Engineering Dimensions Fall 2025

AI in practice

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Engineering a Culture of Care in Regulation

PEO is integrating customer service into its regulatory processes to ensure licence holders and applicants feel supported and guided at every step.

By Prasanthi Vasanthakumar

Artificial intelligence is transforming engineering practice, but it also demands that professionals balance progress with responsibility.

By Sharon Aschaiek

Managing editor

Nicole Axworthy

Senior graphic designer

Cindy Reichle

Contributors

Sharon Aschaiek

Jane Mustac

Sarah Starr Prasanthi Vasanthakumar

Engineering Dimensions (ISSN 0227-5147) is published quarterly by Professional Engineers Ontario and distributed to all PEO licence holders.

Engineering Dimensions publishes articles on regulatory business and professional topics of interest to the professional engineer. The magazine’s content does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of PEO Council, nor does PEO assume any responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and art. All material is copyright. Permission to reprint editorial copy or graphics should be requested from the editor.

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All licence holders and engineering interns registered with Professional Engineers Ontario receive Engineering Dimensions in print or digital form. Subscription preferences can be updated in the PEO portal at secure.peo.on.ca. Other subscription requests can be made to editor@peo.on.ca.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

CEO/registrar

Jennifer Quaglietta, MBA, P.Eng., ICD.D

Vice president, regulatory operations and deputy registrar

Americo Viola, MBA, P.Eng.

Vice president, policy and governance and chief legal officer

Dan Abrahams, LLB

Vice president, corporate operations and digital transformation

Arun Dixit, P.Eng.

PEO COUNCIL

Officers

President Fred Saghezchi, MASc, P.Eng., FEC president@peo.on.ca

Past president and Council chair Gregory P. Wowchuk, P.Eng., FEC

President-elect

Leila Notash, PhD, P.Eng., FEC

Vice president (elected) Sardar Asif Khan, PhD, MBA, P.Eng., FEC, PMP

Vice president (appointed) Randy Walker, P.Eng., FEC

Executive Members

Shahandeh Hannah Ehtemam, P.Eng. Lorne Cutler, MBA, P.Eng.

Councillors

Councillors-at-large

Sean Decloux, MEng, MBA, P.Eng., PMP

Paula R. Klink, PhD, P.Eng., FEC

Randy Walker, P.Eng., FEC

Eastern Region councillors

Chantal Chiddle, P.Eng., FEC

Susan Jingmiao Shi, MEng, P.Eng.

East Central Region councillors

Shahandeh Hannah Ehtemam, P.Eng.

Nanda Layos Lwin, P.Eng., FEC

Northern Region councillors

Ahmed Elshaer, PhD, P.Eng.

Luc Roberge, P.Eng., FEC

Western Region councillors

Vicki Hilborn, MASc, P.Eng.

Susan MacFarlane, MSc, PhD, P.Eng.

West Central Region councillors

Pappur Shankar, P.Eng., FEC

Ravinder Panesar, P.Eng., FEC

Lieutenant governor-in-council appointees

Lorne Cutler, MBA, P.Eng.

Andrew Dryland, C.E.T.

Paul Mandel, MBA, CPA, CA

Shelly Markel, JD, MBA, ICD.D Gus Mastroianni

Andrew Naassan, P.Eng.

Rachel Prudhomme, BEng, MSc, P.Eng., BPHE

Scott Schelske, P.Eng., FEC

Uditha Senaratne, P.Eng., FEC

Sherlock Sung, BASc

Engineers Canada Directors

Arjan Arenja, MBA, P.Eng., ICD.D

Christopher Chahine, P.Eng., PMP

Nick Colucci, MBA, P.Eng., FEC

Tim Kirkby, P.Eng., FEC

Marisa Sterling, P.Eng., FEC

www.peo.on.ca

The office of Professional Engineers Ontario in the City of Toronto is situated on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

Not long ago, artificial intelligence (AI) felt like science fiction. Today, it’s part of daily life and increasingly part of engineering practice. From design optimization to predictive modelling, AI is transforming how engineers work. But with this transformation comes a critical question: How do we use it responsibly?

As I write this, the federal government is preparing a significant update to Canada’s national AI strategy—originally launched in 2017 as the first of its kind worldwide. A new AI Strategy Task Force has just 30 days to recommend policies and programs to help Canada seize the opportunities of this emerging technology.

For regulators like PEO, the focus is on ensuring AI use aligns with public safety and trust. We approach this technology with care: It can summarize information, streamline processes and automate repetitive tasks, but it cannot replace human judgment. That is why Council recently adopted a practice advisory on AI in engineering practice (p. 27). It provides guidance to help licence holders use it ethically, safely and within their professional responsibilities, including critically reflecting on its risks and limitations.

In “The AI-Enabled Engineer” (p. 22), contributing writer Sharon Aschaiek profiles three engineers using AI as a supporting tool to tackle complex challenges, from smarter transportation to wildlife protection. Their work reminds us that innovation is only part of the story. The rest is integrity, accountability and judgment—qualities no machine can replace.

When Technology Meets Responsibility

This issue also highlights how PEO is weaving customer service into its regulatory work. In “Engineering a Culture of Care in Regulation” (p. 19), contributing writer Prasanthi Vasanthakumar explores how PEO’s customer service team is building trust, fostering confidence and making regulation more human. By guiding applicants and supporting licence holders, this team shows that effective oversight is not just about rules—it’s about listening, responding and serving.

Finally, with election season underway, it’s worth considering the impact you could have on the profession. PEO Council plays a vital role in setting the direction of engineering regulation in Ontario. If you want to have a voice in shaping policies and advancing the profession, I encourage you to consider putting your name forward. Nominations open this month (p. 29). e

is leading the digital shift in professional engineering practice, where innovation and responsibility go hand in hand.

Nicole Axworthy MANAGING EDITOR

LET US KNOW

To protect the public, PEO investigates all complaints about unlicensed individuals or companies, and unprofessional, inadequate or incompetent engineers. If you have concerns about the work of an engineer, fill out a Complaint Form found on PEO’s website and email it to complaints@peo.on.ca

If you suspect a person or company is practising engineering without a licence, contact PEO’s enforcement hotline at 800-339-3716, ext. 1444, or by email at enforcement@peo.on.ca

AI

In 2023, for example, we became the first regulator in Ontario to remove the Canadian experience requirement from our licensing criteria, months ahead of legislated changes under the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act. This was a pivotal step for international applicants and part of a broader effort to ensure our licensing process is fair, transparent and efficient while upholding our core mandate of protecting the public.

This July, we reached another important milestone. Prospective applicants can now write the National Professional Practice Examination (NPPE)—a 2.5-hour online exam covering ethics, professional practice, engineering law and professional liability— before submitting their licence application. Traditionally, this exam was attempted once an application was in process.

By making this shift, we’ve introduced much-needed flexibility. Applicants can now book the NPPE at their convenience once their academic eligibility is confirmed, prepare on their own timeline and retake it if necessary. This not only supports their success but also enables PEO to process applications within 90 days, significantly streamlining the overall licensure journey.

Our efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC) recently profiled PEO as an example

Streamlining Access, Strengthening the Profession

of a high-volume regulator adopting more flexible, applicant-focused processes. The OFC specifically highlighted our embrace of parallel processing—allowing applicants to progress on academic and work experience requirements at the same time—together with the added NPPE flexibility.

REMOVING BARRIERS

On the same front, we are committed to accelerating the mobility of professional engineers within Canada. On January 1, 2026, the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act will take effect, advancing a national commitment to strengthen interprovincial trade and support mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

At the heart of this legislation is enhanced labour mobility, based on an “As of Right” approach. This will enable professionals— including engineers—to begin working in Ontario within just 10 days once their credentials and regulatory requirements are confirmed.

This development underscores the vital role engineers play in Canada’s economy. We fully support reducing barriers to mobility as a way to drive economic growth while ensuring the highest standards of practice. We are currently reviewing the new proposed regulations to understand the impacts on our licensing process—particularly for engineers already licensed and in good standing with another Canadian regulator. These professionals can apply directly for a P.Eng. licence in Ontario without repeating the full application process.

Our objective is clear: to advance streamlined, accelerated mobility while ensuring every engineer practising in Ontario is properly licensed and subject to the same rigorous oversight that protects the public.

A BOLD NEW VISION

On a final note, PEO Council has approved a bold and inspiring new vision statement to guide PEO into the future: “Leading regulation. Inspiring excellence. Thriving communities.” This sets the stage for the next chapter of our transformation. Look out for more insight on this and the launch of our ambitious 2026–2030 Strategic Plan in the next issue of Engineering Dimensions e

Jennifer Quaglietta,

P.Eng., MBA, ICD.D CEO/REGISTRAR

Symposium Highlights Volunteer Learning and Impact

PEO’s second Volunteer Symposium highlighted the essential role of PEO’s 900+ volunteers.

By Nicole Axworthy

PEO hosted its second Volunteer Symposium on September 27 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale Hotel, gathering nearly 200 attendees for a full day of learning, networking and inspiration. The event recognized the more than 900 volunteers who support PEO’s regulatory mandate while providing opportunities for training and engagement.

The symposium followed a PEO Council meeting (see p. 27) and the annual Order of Honour (OOH) ceremony (see p. 10), which celebrated nine longtime volunteers for their extraordinary service.

“Thank you to our more than 900 volunteers, spanning across chapters, committees and Council, for the time you devote to PEO and the engineering profession,” PEO CEO/Registrar Jennifer Quaglietta, MBA, P.Eng., ICD.D, told attendees. “Today, we shift gears to invest in you—in your skill development, in collaboration, in connections, and in our shared desire to be an excellent regulator.”

One of the highlights of the day was the Hall of Fame, presented by former PEO president Annette Bergeron, MBA, P.Eng., FEC. Volunteers who reached milestones of five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service were recognized with commemorative pins and a photo with PEO Council Chair and Past President Gregory P. Wowchuk, P.Eng., FEC, and CEO/Registrar Quaglietta. The recognition program honours the enduring dedication of volunteers whose efforts form the backbone of PEO’s work.

The day also featured a keynote address from mental health expert and motivational speaker Calissa Ngozi, who offered practical tools to help professionals safeguard their wellbeing and prevent burnout while serving their communities.

In addition, participants took part in a variety of breakout sessions, diving into topics such as:

• The importance of government relations in effective regulation;

• The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers’ role in advocating for the profession;

• The discipline tribunal process and its vital function in protecting the public interest; and

• Creating safe spaces for the next generation of engineers.

By day’s end, volunteers left with fresh insights, stronger connections and a renewed sense of pride in their collective impact on the profession and the public.

PEO CEO/Registrar Jennifer Quaglietta, P.Eng., MBA, ICD.D, announces PEO’s new vision statement at the PEO Volunteer Symposium.

Mike Rusek, LLB, director, regulatory compliance, presents on PEO’s regulatory cycle.

Keynote speaker Calissa Ngozi signs her book, The Oxygen Mask Mindset, for symposium attendees.

Nine recipients were inducted into PEO’s Order of Honour. From left to right: Artemy Kirnichansky, MSc, P.Eng., FEC, Mark Haynes, P.Eng., FEC, James Chisholm, MEng, P.Eng., FEC, Pat F. Scanga, P.Eng., FEC, Mehwish Obaid, P.Eng., FEC, Leonard Ray Barton, BSc, MBA, PhD, Steven F. Stang, P.Eng., FEC, Angela Scott, P.Eng., FEC, and Richard Pinder, MASc, P.Eng., FEC, with Jennifer Quaglietta.

Symposium attendees (from left to right) Alexander Dow, P.Eng., Larry Wong, P.Eng., Miyadah Babulla, EIT, and Mulugeta Gebeyehu, P.Eng.

Annette Bergeron, MBA, P.Eng., FEC, hosts PEO’s Hall of Fame.

PEO Recognizes 9 Order of Honour Recipients

A black-tie ceremony celebrated long-time volunteers whose leadership and dedication have strengthened the engineering profession.

By Nicole Axworthy

PEO honoured nine outstanding volunteers at its Order of Honour (OOH) ceremony on September 26 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale Hotel. The annual event recognizes licence holders and others who volunteer their time to support PEO’s statutory mandate to regulate Ontario’s engineering profession in the public interest.

The OOH is awarded in four classes: Member (10+ years of substantial contribution), Officer (15+ years of leadership), Companion (20+ years of profound influence), and Honorary Member (extraordinary contributions from non-licence holders). All inductees are selected through a transparent process that reflects fairness, equity, diversity and inclusion.

2025 INDUCTEES

Officers

James Chisholm, MEng, P.Eng., FEC, has been an active force in PEO for nearly two decades. From serving as West Toronto Chapter chair to representing licence holders on PEO Council (2020–2022), he has worked to strengthen communication across chapters and committees. He also helped launch initiatives such as the Toronto Engineering Club of Speakers Toastmasters and partnered with Toronto Fire Services on student safety projects. His leadership is marked by mentorship, collaboration and a drive to elevate professional standards.

First inducted as an OOH Member in 2021, Pat F. Scanga, P.Eng., FEC, is recognized this year as an Officer for his continued leadership. During the pandemic, he held multiple executive roles in the West Toronto Chapter, keeping members engaged and supported during challenging times. Over his career, he has mentored countless internationally trained and early-career engineers, while also serving nearly three decades as treasurer of the Engineering Innovation Forum.

Angela Scott, P.Eng., FEC, has been a pillar of the Chatham-Kent Chapter since 2001, serving repeatedly as chair and leading a vibrant education outreach program. From classroom visits to engineering day camps, she has inspired students of all ages to pursue careers in engineering. Her efforts have not only promoted the profession locally but also encouraged diversity by showing students that engineering is about teamwork and real-world problem-solving.

Members

With over 20 years of service, Mark Haynes, P.Eng., FEC, has twice chaired the Simcoe-Muskoka Chapter, transforming it into a thriving operation. He spearheaded reforms to funding allocation processes, improved scholarship administration and mentored new executive members. His steady leadership has left a lasting foundation for the chapter’s stability and growth.

A dedicated Mississauga Chapter volunteer since 2007, Artemy Kirnichansky, MSc, P.Eng., FEC, has served in multiple leadership roles, modernized the chapter’s website and launched its social media channels. He organized highprofile community events and encouraged women to join chapter leadership. At the provincial level, he chaired the IT Review Task Force, contributed to Council as a regional councillor and helped organize chapter leader conferences.

Currently Sudbury Chapter chair, Mehwish Obaid, P.Eng., FEC, has been deeply involved in government relations, education outreach and scholarships since joining the chapter 11 years ago. She has strengthened connections with local MPPs, organized professional development opportunities for members and championed STEM outreach for students. Her leadership continues to energize the chapter’s programming and volunteer base.

