Aecon’s Lockerbie & Hole Mechanical Unit awarded $25 million contract
to expand Fort McMurray water treatment plant

TORONTO, Dec. 6 /CNW/ - Aecon Group Inc. (TSX:ARE) announced today that its Lockerbie & Hole Mechanical Unit has been awarded a $25 million contract from Bird Construction Company to complete upgrades on the existing water treatment plant in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Under the contract, Aecon's Lockerbie & Hole Contracting Ltd. will provide the mechanical services for a new pretreatment building, filter building, raw water transfer station and a filtered water transfer station, along with upgrades to existing plant processes and chemical systems.

The contract includes construction of a new operations building and demolition of the existing administration building. As the mechanical subcontractor, Aecon's Lockerbie & Hole Contracting division will provide the upgrades to the process piping for the water treatment plant, as well as the mechanical services for the new buildings.

Work on the project has begun and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2012.

"This contract speaks to Aecon's extensive experience in construction and mechanical services for the water treatment industry," said Paul Koenderman, CEO of Aecon's Industrial Group.  "This major upgrade is required to service the continuously expanding residential areas of Fort McMurray and we are pleased to be doing the type of work in which we excel." 

Aecon Group Inc. is Canada's largest publicly traded construction and infrastructure development company. Aecon and its subsidiaries provide services to private and public sector clients throughout Canada and on a selected basis internationally. Aecon is pleased to be recognized as one of the Best Employers in Canada as published by Maclean's Magazine.

The information in this press release includes certain forward-looking statements. These "forward-looking" statements are based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans but are subject to risks and uncertainties.  In addition to general global events outside Aecon's control, there are factors which could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those expressed or inferred herein including risks associated with an investment in the common shares of Aecon and the risks related to Aecon's business, including Large Project Risk and Contractual Factors. Risk factors are discussed in greater detail in the section on "Risk Factors" in the Final Short Form Prospectus filed on October 1, 2010 and available at www.sedar.com.  Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations or financial position of Aecon, as well as statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "should" or similar expressions.  Important factors, in addition to those discussed in this document, could affect the future results of Aecon and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

For further information:

Mitch Patten
Senior Vice President,
Corporate Affairs
Aecon Group Inc.
416-297-2615
[email protected]
www.aecon.com