Across Canada

News briefs from associations in other provinces and territories.

PEO Launches Student Member Program

Effective January 2000, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) is providing student membership in the association. Registration for the new membership category and delivery of benefits largely will be Web-site-based. It will be possible for engineering students throughout Ontario to become PEO student members at no cost.

PEO Council approved the new membership category after the Engineering Student Societies' Council of Ontario presented a proposal for building better relations between engineering students and PEO. A similar initiative, the APEGGA Student Advantage Program (ASAP), began last year.

Ontario Acknowledges Engineering Heroes

PEO is lending support to a program to celebrate "engineering heroes, past present and future". Aimed particularly at primary school students, the program is expected to include performances (at the Ontario Science Centre, Science North , and the National Museum of Science and Technology) to be relayed via live Web-casts. The program being undertaken with the Ontario Centre of Excellence and other partners, will include a half-hour program to be produced by TV Ontario. The engineering heroes initiative is scheduled officially to be unveiled in early March as part of National Engineering Week.

Sask. Considers Concept of Limited Members

Council of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) Council has received a report from a task group examined the possible registration of "Limited Members". Current APEGS legislation makes provision for a designations as "Limited Member (Engineering)" and "Limited Member (Geoscience)" for individuals who do not have the right to use the P.Eng. or P.Geo. designations and for Limited Members to consult and practice independently within an approved field of practice. However, though enabling provision exists for Limited Members within the APEGS legislation, it has not been implemented. APEGS Council is seeking further input on the Limited Member concept from its membership.

B.C. Revamps Policy on Reduced Fees

A report from the Registration Committee of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia has recommended removal of a three-year limit on reduced fees for members on parental leave, unemployed members and members attending university. Such members will be deemed to be "retired" until they return to gainful employment (income of more than $7,000 a year). APEGBC Council confirmed that members who are deemed retired must sign a declaration that he or she agrees not to practice engineering or geoscience until her she has applied for and received reinstatement as a practicing member.

B.C. Stamps and Seals To Include Number

APEGBC's Council has revised the association's policy to require that the initial, surname and registration number of members be provided on APEGBC stamps and seals of members registered after Jan. 1, 2000. The decision was made after APEGBC's Registration Committee outlined concerns over the possible incorrect identification of APEGBC members who had identical initials and surnames. Stamps and seals issued prior to this year only included a member's initials and surname.

New Name For New Brunswick Association

With the implementation of new legislation, the official name of the New Brunswick association now is the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick (APEGNB)/ Association des ingénieurs et des géoscientifiques du Nouveau-Brunswick (AIGNB).

Yukon Hires Executive Director

The Professional Engineers of the Yukon Territory has created the position of part-time executive director and hired Gary White, P.Geo., to fill the post. APEY also has resumed publication of its newsletter and determined to increase its participation on national committees of CCPE.