The PEGG

September 2001

Quebec Engineer Elected President of CCPE

Pierre Boucher, ing., of Montreal has been elected president of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers for 2001-2002. A civil engineer and expert in the financing, construction and maintenance of small hydroelectric plants, Mr. Boucher is president and founder of SO-RE-PRO - a newly created Montreal consulting firm that specializes in energy-sector projects.

Mr. Boucher has served on CCPE's Board of Directors since 1995, representing l'Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. He was vice-president of CCPE in 2000-2001, and has been a member of its Executive Committee since 1999.

"We will be working closely with our member associations/ordre over the next 12 months on strategies to incorporate emerging disciplines of engineering into the profession in a timely fashion, as well as to ensure that employers, governments and engineering students continue to recognize the relevance and value of the profession's regulatory system," says Mr. Boucher.

"CCPE will also continue its communications program to make Canadians more aware of how engineers and engineering contribute to quality of life, and expand our government relations activities to have greater input into the development of federal policies, legislation and regulations. Internationally, our priorities include facilitating greater international mobility for Canadian engineers through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Engineer Register Project and other initiatives. It's going to be a busy and challenging year, but I am confident that we will make significant progress."

Prior to founding SO-RE-PRO, Mr. Boucher served as an executive assistant and chief of staff for a federal minister of labour and transport. His career highlights include eight years employment as vice-president of the Montreal firm Innergex and two years as senior director of international operations with Le Groupe Désourdy. He has also worked on various hydroelectric construction projects in James Bay, and as a senior engineer with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

Joining Mr. Boucher on CCPE's 2001-2002 Executive Committee are: Noel Cleland, P.Eng., the president of Cleland Energy, representing APEGGA (past president); Hollis Cole, P.Eng., the president and CEO of ADI Group Inc., representing the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick (vice-president); Robert Lorimer, P.Eng., the principal of Lorimer and Associates, representing the Association of Professional Engineers of Yukon; and Peter Washchyshyn, P.Eng., the president of ND LEA Engineers and Planners Inc., representing the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba.

CCPE is the national organization of the provincial and territorial associations that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada and license the country's more than 160,000 professional engineers. Established in 1936, CCPE delivers national programs that ensure the highest standards of engineering education, professional qualifications and ethical conduct.