Past Events

PEO Ottawa Chapter – Annual General Meeting (AGM) & New Members Night

Date: February 26, 2020

The 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the PEO Ottawa Chapter was held in February 2020, along with the winter installment of the New Members Certificate Ceremony. Check out the 2020 AGM Booklet details.

Neal Kushwaha gave the keynote address on the topic of “The Arrogance of being at the Top of your Game”. On May 23, 2018, Neal spent over 35 minutes at the summit of Mount Everest, but only days before that, he risked his life to rescue a Sherpa. Neal will discuss the analogy of his 27 years of climbing experience to life. He discusses the need for patience, resilience, risk tolerance, and the ability to know when to move forward and when to pull back, or back track for the sake of humanity. He will conclude with his perspective on “arrogance of being at the top of your game” that can lead to becoming a target with the highest potential energy, thereby the need for humility. Check out this news clip for more information.

New Members Ceremony & Ottawa Flood Plain Talk

Date: December 4, 2019

The Ottawa Chapter of PEO hosted the Fall installment of the New Member’s Certificate Ceremony on Wednesday December 4, 2019 at the RA Center. Thirty-two new engineers were welcomed as newly licensed members to the Ottawa engineering community.

The topic of the evening was Flooding in Ottawa, focusing on risk assessment tools and the impact on the Ottawa flood plain. The speaker was Hiran Sandanayake P.Eng, Senior Engineer, Water Resources at City Of Ottawa. Mr Sandanayake’s distinguished career spans the private and public sector as a senior water resource engineer. He is a recognized subject matter expert, having recently presented at the Utility Management Forum conference on Innovation. Mr Sandanayake also serves as Chair of the National Committee on Climate Change with the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association.

Sustainability Symposium 2019 – Event #2
Future of Our Energy & Biodiversity

Date: November 21, 2019
Contact: Sucha S. Mann (Sustainability Committee Chair) at: (613) 591-3002 or sucha@BangaGroup.com

This Sustainability Symposium’s theme was “Future of Our Energy & Biodiversity”, which included the following distinguished speakers, followed by a panel discussion.

Climate Change & Biodiversity by Nermen Maximous, Ph.D., P.Eng – PDF
A view on the energy future through 2050 by Marc Leblanc., P.Eng M.Sc.(Mechanical) & Bruno Mendes, M.Sc. (Civil) – PDF
Electric Vehicles- Evolution by Raymond Leury, MBA, VP of EV Council of Ottawa – PDF

Click here for photos from the event and the committee report with two resolutions that were passed during the event.

Innovation Challenge – Solutions to Tailings and Mine Waste Management

Date: November 17, 2019
Contact: Tapan Das at tdas24785@gmail.com

The Ottawa PEO Chapter hosted an Innovation Challenge for Engineers and Engineering students to innovate a solution to Tailing and Mine Waste Management. A panel of judges evaluated submissions and presentations made at the event leading to a selection of top three innovations.

Prizes: First – $1200, Second -$800, Third – $400.
Sponsors: University of Ottawa (Dept of Civil Engineering), Terrapure Environmental, Carleton University.

The Great Escape Social

Date: August 30, 2019

The ultimate team building experience was hosted by PEO Ottawa Chapter at Room Escape Ottawa, followed by food and drink at Playback Ottawa!

Tour of Diefenbunker 2019

Date: July 27, 2019

A traditional favourite, PEO Ottawa Chapter organized a guided group tour of the historic Diefenbunker for PEO members and their families, including an hour long guided tour, followed by a self-guided tour and lunch.

Air Safety Symposium & New Members Ceremony

Date: June 26, 2019

The PEO Ottawa Chapter hosted the summer installment of the New Member’s Certificate Ceremony at the RA Center.

The topic of the evening was Technology, Design & Safety: Perspectives from Air Accident Case Studies and the keynote speaker for the evening was Helen Tsai, Transport Safety Board of Canada. Throughout the years, many technological improvements have been made to increase safety in high-risk industries. In particular, many high profile air accidents have led to improvements in aircraft standards, aerodrome standards, and maintenance program requirements, to name a few. However, as technology progresses, it is easy to forget the well hidden error made by the designer. Through some case studies, Helen explored how designers can help users make the right decision when things don’t go as planned.

Sustainability Symposium 2019 – Event #1

Date: Wednesday, May 29, 2019
This Sustainability Symposium’s theme was “How safe is our Air, Water and Soil”. The following distinguished speakers addressed a range of topics:

An evaluation of the benefits and challenges of using inorganic (zeolite) membranes to capture greenhouse gases. David Carter, EIT, (David’s PhD. research work at the University of Ottawa) – PDF
Taking action to reduce environmental risks from consumer products. Mary Ellen Perkin, P.Eng., (Chemical Eng.)- Environment and Climate Change Canada – PDF
Climate Change and Sustainability of Agriculture. Dr. Raymond Desjardins, Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – PDF

Bio of Presenters:

David Carter has a BEng(Hons) from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and is working on his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Ottawa in the field of carbon capture technology. David is interested in promoting the engineering profession to the public, and inspiring the next generation of engineers to develop sustainable technologies.
Mary Ellen Perkin is the manager of Consumer and Cleaning Products within the Products Division at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Mary Ellen joined department in 1996 and holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Currently, Mary Ellen’s team is team responsible for the administration and development of regulatory controls for substances used in the dry-cleaning, cleaning products, cosmetics, and adhesives industries. Mary will present what her department is doing to protect the public.
Dr. Raymond Desjardins, B.Sc. (Hons.) Physics, University of Ottawa, Ph.D. Micrometeorology, Cornell University, Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ( For more on Ray, you may visit: https://profils-profiles.science.gc.ca/en/profile/dr-raymond-desjardins).

Entrepreneurship Committee Seminar Series 2019 – Event #1

Date: May 22, 2019
Location: Vitesse Inc., 359 Terry Fox Drive, Ottawa ON PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) – Innovation / Entrepreneurship Team held a meeting on May 22 where two successful entrepreneurs Mr. Jason Lee of SmartCone Technologies and Mr. Wes Biggs of Triacta Power Solutions talked about their journey and experience to entrepreneurial success.

Bridging the Gap Between Government and Industry – Standards Council of Canada

Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, which means many important decisions are made right here, which affect the Canadian Industry. The Government is responsible for making laws: Acts / Regulations / REGDOCs / Codes & Standards. Additionally, the government supports the Industry through Programs / Initiatives, to stimulate the Economy. These laws are used by Engineers in the Industry everyday and these Initiatives could benefit Engineers in the Industry.

The Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter is launching a new Speakers Series to develop the relationship between Government and Industry. The purpose of the Bridging the Gap Between Government and Industry initiative is to provide an opportunity for Government and Industry professionals to connect and learn from each other. The next event will focus on Standards Council of Canada (SCC), which plays a key role in the accreditation of organizations and international standards development.

First, we will briefly describe the Regulatory Framework and where standards fit in (5min). Second, we will describe the standard development process and Standard Development Organizations (SDO) (10 to 15min). Third, we will describe the standards accreditation programs and the organizations in each program (10 to 15min). Four, we will describe international standards development and opportunities to get involved (10 to 15min). We will conclude with a Question & Answer period (10 to 20min).

Our guest speaker will be Alejandro Trujillo – Manager for Regulatory Affairs in the Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Branch, with Standards Council of Canada.

2019 Student Papers Night

Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Time: 5:30PM
Location: Sala San Marco Hall, 215 Preston Street
Cost: $55.00 per ticket

Not only is the Annual Student Papers Night is a friendly competition held between the Engineering undergraduates from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, it is an occasion where we can experience how today’s students find innovative solutions to both old and new engineering challenges using leading-edge technology. Two groups of students from each university present technical papers on subjects of their own choice, which are adjudicated by three judges. Last year, more than $2,000 of prize money was awarded to the competing teams.

The Student Papers Night has grown into a significant tradition in the Ottawa engineering community. The evening shows engineers what is going on in our universities and allows for interaction between the profession and students. There is always lots of networking and of course the ever-popular door prizes!

PEO Ottawa Chapter Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Date: February 26, 2019
Time: 6pm – 9pm
Location: Centurion Conference and Event Centre, 170 Colonnade Road South
Fee: $25.00

Topic: The Ottawa-Gatineau tornado outbreak of Sept. 21, 2018; a recap of the event and ECCC’s warning dissemination.
Speaker: Peter Kimbell, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist, Meteorological Service of Canada

Peter has been a meteorologist with Environment Canada for close to 30 years. He began as an operational forecaster in Montreal and Toronto, and since then has worked as far east as Halifax and as far west as Thunder Bay. He has experience doing forecasting for marine and aviation clients, the military, and the general public. Since 2004 Peter has worked in a variety of non-forecasting positions, including policy advisor for international affairs, NAV CANADA Account Manager, A/Chief Aviation and Defence Services, A/Manager Performance Measurement, A/Manager Central Region Services, and A/Manager of the Ontario Storm Prediction Centre. His substantive position (and the one he likes most) is that of Warning Preparedness Meteorologist for eastern Ontario. Peter holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in meteorology from McGill University.

PEO Ottawa Chapter – Bridging the Gap Between Government and Industry – Codes Canada

Date: February 12, 2019
Time: 12noon-1PM
Location: Conference Call

The Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter is launching a new Pilot Project event to develop the relationship between Government and Industry. The purpose of the Bridging the Gap Between Government and Industry initiative is to provide an opportunity for Government and Industry professionals to connect and learn about each other. The next event will focus on National Research Council – Codes Canada, which develops the National Building Code, National Fire Code, National Plumbing Code, and National Energy Code for Buildings.

PEO Ottawa – New Members Certificate Ceremony & CSST Talk

Date: December 5, 2018
Time: 6pm – 9pm
Location: R.A Center, 2451 Riverside Drive, west block, Clark Hall
Fee: $7.50

The Ottawa Chapter of PEO will be hosting the fall installment of the New Member’s Certificate Ceremony on Wednesday December 5, 2018 at the RA Center, Clark Hall (west wing). This ceremony is open to the general membership.

The topic of the evening will be an overview of the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST). The City of Ottawa has focused many resources on the Ottawa River Action Plan (ORAP), which consists of seventeen projects focused on the health of the Ottawa River. The CSST project is ORAP’s marquee project. The CSST project aims to reduce combined sewage overflows into the Ottawa River, reduce basement flooding in the downtown core, and increase operational flexibility and redundancy to major collector sewers in the city’s core. This high-profile project involves the construction of two-interconnected tunnels totaling 6 km, as well as multiple access shafts and odour control buildings across the city. The presentation will discuss: Why is this project important? What does it hope to achieve? How is the team working to achieve it?

The keynote speakers for the evening will be:

Steven Courtland, City of Ottawa
Steve spent his early years as a consulting engineer in the private sector. Joining the public sector with the City of Ottawa in 2005, Steve took on the role of Senior Wastewater and Drainage Engineer in the Asset Management Branch, where he contributed to the analysis, development and prioritization of water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout the city. Steve moved into leading the municipal design and construction of infrastructure projects before taking on a management role in Infrastructure Services. Steve has been involved with the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST) since its inception, and has helped shape the project into what it is today. Steve is the City’s CSST Program Manager for the design and construction phases.

Colin Goodwin, Stantec
Colin specializes in design and construction implementation of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Ontario including treatment, real time control and pumping stations. He is dedicated to his field of environmental engineering and strives for excellence in all aspects of every project he is involved in. He has gained valuable hands-on experience and insight into the practicalities for the successful design and implementation of large municipal wastewater projects. Colin has been involved in the CSST project since 2009 as a civil and process designer and overall design manager during the Environmental Assessment and Functional Design stages, through detailed design. He is now the Deputy Contract Administrator through the construction phase of the CSST.

Agenda:

6:00 – 7:00pm – Sign-in & Networking
7:00 – 7:15pm – Welcome message from Ottawa Chapter Chair and special guests
7:15 – 8:00pm – Keynote speech
8:00 – 8:15pm – Break (coffee/snacks will be provided)
8:15 – 9:00pm – Certificate Distribution to New Members, photo ops, closing remarks

The Executives of the PEO Ottawa Chapter look forward to meeting you and hope you can come out for this informative presentation and help welcome our new engineers into the profession.

Note: Photos will be available on the website in January (new members will receive an email when the photos are posted).

PEO Ottawa – Bridging the Gap between Government and Industry

Date: Nov 27, 2018
Time: 12noon – 1pm
Location: N/A (Conference Call)
Fee: N/A (No Charge)
Contact: Danil.Matachniouk.PEO@gmail.com

Description:
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, which means many important decisions are made right here, which affect the Canadian Industry. The Federal Government is responsible for making laws: Acts / Regulations / REGDOCs / Codes & Standards. Additionally, it support the Industry through Programs / Initiatives, to stimulate the Economy.

