Engineers Canada covered many stories and events throughout 2023. Five stories in particular captured readers’ interest this past year. Here are the top 5 most read stories from Engineers Canada in 2023.
1. Wardens issue Call for Expressions of Interest for new Iron Ring Ceremony poems
In early 2023, the Corporation of the Seven Wardens sought to commission two new poems, one in each of Canada’s official languages, that will be used in the Ritual of the Calling of the Engineer.
2. Empowering Indigenous voices in engineering: Guidance for meaningful consultation and engagement
Engineers Canada’s Qualifications Board published a guideline on Indigenous consultation and engagement for engineers. The guideline was developed as a tool to help promote meaningful engagement between engineers and Indigenous communities when it comes to engineering work.
In October, Engineers Canada hosted a webinar to introduce the guideline to the engineering community, sharing the process of development and key components of the document. The panel featured consultants who led the guideline’s development, a member of Engineers Canada’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, the CEQB Vice-Chair, and an Elder. The webinar had over 100 attendees.
Explore the guideline here.
3. New $1 coin features engineer and “Queen of the Hurricanes,” Elsie MacGill
On August 1, 2023, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a new $1 commemorative circulation coin honoring Elsie MacGill, the country’s first woman professional engineer and a leading advocate of women’s rights.
MacGill was the first Canadian woman to earn an electrical engineering degree and was the first woman in North America to earn a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. As the Chief Aeronautical Engineer at Canadian Car & Foundry (CC&F) during World War II, MacGill made Canada a powerhouse of aircraft construction.
The new coin was unveiled during a ceremony at the Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary, AB, hosted by Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint, and Phyllis Clark, Chair of the Board of the Royal Canadian Mint. Engineers Canada Board Director and 30 by 30 Board Champion, Tim Joseph, attended on behalf of Engineers Canada.
4. Celebrating Black engineers and the importance of diversity in engineering
For Black History Month, we interviewed five Black engineers and engineering students across Canada to share their stories, impact, and highlight the importance of representation in the engineering community.
5. Canada’s engineering regulators united in opposition to Alberta’s Bill 7
Engineers Canada and the country’s provincial and territorial engineering regulators sent a letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressing strong opposition to the government’s decision to change the province’s Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act.
