PEG September 2013 Calgary Flood CAB CAN TF2 p62-64

SEPTEMBER 2013

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta | apega.ca

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FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

21 8948

54 Special Report: 2013 Alberta Flood

89 APEGA Salary Survey Highlights

100 A Chinook in Guatemala

4 President’s Notebook

6 CEO’s Message

8 AEF Campaign

13 Association

16 Readers’ Forum

20 Latitude

38 Careers

40 Professional Development

46 Readings

52 Ethics Corner

53 Compliance Comment

104 In Memoriam

107 Discipline

108 By the Numbers

SEPTEMBER 2013 PEG | 1

PEG

SEPTEMBER 2013 FEATURED PHOTOPAGE 82 ››

PRINTED IN CANADA

COVER PHOTO

By Corinne Lutter

Opinions published in The PEG do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the association or its Council.

Editorial inquiries: [email protected]. Advertising inquiries: [email protected].

Contents

Salary Survey

2 | PEG SEPTEMBER 2013

VOLUME 4 | NUMBER 4 | SEPTEMBER 2013

(Print) ISSN 1923-0044(Online) ISSN 1923-0052

Editor George Lee [email protected]

Editorial Assistant Gillian Bennett [email protected]

APEGA CONTACT INFO

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2013–2014 COUNCIL

President Colin Yeo, P.Geo., FGC, FEC (Hon.) (Calgary)

President-Elect Dr. Jim Gilliland, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (Calgary)

Vice-President Connie Parenteau, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (St. Albert)

Councillors Dr. Brad Hayes, P.Geol. (Calgary)

Dr. Steve Hrudey, P.Eng. (Canmore)

Wenona Irving, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (Edmonton)

Dr. George Jergeas, P.Eng. (Calgary)

Chris Ketchum, P.Eng., FEC (Lloydminster)

Paul Knowles, P.Eng. (Calgary)

Craig McFarland, P.Eng. (Calgary)

Brian Pearse, P.Eng. (Sherwood Park)

Ginger Rogers, P.Geo., FGC, FEC (Hon.) (Lethbridge)

Terri Steeves, P.Eng. (Calgary)

John Van der Put, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (Calgary)

Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (Grande Prairie)

Public Representatives Gary Campbell, QC

Mary Phillips-Rickey, CA

Engineers Canada President Jim Beckett, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Engineers Canada Directors Larry Staples, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Dick Walters, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Geoscientists Canada Director George Eynon, P.Geo., FGC

BRANCH CHAIRS

Calgary Tina Hoops, P.Eng. [email protected]

Central Alberta Bill Thomas, P.Eng. [email protected]

Edmonton Bob Rundle, P.Eng. [email protected]

Fort McMurray Malcom Edirisinghe, P.Eng. [email protected]

Lakeland Caitlyn Kennedy, E.I.T. [email protected]

Lethbridge Ahmed Ali, P.Eng. [email protected]

Medicine Hat Spencer Torrie, P.Eng. [email protected]

Peace Region RaeAnne Leach, P.Eng. [email protected]

Vermilion River Justin McCrea, E.I.T. [email protected]

Yellowhead Vacant

MANAGEMENT STAFF

EXECUTIVE

Chief Executive Officer Mark Flint, P.Eng.

Director, Executive & Government Relations Pat Lobregt, FEC (Hon.)

REGULATORY

Registrar & Privacy Officer Al Schuld, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Deputy Registrar Mark Tokarik, LL.B., P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Acting Director of Registration Michael Neth, P.Eng.

Assistant Director of Registration Park Powell, P.Eng.

Assistant Director of Registration Alan Dunn, P.Eng.

Assistant Director of Registration Jeannie Paterson, P.Eng.

Acting Registration Manager Dionne Diakow, PMP, CQA

IEG Integration & Liaison Manager Guillermo Barreiro, P.Eng.

Director of Corporate Affairs & Investigations Ross Plecash, P.Eng., M.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Director of Professional Practice Ray Chopiuk, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Assistant Director of Professional Practice Gavin Chan, P.Eng.

Director of Compliance James Hunting, P.Eng.

Director of Examinations Milt Petruk, P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.)

MEMBER SERVICES

Senior Director, Member Services Len Shrimpton, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Director of Geoscience & Outreach Tom Sneddon, P.Geol., FGC

Director of Outreach & Product Services Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng.

Event Planning & Member Recognition Manager Shirley Layne, CMP, PR Dipl.

Professional Development & Mentoring Manager

Nancy Toth, MA, DipEd., CHRP, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.)

Calgary Office Manager Kara Hickman

CORPORATE SERVICES

Director, Corporate Services Malcolm Bruce, MSM

Human Resources Manager Kiran Dhesi, CPM, CHRP

Information Technology & General Services Manager Omid Fekri, B.Sc., PMP

Finance Manager Dirk Kuntscher, CMA

COMMUNICATIONS

Director, Communications Philip Mulder, APR, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.)

Deputy Director of Communications Gisela Hippolt-Squair

Member & Internal Communications Manager George Lee, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.)

Public Relations Manager Richard Liebrecht

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Deadline for nominations is September 30, 2013.


President’s NotebookAPEGA

The 2013 Floods: What Professionals Did —

And What We Must Do NowBY COLIN YEO, P.GEO., FGC, FEC (HON.)

APEGA President

The great floods of 2013 that devastated parts of Fort McMurray

and southern Alberta will be remembered for a long, long time.

Even the recovery and rebuilding will be measured in years. Lives

were lost and thousands of people displaced from their homes

and businesses. Temporary subdivisions were quickly built for

those waiting for their homes to be refurbished. The cost of

reconstruction has been estimated at $5 billion.

APEGA Members and permit holders — many, we should not

forget, with their own challenges to face in the wake of the floods

— have been busy inspecting homes, buildings and infrastructure

to ensure they are safe to use or enter. In some cases, professional

fees have been substantially reduced and even waived, easing the

burden on homeowners at such a difficult time.

Your association established a website area to match agencies

needing specific engineering expertise to qualified Members.

APEGA also contacted the City of Calgary and made sure it was

aware of our willingness to help in whatever way we could. We

made it simple for members to donate to the Canadian Red Cross.

The Government of Alberta turned to APEGA and asked us to

second Malcolm Bruce, MSM, Director, Corporate Services, to its

flood recovery task force. Mr. Bruce, who has since returned to his

regular APEGA duties, received great accolades from Peter Watson,

P.Eng., Deputy Minister of the Alberta Executive Council.

Members and permit holders have been there for the victims in

the immediate aftermath of the floods. They will play a leading role

as the rebuilding begins.

These devastating events are a clear demonstration of the

sometimes uncontrollable and unpredictable power of nature. The

history of maximum discharge rates in the Bow River reveals that

the City of Calgary has enjoyed fluvial quiescence since the major

flood in 1932. But this may be changing. From 1879 to 1932, there

were eight events of the same magnitude as the 2005 floods. In

the following 72 years, there were none. Now, within an eight-year

span, two significant flooding events have occurred.

Are we returning to a period of more frequent and intense

storms? Perhaps we are. Historical data, after all, indicate that

floods and droughts before the 1930s were more extreme than the

ones we’ve experienced since.

As cities and towns begin the lengthy and expensive process of

rebuilding, the engineering and geoscience professions need to take

a leading role in the development of public policy on

• where we build

• how we build

• how, through flood mitigation infrastructure, we prepare our

cities for the floods that inevitably lie ahead.

A SMART AND FAST RESPONSE

Our Members and permit holders are acting already. A very impor-

tant first step has been taken by Alberta WaterSMART, a consulting

company committed to improving water management through better

technologies and practices.

On Aug. 2, WaterSMART’s final version of a report called The

2013 Great Alberta Flood: Actions to Mitigate, Manage and Control

Future Floods was released to the public. Based on the collaborative

work of a broad group of water practitioners, including input and

comments from the public, specific actions have been identified to

offset the impacts of severe weather.

This release was extraordinary in two ways. First, it was

released a mere six weeks after the flood began. Second, it was

made available directly to the public as well as government officials

and other scientists.

And the content is excellent. The report presents facts and

data, and draws conclusions that governments, other authorities,

APEGA, the general public — all of us — need to consider as recon-

struction begins.

As pointed out in the Alberta WaterSMART report, decisions

will have to be made by affected home and business owners,

as well as elected representatives at all levels of government.

Certainly, reconstruction must be based on a clear understanding

of what caused the floods, the likelihood of their recurrence, the

MORE INFO

albertawatersmart.com

Special Flood Coverage

Pages 54-88


APEGAPresident’s Notebook

effectiveness of proposed mitigation

strategies, and the impact of these

strategies on other parts of the river basin.

By using good data and sound engineering

design principles, we will be better

positioned for future extreme events.

The recommendations and conclusions

of this report should be taken into account

as policies dealing with extreme weather

events are developed by authorities. I think

the recommendations are fairly straightfor-

ward. They call on authorities to

• anticipate and plan for more extreme

weather events

• plan for more extreme weather

scenarios through better data

management and modelling

• conduct a cost-benefit analysis of

physical infrastructure

• reframe municipal planning in light of

more extreme weather and strengthen

building codes

• evaluate overland flood insurance

• manage water resources across the

province collaboratively with appropriate

authority and funding.

I have reviewed the Alberta Water-

SMART report in some detail, and not only

because I am an interested professional

and Calgarian. The report ties directly to

what APEGA is trying to achieve in one

of its strategic priorities, on policy and

engagement. Alberta WaterSMART has

brought together leading experts and stake-

holders, including key members of APEGA,

to produce a document that provides trust-

worthy facts, information and sourcing.

This is clearly within the public interest.