The Professional Engineers of Ontario – Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) is launching a new Pilot Project event to develop the relationship between Government and Industry.

Are you interested to present your initiative? Are you interested in developing Industry ties? Do you have a busy schedule and are limited in schedule time? We are currently accepting guest speaker proposals!

Are you interested in learning about interesting Federal Government Acts / Regulations / REGDOCs / Codes & Standards / Research / Initiatives that affect your Industry? Are you limited to attend conferences due to time limitations and cost? We are currently accepting recommendations for future guest speakers!

2018 PEO Ottawa Sustainability Symposium 2

Date: Wednesday, 21 November, 2018
Location: Nepean Sailing Club, 3259 CARLING AVENUE, NEPEAN, K2H1A6, (613) 829-6462
Cost: $10 PP and is non-refundable

Description:
This Sustainability Symposium will feature presentations from the following speakers on a range of topics that are related to sustainability, and will be followed by a panel discussion.

Electric vehicles: A Multi-Vendor comparison of current technology, and what to expect in the next 5 years. Raymond J Leury, MBA, Vice President of the Electrical Vehicle Council of Ottawa. – PDF
Sustainable housing: Constructing and living in a passive house. Casey Grey, Founder of the Conscious Builder Inc. – PDF
Residential Electric Billing: alternate storage & smart solution. Sucha S. Mann, P.Eng. – PDF
Electric Energy in Ontario: Distributed generation, delivery, global adjustments, and justification of costs. Aidan Foss, PhD, P.Eng, Principal Engineer, ANF Energy Solutions Inc. – PDF

Agenda:
5:00 – 5:40 Registration and networking
5:40 – 8:10 Welcome and presentations from invited speakers
8:10 – 8:30 Break
8:30 – 9:30 Panel discussion with invited speakers

Complimentary snacks and refreshments will be served.

For more information, please contact the sustainability group at: sustainability.ottawa.peo@gmail.com
Or Sucha S. Mann (Sustainability Committee Chair) at: (613) 591 3002 or sucha@BangaGroup.com

Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre Tour (Departure from Ottawa)

Date: 25 September, 2018
Time: 11:45 am to 6:15 pm
Cost: $10.00
Maximum number of tour members: 40

The Ottawa chapter of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) is pleased to present to its members a guided tour of the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre (OVWRC) in Pembroke, ON.

Tour participants will be transported to and from the facility by bus, and can choose to be picked up and dropped off from the downtown or Kanata location detailed below.

The tour will take an estimated one and a half hours, and includes a presentation from an OVWRC staff member, as well as a driving tour of the facility, with opportunities to view the compost and recycling operations through windows.

Eatable refreshments will be provided on the bus, and tour participants are requested to bring their own drinking water in re-usable containers in order to minimize waste.

PEO Ottawa Chapter – Tour of Diefenbunker 2018

Description:

A traditional favourite, PEO Ottawa Chapter is pleased to once again offer a guided group tour of the historic Diefenbunker on Saturday, July 28, 2018 from 10:00am to 11:00am. A pizza lunch will be held on the grounds immediately following the tour.

This offer is open to PEO Ottawa Chapter members and their families. Please note registration for this tour will close Wednesday July 25 at 5pm. Refunds will be provided for cancellations prior to July 25. Cancellations after July 25 will not be refunded.

When: Saturday July 28, 2018 @ 10:00am
Where: 3911 Carp Road, Carp, ON
Who: PEO Ottawa Chapter members and families

For more information on the Diefenbunker, please visit: http://www.diefenbunker.ca .

Inquiries may be forwarded to David Grant by e-mail: David.Grant7@gmail.com .

PEO Ottawa: New Members Night (NMN) Ceremony & Parliamentary Precinct Talk June 27, 2018 – JPG

The Ottawa Chapter of PEO will be hosting the summer installment of the New Member’s Certificate Ceremony on Wednesday June 27, 2018 at the RA Center, Clark Hall (west wing). This ceremony is open to the general membership.

The topic of the evening will be an overview of the Long Term Vision Plan of the Parliamentary Precinct Branch (PPB) and its projects. PPB is the branch of Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) responsible for the operations, maintenance and rehabilitation of the buildings within the Parliamentary Precinct. The presentation will also include updates on some of the ongoing projects including the restoration of the West Block, one of the largest heritage restoration projects in North America.

The keynote speaker for the evening will be Jean-François Robert, P.Eng. Jean-François Robert is the Senior Director of Major Capital Projects in Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) Parliamentary Precinct Branch. He currently leads multi-skilled teams in the management and delivery of real property and accommodation projects on and around Parliament Hill. Jean-François holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering. He has more than 20 years of project management experience, beginning his career as a professional engineer in the private sector, and later with the City of Gatineau. In 2009, Jean-François joined the Federal Public Service in PSPC’s Real Property Branch, moving to the Parliamentary Precinct Branch in 2013. He has a proven track record of providing sound strategic advice based on his strong project management principles, practices and techniques, as well as his in-depth knowledge and experience.

Please note there is a cover charge of $7.50 to attend the ceremony and presentation. Free parking is available at the west lot.

You can order your ticket using this Eventbrite link: https://peo-ottawa-new-member-parliament-talk-jun-2018.eventbrite.ca. Note that this link is for regular PEO members and the general public. Certificate recipients should have receiced a separate invirtation and registration link.

If you have any questions, please contact David Grant at david.grant7@gmail.com.

Agenda:
6:00 – 7:00pm – Sign-in & Networking
7:00 – 7:15pm – Welcome message from Ottawa Chapter Chair and special guests
7:15 – 8:00pm – Keynote speech
8:00 – 8:15pm – Break (coffee/snacks will be provided)
8:15 – 9:00pm – Certificate Distribution to New Members, photo ops, closing remarks

Location: R.A Center, 2451 Riverside Drive, west block, Clark Hall.

Dress: Business casual.

The Executives of the PEO Ottawa Chapter look forward to meeting you and hope you can come out for this informative presentation and help welcome our new engineers into the profession.

Asset Management in a Changing Climate

Date: Monday, June 11, 2018
Time: 4:00PM – 6:00PM
Location: 150 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON – Room 1800
Fee: Participation, snacks, and drinks are free.
Registration Link: IAM Members or Non-IAM-members
Contact: N/A

Description:

The Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Canada Chapter is pleased to invite you to our next local Branch event. You will enjoy an opportunity to meet other professionals in this field from various sectors in an informal and interactive environment.

Our keynote speakers for the topic of “asset management in a changing climate” will cover the many facets necessary to plan for the future and will be part of a panel discussing the impact of climate change on planning methods from their respective perspectives:

David Lapp from Engineers Canada
Hiran Sandanayake from the City of Ottawa
Nicolas Gauvin from the Canadian Red Cross of Canada

We also encourage you to share this invitation with any colleagues or contacts that may be interested in asset management.

Agenda:

4:00PM – Greetings with light snack and beverage
4:30PM – Presentation & Panel Discussion
5:30 – Networking

oPEO 2018 Water Purification Challenge

Date: Thu, 31 May 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: RA Centre – Clark Hall, 2451 Riverside Dr, Ottawa, ON
Fee: $8
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/opeo-2018-water-purification-challenge-tickets-45503805106
Contact:

Description:

There is a national crisis of serious shortage of drinking water in many countries, and so this year’s challenge has been to innovate a portable, stand alone and economic water purifier that will convert rain and waste water into drinkable water.

From 18 registered teams of students and engineers, 8 have been shortlisted as finalists for this challenge, and will present their innovative solutions to a panel of judges at this event. From these 8 teams, three winners will be chosen and awarded prizes of $600 (1st prize), $300 (2nd prize), and $100 (3rd prize).

The Ottawa chapter of PEO is inviting all engineers, students, and members of the public to support the competitors of this challenge who will be presenting their innovative solutions at this event.

Our chief guest for the evening will be Dr. Jacques Beauvais, who is the Dean of Engineering at the University of Ottawa.

Agenda:

18:00 – 18:30 Registration and refreshments.
18:30 – 18:40 Introductory speeches from the Entrepreneurship Program Chair, Chapter Chair, and Emcee.
18:40 – 20:16 Competitor presentations.
20:16 – 20:20 Presentation of prizes by sponsors.
20:20 – 20:40 Speeches from sponsors and dignitaries.
20:40 – 21:00 Networking and closing.

The Entrepreneurship Committee would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsors:

Carleton University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Global Water Institute
RJ Burnside & Associates Ltd
University of Ottawa Co-op and Careers Department

We would also like to commend all of our competitors who will be presenting, and those who submitted proposals. Their spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship are what Canada needs, and we look forward to helping them succeed in their endeavours.

2018 PEO Ottawa Sustainability Symposium 1

Date: April 25, 2018
Time: 5pm – 9pm
Location: Nepean Sailing Club

This Sustainability Workshop will focus on Water management, challenges, and issues. Topics are as follows:

Sustainable Water Infrastructure Design: Challenges and Benefits of Climate Resilient Solutions. Dr. Roberto M. Narbaitz, PhD, P.Eng, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa – PDF
Impact of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Water Systems: Robert Dick, M.Eng, P.Eng, FRASC, CEO of the Canadian Lighting Company – PDF

Understanding the Experience Requirements for Licensure
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018

The Ottawa Chapter hosted a networking, licensure information session and LAP introduction event which was attended by 75 people at the Nepean Sportsplex. The LAP program director provided an introduction to the LAP program for prospective participants and guides. The guest speaker, Sami Lamrad, EIT, from PEO headquarters gave a presentation regarding the licensure process, covering the following topics:

What engineering experience is PEO looking for?
How is my engineering experience evaluated by PEO?
How can I facilitate the evaluation process?
How do I prepare my Experience Record?
How can I benefit from the PEO Licensure Assistance Program (LAP)?
How can I benefit from the EIT program?

Following the session, participants networked while enjoying refreshments.

New Members Night (NMN) (Fall Session)
Thursday, November 30th, 2017

The Ottawa Chapter formally welcomed 34 new members to the profession at our summer installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual new member photos can be found here – JPG .

Sustainability Seminar
Saturday, November 28th, 2017

The most recent PEO Ottawa Chapter Sustainability Symposium took place on November 28th, 2017, featuring three presenters, followed by panel Q/A-discussions. The presenters were:

Sucha Mann in an introductory Q & A asked: What is Most Precious on Mother Earth to protect? To which the response was “water, soil, air, and biodiversity”, and the environmental issues the world is facing seem to be predominantly caused by our “expanding global population”.
Dr. Art Hunter spoke on Micro grids, Generation, Battery Storage, and Demand Control & Management Systems. Art addressed in detail practical solutions for solar generation and Tesla’s Battery storage technology deployment for on grid and off grid situations. – PDF
Laura Scrimgeour-Carter, M.Sc. Psychology, from Soar Behaviour Consulting was the final speaker and talked about using behavioural science to promote sustainable behaviours. Based on Laura’s excellent practical experience, she shared a number of techniques which can be used to motivate people to protect our environment and its bio-diversity by showing their advantages and benefits to individuals and society at large. – PDF

In addition to the speakers, there were two additional experts on the panel: Warren Abar, P.Eng., from iSolara Solar Power, and Aidan Foss., P.Eng., Ph.D. from ANF Energy Solutions Inc. The symposium ran from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm with a sell-out attendance of of 112. The These events are possible thanks to our members demand, Sustainability Committee members, volunteers, and the support of our Ottawa Chapter executive team.

Meeting with MPP Natalie Des Roches
Friday, November 17th, 2017

On Friday, Nov 17, 2017 the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) – Government Liaison Program (GLP) and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) – Political Action Network (PAN) sat down with MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers to discuss ways to support women in the Engineering profession.

The meeting touched upon several important initiatives: Advancing New Canadian Women in Technology (ANCWT), Women’s Emergency Accommodation Centre (WEAC) submission to the Minister, and the Ontario’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy (OWEES).

Learn more about ANCWT ( Link ) initiative.

Read more about the Submission to the Minister.

The OWEES report will be available on Example Date.

“This meeting was an excellent opportunity to discuss the challenges women face in professional development and the opportunities that exist, however more needs to be done and therefore we would like to support this discussion at the provincial level.” – Dr. Sawsan Abdul-Majid, P.Eng. (PEO)

“One of the most positive takeaways from this meeting was a recommendation from MPP Des Rosiers. She offered to present a member’s statement in the house highlighting women in engineering, the economic empowerment strategy, professional mentorship, OSPE’s research / data, and challenges faced by women in the workplace.” – Kevin Wright, P.Eng. (OSPE)

Listen to the MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers present in Parliament of Ontario.

We would like to say a special a special thank you to OSPE for organizing this meeting and MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers for finding the time sit down with our PEO – GLP, which was designed to build an understanding between PEO and the Provincial Government.

