Wade Pottie P.Eng. P.E.
Partner, Senior Structural Engineer
Primary Office: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Wade Pottie is a licensed Structural Engineer with over 16 years of experience in project management, structural design, analysis, inspection, rehabilitation, structural/fatigue analyses, emergency repair, construction implementation and demolition of bridges and heavy civil structures. He has been the recipient of multiple distinctions and awards over the course of his career, with many legacy defining engineering projects to his name.
Professional Activities:
Former Treasurer, AMPP Atlantic Chapter
Wade’s Projects
About Wade
-
Wade Pottie is an exemplary engineer with many legacy-defining projects to his name. After graduating from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, he began his career with YMCL Engineering. After a year of learning at YMCL an opportunity came up to join Harbourside to work on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge Redecking Project (the Big Lift). He joined Harbourside Engineering Consultants in 2011 and was immediately dedicated to the Big Lift, making significant contributions to the project. He was an integral part of both the final design and construction engineering teams. He was responsible for the design of several critical bridge components such as the temporary deck connection that allowed the bridge to reopen to traffic on a daily basis. This project would later be awarded with the Lieutenants Governor of Nova Scotia’s Award for Engineering Excellence in 2018.
Following the Big Lift Project, Mr. Pottie continued to work on numerous bridge and construction engineering projects in the Maritimes. He gained experience working on different projects, while delivering designs of extremely high quality and building a reputation for working with contractors and designing constructable structures.
A few short years later, Wade would once again leave his mark on a generational project, this time for work on the deconstruction of the Old Champlain Bridge in Montreal. Acting as the design lead for deconstruction, he was responsible for the engineering behind the removal of the cantilevered truss bridge. This demolition process involved the synchronized lowering of the main span to a barge in the seaway during the winter shutdown, and the balanced removal of the sidespans and piers. All steps in the demolition process were considered, and Wade was the design lead for the phasing and all associated temporary works. This project required him to also be on site during the most critical operations to deal with issues as they arose and ensure the procedures were being followed. This project would go on to receive the Schreyer Award in 2024 by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada) for the project that best demonstrates technical excellence and innovation as well as the Lieutenant Governor Award in PEI (2023).
Harbourside was also part of the Dexter Nova Alliance for the twinning of Highway 104. Wade would contribute heavily as a structural engineer along this 38km stretch of highway. His involvement would also include inspection, rehabilitation and replacement of existing bridges, and assisting the lead designer in the design of new bridge structures. Later, as part of the DNA, Harbourside would share in receiving the Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor’s award for Engineering Excellence for work on this historic project.
Wades expertise, talent, and vision have enabled him to overcome engineering challenges that other firms would hesitate to tackle. Most recently, working alongside Demathieu and Bard Canada, Wade was the lead designer for the development of a revolutionary Gantry for the purposes of rail bridge replacement along the Lakeshore West line in Toronto, Ontario. The modular gantry was designed to be used in a variety of configurations where larger cranes would be impractical or unusable. An added benefit of his gantry’s design is the speed by which it can non-destructively remove and replace bridge spans. This allows the removed spans to be refurbished and repurposed later. It also enables more rapid span replacement than traditional rail-bridge replacement methods. Recently this gantry was used for the replacement of a 100 year old Etobicoke Creek rail bridge located on Toronto’s Lakeshore West corridor, one of the busiest rail corridors in Canada. The gantry enabled the safe replacement of six bridge spans during three short (51-hour) weekend closures. This innovative approach minimized disruptions to commuters while avoiding the environmental impacts of traditional crane-based replacement methods. The contractor is now planning to re-use the gantry in a revised configuration for the replacement of another bridge superstructure.
Beyond these incredibly note-worthy projects, Wade has participated in the design, rehabilitation, and demolition of hundreds of other bridge structures throughout Canada and internationally. Mentored directly by Robbie Fraser, he has become one of the foremost experts in terms of bridge structures within Maritimes, if not the country as a whole. Through hard work, diligent design and dedication Wade rose through the Harbourside Ranks to become a Partner before the age of 40. He is recognized within the organization and the industry as an expert in bridge design, construction and demolition engineering.
As a technical leader at Harbourside, Wade has completed work outside of Canada and has gone through the additional steps and testing required to become registered as a PE in the United States. Wade is registered in Texas as a PE, opening up additional opportunities for international projects.
-
Wade frequently attends industry conferences where he has presented on the Champlain demolition project, the Etobicoke gantry, and other unique solutions Harbourside provides to engineering challenges.
-
In addition to his engineering career, Wade has been involved in the Hockey Nova Scotia officiating program in multiple roles. He started officiating in the Sackville Minor hockey system and later became the Referee in Chief for SMHA where he assigned games and coached newer officials. On the ice, Wade quickly rose up the ranks and ended up refereeing at the Jr A level and as a linesman at the University level. He also attained his Level 5 certification in the Hockey Canada officiating program. Wade was also selected multiple times to officiate in regional championships, such as the Don Johnson Cup and the Atlantic Jr B Championship.
-
As a partner with the Harbourside Engineering Group, Wade contributes heartily to company’s mission: fostering engineering talent within Atlantic Canada. He does so in two different roles: as an exceptional engineer, and a leader within the firm.
In this first capacity, Wade actively challenges juniors within the company, pushing them to new heights of learning. This is not a hands-off approach either, as he will actively engage and mentor his team. A mindset of “a rising tide raises all ships”, helps to encourage teamwork and bolsters the team’s problem-solving skills. He has participated in the firm’s formal Junior Engineer Challenge, acting as a judge and providing critical insights. The challenge itself was designed to encourage collaboration, solutions focused thinking, and presentation skills.
Wade strongly promotes the team atmosphere and active living in the office. He was the driving force in setting up office participation in the bluenose 5km running race, where we have had 15-20 staff participate in the bluenose 5k for the last 3 years. He is a regular participant in the weekly Friday lunch runs from the Dartmouth office, which is a great way to get outside as a team and enjoy some exercise. Additionally, he promotes and encourages the younger staff in the Dartmouth office to participate in the company sponsored team in the Halifax Sport and Social Club. Wade advocated for the development of this team as a way for the younger staff to have a bonding opportunity outside of the office.
As a leader, and business owner, Wade demonstrates a compassionate approach to managing in the workplace. He understands the inherent stress that is a part of the consulting world. As a result, he is both empathetic and supportive towards his team. With an open-door policy, staff are encouraged to speak with him regarding any issues they might be facing.
Quality work is his expectation, jeopardizing one’s mental health is not.
Awards & Recognition
News and Updates
