INNOVATION January-February 2022

INNOVAT ION JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | volUmE 26 NUmBER 1 ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BRITISH COLUMBIA Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 6N2 Tel: 604.430.8035 Fax: 604.430.8085 Email: info@egbc.ca Web: egbc.ca Toll free: 1.888.430.8035

L E T T E R S

IN CRITICAL MOMENTS, BC’S ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS SHINE In November 2021, British Columbia was struck by three successive atmospheric rivers that delivered a concentrated and massive amount of rain on the southwest portion of the province—a weather event that triggered dangerous landslides, debris flows, and floods, and damaged or destroyed farmland, highways, bridges, and other

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A VANCOUVER STRUCTURAL ENGINEER MARKS THE PASSING OF A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE The Vancouver design community lost one of its more visionary and colourful structural engineers on October 27, 2021. Dr. Boguslaw (Bogue) Babicki, P.Eng., was born in 1924 in Poland. During the Nazi occupation, he joined the resistance and fought in the Warsaw uprising of 1944. He then studied engineering at Warsaw University of Technology, immigrated to Canada in 1958, and found employment with the Vancouver firm Read Jones Christoffersen. In 1962, he established Bogue Babicki Associates, which very quickly established itself as a firm with a reputation for creative design. His eagerness to push the envelope with structurally and architecturally ambitious designs led to collaborations with many prominent architects, including Arthur FORMER ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BC PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGES PASSING OF DON DOBSON When you lose a great friend and colleague, it gives you the opportunity—albeit a very sad one—to reflect on the impact that person had personally and professionally. You realize that their impact wasn’t just on you, but on many colleagues and the professions of engineering and geoscience. Unfortunately, this opportunity presented itself on December 18 last year, with the passing of Don Dobson, P.Eng. (Retired). As a graduate of the UBC Geological Engineering program, Don began his career with Environment Canada, completing hydrologic assessments on the Fraser River dikes before managing BC Ministry of the Environment’s engineering section for the Okanagan, Similkameen, and Kettle River

I had the privilege of working with Bogue during the EXPO ‘86 era on his ingenious design of the International Modular Pavilion System and the double-layer geodesic dome housing the Preview Centre (now known as Science World). Those days had a formative impact on my career and led to a lifelong friendship with Bogue. He was Socratic and headstrong by nature, and never one to shy away from controversy; however, we enjoyed hours of stimulating conversation covering a broad range of subjects, often ending with talk about life, death, and the hereafter. Along with his wife Maria, daughter Dominica, son-in-law Alastair and two granddaughters, he leaves behind a legacy of bold structural designs that serve to inspire future generations of engineers. Paul Fast, P.Eng., Struct.Eng. confident was invaluable during these difficult times. In 2003, Don contacted the US Burned Area Emergency Response team and received training in post-wildfire risk management, becoming an advocate of community planning around wildfire management. Many groups and colleagues sought Don’s expertise in these areas. The role that Don adored the most was that of the family man. Unfortunately, he was just hitting his stride as a grandpa when he passed. I will miss my friend, as will those who knew and worked with him. His smile and laugh always made me feel at ease and helped guide me in difficult times throughout my career. Timothy Smith, P.Geo., P.L.Eng, FGC, FEC (Hon.), Engineers and Geoscientists BC Past President, 2006-2007

Erickson and Geoff Massey, Paul Merrick, Bruno Freschi, Rand Iredale, and Bill Rhone. His relationship with Arthur Erickson led to some of the most notable additions to the Greater Vancouver building landscape: the first constructed buildings on the SFU campus, including the steel-timber lattice- roof structure for Convocation Mall, the steel and glass roof over the Robson Square Law Courts, and the large portal structures at the Museum of Anthropology, all which bear his engineering genius. However, his greatest impact on Vancouver’s skyline was the column-free 12-storey Westcoast Transmission Building (now known as “the Cube”), with the floors suspended via steel cables off a central concrete core. It still stands proudly but now cluttered by surrounding tall buildings as a beacon of gutsy engineering and was the topic of Bogue’s doctoral dissertation. areas. He later formed Dobson Engineering and advised governments, water purveyors, industry, and the public. He was the consummate professional, always having a smile, laugh, and calming influence on those around him. From my first encounter with Don in the 1990s, I knew he was passionate about engineering and geoscience. His encouragement and support were always focused on how we can do better as professionals. He spent countless volunteer hours at Engineers and Geoscientists BC and received the D.C. Lambert Professional Service Award in 2020. Don’s approach focused on common sense and was always rooted in science. During his career, there were few emergency situations around water management in the BC interior where his leadership was not sought out. His ability to stay calm and

COUNCIL 2021/2022 Pre sident C. Park , P.Eng . Vice Pre sident M. Adams, P.Eng . Immediat e Past Pre sident L. Spence , P.Eng .

COUNCILLORS Emi l y Lewi s, CPA, CMA; Suky Cheema, CPA, CA;

Lesl ie Hi l debr andt , ICD.D, LLB; Michel l e Mahovl ich, P.Eng./P.Geo.; Jessica St eeves, P.Eng.; Kevin Tur ner , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.); Dr . Br ent War d, P.Geo., FGC, FEC (Hon.); Jens Weber , P.Eng. David Wel l s, JD ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BC EXECUTIVE TEAM Heidi Yang , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), Chief Execut i ve Of f icer Jennif er Cho, CPA, CGA, Chief Financial and Admini st r at i ve Of f icer Deesh Ol ychick, Act ing Chief Oper at ing Off icer Mar k Rigol o, P.Eng., Act ing Chief Regul at or y Of f icer and Regi st r ar

infrastructure. The event led to widespread evacuations, headlines around the world, and loss of both human and livestock life. The toll—both financial and otherwise—is nearly incalculable. It was a moment that required quick responses and skilled contributions from engineering and geoscience registrants across the province. Municipal, provincial and federal governments, as well as the public, looked to BC geoscientists for insight on the reasons behind the debris flows, and BC engineers for ideas about how to approach infrastructure design so that our networks can withstand the reality of a climate that is changing. While we all obviously wish this weather event had never happened, it nonetheless underscores the critical role our professions play in our communities. And it reminds us that our professions are regulated primarily for one reason: the safety of the public. This edition of Innovation Magazine includes the contributions of more than 13 leading engineering and geoscience experts around the province, who provide their understanding of the event and thoughts about how engineering and geoscience work can mitigate and protect against future similar events. For its part, Engineers and Geoscientists BC has developed helpful resources for registrants, like professional practice guidelines on landslide assessments, flood mapping, and building climate-resilient highways (found at egbc.ca/Guidelines ). We’ve also developed a Climate Change Information Portal ( egbc.ca/climateportal ), where registrants can find dozens of resources on climate change adaptation and a link to Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Climate Change Action Plan. The November 2021 event was difficult to anticipate and tragic for many. It also raised important questions for the future of critical infrastructure and public safety in the province. The questions are necessary to help us build a better world—and I’m grateful that our registrants are prepared to help provide the best answers.

Chris Hawley, Managi ng Edi t or

EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP M.I.H. Bhuiyan, P.Eng.; E.A. Brown, P.Eng.; K.C. Chan, P.Eng., CPA; H. Ghalibafian, P.Eng.; G. Grill, P.Eng.; G. Kwong, P.Eng.; R. Ord, P.Eng.; R. Smertina, P.Eng.

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