Our Official Logo

Relating to Government

By Dan Motyka, P.Eng.

Amid an Alberta winter, some thoughts inevitably turn to spring.

Personally, I know late April will be an eventful time for me, in large measure because that is when APEGGA holds its Annual General Conference in Calgary. The conference includes two full days of Professional Development activities (April 21 and 22), the meeting of the Past Presidents (on April 22), our Summit Awards® celebrations (on the evening of April 22), and the Annual General Meeting and AGM Luncheon on April 23, and all the social functions that accompany the Annual General Conference.

Some may think that I am jumping the gun a bit by focusing on events occurring almost three months from now when my term as your President draws to a close.

My concern, however, is that the APEGGA Annual General Conference not become an afterthought. I want to ensure that members, whether they are owners, managers or employees, have sufficient lead time to include the Professional Development Days, the Summit Awards® and the AGM (preferably all three) in their April plans. And don’t forget the very interesting Partners’ Program that includes, among other things, a visit to the Western Heritage Museum and shopping tour of Cochrane.

You may be aware of the evolution that has taken place in recent years in connection with our annual meeting. A decision was made in the early 1990s to break with the tradition of holding such gatherings in resort settings. While such splendid surroundings as Jasper or Banff were great for those in attendance, these locations tended to limit levels of participation.

The decision to alternate the Annual Conference between Calgary and Edmonton, coincided with the first Summit Awards® in 1991. These awards nights have proven enormously successful and have attracted large crowds to honour those who have made significant contributions to our professions and other societal endeavours. The Summit events have done us proud and the attention they generate have succeeded in raising the profile and in enhancing the image of our professions.

Last year in Edmonton, the Summit Awards® were preceded by a full-day Professional Development Program. The PD program, held on the same day as the Summit Awards®, attracted some 130 participants, and tied in nicely with the implementation of APEGGA’s mandatory Professional Development Program. The AGM followed the next day. Last year, the meeting saw some lively exchanges but I’m sorry to say that attendance did not match that of the Summit Awards® or the PD Day.

That is regrettable since the AGM is the Association’s most important forum and the one that legitimizes and endorses Council actions and initiatives.

I would like to make an appeal to members, in particular those in supervisory positions, to see the Annual Conference, including the AGM, not as a frill but as an important activity worthy of support. I suggest that support extend to encouraging and facilitating attendance at the AGM. I believe that both employers and employees benefit if employees are better informed about their profession, and if they feel the sense of professional pride that arises from an event such as the Summit Awards®. I look forward to seeing many of you in Calgary in April.

  Our Official Logo

Last month and this month, you may have noted a subtle change in the banner that runs on the top of page one of  The PEGG. It included the A-shaped logo that has been used for a number of years in connection with the Summit Awards® and to which APEGGA already owns the trademark. At its November meeting, APEGGA Council adopted the stylized A as the Association’s logo. In the future, you will see it used not only in connection with the Summit Awards® but as a graphic element of APEGGA material such as stationery, lapel pins, publications and a redesigned website. The three sides of the triangle remind us of the three professions that make up our Association, the peak suggests Alberta mountains, while the outflowing lines imply a dynamic organization whose members play an active role in society.

I believe APEGGA in recent years has made considerable progress in raising the public profile of the professions it represents. As it becomes even more familiar, the logo will provide a quick and recognizable means of informing members and others of APEGGA’s presence and involvement.

Relating to Government

The recognition that APEGGA already has obtained has paid dividends. For instance, our public profile may open doors and help others better understand the Association’s objectives. One area toward which our Executive Director Neil Windsor, P.Eng., and others have devoted considerable effort is improvement of relations with government, particularly at the municipal and provincial levels. I believe these efforts show definite signs of bearing fruit. We have achieved a close working relationship with the Hon. Stan Woloshyn, Alberta Minister of Public Works, Supply and Services, the minister responsible for the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Act. In addition, in amending and updating our Act, we have enjoyed the co-operation of the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Supplies and Services, Dan Bader, P.Eng. A recent reorganization within the senior ranks of the Alberta civil service has resulted in Dan being named Deputy Minister responsible for the Alberta Well Net, in which capacity he reports to the Minster of Health. We have enjoyed working with Dan.

We also have had a constructive relationship with Deputy Minister of Labour Peter Kruselnicki, P.Eng., who also is assuming new duties, in his case as Deputy Provincial Treasurer.

On behalf of the Association, let me thank both Dan and Peter for their co-operation and wish them well in their new posts.

See you at the AGM!