Engineering a Trail of Reflection: The Path to Reconciliation at Seneca College

Engineering isn’t only about building infrastructure. It’s also about creating spaces that foster connection, learning, and healing. The Path to Reconciliation Trail at Seneca Polytechnic’s King Campus exemplifies this purpose-driven approach. Developed around Lake Seneca, in King, Ontario, this project brings the school’s commitment to truth, reconciliation, and wellness to life.

New wood boardwalk weaving through wooded area.

Associates Andrew Lehan and Andrew Au-Yeung discuss this meaningful project and the engineering challenges and solutions we implemented.

ENtuitive: Thank you so much for your time, Andrew and Andrew! Can you start by telling us about this project?

Andrew L.: Absolutely. This project extended the existing two-kilometre trail around Lake Seneca by an additional three kilometres, weaving through wooded areas and wet meadows. The trail was inspired by the Anishinaabe water walkers, offering students, staff, and visitors a space for reflection, education, and connection to the land.

Our team provided structural engineering support for four boardwalks (three wood, one steel), three scenic overlooks, and a staircase. These elements were thoughtfully designed to integrate into the natural environment with minimal disruption to the local ecology.

EN: Walk us through some of the challenges you encountered on this project and your team’s solutions.

Constructability and Minimizing Environmental Impact

Andrew A.-Y.: One of the main challenges with boardwalks is to build them without destroying the surrounding environment. Our solution was to design these structures with helical pile foundations as opposed to spread footing foundations, minimizing such disruption. Helical piles are a deep foundation system, like a large screw, whereas spread footing are much shallower and rely on a larger surface area to be dug up.

In our experience, boardwalks often traverse ground that comprises poor soil. They are often built next to rivers or lakes, as in this case, which tends to result in a very soft environment. Spread footing foundations would require digging large holes and really disturbing the area. Helical piles allow for a much smaller environmental footprint.

New scenic overlook at Lake Seneca.

Grading, Elevation & Flooding

Andrew L.: Another challenge involved the variety of grading and elevation changes throughout the trail. Elevation changes required thoughtful grading and strategic structural adjustments. For example, it’s essential that wood elements avoid direct contact with organic material to prevent decay. Our team ensured that wood components remained elevated 150–300 millimetres above the ground to maximize their lifespan without introducing excessive wobble due to flexible foundations.

Andrew A.-Y.: As for the flooding, the Conservation Authority required that we satisfy its flood loading requirements for this boardwalk. Helical pile foundations were a perfect solution because they have very little surface area for flood waters to impose lateral loading, and they can hold down the structures against uplift forces from the flood waters.

New wood staircase providing access to the trail from the road.

Performance, Longevity, and Durability

EN: Were there any unique aspects of the project that you can share?

Andrew L.: Each structural element on the trail was tailored to meet its unique performance demands. For example, one of the four boardwalks was constructed using structural steel, a decision driven by the need to support a specific maintenance vehicle used by the client. While wood is generally more adaptable and easier to manipulate on-site, steel provided the necessary strength and load-bearing capacity to support this particular maintenance vehicle.

Andrew A.-Y.: Our material selections were also based on durability. For example, we opted for preservative-treated Douglas Fir for the wood boardwalks, ensuring the preservative treatment met the appropriate use category for longevity in an outdoor setting. Wood only decays when it remains wet, which is a possibility for the boardwalks in the wooded areas. The preservative acts to deter fungal growth and thus prolong service life.

The Realities of Construction

Andrew L.: Finally, as with any project, we must be adaptable to field-fit conditions, which is a reality of construction. No matter how comprehensive the design documents, field conditions often require real-time problem-solving, and this project was no exception.

Our team worked closely with the contractor to address unforeseen site conditions and implement practical solutions on the ground. This collaborative spirit was essential to the successful delivery of the trail.

EN: What was your favourite part of working on this project?

Andrew L.: I love the user experience of park and trail structures like these ones. Unlike highway bridges, you can experience boardwalks up close in a peaceful and beautiful setting. Also, it is always nice when we can use wood as a structural material. It visually fits in so nicely in natural environments like this site.

Andrew A.-Y.: My favourite part of any boardwalk engineering project is experiencing how the completed structure in the natural environment impresses me in delightful ways. Modern rendering tools help us visualize the boardwalk and landscaping vision. Despite this, it's impossible to predict how the structure will blend with the greenery until we visit the trail. The real thing always turns out to be much more impressive than our original vision, and that’s always rewarding.

EN: Thank you for sharing this project with our readers! We’re always proud to play a role in shaping meaningful spaces where community, nature, and culture come together.

To learn more about this project and our services, reach out to Andrew Lehan or Andrew Au-Yeung.