This report is available to all. It will

form the basis for the intelligent discussion

of options and the creation of sound public

policy to benefit all Albertans.

I am proud to say that Alberta Water-

SMART is a permit holder and that many

of its employees are APEGA Members. In

my view, this report sets the standard for

consultation and dialogue with an informed

public. I congratulate Alberta WaterSMART

and its CEO, Kim Sturgess, P.Eng.

LIABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

This extreme weather event serves to un-

derline an important issue for Professionals

in Engineering and Geoscience — namely,

the legal liability of those who own, plan,

design, develop and operate infrastructure

without due consideration of the effects of

a changing climate and the danger that lack

of consideration may pose to the public.

Patricia Koval, a partner with the law firm

Torys LLP, presented the implications to

our professions at a meeting of Engineers

Canada. She said that there is now a very

clear understanding that if infrastructure is

not adapted to increasing climate change

risks, property damage and personal injury

are almost certain to occur.

In short, professionals who do not

take climate change risks into account may

be held liable. APEGA has an obligation to

ensure building codes and standards are

appropriate for extreme weather events,

and individual members must take these

considerations into account in the design of

all projects. There exists a duty of care to

the owners of the infrastructure and a duty

to any third party that might suffer damages

or injury from negligent design or construc-

tion; this includes an act or an omission that

breaches a reasonable standard of care.

Incidentally, an omission includes fail-

ing to warn of a risk; simply complying with

Questions or [email protected]

building codes is not good enough. If the

code does not adequately deal with climate

change risks, and the design engineer

knows this, then the engineer has failed in

executing duty of care and is liable for any

consequences that may follow.

APEGA and our Members have

served the public well in the aftermath of

this disastrous flooding of 2013. We will

continue to serve during reconstruction

and policy redevelopment. The public

expects us to be at the forefront in this

process and help arrive at reasonable and

practical solutions to plan for and mitigate

future natural disasters.

Again, thank you to all the Members

and permit holders who have helped during

this crisis, either professionally or by

providing volunteer labour, and to Alberta

WaterSMART for its outstanding report.

The company is an example for us all.


CEO’s MessageAPEGA

Flooding Brings Questions to the Fore

About What APEGA’s Full Role IsBY MARK FLINT, P.ENG.

APEGA Chief Executive Officer

On the morning of Friday, June 21, I found myself com-

peting with many other travellers for a very limited supply

of taxicabs to take us out of a very wet downtown Calgary.

I left behind, in body at least, a massive amount of flooding

and hardship. As I flew back to Edmonton, I was gripped by

thoughts about what my fellow Albertans were facing and

about what APEGA’s role should be.

Obviously, this was a highly unusual circumstance — a

natural disaster affecting an area where about half of our

membership lives. Even before the major flooding of 2013,

however, APEGA had been examining our role in the context

of events involving the public, our membership and our

professions. The flooding made that examination all the more

immediate and personal.

Enforcing the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act

is relatively straightforward, particularly when you look at

the letter of the law. But is that all there is to regulation? The

EGP Act is the legal mechanism by which APEGA regulates.

However, equally important to effective regulation are the way

the act is applied and interpreted, and the moral obligations

we feel.

Take the handling of oil and gas in Canada. The tragic

train derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Que., and oil seepage from

the ground in Cold Lake are recent examples of failures in this

area — one of them with tragic consequences.

APEGA Registrar Al Schuld, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), and

I testified on June 11 before the Senate Standing Committee

on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. We

answered questions the committee had regarding the safe

movement of energy. (The committee released its report on

the hearings last month, called Moving Energy Safely: A Study

of the Safe Transport of Hydrocarbons by Pipelines, Tankers and

Railcars in Canada.)

It is in instances like that one that I better understand

when and how APEGA can inform policy and decision-makers.

Although these contributions are sometimes subtle, simply

being asked to participate is a positive indication that the

opinions of our professions are indeed sought.

In the case of the floods, the Government of Alberta sought

one of our senior staff members to help out. On the Saturday

morning after I returned, the province requested that Malcolm

Bruce, MSM, Director, Corporate Services, assist directly by

working with its team to begin coordinating recovery efforts.

Mr. Bruce was seconded for 12 days as the acting Chief of

Staff for the recovery team as the government began to

develop its recovery strategy. In a moment when sitting in the

safety and comfort of Edmonton belied the ongoing strife in

southern Alberta, it was great to be able to directly assist in

some small way in the immediate aftermath of the flood.

The next issue arose as hundreds of disappointed

insurance policy holders became aware of the limitations of

their policies. The heartbreaking reality that overland flood

insurance is not part of any Canadian insurance policy is a

revelation to many of us, and it will forever resonate as a

major financial blow for many Members.

In the early days after the flood, APEGA’s affinity

insurance partner, TD Meloche Monnex, faced challenges

when it came to responding effectively to the needs of clients.

Some of our Members are still waiting to settle claims with the

company.

However, Meloche Monnex did change its position, decid-

ing to pay losses according to endorsement and limit, even if

premises were impacted by overland flooding from the event.

The company was very responsive to requests from APEGA

and others, and has made substantial efforts to ensure clients

are reimbursed. Meloche Monnex was slow off the mark. But


CEO’s Message APEGA

Questions or [email protected]

I recognize both the company’s honesty and integrity in changing its

position.

Shortly after the flood crested, the intellectual horsepower of our

professions started to precipitate some great thoughts. Led by the

CEO of Alberta WaterSMART, Kim Sturgess, P.Eng., a group of APEGA

Members were asked to help develop ideas regarding what Alberta

could do to mitigate recurrence of some of the issues created by the

flood. WaterSMART and several of our Members are now working

with the Alberta Government to bring valuable data, research and

professional advice to help assist with the development of policies on

flood recovery and mitigation.

I acknowledge that none of these efforts have, strictly speaking,

been regulatory in nature. However, I simply wanted to illustrate

that APEGA’s role goes beyond that of pure regulation. While

regulation of the professions is our core business, our

Members have valuable insight to offer and are frequently

sought after to comment on policy development.

Furthermore, when APEGA professionals speak, people

listen to what they have to say. There is no doubt that

APEGA and its members are in the business of self-

regulation, but their influence extends into many other

areas.

As we at APEGA review our current legislation

and explore areas in which gaps possibly exist, we

continue to think about these events that shape our

history. From there, we try to extrapolate forward to

estimate how lessons learned from them can shape

our future.

As always, I enjoy getting feedback. I appreciate

the questions and thoughts you sent me from my

last article. I look forward to your input should you

be interested in contributing to the future of our

professions. I value all comments on our regulatory

future or thoughts on other things that you think we

should be doing.


AEF CAMPAIGN CONNECTION

Tales From a Land of Frogs,

Apps, Volcanos and RobotsMinds in Motion works its science and engineering magic on a summer full of student campers

BY CORINNE LUTTERMember & Internal Communications

Coordinator

When it comes to dissecting frogs, some

young campers were more eager than

others to pick up the scalpel and get down

to business. For the more squeamish types?

Well, turns out there’s an app for that.

“Some kids didn’t want to get within 20

feet of the frogs,” explains Keith Baker, an

instructor with Minds in Motion and also a

university student member of APEGA. “So

we downloaded iPad apps where you can

do a virtual dissection. That went over well

with both the kids and their parents.”

Dissections — including frogs and pig

hearts — were among the many science,

engineering and technology lessons at Minds

in Motion camps in July and August. The

camps were designed and led by University

of Calgary undergraduate students like Mr.

Baker, a third-year geophysics student.

Among other activities were building

video games and robots, extracting straw-

berry DNA and exploring the physics of

sound through beat boxing. Not to mention

building those classic rockets powered by

baking soda and vinegar.

As well as the regular ones, specialized

camps were offered for girls and Aboriginal

youth. In total, about 850 children in Grades

1 to 8 took part in the 2013 summer camps.

PUMP IT UP

Minds in Motion is a non-profit organization

run by the University of Calgary’s Faculty

of Science and Schulich School of Engi-

neering. In addition to the camps, it offers

hands-on, inquiry-based programs through-

out the year.

“We want to get kids pumped about

science and engineering and break down

the stereotypes — that it’s too difficult or

that only boys can do it,” says program

manager Erin Peddle, a science teacher by

profession. “Our programs help youth learn

how to problem solve and think outside the

box. No matter what career they go into,

those skills are going to be relevant.”

Annually, Minds in Motion reaches

about 3,200 kids and the number continues

to grow, thanks in part to support from

sponsors like the APEGA Education

Foundation, called AEF for short.

“In 2013, the foundation’s outreach

support to the University of Alberta, the

University of Calgary and other programs

totalled more than $72,000,” says AEF

President Gerald DeSorcy, P.Eng., FEC, FGC

(Hon.). “These programs do invaluable work

to attract young men and women into the

engineering and geoscience professions.”

Just ask Leigh Beaton.

NOT JUST FOR BOYS

Long before she enrolled in engineering

at the U of C, Ms. Beaton was a Minds in

Motion camper. Her experience attending

all-girls camps as an elementary student

inspired her and helped her develop career

aspirations in engineering.

“I think the instructors played a big

role. They were mostly female and really

helped me understand how much in our

lives is related to science. I learned that

science is not just for boys,” says Ms.

Beaton, who just started her second year at

the Schulich School of Engineering.

This summer, she became a role model

herself as a Minds in Motion instructor,

teaching science and technology camps to

girls in kindergarten to Grade 8. Activities

ran the gamut from wetland field trips to

building frog robots.


MASTER

WHERE WILL YOUR IMAGINATION TAKE YOU?

Minds in Motion aims to get kids pumped about science

and engineering through activities like summer camps,

workshops and science clubs. In the case of these two

youngsters, it appears to be a resounding success.

