PEO Council Election Results Are In

Congratulations to all PEO elected candidates for 2017. OSPE looks forward to working with you!

Below are excerpts only of PEO Candidate Statements from each of the elected candidates (to view full statements click here), and a little information on how OSPE hopes to work with all candidates.

President-Elect (one-year term) – David Brown, P.Eng., OSPE member

 “A few issues we are facing as a profession:

  • Governance Review – Council has been picking the low hanging fruit in terms of governance issues plaguing us for years. The truth is… PEO desperately needs a complete governance review.
  • Without demand side legislation, engineering is being done by non-qualified people putting the public at risk. As a regulator we need to actively ensure that engineering, as it is defined in the Act, is in fact being carried out by licensed engineers.
  • The future of Accreditation – As more and more graduates do not pursue licensure coupled by the potential loss of accreditation, the future of engineering education is at a crossroad.”

OSPE looks forward to working with PEO’s President-Elect to ensure that the differing mandates and responsibilities of PEO and OSPE remain separate and clear.

Vice President (one-year term) – Nancy Hill, P.Eng., OSPE member

 “My priorities are:

  • Strengthen relevance of PEO in the new knowledge economy;
  • Identify barriers to licensure for both recent graduates and foreign trained engineers;
  • Create leadership opportunities for young professionals and EITs;
  • Strengthen fiscal accountability in PEO operations; and
  • Support strategic outreach programs to the government and the community at large.”

OSPE will continue to jointly identify and remove barriers to licensure alongside PEO, providing programs that can help engineering graduates gain necessary experience and meet the required qualifications to obtain their P.Eng. designation.

Councillor-at-Large (two-year term) – Kelly Reid, P.Eng.

  1. “I am against “CPD” & “PEAK” program of the PEO. Engineers already have a legal obligation to ensure they are qualified.
  2. I advocate that colleges & companies stop using the designation “engineer”. This needs to stop as it affects public perception of us.
  3. I will push to reduce membership fees while in parallel advocating to increase membership services.
  4. I will work to educate the public about the value of professional engineering. Engineers have an accountability to the public but sometimes our value to society is not recognized.”

Councillor-at-Large (two-year term) – Roydon Fraser, P.Eng., OSPE member

“I continue to be motivated by a strong desire to enhance the engineering profession in the eyes of the public, government, students and ourselves. I am also motivated by a strong desire to have members respected (e.g., control expenditures), to defend our self-regulated profession (e.g., engage members in major decisions), and to battle ineffective, burdensome, or politically convenient decisions.”

OSPE encourages PEO Councillors-at-Large to work with their advocacy association to promote the value of the engineering profession and ensure the voice of engineers in Ontario is heard.

Eastern Region Councillor (two-year term) – Ishwar Bhatia, P.Eng., OSPE member

“Key Eastern Region issues include:

  • Advancing the engineering profession – Engage with Engineers Canada to promote member mobility within provinces, and promote greater cooperation to create a higher value and visibility within our communities
  • Develop innovation program with entrepreneurial investment
  • Continuous Professional Development – ensure that all seven chapter voices are heard for council decision making
  • Repeal of Section 12 (3) (a) of Professional Engineers Act, known as “Industrial Exception”.”

East Central Region Councillor (two-year term) Thomas Chong, P.Eng., OSPE member

“Raise the value and relevancy of P.Eng. licence: 30% of engineering work is done by licensed engineer. Not acceptable! We must fight for the “right to practice” and strengthen enforcement to ensure engineering work must be done by Professional Engineers.

Respect the members: consult chapters and members for major policy change, including costs and bureaucracy of mandatory professional development (CPD). Members should have the final say by a democratic referendum.

It is time for leadership: PEO should advance itself as a visible, smart and modern regulator and increase public confidence and trust in our profession. Embrace diversity. Provide adequate funding to Chapters for growth. Uphold engineers for the profession.”

Western Regional Councillor – Lola Hidalgo, P.Eng., OSPE member

“I stand for:

  • Improving the trust in engineering as a self-regulated profession. I support our legal obligation to practice according to our qualifications, training and moral duty.
  • Promoting engineering as a profession of choice for future generations.
  • Educating the general public, including employers about using the word “engineer”.
  • Encouraging the pursuit of P.Eng. by promoting professional mentorship programs, and making PEO processes more customer-oriented and user friendly.
  • Reducing our membership fees without compromising the membership services.”
OSPE looks forward to working with all PEO regional councillors to ensure:
  • Engineers have greater recognition and visibility in communities across Ontario
  • PEO Chapter initiatives that involve advocacy are organized in partnership with OSPE
  • Ontario youth consider engineering as a future career
  • Mentorship programs are supported by established professional engineers who can provide insight and career guidance
Still wondering what the difference between OSPE and PEO is?

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Check out our Two Sides of the Same Coin post to have your questions answered. Essentially, PEO regulates the engineering profession in Ontario, and OSPE advocates for the engineering profession in Ontario. To become a well-rounded, full member of the engineering profession in Ontario, you must first join OSPE and support advocacy for your profession. Students are free, and we also provide Intern and Associate memberships. We’ll help you gain engineering experience and prepare for your path to licensure. Then you can start the licensure process with PEO and work your way towards becoming a Professional Engineer.

What other ways do you think PEO’s leadership should engage with OSPE?

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