Please join us in congratulating Nigel Thompson, Senior Structural Engineer and former Partner, on his upcoming retirement at the end of this month. After 27 years with WalterFedy, Nigel’s leadership, dedication, and commitment to building strong relationships with colleagues and clients have made a meaningful and lasting impact on our firm, and he will be greatly missed.
Nigel’s engineering career began after graduating university in 1986 in Northern Ireland. He moved to England to work as a site engineer on a major dock reconstruction project in Liverpool, gaining valuable early experience before returning to Ireland to join a structural design office at the outset of a large downtown Belfast commercial development valued at 100 million pounds. After five years, he emigrated to Canada in 1992, settling in Hamilton and later joining Kazmar Associates in Markham, where he worked on numerous retail and commercial projects across Ontario. In March 1998, Nigel joined The WalterFedy Partnership, beginning a chapter that would span 27 years and leave a lasting legacy.
Throughout his career at WalterFedy, Nigel has exemplified technical excellence, sound judgment, and an unwavering commitment to client service. He is widely respected for his ability to translate complex engineering concepts into clear, practical information for clients, architects, and contractors. His extensive hands-on project experience and site inspections have shaped a keen attention to detail, often identifying issues early and helping to avoid unforeseen construction costs.
A Career Highlight: Working with Conestoga Cold Storage (CCS)
Nigel has always placed great value on client relationships. One of the most meaningful has been with Conestoga Cold Storage (CCS), the very first client he worked with upon joining WalterFedy, and one that continues to this day. His first project with CCS was a high-rise freezer at the Mississauga site, known as Phase 3. The site is now fully utilized, with the most recent project being another high-rise freezer, designated as Phase 11. He often reflects on the trust and collaboration developed with long-standing clients like CCS, where open dialogue and shared objectives lead to successful outcomes. As Nigel notes, these relationships are only possible when supported by a strong internal team that understands client goals and is committed to delivering on them.
As he looks ahead to retirement, Nigel has shared that what he will miss most are the people: colleagues he has worked alongside for decades, the challenge of new projects, the opportunity to collaborate with talented teams, and the enduring relationships built with clients over many years.
We are deeply grateful for Nigel’s many contributions to WalterFedy and the legacy he leaves through the people he has mentored, the clients he has served, and the projects that have shaped our communities. We wish him every success and happiness in this next chapter.
Congratulating Nigel on an extraordinary career and thank you for creating a lasting impact on WalterFedy.