-photo courtesy Minds in Motion/University of Calgary

QUICK FACT

Minds in Motion is a member of Actua, a national network of 34 organizations

offering science and technology education programs. The network provides

opportunities for the organizations to share resources and expertise.

SURFABLE

ucalgary.ca/mindsinmotion



“It’s an important role that we play as

instructors, to really spark that interest in

science and show the kids that science is

everywhere,” says Ms. Beaton.

75,000 YOUTH AND COUNTING

Since its launch in 1998, Minds in Motion has

reached more than 75,000 youth through

its summer camps, classroom workshops,

science clubs and community events.

“Besides the summer camps, we do

a lot of free workshops and outreach, and

that’s where we’ve expanded, because that’s

where we found the need,” says Ms. Peddle.

“We are pretty much booked every single

day from mid-May until the end of June.”

Many of the schools visited have

socioeconomic challenges. In Calgary,

Minds in Motions focuses on schools

with low performance rankings, often in

low-income neighbourhoods. The crews

also visit Aboriginal schools in the region,

including Morley and Tsuu T’ina.

“It’s the heart of our program,” says Ms.

Peddle. “These schools don’t necessarily

have the funding to bring in extracurricular

programs, so that’s where we come in.”

Through the fall, winter and spring,

in partnership with the Canadian Women’s

Foundation, a club program in science and

engineering for girls aged 12 to 15 is offered.

Last year about 40 volunteer mentors

signed up, mostly university students, and

professors and professionals in engineering,

biology, chemistry and education.

“The girls club has had phenomenal

feedback,” says Ms. Peddle. “When we

asked at the start of the club, not one girl

wanted to be an engineer. They thought that

engineers only build bridges or drive trains.

So this is a great opportunity to show them

the diversity of the profession.”

COSMIC PERSPECTIVE

For Keith Baker, being a Minds in Motion

camp instructor is an opportunity to

share his love of science with kids. “I just

want them to see that there’s a beauty to

science and to get them excited about it,”

says Mr. Baker.

As a child, he was inspired by his fa-

ther and grandfather, both engineers, and

by scientists like Carl Sagan and Bill Nye.

“I rushed home every day after school to

watch Bill Nye the Science Guy,” says Mr.

Baker.

This summer, he shared his interest

in planetary geology with young campers,

teaching them about astronomy and the

solar system. At one camp, kids learned

about different planets, then built their

own spacesuits.

“We had this big kit of Tyvek suits

and a million things you could tape to

them to customize them. The kids loved

that. At the end, we interviewed our

astronauts with a fake microphone and

they could explain their designs. They got

a taste of the astronaut celebrity life,”

says Mr. Baker.

CIRCLE OF SUPPORT

Minds in Motion reaches about 3,200 kids every year, and that number continues to grow — thanks in part to support

from the APEGA Education Foundation. In 2013, the foundation’s outreach support to the University of Alberta, the

University of Calgary and other programs totaled more than $72,000.




AEF OUTREACH

With governments and industry predicting ongoing engineering and

geoscience labour shortages, the APEGA Education Foundation

aims to reach even more young people by increasing outreach

support to $150,000 annually.

“One of our objectives is to support outreach programs that

inform young men and women about the opportunities available

through an education in engineering or geoscience,” says founda-

tion president Mr. DeSorcy. “We can reach our goals with continued

help from APEGA Members, who have been very supportive of our

Building the Future, Today campaign.”

A key AEF priority for the past year has been to ask Members

to consider their professional responsibility to advance and sustain

the professions — and then to act by giving financial support to the

foundation.

Among ways members can support the campaign are

• cash gifts

• monthly giving

• matching gifts

• bequests.

MORE INFO

Like to help the foundation?

apega.ca/AEF or 1-800-661-7020

SURE BEATS SWIMMING LESSONS

Keith Baker helps a student with a pig eye dissection

at a Junior Natural Science Camp in July. Students

in Grades 3 to 4 also got to conduct chemical

experiments and make their own recycled paper.


The APEGA Education Foundation currently distributes more than $190,000 each year to the brightest students on track to becoming Engineering or Geoscience Professionals.

Corporations can help by matching donations made by their staff members.

Visit apega.ca/aef for more information.

A GOOD MATCH FOR YOUR COMPANY


ASSOCIATION

Potential Council Candidates Needed Now

Are you an outstanding Professional Member with the time, energy

and dedication necessary for APEGA elected office? Do you bring

a balanced perspective and a problem-solving attitude to board

and management governance? Are you willing to give back to your

association by letting your name stand as a potential candidate for

the 2014 APEGA Election?

There are two ways to get your name on the election ballot this

spring.

• APEGA Nominating Committee — Each year, a nominating

committee made up of APEGA Members identifies qualified

candidates to run for Council. If you are interested in being

considered by the nominating committee, submit your

name and a brief resume by Sept. 27 to [email protected]. The

committee will review nominees, and a slate of candidates

will be announced in mid-November. The list will be

published in both the e-PEG and the December issue of The

PEG magazine.

• Write-in nominations — Any Professional Member in good

standing can self-nominate by submitting the Nomination

for Election to Council form. The form will be available on

APEGA’s website in mid-November and will also be published

in the December PEG. Write-in nominations must be received

before midnight on Jan. 26 and must include supporting

signatures from at least 10 registered APEGA Members.

Candidates can run for

• Councillor

• President (the person voted President-Elect in the previous

election will automatically become President)

• President-Elect/Vice-President (the candidate with the most

votes becomes President-Elect).

Note: To run for President-Elect/Vice-President, a candidate must first

serve at least one year on Council.

WHY DOES APEGA HOLD ELECTIONS?

APEGA has been holding annual Council elections since the

association was founded in 1920. An elected Council is one of the

privileges of professional self-governance, granted to APEGA under

the provincial Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act.

WHAT DO COUNCILLORS DO?

Councillors, who are elected for three-year terms, have many

duties and responsibilities, such as establishing policies and

providing guidance. They are expected to act in the best interest

of the association, honestly and in good faith. They should have

a good understanding of the principles and policies of legislation

governing Professional Engineers and Geoscientists in Alberta and

also understand APEGA’s mission, vision and strategic plan.

Being a Councillor requires a time commitment, but it’s also a

great opportunity for Members to get involved in their association

and make a positive impact.

Councillors are required to work on at least one subcommittee

of Council and attend various functions as APEGA representatives.

They spend about 20 work days each year preparing for and

attending

• Council meetings

• a strategic retreat

• Executive Committee meetings

• Council committees

• miscellaneous meetings, briefings and presentations.

In addition, Councillors may be asked to attend weekend social

events, such as dinners and receptions.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT COUNCILLOR

• experience in professional practice

• basic understanding of the principles behind professional

regulation

• familiarity with board and management governance

• balanced perspective and problem-solving attitude

• particular knowledge of important issues or under-

represented groups

• strong champion of professionalism and of APEGA

• track record as a contributor

• willing to commit time to APEGA.

SIDEBAR

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COURSES AND CERTIFICATES DESIGNED TO DEVELOP YOUR MANAGEMENT SKILLS!University of Calgary Continuing Education offers courses and certificate

programs that help you develop as a leader or transition into management.

Certificates include:

Professional Management—Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Courses available in class at the main and downtown campuses, and online.

This certificate is only awarded on verification of APEGA membership.

Project Management Fundamentals Courses offered at the downtown campus.

Stan Sterling. Graduate.Project Management Fundamentals Certificate

good thinking.

Moving Hydrocarbons SafelyReports call for clarity, consistency and safety culture audits in the way Alberta and the rest of Canada move oil and gas

Two major reports on the safety of transporting hydrocarbons in

Canada are now in the public realm, giving citizens, regulators and

governments across the country more data and new recommenda-

tions to consider. A report requested by the Alberta Government

and directed exclusively at pipeline safety holds up the province as

having “the most thorough overall regulatory regime” of all the

Canadian ones it assessed. Meanwhile, among the recommenda-

tions in a Senate committee report — which was not limited to

pipelines — are a call for audits of corporate safety cultures and

a call for the Government of Canada to conduct an arms-length

review of the country’s railway regulatory framework.

Two members of APEGA’s senior staff testified before

the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment

and Natural Resources, in advance of the committee’s release

of Moving Energy Safely: A Study of the Safe Transport of

Hydrocarbons by Pipelines, Tankers and Railcars in Canada. CEO

Mark Flint, P.Eng., and Registrar Al Schuld, P.Eng., FEC, FGC

(Hon.), both testified.

The committee report identifies an APEGA Member for his

testimony about corporate non-compliance with National Energy

Board standards and regulations. Evan Vokes, P.Eng., a metal-

lurgical engineer, along with others, “helped the NEB identify the

need for a 24-hour whistle blower hotline,” says the report.

Even when the horrific Lac-Mégantic rail disaster is

considered, railcars have a 99.9 per cent safety record for

delivery of dangerous goods, Moving Energy Safely notes. The

report recommends an arms-length review of railway regulation

“due to the scope of the disaster.” The safety record for moving

oil and gas by pipeline, meanwhile, is 99.9996 per cent, the

report says.

The Senate committee report concludes: “What is key is that

our transport companies foster a culture of safety throughout

their operations. There must be a preoccupation with continually

improving safety outcomes. This applies to operators as well as

the institutions that regulate them; this is what is necessary to

earn and maintain the trust of Canadians.”


PUBLIC SAFETY

The Alberta Pipeline Safety Review, prepared by APEGA

permit holder Group 10 Engineering, said Alberta’s thoroughness

in the regulation of pipelines is “likely due to the fact that Alberta

has a very mature (well established) pipeline industry and the

largest number of pipelines; and the ERCB [now the Alberta

Energy Regulator, or AER], as a regulator, has evolved over time to

regulate and manage the industry as appropriate.” Still, the report

arrives at 17 recommendations in all for the regulator, under three

categories prescribed in its scope. The categories are

• public safety and response to pipeline incidents

• pipeline integrity management

• safety of pipelines near water bodies.

