Why paying a Living Wage matters at Thurber Engineering 

In this short blog, Paul Evans, Vice President and Regional Manager for Thurber’s British Columbia region, explains why they became a Living Wage Employer, and the benefits they’ve found from being part of the program. 

Thurber is a Canadian-owned consulting engineering firm offering advice and services in geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials engineering. What began as a modest consulting firm in 1957 serving Victoria, B.C. has grown into a nation-wide organization with 15 offices and over 500 employees. At Thurber, we make a difference for people through living our values: passion, quality, caring – together.  

We proudly earned our Living Wage Certification in 2024, and from the start, it was never just another certification. For us, it’s how we embody our purpose and values every day and take care of our people. As a consulting engineering firm, our people are our greatest asset, and it’s important to us that our peers can cover essential expenses and save for their futures.  

Not only is Living Wage good for people – it’s good for business. When people experience less financial stress, they can show up more in other parts of their lives, and we see this every day at Thurber. Employees who feel they are compensated fairly are more focused and motivated, more likely to remain with the firm, and encourage other talented individuals to join.   

Thanks to our reputation as a place where people will thrive professionally and personally. In addition to paying a Living Wage, we offer an extensive benefits package including medical and dental, RRSP matching, parental leave top ups, and financial support for continuing education. We also offer flexible work arrangements to accommodate our employees who may have responsibilities at home.  

Paying a Living Wage doesn’t just benefit our team, it strengthens the local economy and helps families thrive. We’re proud to be part of a movement that’s making a difference across British Columbia. We proudly support food banks in our local areas (Vancouver, Victoria, Squamish, Abbotsford, Prince George, and Kamloops), participate in the Movember campaign, donate to local women’s shelters and charities, and offer scholarships and bursaries to students pursuing a career in geoscience or engineering.  

Further, we are actively advancing our Indigenous Relations activities through the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business’ Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations (PAIR) program, where we seek opportunities to partner with Indigenous communities and businesses in the areas in which we operate. 

We encourage others to join us in becoming Living Wage Employers. Together, we can create a fairer, more sustainable future for everyone. 

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies. There are now over 500 Living Wage Employers across BC. 

The living wage is the hourly amount someone needs to earn to pay for basic essentials like food and rent, it doesn’t include paying off debt or saving for retirement. The Living Wage for Metro Vancouver is now $27.85 an hour. 

Find out more about Thurber Engineer on their website: www.thurber.ca