REGULATORY LEARNING
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023
Engineers Canada Guideline on Indigenous Consultation and Engagement
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Advancing reconciliation in Canada calls on individuals, organizations, and governments alike. The goal of building and rebuilding relationships between the engineering profession and Indigenous peoples can sometimes feel intimidating and overwhelming. To help address this challenge, Engineers Canada initiated the development of the Guideline on Indigenous Consultation and Engagement. The guideline was created in collaboration with Urban Systems Ltd. and involved online regional and national engagement with engineering stakeholders, Indigenous community representatives and infrastructure operators, and subject area experts. The presentation, co-facilitated by project leaders Gayle Frank and Danilo Caron, will describe the guideline development process, the content of the guideline, and evolving nature of Indigenous engagement.
Speakers
Danilo Caron, EIT
Danilo Caron is a PhD student in Civil Engineering and project engineer with Urban Systems Ltd. Born and raised in Kamloops, he is of mixed Italian and Anishinaabe heritage with ties to Castelfranco Veneto Italy and Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation in Ontario. Danilo combines his construction background and applied science education to his project and construction management research. His research focuses on project delivery methods, their ability to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and ways the engineering industry can advance reconciliation in the broader Canadian society.
Gayle Frank
Gayle, a St'at'imc woman, has spent 25 years collaborating with Indigenous communities. Her unwavering passion for Indigenous culture and language fuels her commitment to seamlessly integrate them into her projects with respect and recognition. As the Lead of Urban's Truth and Reconciliation practice, Gayle plays a vital role in fostering relationships, assisting governments and corporations in developing comprehensive reconciliation action plans, principles, and guidelines. With her expertise as an engagement specialist, she skillfully establishes culturally safe environments for Indigenous communities and employing an Indigenous-led approach to project design. Through platforms like talking circles, fire side chats, open houses, and presentations to leadership, Gayle facilitates meaningful discussions, demonstrating her exceptional skills.
Demystifying Audits: An Overview of the Audit Programs for Individuals and Firms
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Did you know that Registrant Firms Audits started on October 2, 2022? Has your employer been selected for a Firm audit? Did you know that individual Registrant audits begin on July 1, 2023? If you've wondered what happens during an individual or Firm audit, we're here to help. In this session, Adriana Zuniga, Manager of Regulation of Firms Audits, and Stuart Nash, Manager of Individual Audits and Practice Reviews will help demystify Engineers and Geoscientists BC's new proactive compliance audit programs. They will cover how Firms and individuals are selected for audits, an overview of the audit process, and possible audit results. They will also share timely updates on both audit programs, discussing relevant program statistics, lessons learned, and helpful tips for anyone audited.
Speakers
Stuart Nash, P.Eng.
Stuart is the Manager of Individual Audits and Practice Reviews at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Stuart oversees the implementation of the new proactive audit program of individual registrants (starting in July 2023), as well as the targeted practice review program for individuals that started in 2022. He also provides strategic direction for the Continuing Education Program and helps support the four volunteer-led technical divisions.
Adriana Zuniga, P.Eng.
Adriana is the Manager, Regulation of Firms Auditing at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Adriana is responsible for the overall planning, execution, maintenance and continuous improvement of the Regulation of Firms Audit Program. In this role, Adriana is responsible for managing an audit team comprised of staff and contractors who perform the Regulation of Firms audits. In addition, Adriana is responsible for preparing and maintaining the audit program materials, ensuring the quality and consistency of the audits, reporting audit statistics and trends, and writing reports to the Audit and Practice Review Committee with recommendations relating to Major Non-Conformances identified during the audits.
Engineer Obligations in the Grade Crossing Regulations and Standards
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
In the aftermath of the Lac Megantic Rail Disaster in 2013, Transport Canada passed new stringent regulations and standards for all rail crossings in Canada. These obligations apply to every road authority (or private company) and federally regulated railway company having at-grade crossings of road and rail; and are contained in the Grade Crossing Regulations and Standards (GCR/GCS). All parties were initially required to comply by Nov 2021 deadline which was extended to 2024. The BC government adopted the GCR/GCS in 2022 to replace its provincial requirements for crossings and these obligations are extended to road authorities and Provincially regulated railways and companies. They are required to comply by January 01, 2028. There is funding available but the clock has already run down on federally regulated crossings and there is still much work requiring completion to comply.
Speakers
Ron Mitchell, P.Eng., FEC
Mr. Mitchell is a registered and licensed Professional Engineer in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Ron attended the University of Waterloo where the main focus of his civil engineering degree was transportation planning, road and traffic engineering. He then went to work for 20 years at Canadian Pacific Railway with stops in Ontario, Alberta and finally in British Columbia. He learned Heavy Haul Rail during his 15 of years of engineering and operating experience in the challenging mountains of British Columbia. Ron has 50+ years of rail industry experience and for the past 15 years has worked as a consultant delivering rail projects worldwide. Ron started his own firm in 2019 with a focus on one of his technical specialties: rail crossing safety. His extensive experience with rail crossings stems from his 15 years of railway safety oversight with Transport Canada, the railway safety regulator.
Effectively Working with B.C. Regulators
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Most engineers and geoscientists, at some point in their careers, will work on projects requiring regulatory compliance. It may be difficult, however, to determine which agency has jurisdiction, what requirements apply, what the requirements mean, and how to demonstrate regulatory compliance. This presentation aims to provide participants, of all levels of experience, insights into how regulators structure their requirements and their guidance, how they address methods and technology that aren’t covered in current regulation, and common deficiencies in engineering documentation produced for regulatory compliance.
Allen Heinrichs, P.Eng.
Allen is a professional engineer (mechanical) and project management professional with an MBA in human resource leadership. Before joining WorkSafeBC, Allen designed equipment used in the forestry, construction, and oil and gas sectors. As WorkSafeBC’s engineering manager, Allen oversees a dedicated team of engineers committed to worker safety in B.C. His team provides engineering expertise for workplace incident investigations, front-line workplace inspections, regulatory development and amendment, standard development, and industry engagements.