Released at the same time was the regulator’s response to

the Group 10 report. Still called the ERCB when it completed the

response in March, the regulator accepted the findings and recom-

mendations, among them that a one-size-fits-all approach to regu-

latory oversight in Canada is not practical because of the differing

needs of jurisdictions and amounts of pipeline serving them.

Nonetheless, the report says the Alberta regulator should

work towards harmonized regulatory requirements across Canada

and should “support a consistent regulatory basis.” It also recom-

mends that the regulator collaborate with stakeholders to “set

clear goals and objectives to focus and manage the reduction of

pipeline failures to a level as low as reasonably practicable.”

The ERCB response highlights progress already being

made in many of the areas identified by Group 10. It also noted

that some of the recommendations are national in scope or

otherwise fall out of its regulatory mandate and jurisdiction. The

regulator’s response states, however, that it will share those

recommendations with the appropriate bodies, as well as support

and assist them if required to. The regulator will give Alberta

Minister of Energy Ken Hughes a status report in March 2014.

Call Before You Dig is singled out as good public safety

system. Membership in Alberta is legislated as compulsory for

pipeline licensees, but that’s not the case everywhere in Canada.

A nationwide system should be considered, says the report.

A national program would benefit other jurisdictions where

membership in Call Before You Dig is not a requirement, and it

would also ensure that new Albertans are “consistently aware of

these requirements.”

MORE INFO

apega.ca

Click on Major Reports Released

Readers’ Forum


OPINION

Readers’ Forum submissions should be emailed to George Lee, PEG editor, at [email protected]. Please

limit them to 300 words or less. Longer letters are printed at the discretion of the editors. Letters may be

edited for brevity, taste, clarity and legality. Please note: Readers’ Forum items are treated as opinions

and therefore are NOT peer reviewed. They do no necessarily reflect the views of APEGA Council,

executive committee or staff.

CLIMATE CHANGEAND THE NEW NORMAL

Re: Go Deep, The PEG, June 2013.

The analysis described in the above story concerns the climate

change views of APEGA members. Yet as it’s represented in the

story, the work by researcher Lianne Lefsrud, P.Eng., makes no

reference to the broad consensus among climate scientists.

A link from ASHRAE , the largest engineering association

in the world, leads to a survey published in the journal Environ-

mental Research Letters on the work of 29,000 scientists and

11,994 academic papers. Over 4,000 papers took a position on

climate change causes, with only 0.7 per cent, or 83 papers,

disputing the scientific consensus that climate change is the

result of human activity, and 2.2 per cent calling it unclear. The

dissent was described as “vanishingly small.” Another survey,

this one from 2004 and released in Science by Naomi Oreskes,

found 97 per cent of scientists agreed on the causes of climate

change.

This PEG submission is written from ground zero in High

River, where we will be dealing with the results of an extreme

climate event for years to come. Contrary to the view that this

was just another flood, the estimated flow volumes were about

double what had been accepted as the one-in-100-year event and

the community was utterly unprepared.

As an engineer asked to assess damages to buildings, my

recommendations have been to consider what occurred as

the new normal, incorporate an additional safety factor, and

consider efficiency measures to reduce contributions to further

climate change. Is it not a professional responsibility to use

the best science available for the public good? The last report

of a federally appointed expert panel on the economy and the

environment, before it was dismissed, warned us to expect

over $5 billion per year in damages to the Canadian economy,

unless measures are taken to mitigate climate change. By the

province’s estimate, we’re burning through that in southern

Alberta alone.

It’s hard to miss the irony that a community the hardest hit

by a climate event earlier elected an MLA with a campaign plank

saying the science on climate change had not yet been settled.

As for the contention that the disaster is the result of clear

cutting, Google Earth shows no extensive blocks in the Highwood

watershed. Nor was I able to find a single pine cone or bit of

logging slash among the debris in our miles of destroyed fences.

A more likely cause is temperature, the steroid of storms.

A degree Celsius of temperature rise increases the ability of air

to hold moisture by seven per cent; 16 inches of rain fell in the

upper basins.

The lamest excuse is to do nothing to address climate

change because it’s too expensive.

The flood caught us in the middle of installing 5.5 kW of grid-

tied photovoltaics to our shop roof. For $10,000 in materials and

a couple days’ help from clever friends, our electricity use will be

carbon-neutral, saving about 4.5 tonnes a year of carbon emis-

sions. This is less cost than the options list on the average SUV,

which carries a single passenger at an overall efficiency of less

than one per cent

The return of our photovoltaic system is tax free and better

than any secure investment in the current market. It would

be great if the much-touted Alberta carbon tax went to those

actually doing something to reduce emissions. The energy input is

recovered after one year. Solar output peaks during peak demand

periods driven by air conditioning loads, helping stabilize the grid.

This is among the hundreds of things we could be doing,

efficiency measures being the most cost effective. Revising our

obsolete building codes would be a first step. ASHRAE has been

leading in this regard for years, and there’s a total absence of the

phony debate on climate change in its journals.

The next lamest excuse to do nothing is that the Asian

countries are not reducing their emissions.

It’s the sad reality that you cannot lift people out of poverty

with Stone Age tools, and they are industrializing the only way

they can afford — as we did. Western countries are already

there and have accounted for most of the cumulative emissions.

How dare we tell India, which produces 1/20th of our emissions

per capita, or China, 1/10th per capita and with millions living

without electricity or running water, that they have to cut back

before we do.

The long-term risk is that our economy will become

increasingly less efficient and less able to compete on the global

stage as the true cost of greenhouse gas emissions comes due.

As the rest of the world moves toward a carbon-free economy,

we will wallow in denial.

EMILE ROCHER, P.ENG.

High River

READING SUGGESTION OFFEREDON SOLAR CYCLES AND WARMING

Unstoppable Global Warming, by S. Fred Singer and Dennis T.

Avery, makes a compelling case for a global, solar-driven climate

Readers’ Forum


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cycle of 1,500 years, plus or minus 500 years. This is a cycle

which has operated for at least the last one million years of the

Earth’s history, based on available published data.

The authors’ hypothesis is supported by literally hundreds of

research papers spanning a variety of climate proxies, including

isotope analyses of ancient tree rings, of glacier ice cores from

Greenland and Antarctica, and of seabed sediment cores from

the North and South Atlantic and the Sargasso Sea. The research

looks at stalagmites from Ireland, Germany, South Africa and New

Zealand, and fossilized pollen from North America. The proposed

1,500-year climate cycle also correlates with known advances

and retreats of glaciers in the Arctic, Europe, Asia, North

America, Latin America, New Zealand and Antarctica.

The cycle shows a variation of plus-or-minus 2-3 degrees C

around a long-term mean. It was first discovered by Dansgaard

and Oeschger in 1984, through oxygen isotope analyses of glacial

ice cores from Greenland covering the last 250,000 years of

Earth’s history. They expected to see evidence of ice ages and

interglacial stages (and they did), but unexpectedly they found

another cycle of about 1,500 years superimposed on these

variations.

The impact of the sunspot cycle on Earth’s climate is well

known. During low sunspot activity, cosmic rays bombard the

Earth, creating low, wet clouds that reflect the sun’s radiation

back into outer space, cooling the Earth. During high sunspot

activity, the solar wind prevents this bombardment by cosmic

rays, allowing the sun’s radiation to reach the Earth and thus

warm our planet.

The 1,500-year period is believed to be the product of two

shorter solar cycles, both longer than the 11-year sunspot cycle:

namely, the 87-year Gleissberg cycle and the 210-year Suess (de

Vries) cycle. In fact, the 1,500-year cycle correlates with known

historic cold and warm periods as far back as 600 BCE.

According to the 1500-year cycle, the Earth is now in the

middle of a modern warming period that began after the Little Ice

Age. We can thus expect another couple of centuries of pleasant

warm weather. Needless to say, so-called greenhouse gases have

nothing to do with this warming trend.

DR. JOHANNES C. DEN BOER, P.GEOL., P.GEOPH., FGC,

FEC (HON.)

Life Member

Calgary

LENNERT D. DEN BOER, P.GEOPH.

Calgary

CHOOSE A CAR, NOT A TRUCK

Re: APEGA Education Foundation Campaign Connection, Who You

Help, The PEG, April 2013.

One of the featured students, like many people going to

university, commutes through car/truck and train. He drives a

Readers’ Forum


truck. Imagine the price of gas and maintenance, driving back

and forth from Gibbons and his LRT connection.

If his aim is reducing costs, he should drive a car instead.

PUGAL NARAYANANExaminee

Red Deer

GREAT READING,GREAT MESSAGE —TWO ERRORS

Re: Let’s Educate the Public About All Those Geohazards, The Geo

Beat, by Tom Sneddon, P.Geol., The PEG, June 2013.

Thank you for publishing the excellent PEG! Down here in the

southern U.S., it’s wonderful to receive news about colleagues

and technology, along with other inspiring reports, from Alberta.

Mr. Sneddon’s insightful article is critically important,

especially in light of the recent manslaughter convictions of

the seven scientists, engineers and officials associated with

assessing seismic activity prior to the earthquake in L’Aquila,

Italy. (Their convictions are under appeal.)

There is a wee error in the date of the Frank Slide — it

happened on April 29, 1903, not six years later.

Also, as I understand it, Copernicus was not persecuted

during his lifetime (1473-1543) for his heliocentric theory of the

planets. In fact, his book On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres

(1543) was dedicated to Pope Paul III. Some years later in 1616,

the book was indeed banned. Galileo’s trials, however, were very

different.

