Nov. 4 – Members of Engineers Canada’s Bridging Government and Engineers Committee were on Parliament Hill to talk with members of Parliament about Engineers Canada’s priorities.
Twenty-eight meetings were held with members of Parliament from coast to coast, including meetings with parliamentary secretaries, chairs and vice-chairs of many House of Commons Standing Committees. Most notably, Paul Calandra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, James Rajotte, Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, and David Tilson, Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. We were also very pleased to have met with the Director of Policy for the Honourable Kellie Leitch, the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Status of Women, and the Chief of Staff of Natural Resources Canada. The complete list of members of Parliament who met with Engineers Canada, and the list of participating Engineers Canada volunteers can be found below.
The focus of the day was Engineers Canada’s Pre-Budget Submission. Engineering experts discussed with politicians the importance of having professional engineers involved in public policy and protecting the public. They also highlighted the need for the government to help municipalities build capacity to properly assess infrastructure projects to improve their resilience in the face of changing climate. This day marked a great opportunity to highlight the many of the great projects and publications Engineers Canada has contributed to, such as: Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee Protocol, the Labour Market Report and Career Action Program.
View our Storify page to see images and highlights of the day. Thank you so much to all the Bridging Government and Engineers Committee members who made the trip to Ottawa and to all the Engineers Canada staff who played a role in this successful day.
Engineers Canada staff has met with two more offices after the event and will continue to meet with members of Parliament who were not available on November 4. We look forward to the discussions.
Engineer Canada Contact Day Volunteers
- Bob McDonald, FEC, P.Eng., FGC (Hon.), Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan
- Darryl Ford, P.Eng., Engineers and Geoscientists New Brunswick
- Diane Freeman, FEC, P.Eng., Professional Engineers Ontario
- Larry Staples, FEC, P.Eng., Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta
- Nazmi Lawen, P.Eng., Engineers PEI
- Rakesh Shreewastav, FEC, P.Eng., Professional Engineers Ontario
- Stéphane Bilodeau, ing., Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
- Zaki Ghavitian, FIC, ing., M.ing., Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
Members of Parliament who met with Engineers Canada
- Mike Allen, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Finance
- Judy Foote, Random—Burin—St. George's, NFL, Liberal, Liberal Whip
- Blaine Calkins, Wetaskiwin, AB, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Natural Resources
- James Rajotte, Edmonton—Leduc, AB, Conservative, Chair, Standing Committee on Finance
- David Wilks, Kootenay—Columbia, BC, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Health, Member, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
- Scott Andrews, Avalon, NFL, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
- Laurin Liu, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC, NDP, Member, Standing Committee on International Trade
- David Tilson, Dufferin—Caledon, ON, Conservative, Chair, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
- Hon. Peter Kent, Thornhill, ON, Conservative, Chair, Standing Committee on National Defence
- Paul Calandra, Oak Ridges—Markham , ON, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Hon. Laurie Hawn, Edmonton Centre, AB, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs Member, Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
- Hon. Judy Sgro, York West, ON, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology
- Hon. Ron Cannan, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on International Trade
- Harold Albrecht, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON, Conservative, Chair, Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development
- Hon. Dr. Carolyn Bennett, St. Paul's, ON, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
- Hon. John Duncan, Vancouver Island North, BC, Conservative, Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, Member, Board of Internal Economy
- Jim Hillyer, Lethbridge, AB, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, Member, Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
- Brad Trost, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Natural Resources
- David MacArthur, Chief of Staff Natural Resources Canada, Chief of Staff, Natural Resources Canada
- Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Cardigan, PEI, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
- Hon. Wayne Easter, Malpeque, PEI, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
- David Foster, Director of Policy to the Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
- Peter Braid, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities, Member, Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
- Romeo Saganash, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC, NDP, Member, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
- Tyrone Benskin, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC, NDP, Member, Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament
- Hon. Dr. Hedy Fry, Vancouver Centre, BC, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Health
- David McGuinty, Ottawa-South, ON, Liberal, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
- Peter Stoffer, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS, NDP, Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs
- Mike Wallace, Burlington, ON, Conservative, Chair, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
- Corneliu Chisu, Pickering — Scarborough East, ON, Conservative, Member, Standing Committee on Official Languages, Member, Standing Committee on National Defence
