 Borealis would like to congratulate our CEO & President, Alison Thompson, recipient of The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) Centennial Leadership Award for her work spearheading the growth of Geothermal Energy in Canada. See APEGA's backgrounder on Alison and the Centennial Leadership Award, below. Centennial Leadership Award – Alison Thompson, P.Eng.
This award is presented to members of APEGA who have attained the highest distinction relating to engineering or geoscience through directorship of an outstanding project, original research or inventions, or an exemplary career in teaching. Alison Thompson, P.Eng., grew up in Pickering, Ontario, less than two kilometres from one of the world’s largest nuclear power stations. In the 1970s, the plant had an interpretative centre where she spent many happy hours. “I’d ride my bike there after school and on the weekends,” she remembers. “For the longest time, I thought I’d be a nuclear engineer.” In the end, Ms. Thompson didn’t become a nuclear engineer: she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering from McGill University. In the summers, she worked for conventional energy companies in Alberta. One job in particular—at the Waterton Gas Complex in Pincher Creek— set the tone for the rest of her career. “After two weeks, my boss went on vacation and gave me the keys. He said, ‘OK, you run the sulphur plant now,’” shares Ms. Thompson. It was a rare opportunity to report to the superintendent, understand plant operations, and develop empathy for front-line workers. The experience came in handy after graduation, when she held field engineer roles at a Kansas coal utility and then a Suncor gas plant back in Alberta. After taking a break to earn a master’s degree in business administration at Queen’s University in 2001, Ms. Thompson became a technology manager at Suncor. There, she worked on her first geothermal energy project and was exposed to the many legal and regulatory hurdles facing the burgeoning industry. She began speaking to government to cut some of the red tape. It became clear to Ms. Thompson that the industry needed an advocacy organization, so she co- founded the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association in 2007, which has removed countless industry roadblocks. The next year, she launched her own company—Borealis GeoPower—to steward greater adoption of geothermal energy in the country. Since then, the industry has grown in leaps and bounds, due in large part to her leadership. Ms. Thompson’s business has also thrived, but she doesn’t measure success in dollars. One of her current projects is a collaboration with the Kitselas First Nation near Terrace, British Columbia. Called Fuel for Reconciliation, the project will provide the emerging liquefied natural gas supply chain with cleaner fuel options. Another project, called Sustainaville, near Valemount, British Columbia, will also provide cleaner fuel options to a community that has some of the worst air quality in the province. “These sorts of projects are long and difficult to do, and cost a lot of money,” she explains. “I want there to be a big bang for the buck, not just for the company, but for the communities. But above all, we want to use the company as a force for good.”
Borealis's Kitselas Geothermal Inc. project in Terrace, BC was recognized in today's Globe and Mail as a 2020 #Clean50 Top Project.
View the page in the Report on Business section of the Globe and Mail, here.  Borealis GeoPower proudly celebrates Earth Day 2020. On April 22nd, and every other day, we can change our habits, and we can do our part to prepare Canada's economy for the clean growth future.
Canadians know that the rapid deployment of all forms of renewable energy is a dependable path to a cleaner future. Meanwhile, renewable energies create far more jobs-per-dollar invested, and renewable energies can already provide the lowest cost electricity and heat generation for Canadian businesses and homes. Public investment in renewable energies, such as geothermal energy, will unlock further private investment. On this Earth Day, we ask that the Federal Government provide the Canadian Infrastructure Bank with the flexibility that they need to invest in renewable and non-emitting district energy projects. Doing so would result in the benefits described above, as well as add resilience to our energy system, preparing our homes, business, and communities for the turbulence that lies ahead. Borealis GeoPower is proud to be a part of the #Clean50 initiative to offer ideas for a #CleanReset for Canada's economy. It is more important than ever for Canadians to unite and build a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient country. Canada has the tools, the technology, and the people for a happier, healthier and more prosperous and resilient future. Read and share the Clean50 #CleanReset Initiative letter, here. We are proud to announce that Borealis won the Transformation Advocate Award at the Inaugural BC Cleantech Awards hosted by Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre! The awards were presented on February 11th, 2020 at Globe 2020 in Vancouver, BC. A statement by Borealis's CEO and President, Alison Thompson, on this award: "To have been even considered as a finalist alongside industry giants LNG Canada, FortisBC, and Lafarge Holcim is an honour. Together, we will continue to use our business as a force for good to move Canada toward a healthy and sustainable future. We would like to thank all of our stakeholders who have kept moving us forward, so that we can move industry, technology, and communities forward."  Nowadays, we take heating and cooling conveniences for granted with the simple turn of a thermometer dial for industrial, commercial and residential heating and refrigeration needs.
A material amount of British Columbia’s energy use could be substituted with geothermal heat. Borealis is leading the cleantech utility industry transformation via district heating projects in Valemount and Terrace, industrial cooling solutions for the burgeoning LNG industry near Kitimat with our First Nations joint venture partner, and active participation in British Columbia Utilities Commission hearings that are shaping the way Indigenous Utilities, Municipal Utilities, and Thermal Energy Systems serve communities and industry while supporting the Province’s CleanBC mandate. Update (March 23, 2020): Letter from the MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.
 Today, Dr. Megan Eyre presented at the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop in Auckland! Her presentation showcased the drone-based technology that BGP is using to explore for geothermal energy in Canada.