DR. ROBERT R. STEWART, P.GEO.

Cullen Chair in Exploration Geophysics

Director, Allied Geophysical Lab

University of Houston

CORRECTIONS

The Readers’ Forum submission Climate Sensitivity May

Have Been Overestimated, in the June 2013 PEG, was

attributed to the wrong William Kerr of Calgary, The actual

author was William E. Kerr, P.Eng.

In the April 2013 PEG feature We Built this City on

Rocks and Oil, editing errors resulted in misspellings of

stromatoporoids, and in the misuse of descendant. Modern

scallops descended from Monotis subcircularis — not, of

course, vice versa.



The

Buzz

EXPERTS ESTIMATETHE GREAT FLOOD’S ECONOMIC IMPACT

Economists expect that the most damaging floods in Alberta’s

history will affect not only the province’s economy but also the

rest of the country’s. Five days after the flooding, BMO Capital

Markets estimated that Canada’s GDP growth in June had been

reduced by $2 billion. TD Economics, meanwhile, estimated that

the disaster would erase up to $1.5 billion from the economy, or

about 0.3 per cent of Alberta’s GDP.

However, both were quick to point out that the Calgary and

Alberta economies would get a much-needed boost when millions

of dollars are spent on rebuilding projects.

-Jacqueline Louie

LESS WORK FOR SOME, MORE WORK FOR OTHERS

Work stopped for many Albertans when flood waters hit in

late June. Downtown Calgary was evacuated and thousands of

workers told to stay home after power outages left office towers

in the dark. Some downtown businesses were closed for a

week or more. Similar stories played out across the south as 29

communities declared states of emergency.

As a result, says Statistics Canada, 300,000 Albertans

— about 13.5 per cent of the total employed population in the

province — lost 7.5 million hours of work. On the flip side,

134,000 people, or six per cent of workers, put in an extra 2.4

million hours of work. The net loss: 5.1 million hours.

StatsCan says about 27 per cent of the missed time, or about

1.4 million hours, is attributable to professional, scientific and

technical workers. One quarter of Alberta’s natural resource

workers lost, in all, 1.4 million hours on the clock.

-Corinne Lutter

NEW HEIGHTS

Two proposed skyscrapers will come in first and third on the list of tallest buildings

in Western Canada. Brookfield Place Calgary (right) and the TELUS Sky Tower

(above) boast 56 and 58 storeys respectively.

-artist’s rendition (above) courtesy BIG


The Buzz LATITUDE

CALGARY SKYLINE STRETCHES HIGHER

Look out, Bow tower. Calgary’s down-

town skyline is on the rise, with two new

mega-skyscrapers set to open in 2017.

The Bow is currently the tallest

building in Western Canada, with 58

storeys stretching 236 metres towards the

heavens. But it will soon be surpassed by

the 247-metre Brookfield Place Calgary.

The TELUS Sky tower, meanwhile, will

slot into third at 231 metres.

Brookfield Place Calgary is a

2.4-million-square-foot commercial

development encompassing a full city

block between First and Second Street

and Sixth and Seventh Avenue S.W.

Complementing its 56-storey highrise

will be another 42-storey office tower,

a glass pavilion, street-level retail shops

and a half-acre public plaza. Anchor

tenant Cenovus Energy will occupy one

million square feet of the highrise.

Brookfield Office Properties esti-

mates the project will cost more than $1

billion. The complex will be constructed

to the gold standard for core and shell

development, as set out by the certifying

body known as LEED, for Leadership

in Energy and Environmental Design. It

will include a bicycle parking area and

plug-in stations for electric cars.

Developers of TELUS Sky, at

100 Seventh Ave. S.W., are promising

a stylish blend of office, retail and

residential space across 750,000 square

feet. Vancouver developer Westbank

and real estate investment trust Allied

Properties are project partners.

At a cost of $400 million, the

58-storey project will include about 340

residential units. Envisioned as a LEED

platinum building, it will feature a rooftop

garden and a storm water management

system to recycle rainwater for toilets

and outdoor irrigation. It’s designed to

use about a third less energy than new

buildings of a similar size.

-artist’s rendition courtesy Brookfield


LATITUDE The BuzzAmong other new developments

going forward in downtown Calgary are

Eau Claire Tower, 3 Eau Claire, Eighth

Avenue Place West Tower, and Calgary

City Centre. Manulife Financial Corp

plans a 27-storey office tower with Brion

Energy as the main tenant.

-Jacqueline Louie

MIXED SIGNALSFROM RESIDENTIAL HOUSING MARKET

Construction season can make it seem

as if new builds are everywhere. But the

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corpora-

tion says residential builders in Western

Canada won’t be quite as busy in 2014 as

the organization predicted a few months

ago. In June, CMHC estimated around

188,900 new units in 2014; now, CMHC

estimates the number will fall to between

177,100 and 186,600.

If the most recent estimate is

accurate, residential development will

be significantly lower than the 214,827

housing starts in 2012.

The picture looks quite different

from the perspective of home sales. The

Canadian Real Estate Association says

national sales are increasing steadily.

Data released at the end of the summer

suggest that home sales across the

country have increased 9.4 per cent

from last year. Alberta continues to be

a hot market. Over the last year, sales

increased by 19 per cent in Calgary and

24 per cent in Edmonton.

-Caitlin Crawshaw

WHERE GREAT IDEAS ARE HATCHED

TEC Edmonton, an organization that helps

tech ideas become saleable products, has

received a major credibility boost. In July,

the non-profit, joint venture between

the University of Alberta and the City of

Edmonton was named the best incubator

in Canada — and 17th in the world — by

the University Business Incubator Index.

This may not come as a surprise

to tech insiders or anyone who’s been

following the organization over the last

nine years. TEC Edmonton has helped a

well-known in the U.S. but relatively new

to Canada. The Edmonton branch is the

fourth in the country. Founding partners

include Kellerdenali, Remington Develop-

ment Corporation, Edmonton Interna-

tional Airport and Camrock Capital.

The new branch says on its website:

“We connect our members so that they

develop new business relationships;

we offer educational opportunities and

a program of events that ensure our

industry is on the cutting edge; and we

influence the course of our business with

positive interactions with various levels

of government and the community.”

-Caitlin Crawshaw

ROUNDABOUTS MAKE INROADS

A $6.4-million roundabout northwest of

Edmonton has been designed with over-

sized vehicles — among them the type

used in the oilfield — in mind. Could it

BUY NOW, BUILD LATER

Builders will likely be less busy than previously

thought, as forecasters now predict a decline in

new builds for 2014. Home sales, however,

are still on the rise.

wide range of startups, among them

CV Technologies Inc. — the makers of

Cold-FX. Other successes include a

cancer diagnostics company, Metabolo-

mic Technologies Inc., and a nanosensor

developer, Nemsor Technologies Inc.

TEC Edmonton data show that

its 106 client companies generated

$103 million in revenue in 2012, up

25 per cent from the past year. The

organization’s research also shows

that startups using its services had

a 95 per cent survival rate, which

is higher than Industry Canada’s

benchmark of 80 to 85 per cent.

-Caitlin Crawshaw

EDMONTON BUILDERS UNITE

A commercial development association

has launched a new chapter in Ed-

monton. NAIOP, the Commercial Real

Estate Development Association, is

The Buzz


LATITUDE

reflect an Alberta trend in adopting the

staple of British traffic engineering?

In late summer, Alberta Transporta-

tion started construction of the round-

about, located just east of Villeneuve

at the intersection of Highway 44 and

Highway 633. The Edmonton branch of

CIMA+ designed the challenging struc-

ture, which must accommodate the turn-

ing radius of large vehicles.

The design includes splitter islands

for oversized vehicles to go over when

necessary. The structure will also feature

signs on movable bases for directing

large vehicles.

Highways 44 and 633 are frequented

by both commuter traffic and heavy-load

vehicles. It’s hoped the new roundabout

will reduce collisions at the intersection.

This will be the third roundabout

built by the province since 2007. Others

were constructed in Sylvan Lake and

Peace River.

-Caitlin Crawshaw

INNER CITY BUILD PROMISES HOPE

A City of Edmonton plan to revive a

struggling inner city neighbourhood has

completed its first development phase. At

the end of March, the Boyle Renaissance

project officially opened two buildings

along 103A Avenue and 95th Street: a

150-unit housing complex and a YMCA-

owned building housing a daycare, a

family resource centre, office space, and

facilities for community gatherings.

Almost 12 years and $42 million in

the making, Boyle Renaissance is part of

the city’s Quarters Downtown redevel-

opment, a strategy intended to improve

the quality of life of people living east

of the city’s downtown core. Phase II

— scheduled for completion at the end

of this year — involves construction of

the Renaissance Tower, a seven-storey,

90-unit housing facility catering to First

Nations people, seniors and people with

disabilities.

Boyle Renaissance is a sustainable

project. Phase I and Phase II will share

heat and power systems, thanks to a

380-kilowatt microgeneration system on

the roof of the Renaissance Tower. It will

wetlands, native plants, migratory birds,

caribou and other wildlife, biodiversity

and Aboriginal traditional land use. Many

of these issues, said the ruling, are linked

to the environment’s capacity to absorb

the overall pace of development of the

oilsands — not the Jackpine project alone.

The provincial and federal govern-

ments have the final say on whether the

expansion proceeds.

-Jacqueline Louie

FIRST NATION FILES OBJECTIONTO OILSANDS PROJECT

In part because of the potential loss of

caribou herds, Fort McKay First Nation

has filed a formal objection with the

Alberta Energy Regulator against an

oilsands development. It’s the first time

in about two decades the nation has filed

an objection of this kind, and the move

may mean that the Dover project, which

would produce 250,000 barrels per day

of bitumen, will end up before the courts.

