Quebec Consulting Engineers
Neoka – The Group – Our consulting engineering roots
Our roots
Canadian consulting engineering and particularly its Québec branch has been built on technical feats that have helped shape the country’s modern identity. From the monumental James Bay hydroelectric developments to Montreal’s state-of-the-art hospitals, it tells a story of boldness, mastery, and collective vision.
In the 1970s, one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken came to life: the James Bay hydroelectric development. Thousands of engineers and workers braved biting cold, northern isolation, and massive logistical challenges. It is said that a convoy of heavy equipment, trapped by a storm, once spent three days simply trying to find the road buried under two meters of snow – proof that Québécois tenacity is anything but a myth. This megaproject propelled Canadian hydroelectric expertise to the top ranks worldwide.
In Montréal, the 1976 Olympic Games offered another opportunity to showcase local engineering prowess. The Olympic Stadium, its futuristic architecture and its one-of-a-kind inclined tower pushed the engineers of the era to their limits. Some recall that entire formwork sections sometimes had to be recalculated on site, as the curves imagined by Roger Taillibert seemed almost determined to defy geometry itself. The audacity of this period remains a source of inspiration today.