Queens Park Day
Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

Representatives from the PEO Ottawa Chapter GLP attended the annual Queens Park Reception, which brought together GLP executive members across Ontario to meet with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). The Ottawa Chapter delegation consisted of Dr. Sawsan Abdul-Majid and Ved Proag; David Carter also attended. This was a great opportunity to meet with the more than 40 MPPs, 7 cabinet ministers and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynnelocal MPPs to learn more about other cities in Ontario, and to discuss current and future plans and engineering-related issues. This event included a bridge-building competition, where MPPs were paired with P.Eng delegates from PEO and challenged to design and build a bridge with the longest span possible. Congratulations to MPP Han Dong (Trinity-Spadina), Ved Proag (PEO Ottawa Chapter) and Elaine Cook (student, Western University) who won the competition with their entry which achieved a 70cm span.

OSPE E3 Event: Transport Canada
Saturday, September 23rd, 2017

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and Transport Canada (TC) hosted an Engineering Employment Event (E3) that connected Ottawa-area job seekers directly with TC managers seeking engineering professionals to fill multiple openings for both entry-level and management roles. The PEO Ottawa Chapter ran a booth at the event, to answer questions about licensure (a requirement for most of the positions) and discuss volunteer opportunities.

Diefenbunker Tour
Saturday, July 29th, 2017[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”20″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

PEO’s Ottawa hosted a one-hour guided tour of the Diefenbunker, a four-story, 300-room, 100,000-square foot underground bunker meant to house 535 Canadian government officials and military officers in the event of a nuclear war. Shrouded in mystery, the Diefenbunker, nicknamed after then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, was designed and built in secrecy during the crest of the Cold War between 1959 and 1961. The Diefenbunker was given National Historic Site status in 1994, and CFS Carp was closed the same year. The building opened as a museum and national historic site in 1997. The tour was very well attended with over 95 engineers, families and friends, and ended with a pizza lunch in the bunker’s cafeteria.

ERC Interview Coaching Session
Tuesday, July 4th, 2017

This successful event was held at the University of Ottawa (Colonel By building) with seven internationally trained engineers, EITs and LAP Guides participating in focused sessions with general guidance and specific strategies for preparing for the Experience Requirements Committee (ERC) interview, part of the process toward licensure. The guest speaker was Branislav Gojkovic, P.Eng with 17 years of experience interviewing internationally trained engineers at ERC interviews; his insights and guidance were appreciated by the audience. Additional sessions will be planned for the future to meet the needs of internationally trained engineers in the PEO Ottawa Chapter area, seeking PEO licensure.

New Members Night (NMN) (Summer Session)
Thursday, June 29th, 2017

The Ottawa Chapter formally welcomed 12 new members to the profession at our summer installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual new member photos can be found here – JPG .

Licensure Assistance Program Orientation
Wednesday, June 14th, 2017

This event was the kick-off for the 2017 Licensure Assistance Program. The session was held at the RA Centre (Outaouais Room), where the assembled EITs and LAP guides enjoyed refreshments and networking, followed by a presentation by Adeilton Ribeiro, P.Eng from PEO Headquarters. The topics covered included details about the Engineering Intern Program, tips and suggestions to leverage the intern-guide relationship, and group activities, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Thanks to all participants and chapter volunteers (Damien Letendre, Sharon Barr, Gareth Wood and Feibi Xu).

Eastern Region GLP Academy
Saturday, June 10th, 2017

The Ottawa Chapter hosted his successful event, which was held at the Best Western Hotel. The full day session was attended by 20 GLP representatives form the Eastern Region, and featured training on GLP matters, presented by GLC representatives from PEO HQ, as well as presentation by Attorney General and MPP for Ottawa-Centre Yasir Naqvi.

Global Warming Entrepreneurship Challenge
Tuesday, May 25th, 2017

This Ottawa PEO Chapter entrepreneurship program event challenged engineers and students to innovate a solution which would quickly eliminate the very high level of CO2 in the atmosphere in a controllable, economic and environmentally friendly way. The event brought together local PEO members to an event reminiscent of a university lecture series to examine and discuss approaches to address the challenge of reducing existing CO2 in the atmosphere.

Six engineers and graduate students pitched their product ideas and solutions to a panel of six judges at the RA Centre on May 25th. Taking the challenge were Ahmed Sharoodi, PhD student and Mohammad Aghaji PhD; Brent Weatherall, Mathieu Tousignant, and Phillip Williams, PhD students of U Ottawa; David Carter and Sean Wilson, PhD students of U Ottawa, Sam Yakoub, PhD student of U Ottawa; Sushanth Sankaran P.Eng.; and Zachary Jacobson, statistician. Judges were Professor Anh Pham and Professor Mojtaba Ahmadi of Carleton University; Professor Stephen Daze of Ottawa University; Ms. Ivette Vera-Perez, Manager OCE; Mr. David Mann, inBay Technologies Inc.; and Ms. Camille Taylor, Golder Associates Ltd. A large audience was present at this event despite the raining evening and the Stanley Cup Playoff.

Mr. David Carter and Mr. Sean Wilson proposed to convert CO2 to ethanol by high-selectivity electrochemical conversion using a Copper Nanoparticle/N-Doped Graphene Electrode.
Mr. Ahmad Sharoodi and Dr. Mohammad Aghaji proposed Adsorption-based Air CO2 Capture & Application (ABACA) that captures and stores CO2 in a container that can be diffused into concrete making it a much stronger.
Mr. Brent Weatherall, Mr. Mathieu Tousignant, and Mr. Phillip Williams proposed design of solar powered vertical algae farming using a woven Nylon membrane with a pore size of 10-180 μm used for algae retention.
Mr. Zachary Jacobson proposed ocean fertilization with volcanic ash stimulating phytoplankton growth that will absorb CO2 from air, sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen.
Mr. Sushanth Sankaran proposed electricity generation by piezo electric devices for joggers, walkers, and piezo blankets for highways (cars).
Mr. Sam Yakoub proposed new tall towers with thousands of wind turbines to generate electricity and storing it as hydrogen, ethanol and others.

The first prize winners of $500 were David Carter and Sean Wilson. The next two winners – tied for second place – were Ahmad Sharoodi and Mohammad Aghaji ($250); and Brent Weatherall, Mathieu Tousignant, and Phillip Williams ($250). Ottawa MPP Mr. Jack Maclaren awarded the prizes.

The event was organized by Tapan Das – PhD, P.Eng., Chair of Chapter Entrepreneurship Program with assistance from Joe Podrebarac – P.Eng., Chair Ottawa Chapter, Ray Barton – PhD., Vitesse, and Omar Chaudhry – P. Eng, YP Data. Dr Bob Dony, PEO President sent greetings and best wishes for the competition.

We arranged a meeting on June 28 with the competitors and resources including Startup Ottawa, Invest Ottawa and OCE to get their support for the competitors’ ideas.

Escape Room at the Museum of Nature
Tuesday, April 25th, 2017

Engineers and EITs were challenged to use their analytical skills to escape the Canadian Museum of Nature. A total of 15 members attended.

Once at the museum, participants were divided into 3 groups of 5. Each group was given cues and puzzles to solve. After cracking them, the 3 groups had to work as a team to find the final key to escape. Unfortunately, we did not escape but we were very close.

The debrief at the Lieutenant Pump’s was very insightful. In addition to a forensic analysis of the escape strategy, members generated ideas for future events, and a few expressed interest in engaging with the Chapter as a casual volunteer.

Licensure Assistance Program Networking Session & Workshop
Thursday, April 20th, 2017[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”19″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

This annual event, open to P.Eng. and EIT members, Engineering Students, and members of the engineering and technology community, features an introduction to the Licensure Assistance Program goals and structure. The event was held at the RA Centre (Canada Room) with over 75 participants. For 2017, a networking segment was added. Guest speakers Adeilton Ribeiro, P.Eng., and Sami Lamrad, EIT, from PEO headquarters provided an overview of the program and benefits to participants, and introduced the Ottawa Chapter LAP team. Many interactive sessions followed the formal presentations, where individuals shared their career paths, licensure experiences and PEO volunteer opportunities. . Thanks to all participants and chapter volunteers (Damien Letendre, Sharon Barr, Elie Abou-Zeid, Derek Chen and Feibi Xu).

Licensure Assistance Program Appreciation Dinner
Thursday, April 19th, 2017[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”18″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

In recognition of the contributions of all participants in the Ottawa Chapter 2016 Licensure Assistance Program, an appreciation event was held at Tuckers Marketplace. The event was attended by 16 LAP participants and featured dinner and networking, a feedback session for program enhancements and improved recruiting, and the presentation of gifts and certificates by representatives of PEO Headquarters (Sami Lamrad, EIT, and Adeilton Ribeiro, P.Eng.). Ottawa Chapter executive committee members Feibi Xu, EIT, Joe Podrebarac, P.Eng., and Sharon Barr, P.Eng.) also attended.

National Engineering Month 2017

Event: Mini-Maker Fair
Location: Robert Hopkins Public School
Date: Wednesday March 8

Description:
Alexandra Lavictoire, Engineer-in-Residence for Robert Hopkins Public School enlisted help from the PEO Ottawa Chapter to run a special event where students from different grade levels participated in a variety of workshops set up throughout the school: stations for geometry, math, and estimation; Maker Junior where students created DoodleBots and Quizcards; and the University of Ottawa’s Maker Mobile with workshops for Bee-Bots, Laser Cutting and 3D printing. The event was a huge success with the entire school gaining a hands-on appreciation of applied engineering principles. Thanks to Alexandra, and for the collaboration of Maker Junior and the University of Ottawa Maker Mobile.

Event: NRC Engineering Challenge: Mechanically Powered Launcher
Location: NRC Montreal Rd Campus
Date: Wednesday March 8

Description:
The Ottawa Chapter PEO continued its support of the National Research Council’s Engineering Challenge, by assisting and judging. A total of 14 teams and over 60 students tested their Mechanically Powered Launchers to see how well they performed against the requirements for accuracy and distance.

Event: Carleton University career Networking Workshop
Location: Carleton University
Date: Tuesday, March 7

Description:
Building your career in today’s market requires focus and inside knowledge of the marketplace. Key individuals from the Ottawa PEO Chapter offered advice and tools for engineering students planning for summer jobs or work after graduation. Engineers enter the Profession from a many different positions and a variety of career opportunities were discussed at this open forum. Professional Engineering volunteers shared their experience with students and provided guidance in planning their career after graduation with a dozen highly engaged students.

Event: University of Ottawa Workshop on PEO Licensure
Location: University of Ottawa
Date: Thursday, March 9, 1:00-3:00 pm

Description:
Tracey Caruana & Adeilton Ribeiro from PEO Headquarters presented the topic of PEO Licensure and the steps necessary to become a Professional Engineer following graduation. PEO volunteers shared their personal experience of becoming & being licensed in an open networking session with approximately 70 students. This outreach event for engineering students fostered a better appreciation of professional engineering accreditation and provided a mentoring opportunity to learn from experienced engineers. The presentation covered the Professional Engineers Ontario Licensure process necessary to become a Professional Engineer following graduation. Lunch was provided.

Event: Carleton University Workshop on PEO Licensure
Location: Carleton University Mackenzie Building
Date: Thursday, March 9, 6:30-8:30 pm

Description:
Tracey Caruana & Adeilton Ribeiro from PEO Headquarters presented the topic of PEO Licensure and the steps necessary to become a Professional Engineer following graduation. PEO volunteers shared their personal experience of becoming & being licensed in an open networking session with approximately 65 students. This outreach event for engineering students fostered a better appreciation of professional engineering accreditation and provided a mentoring opportunity to learn from experienced engineers. The presentation covered the Professional Engineers Ontario Licensure process necessary to become a Professional Engineer following graduation. Lunch was provided.

Event: Carleton University Engineering Challenge
Location: Carleton University Mackenzie Building
Date: Friday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 pm

Description:
PEO volunteers joinied the CSES in judging an engineering challenge, themed this year as a Buoyancy Competition). Four teams of pre-registered students to build floating devices out of material provided. The teams, of various disciplines and years, had 2.5 hours to construct their floating device. Upon completion, the devices would be tested for load carrying capacity in a water basin. The teams were judged based on Team Coordination & Communication, Aesthetics and Load, with prizes provided by PEO Ottawa Chapter.

Event: Engineering Structures Challenge
Location: Canadian Space & Aviation Museum
Date: Saturday, March 11, 10:00am -3:00 pm

Description:
PEO volunteers joinied forces with OSPE and OIQ in assisting kids and their parents in building and testing structures using basic materials. The event theme was “Flight” with activities that included a Hoop Glider, a Ring Glider, a Balloon Rocket a Straw Rocket and a Make-Your-Own-Button station. Kids were encouraged to design their structure for performance and durability. All participants received National Engineering Month souvenirs.