The nation, which has strong work-

ing relationships with energy compa-

nies like Syncrude and Suncor, says it

will take legal action if environmental

concerns over the Dover in situ project

aren’t addressed.

Athabasca Oil Corp. and PetroChina

have proposed the project on a site 95

kilometres northwest of Fort McMurray.

The band wants a 20-kilometre buffer

zone to protect lands traditionally used

for hunting, fishing and trapping by its

700 Dene, Cree and Métis residents.

Among concerns: a wildlife assessment

that predicts the extinction of two caribou

herds in the area within the next 30

years.

In its approval in August, the Alberta

Energy Regulator rejected the buffer

zone, saying the environmental impact of

the project would be negligible to minor.

Provincial government approval is still

required.

The project would boost provincial

coffers by an estimated $26 billion in

royalty payments over its 65-year life.

-Gillian Bennett

use natural gas to produce electricity,

and its waste heat will help warm

both the tower and the YMCA building

across the street.

-Caitlin Crawshaw

LOOK OUT, B.C. — ALBERTA KEEPS GROWING

New data released by Statistics Canada

revealed that in 2012 the province’s

population grew by more than three

per cent — double the national growth

rate of 1.1 per cent.

While Alberta’s population has

been steadily increasing for decades,

Todd Hirsch, senior economist at ATB

Financial, describes the current rate of

growth as a “full-scale stampede.”

Now with nearly 3.9 million people,

Alberta is the fourth most populous

province in Canada, behind Ontario,

Quebec and B.C. The province contin-

ues to close in on B.C. — Mr. Hirsch

predicts that within eight years, Alberta

will take over the number three spot.

-Caitlin Crawshaw

JACKPINE EXPANSIONRECEIVES REGULATOR BOOST

Shell Canada’s plan to expand

production at its Jackpine oilsands

mine, about 60 kilometres north of

Fort McMurray, has earned a green

light from regulators. The decision,

however, did contain cautions about

overall oilsands development.

The decision came down from

a joint review panel representing the

Alberta Energy Regulator and the

Canadian Environmental Assessment

Agency. It recommended approval of

Shell’s plan to expand production at the

mine to 300,000 barrels of bitumen a

day from 200,000.

In a ruling announced in July, the

panel found that the proposed mine

expansion is in the public interest be-

cause of its economic benefits. At the

same time, the panel noted the project

in conjunction with others would likely

result in significant adverse effects on


LATITUDE

BY GAIL HELGASONFreelance Contributor

PANAMA CANALGETS BIGGER, SAFER, BETTER

About 100 years after it opened, the

Panama Canal continues to make

engineering news. Upgrades to

accommodate today’s large ships include

a third set of locks, featuring rapid open-

and-close gates. The locks and other

upgrades will allow twice the tonnage

to pass through the canal, reports

Engineering News-Record (New York).

Power management technology, pro-

visions and procedures, including a second

power system, are expected to float op-

erational safety to a new high-water mark.

Estimates of the total project cost vary and

depend on what is included, but the origi-

nal number was over US $5 billion. Project

completion is slated for 2015.

LADY LIBERTY GETS A MAKEOVER

New York’s famed Statue of Liberty re-

opened to the public this summer, follow-

ing a 20-month renovation with daunting

engineering challenges, says Civil Engi-

neering (Reston, Va.).The six-level interior

of the 46-metre-high statue was gutted

and rebuilt.

Two wider stairways were created

to bring service up to code and allow

wheelchair access. Weaving the

stairways together with an elevator

hoistway “was a little like making a

delicate piece of jewelry out of steel and

concrete,” said a representative of the

project’s structural engineers, Keast &

Hood Co. of Philadelphia.

One strategy was to employ cast-

in-place concrete for the elevator,

enabling the construction of walls that

are thin but strong. The materials were

also a good visual match with existing

interior materials.

GOING WHERE THE WIND BLOWS

If you want to catch good wind, it

makes sense to set sail where good

winds blow. That was the thinking

behind a new wind generator launched

offshore in the Gulf of Maine — the first

of its kind.

VolturnUS, a project of the

University of Maine and various

partners, is the world’s first, concrete

composite, floating platform for a wind

turbine, reports Engineering News-

Record. It features a 20-metre tower

and a 20-kilowatt capacity.

If successful, further trials will result

in a 90-metre-high tower for a turbine

that could generate six megawatts and

supply the onshore grid. All told, U.S.

coasts are estimated to have untapped,

offshore wind power of up to 4,000 giga-

watts per year.

SOMETHING CONCRETE

The VolturnUS is now generating energy off the coast

of Maine (left), featuring the first concrete composite,

floating platform for a wind turbine. Meanwhile, a new

elevator inside the iconic Statue of Liberty features

cast-in-place concrete for thin, strong walls.-photo courtesy University of Maine


LATITUDEWorld Watch

BRING ON THE TOURISTSIN THEIR GREAT BIG JETS —ISRAEL BUILDS A NEW AIRPORT

Israel recently began construction of

its first new commercial airport since

achieving independence in 1948, says

the Engineering News-Record. The

$450-million airport in the southern

Arava Desert will replace an existing one

that can’t handle jumbo jets.

The airport will continue service for

the Red Sea resort area. Completion is

expected in 2016.

TAKING A BITE OUT OF CONSTRUCTION CONGESTION

Lowering travel times near and through

construction zones is becoming easier

around Boston and some other Ameri-

can cities, thanks to a new traffic moni-

toring system.

Using Bluetooth signals from

mobile devices in vehicles, the Blue-

TOAD traffic monitoring system fills

in gaps from other collectors of traffic

data, Engineering News-Record reports.

The new data can then be used to, for

example, help crews know when to

open or close lanes in construction areas

at optimal times for relieving congestion.

Designed by TrafficCast of Madison,

Wis., the system is reported to be up to 10

times less expensive than others, and it

also preserves drivers’ anonymity.

NORWAY MAKESSHIPPING AND TUNNELING HISTORY

Long renowned as tunnel experts,

Norwegian engineers are at the cutting

edge again as the country builds what is

predicted to be the world’s first tunnel for

ships. The Norwegian government has

approved the Stad Ship Tunnel, although

construction is not expected to start until

2018, Civil Engineering reports.

The aim is to create a passage big

enough to allow the passage of cargo

ships and commuter vessels, avoiding

treacherous waters around the Stadlandet

peninsula north of Bergen.

The design calls for a 50-metre-high,

36-metre-wide structure. Excavation

would remove more than three million

square metres of rock, which will be used

to create two small islands.

Planners are still addressing how

ships would proceed and how collisions

and fires would be handled.

SHOULD TRUCKS GO SLOWER?

Do different speed limits for cars and

trucks create safer roads? The Michigan

Department of Transportation hopes to

find the answer, Civil Engineering reports.

The state has hired civil engineers at

Wayne State University and other experts

to look at the state’s speed differential.

Speed limits there on rural freeways are

70 m.p.h. for passenger vehicles and 60

m.p.h. for trucks and buses. Michigan is

one of only eight states that post different

rates for trucks and passenger cars.

Researchers plan to review earlier

speed limit studies and conduct field

studies using radar guns on highways.

The practice of posting differential

speeds, once popular, declined after

earlier research showed that variable

speeds could actually increase the

possibility of crashes.


LATITUDE

Movers&ShakersCOMPILED AND WRITTEN BY

GILLIAN BENNETT The PEG

RESEARCHER SHARESKINSHIP WITH SOCRATES

Socrates purportedly said, “I know one

thing: that I know nothing.” For an eager

audience of convocating engineering

students, Jacob Masliyah, OC, P.Eng., FCAE, had similar words. The profes-

sor emeritus at the University of Alberta

cautioned students to never believe they

know everything about their profession

and to never stop learning.

Sage advice indeed from an indi-

vidual whose career has epitomized the

pursuit of knowledge. Dr. Masliyah re-

ceived an honorary doctorate of science

at the U of A convocation ceremony, in

recognition of his tremendous body of

research on bitumen and oilsands

extraction.

In a university news story he cred-

its an early work ethic for his success.

Mature beyond his years, as a child he

created detailed study plans to master his

schoolwork. He later applied this determi-

nation to his engineering studies.

Dr. Masliyah served as the NSERC

Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands,

overseeing research at the Syncrude

Canada Research Centre and the U of

A. When he needed to understand how

sand could separate from bitumen, he set

aside an entire year to find out. His extra

effort led to his being named a world

authority on bitumen recovery, with his

research at the forefront of the univer-

sity’s growing international reputation.

Dr. Masliyah is a past winner of the

Rutherford Award for Excellence, for his

research and teaching in fluid mechan-

ics, heat transfer and bitumen extrac-

tion. His desire to improve extraction

methods and maximize oil recovery for

industry is equal to his desire to pro-

vide environmentally friendly methods

of extraction. His work has resulted

in more efficient methods of bitumen

processing, with a reduction in the use

of water and energy.

A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW

It is responsible for the long lives of the

Hoover Dam, the Panama Canal and the

dome of the Pantheon. Despite its age,

concrete has not yet gone out of style.

You don’t have to convince the Ameri-

can Concrete Institute, which recently

hosted its annual Awards of Excellence.

Several APEGA permit holders

were in the mix of award recipients.

• Advanced Concrete Construction

(Gregg Logistics new facility) —

Stantec Consulting Ltd.

• Civil (the City of Calgary airport trail

tunnel) — CH2M HILL Canada Ltd.

• Sustainable (Belgravia Green Net

Zero Energy Home) — Solnorth Engineering Ltd.

• Restoration (Agrium fertilizer plant

– prill tower structural restoration)

— Agrium Inc. and Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.

