The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) proudly recognizes and congratulates all recipients of the 2024 CGA Annual Awards. CGA recognized recipients in three categories: Environmental Stewardship (Innovation in Emissions Reductions), Safety Awards for Excellence, and the Young Energy Leader of the Year.
The Environmental Stewardship Award for Innovation in Emissions Reduction was presented to Duane Vanderhyden of Enbridge Gas Inc. for developing a slow-fill hydrogen fuelling post for Enbridge’s hydrogen vehicle fleet. The system offers a more affordable approach to scale the hydrogen infrastructure and to support the integration of lower–emission hydrogen as a transportation fuel.
Recognized for his leadership in safe construction practices, ATCO Gas’s Evan Mazur received the Environmental Stewardship Award for Operating Practices for introducing vibration monitoring during a plastic mains replacement project. The project safeguarded a 100-year-old structure through clear vibration limits and early alerts—now a best practice across ATCO.
The Young Energy Leader of the Year Award was presented to Nicholas (Nick) Phillips of FortisBC, who has shown exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to safety since joining the company in 2018. Rising from Customer Service Technician to Operations Manager, Nick has led process improvements that enhance field efficiency and safety culture while mentoring new team members and strengthening operational performance.
CGA also recognized the recipients of Safety Awards for Excellence at the conference. SaskEnergy was awarded the Community Safety Champion Award for its Beyond Billboards: First Nations Safety Sign Art Project led by Svetlana Cooney, Mindy Woloschuk, and Joseph Daniels. By partnering with Indigenous artist Jade Roberts, the project blended art and culture to share vital safety messages, strengthening awareness and connection around natural gas safety and revitalized safety signage in 52 gas-served First Nations communities across Saskatchewan.
The Employee Safety Champion Award was presented to Derek Darley of TC Energy, a Damage Prevention Technician whose leadership and initiative have advanced pipeline safety and awareness across the company. Derek engages with employees, communities and contractors on safe digging practices, contributes to national safety committees, and delivers training to hundreds of employees annually, helping to build a proactive safety culture across TC Energy’s operations.
For his ingenuity in improving field maintenance safety, Enbridge Gas Inc.’s Chris Gillard earned the Safety Innovation Award for designing a custom valve maintenance skid at the Parkway Compressor Station. The innovation enhances field safety and efficiency, supported by new operator training now used across Enbridge facilities.
The Corporate Awards for Employee and Vehicular Safety were presented to Liberty Utilities New Brunswick, EPCOR Natural Gas Limited Partnership, and Enbridge Gaz Québec for demonstrating outstanding performance in employee and fleet safety. Each organization has demonstrated leadership in maintaining safe workplaces, advancing continuous improvement in safety programs, and achieving exemplary results through strong driver training, monitoring, and prevention initiatives.
“Our industry works every day to ensure Canadians have 24/7 access to the safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to fuel their lives,” said Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association. “This year’s award recipients reflect exceptional leadership in customer service, environmental stewardship, safety, and innovation. On behalf of the association, I congratulate each organization and individual recognized for their contributions to our industry and to Canada.”
About the Mulcahy Award
The Mulcahy Award was created in memory of Michael Mulcahy, former President and CEO of FortisBC and former Chair of the Canadian Gas Association. It recognizes significant achievement (over and above everyday activities) by members of the natural gas delivery industry in the area of innovation and service to natural gas users/customers. The award also serves to help guide other CGA member utilities on their journey to excellent and innovative customer service. Through participation in the Mulcahy Award process, all will benefit from exposure to the efforts of others in the industry, thereby raising its overall standard of customer care – a huge priority for Mike Mulcahy in his many years of service to customers in the industry.
About the Environment Stewardship Awards
Environmental Stewardship Awards are divided into two categories: Environmental Stewardship Award for Operating Practices and Environmental Stewardship Award for Innovation in Emissions Reductions. The Environmental Stewardship Award for Operating Practices recognizes superior performance in the building, operating and/or maintenance of gas energy infrastructure including methodologies & techniques that can be shared industry-wide to help nationally in the preservation of Canada’s air, land & aquatic resources. The Environmental Stewardship Award for Innovation in Emissions Reductions recognizes superior performance in the reduction of overall emissions through increased efficiency in everyday downstream usage applications, new innovative end-use technology, fuel switching to gas energy and/or addressing fugitive or operationalized methane emissions.
About the Young Energy Leader of the Year Award
CGA’s Young Energy Leader of the Year Award is intended to recognize emerging leaders (40 years of age and under) in the gas energy industry who have demonstrated their potential to guide the industry of the future from a business, environmental, regulatory and/or public service perspective.
About the Safety Awards for Excellence
The Canadian Gas Association Safety Awards for Excellence are intended to honour significant examples of the natural gas industry’s dedication to safety management. Through engagement in the awards program, member utilities have an opportunity to gain recognition at the corporate and individual level for their work, and through that recognition, to inspire a culture of continuous improvement in safety for employees, contractors, customers, and the public at large.
About CGA
The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) is the voice of Canada’s gas energy delivery industry, including natural gas, renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen. CGA membership includes energy distribution and transmission companies, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers of goods and services to the industry. CGA’s utility members are Canadian-owned and active in eight provinces and one territory. Canadian natural gas delivery industry meets almost 40 per cent of Canada’s energy needs through a network of almost 600,000 kilometres of underground infrastructure. The versatility and resiliency of this infrastructure allow it to deliver an ever-changing gas supply mix to over 7.6 million customer locations, representing approximately two-thirds of Canadians.
For more information, contact:
Meeta Singh
Director, Communications
MSingh@cga.ca or call 613-601-8474