Society Notes September 2002

Society Notes - February 2006

1. OSPE to work with Ministry of Research and Innovation to raise profile of professional engineers and engineering in Ontario

Last month, OSPE representatives met with Tony Wong, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Research and Innovation to discuss the important roles that professional engineers and engineering play in building a creative, innovative and prosperous Ontario. OSPE also took the opportunity to ask the Ministry to appoint representation from the engineering profession to the Ontario Research and Innovation Council (ORIC).

The Ministry of Research and Innovation was established in the summer of 2005 to:

• Develop and lead an integrated and coherent innovation agenda to deliver excellence, performance and results.
• Align and deliver government-sponsored Research and Commercialization Programs.
• Celebrate and Showcase Ontario's Innovation Excellence.
• Inspire the Next Generation of Ontario Innovators.

OSPE advocates that Ontario’s engineers are leaders in innovation and play a large role in contributing to the province’s economy and the improvement of our quality of life.

ORIC’s role will be to advise the Premier who is also the Minister of Research and Innovation on developing and implementing a coordinated and comprehensive research and innovation agenda. OSPE believes that professional engineers and engineering representation on the ORIC would be vital.

In November 2005, MPP Wong participated as a panelist at the 2005 OSPE General Assembly (GA). In his remarks to the GA crowd, Mr. Wong recognized the important role of professional engineers in building the infrastructure of Ontario and inventing new products that aid in the province’s economic growth.

Find out more about the Ministry of Research and Innovation at www.mri.gov.on.ca.

Stay tuned to www.ospe.on.ca for more information on this issue.

2. Water submissions focus on engineering management and input

OSPE recently made two submissions to the Ministry of the Environment advocating the need for engineering input and involvement in Ontario’s future water strategy. The first submission was a response to the Ministry’s proposed Drinking Water Quality Management Standard and the second submission related to the proposed Clean Water Act. Both submissions highlighted the need for professional engineers to play a strong role in the design, operation and management of Ontario’s drinking water systems.

The Society’s first submission on January 27, provided feedback on the Ministry’s proposed Drinking Water Quality Management Standard, a standard developed as a result of one of the key recommendations from Commissioner O’Connor’s Part II Walkerton Report. The proposed standard would assist owners and operating authorities in the effective management and operation of their municipal residential drinking water systems by outlining requirements for a quality management system to ensure high quality drinking water.

OSPE endorses the proposed standard but suggests that professional engineers, because of their first duty to the public as licensed professionals, should be considered as the best possible individuals to design, implement and monitor these systems. By ensuring that professional engineers are given the authority for system operations and monitoring in addition to design sign-off, the Ministry will ensure that water systems operate as designed.

In the second submission regarding the Ministry’s proposed Clean Water Act, OSPE again reinforced the need to include professional engineers in all aspects of Ontario’s clean water plan. OSPE’s specific recommendation is for the Ministry to include P.Engs. on its Source Protection Committees (SPC).

“A large number of professional engineers in Ontario are trained in the area of source protection and have extensive experience in developing and implementing workable solutions across the province,” said Chris Cragg, P.Eng., OSPE President and Chair in the submission.

“The success of SPCs will require a logical approach and careful balancing of the possibly divergent viewpoints of its various members. This will be important given the significant powers of the SPCs in recommending source water protection measures. Professional engineers can be key members in SPCs due to their balanced professional training and regulated duty to the public.”

Both of the OSPE submissions were developed with the assistance of the Society’s Safe Water Task Force. OSPE is pleased to announce the recent addition of Steve Burns, P.Eng., officially representing the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA), and Ranee Mahalingam, M.Eng., P.Eng., officially representing Professional Engineers of the Government of Ontario (PEGO), to this committee.

OSPE will continue to work with the Ministry of the Environment on the water file. Stay tuned to www.ospe.on.ca for future updates.

Do you have something to say about Ontario’s Water Systems management? Visit our online Issue Forum at www.ospe.on.ca and give us your feedback.

Proposed Standard Links:
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/026021ep.htm

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/env_reg/er/documents/2005/pa05e0033.pdf

Clean Drinking Water Act Links:
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/cwa.htm

3. Energy supply and use of “Qualified Persons” cause concern in Ontario’s Growth Plan

Last month OSPE submitted feedback to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal (MPIR) on its Proposed Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. While OSPE noted the significant role that the profession will play in the implementation of the Plan, the submission also expressed concern about the absence of energy supply, conservation and waste management in the Plan. In addition, OSPE noted that professional engineers should be identified as “Qualified Persons” where the Plan calls for the redevelopment of Brownfields sites.

The Proposed Growth Plan complements the government’s Greenbelt Plan by focusing where growth should happen, to sustain economic prosperity around the Greenbelt and across the Greater Golden Horseshoe which includes every community from Niagara Falls to Peterborough.

OSPE’s submission noted the significant role that professional engineers will play in the execution of the Growth Plan, particularly in the creation of new infrastructure which will need to be developed to accommodate a growth of 4 million people by 2030 in this area. This population increase will result in more pressure on existing infrastructure and presents a tremendous opportunity for professional engineers to play a role in its renewal.

Energy Supply

The OSPE submission also noted concern about the absence of plans for energy supply and conservation and solid waste management and asked if these issues were being addressed by other agencies. OSPE also asked if the finalized plans for these issues would be fully integrated within the Plan.