• Bridges (52nd Street S.E. – grade

separation and road widening) —

AECOM Canada Ltd. and Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.

• Buildings (City of Calgary –

Emergency Operations Centre) —

Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.

The American Concrete Institute

was created in 1904 as a nonprofit

technical and educational society. With

20,000 members in over 120 countries, it

initiates forums for concrete technology

and supports problem resolution.

SUCCESS FOUND INFOUR DIFFERENT FORMULAS

A builder, an energy director, an

engineer/designer and an LRT expander.

What do they all have in common? They

were selected for Alberta Venture lists on

influential and inspirational Albertans.

Implementing a whole new system

of building is a huge undertaking. In the

housing industry, the cost of labour and

the impracticality of mass marketing

have undermined efforts to improve

production. For one man that reasoning

was not good enough. Reza Nasseri, P.Eng., created a business centred on

improving quality of life and revitalizing

communities, earning him a place as one

of Alberta’s 50 most influential people.

-courtesy Landmark Group


Mr. Nasseri grew up in Esfahan,

Iran, where he showed interest in

building and design from a young

age. He immigrated to Canada in

1964, arriving in Edmonton on a cold

December day. Mr. Nasseri studied

electrical engineering at the University

of Alberta but never outgrew the

building bug. After securing work as

a research engineer and instructor

at NAIT, he continued to work every

summer in the construction industry.

Eventually he created Nasseri

Construction, which went on to become

Landmark Homes. Since then the

business has grown to become one of

Alberta’s largest home builders, with

operations in Edmonton, Calgary and

Red Deer. Adamant about finding a

better way to build — one that involved

reducing waste in existing processes —

Mr. Nasseri was introduced to precision

indoor building. The idea changed his

business forever. Landmark initiated a

small-scale experimental prefabrication

shop in 2003 and opened its first state-

of-the-art manufacturing facility in 2011.

The Landmark Precision Building

System eliminated weeks of time

from the building cycle and reduced

transportation and site work, while

generating 58 per cent less waste than

traditional methods. These efficiencies

have allowed the company to focus

on emission-reducing technology for

homes, reducing the carbon footprint

by three to five tonnes per year.

Mr. Nasseri has worked to

provide efficient, affordable, qual-

ity homes to families, with the hope

that it will improve quality of life and

strengthen communities. The com-

pany’s community support program

Landmark Cares has contributed over

$10.6 million to organizations that

promote education, healthcare, the

arts, and programs for First Nations

and immigrants.

Mr. Nasseri is a past recipient of

the Alberta Order for Excellence, the

Exceptional Service Award, and the

Peter Lougheed Award of Achievement

for advancement of health services.

Also named one of Alberta’s 50

most influential people is a man not afraid

of diving into the deep end. As Encana

struggled with operational challenges

due to low gas prices, Clayton Woitas, P.Eng., a board member since 2008,

waded in to become interim CEO.

Mr. Woitas received his bachelor of

science degree in civil engineering from

the U of A. He became director and CEO

of Renaissance Energy Ltd. and later

founded Profico Energy Management Ltd.,

where he operated as chairman, presi-

dent and CEO. He is now chairman and

CEO of Range Royalty Management Ltd.,

a private company focused on acquiring

royalty interests in Western Canadian oil

and natural gas production.

During his time as Encana’s interim

CEO, Mr. Woitas was highly commended

for his direction of Encana while the

company was in flux. Mr. Woitas also

headed up the search for a new CEO.

Mr. Woitas is now chairman of the

board at Encana, where he continues

to support and influence the company

and its commitment to cutting costs and

maintaining capital discipline. He is also

INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS

Reza Nasseri, P.Eng., and Clayton Woitas, P.Eng., (right), were featured in Alberta Venture as two of Alberta’s 50 most influential people.

-courtesy Encana Corporation


LATITUDE Movers & Shakers

STAR POWER

Also highlighted in Alberta Venture as two of Alberta’s

Rising Stars were Kara Chomistek, E.I.T. and Erum

Afsar, P.Eng., (left).

-photo by Aaron Pederson

-photo

by C

huck S

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url

o

a director of NuVista Energy Ltd., Gibson

Energy Inc. and several private energy

companies and advisory boards.

She may be mechanically minded,

but after work hours Kara Chomistek, E.I.T., transforms into a daring fash-

ionista, engineering magical art events

launched through PARK, a group she cre-

ated and currently heads. Her success at

providing emerging artists with a venue

to exhibit and sell art has led to her being

named one of Venture’s Next 10 Alberta

Rising Stars.

Ms. Chomistek graduated from the

University of Calgary with a bachelor’s

degree in mechanical engineering,

with a biomedical specialization. She

spent her early career with Smith and Nephew Inc., developing orthopedic

equipment for joint surgery. Now

designing mechanical systems for data

centres, she has devoted her free time

to assist over 300 students, emerging

artists and small business owners.

Through her non-profit organization

PARK, she creates events for artists to

showcase their work.

Erum Afsar, P.Eng., knows how to

get where she’s going. And if she can’t

find a way to get there, she creates it. As

a general supervisor in transportation

planning for the City of Edmonton, she

has worked on concept planning for the

downtown and northwest LRT routes.

With a civil engineering degree

from Queen’s University, Ms. Afsar has

worked in the private and public sectors

in Regina, Calgary and Edmonton. A

knowledgeable voice on LRT expansion,

Dr. N. (Raj) RajaratnamP.Eng.

as a senior

engineering specialist and

technical advisor.

Raj is an award-winning researcher, professor and engineer. He has over 55 years of experience in hydraulic engineering and fluid mechanics and has been a highly-respected faculty member at the University of Alberta within the Water Resources Engineering Department for the last 50 years. He brings with him extensive knowledge in the fields of hydraulic structures, energy dissipation and turbulent jets. He has published over 200 journal papers and has received numerous awards for his research.

Northwest Hydraulic

Consultants Ltd.

is pleased to welcome

Raj joining NHC’s Edmonton team provides a meaningful addition to all areas of NHC’s business and a significant enhancement to the hydraulic structures design and physical modelling departments. As NHC Edmonton’s Branch Manager, Gary Van Der Vinne says,

“We are very excited to have Raj join our team; his insight into hydraulic issues will help us to provide even better solutions for our clients.”


Movers & Shakers LATITUDE

she has addressed controversial rail plans before concerned

citizens, and encouraged ethnic minority groups to get involved.

Passionate about building sustainable communities, she has

completed long-range transportation master plans, community

traffic calming studies, transit studies and traffic impact

analyses. Ms. Afsar volunteers with NextGen, a group of young

Edmontonians that connects people, places, community and

ideas.

BACK TO HIS ROOTS

Past APEGA CEO H. Neil Windsor, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), FCAE, P.E. (Hon.), (far right) accepts an award of merit from his home association of PEGNL. Present at the ceremony

was his wife, Anne Windsor, (second from right) and Engineers Canada President Jim Beckett, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)., and his wife, Anita Beckett.

-photo by Paul Daley


LATITUDE Movers & ShakersShe was previously highlighted in Avenue magazine’s Top 40

Under 40.

EAST COAST ACCOLADEFormer APEGA CEO H. Neil Windsor, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), FCAE, P.E. (Hon.), has received the Award of Merit for 2013

from Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland-

Labrador. The award is the highest presented by PEGNL

and recognizes exceptional achievement in engineering or

geoscience. Originally from St. John’s, Mr. Windsor served his

province as a finance minister and a finance critic before coming

to Alberta.

Mr. Windsor is best known for his work on labour mobility

while serving as CEO of APEGA. He strove to develop ties

between legislators and industry in order to foster economic

development in the region. He now lives back in his home

province, in Lewisporte.

Written up numerous times in this space because of a long

list of accolades, Mr. Windsor retired in January of 2012.

WHERE THE CEOKNOWS YOUR NAME

It’s hard to keep track of a staff of 600, but one CEO has unlocked

the secrets of success in leading an employee-owned Canadian

consulting firm. Kerry Rudd, P.Eng., was recently presented the

Chairman’s Award from the Association of Consulting Engineer-

ing Companies — Canada for his leadership and outstanding

contribution to the consulting industry.

Graduating in the U.K., Mr. Rudd initially struggled to find

work as a junior engineer. After reluctantly accepting a research

assignment at a university, he later realized he was gaining

valuable experience working independently, with the task of

delivering a product in a set time frame and budget.

This initial experience equipped him well for a career in

consulting, and after moving to Canada, he joined Associated Engineering Ltd. as a project engineer in Vancouver.

CHOICE CHAIRMAN

Kerry Rudd, P.Eng., has received the Chairman’s Award from ACEC-Canada. The CEO

of Associated Engineering has made a point to connect with his staff and provide them

with opportunities to give back to the community.

-photo courtesy Associated Engineering


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LATITUDE Movers & ShakersLeading projects and groups, Mr. Rudd came to understand

the importance of leading by example. In each group he would

find the worst job his staff had to undertake — and participate in

it. The resulting respect he gained and knowledge he gathered

were beneficial to both staff and company.

Now based in Edmonton as president and CEO of Associated

Engineering, Mr. Rudd has amassed an impressive 29 years

with the firm. A key factor in his receipt of the award was the

company’s community engagement. Associated Engineering

encourages employees to donate their time to industry and

community organizations. Canstruction Edmonton, Capital City

Clean Up, Canadian Blood Services and the Christmas Bureau of

Edmonton are just a few of the charities that have benefited from

the company’s support.

ONE MAN, TWO CHAIRS

It’s a topic of wide debate: how to produce energy more

efficiently while considering environmental impacts. The

Edmonton Journal recently reported that Amit Kumar, P.Eng., now holds two research chairs — the NSERC Industrial

Research Chair in Energy and Environmental Systems

Engineering, and the inaugural Cenovus Energy Endowed Chair

in Environmental Engineering.

