Our beginnings.
In 1959, Laurie A. Coles—an engineer, architect, and father of seven—founded Coles Associates in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Over time, each of his children contributed to the business, making family an important part of its foundation.
One of Laurie’s earliest projects, a Swiss chalet–style building for a local client, even took him to Switzerland to study the architecture firsthand. That dedication to understanding a client’s vision, combined with the strong sense of family that shaped our beginnings, remains a defining part of our culture today.
Though no longer a family business in the traditional sense, Coles Associates continues to embody the values Laurie instilled: respect, fairness, honesty, and integrity. We are proud of this legacy and honour it every day.
Growing beyond borders.
Over the years, Coles Associates has grown and evolved, moving through four offices in Charlottetown as our team expanded. Today, we are proud to have a staff of more than 50 professionals from around the world. During this time, we have successfully delivered thousands of projects of all sizes and scales—including more than 100 international projects in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Poland, China, India, South Africa and the Caribbean.
Our team thrives on its diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds, which enrich the solutions we bring to every project. Along the way, we have built strong community ties, supporting non-profit organizations such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation. Whether working for our neighbours or clients abroad, our focus remains the same: delivering solutions that last.
Who we are today.
Coles Associates is now a multi-disciplinary, collaborative team of engineers, architects, and technologists. In an industry that is constantly evolving, we continue to adapt and innovate—drawing strength from our colleagues and the trust of our clients.
From innovative design to personalized service, we are motivated to deliver excellence in every project we take on. With more than six decades of experience behind us and exciting opportunities ahead, one constant remains:
We succeed when our clients succeed.
