• 2025 – Year in Review

  • Happy 2026 everybody. For the first Instructors Blog of the New Year I want to share some of the exciting highlights AESAC experienced in 2025.

    ESA Training Courses by the Numbers:
    2025 was a busy year for AESAC’s ESA Training Courses. AESAC presented training courses across Canada, including: Calgary AB (4 courses), Cambridge ON (4 courses), Chalk River, ON (2 courses), and in Halifax NS (1 course). We also had numerous presentations of the self-directed, online Oil and Gas ESA training course. In 2025 we hosted a total of 170 course attendees for the Phase I, Phase II and Oil & gas training courses. This resulted in 160 new AESAC members achieving the designation of Registered Environmental Site Assessor (RESA).

    Thanks to All Our Guest Speakers:
    AESAC strives to include knowledgeable guest speakers for all our training courses, providing industry expertise across a variety of environmental disciplines. This year we were very pleased to work with the following individuals and companies ranging from legal experts, testing laboratories, environmental consultants, drilling contractors and environmental database specialists. Our thanks and a big shout out to: Jacquie Stevens of Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP; Mike Siefert, Brayden Ford and Melissa Tran of ERIS; Scott MacKnight of OCL Group; Allister Howe of AGAT Laboratories; and Josh Lindsay of ALTECH Drilling and Investigative Services. 

    New Additions to AESAC:
    AESAC is thrilled to have a new course instructor join our team. Please welcome Sam Siegl C. Tech, CESA of Nexus Environmental Services Ltd. to our Western Canada complement of course instructors. Sam is the founder and principal of Nexus Environmental Services Ltd, located in Lethbridge, AB. Nexus specializes in conducting comprehensive Phase I, II, and III Environmental Site Assessments, Hazardous Material Surveys, Mold Testing, and much more. Over the course of his career, Sam has developed extensive expertise in evaluating commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential properties, providing detailed insights into environmental risks and due diligence. AESAC is very happy to add Sam’s expertise to our line-up of veteran, industry-experienced instructors. 

    Some Highlights of the Past Year and Upcoming Events:
    It was great to be back in Atlantic Canada with the Halifax course after several years absence. One attendee remarked that he could listen to myself and Scott MacKnight share our stories of contaminated sites for hours. We also had a very enjoyable pub night in downtown Halifax with the course attendees and our friends Brayden and Melissa from ERIS – we even got to see the Maple Leafs win a playoff game. Despite the frigid February temperatures, it was a pleasure to return to northern Ontario, for a couple of in-house training courses for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) at their nuclear research facility in Chalk River ON – we look forward to coming back, but maybe in some warmer weather next time.

    Looking ahead to 2026, AESAC is very proud to be working with Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTCS) to develop and present environmental training courses for First Nations stakeholders at several Ontario locations. We look forward to collaborating with OFNTSC and sharing knowledge with them and their partner groups. Miigwetch and we will see you on site in the spring.

    Bill Leedham, P. Geo., CESA
    Bill is the Head Instructor and Course Developer for the Associated Environmental Site Assessors of Canada (www.aesac.ca); and the founder and President of Down 2 Earth Environmental Services Inc. You can contact Bill at info@down2earthenvironmental.ca