL’s core business is in land development working with developers, financial and lending institutions, real estate professionals, legal professionals, property owners and managers. 

Understanding the critical environmental attributes of a land development site is essential, whether addressing natural features and habitat, or possible contamination. PGL inventories aspects of land development and identifies critical elements so our clients can make strategic decisions. Our objective evaluations help our clients to better understand options, costs, constraints, and obligations connected with developing their sites.

Many of PGL’s development clients have us manage all the environmental aspects of their projects, not only to provide continuity, but also because we are able to gain a keen understanding of their development objectives and strategy. We work closely with their design teams through the due diligence, approvals, and construction phases of their projects. Our goal is to work with our clients to develop workable solutions that keep their projects moving forward. PGL’s clients repeatedly say that they appreciate our contribution to strategy.

First Nations

PGL is honored to have worked with over sixty First Nations’ communities in remote and urban locations throughout Canada. We recognize that First Nations have a rich cultural heritage and a special relationship with the land and water. We have a unique appreciation of the importance that First Nations place on environmental sustainability, land use and community growth, and we incorporate this appreciation into all our projects with them.

PGL works directly in the community, connecting with individuals. We focus on meeting the needs of First Nations communities while also complying with governmental requirements. Our approach includes comprehensive consultation with leaders, council members and the community to ensure that the community’s goals are at the centre of every project. 

Our work with First Nations’ communities has involved:

  • technical reviews of Environmental Assessments (EA)
  • managing lands and resources for the future
  • community planning for growth and development
  • protecting fishing, forestry and hunting areas
  • training First Nations for specific projects
  • removing and replacing fuel storage systems
  • incorporating traditional use values in EA
  • regulatory advice

Whenever possible, PGL hires interested First Nations’ students or adults as part of these projects to support capacity building.

Energy

PGL’s experts have been involved in the environmental assessment of hydro projects for over two decades. We have been a member of the Clean Energy of BC Association since its inception. We consider clean energy to be one of the most important sectors we work in.

Our experience is predominantly in small run-of-river and large hydro development projects, wind farms (terrestrial and marine), and the transmission and distribution systems associated with these projects. Our involvement ranges from conducting environmental impact assessments, obtaining permits and approvals to public consultation and environmental monitoring.

Legal

PGL provides a wide range of support to the legal profession, including expert witness services for litigation and mediation, treaty and benefits agreement negotiation, and due diligence in business and real estate transactions. Our expertise goes beyond technical knowledge, as we excel in communicating complex information to a non-technical audience.

Transportation

When conducting work for our transportation industry clients, we always carefully plan for the minimization of disruption to services. Our technical specialists recognize that our work schedule may need to consider such factors as the facility’s continuing operation, high traffic conditions and tidal influences. Whether we’re investigating airport facilities, remediating a rail property or assessing habitat at a highway crossing, all of our projects are customized for the circumstances of your particular operation and location. 

We have provided environmental expertise on projects involving:

  • airport and helicopter facilities
  • shipping and marine operations, including terminals, ports and harbours
  • rail systems and yards
  • rapid transit systems
  • highways

Manufacturing

The needs of our manufacturing clients are diverse and include activities such as baselines/due diligence at the start and end of leases, water and air permitting, waste management and reduction, and environmental incident recovery and mitigation. Permitting, approval, and emission control requirements can vary greatly between facilities due to differences in their systems and processes. With a broad industry knowledge and a practical solution-focused approach, PGL provides effective insight and strategy to help our manufacturing clients comply with requirements while minimizing negative impact on function and profitability.

Mining

PGL provides a full range of environmental services for exploration and mining projects across the country. Our in-house engineers and scientists support projects from the exploration and pre-feasibility stages to feasibility, design, operation, and closure. We also offer strategic advice on environmental approvals and consultation, and provide data collection support in the early project planning phase.

Our experienced team provides such services as:

  • environmental inventories and impact assessment of proposed mine development
  • acid rock drainage and potential impact reports
  • support for siting, design, monitoring and remediation of mine waste
  • mine site reclamation
  • permitting services

Financial

PGL is a sought-after advisor for lenders in commercial, industrial, and multi-unit residential properties. We are on the list of preferred environmental consultants for all major banks and financial institutions.

Our real-world experience and extensive knowledge of environmental issues allows us to advise lenders about property liability in a clear and precise manner.  Our concise, easy-to-understand reports provide lenders with an objective and technically sound assessment of the environmental conditions of properties they are being asked to fund. The information our reports provide allows clients to make decisions with confidence, assured that their interests have been considered and accurately represented.

Government

PGL has been providing specialized environmental services to government at all levels for over two decades. We excel in this field by taking a tailored approach to each project, understanding the unique challenges involved. Our top technical experts use their diverse knowledge to deliver effective solutions to complex problems that arise at all levels of government.

We provide the federal government of Canada with Phase 1, 2, and 3 Environmental Site Assessments, Remediation and Risk Assessments, and have worked on diverse projects for many government departments including Public Works and Government Services Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Indian and Northern Affairs, the Department of National Defense and the RCMP.

We also work closely with various provincial government departments, including the ministries of environment, transportation, energy and mines, and forestry. Our team has built a proven track record of successfully executing fast-track and complex projects. Our services range from external report reviews, investigation and remediation, to environmental impact assessments and land use planning.

Municipal and regional level projects have particular environmental challenges and specific community needs. For example, land use planning can be a very sensitive topic and objective information can be the deciding factor in determining whether a project goes ahead or not. We recognize that each community has its own unique environmental circumstances, cultural heritage and history. Our recommendations always take these additional considerations into account to help communities meet their development goals.

Forestry

PGL has developed a strong reputation for providing high quality, cost-efficient environmental services to leading Canadian forestry companies. Our broad range of services is well suited to the specialized requirements of projects in the Forestry sector. 

We conduct full assessments of properties to provide forestry clients with a ‘snapshot’ of the environmental risks and related costs for budgeting or sales purposes.  Our services also include:

  • due diligence assessment at acquisitions
  • environmental assessments/audits of log sorts, plywood plants, sawmills, pulp mills, remote forestry camps, wood lots, etc.
  • ISO 14000 pre-certification audits of a variety of wood products facilities
  • environmental liabilities assessment to meet accounting requirements of asset retirement
  • decommissioning of mills including remediation of historical contamination including wood treatment chemicals
  • preparing properties for sale or redevelopment by obtaining the required Ministry of Environment approvals
  • Asset retirement obligation estimates and liability reviews
  • conducting fish and fish habitat mapping
  • discharge permitting

PGL also recognizes that climate change has a significant impact on both forest growth and health, as well as agricultural production. Our experts have collected climate data at multiple sites in British Columbia for the Ministry of Forests, which is used to develop more effective forest management practices aimed at safeguarding our forests and wildlife.