BGP is continuously transferring technology to the geothermal space from other industries. This paper speaks to the effectiveness of using drone technology to perform geothermal geophysical surveys, as a component of our Optimized Geothermal and Element (OGE) exploration technology. Megan won the 2019 Women in Geothermal / Seequent Visibility Scholarship for her role in our research using drone-based technology. Once Megan arrived at BGP, she performed the magnetic interpretation of the drone-survey data. Megan also went into the field to ground-truth the anomalies. BGP would like to thank everyone involved in the drone-based research and exploration campaign for their hard work and dedication. Click here to learn more about our geothermal consulting services and our OGE exploration technology.  Our Chair, Tim Thompson, represented BGP and our KGI project at the 2019 Indigenous Clean Energy Gathering in Ottawa, this week.
This event is invite-only and we are proud to have participated in this event that empowers Indigenous clean energy leadership and collaboration! BGP's Dr. Megan Eyre wins the 2019 Women in Geothermal / Seequent Visibility Scholarship award!10/15/2019
 We are very proud to announce that Dr. Megan Eyre, Head of Geophysics at BGP, is the 2019 @WING_geothermal / @Seequentglobal Visibility Scholarship winner for her role in BGP’s research on drone-based geothermal exploration.
Once Megan arrived at BGP, she performed the magnetic interpretation of the drone-survey data. Megan also went into the field to ground-truth the anomalies. BGP would like to thank everyone involved in the drone-based research and exploration campaign for their hard work and dedication. As a Certified B Corporation, BGP hopes to serve as a model of gender equality to businesses around the world. Read more about the award here. Learn more about BGP's consulting services and OGE exploration technology here.  Project leader and BGP CEO Alison Thompson, was amongst the 120 past and incoming Clean50 Honourees who met on Thursday October 3rd at the “Clean50 Summit 9.0” in Toronto, and spent a day amongst peers and colleagues tackling critical sustainability challenges facing Canada” and vying for the title of “Top Sustainability Project of the Year”.
Canada’s Clean50 Top Project Awards are amongst the awards announced annually by Delta Management Group and the Canada’s Clean50 organization, to recognize the 20 best sustainability oriented projects completed in Canada over the prior two years. Projects are chosen based on the four “I”s criteria: Impactful, Innovative, Inspiring and can readily be Imitated. Delta’s criteria in determining Project awards is to carefully consider a combination of actual measurable impact, demonstrated innovation, and the project’s ability to inspire others to imitate it – and Kitselas Geothermal Inc.'s geothermal district energy project is a terrific example. The cumulative accomplishments of Canada’s Clean50 Top Projects in reducing and avoiding GHGs over the past 2 years adds up to a very big number. All Canadians should be grateful for the leadership these organizations have shown in the projects they have completed. About Kitselas Geothermal Inc.: The Kitselas Traditional Territory and the internationally significant geothermal resources that are present in close proximity to B.C’s emerging LNG Industry create an ideal opportunity to use renewable electricity and renewable fueled heating and cooling directly in LNG operations and within its supply chain. By matching the energy demand with geothermal resources and ensuring that permits are held by First Nation controlled Kitselas Geothermal Inc., this project supports the social, environmental and economic objectives of the region. Click here to learn more about Kitselas Geothermal Inc. About Delta Management Group / Canada's Clean50: Leading sustainability and clean tech search firm Delta Management Group, led by Gavin Pitchford (CEO), founded and remains the steward of the Canada’s Clean50 awards. The awards were created to annually identify, recognize and connect 50 sustainability leaders, 10 Emerging Leaders and Top 20 Projects from every sector of Canadian endeavor. The firm also annually convenes the Clean50 Summit, in order to facilitate understanding, collaboration and innovation in the fight to keep human caused climate impacts below 1.5 degrees. Learn more at www.clean50.com   BGP is pleased to announce that our paper has been accepted for inclusion on this year's programme at the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop. Dr. Megan Eyre will be presenting the paper at the Workshop.
BGP is continuously transferring technology to the geothermal space from other industries. This paper speaks to the effectiveness of using drone technology to perform geothermal geophysical surveys, as a component of our Optimized Geothermal and Element (OGE) exploration technology. Click here to learn more about our geothermal consulting services and our OGE exploration technology. |
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Borealis GeoPower is headquartered in Moh’kins’tsis, the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) name for the place we now call Calgary, located in the Treaty 7 region and the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (including the Siksika, Piikani and Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.
BOREALIS GEOPOWER has operations on the traditional, unceded territory of the people of the kitselas First Nation. the kitselas people are part of the larger tsimshian nation whose traditional language is sm'algyax. kitselas means "people of the canyon" in sm'algyax. the kitselas First Nation has been archaeologically documented to occupy the kitselas canyon, east of terrace (british columbia) on the skeena river, for at least 5000 years.
We are grateful to the past, present and future stewards of this land.
BOREALIS GEOPOWER has operations on the traditional, unceded territory of the people of the kitselas First Nation. the kitselas people are part of the larger tsimshian nation whose traditional language is sm'algyax. kitselas means "people of the canyon" in sm'algyax. the kitselas First Nation has been archaeologically documented to occupy the kitselas canyon, east of terrace (british columbia) on the skeena river, for at least 5000 years.
We are grateful to the past, present and future stewards of this land.
ContactPO Box 668, Station M
Calgary, Alberta T2P 2J3 |
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