For over 20 years, Richard Pinder, MASc, P.Eng., FEC, has supported the Grand River Chapter in roles ranging from chair to Engineer-in-Residence coordinator. He has personally welcomed hundreds of new licence holders through the chapter’s licence presentation ceremonies and promoted STEM to local schools. Known for his personal touch and encouragement, he has been instrumental in building community among engineers and students alike.

Since becoming a volunteer with the Upper Canada Chapter in 2010, Steven F. Stang, P.Eng., FEC, has served as chair, education coordinator and Government Liaison Program (GLP) representative. His outreach with MPPs earned the chapter recognition as GLP’s best small chapter. Beyond PEO, Stang is a dedicated community volunteer, donating blood regularly and supporting seniors through music.

Honorary Member

Leonard Ray Barton, BSc, MBA, PhD, has contributed more than a decade of leadership to the Ottawa Chapter, most notably through government relations and innovation programming. He organized election debates, infrastructure forums and entrepreneurial challenges that connected engineers, policymakers and students. As CEO of Vitesse ReSkilling, he has mentored internationally trained engineers, helping them transition into the Canadian workforce. His contributions extend to the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the broader engineering community.

Replica Cairn Unveiled

The four-year project by PEO’s Thousand Islands Chapter brought together volunteers, local community and government to pay tribute to engineering heritage.

In August, PEO’s Thousand Islands Chapter unveiled a replica Sons of Martha cairn in Merrickville, ON, during a dedication ceremony attended by more than 70 people, including politicians. The monument honours the legacy of Harry F. McLean, who built cairns to commemorate workers injured or killed on major engineering projects (see “An Engineering Legacy,” Engineering Dimensions, May/June 2022, p. 50).

The replica marks the 100th anniversary of both the original 1925 cairn and the first Calling of an Engineer ceremony. As part of the event, organizers sealed a time capsule behind the front plaque, to be opened in 2075.

A CHAPTER AND COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER

The initiative began in 2021, when the Thousand Islands Chapter executive discussed the historic cairn at Deeks Quarry near Merrickville. Previously, between 1997 and 2002, two local residents had proposed relocating and restoring the monument, but the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation recommended it remain in place as a designated heritage site under the Ontario Heritage Act

On September 21, 2021, a small group of engineers hiked to the site and found the cairn vandalized, overgrown, and missing stones and plaques. With the original to remain in situ, the chapter launched plans in 2022 to build a replica in Merrickville as PEO’s centennial project. The initiative quickly gained support from local organizations, including the Merrickville and District Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce and community members.

Several sites were investigated as possible locations for the replica cairn. The chosen site at 105 Main Street satisfied all criteria: public land, historical significance, visibility and security. Importantly, the site is close to several major landmarks, including the Rideau Canal Locks (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Blockhouse Museum and the historical Jakes-McLean Block (previously McLean’s headquarters for Grenville Crush Rock Ltd., and now the Baldachin Inn). The Village of Merrickville-Wolford Council approved the chosen site and offered to perform the site preparation.

PRESERVING A PIECE OF HISTORY

The replica cairn’s design balanced historical authenticity with modern engineering. A steel frame, designed and fabricated by a chapter board member, allowed for transport and relocation, while limestone sourced from a local quarry matched the original cairn’s material. A heritage

mason, assisted by volunteer chapter members, built the masonry offsite using traditional stone cutting techniques to replicate early 20th-century styling. By fall 2022, the replica cairn’s structure and stonework were complete.

The cairn’s plaques posed a challenge: the Merrickville and District Historical Society possess a set, but they could not leave its collection. Research revealed these were not from the original cairn due to differences in poem formatting. Using forensic analysis, CAD modeling and CNC machining, the plaques were reproduced on bronze plates, patinated and finished by volunteers.

In fall 2024, a local structural engineering firm designed the reinforced concrete base and local contractor volunteers built the base, transported the completed cairn and installed it in place. By summer 2025, an interpretive board was designed, printed and installed on a railway-themed base as a nod to McLean’s railway-building legacy.

The replica cairn stands today as a tribute to engineering heritage, community collaboration and the enduring legacy of McLean and his Sons of Martha.

CORRECTION NOTICE

On page 8 of the Summer 2025 issue, we incorrectly stated that a benefit of the upcoming new EIT 2.0 program will be protected use of the titles “engineering intern,” “engineer-in-training” and “EIT.” In fact, the title “engineer-in-training” may not be used by any unlicensed person, including EITs.

Timely Completion of PEAK Is Key to Avoiding Suspension

PEO is beginning phased suspensions for licence holders who have not met the PEAK program requirements.

SIMPLE STEPS TO STAY ON TRACK

To complete the PEAK program, visit the PEAK section of your PEO portal account at secure.peo.on.ca. Follow the prompts to be directed to the PEAK platform. The first two PEAK requirements take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete. To check whether the requirements are complete, go to the Licence Profile section of your portal account or the Awards section of the PEAK platform. PEO remains committed to supporting all licence holders through this process and encourages timely completion of the PEAK requirements to avoid licence interruption. For more PEAK program tools and resources, visit peopeak.ca. e

The PEAK program is PEO’s mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) program, which supports licence holders in maintaining their skills, competence and professionalism. The annual program consists of three elements with accompany-

As part of the continued rollout of the mandatory Practice Evaluation and Knowledge (PEAK) program, PEO is reminding licence holders to stay current with their continuing professional development requirements.

On November 10, 2025, licence holders who are part of the 2025 PEAK cycle and have not yet completed the first two program elements—the Practice Evaluation and the Professional Practice Module—may be at risk of having their licence administratively suspended. These two requirements were due on January 31.

To support a smooth transition to the mandatory PEAK program, which officially launched in 2023, PEO is taking an incremental approach to compliance. Beginning this fall, a randomly selected group of licence holders who have not yet met their 2025 requirements will be notified. Those selected will be given time to comply before any suspension takes effect. Additional groups of non-compliant licence holders will be selected in a staggered, ongoing approach.

HOW A SUSPENSION AFFECTS YOUR PRACTICE

It’s important to understand the implications of suspension for PEAK non-compliance. If your licence is suspended, you will not be permitted to practise professional engineering, which includes using your seal or taking responsibility for engineering work— whether your own or that of others under your supervision.

During the suspension, you will no longer be able to refer to yourself as a professional engineer or use your designation (P.Eng. or LL), nor can you be associated with a certificate of authorization under section 47 of Regulation 941. A suspension also means you are no longer eligible to hold the consulting engineer designation. Additionally, the suspension will be visible on PEO’s public directory. There are significant penalties for practising while suspended, which can include the permanent cancellation of your licence.

1. Practice Evaluation (due on January 31 each year)

Licence holders must declare their practice status and complete either the Practice Evaluation Questionnaire (for practising licence holders) or the Non-Practising Survey. This takes about 15 minutes to complete.

2. Professional Practice Module (due on January 31 each year)

A one-hour, self-paced learning module on a regulatory topic.

3. CPD Report (due on December 31 each year)

Practising licence holders must record their professional development activities to meet their personalized CPD hours target, as determined by the Practice Evaluation Questionnaire. Reporting takes about one minute per activity.

WHO IS EXEMPT FROM PEAK?

PEAK is an annual requirement for all licence holders, with two exceptions:

• First-year licence holders

If you received a new licence or had your licence reinstated in 2025, you are exempt from PEAK this year. You must begin completing the program in January 2026.

• Fee remission participants

Licence holders enrolled in PEO’s fee remission program keep their licence at a reduced fee, commit not to practise and are fully exempt from all PEAK requirements.

The following events may have an in-person and/or online component. See individual websites for details.

How to Think about AI: A Guide for the Perplexed, by Richard Susskind, 2025: This book explores the impact of AI on humanity by looking at both its promises and risks. Susskind notes AI as the defining challenge of our age through its power to reshape industries, professions and even human identity itself.

The Human Contraint: How Business Leaders Can Embed Continuous Innovation, Conflict Resolution, and Problem Solving Into Daily Practice by Angela Montgomery, 2024: This book aims to equip leaders with knowledge, methods and tools to manage complex challenges and foster continuous innovation through the exploration of philosophy and theory.

AI in Chemical Engineering: Unlocking the Power Within Data, by José A. Romagnoli, Luis Briceño-Mena and Vidhyadhar Manee, 2025: This book aims to introduce the essential concepts of machine learning and their potential application in the chemical and process industries for increased adaptability and efficiency.

READ LISTEN WATCH

Engineered-Mind Podcast

ATTEND

NOVEMBER 1–2

Montreal | International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing https://sciencenet.co/event/index. php?id=3257775

Calgary | International Conference on General Artificial Intelligence https://isit.org.in/event/index. php?id=3260302

NOVEMBER 10–11

Quebec City | International Conference on Mechanical, Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering https://researchleagues.com/event/index. php?id=3255998

NOVEMBER 19–20

Vancouver | International Conference on Soft Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Applications https://researchleagues.com/event/index. php?id=3256095

Hosted by Jousef Murad, this podcast features conversations with scientists and engineers and how their work is shaping the world. It covers topics such as engineering, artificial intelligence and technology. https://www. engineered-mind.com/podcast/

Between Two Firms

Hosted by Michael Wrinch and Graham Lovely, this new podcast discusses the challenges and opportunities today’s engineers face. The hosts attempt to bridge the gap between big ideas and practical engineering. https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=sObhUEfIttU

Engineering our Future: Helping Engineers Succeed in Career and Life Host Luis Duque provides meaningful and educational conversations with professionals worldwide so you can stay ahead of the curve in your career. https://open.spotify.com/ show/1f0FftVAcL7yYSMTIRc5Wn

DECEMBER 14

British Columbia | International Conference on Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering https://scienceguru.org/Conference/6116/ ICMBGE/

DECEMBER 28–29

Toronto | International Conference on Civil and Architectural Engineering https://iastem.org/Conference/19581/ICCAE/

JANUARY 1–2, 2026

Mississauga | International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering https://www.allconference alert.com/event/1411504

The Happy Engineer

This YouTube channel aims to help engineering leaders reach their next career level while avoiding burnout. It encourages personal development through redefining work-life balance. https://www.youtube.com/ @TheHappyEngineer/videos

Engineering with Rosie

Hosted by Rosemary Barnes, PhD, this YouTube channel features videos about renewable energy engineering and other clean-energy technologies. https://www.youtube.com/ @EngineeringwithRosie/videos

Ethical Principles in Practice

From avoiding favouritism to reporting safety concerns, the Code of Ethics provides engineers with the principles to make responsible and ethical decisions every day.

By Jane Mustac, P.Eng.

In Ontario, the responsibilities of professional engineers are defined not only by their technical expertise but also by law. The Code of Ethics—which can be found in section 77 of Regulation 941 under the Professional Engineers Act—establishes the ethical standards for the profession.

These standards guide how engineers serve society, employers, clients and colleagues. Grounded in practical principles, they help engineers navigate decisions in everyday practice and build public trust, strengthen the profession’s reputation and lead to better outcomes for all.

At the heart of the code is a clear duty to society: professional engineers must place public welfare above all other obligations, even those to employers or clients. Their duty to employers requires them to act as faithful agents or trustees, keeping information confidential and avoiding or disclosing conflicts of interest. Likewise, their duty to clients demands full transparency, with engineers required to immediately disclose any interest, direct or indirect, that could compromise—or even appear to compromise—their professional judgment.

Ethical challenges often emerge when engineers face competing priorities, such as cost, safety, functionality and environmental impact. In these situations, engineers must weigh these factors carefully and recognize where their values may conflict.

77.1 DUTY TO THE PUBLIC

Section 77.1 of the Code of Ethics states that an engineer’s primary responsibility is to protect public health, safety and welfare. Their work must never put public safety and wellbeing at risk. If their professional judgment is overruled in a way that endangers life or property, engineers are obligated to alert their employer or client to the potential consequences. To better understand how 77.1 principles translate into practice, let’s explore some real-world examples.

77.1.1 Fairness and loyalty to associates, employers, clients, subordinates and employees

An engineer is asked by a developer to approve a cheaper retaining wall design to reduce project costs. The engineer determines the design does not meet safety codes. Acting with fairness, the engineer explains the risks and recommends a compliant alternative.

77.1.2 Fidelity to public needs

An electrical engineer is asked to approve cost-cutting measures that eliminate redundancy in a substation design. The engineer refuses, knowing this would increase risk to the public.

77.1.3 Devotion to high ideals of personal honour and professional integrity

An engineer is offered a substantial bonus to approve substandard workmanship for a bridge project to meet tight timelines. Despite

the offer, they decline and report the incident to their supervisor, maintaining professional integrity and refusing to compromise public safety.

77.1.4 Knowledge of developments in the area of professional engineering relevant to services undertaken

An engineer specializing in HVAC systems takes ongoing professional development courses and subscribes to industry journals to stay updated on new energy-efficient technologies and regulatory changes. This ensures their designs meet current standards.

77.1.5 Competence in the performance of professional engineering services

An electrical engineer is asked to design a structural support system, but this is outside their area of expertise. They decline and recommend a qualified colleague instead, recognizing that they are not competent in that area.

For the complete Code of Ethics, refer to the official text of Ontario Regulation 941 at www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900941. e

The remaining sections of the Code of Ethics will be featured in upcoming issues of Engineering Dimensions. We invite readers to contribute by sharing real-world examples of ethical challenges you have encountered in your engineering practice. Submissions will help illustrate how these principles apply in practice and may be considered for publication in future articles. Email us at practice-standards@peo.on.ca.

Jane Mustac, P.Eng., is PEO’s manager, practice advisory services

ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

When faced with an ethical dilemma, engineers should:

1. Identify the problem. Recognize when an issue might conflict with the ethical principles outlined in the Code of Ethics.

2. Get the facts. What are the relevant facts of the case?

3. Seek guidance. If uncertain, consult with stakeholders, peers or PEO.

4. Evaluate impact. Consider the available options and the broader impact of decisions on society, the environment and stakeholders.

5. Make and document the decision. Ensure the decision aligns with ethical standards and document the reasoning. It is good practice to follow up and assess.

THE ASSOCIATION HAS RECEIVED WITH REGRET NOTIFICATION OF THE DEATHS OF THE FOLLOWING LICENCE HOLDERS (AS OF AUGUST 2025).