With the expected population growth in the area, OSPE highlighted that there will be significantly greater demands on existing energy infrastructure and energy supply - a situation that will create new opportunities for combined heat and power (CHP), alternative energies and conservation.

“Energy supply is as much a fundamental issue for the development and redevelopment of urban areas as are water and wastewater systems,” said Chris Cragg, P.Eng., OSPE President and Chair in the submission.

Brownfields

The Proposed Growth Plan also mentions the use of Brownfields sites and OSPE took the opportunity to raise the issue of identifying “qualified persons” to design and direct the clean up of these sites. Mr. Cragg expressed the consistent concern the Society has had with Brownfields by suggesting, “while it is acknowledged that the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) is currently reviewing this issue, we are concerned about the prospect of non-professional engineers being given the authority to clean-up sites by MOE.”

OSPE has requested a follow-up meeting with the Ministry to discuss the issues raised in our submission. Stay tuned to www.ospe.on.ca for further updates.

Find out more about the proposed Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe at:

http://www.pir.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/cma_4_44013_1.html

4. OSPE applauds delay of high school math curriculum reforms

The Ministry of Education has delayed the January 2006 implementation date of the secondary school math curriculum reforms that involve the elimination of significant components of grade 11 and 12 calculus. The delay comes as a result of pressure by OSPE and other organizations for further consultation with all stakeholders before reforms are adopted. The Ministry has proposed a new Task Force chaired by Thomas Salisbury, a York University professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to address the issues raised.

One of the primary objectives of the curriculum reforms is to help more students succeed in grade 11 and 12 maths. However, in a letter submitted to the Ministry last November, OSPE emphasized that the changes to the curriculum would result in a lack of preparation for new engineering students at the university entry level. This lack of preparation is expected to put undue pressure on university engineering faculties and engineering students who, without a solid understanding of calculus, will struggle through applied engineering courses.

Although the new Task Force is expected to evaluate the Ontario Grade 11 and 12 math curriculum in its entirety, its first concern will be on the issue of eliminating parts of the calculus program from the curriculum.

Find out more about OSPE’s work on this issue at http://www.ospe.on.ca/gr_connections_meetings_Minstry_Education_Dec_2005.html

View OSPE’s Letter to the Ministry - Nov. 4, 2005 at http://www.ospe.on.ca/pdf/GR_Issues_Education_Nov_4_05pdf.pdf

5. 2006 OSPE Board Election Nominations now closed
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers Call for Nominations for the 2006 Board election has now closed. Thank you to all who submitted nominations. This year, four positions are open on the Board and there's never been a better time to get involved by casting your vote. With over 12,000 members and many new programs and services, our continued success needs your support and involvement to help raise the profile of the profession in Ontario.

Important Dates
Candidate information will be posted on our website at the end of March and members will be able to cast their vote electronically or by paper ballot. Elections materials and ballots will be mailed to all members who are eligible to vote at the end of March and completed ballots must be received by our election agency by April 20, 2006. Election results will be announced on May 2, 2006.

The new Board will take office on May 6, 2006 at the Society's Annual General Meeting, taking place at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto. Stay tuned to www.ospe.on.ca for more information on this year’s AGM and how members can register to attend.

Questions about our up-coming election can be directed to Andrea Vecera at avecera@ospe.on.ca or by phone at 416-223-9961, ext. 222. Stay tuned to www.ospe.on.ca for further election updates.

6. E-newsletter taps you into the latest career and professional development resources for engineers

Keep up to date on all the latest OSPE Career Centre and Professional Development news and events by registering for our Career Development E-newsletter. Be one of the first to hear about our latest courses, workshops and programs. Get the latest engineering job posting on our online career centre delivered right to you.

The E-Newsletter will arrive in your inbox bi-monthly and is packed with OSPE’s latest career development news and information exclusively for Ontario’s engineers.

Check out some of the jobs currently posted on our online Career Centre:

• Junior Structural Design Engineer
• Technical Coordinator/Project Engineer
• Industrial/Mechanical Engineer
• Chief Executive Officer - Information Services Coordinator

Stay informed about jobs just like these by subscribing today. Visit the OSPE Career Centre at www.ospe.on.ca to find out more and to subscribe. Or contact us at careercentre@ospe.on.ca or by phone 416-223-9961 ext. 232.

7. 2006 OPE Awards – Call for Nominations close March 31

OSPE and Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) are seeking nominations of outstanding professional engineers for the 2006 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards. Nominees who excel in engineering are eligible for Engineering Medals, while those who have made significant contributions to their community can be nominated for Citizenship Awards.

Awards are presented in the following categories:

Engineering Medals

• Engineering Excellence
• Research and Development
• Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Young Engineer Award

Citizenship Awards

• For exceptional contributions to society in general.
• For social betterment within an engineering context.

Nominations should be submitted in confidence by the March 31, 2006 deadline. For complete nomination information, including detailed descriptions of categories, nomination criteria, terms of reference, nomination forms and level of accomplishment of previous years’ recipients, please visit the PEO website at www.peo.on.ca.

The Awards will be presented to recipients at a gala celebration to be held in November 2006.

View the 2005 Award Recipients at http://www.ospe.on.ca/opeawards_2005.html