INNOVATION July-August 2014

as soc ia t ion notes

Government Relations Update APEGBC regulates and governs the engineering and geoscience professions under the authority of the Engineers and Geoscientists Act, and is accountable to the public through the BC Ministry of Advanced Education. APEGBC has an active working relationship with government to serve the people of British Columbia and protect the public in matters relating to the practice of professional engineering and geoscience. Following up on the recently released Forest Practices Board (FPB) report on Bridge Planning, Design and Construction, APEGBC and the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) met with Hon. Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources, to discuss the report’s findings, which identified that 216 forest road bridges were unsafe. The meeting highlighted key issues for the Minister and discussed ways to mitigate these concerns in the future. ABCFP and APEGBC will respond to the FPB with a formal plan by the requested date of October 31, 2014, and advise of the steps planned or taken to address the professional issues identified. APEGBC is participating as a key stakeholder in the government’s consultation on seismic preparedness in BC and has met with government to discuss this important public safety issue. The association has made a number of recommendations, including working with the UBC Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) on the development of a framework that BC municipalities could use in order to develop earthquake preparedness plans, both pre- and post-earthquake. APEGBC’s proposed approach includes expanding the current Seismic Retrofit Guidelines to develop new Professional Practice Guidelines for Seismic Hazards for use by municipalities; and the use of earthquake early warning technology and building-specific earthquake monitoring technology in municipal buildings. Working to ensure BC’s water is sustainably managed, APEGBC has been an active contributor and valued stakeholder to government throughout the development of Bill 18, the Water Sustainability Act , and has consulted with the Ministry of Environment all the way through to the final reading. The Act has now been proclaimed and regulations to support this legislation are now in the development phase. APEGBC continues to monitor this process to make sure that we stay well-informed of any issues pertaining to the practice of professional engineering and geoscience as they relate to the Act . Professional reliance is a fundamental component of BC’s building regulatory systems and APEGBC continues to work with and provide consultation to government, alongside the Architectural Institute of BC (AIBC) on the modernization of BC’s building regulation system through the Building and Safety Standards Branch. Continuing to foster strong connections with our counterparts in the Pacific Northwest, representatives from APEGBC attended the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) 2014 Summit in Whistler, BC, in July. Key business leaders, legislators and government leaders from PNWER’s 10 states, provinces and territories have gathered to address the major policy issues impacting the region. Through PNWER, APEGBC continues to work on facilitating professional mobility issues, including Canada-US reciprocal licensure. Engineers and geoscientists play a key role in the public’s safety and well- being, and APEGBC is committed to working constructively with governments at all levels to assist in carrying out this responsibility. For more information on APEGBC’s government relations activities, contact Janet Sinclair, Chief Operating Officer, at jsinclair@apeg.bc.ca.

Incidental Practice Two-year Pilot Update In October 2013, APEGBC and the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO) signed the Professional Geoscience Mobility Agreement, which allowed professional geoscientists and geoscience licensees (with limited- scope licences) who are licensed in one of the signatory provinces to perform short-term work (45 days or less per year) in the other without the need to hold a licence in that province. Owing to the temporary and spontaneous nature of many geoscience projects, the concept of incidental practice has long been of particular interest to geoscientists in the mineral exploration and oil and gas industries. APEGBC and APGO agreed to track the uptake of their members who are taking advantage of the mobility agreement. To date, six members of APGO have resigned from APEGBC and declared their intent to practise in BC under the terms of the APEGBC/APGO Professional Geoscience Mobility Agreement . APGO has reported that to date, approximately 10 APEGBC members have resigned their APGO membership and declared intent to practise in Ontario under the terms of the agreement. The agreement is being implemented as a pilot program and will run for two years, until December 31, 2015, during which time both APEGBC and APGO will assess the merits and efficacy of the agreement. Additional information on the agreement can be found on APEGBC’s website at apeg.bc.ca/incidental-practice.

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