AHMED, Jamil

Scarborough, ON

AHMED, Saad Ajax, ON

ALTAN, Mehmet Semih Scarborough, ON

ATKINS, Jonathan Brian Toronto, ON

BAKER, Philip Albert Lynn Woodstock, ON

BARRETT, Robert Wallace Campbell North York, ON

BATE, Alban John Warburton Kingston, ON

BELL, George Kenneth Stoney Creek, ON

BLAIR, Paul Martin Windsor, ON

BONERT, Richard Rudolf Erich Owen Sound, ON

BOYD, Howard Orvil Waterloo, ON

BRAHM, Gerald Arthur London, ON

BRANCH, Terence George Oakville, ON

BRODIE, Diane Victoria, BC

BUDZIAKOWSKI, Janusz Adam Toronto, ON

BURGA, Pablo Ernesto Mississauga, ON

BURWELL, Arnold Earl Nepean, ON

CAMERON, Stephen Reginald Perth, ON

CAMPBELL, David Clarence Kanata, ON

CHAI, Ki-Chuen Patrick Scarborough, ON

CLOW, Gordon Eric White City, SK

COGGINS, Howard William Huntsville, ON

COURTENAY, Moira Kathleen Mississauga, ON

CYBIN, Wieslaw Roman Tomball, TX

DITTMAN, Seth Derryck Richmond Hill, ON

FRAZIER, Peter Douglas Victoria, BC

FREEMAN, David Leslie Shelburne, ON

FREEMAN, George Sarnia, ON

GANDHI, Subhash Chandra Richmond Hill, ON

GIRARD, Leonard Allan Port Rowan, ON

GRAVELLE, Paul Normand Ottawa, ON

GRAY, Alan Sidney Chatham, ON

HASKINS, Ronald James Almonte, ON

HAZRA, Asit Humar Ottawa, ON

HO, Thomas Kam-Tong Scarborough, ON

HONG, Ping Callander, ON

HUM, Moon Donald Toronto, ON

HUNTER, Norman Lloyd Guelph, ON

IBRAHIM, Hassan Ali North York, ON

ISAKOV, Predrag North York, ON

JUDD, Ross Leonard Dundas, ON

KAHN, David Alexander Nepean, ON

KAN, Bernard Yuen-Bew Toronto, ON

KERR, Claude Raymond Mindemoya, ON

KINASTOWSKI, Alina-Zofia Ottawa, ON

LACASSE, Claude Roland Joseph Mississauga, ON

LEWIS, Roger Dockley Burlington, ON

LITTLE, Jay Bernard Toronto, ON

LUFT, David Edward Waterloo, ON

LYLE, James Arthur Leonard Markham, ON

MARSDEN, Edward Arnold Etobicoke, ON

MCMILLAN, Neil Lang Nepean, ON

MOORHOUSE, Anson Edwin Toronto, ON

MULLER, Jennifer Lynne Bozeman, MT

NARENDRAKUMAR, Prathapan Markham, ON

NEUMANN, Reiner Bernard Leamington, ON

O’LANEY, Richard Allen Ottawa, ON

OUYANG, Hong Bing Scarborough, ON

PEKILIS, Barry Robert Ottawa, ON

PELOSI, Luciano Nicola Woodbridge, ON

PETTINGILL, Tom Kirkby Ogden Norval, ON

PHUNG, Vi Nghiep Stouffville, ON

PORTELLI, Ronald Vincent Orillia, ON

QUIRT, Paul Douglas Port Hope, ON

REBEK, Arthur Frank Stoney Creek, ON

REIST, Glenn Lincoln Kitchener, ON

SABBAN, Moise Montreal, QC

SADERA, Tersimlal Durgadas Brampton, ON

SHIKAZE, Kimi Hiro Oakville, ON

STACEY, Lawrence Howard Caledon, ON

STOJANOV, Evgeni Valentin Toronto, ON

SUTTON, Michael Anthony Oshawa, ON

TOD, James Douglas Kingston, ON

TOM, Donald Peter Richmond Hill, ON

TREMBLAY, Donald Joseph London, ON

WEEDEN, James Keith Ariss, ON

WHEELWRIGHT, John Barton Palgrave, ON

WOODCOCK, Wilfrid George Guelph, ON

YAKIMOV, Radka Toronto, ON

YUEN, Francis Bing Chiu North York, ON

Making Mining Welcoming for All

Mining

By Sharon Aschaiek

is helping drive meaningful change in one of Canada’s most critical industries.

For Theresa Nyabeze, P.Eng., diversifying mining isn’t just a goal. It’s a commitment to helping shift mindsets and open doors for the next generation of professionals.

As technical leader of diversity, equity, inclusion and culture at Vale Base Metals, Nyabeze advises on and executes programming that fosters mutual understanding and productive collaboration among employees. “Mining is an ecosystem that’s impossible with out a strong focus on people and enabling those people to come together to make it all work,” Nyabeze says. “When we have empa thy for others and what they do, it helps us make better decisions.”

THE DIVERSITY GAP

The 2024 Equity Deserving Groups in Canada’s Mining Industry of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) found that women make up just 15 per cent of the industry’s 400,000 workers and 15 per cent of engineers. Meanwhile, the MiHR’s 2023 Mining Labour Market 10-Year Outlook 2020 minorities account for just 9 per cent of mining workers overall; data on racialized mining engineers are scarce.

Mining’s pervasive diversity gaps have not impeded Nyabeze’s career trajectory, thanks to her mix of engineering talents, networking abilities and optimistic attitude. Emigrating from Zimbabwe with her family at 12, she built on her aptitude for math and science by studying mining engineering at Laurentian University. While com pleting her undergraduate degree, she joined the not-for-profit group Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Sudbury.

“In WISE, I saw how women already in the industry were man aging their lives and careers. That was important to my professional growth,” says Nyabeze, who later volunteered for WISE, including as its president from 2017 to 2020.

Hired by Vale in 2000 as a research engineer, Nyabeze has had diverse roles with responsibilities that have included strategic plan ning for mines, supervising miners underground and conducting orebody financial analysis. In her penultimate position of senior specialist mining engineer, she travelled across Canada and to Brazil and Indonesia contributing to the governance of company mineral reserves and resources.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

In 2017, Nyabeze wrote a children’s book to debunk common myths about underground mines being dark and scary places with intimi dating people. The book is geared toward enticing more youths, including her then two young kids, to consider the profession. Underground! My Mining Adventure is about a young girl’s journey underground with her mother where she discovers mining’s com plexity and innovation. Nyabeze says the book has been distributed to several Ontario schools and translated into French, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and some African languages.

Nyabeze’s commitment to diversifying mining spans grassroots and institutional efforts. She co-runs a mentorship network supporting new immigrants in the sector and serves as a board advisor for Women in Mining Sudbury. For five years, she led the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), advancing conversations on ethnic diversity, neurodiversity and allyship.

She continues to stay true to her technical roots through the CIM’s MRMR Society while shaping the mining industry’s equity, diversity and inclusion strategy through the Environmental and Social Responsibility Society of CIM’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. A proud alumna of the Governor General’s Leadership Program, she now chairs its northern Ontario tour, curating experiences for future leaders.

In her role at Vale, Nyabeze champions the company’s global inclusion strategy, embedding it into core business practices through education and change management, with the aim of fostering a workplace where everyone belongs.

With mining’s aging workforce and the lack of available skilled workers forecasted to cause labour shortages, Nyabeze says improving diversity is key to sustaining the sector’s growth and innovation. “With mining, you want people who are technically minded, but you also want different kinds of thinkers, which can be shaped by how they’ve experienced the world,” she says. “How do we all come together with our different values and ways of knowing and execute projects together?” e

engineer Theresa Nyabeze

of CARE IN REGULATION ENGINEERING A CULTURE

PEO is weaving customer service into its regulatory processes to ensure licence holders and applicants are heard, supported and guided at every step.

By Prasanthi Vasanthakumar

When Gustavo Nogueira arrived in Canada in 2019, he never imagined his career would lead to customer service. But for the former gym owner from Brazil, who had built his livelihood on solving problems and connecting with people, it felt like a natural fit when he was offered the chance to provide IT support for PEO licence holders.

Similarly, Lateefah Soremekun hadn’t mapped out a future in customer service, but her knack for improving people’s experiences kept pulling her in that direction. With academic roots in psychology and hands-on experience helping her family’s property management business, she discovered that supporting people wasn’t just something she could do—it was something she excelled at.

Today, both Nogueira and Soremekun are part of the team redefining what customer service means at PEO. Their stories reflect a larger shift: recognizing that every interaction with an applicant, licence holder or volunteer is not just a transaction, but an opportunity to build trust, foster confidence and make regulation more human.

BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF SUPPORT

Providing excellent customer service is critical for any organization and can be a challenging task, often requiring rapid problem solving and deep knowledge to address a wide range of queries. A PwC report finds that speed, convenience, consistency, friendliness and the human touch are essential ingredients for an excellent customer experience. Organizations that provide excellent customer service are more trusted by 83 per cent of customers, according to research by expert Shep Hyken.

As a regulator, PEO has a variety of “customers,” including P.Eng. licence holders, applicants, volunteers and the public at large. For PEO to fulfill its mission to regulate and advance the practice of engineering to protect the public interest, a strong foundation of trust is critical.

That’s why Paula Habas’s personal philosophy is rooted in customer service. “PEO cannot achieve regulatory excellence without excellent customer service,” says Habas, PEO’s director, program management office. “But this would require an existential shift.”

Indeed, PEO didn’t always have a centralized customer service team. The organization used to respond to licence holders by routing queries to staff in relevant departments. For example, if a P.Eng. had a question about applying for a licence, an operator would transfer their request to a staff member in the corresponding department. More often than not, these queries were handled over email.

In 2022, things changed.

PEO introduced a series of significant digital improvements that reshaped how licence holders and applicants interact with the regulator. A fully online application for the P.Eng. licence was launched in PEO’s portal, an online hub through which users pay fees, download receipts, update contact information and report continuing education. A few months later, PEO introduced multi-factor authentication to enhance portal cybersecurity and protect licence holder data. This was followed by the rollout of a mandatory continuing professional

development program, Practice Evaluation and Knowledge (PEAK), that supports licence holders in maintaining their skills, competence and professionalism.

These initiatives prompted a surge of emails and phone calls from licence holders and applicants. To ensure questions were answered in a timely fashion, PEO brought on four IT and customer service specialists—including Nogueira and Soremekun. Their contributions quickly proved invaluable.

Recognizing the potential, PEO’s leadership—led by CEO/Registrar Jennifer Quaglietta, P.Eng., MBA, ICD.D—saw an opportunity to build something more. “They looked around and thought, ‘There’s something really good and special here,’” Habas explains. “Jennifer decided to keep this talent and requested a pilot customer service team dedicated to addressing the needs of our licence holders, applicants and volunteers.”

For Soremekun, the team’s chemistry is undeniable. She attributes their success to a strong sense of collaboration, respect, communication, commitment and accountability. “I don’t know if it’s because we are a small team, have good leadership or were in the trenches together from the beginning,” Soremekun says. “Maybe it’s a combination of all three. But we have created something unmatched by any other team I’ve been on.”

EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING

Nogueira and Soremekun often field questions about PEAK, licensing and the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act (FARPACTA), and technical support for portal access and navigation.

One of Nogueira’s most rewarding interactions involved helping a licence holder log in to the portal. These requests typically take four to six minutes to resolve, but this issue took close to an hour to complete. After an exchange of emails, a phone call and screen-sharing via Zoom, the user gained access. “When he finally logged in, he was so thankful,’” recalls Nogueira. “He told me he was going to have a beer, and that I should have one, too. When you solve a problem after these longer interactions, you almost feel like friends.”

While some issues are technical in nature, others call for more nuance—such as queries from applicants following the 2023 rollout of the updated, FARPACTA-compliant licence application process. Often, they’ve visited the website but need clarification, or they haven’t yet started and don’t know where to begin. For many, picking up the phone feels more personal and reassuring.

“Especially in early 2023, we had a lot of people saying, ‘I want to talk to a human. I don’t want an autoreply. I don’t want to listen to robocalls,’” Nogueira says. “They like being able to hear someone and feel supported.”

A PROACTIVE APPROACH

To help Nogueira, Soremekun and the rest of the team solve customer problems, Habas is introducing a number of new initiatives.

The first change is closer collaboration with PEO’s communications department. Together, these teams develop targeted messages through email, PEO’s website and social media. By bringing the customer service team’s frontline experience to communications strategy, PEO can anticipate and address questions

The frontline staff who are supporting licence holders, applicants, volunteers and the public. From left to right: Gustavo Nogueira, Thabata Machado, Lateefah Soremekun and Evandro Santos.

approach has already led to a clearer login page for the PEO portal, for example—and a 15 per cent drop in licence holders seeking clarity from customer service.

Second, Habas is implementing tools that enhance the team’s performance, including tracking inquiries by vehicle (e.g., call, email), resolution time and subject matter. This allows PEO to see the bigger picture. “Tracking gives us the ability to identify our pain points and low-hanging fruit,” Habas says. “It helps us make betterinformed decisions.”

As part of its tracking efforts, PEO also asks for customer feedback. “We’re opening up the conversation with our customers and asking them to tell us how we’re doing,” Habas says. So far, the results have been positive, with a current customer service experience rating score of 7.3 in 2025, based on feedback from 492 respondents and measured on a scale of one to 10. On average, inquiries are resolved within two to three days and 76 per cent of inquiries are resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

“There’s a tremendous shift in how our constituents view PEO, even though we’re sometimes making difficult decisions as a regulator,” says Halley Schaub, continuous improvements and special projects lead at PEO, who is helping enhance the customer service model. “We’re here to protect the public. Hopefully we’re doing it in a kind and empathetic way at the same time.”

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Positive feedback is rewarding, but there is always room for improvement. This year, Habas and her team are focused on expanding the number of issues the customer service team can help resolve for licence holders, applicants and volunteers.

Nonetheless, there will always be complicated issues that require specialized support. To ensure a positive experience for customers— no matter how complex the question is—Habas is planning additional training for PEO’s subject-matter experts who handle escalated inquiries.

New technologies can also support customer service. Habas is implementing advanced tracking programs to streamline record-

part of its digital transformation, PEO continues to advance its arti ficial intelligence (AI) strategy—one that incorporates responsible and ethical use, as well as risk management. But customer service will always have the human touch.

“Providing excellent customer service to licence holders, applicants, volunteers and the public is an important part of our current and upcoming strategies,” says Arun Dixit, P.Eng., PEO’s vice president, digital transformation and corporate operations. “While evolving AI technologies offer increasingly advanced capabilities, our approach to customer service is, and will continue to be, supported by dedicated staff who provide support to queries.”

Beyond solving problems, the organization is cultivating a culture of care that is reshaping how licence holders and applicants experience regulation, showing that effective oversight isn’t just about rules—it’s also about listening, responding and supporting. Habas is looking forward to solidifying PEO’s commitment to provide exceptional customer service that promises timeliness, respect and courtesy, accountability, transparency, accessibility and a thirst for feedback. These are ultimately PEO’s values, says Habas.

“I hope our members have noticed this shift in our customer service,” she says. “It’s not going to be perfect overnight, but we are striving as hard as we can to get the customer experience right.”

Habas needn’t worry. As one licence holder wrote: “I have been in touch with PEO since 2001 and it has been continually improving its services to the members and community during the past two and a half decades. However, this time my experience was exceptionally great… Very well done PEO and thank you for the excellence in customer service.”

This is the kind of feedback that motivates Soremekun and Nogueira to keep doing their best work. They’re both eager to build on PEO’s customer service progress and learn new skills in the process. “I’m excited for growth,” Soremekun says. “I’m excited for transformation.” e

The AI-Enabled

Engineer

Artificial intelligence is transforming engineering practice, offering opportunities for innovation and efficiency, but it also demands that professionals balance progress with responsibility.

By Sharon Aschaiek

Few technologies today have more profound implications for the work of professional engineers than artificial intelligence (AI). From learning and problem-solving to perception and reasoning, AI systems can replicate—and in some cases surpass— human cognitive abilities. The specialized subset of generative AI, or GenAI, can detect patterns in data to create new content, including text, images, music and code. Another distinct new form of machine learning is agentic AI, autonomous systems that can analyze information, develop strategies and execute complex tasks towards specific goals and adjust to changing conditions with minimal human intervention.

Engineers across diverse disciplines who make good use of AI tools gain access to rapidly generated data to support them in their decision-making. Using AI for more rote or administrative workflow tasks also enables them to focus more on critical analysis, strategic planning and other high-value work. Here, three engineers show how they’re using AI to advance transportation, protect wildlife and strengthen disaster response—while reminding us that innovation must always be matched with responsible and ethical use.

DRIVING DATA-INFORMED DECISIONS

At Invision AI in Toronto, Emanuel Corthay, P.Eng., works with municipal governments and transportation agencies in Canada and worldwide to improve road safety, optimize traffic flow and make public transit more efficient. The company’s 16-patented AI-powered software platform can make it easier to perform vital tasks related to safety, business operations and energy savings, from detecting accidents and adjusting highway lighting to counting vehicle passengers to prevent high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane misuse.

Invision’s system provides real-time imagery of road conditions through a combination of multiple co-operating cameras and AI analytics. Cameras monitoring different parts of the same intersection can be equipped with sensors to capture data on the position, size, speed and traveling direction of objects on roads. The cameras use “mesh sensing” to geo-reference each other’s footage, creating a 3D view of the road.

GenAI capability is also in play, with an algorithm detecting and reporting anomalies in the video data that it has been trained to recognize. With distributed edge processing in place, the AI analytics can process the raw video streams in real-time and provide faster updates on any potential red flags on the road. The result is that those responsible for tracking and responding to various aspects of

“It’s a good time for engineers to start dabbling in AI, if they haven’t already done so, and start to seize the opportunities while also respecting their requirements as a professional practitioner.”

—Paul Longo, P.Eng.

transportation operations, such as car accidents and easing congestion, can make faster and smarter decisions.

“What’s unique with us is the way we combine AI analytics with the cameras working together to get a better understanding of the positions of objects in the environment,” says Corthay, vice president of products at Invision. “We get fewer false detections. From a safety point of view and a performance point of view, it makes a big difference.”

Invision specializes in improving safety at level railway crossings, where tracks intersect with roads or walkways and collision risks are higher. Invision is currently completing a project for Metrolinx, Ontario’s transit agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, where Corthray and his team are testing the feasibility of their platform to track different hazards at one of its level railway crossings. As AI-enabled surveillance promises more accurate assessments about problems such as damaged crossing gates or malfunctioning warning lights or bells, this data could significantly reduce the number of false alarms sent to Metrolinx, allowing for wiser deployment of repair persons. The system can also track encroachments on a train track by a car or person, which could enhance the prevention of and response to safety incidents.

“AI opens up a whole new world of things engineers can do, more possibilities for achieving operational efficiency and safety, but we have to know how to use it wisely,” Corthay says.

ALGORITHMS FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION

The potential for engineers to skillfully and ethically use AI to assist, augment and amplify their work is something Corthay is exploring in his capacity as a member of the Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Working Group of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, the province’s engineering advocacy body. Consisting of eight engineering professionals, including four P.Engs, the group’s efforts include promoting understanding of AI’s benefits and risks within the profession and developing best practices for integrating AI into engineering projects.

“We are really starting to see the potential for big data as a tool to drive process optimization and enable more data-informed decisions for engineering and design teams. So I suspect we will see more engineers start to adopt AI in the coming years, and it brings a lot of unique risks and opportunities,” says Paul Longo, P.Eng., chair of the OSPE AI working group. “It’s a good time for engineers

to start dabbling in AI, if they haven’t already done so, and start to seize the opportunities while also respecting their requirements as a professional practitioner.”

Longo is a mechanical and industrial engineer with a graduate degree in AI management who is an executive business partner focused on the public sector in the Toronto office of AltaML. The Edmonton, AB-based company builds vertical AI solutions for private- and public-sector clients in the government, health, energy and industrial arenas that help them automate tasks, improve processes and enhance customer service.

Over the last four years, AltaML contributed to the smartWhales project, funded through the Canadian Space Agency’s smartEarth initiative, in conjunction with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada. It focuses on making better use of satellite imagery to monitor and protect North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters. With a population that the Canadian government estimates to be about 370, the whale is one of the world’s most endangered marine animals due to factors such as collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change and noise pollution.

Working with environmental consultancy Hatfield, the Canadian Wildlife Federation and researchers at Canadian and American universities, they developed a cloud-based geoscience computing platform that uses high-resolution satellite imagery and deeplearning AI algorithms to semi-automatically detect the presence of right whales in the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In collaboration with marine biologists, this initial project demonstrated that machine learning could be effectively used to detect whales in satellite imagery, paving the way for the current work to scale the solution.

“Sifting through a million satellite images is not super high-value work for an oceanographer,” Longo says. “We can take this tedious, repetitive work off their plate and give them more time to do the kind of work that can move the needle on this issue.”

In February, AltaML was chosen by the federal government to further build on this work: Over the next 36 months, the company will refine its AI modeling system that uses satellite images of right whales, and combine its output with that of a second AI model that identifies the whales through images produced by drones, airplanes, helicopters and boats used for research or commercial purposes. What will result is a more comprehensive picture of the location of these whales that the government and—if an open-source approach evolves—research institutions, conservation organizations and other such entities could use to better safeguard this vulnerable species.

TURNING DATA INTO DISASTER DEFENSE

Another way engineers can use AI is by enhancing our ability to predict floods earlier. Flooding is Canada’s most frequent and costly natural disaster, striking communities nationwide at any time of the

year. Hossein Bonakdari, P.Eng., an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Ottawa who studies how to manage the water-related risks of climate change, says southern and western Ontario are increasingly vulnerable to floods due to factors such as earlier snowmelt onset, land use change, more intense rainfall and inadequate hydraulic infrastructure such as culverts, spillways and detention basins. As well, he says, current flood forecasting methods by municipalities and the province use outdated modelling to predict extreme hydrological events and do not include climate-adjusted scenarios.

“A cost-effective and scalable alternative lies in the integration of AI, remote sensing and a centralized, interoperable flood data platform,” Bonakdari says.

Bonakdari is currently using machine learning to optimize flood forecasting of the 146,000-square-kilometre Ottawa River Basin and the 550-sq.-km. Saint-Charles River. The pilot project began as a 2020 study funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and now involves partners at other universities as well as conservation authorities, Environment and Climate Change Canada and National Research Council Canada. The model developed by Bonakdari and his research team uses hydro-meteorological and geospatial data sets to analyze precipitation, snow cover, soil moisture, land surface temperature and frozen ground conditions and other variables in real time. The model integrates deterministic hydrological and hydraulic simulations with advanced AI algorithms to forecast hourly for flash flood detection, daily to support operational responses to flooding and monthly to aid infrastructure planning and climateadaptation strategies.

The preliminary results of Bonakdari’s research show that the model demonstrates high predictive skill and spatial accuracy, he says. He also notes that it can fore-

cast diverse flood scenarios up to 120 hours before they occur—a significantly longer-than-typical lead time that he says allows communities and responders to transition from reactive to proactive flood risk management.

“AI represents a transformational shift in how engineers approach natural disaster response—especially in complex, dynamic systems like hydrology, meteorology and infrastructure risk,” Bonakdari says. “In my own work, AI has dramatically shortened development cycles, improved spatial coverage and helped deliver actionable insights to stakeholders in real time—a leap that would be difficult to achieve with traditional methods alone.” e

RESPONSIBLE USE OF AI IN PRACTICE

AI’s rapid advancement and expanding use has resulted in increased questions about how professional engineers can use AI-based systems and tools responsibly in their practice. As such, in September, PEO Council adopted the practice advisory Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Professional Practice as guidance for licence holders. Developed by Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia, the practice advisory outlines practitioners’ professional duties when it comes to work generated by or including AI output, as well as the risks associated with AI-based systems. The document will soon be available under the Knowledge Centre of PEO’s website at www.peo.on.ca/knowledge-centre.

Licence holders working in this area must continue to meet their obligations under PEO’s Code of Ethics and professional misconduct provisions under Section 72 of Regulation 941. This means licence holders must maintain competence across all areas of their practice, including using AI responsibly; and act in good faith in the public interest, including ensuring AI applications do not compromise safety, welfare or ethical obligations.

PEO will continue to follow developments in this area to help guide any future regulatory considerations.

Strengthening Governance: Inside PEO’s Push for Excellence

From clearer election eligibility criteria to a new evaluation framework, PEO is taking concrete steps to improve how its governing Council functions.

By Prasanthi Vasanthakumar

Regulatory excellence is impossible without a strong foundation of good governance. A modern, effective and credible regulator can only succeed when built on a foundation of integrity, transparency and accountability.

This is why Marina Solakhyan spends a lot of time thinking about governance. As PEO’s senior director, governance, Solakhyan was brought on in 2022 to make sure the building blocks of good governance are firmly in place.

Her work builds on the foundation of PEO’s 2020–2022 Governance Roadmap, which set the course for stronger governance and spurred the improvements that followed. In the past year, new initiatives have brought PEO even closer to its destination. “When I look back at everything we’ve achieved on governance alone, it’s incredible,” says Solakhyan.

A FOCUS ON SKILL AND EVALUATION

This summer, Council endorsed an action plan to develop a competency-based nominations process. Recommended by an independent governance consultant, this move will provide clear role expectations for councillors and help ensure the right mix of skills and competencies around the table.

“What’s exciting for me is Council’s recognition that the board, as a whole, must possess all the competencies required to be effective,” Solakhyan says. “Building a framework that establishes a competencyand skills-based nomination process—something other regulators are moving toward—brings us closer to being an effective regulator.”

Feedback is also critical for continuous improvement. In February, Council adopted the recommendations put forward in the Council Evaluation Framework Report by Watson Board Advisors. This framework is based on a multi-year plan that goes beyond evaluating meetings and materials to include a yearly Council evaluation and peer feedback. It allows Council to proactively evaluate its performance and come up with strategies to address gaps, says Solakhyan. To maintain confidentiality and neutrality, an external consultant will facilitate the evaluation process.

MORE INFORMATION, BETTER DIALOGUE

Like any board of directors, Council has a bird’s-eye view of the organization’s operations. Indeed, a board’s role is to provide strategic oversight and guidance, while management manages day-to-day operations and execution of organizational strategy.

That doesn’t mean boards should fly blind. To keep Council informed so it can govern more effectively, staff introduced what Solakhyan calls “accountability tools.”

First, PEO launched its governance scorecard last year (see “PEO Introduces Council Governance Scorecard,” Engineering Dimensions, Winter 2024, p. 35). Essentially a report card on PEO’s core functions, the scorecard covers 12 areas across regulatory operations, policy, finance and strategy, and organizational culture. It is now published

ahead of each Council meeting and councillors receive regular reports that reflect the latest data for all key performance indicators.

“The governance scorecard continues to foster informed dialogue between staff and Council,” says Arun Dixit, P.Eng., PEO’s vice president, digital transformation and corporate operations, whose team led the scorecard’s development. “It’s a tool that will evolve to demonstrate PEO’s fulfilment of its growing priorities.”

Second, PEO introduced its first risk register to strengthen oversight of governance and operations. Approved by Council last year, it provides a high-level summary of the organization’s most significant strategic risks that could potentially impact the achievement of PEO’s regulatory mandate and Council’s strategic priorities. Overseen by the Audit and Finance Committee—one of PEO’s four governance committees—and reported to Council annually, the register outlines risk owners, ratings and key controls or gaps.

“It’s about what might jeopardize PEO’s ability to regulate the engineering profession,” Solakhyan explains. “Risk is defined with that lens in mind.”

ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS

Certainly, accountability goes both ways. Last fall, Council adopted the Director Accountability Framework, which includes a councillor code of conduct; election eligibility criteria and disqualification conditions; conflict of interest policy; and anti-workplace violence, harassment and discrimination policy.

This framework is common among other professional regulators. It sets out clear expectations for councillors and raises the bar on who can stand for election. For example, an individual who is not in good standing or possesses a criminal record cannot run for Council. The 2026 Council election will be the first time an individual must meet eligibility criteria to run (see p. 29 for the 2026 call for candidates).

Councillors can also face consequences—such as a reprimand, training requirements or removal from Council—for unacceptable conduct during their tenure. As of this May, councillors can be removed from Council for meeting disqualification conditions.

“This framework is important because it holds councillors accountable and lets them hold each other accountable,” says Solakhyan. “It controls who can be on Council and who can be removed from Council for conduct that shouldn’t be acceptable for someone who governs the profession in the public interest.”

There is still much work to do. Solakhyan is thrilled that governance advancement is part of PEO’s upcoming 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, which includes a commitment to enhance governance structures to champion effective leadership and decision-making. “I’m excited that we’re continuing to champion effective governance,” Solakhyan says. e

Council Adopts AI Practice Advisory

Decisions of the 572nd meeting of Council on September 26, 2025.

By Nicole Axworthy

At its September meeting, Council approved the adoption of the practice advisory Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Professional Practice, developed by Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC), as guidance for PEO licence holders.

Like other regulators, PEO continues to assess how best to address the ethical and competent use of AI. For now, existing obligations under the Code of Ethics and professional misconduct provisions provide sufficient regulatory coverage. Licence holders are already required to maintain competence across all areas of practice, use technology responsibly and act in good faith in the public interest— responsibilities that extend to AI. The advisory serves as additional guidance to support professional judgment as the technology evolves.

Evidence from governments and regulators in Canada and abroad suggests that most organizations are relying on guidance rather than enforceable rules at this stage, reflecting both the potential risks of AI—such as errors, safety impacts and ethical breaches—and the current uncertainty about how those risks may materialize in practice. Consistent with PEO’s policy framework, regulatory action must be proportionate to risk. Ongoing monitoring of AI developments, as well as feedback from complaints and stakeholder inquiries, will continue to inform future measures, and Council will receive updates when appropriate.

Nationally, engineering regulators are collaborating through Engineers Canada’s CEO group to share resources and approaches, addressing both the implications for licence holders and the ethical use of AI within regulatory organizations themselves. Council agreed that EGBC’s advisory provides a relevant reference for Ontario, with a preamble clarifying it is guidance only. Additional resources will be developed to help licence holders better understand how emerging AI technologies intersect with their professional obligations.

REVISED EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

Council approved revisions to PEO’s Expense Reimbursement Policy related to flights, alcohol, meals, incidentals, gifts, adjudication and reporting, effective January 1, 2026.

The updates ensure expense rules remain fair and reasonable, strengthen internal controls and reduce liability risks related to PEO’s operations.

The policy was last revised in 2021. Following discussion at the May 2024 Council and Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) meetings, staff undertook a comprehensive review. Going forward, PEO will review this and other internal control policies on a three-year cycle.

As part of the review, PEO benchmarked its policy against those of other Canadian engineering regulators and non-profit organizations, with particular attention to meals, travel, alcohol, exceptions and documentation requirements. PEO also consulted its insurer to ensure practices related to alcohol, travel and events continue to align with coverage expectations.

ORIENTATION COURSE FOR CANDIDATES TO ELECTION

At its September meeting, Council approved the PEO orientation course required under section 9.1(1) of Regulation 941. Completion of this course will be a prerequisite for candidates in the 2026 Council election.

In 2024, Council added completion of an orientation course to the eligibility criteria for election, as part of its Director Accountability Framework. The new course, which replaces the “Board Basics” training previously required of nominees, provides candidates with an introduction to self-regulation, PEO’s legislative framework and mandate, the role of Council and committees and the responsibilities of the CEO/registrar and staff.

2026 AGM PLANNING

Council confirmed that the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will continue in a hybrid format, with pre-reserved registration for councillors, statutory committee chairs and vice chairs and chapter leadership.

The AGM has evolved significantly in recent years—from an in-person event until 2019, to a virtual format from 2020–2023 during the pandemic, and most recently to a hybrid model in 2024 and 2025. With volunteer recognition now delivered through the separate Volunteer Symposium, the Governance and Nominating Committee (GNC) reviewed whether the current AGM format remains appropriate.

After considering several options, the GNC recommended maintaining the hybrid approach for 2026, noting its value for networking and member engagement, as well as the limited time available to make changes for the upcoming meeting. The committee also emphasized that the format of future AGMs will be reassessed as part of its ongoing workplan, including consideration of integrating volunteer activities.

VISION STATEMENT

At its September meeting, Council approved a new PEO vision statement: “Leading regulation. Inspiring excellence. Thriving communities.”

The development of a revised vision statement was identified as a priority in PEO’s current strategic plan to reflect the organization’s long-term aspirations and evolving role as a modern regulator. The Visioning for Relevance initiative, launched in 2023 under the leadership of former president Roydon Fraser, PhD, P.Eng., FEC, and supported by Crestview Strategy, provided the foundation for this work.

In 2024, Council considered—but did not proceed with—a non-binding referendum of draft vision statements. In 2025, Council directed staff to refine the options and present revised statements for consideration. Through a structured, three-phase process, PEO’s senior leaders and communications team analyzed previous drafts, identified key themes and refined the language to be concise and inspirational.

The GNC recommended the chosen statement for approval. It positions the regulator as proactive and credible, affirming the high standards of the engineering profession and underscoring PEO’s responsibility to ensure engineering continues to serve and protect the public.

EIT 2.0 POLICY DIRECTION

Council approved policy directions for the new EIT 2.0 program regarding ethical conduct and program length. These decisions provide necessary guidance for implementation and will support ongoing work with the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) on amendments to the Professional Engineers Act (PEA) and regulations.

The approved ethical conduct policy aligns with PEO’s Code of Ethics and those of other Canadian engineering regulators. Engineering interns will be held to a standard appropriate for their stage of practice—reinforcing professionalism and ethical responsibility—without imposing the same expectations required of full licence holders.

Council set the program length at six years: four years to complete the competency-based assessment plus an additional two years for flexibility. This approach ensures the program is timebound, supporting progress toward licensure, while remaining consistent with the five-toseven-year range used by other regulators.

Extensions will be available for circumstances such as illness, caregiving responsibilities or additional time needed to complete experience requirements. To ensure fairness, equity and compassion, the registrar will have discretion to grant extensions on a case-by-case basis within the parameters established by Council.

Annual reporting by participants will provide data on progression toward licensure, enabling Council to revisit and refine the program length and extension policies over time. Staff also reviewed the possibility of “pauses” during the program but determined this would be more administratively burdensome than the approved extension model.

OBLIGATION TO CO-OPERATE

At its September meeting, Council approved changes to the professional misconduct regulation and directed staff to work with the MAG to amend Regulation 941 under paragraph 21 of subsection 7(1) of the PEA.

The amendments make explicit a licence holder’s obligation to respond to and co-operate with PEO. While courts and PEO’s Discipline Committee have recognized this duty as fundamental to professional self-regulation, it has previously been implied rather than consistently codified across all types of regulatory processes. Explicitly including this obligation in regulation will strengthen transparency, consistency and public trust.

The Regulatory Policy and Legislation Committee (RPLC) considered this issue in November 2024 and again in September 2025. Supported by a policy impact analysis, the committee examined operational considerations and individual rights before recommending Council approval. Many other professional regulators already set out similar requirements in legislation or rules.

Under the approved amendments, failing to co-operate with any PEO investigation—not just registrar’s investigations—or failing to provide complete, accurate and timely information when requested would constitute professional misconduct. While not every instance of non-responsiveness would result in discipline, repeated or serious failures that obstruct PEO’s ability to regulate in the public interest could lead to outcomes ranging from reprimand to suspension or restrictions on a licence.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES REVIEW

Council approved the recommendations outlined in the “Review of PEO Guidelines: Key Findings and Recommendations” report, as presented at the meeting, and directed staff to implement them with appropriate consultation.

Over the past year, staff have comprehensively reviewed PEO’s practice guidelines. This included targeted stakeholder consultations, a literature review on regulatory best practices and an analysis of practice inquiries data. The review identified that many of PEO’s professional guidelines appear to be quite outdated, some are overly lengthy, and they do not seem designed to meet licence holders’ evolving needs. A comprehensive review of the Code of Ethics is also necessary to define enforceable expectations and provide a strong foundation for all subsequent guideline updates.

CLARIFICATION OF REGULATION 941

At its September meeting, Council voted against two proposed motions regarding governance protocols: (1) to formally endorse a protocol specifying that, if the president is unable to fulfill their duties, the president-elect would assume the role, followed by the vice presidents in order of precedence; and (2) to require prior consultation with both the Council chair and the president (or delegate) before convening any Executive Committee meeting. e

2026 PEO Council Elections Call for Candidates

All PEO members are invited to become candidates for the positions of president-elect, vice president, councillor-atlarge and regional councillor (one for each of PEO’s five regions) on PEO Council.

1. Any member may be nominated for election to Council as president-elect, vice president or councillor-at-large, by at least 15 other members. The nomination must include at least one member resident in each region.

[Regulation 941/90, s. 14(1)]

a. The position of president-elect is for a one-year term, after which the incumbent will serve a one-year term as president and a one-year term as past president.

b. The position of vice president is for a one-year term.

c. The councillor-at-large position is for a two-year term. One councillor-at-large is to be elected in 2026.

2. Any member residing in a region may be nominated for election to Council as a regional councillor for that region by at least 15 other members who reside in the region. [Regulation 941/90, s. 14(2)]

a. The position of regional councillor is for a two-year term.

A member nominated for election to Council must complete a nomination acceptance form in which they declare they are a Canadian citizen or have the status of a permanent resident of Canada and are resident in Ontario [section 3(3) of the Professional Engineers Act] and that they consent to the nomination [Regulation 941/90, s. 15]. Nomination petitions for collection of nominators’ signatures and nomination acceptance forms may be obtained from the PEO website at www.peo.on.ca or the Chief Elections Officer via email at elections@peo.on.ca, or by phone at 416-224-1100; 1-800-339-3716.

Completed nomination petitions and nomination acceptance forms are to be sent only electronically and only to the Chief Elections Officer at elections@peo.on.ca, by 10 a.m. Eastern Time, November 24, 2025. No personal delivery of forms will be accepted. For further information on becoming a candidate, please refer to the 2026 Council Elections Guide posted on PEO’s website.

2026 Nomination and Voting Procedures

The 2026 Voting and Election Publicity Procedures were approved by the Council of PEO on June 20, 2025.

The Election Publicity Procedures form part of these Nomination and Voting Procedures. Candidates and prospective candidates are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these procedures. Failure to follow these rules or procedures could result in a nomination being considered invalid.

Council is required to appoint an independent Chief Elections Officer to “oversee the nomination of Members for election to the Council and the election of and voting for members to the Council” per 11.1 of Regulation 941 made under the Professional Engineers Act. The Chief Elections Officer ensures that nominations, the election, and voting are conducted in accordance with the procedures established by Council.

Candidates and prospective candidates1 are urged to submit nominations and election material well in advance of published deadlines so that any irregularities may be corrected before the established deadlines. Nominees’ names are made available on PEO’s website as received; all other election material is considered confidential until published by PEO.

1. The schedule for the elections to the 2026–2027 Council is as follows:

Date nominations open Monday, October 20, 2025

Date nominations close 10 a.m., Monday, November 24, 2025

Period during which the onboarding session with the Chief Elections Officer will be held Tuesday, November 25, 2025–Friday, December 5, 2025

Date PEO’s membership roster will be closed for the purposes of members eligible to automatically receive election material2 Friday, January 16, 2025

Date a list of candidates and voting instructions will be sent to members no later than Monday, January 26, 2026

Date voting will commence Monday, January 26, 2026

Date voting closes & results delivered to candidates Monday, February 23, 2026

All times noted in these procedures are Eastern Time.

1 A “prospective candidate” is someone seeking nomination and a “candidate” is someone whose nomination has been validated.

2 Members licensed after this date may call in and request that election information be provided via telephone or, upon prior written consent by the member for use of their email address, via email.

2. Candidates’ names will be listed in alphabetical sequence by position on the list of candidates sent to members and on PEO’s website. However, the order of their names will be randomized when voters sign into the voting site to vote.

3. A person may be nominated for only one position.

4. A nomination, once withdrawn, may not be re-instated.

5. Only nomination acceptance and nomination petition forms completed in all respects, without amendment in any way whatsoever, will be accepted. Please note that the Chief Elections Officer may validate nominations by contacting nominators.

6. Signatures on nomination forms may be hand-signed or electronic.

7. Signatures on nomination petition forms do not serve as confirmation that a member is formally endorsing a candidate or prospective candidate.

8. In the event a candidate or prospective candidate changes their mind on a position and decides to run for a different position after submitting nomination forms, a newly completed nomination petition form, in addition to a new nomination acceptance form, will be required to be submitted by the deadline for nominations.

9. Nomination papers are to be submitted only by email (elections@peo.on.ca) for tracking purposes. Forms will not be accepted by any other format (e.g. personal delivery, courier, fax). If you have a need for accommodation because of a disability that limits your ability to access electronic communications tools, please contact us via email: elections@peo.on.ca or by telephone: 416-224-1100 or toll-free at 1-800-339-3716 between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm.

10. Prospective candidates should allow sufficient time for their emails to go through the system to ensure that the completed papers are, in fact, received by the Chief Elections Officer by 10:00 am on Monday, November 24, 2025. In the event of a dispute as to when the forms were sent vs received, a prospective candidate can provide the Chief Elections Officer with a copy of their email to PEO that would indicate the time the nomination forms were sent from their computer. Material must be received by the deadline unless there are exceptional circumstances which warrant an extension. The Chief Elections Officer should consider on a case-by-case basis whether undue hardship or exceptional circumstances exist and how they should be addressed.

Where the Chief Elections Officer has authority to exercise discretion in administering the election, including with respect to the nomination deadline, that discretion shall be exercised in a fair and reasonable manner, within the parameters of their statutory authority and Council-approved procedures, and with a view to maintaining electoral integrity.

11. A candidate must declare in the Nomination Acceptance Form that they will complete the PEO mandatory compliance training for volunteers if elected. This compliance training is free and online. This training helps ensure PEO compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Workplace Violence and Harassment requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It also minimizes the risk of interruption to Council’s work by ensuring those elected for office have completed the requisite training. Those who have already completed PEO’s mandatory compliance training for volunteers in previous roles will be considered to have completed the training and will not be required to do them again.

12. A candidate must meet the election eligibility criteria, as set out in Regulation 941, by making the required declarations in the Nomination Acceptance Form.

13. A candidate must have completed an orientation course approved by Council by December 31, 2025. This orientation is free and online. The orientation must be completed by the deadline unless there are exceptional circumstances which warrant an extension. The Chief Elections Officer should consider on a case-by-case basis whether undue hardship or exceptional circumstances exist and how they should be addressed.

14. Council has appointed a Central Election and Search Committee to:

• encourage members to seek nomination for election to the Council as President-Elect, Vice President or a Councillor-at-Large;

• assist the Chief Elections Officer as may be required;

• receive and respond to complaints regarding the procedures for nominating, electing and voting for members to the Council;

• conduct an annual review of the elections process and report to the June 20245 Council meeting.

15. Candidates will be advised when a member of the Central Election and Search Committee has declared a conflict of interest should an issue arise that requires the consideration of the committee.

16. Council has appointed a Regional Election and Search Committee for each region to encourage members residing in each region to seek nomination for election to the Council as a Regional Councillor.

17. Council has appointed an independent Chief Elections Officer to oversee the election process and to ensure that nomination, election, and voting are conducted in accordance with the procedures approved by Council.

18. The Chief Elections Officer will be available to answer questions and complaints regarding the procedures for nominating, electing, and voting for members to the Council. Any such complaints or matters that the Chief Elections Officer cannot

resolve will be forwarded by the Chief Elections Officer to the Central Election and Search Committee for final resolution. Staff is explicitly prohibited from handling and resolving complaints and questions, other than for administrative purposes (e.g. forwarding a received complaint or question to the Chief Elections Officer).

19. The Chief Elections Officer will offer an optional candidate onboarding session for all candidates after nominations close. The session will outline expectations, necessary documentation, and timelines, and will include an opportunity for candidates to ask questions.

20. The Chief Elections Officer must send reminders to candidates for all key deadlines throughout the election process to ensure they are fully aware of their responsibilities and timelines. These reminders must be sent to candidates seven days and one day before each deadline.

21. Voting will be by electronic means only (internet and telephone). Voting by electronic means will be open at the same time the electronic election packages are sent out.

22. An independent agency has been designated by Council to receive, control, process and report on all cast ballots. This “Official Elections Agent” will be identified to the members with the voting material.

23. If a candidate withdraws their nomination for election to PEO Council prior to the preparation of the voting site, the Chief Elections Officer shall not place the candidate’s name on the voting site of the Official Elections Agent or on the list of candidates sent to members and shall communicate to members that the candidate has withdrawn from the election. If the candidate withdraws from the election after the electronic voting site has been prepared, the Chief Elections Officer will instruct the Official Elections Agent to adjust the voting site to reflect the candidate’s withdrawal.

24. All voting instructions, a list of candidates and their election publicity material will be sent to members by the Official Elections Agent. All voters will be provided with detailed voting instructions on how to vote electronically. Control numbers or other access control systems will be sent to members by email after the election package has been sent out. The Official Elections Agent will send out an eblast with the control numbers (PINs) every Monday during the election period.

25. If the Official Elections Agent is notified that an elector has not received a complete election information package, the Official Elections Agent shall verify the

identity of the elector and may either provide a complete duplicate election information package to the elector, which is to be marked “duplicate,” by email or provide the voter’s unique control number to the voter and offer assistance via telephone. In order to receive such information via email, the elector must provide prior written consent to the use of their email address for this purpose.

26. The Chief Elections Officer shall respond to any requests for new packages as usual—i.e., if the member advises that they have moved and have not received a package, the member is to be directed to the appropriate section on the PEO website where the member may update their information with Document Management Centre (DMC).

27. As soon as the Chief Elections Officer is notified that the member information has been updated, they will request the Official Elections Agent to issue a replacement package with the same control number.

28. Verification of eligibility, validity or entitlement of all votes received will be required by the Official Elections Agent. Verification by the Official Elections Agent will be by unique control number to be provided to voters with detailed instructions on how to vote by internet and by telephone.

29. Voters need not vote in each category to make the vote valid.

30. PEO will post total votes cast in the election on the PEO website on each Friday of the voting period and will post final vote totals by candidate after voting has closed. No other information related to vote totals will be made available.

31. The Official Elections Agent shall not disclose individual voter preferences.

32. The Official Elections Agent shall keep a running total of the electronic ballot count and shall report the unofficial results to the Chief Elections Officer.

33. The Chief Elections Officer shall proceed with a recount of the ballots for a given candidate category for election to Council (or bylaw confirmation) where the vote total on any candidate category for election to Council between the candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast and the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes cast is 25 votes or less for that candidate category (or where the votes cast between confirming the bylaw and rejecting the bylaw is 25 votes or less).

34. Certification of all data will be done by the Official Elections Agent.

35. On or before the close of nominations on November 24, 2025, the President will appoint three members or Councillors, who are not running in the election, as returning officers to:

• approve the final count of ballots;

• make any investigation and inquiry as they consider necessary or desirable for the purpose of ensuring the integrity of the counting of the vote and report the results of the vote to the Registrar not later than three weeks following the date set by the Council for the receipt of the ballots.

36. Returning Officers will receive a per diem of $250, plus reasonable expenses to exercise the duties outlined above.

37. On the day the election closes, the Returning Officers will meet with the Chief Elections Officer to report the final vote counts to the Registrar, including ballots cast for candidates who may have withdrawn their candidacy after voting opened. The Registrar will advise the candidates and Council of the official results in writing on election day.

38. A request for a recount may be made by a candidate to the Chief Elections Officer within two days of the reporting of the election results to the Council and persons nominated for the election. Where the Chief Elections Officer determines, through a fair and impartial application of their discretion, that there is a reasonable and genuine possibility that the result of an election may be incorrect, or where the accuracy of an election is reasonably called into question, the Chief Elections Officer shall proceed with the recount.

39. Upon the direction of the Council following receipt of the election results, the Official Elections Agent will be instructed to remove the electronic voting sites from its records.

40. In the event a chapter holds an All-Candidates Meeting, the chapter must invite to the meeting all candidates for whom voters in that region are eligible to vote.

41. Candidates for PEO Council may submit expense claims. The travel allowance to enable candidates to travel to chapter events during the period from the close of nominations to the close of voting will be based on the distance between chapters and the number of chapters in each region. Such travel expenses are reimbursed only in accordance with PEO’s expense policy.

42. These procedures may only be amended if approved by Council.

43. All questions from, and replies to, candidates are to be addressed to the Chief Elections Officer at elections@peo.on.ca. The Chief Elections Officer must acknowledge receipt of all email correspondence within two (2) business days. A substantive response must be provided as soon as practicable, based on the nature and complexity of the inquiry.

2026 Election Publicity Procedures

Important dates to remember

Deadline for receipt of publicity materials for publication in Engineering Dimensions and on the PEO website, including URLs to candidates’ own websites

Chief Elections Officer verification of candidate website Material and communication to candidates

Candidate verified submission information posted on website

Engineering Dimensions publication with candidate statements

Deadline for submission of candidate material to eblast to members

Deadline for Chief Elections Officer to review materials

Dates of eblasts to members

Date of posting period

Dates of voting period

Note: All times indicated in these procedures are Eastern Time.

Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 11:59pm

Monday, December 8, 2025–Friday, December 12, 2025

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Thursday, January 8th, 2026

Wednesday, January 14, 2026—1st eblast

Monday, January 26, 2026—2nd eblast

Monday, February 9, 2026—3rd eblast

Tuesday, January 20, 2026—1st eblast

Friday, January 30, 2026—2nd eblast

Friday, February 13, 2026—3rd eblast

Monday January 26, 2026

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Monday, January 26, 2026, to Monday, February 23, 2026

Monday, January 26, 2026, to Monday, February 23, 2026

1. These Election Publicity Procedures form part of the Nomination and Voting Procedures. Candidates are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these procedures. Failure to follow these rules or procedures could result in a nomination being considered invalid.

2. Names of nominated candidates will be published on PEO’s website as soon as their nomination is verified.

3. Names of all nominated candidates will be forwarded to members of Council, chapter chairs and committee chairs and published on PEO’s website by Friday, November 28, 2025.

4. Should a candidate wish to withdraw from the election, their name will remain on the website and the word “withdrawn” will appear beside their name on the PEO website.

5. Candidates will have complete control over the content of all their campaign material, subject to the procedures below, as well as to any applicable legal requirements. Candidate campaign material includes material for publication in Engineering Dimensions, additional material on PEO’s website, and material on their own websites.

6. Candidate material is readily available to the public and should be in keeping with the dignity of the profession at all times. Material may be published with a disclaimer.

7. In order to be published by PEO, candidate material must comply with these procedures and with any applicable legal requirements. Prior to candidate material being published by PEO, the Chief Elections Officer must assess the material to determine whether it is compliant. Where the Chief Elections Officer determines candidate material does not comply, the amendment process set out in section 8 should be followed. Where the Chief Elections Officer is of the opinion that candidate material may present a legal risk to PEO, the Chief Elections Officer should seek legal advice from, or in consultation with, the Chief Legal Officer to assist in determining whether the material should be published. For example, if the Chief Elections Officer is concerned that a post may be libelous or in violation of PEO’s human rights obligations, the Chief Elections Officer should consult with the Chief Legal Officer. Depending on the issue, or to avoid any perception of conflict or bias, the Chief Legal Officer may retain external legal counsel on the Chief Election Officer’s behalf. The Chief Elections Officer should provide the candidate an opportunity to amend the materials as set out in section 8. Following the advice of legal counsel, the Chief Elections Officer has the authority to reject the campaign material if the candidate does not amend the noncompliant portion. The Chief Elections Officer should provide reasons to the candidate for the rejection of their material.

8. The Chief Elections Officer is responsible for ensuring that all candidate material (whether for Engineering Dimensions, PEO’s website or eblasts) complies with these procedures and any applicable legal requirements. Where it is deemed the material does not satisfy these procedures or any applicable legal requirements, the Chief Elections Officer will, within three

full business days from receipt of the material by the Chief Elections Officer, notify the candidate, who is expected to be available during this period by telephone or email. The candidate will have a further two full business days to amend the material to bring it into compliance and advise the Chief Elections Officer of the amendment. Candidates are responsible for meeting this deadline. Should a candidate fail to re-submit material that is compliant within the two-business-day period, the candidate’s material will be published with a notation explaining any necessary amendments or, following legal advice, the Chief Elections Officer may reject it. Where the Chief Elections Officer rejects material, they should provide reasons for the rejection to the candidate.

9. The Chief Elections Officer will also review candidate materials for non-procedural issues, such as formatting inconsistencies, broken links, typographical errors, or appropriate photo resolution. Candidates will be informed of any such issues and given the opportunity to resolve them before the materials are made public, in accordance with the dates set out in the procedures.

10. The Chief Elections Officer must provide candidates with a final version of their materials, formatted as they will appear publicly, for review prior to publication. At this stage, candidates may request only minor stylistic or grammatical changes. No changes to the content will be accepted.

11. Candidate material may contain personal endorsements provided there is a clear disclaimer indicating that the endorsements are personal and do not reflect or represent the endorsement of PEO Council, a PEO chapter or committee or any organization with which an individual providing an endorsement is affiliated.

12. Candidate material for publication in Engineering Dimensions and any additional material they wish to publish on the website must be forwarded to the Chief Elections Officer via email at elections@peo.on.ca no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, 2025, and must be in accordance with these procedures and Schedule A attached.

13. Material must be received by the deadline unless there are exceptional circumstances which warrant an extension. The Chief Elections Officer shall consider on a case-by-case basis whether undue hardship or exceptional circumstances exist and how they should be addressed.

14. Where the Chief Elections Officer has authority to exercise discretion in administering the election, including with respect to election publicity deadlines, that discretion shall be exercised in a fair and reasonable manner, within the parameters of their statutory authority and Council-approved procedures, and with a view to maintaining electoral integrity.

15. Candidates have the option of using one of two templates to present their election material in Engineering Dimensions. Both templates are included in Schedule A of these procedures. The size of both templates is the equivalent of one-half page, including border, in Engineering Dimensions

Option 1: Candidates using the blank template will have discretion over the presentation of their material, including but not limited to font style, size and effects. Candidates using the blank template will be permitted to include their portrait within the template.

Option 2: Candidates using the fillable template must provide responses to the questions provided in the allotted space. The presentation of the fillable template is fixed and no modifications will be permitted. Candidates using the fillable template must submit their portrait separately for insertion into the designated location by PEO staff.

16. Candidates shall not use the PEO logo in their election material.

17. Candidates may include links to PEO publications but not a URL link to a third party in their material on PEO’s website. Links to PEO publications are not considered to be a third party. For clarity, besides links to PEO publications, the only URL link that may be included in a candidate’s material on PEO’s website is a URL link to the candidate’s own website. URL links to other websites are not permitted.

18. Fundraising requests are not permitted in a candidate’s material.

19. If campaign material is submitted by a candidate without identifying information, PEO staff are authorized to contact the candidate and ask if they wish to resubmit material.

20. Candidate publicity material will be published as a separate insert in the Winter 2026 issue of Engineering Dimensions and to PEO’s website on January 7, 2026. Links to candidate material on PEO’s website will be included in any electronic mailing to eligible voters.

21. Candidate material will be considered confidential by PEO staff and access to it will be restricted to only the staff members required to arrange for publication until published on PEO’s website. All candidates’ material will be published to PEO’s website at the same time. This procedure does not apply to candidates, who may publish their own candidate material prior to its publication by PEO and after.

22. Candidates may submit updates to their material on PEO’s website once during the posting period. Any amendments to a candidate’s name/designations are to be considered part of the one-time update permitted to their material during the posting period.

23. Candidates may post more comprehensive material on their own websites, which will be linked from PEO’s website during the posting period. Candidates may include active links to their

social media accounts (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, etc.) in material appearing in Engineering Dimensions, published on PEO’s election site (i.e. the 1000-word additional information candidates may submit), or included in an eblast of candidate material. Active links to social media accounts other than the candidate’s are not permitted.

24. PEO will provide three group email distributions to members of candidate publicity material beyond the material published in Engineering Dimensions. Material to be included in an eblast must be submitted to the Chief Elections Officer at elections@peo.on.ca in accordance with Schedule A. In the event of a dispute as to when the material was sent vs received, the material will be accepted only if a candidate can provide the Chief Elections Officer with a copy of their email to PEO sent from their computer indicating a sent time before the deadline.

25. All material for the eblast messages must be submitted in a Word or Word compatible document only and must not be included as part of the message in the transmission email. Candidates should support their submission with a PDF or scan that shows what the final version of the message should look like. Where the email message is received in a font size or style that is different from the specifications, but otherwise meets all the requirements, the Chief Elections Officer may authorize staff to change only the size and font of the material so it conforms to specifications. Unless expressly authorized by the Chief Elections Officer to change font style and size, staff are prohibited from amending material in any way except with the written permission of the candidate.

26. Candidates are responsible for responding to replies or questions generated by their email message.

27. All candidates will be invited to submit an optional video, no longer than five minutes, to be posted on PEO’s website. The video must address the candidate’s reasons for seeking Council membership and outline their governance experience, as well as any other relevant qualifications, professional experience, and skills applicable to serving on the board of directors. While video submissions are optional, they are strongly encouraged.

28. Candidate materials from previous elections will remain on PEO’s database as part of the record of the election.

29. Caution is to be exercised in determining the content of issues of membership publications published during the voting period, including chapter newsletters. Editors are to ensure that no candidate is given additional publicity or opportunities to express viewpoints in issues of membership publications distributed during the voting period from January 26, 2026 until the close of voting on February 23, 2026, beyond their candidate material published in the Winter issue of Engineering Dimensions, and on the PEO website. This includes photos (with or without captions), references to, or quotes or commentary by, candidates in articles, letters to the editor and opinion pieces. PEO’s communications vehicles should be, and should be seen to be, non-partisan. The above does not prevent a PEO

publication from including photos of candidates taken during normal PEO activities (e.g. licensing ceremonies, school activities, GLP events, etc.) provided there is no expression of viewpoints. For greater clarity, no election-specific or electionrelated articles, including Letters to the Editor and President’s Message, are to be included in Engineering Dimensions during the voting period. Engineering Dimensions or other PEO publications may contain articles on why voting is important.

30. PEO’s statutorily mandated regulatory activities and the reasonable publicity of them must continue during an election. However, PEO’s resources (financial, human, communications, technological, etc.) must not be used to favour or prejudice any candidate. This rule does not apply to the use of the election travel allowance by candidates.

31. Chapters may not endorse candidates, or expressly not endorse candidates, in print, on their websites or through their list servers, or at their membership meetings or activities during the voting period. Where published material does not comply with these procedures, the Chief Elections Officer will cause the offending material to be removed if agreement cannot be reached with the chapter within the time available.

32. Candidates may attend chapter annual general meetings and network during the informal portion of the meeting. Candidates are permitted to attend chapter functions in their current official capacity but are prohibited from campaigning while operating in their official capacity.

33. The Central Election and Search Committee is authorized to interpret the election procedures and to rule on candidates’ questions and concerns relating to them. Any such complaints or matters that the Chief Elections Officer cannot resolve will be forwarded to the Central Election and Search Committee for final resolution.

Mandatory continuing professional development for licensed engineers

PEO’s mandatory Practice Evaluation and Knowledge (PEAK) program is designed to help licence holders maintain their professional knowledge, skills and competence as engineers and is in keeping with PEO’s regulatory, public protection mandate as set out in the Professional Engineers Act

Licence holders must comply with the annual program unless they are automatically exempt (those enrolled in PEO fee remission, like retirees). N PEAK obligations could lead to an administrative suspension. For more details, visit

Schedule A: 2026 Election Publicity Procedures

Specifications for candidate materials

FORMAT FOR CANDIDATE STATEMENTS IN ENGINEERING DIMENSIONS

All submissions will be published with a border. If submissions are received without a border, one will be added as shown on the templates. If submissions do not fit within the chosen template, they will be mechanically reduced to fit.

Option 1: Blank template

Candidates using the blank template to present their material for publication in Engineering Dimensions must ensure the content fits in the bordered template provided at the end of the these specifications. The template dimensions are 6.531 inches wide and 4.125 inches in height.

All material for publication must be submitted as a PDF document, with images in place for reference, and in Word format only, showing where images are to be placed. No other formats will be accepted.

Portraits must also be submitted as specified in the next section.

The publications staff needs both a PDF file and Word file of candidate material so they will know how candidates intend their material to look. If there are no difficulties with the material, the PDF file will be used. The Word file is required in case something isn’t correct with the submission (just a bit off on measurement, for example), as it will enable publications staff to fix the problem, if possible. A hard and/or digital copy of a candidate’s portrait is required for the same reason and for use on the PEO election website.

Option 2: Fillable template

Candidates using the fillable template must provide responses to the questions provided in the allotted space. The completed template must be submitted as a PDF document.

Portraits must be submitted separately, as specified in the portraits section below, and will be added to the template by PEO staff.

The presentation of the fillable template is fixed and no modifications will be permitted.

The profile template will be available on PEO’s elections website, www.peovote.ca

A hard and/or digital copy of a candidate’s portrait is also required for use on the PEO Elections website.

PORTRAITS/PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs must be at least 5” x 7” in size if submitted in hard copy form so that they are suitable for scanning (“snapshots” or passport photographs are not suitable).

Only pictures taken in the last five years will be accepted.

If submitted in digital form, photographs must be JPEGformat files of at least 300 KB but no more than 2MB.

Candidates can submit a digital photo at the specifications noted, or hard copy as noted, and preferably both. In case the digital file is corrupted or not saved at a sufficiently high resolution, publications staff can rescan the photo (hard copy) to ensure it prints correctly, as indicated on the PDF.

PEO WEBSITE (CANDIDATES’ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

Candidates may publish additional information on PEO’s website by submitting a Word or Word-compatible file of no more than 1,000 words, and no more than three non-animated graphics in JPEG or GIF format. Graphics may not contain embedded material.

Candidates may post additional material on their own websites. URLs for candidates’ websites must be active by December 8, 2025.

Candidates may include links to PEO publications but not a URL link to a third party in their material that is to be posted on PEO’s website. Links to PEO publications are not considered to be to a third party. For clarity, the only URL link that may be included in a candidate’s material on PEO’s website, besides links to PEO publications, is the URL to the candidate’s own website. Candidates may include active links to their social media accounts (Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, etc.)

EBLAST MATERIAL

Candidates are permitted a maximum of 300 words for email messages. Messages are to be provided in 11 pt. Arial font; graphics are not permitted. For clarity, a “graphic” is an image that is either drawn or captured by a camera.

HELP

Candidates should contact the Chief Elections Officer (elections@peo.on.ca) if they have questions about requirements for publicity materials.

Option 1: Blank template

Option 2: Fillable template

Candidate statement: Name:

Employer and position:

Degree(s), school(s) attended, year(s) of graduation:

Employment history:

Participation on PEO Council, committee/task forces, chapters:

Other professional affiliations and community service:

Years of registration in Ontario:

Minutes of the 103rd Annual Business Meeting

SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2025

PRESIDENT AND CHAIR: GREGORY P. WOWCHUK, P.ENG.

These minutes are prepared to align with PEO’s By-Law No. 1, Section 15(7): “The record of all Council and committee meetings shall include only enough detail to summarize discussions and record motions and decisions made as a result of those discussions.”

The 103rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) was held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in a hybrid setting with both in person and videoconference participation.

President Wowchuk called the meeting to order and welcomed PEO licence holders with a special welcome to the over 4500 new licensees joining PEO over the past year; engineering interns, students and employers; stakeholders; members of the public; colleagues in the engineering community; PEO staff; distinguished guests; and friends.

President Wowchuk then introduced and welcomed to the podium Ontario’s associate attorney general, The Honourable Michael A. Tibollo. In his message, Minister Tibollo emphasized the importance of building systems, structures and boundaries that not only meet current needs but are also sustainable for the future. He highlighted the importance of seeking upstream solutions as a key to building a better tomorrow. He further noted that the PEO legislation is over 40 years old and emphasized the need for legislative modernization. As this falls within his current portfolio, he expressed his commitment to supporting necessary reforms.

The minister concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of continuous professional development, noting that it plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of any profession. He encouraged all attendees to dream big while continuing to uphold professional rules and operate within appropriate boundaries.

On behalf of PEO and Council, President Wowchuk thanked Minister Tibollo for joining PEO’s AGM.

INTRODUCTION OF COUNCIL

President Wowchuk introduced the members of the 2024–2025 PEO Council:

President Gregory P. Wowchuk, BASc, Dipl.El.Tech., P.Eng., FEC; Past President Roydon Fraser, PhD, P.Eng., FEC; President-elect Fred Saghezchi, MASc, P.Eng., FEC; Vice President (elected) Guy Boone, P.Eng.; Vice President (appointed) and East Central Region Councillor Nanda Lwin, BASc, P.Eng., MEPP, FEC; Councillors-at-Large Leila Notash, PhD, P.Eng., FEC, Glen Schjerning, P.Eng., and Randy Walker, P.Eng., FEC; Eastern Region Councillors Mic Liu, MASc, JD, P.Eng., LEED-GA, and Chantal Chiddle, P.Eng., FEC; East Central Region Councillor Shahandeh Hannah Ehtemam, P.Eng., PMP; Northern Region Councillors

Luc Roberge, P.Eng., FEC, and Ahmed Elshaer, PhD, P.Eng.; Western Region Councillors Susan MacFarlane, MSc, PhD, P.Eng., and Vicki Hilborn, MASc, P.Eng.; West Central Region Councillors Ravinder Singh Panesar, P.Eng., FEC, and Pappur Shankar, P.Eng., FEC; and Lieutenant Governor-in-Council Appointees Lorne Cutler, MBA, P.Eng., Andy Dryland, C.E.T., Paul Mandel, MBA, CPA, CA, CBV, CFF, Rachel Prudhomme, BEng, MSc, P.Eng., Scott Schelske, P.Eng., FEC, Uditha Senaratne, P.Eng., FEC, and Sherlock Sung, BASc.

President Wowchuk thanked Council for all their hard work and service.

President Wowchuk also introduced PEO staff: Jennifer Quaglietta, MBA, P.Eng., ICD.D, CEO/registrar; Meg Feres, manager, Council operations; Chetan Mehta, director, finance; and Parliamentarian Atul Kapur.

IN MEMORIAM

President Wowchuk asked all those present to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of those PEO licence holders who passed away in 2024.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

President Wowchuk reviewed the order of business and housekeeping items. A test of the voting system was conducted.

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

President Wowchuk referred licence holders to the minutes of the 2024 AGM. It was moved by Councillor Susan MacFarlane and seconded by Councillor Vicki Hilborn that the minutes of the 2024 AGM, as published in the Fall 2024 issue of Engineering Dimensions and on the PEO website, be adopted. Motion carried

FINANCIAL REPORT

President Wowchuk invited Councillor Lorne Cutler, chair of the 2024–2025 Audit and Finance Committee, to provide a report on PEO’s audited financial statements.

Cutler reviewed the financial information, noting that the 2024 audited financial statements were approved by Council at the April 2025 meeting. He noted that these statements are on the PEO AGM webpage and would be published in the May/June (Spring) issue of Engineering Dimensions.

Cutler presented a graph showing a five-year trend of revenues, expenses and net income. He noted that as of December 2024, there is a slight reduction in revenues of $500,000, or 1 per cent, due to lower income from applications, lower revenues related to the building at 40 Sheppard Avenue West and lower advertising income. However, the reduction was partially offset by higher revenues from the insurance affinity program with Engineers Canada, higher P.Eng. membership revenue and an increase in investment income. He further highlighted that there is an increase in expenditure of $2.5 million, or 7.5 per cent, due to higher operating expenses for supporting various organizational initiatives.

In 2024, PEO reported a surplus of $1.3 million in comparison to a surplus of $4.3 million in 2023.

Key financial highlights as of December 31, 2024, were presented:

• Revenues of $37.1 million (vs $37.6 million in 2023);

• Expenses of $35.8 million (vs $33.3 million in 2023);

• A surplus, or net excess of revenues over expenses, of $1.3 million (vs $4.3 million in 2023);

• An increase of $2.5 million, or 6.6 per cent, in cash and marketable securities to $40.6 million (vs $38.1 million in 2023); and

• PEO continues to have the lowest P.Eng. fees in Canada.

Cutler stated that PEO’s finances are healthy and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. He answered questions related to legal expenditures and appointment of auditors.

APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS

Staff responded to a question about Deloitte LLP’s current contract with PEO, which will expire in 2026.

It was moved by Councillor Lorne Cutler and seconded by Councillor Randy Walker that the firm of Deloitte LLP, chartered accountants, be appointed as PEO’s auditors for the association for the 2025 fiscal year or until their successor is appointed.

Motion carried

CEO/REGISTRAR’S REPORT

CEO/Registrar Quaglietta extended a warm welcome to everyone attending both virtually and in-person. She opened her speech by acknowledging the hard work of the entire 2024–2025 Council and its commitment to the engineering profession and the public interest, and thanking President Wowchuk on their collaboration over the past year in the evolution of PEO as a regulator.

Quaglietta provided an update that 2024 was a year of great progress and impact for PEO as it successfully met all the objectives in last year’s Operational Plan, which guided the work towards achieving the 2023–2025 Strategic Plan goals. She remarked that this was significant progress in the journey to modernizing and strengthening the regulatory framework as PEO implemented key initiatives under three guiding pillars that reinforce the commitment to protecting the public: operational effectiveness, organizational alignment and governance renewal.

FARPACTA Update

Quaglietta reported that PEO exceeded compliance requirements for engineering licensing timelines as mandated by the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act. In addition, significant progress was made in addressing the legacy licence application backlog, which was reduced by nearly 45 per cent. She stated that these achievements represent a substantial advancement toward ensuring timely, efficient and equitable access to engineering licensure in Ontario. Quaglietta further noted that the transition to a competency-based assessment framework for evaluating experience requirements was positively recognized by the Office of the Fairness Commissioner, which commended PEO for implementing an approach that promotes equity, diversity and inclusion in the licensing process.

PEAK Update

Quaglietta reported that in the second year of the PEAK (Practice Evaluation and Knowledge) mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) program, the organization achieved key outcomes. Notably, 89 per cent of eligible licence holders successfully completed the first two PEAK requirements: the practice evaluation and the professional practice module. Quaglietta extended appreciation to all participating licence holders for their commitment to meeting this new important regulatory obligation.

Regulatory Compliance

Quaglietta mentioned that due to enforcement efforts, more than 80 complaints and seven discipline cases met resolution. Additionally, the organization celebrated two unlicensed practice prosecutions resulting in recordbreaking cost awards for PEO.

Operational Achievements

Quaglietta mentioned that operationally, PEO has undertaken 57 digital transformation projects and improved customer service processes. PEO also remains committed to fulfilling key initiatives to enhance volunteer engagement and operational efficiency.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at PEO

Quaglietta noted that all work towards the strategic goals must reflect PEO’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) values, in line with the Anti-Racism and Equity Code. As a result, EDI remained a key area of focus throughout 2024. She reported PEO continued to advance efforts to build a regulatory body and workplace reflective of the diversity within the engineering profession.

In recognition that an inclusive profession fosters public trust and strengthens PEO’s capacity to fulfill its mandate in the public interest, significant progress was made in the implementation of the Anti-Racism and Equity Code Action Plan. Through the deliberate integration of EDI principles into policy development, decision-making processes and organizational culture, PEO is working to establish an environment in which diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but actively valued, and where all individuals are empowered to contribute meaningfully to the profession.

Closing Statements

Quaglietta extended sincere appreciation to PEO Council for its ongoing leadership and governance, noting its critical role in advancing thoughtful policy, upholding the public-interest mandate and ensuring regulatory effectiveness. She also expressed her appreciation to PEO staff for their dedication and professionalism in executing regulatory functions and contributing to a high-performing and inclusive workplace. Quaglietta further acknowledged and thanked over 900 volunteers for their valuable contributions, whose time and expertise across Council, statutory committees and chapters continue to support and strengthen the self-regulation of the engineering profession.

She concluded her speech by mentioning PEO remains committed to the goal of achieving regulatory excellence, upholding the highest standards of professionalism, accountability and public service. She emphasized that effective regulation is grounded not only in diligence and integrity, but also in fairness, transparency, compassion and fostering trust and collaboration with both the engineering community and the public. Quaglietta noted

that PEO will continue to build a profession that is both technically excellent and deeply rooted in the values that serve society best.

PRESIDENT WOWCHUK’S OUTGOING REPORT

President Wowchuk began by sharing his thoughts on the business conducted by Council over the 2024–2025 term. He thanked the CEO/registrar and staff for tackling a challenging operational year with positivity and dedication. He further expressed his gratitude to the current Council, chapters and committee volunteers for their hard work this past year.

President Wowchuk extended his appreciation for the opportunity to serve and acknowledged the privilege of working with PEO members, volunteers and staff. He especially acknowledged the contribution of former president Dr. Roydon Fraser and thanked him for his decades-long contribution to the organization.

President Wowchuk reflected on his long history of service with PEO since joining Council in 1997. He noted that serving as president marked the pinnacle of his volunteer career. He also shared his appreciation for the opportunity to engage directly with members during recent visits to several PEO chapters.

President Wowchuk recollected the historical foundation of PEO’s mandate, established in 1922, when the Ontario government entrusted engineers with self-regulation on the condition that the public interest remains paramount. Wowchuk affirmed that, a century later, this model continues to serve the profession and public effectively as he believes the primary stakeholder in the profession is its 90,000 members.

He noted that during his presidential term Council remained focused on the strategic plan, including priorities related to licensing, organizational performance and governance. President Wowchuk briefly highlighted several key decisions and achievements. He reported that in response to stakeholder feedback, Council approved the return of an improved Engineering Intern (EIT) program to better support licence applicants while advancing PEO’s regulatory mandate. President Wowchuk also reported that Council approved an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) policy to enhance oversight of governance and operations. An annual risk register will be reviewed by Council to identify and address potential organizational risks. He mentioned that Council adopted the Director Accountability Framework, including updated policies on code of conduct, conflict of interest and criteria for election eligibility and disqualification, ensuring strong governance standards. President Wowchuk commented that Council directed staff to develop a process to address health-related capacity concerns outside the discipline process. This initiative aims to support fair and proportionate regulatory action. He further reported that the Council approved revisions to the practice standard for tower crane inspections, expanding its scope to enhance public safety in urban areas. President Wowchuk

commented that initial work commenced on the next strategic plan, including stakeholder consultations. The incoming Council will review and approve the plan, maintaining focus on public protection and regulatory excellence.

In his closing statement, President Wowchuk expressed gratitude to Council colleagues and staff for their collaboration over the past year. He acknowledged the professionalism and dedication of PEO staff, led by CEO/ Registrar Quaglietta, and emphasized the importance of Council’s visionary leadership in shaping policy. President Wowchuk further extended his best wishes to incoming President Fred Saghezchi and expressed his intention to continue supporting Council and PEO’s mission in the year ahead.

SUBMISSION #1—STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF PRESIDENT

The mover, Fred Saghezchi, presented his submission proposal to strengthen the role of the PEO president. His proposal outlined that the president of PEO shall hold all powers and responsibilities as outlined in provincial and federal legislation, along with the specific authorities. Additionally, certain additional powers are conditional and will only take effect upon the unanimous approval of the president, president-elect and past president of PEO. He stated that the time has come to reform the role of the president by enforcing and giving more authority to the role to make decisions. He proposed that if the presidential role had more power that it will work to ensure decisive actions are taken swiftly while safeguarding public interest.

The AGM floor was open to questions and comments. The mover responded to questions on the reforms proposed. He also faced comments that praised the current governance structure and functions of the regulatory body.

The president called for a vote on the motion.

Moved by Fred Saghezchi and seconded by George Nikolov, P.Eng.

Be it resolved:

• Empower the President: Grant the president conditional powers (e.g., dissolving the Council under exceptional circumstances or calling referendums) to address critical issues effectively. Allow the president sole authority over operational and financial decisions, conflict resolution and committee leadership to streamline processes and reduce delays.

• Enhance Governance Flexibility: Introduce mechanisms that allow the president to act decisively while respecting accountability measures like Council veto powers and adherence to legal standards.

• Safeguard Stakeholder Interests: Establish frameworks for stakeholder engagement, such as initiating referendums or public meetings, to ensure decisions align with the interests of the majority.

Motion defeated

SUBMISSION #2—EMPLOYER DEFINITION

The mover, Fred Saghezchi, presented his submission proposal for recognizing stakeholders of PEO as owners of PEO. He further proposed that the PEO Council is elected by and responsive to these stakeholders. Its primary mandate is to govern the profession and safeguard the public interest. His proposal also included that for major rules or regulations that have a substantial impact on most stakeholders, a general referendum is required. If preliminary approval is obtained from stakeholders, the final decision lies with the Council to either approve or reject the proposal. If preliminary approval is not granted, the motion is deemed defeated. The mover added that the process ensures that critical decisions impacting the profession are made with direct input from those most affected. He also added that the president of PEO should hold the authority to call for a referendum at their discretion, subject to unanimous approval from the president, president-elect and past president of PEO as this provision establishes a clear and authoritative mechanism for engaging stakeholders in key decisions affecting the engineering community.

He proposed that this will reinforce accountability and mandate staff compliance while implementing referendum procedures where stakeholders will have a direct voice in critical matters.

The AGM floor was open to questions and comments. The mover responded to several comments related to his proposal on referendums and presidential authority; and was reminded that the majority of the Council body is currently elected, and they represent the voices of stakeholders.

The president called for a vote on the motion.

Moved by Fred Saghezchi and seconded by Roger Jones, P.Eng.

Be it resolved:

That the requested action from the PEO Council is to formally amend the bylaws or regulations to incorporate the proposed definitions and principles outlined in the motion. This includes:

• Recognizing Stakeholders as Owners: Codifying the role of P.Eng. licence holders as primary stakeholders and owners of PEO.

• Reinforcing Accountability: Ensuring the Council operates with accountability to its stakeholders while prioritizing public interest.

• Mandating Staff Compliance: Requiring PEO staff to adhere to Council-approved rules, with exceptions only for legislative conflicts or significant stakeholder opposition.

• Implementing Referendum Procedures: Establishing a democratic process through referendums for major decisions, ensuring stakeholders have a direct voice in critical matters.

• Defining Presidential Authority: Empowering the PEO president to facilitate referendums under clear approval mechanisms

Motion defeated

SUBMISSION #3—MANHATTAN SYNDROME

A pre-recorded message from the mover, Prakash Bansod, P.Eng., was played. His submission proposal stated that PEO’s current Code of Ethics is either vague or uncommitted to plastic and other hazardous waste management and carbon footprint/global warming. Also, due to recent advancements in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and the armament and munitions industries, PEO engineers need the guard rails of a new and specific code of ethics. The proposed changes to the Code of Ethics will remove any ambiguity in terms of the above-mentioned issues. These changes will bring clarity to engineering work for which licensed engineers may use their engineering seal.

The AGM floor was open to questions and comments. The mover responded to several comments related to his proposal being the same as or similar to his 2024 AGM submission.

The president called for a vote on the motion.

Moved by Prakash Bansod, P.Eng., and seconded by Zeljko Sikic, P.Eng. Be it resolved:

That the PEO Council set up a Code of Ethics committee that examines the PEO’s current Code of Ethics and consider whether it needs to be updated due to changes in technology and recent geopolitics. A list of topics is offered in the preamble for the committee’s consideration. The Code of Ethics should make its recommendations in a report to the PEO Council by the end of 2025. Moreover, the Code of Ethics should be considered as work in progress and should be updated in subsequent years, at a frequency decided by the Council.

Motion carried

SUBMISSION #4—PROVIDING VALUE TO MEMBERS THROUGH PEO STAFF PERFORMANCE REVIEW

The mover, Ahmad Khadra, presented his submission proposal and stated that it will be valuable for members to audit and review PEO employee performances. The submission stated that Council should mandate a system of performance review for operations staff at PEO, according to modern best practices, whereby each department, program and employee would be periodically assessed against specific deliverables. He further added that the updates should be made annually to the general membership as part of the operational plan status report.

The AGM floor was open to questions and comments. The mover responded to several comments related to his proposal being administrative and operational. The president called for a vote on the motion.

Moved by Ahmad Khadra, P.Eng., and seconded by Peter Keays, P.Eng. Be it resolved:

That Council should mandate a system of performance review for operations staff at PEO, according to modern best practices, whereby each department, program and employee would be periodically assessed against specific deliverables. The outcome of this review shall be used to rationalize staffing and manage resources efficiently. Other benefits of this system might include: better employee satisfaction and reduction of administrative burdens. Updates would be made annually to the general membership as part of the operational plan status report.

Motion defeated

QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL

Licence holders were invited to submit written questions virtually or speak in person. President Wowchuk, the CEO/registrar and the Audit and Finance Committee chair responded to several questions related to topics such as member submission protocol, revenues, PEO’s stance on removing interprovincial licence barriers, CEO/Registrar’s Report, Gender Audit Report, Professional Practice Management Plan and Professional Practice Audit.

PRESENTATION TO OUTGOING COUNCILLORS

President Wowchuk congratulated retiring licence holders of the 2024–2025 Council who had worked diligently to move the profession forward and expressed his personal appreciation to all for their collaboration, support and encouragement throughout the 2024–2025 year. He stated that it has been a pleasure serving as president and chair.

President Wowchuk advised that the outgoing councillors had received a token of appreciation in recognition of their service to the profession. He thanked and recognized the following outgoing members of Council: Roydon Fraser, past president; Guy Boone, vice president (elected); Mic Liu, East Region

councillor; George Nikolov, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; and Glen Schjerning, councillor-at-large.

INSTALLATION OF NEW PRESIDENT

Fred Saghezchi took the oath of office as the 106th president for the 2025–2026 term. Past President Wowchuk presented him with the chain of office.

RECOGNITION OF OUTGOING PRESIDENT

President Saghezchi, on behalf of Council, thanked Past President Wowchuk and expressed sincere appreciation for all his work and efforts to both PEO and the profession. President Saghezchi recognized Past President Wowchuk serving as a volunteer since the 1990s and on Council and several PEO committees. He presented Past President Wowchuk with tokens of appreciation, including an amethyst clock, a framed picture from his feature in Engineering Dimensions; a certificate of appreciation; a past president’s lapel pin; and an outgoing president’s award.

PRESIDENT’S REMARKS

President Saghezchi addressed all attendees by expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the new president. He further added that he undertakes his new role with a profound sense of duty to the self-regulated profession and to the people of Ontario, whose interests PEO is committed to protect.

In his opening remarks, President Saghezchi thanked the Council, volunteers and staff for their remarkable contribution in the past term. President Saghezchi especially thanked outgoing President Greg Wowchuk for his steadfast and invaluable leadership. President Saghezchi informed the attendees that he has been volunteering at PEO for over 20 years and that accountability, honesty and integrity have been the guiding principles in both his professional and volunteer roles. He also read a disclaimer in his opening remarks stating that the views he expresses today are his opinion and vision and not official policies or bylaws of PEO. If his views ever conflict with PEO’s established regulations, he will always uphold the Professional Engineers Act and its associated rules.

President Saghezchi reflected on his journey to becoming a volunteer and said he has firsthand witnessed all the hard work of all the individuals within PEO who serve to regulate and promote the engineering profession. He thanked the volunteers for fostering a dynamic and energetic community.

President Saghezchi highlighted a few key priorities for his term as a president. He commented that he would like to revisit and restructure PEO’s current governance model and advocate to strengthen the role of the president to enhance transparency and reconnect Council with members. He believes that Council reforms are needed to attract fresh talent and innovative ideas. He added that he will strongly support work for reestablishing the EIT program and will recommend conducting a comprehensive review of the mandatory CPD program.

He acknowledged that the comprehensive review is already planned for the term. President Saghezchi further added that he has plans to address concerns related to the removal of the Canadian experience requirement as a FARPACTA compliance and is looking forward to proposing dialogues on repealing the industrial exception to promote engineering accountability.

President Saghezchi also remarked that volunteers are the backbone of PEO, and they play a vital role in its success. As a result, he plans to work towards enhancing the recognition and integration of volunteers while also strengthening the role of chapters in governance and recruitment. He called for unity across Council, chapters, staff, volunteers and members to advance PEO’s mission and uphold the public interest.

INTRODUCTION OF INCOMING MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

President Saghezchi introduced the 2025–2026 members of Council: Fred Saghezchi, president; Greg Wowchuk, past president; Leila Notash, president-elect; Sardar Asif Khan, PhD, MBA, P.Eng., FEC, vice president (elected); Lorne Cutler, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; Chantal Chiddle, Eastern Region councillor; Sean Decloux, MEng, MBA, P.Eng., councillorat-large; Andrew Dryland, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; Hannah Ehtemam, East Central Region councillor; Ahmed Elshaer, Northern Region councillor; Vicki Hilborn, Western Region councillor; Paula Klink, PhD, P.Eng., FEC, councillor-at-large; Nanda Lwin, East Central Region councillor; Susan MacFarlane, Western Region councillor; Paul Mandel, lieutenant governor-incouncil appointee; Ravinder Panesar, West Central Region councillor; Rachel Prudhomme, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; Luc Roberge, Northern Region councillor; Scott Schelske, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; Uditha Senaratne, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; Pappur Shankar, West Central Region councillor; Susan J. Shi, MEng, P.Eng., Eastern Region councillor; Sherlock Sung, lieutenant governor-in-council appointee; and Randy Walker, councillor-at-large.

CONCLUSION

President Saghezchi then declared the 103rd AGM of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario concluded and reminded in-person attendees to take note of the information on the screen outlining the events scheduled for the rest of the day. e

p. 2 Manulife manulife.ca/ED p. 6 TD Insurance tdinsurance.com/peo

p. 11 Save on Energy saveonenergy.ca/business p. 44 Unilock unilock.com

We need people who are passionate about engineering and want to make a difference in the profession.

If you’ve never thought of running for PEO Council before, consider the impact you can make by influencing regulatory initiatives and critical policy issues at the profession’s highest level.

PEO is seeking candidates for positions on the 2026–2027 Council who reflect the diversity of the profession, can provide a problem-solving attitude to all discussions and are knowledgeable about board governance.

Find the 2026 Council Elections Call for Candidates on page 29 of this issue. But hurry—you only have until November 24 to nominate yourself or a fellow engineer.

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BOLD & BUILT TO LAST

MANUFACTURED FOR PERFORMANCE & MODERN APPEAL

Experience the bold and dramatic presence of SienaStone Smooth. Manufactured to offer exceptional strength and durability, these largescale blocks strike an impressive profile when used for large engineered walls. Beyond performance, the smooth finish of this segmental retaining wall provides a sleek, linear aesthetic, which presents designers and engineers with a sophisticated and contemporary solution for a range of heavy-duty structural wall projects. With the ability to be mechanically installed, SienaStone Smooth also simplifies the installation process and delivers a cost savings by reducing labor expenses.

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Project: Oak Knoll Subdivision, Richmond Hill, ON // Designer: RisiStone // Product: SienaStone Smooth™