INNOVATION January-February 2014

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1

v iewpoint

Over the course of our professional practice, we will have many opportunities to learn some very valuable lessons that will help promote social stewardship within our communities. Within my work, this has meant both locally and internationally. As professional engineers and geoscientists, we have certain re- sponsibilities in the ways that we conduct our business. In fact, the APEGBC Code of Ethics lends itself well to good business practice as it sets out principles that guide us in our work with regard to professionalism, fairness, and fidelity to public needs. Two personal examples can serve to illuminate how honouring the code has furthered my professional endeavours. At an exploration site on a new lease in southern Ecuador, we had permits to proceed though we knew the farmer whose land it was felt worried about losing his farm and being displaced due to mining activity. Our team took the time to meet with him and understand his worries, and then to communicate these to the client. When working internationally at different project sites with varying degrees of controversy or community interest, the agreement that we’ve entered into as professionals should act as our compass: as members of APEGBC, we agree to “uphold the values of truth, honesty, and trustworthiness, and safeguard human life and welfare and the environment.” Our work at home here in BC, as well as internationally, needs to endeavour to do all of the aforementioned in order to protect our professions from misunderstanding and misrepresentation: this means care- ful consideration for the local community impact and an objec- tive attention paid to each project on an individual basis. On the same project, after an induced polarization survey identified several features of interest, the client wished to drill- test the targets. The results of sampling the larger targets were generally disappointing; however one was a mineralized shear containing some base metal sulphides and several grams of gold per tonne. Our professional counterparts on staff with the local vending company were impressed given that it was the only new discovery they had that year and their initial skepticism about finding anything with such a small footprint. Our firm was invited back to review company proposals and direct associated drill projects. The technical success we had on-site made it such that local experts accepted us into their professional ranks and welcomed the opportunity to share knowledge and gain profes- sional development. The take-away truth is that any project in which we as profes- sional members of APEGBC are involved is bolstered when the community can see that the visitors are real people with a vested interest in furthering civic welfare as well as environ- mental welfare; when a community has knowledge about our professions and an appreciation for them, the opportunity for all stakeholders to benefit increases. We are as much representa- tives for our professions as we are for our clients. Good luck with your venture.

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 6N2 Tel: 604.430.8035 Fax: 604.430.8085 E-mail: apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca Internet: www.apeg.bc.ca Toll free: 1.888.430.8035 2013/2014 COUNCIL, APEGBC P resident M.B. Bapty, P.Eng., FEC V ice P resident John Clague, P.Geo., FGC P ast P resident M.D. Isaacson, P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.) COUNCILLORS A.E. Badke, P.Eng.; S.M. Carlson, P.Eng. A. Fernandes, CIM, FCSI; D. Harvey, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC

International Projects Are Guided by Ethics

H. Hawson, P.Eng., FEC; D.M. Howes, P.Eng., FEC H.G. Kelly, P.Eng.; G.D. Kirkham, P.Geo., FGC K. Laloge, CA; A. Mill, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC K.E. Savage, P.Eng., FEC; K. Tarnai-Lokhorst, P.Eng. M. Waberski, BCLS; S. Wynn, PhD

ASSOCIATION STAFF A.J. English, P.Eng. C hief E xecutive O fficer and R egistrar T.M.Y. C hong, P.Eng. C hief R egulatory O fficer and D eputy R egistrar J.Y. Sinclair C hief O perating O fficer M. L. Archibald , D irector , C ommunications and S takeholder E ngagement J. Cho, CGA D irector , F inance and A dministration D. Gamble D irector , I nformation S ervices M. Lau, A cting D irector , C ommunications and S takeholder E ngagement P.R. Mitchell, P.Eng. D irector , P rofessional P ractice , S tandards and D evelopment D. Olychick D irector , M ember S ervices G.M. Pichler, P.Eng. D irector , R egistration E. Swartz, LLB A cting D irector , L egislation , E thics and C ompliance R.M. F ilipiak, P .Eng. A ssociate D irector , A dmissions V. Lai, CGA A ssociate D irector , F inance and A dministration J.J.G. Larocque, P.Eng., LLB A ssociate D irector , P rofessional P ractice

Michael Bapty, P.Eng., FEC President

Michelle Grady, M anaging E ditor

EDITORIAL BOARD S. Chiu, P.Eng.; R. Gupta, P.Eng., P h D; C.L. Hall, P.Geo.; S.K. Hayes, P.Eng.; K.S. Hirji, P.Eng.; M.A. Klippenstein, P.Eng.; I. Kokan, P.Eng.; M.E. Leslie, P.Eng.; B. Thomson, P.Geo., FEC (Hon)

president@ apeg.bc.ca

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