December 2007

President's Report

Derrick (Dick) Myers,  P. Eng.

Carl King, P.Eng Joins Council

Carl King, P.Eng. was sworn in as the new Engineering Councilor for the Western Region at a Council meeting held on December 7, 2008. He was appointed by Council to replace Councilor Gus Hunt who resigned from Council when he moved away from the province earlier this year. Congratulations to Carl and thank you to Gus for his service on Council.

Since my last newsletter, we have a MOU for the development of the Hebron Project (albeit with a somewhat slow offshore sector); a new provincial government; and progress on the revisions to our Act. 

After a quiet summer and early fall, PEGNL business is starting to pick up once again. The following issues are some of those actively being progressed by Council and staff:

Changes to the Professional Engineers & Geoscientists Act of Newfoundland and Labrador 

For several years now, we have been awaiting a notice from the provincial Government (Department of Government Services / Legislative Council) regarding changes to our Act. This issue dates back to the 1990's and was initiated by the government of the day to ensure that the Acts of the self-regulating Professional Associations in this province are essentially written under the same framework. 

Executive Director Steve Mclean recently received a copy of the proposed new Act from the Department of Government Services, and Council's Legislative Task Force is currently reviewing the proposed changes to determine the potential impact on our Association. 

Our preliminary belief is that if the current version is enacted there may be significant impact for PEGNL. 

More information will be available to members as soon as the initial review process is completed.

New date for Conference/AGM 

Conference attendance has been dropping off in recent years and this is of great concern to Council. We need more members to attend the technical sessions and the AGM itself. Having stated the obvious Council realizes that in order to be successful we need to offer an interesting program with value to members and at a great venue. 

Planning will begin in earnest in the New Year so if you have any input for the Agenda, or you are interested in helping with the planning of this important event, please let us know so your thoughts are captured during the planning process. 

The date and location for our next Conference/AGM has been confirmed. The 2008 event will take place in St. John's from June 12th - 13th 2008, at the Fairmont Newfoundland Hotel. This date is about three months later than last year's event (March 2007), and was chosen due to poor opportunity for outdoor activities in St. John's during March. Future Conferences / AGMs will now be planned for June time frame on a rotating basis between St. John's and other locations.

Engineers Canada 

Fellow PEGNL member Tony Dawe, P. Eng. was sworn in as President of Engineers Canada in May in Winnipeg; the third PEGNL member to have served in this esteemed position. 

Tony has been busy with Engineers Canada issues that include the following: 

• Mobility for Engineers across Canada and internationally(a mobility agreement was recently signed with Australia). 
• Creating a "definition of Engineering". 
• Raising the profile of the Profession. 
• Implementing a common member Database between all Engineers Canada constituent members. 
• Bridging the gap - The Iron Ring and Engineering Licensure.

You will soon see an advertisement for the replacement of Engineers Canada's President Marie Lemay who has tendered her resignation, effective December 31, 2007. 

Tony has a busy year ahead of him and we wish him all the best during his term of office.

Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists (CCPG) 

Jim Wright is PEGNL's Director for CCPG and is also our representative on the Canadian Geoscience Standards Board (CGSB). As a result, he has been very busy with the following CCPG activities: 

• Mobility for Geoscientists across Canada 
• Revisions to the Geoscience Knowledge & Experience Requirements 
• Directing CCPG Finances (Jim is the Treasurer.)

Jim's term of office on the CGSB is coming to an end and I would like to thank Jim very much for his efforts during his term of office. 

We will be actively pursuing a geoscience member replacement for Jim on the CGSB, so if you are interested in this important position please call Steve Mclean at PEGNL office 753.7714.

National Engineering & Geoscience Week (NEGW) 

It won't be too long now and National Engineering & Geoscience Week will be here. I encourage Permit Holders to support NEGW and help PEGNL in making the general public more aware of the day-to-day work of Engineers and Geoscientists and encouraging young persons to choose a career in engineering or geoscience. If you can please take out an advertisement for our newspaper supplement, or sponsor a NEGW event, your support will be appreciated. 

Fellow PEGNL members can also assist by volunteering their time on the planning committee or as a volunteer during one of the many local Chapter events that take place during the week. I know that a couple of our Chapters are in need of member volunteers, especially EITs or GITs. 

Also, if you know any teachers who would be interested in becoming involved in NEGW activities from the school perspective, please let the NEGW Committee know by contacting Joan Fillier at jfillier@pegnl.ca 

To conclude, I welcome your feedback on this article and other issues / concerns you may have as a member of PEGNL. Please e-mail me at president@pegnl.ca. 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all PEGNL members and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Whatever you do, be safe and have a great holiday.

© Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador