The Engineer, Volume 36, No. 4, Winter 2023

The Engineer

Making waves in sustainable energy

Nova Scotia’s source for engineering news

AI and the law

Dalhousie engineers’ world-leading research

Photo: iStock

As an engineering professional, you and your family can take advantage of affordable association rates and flexible plan options. Several plans are available, and we think there could be a plan that’s right for you and your family.

$50,000 of

at no cost for up to 2 years!*

The Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia

Engineers Nova Scotia Council 2023-2024

Dr. Adam Donaldson, P.Eng.

Sue Molloy, P.Eng.

Denise Pothier, P.Eng.

Krista Phillips, P.Eng.

Dilan Watson, P.Eng.

Cliff Johnston, P.Eng.

Ian Squires, P.Eng.

Dr. Allison Mackie, P.Eng.

Leon MacLellan, P.Eng.

Roxanne Tate, P.Eng.

Laura White, P.Eng.

Ex-Officio Members

DS (Pal) Mann, P.Eng.

Crysta Cumming , P.Eng.

Dr. John Newhook, P.Eng.

Zone Representatives

Darrin McLean, P.Eng.

Oliver Browning, P.Eng.

Vivek Tomar, P.Eng.

Conrad LeLièvre, P.Eng.

Ron Marks, P.Eng.

Andrew Polegato, P.Eng.

Harry Daemen, P.Eng.

Committee Chair Persons

Browren Allard, P.Eng.

Kulvinder Dhillon, P.Eng.

Craig Lake, P.Eng.

Debra McLellan, P.Eng.

George Goad, P.Eng.

Holly Sampson, P.Eng.

Helen Langille, P.Eng.

James Beck, P.Eng.

Lawrence Murphy, P.Eng.

Jeff Knapp, P.Eng.

Christine Bonnell-Eisnor, P.Eng.

Darrell Marsh, P.Eng.

Matthew Glynn, P.Eng.

President

Vice-President

Past-President

Councillor

Councillor

Councillor

Councillor

Councillor

Councillor

Councillor

Councillor

CEO & Registrar Engineers Canada Director Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor, Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University

Cape Breton/Victoria

Colchester

Halifax/Hants

Kings/Annapolis

Pictou

Cumberland

Antigonish/Guysborough

Professional Practice

Honours & Awards

Board of Examiners

Complaints

Disipline

Continuing Professional Development

Women in Engineering Safety

Sustainability

Finance & Audit

Student Affairs

National Engineering Month

Emerging Professionals

A look ahead to 2024

FEC, P.Eng.,President, Engineers Nova Scotia

Mann, CD, FCSSE, P.Eng., CEO, Engineers Nova Scotia

It is hard to believe that we are now entering the winter season, with the changes in weather, and the upcoming holiday season. As we enter our 104th year of service to Nova Scotia, we would like to take a moment to reflect on some of the highlights of the year.

First and foremost, Engineers Nova Scotia is graced by an amazing group of volunteers and staff who support not only our registrants across the province, but also those who reside outside Nova Scotia. During the Annual Business Meeting in October, we were glad for the opportunity to thank our outgoing President and Councillors, while welcoming our new Vice President and council teammates for the coming year.

It was also a wonderful few days that allowed us to network and share laughter with many of our engineers and engineers in training, several of which are newly licensed. It was a great conference where many of our colleagues shared their professional and technical knowledge, and in which our keynote speaker, Yan Markson, shared entertaining and powerful messages on perception and the importance of positive thinking. If you missed the conference, especially Yan’s talk, we invite you to check out

recordings of these sessions as they become available on Engineers Nova Scotia’s YouTube channel in the New Year.

In this issue, you’ll learn about our recent award winners, the Annual Business Meeting and professional development sessions, and the on-going progress and activities tied to our five-year strategic plan. I hope that in reading these stories you are inspired to build new ties with fellow engineers and share some of your own projects as part of the upcoming Spring 2024 issue of The Engineer. These stories raise awareness of the diverse and impactful contributions engineers make towards quality of life and public safety in Nova Scotia and are a great way to showcase some of the excellent work we do.

One year into our 2022-2027 strategic plan, there is notable progress within Engineers Nova Scotia in the areas of organizational and regulatory excellence. We continue to strategically allocate our resources as we build capacity to fulfill the regulatory requirements of our growing membership, while moving many initiatives forward as we progress towards our strategic goals.

Over the coming year, you should expect to see:

• Further details including a registrant consultation, on a new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) model as we explore alignment of CPD requirements across four Atlantic Canada engineering regulators, and continued collaboration with the other Atlantic Canadian regulators and Engineers Canada as we work to uphold

public trust in the engineering profession and build on the value of licensure.

• Implementation plans for new tools and processes to support our registrants and the public, including efforts to explore new management systems and a new database.

• An implementation plan for Competency Based Assessment (CBA) and outreach to our mentors and volunteers as we move into alignment with the other 11 Canadian engineering regulators.

• Release of a new Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) toolkit to support our members and volunteers as we strive to become a more inclusive and accessible organization and profession.

• On-going work to support building a case for legislative review of our governing act.

Your Council and the Staff of Engineers Nova Scotia look forward to continuing to work with each of you as we build a stronger profession and a safer and sustainable Nova Scotia. We look forward to meeting many of you over the coming year and encourage you to look for opportunities to participate and come together.

As we enter the season that allows people of all cultures and backgrounds to gather as families and community to celebrate a myriad of significant religious and cultural holidays on behalf of the team at Engineers Nova Scotia, we wish you and your loved ones continued good health and happiness.

Sincerely,

Adam

Donaldson, PhD, FEC, P.Eng. Pal Mann, CD, FCSSE, ICD.D., P.Eng.

Pal

Adam Donaldson,

Regulatory Update

As the number of registrants of Engineers Nova Scotia continues to grow each year, the activity related to professional practice support and associated activities has also increased. This includes an increase in the number of complaints submitted against registrants, requests for guidance for practice and ethical related issues, and enforcement activities related to the unauthorized use of protected terms by unlicensed individuals.

There are additional challenges that continue to appear nationally that could have a big impact on the regulation of the engineering profession in Nova Scotia, and across the country. This includes the recent decision in Alberta related to software engineering (more information below), and other areas where the regulation of the profession has faced changes and challenges. This update article will outline several areas of interest for registrants to be aware of.

Software Engineering Update

In a decision in November, the Province of Alberta Court upheld a Canadian Council of Innovators position to exempt the term “Software

Engineer” from regulation by APEGA, the regulator of engineering in Alberta. This decision comes after lengthy legal proceedings in Alberta, in which APEGA vehemently defended the regulation of software engineering against attacks from several groups, including the Canadian Council of Innovators, who claimed that the regulation of software engineers was impacting the software industry and the financial well-being of companies in Alberta.

Following the decision, Engineers Canada and the other engineering regulators in Canada sent a letter to the Premier of Alberta, highlighting the public safety and other impacts related to the decision. The letter noted that all provincial and territorial engineering regulators across Canada are committed to enforcing the proper use of engineering titles. The issue with this decision is not just about the incorrect use of the title “engineer,” but also about individuals potentially practising engineering without the proper qualifications or competency, which could lead to an inherent risk to the public.

At Engineers Nova Scotia, we are closely monitoring the status of the decision in Alberta and any impacts resulting from the decision. We will continue to monitor the use of all engineering titles for individuals in Nova

Scotia, and will take action when there are violations that are brought to our attention. As mentioned in a previous article, there are several resources available to both registrants and companies, to provide guidance and information on the proper use of title. A new page entitled “Use of Engineering Titles” is available on the Professional Practice section of our website.

Additional information and the latest updates related to the software engineering issue can be found under the News section of our website.

Engineers and Building Officials

On November 22, 2023, the Nova Scotia Building Officials Association (NSBOA) held their Annual Fall Conference, and I was pleased to attend to network with building officials, and to provide a presentation to the over 85 people in attendance. The presentation covered a number of areas, including clarifying the roles and responsibilities of engineers and building officials, and there were some great questions regarding the practice of engineers.

It has been an ongoing effort over the past decade to collaborate with building officials to clarify requirements and regulations for engineers and to help better understand areas of the Building Code and Regulations without interfering with the work of building officials. Registrants are encouraged to contact me to discuss challenges or concerns regarding interpretation of areas of practice related to the Building Code. I will do what I can to help provide clarity. Registrants with issues related to the decision of a building official that cannot be resolved through discussion and clarification are advised to bring

Kris Dove, FEC, P.Eng., COO, Engineers Nova Scotia

Photo: iStock

their concerns to the NS Building Advisory Committee for review and decision. This Committee is made up of individuals from a number of industry and regulatory stakeholders, including a representative appointed by Engineers Nova Scotia Council.

As a reminder to registrants, and as outlined in the Nova Scotia Building Code Act, building officials are responsible to “… administer and enforce the provisions of the Act, these regulations and the Code.”

Registrants should be aware of the recently changed names for the Schedule “A” Field Review of Construction forms. Registrants would be familiar with referring to these forms by names like “Schedule A3”, to outline structural design requirements, and “Schedule A11”, to sign off and certify that the field review of construction has been completed.

The forms are now called “Form 1, 2, 3,” etc. and the current numbers do not align with the old Schedule “A” numbering system. For example, the previous “Schedule A-3: Field Review of Construction - Commitment Certificate - Structural Design Requirements,” is now called “Form 4—Commitment Certificate: Structural Design Requirements (Field Review of Construction).” The previous “Schedule A-11: Certification of Field Review of Construction” is now called “Form 12—Certification of Field Review of Construction.” Registrants are reminded that when submitting these forms to the authority having jurisdiction, they should ensure that the most recent forms are being used.

Use our website to update personal information or email info@engineersnovascotia.ca

It’s a Registrant’s responsibility to keep their info up-to-date. engineersnovascotia.ca

The Act also outlines that professionals must ensure that designs meet the intent of the Code and that for Field Review of Construction that they:

• Review the building at intervals appropriate to the state of construction to determine general compliance with the design;

• Coordinate, with a building official, the review of any changes to the design documents for consistency with the intent of the plans and specifications;

• File the certification of field review of construction in Form 12 of Schedule A with a building official.

At the NSBOA Fall Conference, it was suggested that a workshop session with both engineers and Building Officials to discuss the use of the previously mentioned forms and related practices would provide an excellent forum for discussion and education for both groups. This concept will be further developed in the upcoming year, and it is hoped that a joint workshop session can be organized by the middle of 2024.

If you have any questions about Professional Affairs, or would like clarification about the Engineering Profession Act or By-Laws, please contact me to discuss. And if you know of anyone who may be in violation of any of our areas of regulation, I would be glad to hear from you. I can be contacted at kdove@ engineersnovascotia.ca.

2023 Annual Business Meeting and Engineering Conference

Engineers Nova Scotia’s Annual Business Meeting and Celebratory Awards Dinner was held at the Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21 on October 25. Outgoing Engineers Nova Scotia President, Denise Pothier, FEC, P.Eng. and CEO and Registrar, D.S. (Pal) Mann, CD, FCSSE, P.Eng., are pictured during the Town Hall.

The Town Hall format provides an transparent environment for attendees to ask questions in an open forum, and allows for a deeper exchange of opinions, perspectives, and ideas.

During the Town Hall, registrants were given the opportunity to ask questions of the President and CEO. Questions ranged from issues around diversity, immigration, fees, and credentialing.

Annual Report

The 2022-2023 Annual Report, Audited Financial Statements and Budget are available for download on our website under the Publications section.

Following the Town Hall, the Annual Business Meeting focused on the business of the organization and included a review of the financial statements, an introduction of the new Council members and an opportunity for registrants to ask questions regarding the business of the association.

Left: Jeff Knapp, FEC, P.Eng., presents the Finance and Audit Committee’s 2022/23 Annual Report.

After the Annual Business Meeting, our celebration of the Engineering Profession in Nova Scotia was held where we celebrated our 2023 Engineering Award Winners. You can read about all eight winners beginning on Page 16.

Featured below: incoming President Adam Donaldson, FEC, P.Eng., Dr. Pemberton Cyrus, FEC, P.Eng., Stuart King, P.Eng., Meggie Letman, P.Eng., David Lea, FEC, P.Eng.,Kent Lane, FEC, P.Eng., Kelsey Green, FEC, P.Eng.

Our Professional Development Conference was held on October 26 at Park Lane Cineplex in Halifax. Registrants chose from three streams of sessions: Technical, Professional and Regulatory. The keynote speaker, Professional Mentalist Yan Markson, is pictured above.

Professional Development Presentations covered a broad range of topics including building integrated photovoltaics, AI applications in the ocean sector, tips for avoiding legal disputes, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) in the workplace, complaints and discipline, a pan-Canadian perspective on professional regulation, and award-winning infrastructure improvments at Peggy’s Cove.

Pictured to the right is Jonah Ssenyange, CPHR, Workplace Belonging Advisor and Facilitator, Placemaking 4G

The morning panel discussion’s topic was “Thriving as an emerging professional - designing happiness and value in your career.” An engineering panel explored stories of professionals who successfully made career changes and thrived as emerging experts. The panelists shared their experiences and insights to assist anyone considering a career transition.

The panelists, pictured to the right, are Victoria Fernandez, P.Eng., Jennifer MacDonald, P.Eng. and Taylor Stutely, P.Eng.

Thank you to all our Conference presenters: Jonah Ssenyange (Placemaking 4G), Jane Elise Bates (Cox & Palmer), Alex Pottier, EIT (DeepSense), Benjamin Doucet, P.Eng. (Dillon Consulting Ltd.), and Michael MacDonald, P.Eng. (Harbourside Transportation Consultants).

We would like to thank our Conference partners who supported our event: TD Insurance, Manulife, Canada Life, CBCL, Eastpoint, Dillon Consulting, Cox & Palmer, Victor Insurance, AXA, KBRS, On-Line Computer Services, Halifax Partnership, Dalhousie University Faculty of Engineering, Efficiency Nova Scotia, and the Province of Nova Scotia.

Expanding the scope: AI & the law

Photo: Melanie McGrath

In the last edition of The Engineer, we sat down with two local AI experts, Alex Pottier, EIT, and Dr. Uday Venkatadri, P.Eng., who answered a question that’s been at the top of many engineers’ minds—will Artificial Intelligence take over my job? The simple answer is no; AI is a beneficial tool that can help complete tasks in a more efficient manner.

Today, Melanie McGrath, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for CBCL, an employee-owned, multidisciplinary, environmental engineering consulting company, adds to this discussion by providing an interesting legal angle.

As General Counsel at CBCL, McGrath oversees contract review, their insurance program, risk management program and compliance filings. As Corporate Secretary, McGrath touches their holding company, CBCG, as well as their sibling company, the Atlantic Integrated Water Utility Consultants. She also supports the Human Resources and Marketing departments, sits on

the Cyber Committee, and is actively involved in CBCL’s various EDIA initiatives. McGrath is an active volunteer for Engineers Nova Scotia on the Professional Practice Committee.

“Chat bots” have been a function on websites for decades, but the simulated text conversation has been obviously computer automated.

With the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies like ChatGPT, however, there arises a new dichotomy; that it isn’t always easily detectible when a response is bot-generated.

Although somewhat eerie and surrealist, AI tools are becoming increasingly commonplace in professional settings.

“The technology is a tool like any other,” says McGrath. “ChatGPT is a ‘garbage in, garbage out’ system, meaning any result you’re getting is going to be impacted by the question and inputs you provide. We need to understand its value, as well as its limitations, to incorporate it into our work lives.”

There are inherent risks and even potential consequences in applying AI to complete assigned tasks. First off, ChatGPT has no morality, nor does it understand the difference between information and disinformation. The tool gathers the data available on the Internet, and, as we all know, not everything online is reliable.

An engineer, like any other professional, should consider this reality before using ChatGPT to check off items on their to-do lists, and more importantly, use it to communicate with others.

“You need to review the sources that have been cited, and you must ensure that you agree with the conclusions that are being drawn with your own professional judgement,” says McGrath. “After all, the user is the one responsible for faulty data if reproduced for a project or client.”

Alongside being responsible for the validity of information, the other major legal implication of ChatGPT is data ownership.

When a user enters content into its model, it becomes part of the system’s database and, in turn, is used to craft responses to other users’ prompts. McGrath cautions engineers on adding any confidential information that may be in a contract, which, more often than not, includes a nondisclosure agreement.

“I think from a regulatory perspective, engineers are expected to exercise professional judgement and are responsible for their work. If they are not performing in a manner that is consistent with the standards expected of a professional engineer, then that could get them into some trouble,” McGrath says.

Although the legal system has always dealt with adjusting the law in accordance with new technologies, the case of AI is far more challenging. AI’s capabilities are growing to an extent that’s so widespread and rapid, it’s difficult for even machine learning experts to keep up with.

This being said, McGrath is confident that regulatory, corporate and legal structures will gradually adapt.

From an individual and user perspective, adaptation is also essential.

“Engineers need to keep up,” she says. “The standard that is going to be expected of engineers is that they use the available tools to provide a product

or opinion. I would encourage engineers to remember the value they bring, even when using these tools that enable them to be more efficient and timelier—professional input will always reign valuable.”

Photo: Adobe Photoshop AI-generated image when promted to draw ‘Artificial Intelligence’.

Making waves in sustainable energy and partnership models: Canada’s first electric lobster fishing boat

On October 13, 2023, Oceans North, a Canadian nonprofit that supports marine conservation in partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities, announced that Canada’s first electric lobster fishing boat, the Lektrike’l Walipotl project, was in its final design stage—the vessel being effectively prepared for Membertou, a Mi’kmaw community in Cape Breton.

Since signing a memorandum of understanding towards this project late last year, Oceans North and Membertou have pioneered development in the vessel energy system alongside regional engineering counterparts, Allswater and BlueGrid by Rimot.

The announcement came only a few weeks after Oceans North released its Nova Scotia Lobster Vessel Electrification Assessment, a report which concluded that about 2,300 lobster boats in the

province are suitable to switch from diesel to an electric motor, which would, in turn, aggressively reduce the fishing industry’s emissions.

According to Brent Dancey, Director of Marine Climate Action at Oceans North, the Lektrike’l Walipotl project is the necessary momentum that not only Nova Scotia needs to reduce its own emissions, but Canada needs to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. He’d like to see, by 2030, 10 per cent of the lobster vessels in Nova Scotia running on zero-emission propulsion systems.

Tackling these national-scale technicalities is project-based and comes down to local, meaningful collaboration—much like how Oceans North assembled their report team. Membertou were appointed to the report’s Project Advisory Board for the report in its early research stages.

“Bringing together stakeholders from various aspects of the marine value chain collaboration is really important when looking at decarbonization,” says Dancey. “That’s how you’re going to solve problems—by fostering connections between people who would otherwise not work together.”

The Lektrike’l Walipotl project is as a “proof of concept”—a physical representation of the report’s recommendations in-action, aiding a robust fishery that serves as the backbone of a territorial economy.

Beyond its commercial value, fishing is both a traditional and modern way of life for Membertou. As stewards of the land and waters, Membertou’s involvement in the Lektrike’l Walipotl project is steeped in authenticity and a deep care for working towards a healthier environment.

Photo: iStock

“Our model has been to create economic opportunities with one goal in mind; to lift our community to a place of fiscal and social stability for generations to come,” says Chief of Membertou, Chief Terry Paul. “Commercial efforts from our Development Corporation directly support our community’s well-being in housing, education, social and beyond. Investing in projects that can create both economic and environmental change for our community is a win-win for us.”

Rimot, otherwise known as BlueGrid, are energy experts that were brought onto the project to help Membertou electrify and decarbonize their fleet.

Trevor Hennigar, P.Eng., COO of Rimot, explains that the project is two-fold. The marine electrification technology acts as a direct solution to emissions reduction, but it also utilizes the boat as energy storage for the community. Limited utility grid storage is a hot topic in the rise of electric energy use, and Rimot brings a direct solution.

“I feel lucky to be helping bring a piece to the puzzle around the vessel energy system sizing and laying the roadmap for more projects like this one,” says Hennigar. “I hope we can leverage this project as proof for future opportunities.”

Although this is the first time an electric propulsion system has been integrated into a commercial lobster vessel, the technology exists in other jurisdictions and boat types. The key to this project is its context, and regional group-based collaboration.

Sharing this forward-looking perspective, Rob Crutcher, CEO and founding member of Allswater, adds that the success of the Lektrike’l Walipotl project has come down to all counterparts having a clear vision of its application.

Allswater, a marine engineering and project management firm based in Bedford, offers design expertise to boat and ship builders and owners. Their driving goal throughout censoring the Membertou fleet was to develop a more sustainable way for the fishery to go about their existing operations.

“We’re not trying to radically change things,” says Crutcher. “We’re looking at how to decarbonize through a better design while continuing to serve the community’s needs and desires.”

With the data Allswater collected from monitoring the fishing traps this past season, they were able to create a unique user profile that decoded exactly how the original vessels operated. From there, they’ve been able to size the innerworkings like the new propulsion systems and batteries, as well as exterior details like the surrounding fiberglass structures.

