AI Summary
5 min readJohn van derden started his career in 1987 with a bachelor's in civil engineering from UBC, but he arrived in water resources almost by accident. He was hired into the transportation group at Associated Engineering, learning about highway design and vertical curves. Those skills later gave him an edge when he moved into water resources, because he could speak the language of transportation engineers when designing culverts and hydraulic structures for highways. As he puts it, “gathering up those pieces of information as you go and using them to advance your career in different ways is really valuable.”
The technology arc from drafting tables to digital models
When van derden began, his entire office had two computers—the better one was reserved for accounting. Engineers shared a slower machine. Manual drafting tables were the norm. By the time he returned for a master's degree in 1993-94, email was just emerging through dial-up connections. AutoCAD soon replaced drafting tables, and by the late 1990s, GIS had become a dominant tool. He actively encouraged staff to build GIS skills because he saw how quickly the technology was reshaping the work.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:01) **Opening: Water Crises as Lived Experience** - Host introduces the episode by framing water as a central, urgent issue in Canada, citing atmospheric rivers, urban flooding, and prairie droughts as lived realities rather than hypothetical risks.
- 2 (01:06) **Guest Introduction: John Vanderden** - John is introduced as a nearly 40-year water resources engineer and VP at Associated Engineering, with his career spanning the shift from drafting tables to digital models and climate-informed forecasting.
- 3 (02:55) **Career Start: University and the 1980s Recession** - John describes graduating from UBC in 1987 during a recovering economy, his initial indecision about engineering, and the process of choosing civil engineering after a general first year.
- 4 (06:07) **Changes in Student Preparedness and Technology** - John reflects on how well-prepared students are today, noting the slow adoption of GIS in university curricula, and the self-taught skills in automation, programming, and AI among new graduates.
- 5 (08:45) **Technology Transformation: From Drafting Tables to Digital** - John details the dramatic shift from a nearly computerless office in 1987 (with two shared computers) to the rise of email in the mid-90s, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and GIS as dominant tools.
- 6 (11:39) **Career Path: Non-Linear and Opportunity-Driven** - John explains his philosophy of preparing for success rather than chasing a fixed goal, highlighting how a transportation engineering start and a master's degree in water resources built a unique skill set.
- 7 (14:15) **The Power of Professional Service and Mentorship** - John details his long involvement with the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA), explaining how volunteer roles connected him to the industry, clients, and academics, and shaped his career.
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Show Notes
Associated's John van der Eerden joins the podcast.
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