When Ned Pottinger and Will Gaherty started PGL in ‘91, they wanted a company that was a little bit different. Their idea was to help clients understand the environmental issues affecting their project, so they could have more influence on process and outcome for best results, and be trusted advisors rather than just sample collectors. On the staff side, they also wanted to build a ‘village’ of smart, helpful, friendly, professional people; a place to enjoy work and grow in their careers.
Fast forward to today, they a slightly quirky employee owned environmental project management firm of 80 staff. With literally thousands of projects to their resumé, their work has included everything from collecting scientific baseline data, developing and submitting environmental assessment and permit applications, to site remediation, regulator management, restoration and construction monitoring. And while the starting principles remain part of the culture, one other thing about PGL today is the contrast with our competitors: big expertise in a small firm, where odds are the people on your project have been here for many years and know you and your specific needs.
Serviced from BC (Vancouver, Victoria, and Langley) and Ontario (Whitby), our clientele reflects the diversity of the Canadian geography and economy, with big and small private real estate firms, federal and provincial governments, First Nations, developers, construction firms, financial institutions and a variety of resource and industry sectors.
While much of their work is in urban centres, many of their projects are conducted in remote areas. They have worked in the far north, including the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Sectors served
Real Estate
They have a strong history of working with clients involved in land development including developers, financial and lending institutions, real estate professionals, legal professionals, property owners and managers. Those involved in land development need to have an exact understanding of the environmental attributes of a site, such as the natural features and habitat and possible contamination from previous site uses.
They provide a full assessment of your site from an environmental standpoint. From this objective evaluation, you can better understand any financial costs and obligations that may be connected with developing the site.
Many development clients have PGL manage all the environmental aspects of their project, not only to provide continuity, but also because they have gained a keen understanding of their development objectives. They work closely with design teams through the due diligence, approvals and construction phases of a project. In addition, they work with clients to develop workable solutions that keep their project moving forward.