Event: University of Ottawa Career Networking Workshop
Location: University of Ottawa, Colonel By Building
Date: March 7

2017 PEO Ottawa Sustainability Symposium

This year, the theme is “Cultural Shift to Sustainability” with the following Topics:

Cultural Shift to Sustainability, Sucha S. Mann, P.Eng., FEC – PDF
Ontario Building Code & Sustainability- Current energy and water efficiency requirements, and future directions, Cengiz (Jengis) Kahramanoglu, M.Sc., P. Eng., Ministry of Municipal Affairs
Electric Vehicle and High capacity lithium ion battery Evolution, Harry K. Ng, P.Eng., MBA, General Motors
Solar for Net Zero and Energy Storage, Warren Abar, P.Eng., iSolara Solar Power

Take Your MPP to Work Day
Friday, February 3rd, 2017

The PEO Ottawa Chapter PEO Government Liaison Program hosted John Fraser, MPP (Ottawa South), Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (Health), at a Take Your MPP to Work Day event on February 3.

Hydro Ottawa’s Greg Clarke, P.Eng. and Jeff Young led a tour of the Chaudière Falls Expansion Site, located at 4 Booth Street. They visited the upstream and downstream areas as well as the inside of the powerhouse. This was an opportunity to showcase the new site and share a greater understanding of the engineering profession and the work that professional engineers do with Mr. Fraser.

Thanks to GLP Chair Sawsan Abdul-Majid, P. Eng. and GLP Vice Chair Ishwar Bhatia, P.Eng. for organizing this important and successful event.

New Members Night (NMN) (Winter Session)
Thursday, December 8th, 2016

The Ottawa Chapter formally welcomed 18 new members to the profession at our winter installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the RA Centre. The keynote speaker for the evening was Todd Storms who spoke on the subject of the “Elliot Lake Inquiry”, along with the effects and recommendations that could have an impact on the Engineering Profession. Todd is a partner at Templeman Menninga LLP and head of the firms Construction and Corporate litigation department. Prior to joining Templeman’s, Todd practiced at International Law Firms in both Toronto and Ottawa. He has a wide range of litigation experience but focuses primarily on working with construction companies, architects, various trades, engineering firms, corporations, and municipalities with respect to their corporate and litigation needs.

Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual membership photos can be found here – JPG .

SCES Carleton Resume Roast
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016

On Nov 2, PEO Ottawa Chapter participated in a “Resume Roast” event, hosted by the Systems and Computer Engineering Society ( Link ) at Carleton University. A total of 6 student-submitted resumes were displayed before the audience of approximately 45 attendees and three panelists. The resumes were critiqued on form and content, with suggestions for changes and improvements so students could put their best foot forward when presenting themselves to prospective employers. A lively Q & A session followed, which included some sample technical interview questions. The SCESoc thanked panelists for “awesome participation and ruthless roasts….you have made the difference in a lot of students resumes and therefore in their career paths”.

GLP Joint PEO / OSPE & QP Event
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”17″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Sawsan Abdul-Majid attended the PEO/OSPE joint Government Relations conference on October 26th at the Hart House (University of Toronto), and the Queens park reception. The morning report was quite fruitful where she had the opportunity to meet a number of members from PEO and OSPE, and some MPP delegates. From 8:30 to 4, there were a number of group discussions which proved to be quite useful. There was a reception with many MPPs, where there were a lot of take-away materials on how to approach the engineering profession. There were also topics on working effectively with our partner organizations with a focus on the development of strategies.

Entrepreneurship Anniversary Meeting
Wednesday, October 19th, 2016[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”16″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

The Entrepreneurship Committee celebrated its 1 year anniversary with roughly 75 members in attendance. The committee showcased its achievements for the year, having 8 speakers giving talks on the topic of the need and importance of entrepreneurship. After finishing with invited speakers, a number of entrepreneurs were invited to the stage to speak to not only their enterprise, but also on how the committee has assisted them on their entrepreneurship initiatives to date. Following the talks by the entrepreneurs, there was a caking cutting with Ms. Marianne Wilkinson (Councillor Kanata North).

The Future of Chaudière Falls – Presentation and Viewing
Thursday, October 13th, 2016[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”15″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Over 60 PEO Ottawa Chapter Members visited Hydro Ottawa’s Chaudière Expansion Project Office for a technical presentation on the major transformation and expansion of Ottawa’s oldest hydroelectric station. Energy Ottawa’s Franz M. Kropp – M.Eng, P.Eng. who is the Director Generation, provided a thorough understanding of the approval process, design and construction of this impressive engineering project. The presentation was followed by a guided viewing of the site from a restricted vantage point.

Many thanks to Hydro Ottawa and Energy Ottawa for hosting Ottawa’s Professional Engineers.

Diefenbunker Tour
Saturday, July 23rd, 2016[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”14″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

PEO’s Ottawa hosted a one-hour guided tour of the Diefenbunker, a four-story, 300-room, 100,000-square foot underground bunker meant to house 535 Canadian government officials and military officers in the event of a nuclear war. Shrouded in mystery, the Diefenbunker, nicknamed after then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, was designed and built in secrecy during the crest of the Cold War between 1959 and 1961. The Diefenbunker was given National Historic Site status in 1994, and CFS Carp was closed the same year. The building opened as a museum and national historic site in 1997. The tour was very well attended with over 111 engineers, families and friends (the best turnout yet), and ended with a pizza lunch in the bunker’s cafeteria.

New Members Night (NMN) (Summer Session)
Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

The Ottawa Chapter formally welcomed 15 new members to the profession at our summer installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Carleton University. The keynote speaker for the evening was Richard Holder who spoke on the subject of the “City of Ottawa’s Confederation Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project”. Chief for Light Rail Systems & Operation Integration with the Rail Implementation Office for the City of Ottawa, Richard has been with the City of Ottawa for thirteen years in various capacities from leading rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, to managing new construction in support of development.

Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual membership photos can be found here – JPG .

National Engineering Month
Month of March / April 2016

Event: Ottawa Regional Science Fair Judging
Location: Carleton University
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 9:00-1:00 pm

Description:
The Ottawa Chapter PEO continued its support of local science students by sponsoring, judging, and awarding prizes to local recipients. Student projects were judged on their practical application of scientific principles, creativity, and enthusiasm in the presentations. For further information as to what the Ottawa Regional Science Fair is about, please click on the following – Link .

Event: Global Engineering Youth Summit
Location: Carleton University
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2016

Description:
Engineer’s Without Borders Carleton hosted their second annual Global Engineering Youth Summit (GEYS). GEYS was a one day conference for high-school students where they had the opportunity to visit Carleton University and learn about the impact of engineering on a global scale. While GEYS served to encourage high-school students to pursue careers in STEM subjects, it also reminded them that careers in the fields of science and engineering play a significant role in the business, political, and international development sectors.

The day’s events included multiple workshops themed around topics such as technical design and political impact. Students also attended a keynote speech from a speaker influential in the global engineering community. The event was held at no charge for the students, and included a lunch at Carleton University’s Campus. For further information as to what went on at the workshop, please visit the following site – Link.

Event: University of Ottawa Careers Networking Workshop
Location: University of Ottawa
Date: Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 11:30-1:30 pm

Description:
Building your career in today’s market requires focus and inside knowledge of the marketplace. Key individuals from the local PEO Chapter offered advice and tools for engineering students planning for summer jobs or work after graduation. Engineers enter the Profession from a many different positions and a variety of career opportunities were discussed at this open forum. Professional Engineering volunteers shared their experience with students and provided guidance in planning their career after graduation.

PEO Ottawa Chapter – 56th AGM + NMN
Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) formally welcomed 7 new members to the profession at our 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM) + New Member Night (NMN) which was held at Sala San Marco (Little Italy). The keynote speaker for the evening was Mark Abbott who spoke on the subject of the “Engineering Change Lab Animator”. Having obtained a Mechanical Engineering degree along with his Professional Engineering designation, Mark now supports the strategy and execution of all activities and projects of the ECL initiative after a numbers of years in consulting.

Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual membership photos can be found here – JPG .

PEO Ottawa Chapter Sustainability Seminar-Workshop
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”13″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Photo caption (left to right): Guy Boon, P.Eng., Sushanth Sankaran, P.Eng., panelists: David Mann, CEng (ECUK), Dr. Joan E. Haysom, Peter Barton, P.Eng, Dmitry Maznichenko, and facilitator Sucha S. Mann, P.Eng.

The PEO-Ottawa Chapters annual Sustainability Seminar-Workshop was held at the Nepean Sailing Club from 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm (4.5 hours).

This year, the workshop theme was “Cool It with Energy Optimization” with the following Hot Topics:

Current State of PV-Solar in Practice: efficiency-cost trends, performance, and deployment in Ontario: Dr. Joan E. Haysom, University of Ottawa. To access this presentation, please click here – PDF .
Auto Emission Measurement- Mileage Optimization: What are the bottle Necks – Engine, Aerodynamic Body, Wind Speed; Future Trends: Peter J. Barton P.Eng, Head, Vehicle Testing- Emissions Research and Measurement, Environment Canada. To access this presentation, please click here – PDF .
Nano Technology Development- Introduction and its impact on Sustainability and Safety-Health: Dmitry Maznichenko (M.A.Sc), Pure Technologies Ltd. To access this presentation, please click here – PDF .

The workshop was SOLD OUT with online registration for 150 attendees. Our members and the public in Ottawa have shown high interest in environmental issues and sustainable solutions. For the future, we will look for a bigger venue and also explore holding more than one sustainability workshop in a year.

For future sustainability topics and identifying appropriate speakers for the topics, please contact Sucha@BangaGroup.com.

National Arts Centre Tour
Wednesday, January 20, 2016[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”12″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Over 50 PEO Ottawa Chapter members (and guests) were treated to a backstage tour led by the National Art Center’s (NAC) Alex Gazalé, Production Director or Mike d’Amato, Director of Production Operations. Both provided a detailed understanding of the technical and artistic requirements to create a national stage for 1300 performances hosted every year by the NAC.

Participants were also treated to a very personal discussion about the engineering feat that will be the NAC’s architectural rejuvenation, which will include improved performance spaces, public areas for education and events, full accessibility for people with mobility challenges, and a magnificent glass atrium with a glittering entrance on Elgin Street.

Thanks to Andrea Thomson, NAC Development Officer and Stewardship, for helping organize the event.

Social Networking Pub Night
Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Over 60 PEO Ottawa Chapter members enjoyed this first pub night of the new year, at D’Arcy McGees on Sparks Street. Participants socialized, networked and were treated to some nibbles with their tipple. This event followed the Tour of the National Arts Centre.

Chalk River Tour
Friday, December 4, 2015[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”11″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories opened its doors to the Chalk River Laboratories for Ottawa Engineers on Friday, December 4, 2015.

This event was organized by the PEO Ottawa Chapter, in conjunction with the PEO Algonquin Chapter.

Participants were treated to a guided tour of the facilities, including the National Research Universal (NRU) Reactor. Other facilities and labs visited include: the drop test tower, applied physics lab, hydrogen lab, medical lab, thermo-hydraulics lab, inspection, monitoring and dynamics, and fuels and materials cells.

New Members Night (NMN) (Winter Session)
Tuesday, December 1st, 2015

The Ottawa Chapter formally welcomed 23 new members to the profession at our winter installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the University of Ottawa. The keynote speaker for the evening was Yvan Bastien who spoke on the subject of “Lessons Learned along an Engineer’s Career Path”. Obtaining his P. Eng in 1985 along with his PMP credential in 2003, Mr. Bastien came with over 20 years of experience in the fields of engineering, business skills, training, and business development.

Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual membership photos can be found here – JPG .

Ottawa PEO Outreach Event
Sunday, October 17, 2015[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”10″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Our first PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) outreach event of the season was held Sunday October 17 at the Aviation Museum. Volunteers were helping kids build structures from marshmallows and spaghetti. The kids were encouraged to test their structures for load bearing capacity, stability, and drop test.

Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence Tour
Thursday, September 17, 2015[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”9″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

On September 17, 2015, the PEO Ottawa Chapter organized a group of members to tour Algonquin College’s Centre for Construction Excellence. Here they were shown some of the newest technologies that can virtually capture rooms using lasers to sense distance, then mapping the room with a specialized piece of software. They were not only shown demonstrations of various ways to print 3D objects, but also shown one of the newest thermal cameras on the market.

Diefenbunker Tour
Saturday, July 25, 2015[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”8″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

PEO’s Ottawa and Algonquin Chapters as well as OIQ Gatineau sector co-hosted a one-hour guided tour of the Diefenbunker, a four-story, 300-room, 100,000-square foot underground bunker meant to house 535 Canadian government officials and military officers in the event of a nuclear war. Shrouded in mystery, the Diefenbunker, nicknamed after then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, was designed and built in secrecy during the crest of the Cold War between 1959 and 1961. The Diefenbunker was given National Historic Site status in 1994, and CFS Carp was closed the same year. The building opened as a museum and national historic site in 1997. The tour was attended by over 100 engineers and their family and friends, and ended with a pizza lunch in the bunker’s cafeteria.

Hope Volleyball Charity Tournament
Saturday, July 11, 2015[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”7″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

The Ottawa PEO Chapter entered at team in this year’s Hope Volley Ball charity tournament held on July 11th, at Mooney’s bay here in Ottawa. Enjoying a long day of Beach Volleyball, The “PEO Engineers” were one of over 1,000 teams registered to take part in the tournament. After losing their first two matches the PEO team won three in a row, ending with a 3-2 record.

Catch the Wave Orleans!
Sunday, June 28, 2015

PEO Ottawa Chapter once again hosted its annual Family Fun Day at the Splash Wave Pool at 2040 Ogilvie Road on Sunday June 28, 2015. Approximately 80 engineers and their families got wet enjoying the main wave pool, slide, kiddy-pools and hot-tubs. A pizza lunch was provided. Many thanks to all volunteers who helped out, and to the City of Ottawa staff for their courteous service.

New Member Night (NMN)
Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The Ottawa Chapter welcomed 29 new members to the profession at our summer installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Canada Aviation & Space Museum. The keynote speaker for the evening was Dr. Colin Rennie from the Civil Engineering department of the University of Ottawa, Dr. Rennie was involved in a remarkable scientific excursion where he and a group of researchers from UBC rafted some 500km, surveying flow, velocity, and depth patterns along the Fraser River in British Columbia. The purpose of the excursion was to examine how mountain canyons erode and lowland river valleys evolve. Dr. Rennie presented his team’s findings in a remarkable array of three-dimensional mapping images which left the audience in awe. This event was attended by approximately 75 people in total. Light refreshments were served. Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Individual membership photos be found here – JPG .

Licensure Assistance Program (LAP)
Tuesday / Wednesday, June 2-3, 2015

LAP – Part 1

Part 1 of the “licensure Assistance Program”, held on the second of June, focused on “Understanding of the experience requirements for licensure – Quality vs. Quantity”. This part aimed to address the following items:

What engineering experience is PEO looking for?
How is my engineering experience evaluated by PEO?
How can I facilitate the evaluation process?
How do I prepare my Experience Record?
How can I benefit from the PEO Licensure Assistance Program?
How can I benefit from the EIT program?

Two consecutive presentations were made to a very packed room. The aim of the first presentation was to provide a basic grounding in the requirements for recording experience as an EIT, and to answer any difficult questions directed to the presenter.

If you’d like to have a review of the first presentation, please click here – PDF .

The second presentation was a seminar providing an overview of the Licensure Assistance Program and its benefits to Engineering Interns (EIT’s).

If you’d like to have a review of the second presentation, please click here – PDF .

LAP – Part 2

Part 2, which was held the following day, was strictly an invite for those registrants in the LAP database that had been matched to their appointed guides. Tracey Caruana provided the regular ‘Start-up’ meeting to introduce the Licensure Assistance Program 2015 for the Guides and Interns to meet and network in order to assist the pairings for the 6 month program. Tracey ran through some fun exercises to give everybody a great perspective on the skills required to meet the Licensure Assistance Program. This year we had 28 matches and we successfully managed to pair nearly everybody with their equivalent discipline.[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”6″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

If you’d like to have a review of the PEO Licensure Assistance Relationship document, please click here – PDF .

Enable Ottawa 2015
Thursday May 14, 2015

On May 14th, 2015, “Enable Ottawa” held its first seminar in Ottawa to highlight the challenges presented to all of us when considering the improvements required for people with impaired abilities growing up, working, and living in modern society: it elaborated on how engineering, industrial design, and technology, can help and improve the lives of these people for a more equitable and fair society.[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”5″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

For a more in depth look of the “Enable Ottawa” seminar and what transpired from it, please click here – PDF .

PEO Ottawa Chapter STUDENT PAPER NIGHT
Wednesday April 8, 2015

PEO Ottawa Chapter held its annual Student Papers Night at Sala San Marco on April 8, 2015. It’s a friendly competition between the Engineering 4th year undergraduates from the Universities of Ottawa and Carleton; two groups from each University present their technical papers, which is adjudicated by judges selected from the engineering community at large. The evening presents an opportunity for the engineering students to compete in a technical forum, to exercise their skills in public speaking and to defend the technical substance of their papers. The Ottawa Chapter contributed $1,000 in prizes and awarded the following recipients based on the following categories:

Best Technical Content: “Crash Test Dummy Design Projects” by Nick Ogrondnik and Omar Masaud, Carleton University
Best Innovation and Creativity: “Microbial Fuel Cells” by Matt Neilson, University of Ottawa.
Best Social and Environmental Sustainability: “From Buckets to Rain Barrels – Water Harvesting and Treatment in Rural Tanzania” by Alanna Brunskill, Melanie Fillingham, and Courtney Berquist.
Best Overall Presentation: “Suluna” by Christopher Morgan, Matthieu Lemay and Jonathan Bedard Schami, University of Ottawa.

The winner of the Tom Folkes trophy was: University of Ottawa.[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”3″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Photo caption from left to right: Dr. Riash Habask, Dr. Xudong Cao, Professor Andre Skaff, Nancy Schepers, Matt Neilson, Jonathan Bedard Schami, Christopher Morgan, Mathieu Lemay, Dr. Claude Lague, Al Perks, Dr. Sai Vanapalli.

The Chapter would like to thank Kim Allen – FEC, P.Eng who is the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers Canada and George Thomas – P.Eng. who is the Principal of DST Consulting Engineers, and Alan (Al) Perks – P.Eng of R.V.Anderson for volunteering as judges for the evening. The Chapter would also like to thank the following for their support, hard work and dedication: Honorary Chair Nancy Schepers – P.Eng. who is the Executive Advisor Light Rail for the City of Ottawa; former Student Papers Committee Chair Wayne Bennett – P.Eng. of the City of Ottawa (retired); current Committee co-Chairs: Fraser Smith – P.Eng. of the City of Ottawa and Frank Hendriksen – P.Eng. of Morrison Hershfield.

The Chapter would like to recognize the following professors and staff members for their support of this event:

From the University of Ottawa:

Dr. Claude Lague, Dean of Engineering
Dr. Sai Vanapalli, Chair of Civil Engineering
Dr. Colin Rennie
Dr. Ron Townsend
Dr. Kevin Kennedy
Professor Andre Skaff
Dr. Xudong Cao
Dr. Riash Habash

From Carleton University:

Dr. Paul Van Geel, Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Onita Basu
Dr. Liam O’Brien
Dr. Cynthia Cruikshank
Dr. Joana Rocha
Dr. Glenn McRae
Dr. Mojtaba Ahmadi
Dr. Troy Anderson
Brian Laughton
Dr. Craig Merrett
Nancy Powell
Dr. Andrew Speirs

Congratulations to all winners!

PEO Ottawa Chapter – 55th AGM + NMN
Tuesday, March 31, 2015

As part of the agenda for the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) – 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM) + New Members Night (NMN), 22 members received their P.Eng. licenses.

Individual new member photos can be found here – JPG .

National Engineering Month
Month of March 2015

Event: Ottawa Regional Science Fair Judging
Location: Carleton University
Date: Saturday (March 28), 9-1 pm

Event: Aviation Museum “Build a Catapult”
Location: Aviation Museum
Date: Saturday (March 7), Sunday (March 22), 10-4 pm

Description:
PEO volunteers assisted kids and their parents in building and testing catapults using basic materials. Kids were encouraged to design their structure for performance and durability. All participants received National Engineering Month souvenirs.

Event: University of Ottawa Careers Licensure Workshop
Location: University of Ottawa
Date: Thursday (March 19), 11:30-1:30 pm

Description:
This workshop intended to provide participants with knowledge and skills to successfully complete the requirements for licensure in the Province of Ontario. This included the application, EIT, experience record, etc. Participants met individuals from the local PEO Chapter and Professional Engineering volunteers, who offered valuable and friendly advice. Participants also learned more about the purpose and value of getting licensed and helped them set future goals and objectives. The presenters and volunteers offered their experience and advice to engineering students looking beyond graduation.

Event: University of Ottawa Careers Networking Workshop
Location: University of Ottawa
Date: Thursday (March 12), 11:30-1:30 pm

Description:
Building your career in today’s market requires focus and inside knowledge of the marketplace. Key individuals from the local PEO Chapter offered advice and tools for engineering students planning for summer jobs or work after graduation. Engineers enter the Profession from many different positions and a variety of career opportunities were discussed in this open forum. Professional Engineering volunteers shared their experience with students and provided guidance in planning their career after graduation.

Event: Carleton University Lunch Workshop on PEO Licensure
Location: Carleton University
Date: Tuesday (March 10), 11:30-1:30 pm

Description:
Jeannette Chau from PEO Headquarters presented the topic of PEO Licensure, and the steps necessary to become a Professional Engineer following graduation. Boxed lunches were available and a question/answer session followed.

Event: Carleton University National Engineering Month (NEM) Opening Ceremonies
Location: Carleton University
Date: Monday (March 9), 5:30-7:30 pm

Description:
PEO past-chair John Hazel provided the keynote speech to open National Engineering Month at Carleton University. Following the presentation, PEO volunteers and engineering students mingled and discussed relevant topics, in particular, promotion of the Engineering profession.

2015 Engineering Challenge DROP
Thursday, February 26, 2015

The top teams from 15 schools participated in the finals of this challenge on February 26th, 2015 with 5 teams earning prizes kindly provided from the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter (oPEO).

For more information on the happenings of the challenge DROP event, please click here – PDF .

Winterlude Cool Science Sunday
Sunday, February 15, 2015

Celebrating one of the coldest months of the year as part of Winterlude, the PEO Ottawa Chapter participated in Natural Resources Canada’s special science fair, where scientists, researchers and engineers from various labs and government organizations/partners offered fun and fascinating science activities, experiments, displays and demonstrations. Over 300 people visited the PEO Ottawa’s hands-on design booth, to gain first-hand experience of how science and technology affect everyday life.

PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) Social & OSPE Town Hall
Monday, February 9, 2015

On February 9th, OSPE CEO Sandro Perruzza hosted a Town Hall meeting in the Novotel in Ottawa, where he presented OSPE’s new strategic plan and wanted to hear our thoughts about OSPE’s future and how OSPE can better serve engineers and the profession. The Town Hall was followed by a joint OSPE and oPEO Chapter social. Over forty attendees enjoyed light refreshments and networking.

Clarifying the Path to P.Eng
Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The PEO Ottawa Chapter hosted a sold-out seminar presented by Tracey Caruana, P.Eng., EIT Program Coordinator, from PEO headquarters. The seminar included a presentation on the process and steps to transition through internship to fully licensed professional engineer, as well as an interactive Q&A session.

As a precursor to our Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) for 2015, the Ottawa PEO chapter decided to host an event that would inform new hopefuls of the route to obtaining licensure as P.Eng. We were joined by Tracey Caruana from PEO HQ who took us through the Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) and attempted to answer a variety of questions.

The response for the event surpassed our original estimates and clearly there is a need on a yearly basis to schedule an ongoing event. Our apologies go out to those people who could not subscribe in time, in the end we had nearly 100 people attend and had standing room only.[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”4″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

As a result we will be having another event in May which will lead directly leading into the next Licensure Assistance Program for 2015. Those not able to subscribe last time will get some advance notice. Date and time will be announced through PEO Ottawa Chapter website and @OttawaPEO. This time we are hoping to get a licensing expert up from PEO to answer those particularly obscure and challenging questions.

If you would like to have a look at the “EIT Presentation”, please click here – PDF .

Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) Recognition Event
Tuesday, February 3, 2015

The PEO Ottawa Chapter – Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) pairs Engineering Interns (EITs) with licensed experienced practitioners, for assistance and advice towards obtaining licensure. The 2014 program was inaugurated in June, and the closing and recognition event was held at the Fox & Feather pub on Elgin Street on Feb 3. Program participants shared their experiences from the six-month program, provided feedback and enjoyed refreshments. The volunteer guides received recognition plaques for generously sharing their time and insights. Tracey Caruana, P.Eng., EIT Program Coordinator, attended to present the awards and thank all participants.

IEEE Student Professional Awareness Conference (SPAC)
Thursday, January 29th, 2015

SPAC is a formal dinner event that aims to bridge the gap between students and their career goals by offering students a unique opportunity to network with professionals and academics representing the field of Engineering.

Over 175 local students from the engineering and computer science streams at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, and Algonquin College attended the event which has been organized by the IEEE Student Branches of the 3 institutions for the past 8 years.

PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) volunteers attended the event to discuss student volunteer opportunities at the chapter, as well as explain the EIT program to third and fourth year engineering students.

2015 STRAT24 Case Competition
Saturday, January 24th, 2015

Strat 24 is a multidisciplinary 24-hour academic case competition for Management and Engineering students to collaborate and create an innovative solution to a real world problem. Teams of 4 students work for 24 hours to prepare a case solution for the chance to win $4000. The PEO Ottawa Chapter provided two judges to narrow down the 10 teams of 4 students to two finalists. A cocktail network session followed the event.

2014 oPEO scholarship winners

The PEO Ottawa Chapter presents two annual scholarships to Grade 12 students accepted into an accredited engineering program, and is awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence, exemplary community service, and a passion for advancing the well-being of society through the engineering.

Congratulations to our 2014 oPEO Scholarship winners, Richard Matthews and Daniel Harrold, both of whom will be pursuing engineering studies at the University of Waterloo.

The 7th Annual First Lego League (FLL) Ottawa Regional Tournament
Saturday, November 29th, 2014

The 7th Annual First Lego League Ottawa Regional Tournament was held at All Saints High School. Each challenge has three parts: the Robot Game, the Project, and the FLL Core Values. Teams of up to ten children with two adult coaches participate in the Challenge by programming an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field (Robot Game), developing a solution to a problem they have identified (Project), all guided by the FLL Core Values. This tournament brought together 15 teams from across Ottawa from Grades 4 to 8 to showcase their solutions. PEO volunteers served as judges at this fun and interactive event.

CEAB Accreditation University of Ottawa
Friday, November 28th, 2014

The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering undergraduate program review by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) was held from November 27 to 29, covering five programs of study: chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and software engineering. Two members of the CEAB Visit Team (Galal Abdelmessih – FEC, PMP, P.Eng., and Berta Krichker – FEC, M.Eng., P.Eng.) met with PEO Ottawa Chapter representatives to discuss issues such as interactions with student societies, and presentations to students on the engineering profession. The chapter wishes to thank Dean Lague and Vice-Dean Turcotte for facilitating this productive and enlightening session.

How to Protect Your Great Idea and New Members Night (NMN)
Wednesday, November 26th, 2014

We held a talk and New Members Night at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

Nancy Hill gave an excellent talk about Intellectual Property and how to protect it. Approximately 70 people attended, and 28 certificates were presented. Individual new member photos can be found here – JPG .

Sustainability Seminar and Panel Discussion
Wednesday November 5, 2014

This year, the Seminar/Workshop will focus on methodology of assessing existing – buildings, bridges, roads, advances in building Envelope Technologies, and impact of Climate Change on our Infrastructure. Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion. The Chapter invite following experts:

Advanced Building Envelope Technology : Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya PhD, P.Eng., NRC-Canada
Existing Building Assessment : Daniel E. Vivian, P.Eng., Cleland Jardine Engineering Ltd.
Methodology for Assessing Bridges & Roads: Guy Felio, PhD., P.Eng., Rockland Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC): David Lapp, P.Eng., FEC, Engineers Canada
Bridges & Climate Change impact : Zoubir Lounis PhD., P.Eng., NRC-Canada

The seminar was attended by 91 members with participants fully energized for in-depth methodology of assessing existing – buildings, bridges, roads, advances in building Envelope Technologies, and impact of Climate Change on our Infrastructure issues and discussions for approximately five hours.

Career Day School Visits
Wednesday October 8 & Friday October 17, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter visited two schools recently, to participate in a Career Day workshop. We visited the Grade 10 class of Ms Head on Friday October 17 at Cairine Wilson Secondary School in Orleans, where an overview of engineering was presented, followed up with an interactive session solving logic puzzles to explore styles of critical thinking. On October 8, we visited Algonquin College for an open session on the evolution of the Internet and networking, as well as a discussion on careers and trends in the local high-tech industry.

Policy Presentation: Challenges Facing Nuclear Energy After Fukushima

Date: Thursday, October 9
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location: Online
Cost: Free

The presentation is 1 hour followed by a question and answer period and will provide information from OSPE’s energy advocacy studies, including:

Natural gas prices and their impact on nuclear
Interest rates and their impact on nuclear
Growing fleet of wind turbines and their impact on nuclear
Load following requirements and the impact on nuclear
Public safety concerns – used fuel repository, reactor accidents
Cost and schedule over-run experience on recent projects
Large capital requirements and corporate risk

For more details and to register visit here – Link .

Annual CFB Uplands Fall Fest
Saturday October 4, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter setup a booth at Canadian Force Base (CFB) – Uplands Fall Fest to demonstrate some basic engineering principles to local military families and their children.

Volunteers encouraged the kids to build a simple catapult using basic materials such as: plastic spoon, popsicles sticks, elastics, and clothespins. They tested their catapult using a small ball or object. All material was provided by PEO Ottawa Chapter.

Up to 1000 individual participated in this event. PEO Chapter also displays some education outreach promotional material from PEO Headquarters and answered questions about the profession.

Behind the Scenes Tour of the National Arts Centre
Thursday August 28, 2014

The Ottawa Chapter and OSPE co-hosted a guided tour of the National Arts Centre (NAC), one of the largest performing arts facilities in Canada at 1,158,000 sq ft. The NAC works with thousands of artists, both emerging and established, from across Canada and around the world, and collaborates with dozens of other arts organizations across the country. Opened in 1969, the facility was named by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada as one of the top 500 buildings produced in Canada during the last millennium, and is a designated National Historic Site. The knowledgeable guides brought the 50 tour participants behind and underneath the four stages, and throughout the hexagonal themed spaces for a unique behind-the-scenes perspective.

Ottawa Engineers Pub Night
Thursday August 28, 2014

This informal social event was the second social pub night co-hosted by the PEO Ottawa Chapter and OSPE at D’Arcy McGees Pub, 44 Sparks Street, Ottawa. A total of over 60 engineers attended the event, socializing, networking and enjoying tasty snacks and drinks. The event followed with a Behind the Scenes tour of the NAC, and ran until 9 PM.

Ottawa Mini Maker Faire
Saturday August 16 & Sunday August 17, 2014

The fourth Ottawa Maker Faire connects creative people from all across the region in a celebration of the DIY spirit. Co-presented by Artengine and the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, this family-friendly event brought together 2000 creative participants from across the spectrum of technology: robot makers, 3D printer hobbyists, engineers, and aviation specialists joined knitters, woodworkers, and solderers to put on an expo that inspired and entertained in a celebration of arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, sustainability, and science. The PEO Ottawa Chapter provided four volunteers who assisted DIY enthusiasts of all ages with their creations.

Diefenbunker Tour
Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Ottawa Chapter and OSPE co-hosted a one-hour guided tour of the Diefenbunker, a four-story, 300 room, 100,000 square foot underground bunker meant to house 535 Canadian government officials and military officers in the event of a nuclear war. Shrouded in mystery, the Diefenbunker, nicknamed after then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, was designed and built in secrecy during the crest of Cold War fear, between 1959 and 1961. The Diefenbunker was given National Historic Site status in 1994, and CFS Carp was closed the same year. The building opened as a museum and national historic site in 1997. The tour was attended by over 90 engineers and their family and friends, and ended with lunch in the bunker’s cafeteria.

Ottawa Engineers Pub Night
Thursday, July 17, 2014

This informal social event was a co-hosted by the PEO Ottawa Chapter and OSPE at Clocktower Market Pub, 89 Clarence Street, Ottawa. A total of over 40 engineers attended the event, socializing, networking and enjoying delicious food and drinks. The event ran from 5 – 10 PM, and was attended by OSPE’s Past Chair and Acting CEO, Paul Acchione, P.Eng., who mingled with the groups at each table. A good time was had by all, and future social events will follow.

RW Tomlinson’s Ashphalt Plant Tour
Friday, June 27, 2014

The PEO Ottawa Chapter hosted two one-hour tours of R.W.Tomlinson’s ready-mix concrete and asphalt production site and quarry located at 635 Jinkinson Side Road, Stittsville, ON. A total of 55 people attended the two tours. The tours consisted of a walk-through of the concrete-producing operations and a bus ride through the limestone quarry showcasing the production of granular matter and asphalt production. The Ottawa Chapter would like to thank all the Tomlinson’s staff for the warm reception and informative presentations. For more information on R.W.Tomlinson, please visit their website at – Link .

New Member Night (NMN)
Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The PEO Ottawa Chapter welcomed 18 new members to the profession at our summer installment of the New Members License Certificate Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Museum of Science and Technology.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Dr. Roger Woodhead, currently serving as the LRT Confederation Line’s Design Manager and past Technical Director for the Canada Line Rapid Transit Project and Quality Systems Manager for the Vancouver SkyTrain Millennium Line. The topic of discussion was: “From the Stone Age to Smart Phones: Lessons Learned in Design Management” – a review of Dr. Woodhead’s experiences on various engineering projects around the world.

This event was attended by approximately 65 people, with 22 engineers receiving their license certificates. Light refreshments were served in the Museum’s Locomotive Room. Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) Inaugural Event
Wednesday, June 25, 2014

“The Vision of Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) (former Mentorship Program) is to contribute to the development of individuals who adhere to the highest standards of engineering practice, and are capable of assuming leadership roles within their companies and communities.”

The goal of the PEO Ottawa Chapter – Licensure Assistance Program (LAP) is to provide a one on one opportunity for less experienced members, Engineering Interns (EITs), to receive the valuable knowledge from well experienced licensed professionals, P.Engs/Guides, which helps them along the way of acquiring their licensure. The inaugural event for the 2014 program was held at the Ottawa RA Centre (Outaouais Room) on Riverside Drive, where the 26 attendees were enjoyed refreshments and were paired as interns and guides to align both geography and engineering disciplines. Tracey Caruana, P.Eng. , EIT Program Coordinator, attended to explain the program and answers questions from participants as they embarked on the six-month program of guidance and support toward licensure.

Ottawa River Boat Cruise
Friday, June 13, 2014

Over forty engineers enjoyed spectacular views of the city, live entertainment and delicious food. The three hour cruise provided a unique view of Ottawa’s top attractions from a different perspective: Parliament Buildings, the Prime Minister’s residence, the Museum of History, the American Ambassador’s residence, and much more. OSPE was thrilled to meet members of the Ottawa engineering community, and to see fellow engineers networking with one another.

Lightning Experience
Monday, May 27, 2014

Dan Gagliardi, P. Eng., attended the May Chapter Executive Meeting as a special guest with his daughters Brenna and Camryn. Mr Gagliardi described first-hand his experiences when the family home was struck by lightning and caught fire during a flash storm on April 13th. The Community Association and fellow engineers were on hand to assist as the home was repaired. The story was covered by CTV news – Link . The chapter executive would like to thank Mr Gagliardi for sharing his experiences and participating in this community outreach initiative.

Provincial Election All Candidates Debate
Monday, May 27, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter, OSPE & the Kanata Kareer Group co-hosted a Greater Ottawa Knowledge Workers All-Candidates Debate within the Hi-Tech Kanata region of the Carleton Mississippi Mills (CMM) Riding. The session was held at the Vitesse Reskilling facilities, starting with light refreshments and networking, followed by a moderated debate where candidates were asked pre-determined questions, followed by open questions from the floor. A total of almost 50 attended the event in person, with additional participants connected via web meeting and teleconference. The panelists were:

Rosalyn Stevens, CMM Candidate for Liberal Party
MPP Jack MacLaren, P. Eng., CMM Candidate for PC Party
John Hansen, CMM Engineer Candidate for Ontario NDP
Gordon Kubanek, P. Eng., Nepean-Carleton Candidate for Green Party

Solar Sprint Competition
Saturday, May 24, 2014

The Solar Sprint competition is an annual event open to all grade 6, 7 and 8 students attending Ottawa-area schools. Students have to design and build at least one vehicle that will complete a 20-meter long race (run in a straight line) as fast as possible. The school team whose vehicle is the top finisher in a series of head-to-head races is the winner. The Solar Sprint Competition is designed to introduce students to technology as a means to help the environment. Students will investigate solar power as an alternate source of energy for the race cars they design. It is hoped that in doing so, they will gain a better appreciation for not only solar power, but also the design efficiencies necessary to make the most of this free, clean, source of energy. This year’s event was held at Jack Donohue Public School in Kanata, with three members of the Ottawa Chapter serving as volunteer judges. For more information click here – Link .

Catch the Wave Kanata!
Sunday, May 4, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter and OSPE once again hosted its annual Family Fun Day at the Leisure Centre and Wave Pool located at 70 Aird Place, Kanata. The event proved to be very popular this year with a total of 83 members and families attending. The wave pool was enjoyed by children and adults alike, and a lunch was provided afterwards. Many thanks to all volunteers and the City of Ottawa staff for their courteous service.

Catch the Wave Orleans!
Sunday, May 4, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter and OSPE once again hosted its annual Family Fun Day at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex located at 1585 Tenth Line Road, Orleans. This was the first time the event was extended to the east end of Ottawa, with 27 members and families attending. Participants enjoyed a wave swim and socializing during lunch. Many thanks to all volunteers and the City of Ottawa staff for their courteous service.

Around The World Competition (ATWC) for College/University Students 2014 – Presented by IET Ottawa Local Networks
Saturday, May 3, 2014

Present Around The World (PATW) is the IET’s (Institution of Engineering & Technology) presentation competition for students, recent graduates, apprentices and young professionals aged 18 to 26. Competitors are asked to give a presentation for 10 minutes on a subject related to engineering and technology, and to answer questions for a further five minutes. The prizes are (the local equivalent of) £150 for the winner and £100 for the runner-up. The winner and runner-up of the Local Networks (LNs) Heat also receive one year’s free student or associate level membership of the IET. The winner will also qualify for the later stages of the worldwide competition, which offer greater prize money and the opportunity to travel. The Ottawa Chapter collaborated with the IET to provide judges for this exciting and well-attended event.

Science and Tech Soiree
Thursday, April 24th, 2014

Each year, the Canada Science and Technology Museum Foundation gathers a growing network of individuals and organizations for a fun and relaxed gala to support the cause of preparing the next generation of scientists, advancing science literacy, and extending the Museum’s fascinating science programs to underprivileged youth in our community. The Ottawa Chapter has enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with the Canada Science & Technology Museum, and a delegation of six engineers attended the event on behalf of the chapter to network with over 400 community leaders to explore new and innovative outreach opportunities.

PEO Ottawa Chapter and Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) GasTOPS Tour
Tuesday, April 8, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter and Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) proudly presented tour of the GasTOPS facilities at 1011 Polytek Street in Ottawa. GasTOPS, founded in 1979, designs, manufactures and supports advanced machinery fluid sensing and analysis products, as well as a range of specialized technical and engineering services to assist in the design, development and in-service support of machinery control, monitoring and maintenance systems. GasTOPS solutions are found in critical rotating machinery such as gas turbine engines in aviation, marine, power generation and gas compression applications, diesel engines in marine and railway applications and gearboxes in aviation, marine and industrial applications. The one-hour tour provided an in-depth view of hoe GasTOPS designs and manufactures its product line, and was enjoyed by all participants. The Ottawa Chapter wishes to thank GasTOPS for hosting this informative tour.

PEO Ottawa Chapter STUDENT PAPER NIGHT
Tuesday, April 8, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter held a Student Papers Night. It was held on April 08, 2014 at SALON SAN MARCO. The PEO Ottawa Chapter contributed $1000 in prizes for the top University of Ottawa and Carleton University engineering student papers.

The following papers were prize recipients:

Best Overall Presentation
Cable Stay Bridge, Carleton University
Best Technical Content
Multi Junction Solar Cell Sun Lab, University of Ottawa
Best Innovation & Creativity
Polymeric Microscopic Extruder, University of Ottawa
Best Social/Environmental Sustainability
Central Nervous System Rehabilitation, Carleton University

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”2″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Congratulations to all winners!

2014 Ottawa Regional Science Fair
April 5, 2014

The Ottawa Chapter was proud to be a sponsor of the Ottawa Regional Science Fair (ORSF) held 2014-04-05. About 350 students from 40 schools participated, with over a thousand attendees. With hundreds of exhibits to review, judging was challenging but rewarding.

We awarded our 5 $100 prizes, to each of the following:

Daniel McInnis, for “Picture This!: A Low-Cost 3D Medical Scanner” (Senior Innovation). This high resolution (0.06mm) but low cost (~$200) scanner was made from 3D printed parts designed by Daniel.
Katherine Montgomery & Caroline Ankenmann, for “BREX” (Intermediate Innovation). This robotic arm can reach out, rotate, and release your parking garage slip into your car, for the benefit of people with physical limiations.
Jean Christophe Costisella & Étienne Galdreault, for “Une promenade sur l’énergie” (Intermediate Energy). Their device converts the energy of people stepping on their button, to electricity.
Jared Poole, for “Lending a Helping Arm” (Junior Innovation). Jared’s plywood muscle-assisting prototype was inspired by Ironman.
Madeline Cribb, for “A Slice of Raspberry Pi” (Junior Innovation). Madeline’s Python software on her Raspberry Pi microcomputer samples barometric pressure, to decide whether the weather is bad enough. If so, it sets off your alarm early, giving you extra travel time when you need it.

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Congratulations to all our winners: Katherine Montgomery & Caroline Ankenmann, Jean Christophe Costisella & Étienne Galdreault, Madeline Cribb, Jared Poole, Daniel McInnis; and Sharon Barr (oPEO) !

Articulating Your Engineering Experience for P.Eng Licensing
Friday April 4th, 2014

Articulating Your Engineering Experience for P.Eng. Licensing was held on Friday April 4th 2014, at Vitesse Re-Skilling Canada, 359 Terry-Fox Drive, Kanata; Suite 210.

OSPE Hosted KKG Meeting “Employment Issues Forum” with MPP Jack MacLaren, P.Eng.
Tuesday March 11, 2014

This event was co-sponsored by PEO Ottawa chapter and OSPE. The provincial government has jurisdiction over many aspects of employment and training. Our members take advantage of provincially-funded programs like Employment Ontario but are these a good fit for professionals (like engineers or computer scientists)?

Our representative at Queen’s Park is Jack MacLaren, MPP for Carleton – Mississippi Mills, himself an engineer. Meeting was an opportunity for us to understand Jack’s position on employment issues and to provide input that might influence government programs and policies in the future.

Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) National Engineering Month (NEM) Activity Report for 2014

K’NEX Challenge at Science and Tech Museum
Saturday March 8, 2014

K’NEX Challenge at Science and Tech Museum was held on Saturday March 8, 2014. The PEO Ottawa Chapter PEO booth featured K’Nex kits to challenge kids to design and then build various structures to win great prizes. Our chapter judges evaluated the finished structures and devices for creativity in form and function, and awarded almost a dozen prizes.

University of Ottawa Lunch and Learn
Wednesday March 6, 2014

Two Lunch and Learn sessions were held at the University of Ottawa to connect engineering students with practicing professionals. About 30 students from all engineering disciplines attended the sessions with volunteers from the PEO Ottawa Chapter and the Institute of Engineering & Technology. In this interactive networking session, students heard each volunteer tell their story, as well as lessons learned, career path options and a variety of other topics. A lunch was served, which allowed informal discussions to continue after the presentations.

Carleton University Lunch and Learn
Wednesday March 5, 2014

An informal Lunch and Learn networking session was held on Wednesday March 5, 2014 at Carleton University. About 25 students from all engineering disciplines gathered to hear about the experiences of volunteer P. Eng.’s from the Ottawa Chapter during the session held in the River Building at Carleton University. After the presentations, there was a lively Q & A session, covering such topics as career paths, ethics & safety and industry trends.

KAPLA Challenge at Aviation Museum
Sunday March 2, 2014

KAPLA Challenge at Aviation Museum was held on Sunday March 2, 2014. Participants were challenged to design and assemble a structure or device using Kapla blocks, showing creativity in form and function. Over 70 enthusiastic children of all ages participated, demonstrating creativity and innovation to the PEO Ottawa Chapter judges. Prizes were awarded to the best structures throughout the day, and a final prize was drawn at the end of the event.

NRC’s Engineering Challenge
Thursday February 27, 2014

PEO Ottawa Chapter and the National Research Council Canada (NRC) pair up to bring an engineering design challenge to students in Grades 5-7. Students are asked to design, build, and test a mechanically powered launcher.

PEO Ottawa Chapter – 54th AGM + NMN – JPG
Tuesday, February 26, 2014

The Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) – 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) + New Member Night (NMN) was held at Hilton Lac Leamy – Conference Centre at 3 Boulevard du Casino in Gatineau. Approximately 140 participants (including our members, families, friends and other professionals) joined us for a great evening of networking, PEO business, new PEO member certificate presentation ceremony, and an interesting keynote speaker.

Agenda:
5:30 pm – Chair’s Reception and Networking
6:00 pm –

Chair’s Welcome and Business Meeting
Call to Order & Welcome
Introduction of the 2013 PEO Ottawa Chapter Executive
Introduction of Special Guests
Review and Adoption of Minutes of 53rd Annual General Meeting
Chair’s Report
Treasurer’s Report and Audited Financial Statements

6:30 pm – Discussion and Q&A
6:40 pm –

Chapter Executive for 2014
Introduction of 2014 Slate of Candidates (Officers & Executives)
PEO Ottawa Chapter Election
Welcome 2014 Chapter Chair and Executives
Handover meeting to 2014 Chapter Chair

7:00 pm – Grace and Reflections, Dinner
7:30 pm – Keynote Speech: Marc Garneau, C.C. , CD , Ph.D. , F.C.A.S.I. , MP

How Engineering prepared me for my different careers.

Biography: After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from RMC Kingston, Marc completed a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering at the Imperial College of Science and Technology. He went on to study at the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in Toronto. As a Naval Officer, Marc served as a Combat Systems Engineer in HMCS Algonquin, and rose to the rank of Captain before retiring from the Navy in 1989.

On October 5, 1984, Marc became the first Canadian to fly in space as part of a NASA Shuttle Mission, and went on to fly in two more shuttle missions logging more than 670 hours in space. He served as President of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005.

Marc was Chancellor of Carleton University and served as a member of Ontario’s Executive Committee on Transboundary Air Pollution. He is a member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003.

Elected to the House of Commons in 2008 as the Member of Parliament for Westmount–Ville-Marie, Marc has served as critic for Industry, Science and Technology, critic for Natural Resources, and House Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

8:30 pm – Break
8:40 pm – New Members Certificate Ceremony
9:15 pm – Distinguished Service Awards
9:30 pm – Introduction of Candidates for 2014 PEO Elections
9:55 pm – Adjournment

Tomlinson Concrete and Asphalt Plant Tour
Friday November 29, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter hosted two one-hour tours of R.W.Tomlinson’s ready-mix concrete and asphalt production site and quarry located at 635 Jinkinson Side Road, Stittsville, ON. The tours consisted of a walk-through of the concrete-producing operations and a bus ride through the limestone quarry showcasing the production of granular material, with emphasis on the many sustainability aspects of the site. Unfortunately, asphalt production at this location had shut down for the winter the previous week, but there are plans of conducting this tour again in late spring 2014. A total of 100 people attended the two tours.

The Ottawa Chapter would like to than Francis Brazeau, Ryan Andre, Aime Larochelle and many others from Tomlinson’s staff for the warm reception and informative presentations. The Chapter would also like to extend a very special thank-you to Executive Vice-President Bert Hendriks for personally conducting the tours. For more information on R.W.Tomlinson, please visit their website here – Link .

Sustainability Seminar and Panel Discussion
Thursday, November 28, 2013

This year, the Sustainability seminar and panel discussion focussed on Nuclear Reactors and Nuclear Waste Management Technologies Issues and Solutions. The PEO Ottawa Chapter invited the following experts:

Nuclear Reactors Design: Rick Didsbury, AECL R&D
Nuclear Fuel Waste Management: Chris Hatton P.Eng. from Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO)
Nuclear Environment Safety and Health Issues: Dr. Anar Baweja, retired nuclear safety expert from Environment Canada and Health Canada
Nuclear Power Generation: Paul Acchione P.Eng. former Ontario Power Generation nuclear engineering manager and now CEO of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE)

The seminar was attended by 125 members with participants fully energized for in-depth nuclear issues and discussions for approximately five hours.

Mentorship Program 2013
April 25, 2013 & November 25, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) mentorship committee was proud to have 18 Mentors and 24 Mentees as the 2013 oPEO mentorship program participants. The mentorship orientation session was held on April 25th, 2013 at Nepean Sportplex where attendants included 9 mentors and 21 mentees, the mentorship committee members and chapter executives, Emily Sabo – former EIT Coordinator at PEO Headquarters (PEO HQ).

Throughout the six months term of the program, participants’ feedback were gathered in order to identify the challenges that the program has been faced on delivering its intended services. Among them, the major obstacle on getting the most out of the program was for the EITs who have not being employed with an engineering type of work as to fulfill one of the licensing requirements. While the program focus is to help EITs with their licensing, as it was requested by the mentors and the mentees, the above concern were brought to the PEO HQ attention. Other than that, the program, with a great help of dedicated mentors, were evaluated by some of our mentees/EITs as successful in its intended goals.

On November 25th, 2013 the chapter hosted the closure event, Mentor Appreciation Night, where our Mentors have been granted a PEO Certificate of Acknowledgment for their valuable contribution to professional development of our engineering society.

The 2013 mentorship committee members were included: Nasrin A. Kajouri (Director), Pierre Legault (Chair), and Gareth Wood (Member).

New Members Night (NMN) Ceremony
Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter welcomed 18 new members to the profession at our fall installment of the New Members Night (NMN) License Certificate Ceremony. The ceremony was held on Wednesday November 20 at the Museum of Science and Technology. Our keynote speaker for the evening was Paul Acchione, P.Eng., the current Chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE). The topic of discussion was: “Engineering Skills Shortage – Fact or Fiction” – a review of a labour market survey on recent trends of new engineers finding adequate and acceptable employment, as well as recent trends of employers finding skilled and adequately-trained workers. This event was attended by approximately 85 people. Congratulations to all new members receiving their licenses that evening.

