Edmonton-based Stantec announced Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire Ontario-based Morrison Hershfield, boosting its Canadian workforce by 10 per cent. The companies didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal. The acquisition is subject to court and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close this quarter.  (The Logic)

Talking point: Morrison Hershfield is providing mechanical, electrical and civil services for Canada’s first lithium-ion electric-vehicle battery plant, NextStar, in Windsor, Ont., while Stantec is working on E-One Moli Energy’s B.C.-based battery-cell facility. Cities like Windsor have seen the commercial real estate sector boom in preparation for EV battery plants, and politicians are eager to see Canadians lead the charge on constructing them. Stantec, which has 28,000 workers worldwide, said Morrison Hershfield’s employee-owned, 1,150-person engineering firm has strong teams in transportation, buildings and environmental services. The latter also has a long track record of tech projects like Microsoft’s Washington headquarters, as well as data centres and 5G implementation.