“We know exactly how long these fishers like to go out, how fast they go, and we’re in turn, matching the electrical systems so their day-to-day can flow smoothly,” says Crutcher.

This said, safety remains a number one priority. Despite minimizing the amount of diesel that the vessels use, they remain able to withstand the elements and capable of getting back to port whenever necessary.

While traditional ship design just looks at the ship itself, the Lektrike’l Walipotl project deals with the actual vessel—on and offshore—as well as the people behind it.

“We view vessel electrification as a solution for both fishing and utility industries, and a pathway for new partnership models and relationships between fishers and electricity grids,” says Hennigar. “Our goal is to bring our BlueGrid technology products and solutions to other places to help accelerate the transition—not just within Atlantic Canada, but globally.”

Through Rimot’s innovative energy storage technique, and Allswater’s operational attention, Canada’s first electric lobster fishing boat is an engineering feat that is bound to make waves across the nation and beyond.

“We see this as an opportunity to be leaders in charting a new path in the fishing industry from a vessel perspective,” says Chief Terry Paul. “It’s a chance to test the feasibility of what the future of fishing could be, all the time while keeping a close focus on our environmental impact.”

Lobster

Chief Terry Paul. Photo: Membertou First Nation

Dalhousie biomedical engineers’ world-leading research

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. There are 100 kinds, and none are the same. Not every cancer is a death sentence, however with early detection, research and breakthroughs in treatment, some cancers are closer to a chronic disease than a killer. Brain cancer is not one of those.

According to Canadian Institutes of Health Research, around 50,000 Canadians are currently living with brain cancer. There are aggressive treatments available like surgery and radiation, but the brain is unique for surgeons in that accessing and removing tumors is incredibly challenging without harming healthy tissue.

Dr. Jeremy Brown, P.Eng., and his research team at Dalhousie’s School of Biomedical Engineering have been working to solve the problems brain cancer surgeries pose. They have

designed the world’s first high-resolution endoscopic surgical and imaging probe, giving surgeons the ability to see brain tumors at 10 times the resolution of an MRI or CT scan.

Neurosurgeons operate with mere millimeters of space between cancerous tissue and healthy tissue. Older probes are both too large and provide images that are too low in resolution. And, during surgery, as you begin removing tissue the MRI will be inaccurate since things move.

“The main thing we are using our probe for is to identify residual tumors in gliomas, which are very common,” Dr. Brown explains. “When residual tumors are missed, then the cancer comes back faster – If too much healthy tissue is removed then the quality of life is poor. Our probe helps with the accuracy of resection.”

Dr. Brown’s high-resolution endoscopic surgical and imaging probe solves both the probe size and low-resolution problem, which gives neurosurgeons the ability to gauge their progress as they work.

The probe is made from a piezoelectric crystal and is then mounted on a 3D printed bayonet-shaped base with circuit boards used to transfer the signals to the electronics through a cable. The piezo crystal is first given a thin layer of gold and then laser micro-machined into an array of about 100 sensors. Using microfabrication techniques, the sensors are packaged into a 3 mm footprint. Dalhousie University has licensed the intellectual property to a local spinout company, Daxsonics Ultrasound (of which Dr. Brown is a co-founder), and Daxsonics is commercializing the technology.

Beyond just faster surgeries, this advance in medical technology can save lives and result in better outcomes with fewer disabilities. The probe’s precise images allow surgeons to adapt surgical plans in real time as needed and reliably confirm all cancerous tissue has been removed while the patient is still in the operating room. The endoscopic and imaging probe was used successfully in the first two surgeries at the QEII Health Sciences Centre earlier this year.

“We build all our own devices and electronics,” says Dr. Brown. “We’re very good at miniaturizing ultrasound probes with extremely high resolution and neurosurgery was a perfect practical application for that. The probe can fit down a surgical pathway because it’s about the same size as all of the other surgical tools.”

“In the QEII’s first brain tumor surgery using our device, our very high-resolution ultrasound made it easy to differentiate cancerous tissue from healthy tissue. There’s a stark contrast between the two tissues. That’s helpful in guiding the tumour resection and minimizing damage to healthy tissue.”

The second surgery at the QEII closed off a brain aneurysm without blocking any downstream arteries.

“The probe visualizes blood flow extremely well. Surgeons can see where all the arteries are without having to dissect them, and this will allow them to confidently clip the aneurysm without blocking any downstream arterial branches.”

In addition to tackling a type of cancer that is nearly always fatal, Dr. Brown knew the high-resolution endoscopic surgical and imaging probe could help with spinal surgery. These surgeries require a probe with a different angle than brain surgeries and his team re-designed the probe, lab tested it, and have already used it in three spine surgeries.

Dr. Brown and his team are currently working on a promising secondary tool for the probe, which would give it the ability to vaporize cancerous tissue—turning it into gas bubbles with blasts of high-intensity sound waves instead of heat. This would allow surgical teams to image and treat tumors at the same time, providing more precision than radiation therapy and saving heathy tissue from damage.

While other ultrasound probes now exist, Dr. Brown’s is the smallest and combines the probe and the secondary therapeutic tool—a unique factor which allows for the dual purpose of high-resolution imaging and vaporizing cancerous tissue. He and his team are working with commercial partners to ensure this feat of bio-medical engineering has a broader impact than Nova Scotia.

“We’re doing world-leading research in Halifax, and we’re going to have a global impact,” says Dr. Brown.

Left to right: Justin Greige (EIT), Matt Mallay (EIT), Nicole MacMullin, Annika Benson (EIT), Debbie Wright (RN), Tom Landry (Ph.D). In front: Jeremy Brown (Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Ph.D.). Missing from the photo from the Dalhousie team: Alyssa Forbes, Shadi Dorosti, and Nick Campbell (EIT).

Photo: Dalhousie University.

Th endoscopic surgical and imaging probe in action during a surgery at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

2023 F.H. Sexton Gold Medal: David Lea, FEC, P.Eng.

The F.H. Sexton Gold Medal is awarded for a singular service to an engineer who has been recognized for exceptional achievements in their chosen field of engineering practice. The engineer will have had an outstanding career in engineering, contributing to economic and social benefits of society.

Raised in North Tryon, a small community on the South Shore of Prince Edward Island, David Lea, FEC, P.Eng., has remained true to his roots throughout the incredible milestones of his engineering journey, which has taken him across the region and to over 30 countries around the world. Alongside the prestige he’s established within the renewable and alternative energy space, David has volunteered his service and expertise to his church, community, and the engineering profession.

David was the recipient of the Engineers Nova Scotia Young Engineer Award in 1998, in recognition of his promise and potential and has worked hard over the past 25 years to live up to that potential.

“It’s very satisfying that the faith shown in me by the association 25 years ago has now been fulfilled,” he says.

David’s journey began in his home province, where he obtained his engineering diploma from the University of Prince Edward Island. He then went on to pursue his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in 1988, and shortly thereafter landed a job at CBCL Limited in PEI, before transferring with the company to Halifax in nineteen ninety.

David then joined Whitman Benn and Associates as a Mechanical and Energy Engineer where he worked for two years, followed by completion of graduate courses in energy management at the Technical University of Nova Scotia. At this time, David also joined Vaughn Engineering and in 1995 joined Lewis Engineering as a partner and later Vice President of Energy Services. Lewis Engineering was acquired by CBCL in 2006, so David returned to the company as Manager of Energy Services. Certainly, a full-circle moment.

It was following David’s move to Halifax in 1990 with CBCL where he began to gather experience in building systems engineering and establish his interest in energy efficiency. He is grateful to have had mentors like Peter Meridew at CBCL and Wayne Lewis, president of Lewis Engineering, who taught him not only about the importance of technical precision, but also the importance of remaining curious to learn of new innovations and to improve upon the engineering product.

“We started working on improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the nineties, when nobody was really talking about it. It took a long time from those initial studies and recommendations before there was enough political groundswell for them to catch on,” he says.

David’s work with community energy planning in Halifax and other large municipalities has led to significant changes in policy and program development that promote reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. His work in these areas has taken him to many parts of the globe—a total of 34 countries so far.

He sees immense value in collaboration and has made it one of his missions to mentor young engineers, both through the Engineers Nova Scotia Mentorship Program, as well as the CBCL Mentorship Program. His commitment to bettering the profession is also evident through his involvement with the Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia—where he was President from 2011-2012 and is a current chair of the Export Committee.

“We have a responsibility to strive towards improvements both from a social and environmental perspective,” he says. “I hope to continue to be able to participate in these improvements both at the community level and abroad..”

For his early adoption and exceptional climate advocacy which has positively impacted the engineering industry, David Lea, FEC, P.Eng., is the recipient of the 2023 F.H. Sexton Gold Medal.

2023 Engineering Award: Kelsey Green, FEC, P.Eng.

The Engineering Award is presented to an engineer who has achieved distinction in the practice of engineering. The achievement may be a single event or a series of events.

In more ways than one, Kelsey Green, FEC, P.Eng., has made significant contributions to Nova Scotia’s landscape and tapestry. In his current role as Vice President of Eagle Engineering and Consulting, Kelsey oversees the municipal department, which touches asset management, reality capture and GIS. He is at the forefront of industry-level change management within the province, accelerating engineering capabilities and revolutionizing the way we think about problem-solving.

Kelsey graduated from Western University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and went on to work for Terrain Group doing hydraulics. He then worked with CBCL doing municipal redevelopment, where he was able to lean on his hydraulics experience to redesign municipal water and wastewater systems. Hatch was Kelsey’s next career

jump, which was followed by Opus International Consultants, now WSP. Opus marked a professional evolution of sorts, as Kelsey developed a newfound expertise and interest in infrastructure asset management—ultimately leading to his current VP role at Eagle.

At each point of his journey, Kelsey has experienced a sequence of small, but impactful epiphanies. These moments have consistently revealed to him the profound nature of engineering and its potential to create meaningful impacts.

“I’m someone who wants to work hard in order to understand how challenges are affecting our society and come to solutions,” says Kelsey. “And I’ve come to realize that engineering isn’t just about building physical things, it’s about solving complex problems of all types. In the societal issues I have come across, I try to apply engineering principles.”

Kelsey just wrapped up a post graduate certificate in Parental Alienation Studies from the Institute of Family Therapy in Malta. His article titled, “Parental Alienation and Suicide: A Case for Further Study” was recently published in a peer reviewed journal. He has also presented on the topic at the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention conference in Halifax jointly with Roots of Hope NS, Nova Scotia’s suicide prevention organization, where he also volunteers.

Kelsey has found that the more he delves into his studies, the more he realizes that engineering approaches, including critical and systems thinking, could be beneficial to alleviating some of the trauma caused by the challenges

in our social systems. He has a wide repertoire of related extracurriculars, including positions on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Equal Parenting Council, a volunteer with the Canadian Centre for Men and Families, as well as a co-founder of Complex Trauma Canada.

Kelsey has also completed two terms on the Engineers Nova Scotia Council and has been a long-standing member of the Sustainability Committee, of which he is past Chair.

“It’s exciting to see how our profession is self-regulated and have some input on its direction,” he says. “It’s full of wonderful people who think critically and make the best decisions they can—they inspire me to be better and continuously improve.”

Along with his goal of having engineering principles become commonplace in addressing our most pressing social issues, Kelsey strives to have people see the value in reality capture, big data and asset management. Eagle has been a catalyst for building awareness of emerging technologies in engineering, building industry awareness that the right application of new technologies can mean increased safety, efficiency and depth of understanding in engineering processes. The complexity of some of these technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, is a massive hurdle to peoples’ understanding, but Kelsey is focused on their best application in the coming decades of his career.

For the effervescent, critical and thoughtful lens he applies to the profession, Kelsey Green, FEC, P.Eng., receives the 2023 Engineering Award.

2023 Engineering Award: Dr. Huu Nghia Nguyen, P.Eng.

Dr. Huu Nghia Nguyen, P.Eng., has an academic, professional and volunteer repertoire so vast and varied, it’s almost unbelievable how he’s achieved it all in just under two decades.

Huu currently holds numerous professional roles; M&S Engineer at the Naval Engineering Test Establishment for WEIR Canada Inc., Adjunct Professor for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Dalhousie University, as well as Associate Editor for two scientific journals— Springer’s Applied Nanoscience journal and SPIE’s Journal of Nanophononics.

Alongside this commendable list, Huu has been a committed volunteer in the local engineering sphere through the Immigration Services Association of Nova Scotia and Engineers Nova Scotia’s Mentorship program, encouraging young engineers and engineers-in-training to obtain P.Eng. to best serve the public. He is an advocate for professional development, especially for those new to Canada.

Huu migrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia from Vietnam nearly 11 years ago, in hopes to work with emergent technologies and build relationships with well-known academics.

“It certainly wasn’t easy living far from family, but in Vietnam at the time, it was difficult to access engineering resources and it lacked something that I needed to develop my career,” he says. “I decided on Canada as I knew I could develop a strong network to build a life.”

Upon coming across Dalhousie University in his research online, Huu was offered a scholarship for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering department, and specifically in the ASPIRE program, funded through the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Within five years at Dalhousie University, Huu’s research contribution on sustainable energy research was featured as a cover image in the prestigious journal Nanotechnology published by the Institute of Physics in England. Huu has also garnered numerous accolades, including best oral presentations and posters at international conferences, grants for travel and citations in scholarly publications.

Huu is a forward-thinker in many regards; while he builds the foundations of a happy life for his children, he simultaneously considers how his engineering work will impact the future. In fact, one of the largest motivating factors in his professional life is applying his knowledge in electromagnetic engineering used for green energy application. In his role as Senior

Engineer for Metamaterial Technologies back in 2018— his first job after completion of the Dalhousie Fellowship— Huu and the team developed a promising solution to combat laser strikes, commercializing a thin film that protects pilots. Huu went on to be an Acoustics Consultant for Shannex Arborstone Home Care and an Optics Designer for LED Roadway Lighting Ltd.

Through it all, Huu has enjoyed drawing on his diverse skillset which can be attributed to an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Can Tho University in Vietnam, two master’s degrees—one in Mechanical Engineering Design from Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon in France, and the other in Industrial Engineering from Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Spain—and not to forget his Ph.D in Applied Engineering from National Cheng Kung University, one of the top-rated universities in Taiwan.

Huu is thrilled to have landed a job at WEIR Canada’s Naval Engineering Test Establishment, Department of National Defense, and is currently homed in on perfecting his engineered modelling, simulation, testing, verification and validation skills to protect the country.

His number one piece of advice for young engineers and engineers-in-training is to “work hard and smart,” and to always be willing to collaborate with colleagues. “Teamwork is how you’re going to learn the most and get better in any job.”

For his unwavering strength, proficiency and dedication to the field, Dr. Huu Nghia Nguyen, P.Eng., is a recipient of the 2023 Engineering Award.

2023 S.L. Deveraux Award for the Advancement of Women in the Engineering Profession: Dr. Jennie Rand, P.Eng.

The S.L. Deveraux Award for the Advancement of Women in the Engineering Profession recognizes engineers who, through their engineering and career achievements, have demonstrated noteworthy contributions for the advancement of women in the profession. This includes being recognized as a role model within the profession.

Dr. Jennie Rand, P.Eng, is an established academic in water treatment and a leading advocate for workplace inclusion, whose research and volunteer efforts have brought real impact to Atlantic Canada and beyond.

Dr. Rand is a Professor and the A.D. Foulis Chair in Engineering at the Ivan Curry School of Engineering at Acadia University, current Chair of the Engineers Nova Scotia Women in Engineering Committee, and a founding member of a variety of initiatives, which she has tirelessly dedicated her time to over the course of her career.

Her story begins back at Acadia University, where she did the first half of her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and then went on to complete it at Dalhousie University. After graduation, she stepped into a consulting role in Halifax focusing on construction projects. Although a great kickstart to her career, Dr. Rand felt as though she wanted to get out and see the world and further explore her interest in the environmental side of engineering.

Coming up to the end of her Ph.D. studies in 2006, Dr. Rand applied for a position at Acadia University, having enjoyed her international projects but also knowing that being closer to home would bring her the most fulfillment. She began as an Assistant Professor, then transitioned to a tenured Associate Professor in 2008, and is now a Full Professor and adjunct at the Centre for Water Resources Studies (CWRS) in the Civil and Resource Engineering Department at Dalhousie.

In her 17 years at Acadia, Dr. Rand has conducted and worked on an impressive array of research projects, including recently being involved in a province-wide investigation into the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, the virus that causes COVID-19, as part of the CWRS. “The water industry is such an amazing community, especially in Atlantic Canada,” she says. “The researchers, the consultants, the associations, the suppliers—they’re all a really great group of people to work with and

I’m very fortunate to have been involved for so long.”

Inclusion and representation in the workplace drive Dr. Rand’s advocacy ventures. She developed the Ms Engineering (Mentor in the School of Engineering) program at Acadia, a peer-mentoring and social group which pairs second- and third-year women engineering students with incoming students to engage them in the program and help manage their transition to university life. Throughout the academic year the group participates in skill-building sessions and outreach activities, welcomes guest speakers, and hosts social events and fun activities.

“I recognized that I had a role to play in advocating for our students as a female professor in Engineering at Acadia, and now that has grown to all women in engineering through my time with the Engineers Nova Scotia Women in Engineering committee,” Dr. Rand says. “I want to help create a supportive network and encourage both students and members to be happy in their work.”

For her prevailing curiosity, tenacity and intelligent approach to problem-solving, Dr. Jennie Rand, Ph.D., P.Eng, receives the 2023 S.L. Deveraux Award for the Advancement of Women in the Engineering Profession.

2023 J.D. Fraser Service Award: Kent Lane, FEC, P.Eng.

The J.D. Fraser Service Award is awarded to an engineer who has made a substantial contribution of service to the association. This includes a record of outstanding volunteer service to various committees and projects of Engineers Nova Scotia.

Kent Lane, FEC, P. Eng., attributes his distinguished career trajectory to his three areas of expertise: Information Technology, project management and people skills. He has been with one of the leading consulting engineer firms in Nova Scotia, CBCL Limited, since 1995, and has earned his way from a Facilities Coordinator to Vice President Corporate Services.

Kent’s contributions to the field in Nova Scotia have been recognized nationally with accreditation as an Engineers Canada fellow in 2016, as well as with the Engineers Nova Scotia 2018 Citizenship Award.

Kent is grateful to CBCL for providing him with both the necessary guidance and latitude to choose his path. As a result, he has built an unwavering strength and entrepreneurial ability.

Kent has been a key player for the application of IT within engineering management, design and administration in the province.

Kent was elected to the Engineers Nova Scotia Council in 2017 for a 2-year term—an experience which he found extremely enlightening given his interest in the organization’s internal functions and the bodies that, in turn, manage them. Kent has also been a member of the Engineers Nova Scotia Sustainability Committee since 2015, happily encouraging local engineers to consider the environment and greater good in their everyday practices.

It was the fulfillment he received from these experiences, which ultimately led to his Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia presidency for the 2022-2023 term. Kent has been a game-changing force in engineering advocacy, striving to facilitate conversations that benefit his own workplace alongside the industry in its entirety. Through the respectable efforts of people like Kent, the highest professional standards within Nova Scotia’s consulting engineering space are uplifted.

For the past three years, Kent has been a mentor as part of CBCL’s Mentorship Program, an annual professional development program which pairs employees in a mentor relationship with a young engineer, which he played a central role in introducing and growing. Kent has also been awarded a top Connector of the Halifax Partnership Connector Program, building relationships with over 40 internationally educated engineers and recent graduates new to Halifax—more than any other engineer

in the history of the program.

His willingness to give back to the city is simply unquestionable, especially considering his volunteer work with United Way of Halifax, where he has been a member for more than 7 years having joined their Finance, Audit and Risk Committee in 2016.

“I only want to continue to bring value to my community—whether that be through engineering, social or advocacy,” he says.

Outside of consulting and volunteering, Kent is a golfer, an avid cook and travel-lover. He is a new grandfather, and joyfully spends much of his time with his two grandkids in New Brunswick.

For his imaginative technological perspective and corporate citizenship, Kent Lane, FEC, P. Eng., is the recipient of the 2023 J.D. Fraser Service Award.

2023 L.A. White Engineering Award: Meggie Letman, P.Eng.

The L.A. White Engineering Award is awarded to an engineer who has made significant contributions to the profession of engineering and their community and demonstrates great promise as a professional engineer. Nominees must be no older than 35 years of age as of the date the award is presented.

It is a natural curiosity of the world around her which has served Meggie Letman, P.Eng., well in her engineering career. Meggie is currently a Water Resources Engineer at Dillon Consulting, where she has worked for the last four years, working on a variety of multidisciplinary projects including fish passage studies, shoreline protection and hydrologic modelling. Last year, Meggie stepped into the additional role of Operational Team Manager, happily splitting her time between both people and project management.

“I always knew I wanted to save the world, but I didn’t really know how,” says Meggie. “I chose engineering initially because I figured that if I had good marks in all my classes in high school, the most efficient way to apply them

in one field is engineering—which is a very ‘engineers’ way’ of deciding to be an engineer.”

Meggie obtained a Diploma in Engineering from St. Francis Xavier University in 2012 and went on to complete her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering at Dalhousie University in 2014 as part of the Associated University Program. Interested in continuing to develop her academic expertise, Meggie successfully applied for a Master of Applied Science in environmental engineering at Dalhousie and added another degree under her belt two years later.

Meggie stayed on as a Research EIT in the graduate student research group for two years following her Master’s, finding a balance between fieldwork, the lab and her computer. In her current role at Dillon, Meggie spends her time leading projects, managing clients and team meetings, as well as chasing proposals and business development opportunities.

The Water Resources Engineer finds herself using her innate creative problem-solving skills, as well as the collaboration skills she picked up in her education, to deliver maps, schemes and design concepts. While managing a team responsible for different deliverables, Meggie finds satisfaction in finding the most efficient way for everyone to work towards one major outcome.

Last year, Meggie served as chair of the Engineer Nova Scotia’s Emerging Professionals Committee, which she has been involved with for the last six years. She strongly believes that by incorporating volunteerism alongside

professional development and networking opportunities into the mandate, engineers-in-training, new engineers, or newcomers to Canada interested in getting registered, can thrive.

In fact, Meggie has applied this principle in her own life, being a founding member of the Aquatic Systems Professional and Industrial Training for the Restoration Economy program, as well as an instructor for the SuperNOVA program during her time at Dalhousie, providing STEM programming to students across Atlantic Canada. She especially loves knowledge-sharing with students, regularly doing speaking sessions for first-year Dalhousie students on environmental engineering and sustainability.

Meggie also shares her invaluable knowledge through rowing. During her studies, Meggie was an athlete as a member of the St. Francis Xavier Rowing Club and the Dalhousie University Rowing Club and has gone on to be involved on the board of the Halifax Rowing Club and even coach at the university novice level.

It is evident through her dedication to sport, extracurricular volunteering and the new leadership role at Dillon, that Meggie places importance on mentorship.

For her unwavering drive to be a well-rounded professional engineer who is both knowledgeable in her field and willing to learn, Meggie Letman, P.Eng. is a 2023 recipient of the L.A. White Engineering Award.

2023 L.A. White Engineering Award: Stuart King, P.Eng.

The L.A. White Engineering Award is awarded to an engineer who has made significant contributions to the profession of engineering and their community and demonstrates great promise as a professional engineer. Nominees must be no older than 35 years of age as of the date the award is presented.

Stuart King, P.Eng., leads with kindness and compassion throughout all he does. Stuart is a Civil Engineering Dalhousie University graduate and has grown to wear many hats in his current role as an Associate at Dillon Consulting. Stuart is a licensed Professional Engineer in Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. His work on complex projects has stretched across the country, with experience collaborating with many public, private and Indigenous clients.

A Project Manager and a Project Engineer at Dillon, Stuart makes significant strides in environmental wellbeing through the development of thoughtful and sustainable systems within local solid waste management, landfill design, recycling and feasibility studies. His

commitment to change is only further solidified through his additional role as the Regional Account Lead for Dillon’s Waste Disposal Facility Design and Operations Service Offering in Atlantic Canada.

Stuart’s career is best-defined as “forward-thinking”; he is deliberately building a better future for the province through environmental consideration in design and construction, as well as through mentoring the next generation of professional engineers. One of his biggest pieces of advice for young engineers and engineers-in-training is to be mindful of their actions in research, data collection and project facilitation.

“Engineers should be aware of their impact and motives—if something doesn’t support your values and goals, don’t make those decisions,” he says. “Being in this profession is about what we can do individually to support a larger goal. There are a bunch of little things that add up to make a difference—for example, in waste management, its ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’... this is something I live by.”

Stuart has dedicated a significant amount of his free time outside of his day-to-day profession to promoting inclusivity and sustainability in the industry. He is currently a Director of the Atlantic Canada Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America, and the Chair of Consulting Engineers Nova Scotia’s Future Leaders Group, and the Nova Scotia Representative to the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada Future Leaders Network.

A fulfilling piece of his services to the profession was his position as a Manager of Dillon’s Early Career Development Program—a result of tireless advocacy for professional and personal development. Stuart regularly helps young engineers get their feet wet in consulting and build on their communication skills so that they can go forth and facilitate conversations with future employers and clients through his involvement with the Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia’s Future Leaders Group. Stuart is also a P.Eng. Mentor to engineers-in-training through Engineer Nova Scotia’s mentorship program.

“At the end of the day, we as engineers are storytellers and problem solvers regardless of what side of the profession you go into. There are always new things to learn, new things to explore, and new things to create,” he says. “I’ve been very lucky to form a lot of meaningful relationships through my work which have all been built with empathy and curiosity.”

Stuart’s prominent value system allows him to be an impactful mentor, manager, engineer, and person in general. It is also what landed him a feature in Municipal Solid Waste Management Magazine’s Young Professional Spotlight in March this year. Despite it all, Stuart is humble and attributes much of his fulfillment to seeing his colleagues with diverse backgrounds and perspectives work together to best tell their clients’ stories.

For his solid judgement and positive attitude displayed within the local engineering field and beyond, Stuart King, P.Eng., receives a L.A. White Engineering Award.

2023 Citizenship Award: Dr. Pemberton Cyrus, FEC, P.Eng.

The Citizenship Award is awarded to an engineer who combined a professional career with outstanding service and leadership to the community.

Dr. Pemberton Cyrus, FEC, P.Eng. is one of the longest-running members of Engineers Nova Scotia, receiving his professional engineering certification over 40 years ago. The last four decades have been fruitful in work-related and wider-reaching community achievements for Dr. Cyrus, who is a recipient of two previous Engineers Nova Scotia awards—the “Zone Achievement Award” in 1997, and the “J.D. Fraser Service Award” in 2019. He also received the “FEC” designation in in 2008 from Engineers Canada.

Dr. Cyrus has been an examiner for the National Technical Exams Committee and continues to be a member of the Engineers Nova Scotia Board of Examiners since 1999, having served as its chair in 2002-2003.

Now an Associate Professor in Dalhousie’s Industrial Engineering department, Dr. Cyrus completed his bachelor’s degree in industrial

engineering at the University of West Indies in 1982, and came to Halifax to study afterwards at what was then called the Technical University of Nova Scotia, completing his MASc in 1984 and his PhD in 1988—the first person to get a PhD in TUNS’ Industrial Engineering program. He has taught within TUNS and Dalhousie University for an impressive 35 years, following their merger in the late 1990’s, and has introduced many courses revolutionary to the profession including the Routing and Scheduling, Design of Computer Networks, and Computer Integrated Manufacturing undergraduate courses as well as the Distribution Management graduate course.

Dr. Cyrus is this year’s recipient of the Citizenship Award in part for his successful efforts to diversify the local engineering field and encourage disenfranchised individuals to maximize their potential. While Dr. Cyrus has somehow found the time to be a member of the Canadian Engineering Education Association, the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the Maritime Provinces’ Higher Education Commission, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, advocating for the development of engineering programs, he has also been a driving force behind Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, a program focused on the promotion of STEM education amongst African Nova Scotian students.

Through Imhotep’s various outreach activities, tutoring sessions, skill-based competitions and scholarship programs, Dr. Cyrus can be credited with increasing the number of African Nova Scotian

students in engineering at Dalhousie by 10 times since the organizations’ inception in the early 2000’s.

Dr. Cyrus is objective-focused and considers himself a “servant leader” of sorts. Throughout his life-long teaching journey, Dr. Cyrus believes in being a guiding resource, as opposed to a director; he allows his students to get handson with their studies and steps in to give them a gentle nudge to problem-solve.

In one of his more recent projects with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, Dr. Cyrus has developed three operating greenhouse sites across the province with support from the Office of African Nova Scotia Affairs, Canadian Heritage, the Nova Scotia Department of Education’s African Canadian Services Branch and the Nova Scotia Depart of Agriculture, to increase Black youth participation in agriculture and food security.

“We want students to understand that food doesn’t come from the supermarket, it comes from dirt, water and sunlight. If you don’t have food, you can grow your own food—you are not hopeless and you don’t have to rely on some sort of external supply chain,” he says.

It is through community outreach efforts such as this that Dr. Cyrus wants to help build organizations that are self-sustaining, so that when he inevitably must step down from some of the responsibilities, they will continue to positively impact generations to come.

For his commitment to bettering individual’s lives and the profession at large, Dr. Pemberton Cyrus, FEC, P.Eng., is the 2023 recipient of the Citizenship Award.

Engineers Canada launches campaign to inspire Canadians to think about engineers in new ways

Engineers Canada launched the second phase of its campaign that calls on Canadians to think differently about the value of engineers. Conceived in collaboration with Canada’s provincial and territorial regulating bodies and Engineers Canada, the “Building Tomorrows” campaign challenges Canadians to expand their perceptions of engineers—not just as builders of bridges and buildings—but as builders of solutions that make our world a better place.

The campaign uses building blocks—a familiar and well-understood tool—as a means to call on people to think about engineers as builders who are making the world a better place for us all. Using a series of digitally rendered “builds”, the campaign illustrates how engineers use creativity and innovation to develop solutions to everyday problems like energy efficiency and smart city planning, as well as drive extraordinary advances in medical treatments and resilient infrastructure. With this campaign, the profession will broaden people’s understanding of the contributions engineers make every single day to the world around us. The campaign includes a :30-second digital ad running for six weeks, a microsite, as well as a display and social media campaign.

Featuring a digital video, microsite and digital advertising, the “Building Tomorrows” campaign shows how engineers are builders of solutions that make a difference in our world.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to demonstrate who engineers are and the ways in which engineering disciplines are driving solutions to our shared challenges,” added Gerard McDonald, MBA, P.Eng., ICD.D, Chief Executive Officer of Engineers Canada. “It is also an important way to reflect the rich diversity of Canada’s engineers and the work they do across the country and around the world.”

To learn more about this exciting campaign, please visit the “Building Tomorrows” campaign website at buildingtomorrows.ca/.

Engineers Canada upholds the honour, integrity, and interests of the engineering profession by supporting consistent high standards in the regulation of engineering, encouraging the growth of the profession in Canada, and inspiring public confidence. For over 80 years, we have worked on behalf of the provincial and territorial associations that regulate engineering practice and license the country’s more than 300,000 members of the engineering profession.

www.engineerscanada.ca

Rajini Deepchand, P.Eng.

Rajini Deepchand, P.Eng., is Project Manager in the Hydro, Wind and Solar Division of Nova Scotia Power. Her life and engineering career began in Mauritius, a beautiful and prosperous island off the coast of East Africa.

Rajini, with a civil engineering background and a master’s in project management, had worked for two decades in Mauritius’ water resources mobilization sector before the island’s economic and political conditions forced her to rethink her career path. Promotions became an illusion—promised to her, but never materialized. She watched on as her male colleagues progressed and excelled.

Rajini and her husband, Geerish, did not want their three daughters to experience these barriers to success. In 2018 a neighbor, then living in Canada, returned for a visit and persuaded the couple to restart the immigration process—something they had first attempted back in 2015, but had a negative consulting experience. The couple were encouraged by their vision of a better life for their children.

Being bilingual, both Rajini and Geerish took the Test d’Évaluation de Français and IELTS for English and submitted their immigration application as skilled immigrant together with

their proof of funds, qualifications and experience.

With a demand for civil engineers in Nova Scotia, the province invited Rajini through the Provincial Nomination Program, and required her to stay for at least two years. She accepted, and within weeks she received an invitation to apply for permanent residence—the last step in the immigration application process.

Rajini reached out to Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) soon after and enrolled in two of their online workshops: Job Search Strategies and Working in Canada. ISANS provided her with a Facilitator, who guided and kept her motivated through the course assignments, as well as an Employment Specialist, who provided her advice on resumes, cover letters, interviews and networking.

back home,” Rajini says, “You feel rudderless in mid-sea. Then you realizeyou are the rudder.”

With both her and her husband working full-time at McDonald’s to survive the increased cost of living and major life transition, Rajini began to doubt her engineering skills and decided to look for higher-paying non-engineering employment.

During a final interview with Air Canada to be a customer service agent, Rajini received a call from ISANS, who told her she had an interview with NS Power for a twelve-week civil engineering placement. Drawing upon her experience on dam projects, and the ISANS’ interview training, Rajini was well prepared and landed the placement.

“You feel rudderless in mid-sea. Then you realize - you are the rudder.”

“The reality is that, in Canada, the work culture is different, and you need to showcase your experience in the format employers are used to, for them to offer you that one opportunity to demonstrate what you can do for them,” says Rajini.

In September 2021, Rajini and her family arrived in Nova Scotia. She describes the move to Canada akin to being reborn; creating a household from scratch. Within two months of moving, Rajini’s father unexpectedly passed away—the person who had been her pillar and encouraged her to be an engineer. Rajini credits the dark times for making her stronger and helping her to overcome her innate shyness.

“You have to remain strong for your family here, while missing your family

Just five weeks into her placement, Rajini was offered a contract for a term position on the Hydro, Wind and Solar team. In October 2022, she was appointed a regular full-time employee.

“Being treated as a valued employee of NS Power has boosted my self-confidence, uplifted my family’s quality of life and provided the much-needed security,” she says.

Rajini’s advice to other engineers wishing to come to Nova Scotia is to establish early contact with ISANS and be prepared for a busy and difficult first year.

“My first impression of Nova Scotia is confirmed,” says Rajini. “After two years, I am happy to be here, contributing to NS Power, paying my taxes, and helping the community. I am here to stay.”

Rajini Deepchand, Project Manager, Nova Scotia Power

The Engineer has been printed since Engineers Nova Scotia’s early days, not long after the associational inception in 1920. The publication has decades-worth of professional engineers’ projects and incredible feats, and we feel lucky to have been a part of each of their journeys.

Starting in 2024 with our Spring issue, The Engineer will go 100 per cent digital. In commemoration of this shift, we’d like to highlight a few covers from the archives, to give you a sense of how our publication has changed over the decades.

You can find our archives at: engineersnovascotia.ca/publications/library/archives

If you are in possession of old hardcopy issues not in our archives, please contact us and we would be happy to reach out to digitize these missing pieces of our history.