A set of thumbnails of the photos, with links to full size images (about 6MB – 12MB per full sized) can be found here – JPG .

National Science and Technology Week
October 19 and 20, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter and the Institution of Engineering and Technology organized two activities during National Science and Technology Week at the Science and Technology Museum and the Aviation and Space Museum. Over 200 children and their parents participated over the two events making wonderful and truly inspired creations:

October 19: Kapla Structure Building Competition. The Challenge: Design and assemble a structure using Kapla blocks, a building toy showing creativity in form and function. Sandwiched between two huge Canadian steam engines both the PEO’s Kapla building block challenge and the IET’s “Electrickery” seemed perfectly placed between two monuments of real human engineering.
October 20: a KNEX activity station was set up to educate and inspire children in science and engineering. Many of the children had never used KNEX, which is one of the most creative construction toys. It is a series of colour coded interlocking connectors, cranks, pulleys, wheels and gears. The complexity of their apparatus ranged from simple shapes to moving vehicles. Some examples included helicopters and airplanes, as seen on display at the Aviation Museum.

Hurricane Sandy Recovery Partnership with OCSPE
August 15-16, 2013

The OCSPE coordinated with engineers from PEO Ottawa Chapter to volunteer on Sandy relief efforts. Members of PEO brought supplies to the Jersey Shore and gave away toys at a children’s event. PEO members joined with OCSPE engineers on Friday, August 16 to do some home construction at one site and perform a site assessment at another under the coordination of the Visitation Relief Center in Brick, NJ.

Diefenbunker
Saturday, July 27, 2013

PEO Ottawa Chapter organized its annual tour of the Diefenbunker Saturday July 27. The Diefenbunker is a huge 100,000 ft2, four-storey bunker buried deep under a hillside and was built to house crucial elements of the Canadian government in a nuclear war. Constructed over a 14-month period between 1959 and 1961 at the height of the Cold War, the building contains over 5000 tons of steel and 32,000 cubic feet of concrete. The facility contains 358 rooms and was designed to house 525 people for 30 days in case of nuclear war. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1994. This tour has become increasingly popular over the years; this event drew in 81 persons. The tour lasted for approximately 1.5 hours and was followed by an outdoor pizza picnic.

Hope Volleyball Tournament
Saturday July 13, 2013

The annual HOPE Volleyball tournament for charity was held again at Ottawa’s Mooney’s Bay Beach on Saturday July 13. Our own Genevieve Horlings was team Captain of the Iron Ringers. A group of approximately 7 persons from the membership have signed up for this event and will compete in the “Competitive” category. More information on the event itself can be found here – Link .

MTO Rapid Bridge Replacement/New Members Ceremony (NMN)
Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter welcomed 22 new members to the profession on Wednesday June 26 at the Museum of Science and Technology.

Our keynote speaker for the evening was Frank Vanderlaan, P.Eng. of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO). Frank discussed the upcoming “Rapid Bridge Replacement Methodology” employed to replace two Hwy 417 (Queensway) overpasses at Carling Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue in the west-end of Ottawa. This is the third installment of this contract to be completed in Ottawa, the first being the Island Park Bridge in 2007 and the second being the Clyde Avenue bridge in 2008. This is the first time two bridges will be replaced under one contract and they are to be completed during the two weekends of July 6 and July 13. Approximately 125 persons attended this event.

A set of thumbnails of the photos, with links to full size images (3M each) can be found here – JPG .

The Fall installment of the New Members Ceremony will be in early November.

Biotechnology Days
Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8, 2013

A two-day exhibit and presentation venue for students to explore potential careers in biotechnology-related fields. The PEO Ottawa Chapter provided one volunteer as technical lecturer: Ian Glascow – Senior Medical Device Evaluator at Health Canada and formerly Clinical Researcher at University of Ottawa Heart Institute ( Link ) and World Heart, to discuss the artificial heart. Approximately 200 students attended Ian’s presentation.

Student Paper Night
Tuesday April 9, 2013

The Annual Student Papers Night is a friendly competition between the Engineering undergraduates from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Two groups of students from each University present their 4th year technical paper, which is adjudicated by three judges selected from the engineering community at large. The evening presents an opportunity for the engineering students to compete in a technical forum, to exercise their skills in public speaking and to defend the technical substance of their papers. The Ottawa Chapter contributed $1000 in prizes and awarded the following recipients based on the following categories:

Best Overall: Tim Inglis, Bionic Hand, Carleton University
Best Technical Content : Tyler Clancy, Formula SAE Hybrid – Design Flexures, Carleton University
Best Presentation: Chris Falconi, Robot in the Hospital, University of Ottawa
Best Commercial and Environmental Application: Luc Lundrum/Christian Viau, Design of Breakwater in Costa Rica, University of Ottawa

Ottawa Regional Science Fair
Saturday April 6, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter attended the 52nd Ottawa Regional Science Fair, where students (Grades 7-12) from the Ottawa area, exhibited over 200 projects. The Ottawa Chapter provided judges and awarded five (5) prizes of $100 each to projects which best demonstrated the application of engineering principles, practical application of theory, enthusiasm and creativity. The following were the five recipients:

Eco-Gouttiere – Brendan Villemaire and Olivie Bergeron
DC: All Charged Up – Adam Coe
Electrifying Wind – Ivy Wang and Kira Taylor
Biofuel – Thalia Hartwig and Sarah Dolan
Rock n Roll – Juliana Bul and Avya Stolow

National Engineering Month 2013

NRC Engineering Challenge
February 27, 2013

Engineers from across the Ottawa Valley and teachers from grades 5 to 7, engaged over 2,000 students in a problem solving activity. Engineering teams were challenged to design and construct a Rubber Band Powered Zamboni prototype. The engineering volunteers assigned to each team provided technical assistance and valuable insight into how engineers exercise problem solving, in a team atmosphere.

Since 2001, this annual event ( Link ) promotes an active interest in engineering and technical demonstration of problem solving skills to meet clear design criteria. Teams are evaluated on innovation, workmanship, presentation and performance.

PEO Ottawa Chapter supplied prizes and volunteer judges, both at the heats at participating schools and at the Grande Finale held at the National Research Council (NRC) headquarters.

Kapla Structure & Device Competition
March 2, 2013

Held at the Canadian Space & Aviation Museum, participants were challenged to design and assemble a structure or device using Kapla blocks, showing creativity in form and function. Over 60 enthusiastic children of all ages participated, demonstrating creativity and innovation to the PEO Ottawa Chapter judges. Prizes were awarded to the best structures throughout the day and a final prize was drawn at the end of the event.

University of Ottawa Student Networking Event
March 5 & 7, 2013

About 30 students from all engineering disciplines attended two lunch-and-learn sessions with volunteers from the PEO Ottawa Chapter and the Institute of Engineering & Technology. In this interactive networking session, students heard each volunteer tell their story, as well as: Lessons Learned, Career Path options, and a variety of other topics. A lunch was served, which allowed informal discussions to continue after the presentations.

Carleton University Student Networking Event
March 7, 2013

About 25 students from all engineering disciplines gathered to hear about the experiences of volunteer PENGs from the PEO Ottawa Chapter, in an informal networking session, held in the River Building at Carleton University. After the presentations, there was a lively Q & A session, covering such topics as: Career Paths, Ethics & Safety, and Industry Trends. Afterwards, students mingled with practicing engineers over light refreshments.

Jonathan Wong, the student coordinator at Carleton University, declared the event was “very informative and valuable” and looks forward to expanding it next year.

Canadian Engineering Competition
March 9, 2013

Entering its 28th year, the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) represents the best showcase of skill and innovation of engineering students from across the nation.

At CEC, 150 of the most innovative and creative engineering undergraduate students compete against each other in one of 7 categories: Engineering Communications, Consulting Engineering, Extemporaneous Debate, Innovative Design, Junior Team Design, Senior Team Design, and Re-Engineering.

Volunteers from the PEO Ottawa Chapter worked with Engineers Canada at an information booth, to share their: experience as engineers, knowledge of how PEO works, and the value of licensure.

Further details can be found in the Engineers Canada newsletter – Link .

K’Nex Structure Building Competition
March 10, 2013

The Challenge: Design and assemble a structure using k’Nex ( Link ) kits, the popular building toy, showing creativity in form and function. Prizes will be awarded to the best structures and a final prize will be drawn at the end of the event. The event will take place at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum.

Engineer-In-Residence Hands On!
March 16, 2013

Volunteers from the PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) – Engineer In Residence (EIR) program hosted a day of hands-on activities at the Canadian Science & Technology Museum. Over 500 children built structures and tested them on an earthquake simulator, saw a working model of the Rideau canal, experimented with energy and magnetism, built and test-fired catapults, learned about aerodynamics with paper airplane designs, and pulled their parents across the floor using a system of pulleys.

Kanata Wave Pool Family Fun Day
Sunday, March 3, 2013

The PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) once again hosted its annual Family Fun Day at the Kanata Wave Pool and Leisure Center on Sunday March 3. The event proved to be very popular this year (selling out in less than 12 hours) with 74 members and families attending. Many thanks to oPEO Executive members: John, Joe, Sharon, Ingrid, Sucha and Dave for helping out that day, and a big thank you to the City of Ottawa staff for their courteous service.

PEO Ottawa Chapter – 53rd AGM + NMN
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter – 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and New Members Night (NMN) was presented on Feb 12th at the Royal Canadian Air Force Officers’ Mess in Ottawa. Approximately 130 participants (including our members, families, friends and other professionals) joined us for a great evening of networking, PEO business, new PEO member certificate presentation ceremony, and an interesting keynote speaker.

A set of thumbnails of the new member’s photos, with links to full size images (about 6MB – 12MB per full sized) can be found here – JPG .

Mentorship Appreciation Event
Thursday, December 6th, 2012

The PEO Ottawa Chapter (oPEO) – Mentorship Program started its pilot round on May 30th 2012 in the form of Committee with: Wenqin as Chair, Pierre as Vice-Chair, and Nasrin as a member. At the end of the 6 months of mentoring round, Dec 6th, the chapter hosted an Appreciation Event in which 9 mentors and 11 mentees were invited. The mentors were recognized for their exceptional volunteer efforts on supporting EITs. Feedback from both mentors and mentees were collected by PEO Headquarters (PEO HQ) to enhance delivering such a popular program in consecutive round.

Using an enriched PEO HQ mentorship guideline, oPEO has proudly announced the next round of Mentoship Program for 2013 at its 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Feb 12th, 2013. We encourage all oPEO – PENG members to become one of those dedicated mentors and help us in supporting our engineering profession, and our professional community.

Sustainability Seminar
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

The theme of this year’s Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – Ottawa Chapter – Sustainability Seminar was “Alternative Fuel Efficiency & Technology”. – PDF

The seminar was held on January 24 from 5-10 pm with presentations and panel discussion on following six topics:

Tesla Model S-electric Car demo & Introduction, by Douglas George P.Eng. – PDF
Evolving Sustainability of the Electricity Sector in Canada: Alternative Fuel Efficiency in Power Stations, Transmission Network, Local Distribution, and Challenges; by Jim Burpee P.Eng. , President & CEO of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA). – PDF
Auto Car Vision for the next 10 years, by John Paul Farag of Toyota Canada’s Advanced Technology & Powertrain. – PDF
Biodiesel Solutions, by Dr. Andre Tremblay of the University of Ottawa. – PDF
Efficient Solar Technology, by Dr. Karin Hinzer of the University of Ottawa. – PDF
Thermal Energy Storage in Absorbent, by Prof. Handan Tezel of the University of Ottawa. – PDF

The seminar was very successful and provided professional development learning in the sustainable technologies and the market environment. Despite not friendly road conditions, 130 attendees participated in the seminar. The feedback from attendees and presenters has been very positive for future participation.

The seminar delivery would not have been possible without energetic help from my following colleagues: Claude Lague, Guy Boone, Kathryn Sutherland, David Grant, Nasrin A. Kajouri, Charles Hodgson, Sharon Barr, Ninoy Calaunan and Ray Barton. All the presentations are placed on the Ottawa Chapter website. For more info and suggestion for future topics, please contact: Sucha@BangaGroup.com

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PEO Ottawa Chapter Annual General Meeting (AGM)

PEO Ottawa Chapter – Bridging the Gap Between Government and Industry – Codes Canada

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PEO Ottawa Chapter – Tour of Diefenbunker 2018

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oPEO 2018 Water Purification Challenge

2018 PEO Ottawa Sustainability Symposium 1

2017 PEO Ottawa Sustainability Symposium

Sustainability Symposium 2019 – Event #2
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