INNOVATION November-December 2021

R E G U L A T O R Y N E W S

REGISTRANTS GATHER VIRTUALLY FOR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING For the second year in a row, registrants gathered virtually for Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 30, 2021. More than 300 participants from across BC and elsewhere in the world signed on to hear from President Larry Spence, P.Eng. and CEO Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) on the organization’s progress and achievements over the past year. The meeting began with an acknowledgment of the traditional lands that we call home. President Spence noted the importance and ongoing responsibility each of us carry for understanding local Indigenous peoples and their cultures, acknowledging the harms and mistakes of the past, and considering how we can each move forward in a spirit of reconciliation. Attorney General David Eby provided greetings on behalf of Government; the Honourable George Chow, P.Eng., Minister of State for Trade and the Honourable Bowinn Ma, P.Eng., Minister of State for Infrastructure were also in attendance. After welcoming guests from engineering and geoscience regulators across the country, the assembly approved the agenda for the meeting as well as the minutes from the 2020 AGM, with trainees (EITs and GITs) joining their colleagues in being able to vote for the first time.

President Larry Spence and CEO Heidi Yang provided their reports on the organization’s activities during the 2020/2021 fiscal year, with both acknowledging that this has been a milestone year for the organization. Engineers and Geoscientists BC navigated a complex transition to new governing legislation and oversight, the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and senior leadership changes. In addition, it successfully advanced key initiatives, including introducing its inaugural Climate Change Action Plan, harmonizing regulatory processes with other Canadian jurisdictions, and prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion within engineering and geoscience. Registrants submitted questions about the regulation of engineering and geoscience firms, regulations for sole practitioners, and plans for additional action to address climate change. Registrants also heard from two of Council’s government appointees. Suky Cheema, CPA, CA, presented the organization’s audited financial statements and reviewed the audit process, and David Wells, JD, provided a report on behalf of Council’s four public appointees on the organization’s progress. Past President Lianna Mah, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) presented a summary of the organization’s review of a 2019 AGM motion that proposed establishing a separate advocacy body for engineering and geoscience in BC. Following a detailed review of Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s current programs and initiatives, Council determined that establishing a separate advocacy body was not in the organization’s best interests at this time. (For more information on this item, and Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s review of restrictions on advocacy activities under the Professional Governance Act , see Page 9). At the conclusion of the meeting, Carol Park, P.Eng. was inducted as Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s President for 2021/2022. She welcomed newly elected and continuing Council members, thanked outgoing councillors for their valued service, and recognized outgoing President Larry Spence for his leadership and guidance during a challenging year for the organization.

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