Norman Looker, P.Eng.

My Role and Responsibilities

My name is Norman, and I am a Vice President with Burnside, overseeing our International work and looking for opportunities for Burnside to contribute to engineering and environmental projects in various countries around the world.

Upon graduation from Queen’s University, I spent four years in Bolivia working as a volunteer with Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), where I learned first-hand the fascinating experiences that come with working in developing countries. Upon my return, I obtained a graduate degree in engineering, then worked for several years with one of North America’s largest engineering | environmental consulting firms on wastewater treatment assignments.

I joined Burnside in 1992 and worked for several years on water supply projects for First Nations communities before taking on a lead role in starting up Burnside’s International business. After several years with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks and another consulting firm, I returned to Burnside in 2014 to lead our international endeavors.

I am very passionate about the use of solar energy for pumping water. The costs have gone down substantially for this technology over the years, giving rise to a greater potential for it to be used in Africa and elsewhere. Please view this Burnside video for more details on this important technology.

My Interests and Hobbies

Outside of work, I have enjoyed volunteering for several entities and being engaged in fundraising activities for Big Brothers, Habitat for Humanity, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, and refugee sponsorship and resettlement.

I enjoy travelling and I have been fortunate to have visited over 40 countries for work or while on vacation. I am fluent in Spanish because of my time spent in Bolivia.