ABOUT US

At LGL, we are proud of our origin, history, and ongoing contributions to the responsible stewardship of natural resources.

LGL Story

Creating Lasting Impact Through Independent Science and Integrity

Established in 1971 by visionary partners Aird Lewis, William (Bill) Gunn, and John Livingston, LGL is one of Canada’s largest employee-owned environmental research and consulting firms. From the beginning, LGL was founded on a clear purpose: to provide unbiased, evidence-based science that serves both people and the planet.

True to our founding philosophy, we are more than just a consultancy—we are a community of scientists pursuing their passions to make a meaningful impact. For more than 50 years, we’ve been collaborating with agencies, industries, and communities to identify environmental challenges and determine the most effective solutions. This approach has enabled us to successfully serve a diverse range of clients across Canada, the United States, and internationally—from fisheries in Texas to more than 100 Indigenous communities throughout North America—allowing us to build long-standing relationships grounded in trust, stewardship, and collaboration along the way.

Our extensive body of work includes hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific publications and reflects our competence, credibility, and integrity in both the field and the office. By consistently delivering objective scientific insight, we have helped our partners shape critical policies, restore vital ecosystems, and deepen environmental understanding for generations. As an employee-owned firm, we support and inspire our people to pursue discovery and conservation, empowering them to create profound and positive change. That’s something we’re incredibly proud of—because at LGL, integrity isn’t a slogan. It’s a daily practice, guiding our work as we strive to create a future where humanity, nature, and responsible development coexist in balance, together.

VISION - A future where humanity, nature, and development coexist in balance. MISSION - Empowering professionals to pursue their passions while working to resolve environmental challenges. VALUES - Excellence - We aspire to better ourselves, our environment, and improve our understanding of the world around us. Accountability - Our responsibilities transcend project deliverables and include our environment, families, clients, and communities. Collaboration - Respect, empathy, and effective communication build meaningful relationships that enable us to prosper together. Integrity - We are committed to the principles of ecology, the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, informed and honest decision making, and professional ethics.

Our Founders

LGL Limited (1971) was named after its three founding partners: Aird Lewis (1932−2008), William Walker Hamilton (Bill) Gunn (1913−1984), and John Allen Livingston (1923−2006).

Our founders recognized the inevitability of human activities expanding into previously undisturbed areas. Given that, they believed strongly that it is essential for scientific information to be used in planning such advances. They also believed that much could be gained by working with industrial proponents and regulators to help develop and implement effective mitigation procedures through objective, science-based approaches.

Although the need for environmental conservation has always been a strong element in LGL’s approach, the philosophy from the outset has been that there is an important role for us to work with agencies, industry, and potentially affected parties toward identifying environmental problems and determining whether and how they can best be resolved. We also recognize the role our scientific research plays in contributing to the body of knowledge on natural and human-influenced ecological systems.

Role of LGL’s Founders in Establishing the Nature Conservancy of Canada*

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s pre-eminent environmental Land Trust with assets approaching 1 billion dollars. The 2013 publication entitled “A History of the Nature Conservancy of Canada” by Bill Freedman documents the pivotal role in the formation of NCC that was played by the founders of LGL Limited. This role is summarized below.

A group of naturalists from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON) began discussing the need for a land trust to preserve important lands across Canada. In 1961, a committee of the FON was struck to move the process forward. The committee comprised six prominent naturalists: J. Bruce Falls, C. David Fowle, William W.H. Gunn, F. Aird Lewis, Ken Mayall, and Walter Tovell. After much research and deliberation, Aird Lewis (a lawyer) drafted a document that was the basis of a federal charter issued under the Canada Corporations Act on 28 November 1962. Importantly, the new corporation had charitable status under the Income Tax Act—something that was not automatic for land trusts in those days.

The letters patent for the corporation named five inaugural trustees: Antoon de Vos (Zoology Professor at University of Guelph), David Fowle, William Gunn, Aird Lewis, and John Livingston. The latter three gentlemen are the G, the L, and L in LGL Limited. Aird Lewis remained Chair of the Board of Trustees of NCC until 1969 when he stepped down to take up the position of the first Executive Director. In April 1980, William Gunn retired from the Board of Directors of the NCC. In 1981, NCC instituted new organizational requirements, one of which was that the Executive Director must be a full‑time position, which was not feasible for Aird Lewis and he stepped down as Executive Director. He remained as a member of the Board of Trustees for another eight years. Since that time NCC’s successes have continued to this day.

In conclusion, the three founders of LGL were also founding trustees of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. John Livingston served on that Board of Trustees for 14 years, Bill Gunn for 19 years, and Aird Lewis for 27 years. All in all, an impressive contribution towards the conservation of natural areas and biodiversity in Canada.

*Source: Freedman, B. 2013. A History of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Oxford University Press, Don Mills, Ontario. 252 p.