Dr. Kumar completed his education at the Indian Institute of

Technology and went on to receive a master of science degree

in energy technology from the Asian Institute of Technology.

After coming to Canada, he received a PhD from the U of A and

soon after became an assistant professor in the Department of

Mechanical Engineering. Now an associate professor, he has



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expanded his research into energy and

environmental systems engineering. The

two research programs enjoy, in total,

$4.4 million in funding from Cenovus, and

federally and provincially funded research

agencies.

Dr. Kumar and a team of 20

researchers aim to create computerized

engineering models that will examine

the economic and environmental impacts

of energy production from coal, wind,

hydro, biomass, natural gas and oil. It is

hoped the research will aid governments

in creating science-based legislation and

ENERGY IMPACTS

Amit Kumar, P.Eng., has a busy desk, thanks to two new research chairs. A team of 20 researchers will help him with

his work to explore the environmental impacts of energy production.

help industry with investment decisions.

Dr. Kumar is the associate editor of

the journal Canadian Biosystems Engineer-

ing. He has served as Alberta regional

director for the Canadian Society of

Bioengineering.

REWARDS FOR TOP RESEARCH

Fuzzy logic meets wastewater treatment

in this year’s Killam Annual Professor-

ships. Two professors, both from the

Department of Civil and Environmental


LATITUDE Movers & Shakers

LAMBERT I n t e l l e c t u a l • P r o p e r t y • L a w

Patent, trademark and copyright advice, filing, prosecution and litigation.

Oilfield, mechanical, petrochemical, electrical, nanotechnology,

alternative energy, software and computer related inventions.

www.lambertlaw.ca Contact Tony Lambert 780-448-0604

Engineering at the University of Alberta, received professorships

for the quality of their research, publications and other scholarly

activities.

Mohamed Gamal El-Din, P.Eng., has been concentrating his

research on water and wastewater treatment. He has an active

research program in the area of oilsands tailings treatment.

After starting a career at the U of A in 2001, Dr. Gamal

El-Din began researching the application of ozone treatment as

an advanced oxidation process. He also looked at the application

of laser measurement techniques to characterize the flow

hydrodynamics in complex multi-phase flow environments. With

numerous publications to his name, he has ventured into new

areas of research, such as artificial intelligence to describe

the behaviour of treatment systems, and the development of

nanotechnology and biofilm reactors.

For Dr. Gamal El-Din, the professorship means he will be

able to continue his oilsands research. Over the next 10 years

he aims to create innovative treatment technologies. These,

he hopes, will allow for water reuse and the safe discharge of

treated water with minimal impact on health and the environment.

The world often looks fuzzy to Aminah Robinson, P.Eng. Her

work with fuzzy logic deals with reasoning that is approximate

rather than fixed, with many variables to consider. The professor

of construction engineering and management at the U of A has

become an international expert in this field.

Dr. Robinson joined the Department of Civil and Environ-

mental Engineering in 1997. She became the NSERC Associate

Industrial Research Chair in 2007 and developed a formula for

collaborative research between the university and industry. Her

work has led to the development of applications such as contrac-

tor prequalification tools, foreman skills development tools and a

workforce absenteeism tracking tool.

Dr. Robinson recently became the NSERC Senior Industrial

Research Chair in Strategic Construction Modeling and Delivery.

Her core research is in the development of fuzzy logic techniques

to incorporate subjective reasoning and linguistic variables within

intelligent decision support systems. The research has the poten-

tial to change the way the construction industry models opera-

tions and decisions.

Dr. Robinson also holds the Ledcor Professorship in Con-

struction Engineering and is specialty editor for the ASCE Journal

of Construction Engineering and Management.

NEW INDUCTEES MAKE IMPACT

Forty-seven new fellows were inducted into the Canadian

Academy of Engineering this year. Six distinguished APEGA

Members were included in the group, which was honoured for

going beyond normal practice to contribute to the profession and

greater community.


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Tongwen Chen, P.Eng., knows all

about control. Control systems, that is.

The international authority on computer

controlled systems has over 100 journal

articles to his name — some ranking

in the top one per cent of those most

highly cited in the field. A professor at

the University of Alberta, he has directed

three NSERC strategic projects related

to improving control and monitoring of

industrial processes.

An expert on combustion, the

research of Larry Kostiuk, P.Eng., seeks to protect the environment from

the 135 billion cubic metres of natural

gas flared annually. He is a world-

leading researcher of industrial flaring.

His work includes predictive models

to assess variables such as wind

speed and heat value of flare gas. His

quantification of emissions has led to the

mitigation and reduction of greenhouse

gas emissions while still allowing

for efficient production in the energy

industry. Dr. Kostiuk previously received

the Environmental Excellence Summit

Award from APEGA and is currently

department chair of mechanical

engineering at the University of Alberta.

Another fan of clean energy, former

APEGA president Leah Lawrence, P.Eng., FEC, was also inducted for her

efforts to advance renewable energy

projects in the province. As one of the

founders of Climate Change Central

and Clean Energy Capitalists Inc.,

Ms. Lawrence has worked towards

the commercialization of new energy

technologies such as flare gas capture

and commercial-scale solar energy.

Maja Veljkovic, P.Eng., was

inducted for her leadership in fuel cell

and oilsands upgrading technologies.

In addition to building a world-class

capability and fuel-cell cluster, she has

led R&D teams at Syncrude to create a

novel spray system that feeds bitumen

into fluidized, bed-cracking reactors.

The system has been commercialized at

Syncrude Canada Ltd. and ExxonMobil

worldwide. Ms. Veljkovic is currently

president of three national engineering

organizations.

Her involvement in engineering

management has taken her to the

highest level in an international setting.

Lorraine Whale, P.Eng., is a new

fellow for her work in the hydrocarbon

energy sector. For almost 10 years

Ms. Whale has managed Royal Dutch

Shell’s global research program for

oilsands development. The program

focuses on researching methods of

improving cost-effectiveness and

reducing environmental footprints. An

international speaker, she has served

on many not-for-profit boards and

volunteers as a mentor.

The Canadian Academy of Engi-

neering is a national institution that uti-

lizes the expertise of engineers to help

shape public policy in Canada. Members

are nominated and elected by their peers

based on their achievements and service

to the engineering profession.

WHO’S MOVING WHERE

• Engineers Canada welcomed Jim Beckett, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), of Edmonton, as its president for

the 2013-2014 term. Mr. Beckett

is a former president of APEGA

and a current board representative

on Engineers Canada’s Canadian

Engineering Accreditation Board.

See next page.

• Guy Gendron, P.Eng., of Calgary, has

accepted the position of vice-pres-

ident, engineering services, at Beta

Machinery Analysis Ltd. Dr. Gendron

was previously dean of the Schulich

School of Engineering. Interim dean

is Dr. Bill Rosehart, P.Eng.

• Steve Hrudey, P.Eng., of Edmonton,

has been appointed to the Alberta

Energy Regulator. Dr. Hrudey is a

professor emeritus at the University

of Alberta, a recognized expert on

water safety and the environment,

and an APEGA Councillor.


LATITUDE This and ThatBECKONED TO THE TOP

Engineers Canada

welcomed Alberta’s

Jim Beckett,

P.Eng., FEC, FGC

(Hon.), as its new

President, during the

organization’s annual

general meeting in

Yellowknife in June.

A national

organization,

Engineers Canada

represents the dozen

associations that

regulate the practice

of engineering

in Canada and

license more than

250,000 engineering

professionals. This

includes APEGA and

11 other provincial

and territorial

associations.

Mr. Beckett,

born and educated in

Edmonton, will lead

Engineers Canada

for the 2013-2014

term. Moving up

from the President-Elect position, his

responsibilities include helping build a

stronger engineering profession, and

helping increase public awareness

about Professional Engineers and their

contributions to society.

Mr. Beckett, an APEGA life member,

was APEGA President in 2009-2010

and has represented the association

on the Engineers Canada Board since

2010. He’s served on several Engineers

Canada committees and is currently

a representative on its Canadian

Engineering Accreditation Board.

Mr. Beckett has a bachelor of

science degree, with distinction, in

electrical engineering from the University

of Alberta. He’s a past member of the

university’s board of governors, its

senate and its engineering advisory

board, and his past positions on the U of

A Alumni Association include president,

vice-president and faculty adviser.

He worked 37 years with ATCO

Utilities Group, rising to the position of

executive vice-president, regulatory.

He is currently the principal at Beckett

Consulting.

We’ll have more on Mr. Beckett in

the December PEG. As the magazine

cover suggests, we dedicated a lot of

our September space to coverage of

the June floods in southern Alberta.

A few items some readers will be

expecting in this issue, in fact, did

not make it at all. If you’re one of the

writers whose material we left out,

we’ll be in touch soon.

MINI-DOC COMES OUT OFFLOOD STORY ASSIGNMENTS

And speaking of the floods, we put

two staff members on the ground in

southern Alberta, midway through July.

Corinne Lutter and Amro Maghrabi of the

APEGA Communications Group set off

with cameras and notepads in hand to

talk to Members and gather information.

Our print coverage of the flooding,

the damage done and the road ahead

starts on page 54, with stories by

Ms. Lutter, along with photos she and

others shot of damage, the beginnings

of recovery and the people who lent a

hand. APEGA’s involvement included the

secondment of Malcolm Bruce, MSM,

Director, Corporate Services, to the

province, to help kick-start its Southern

Alberta Flood Recovery Task Force.

Mr. Maghrabi, meanwhile, has

created a mini-documentary video,

called Engineers and the Southern

Alberta Floods of 2013. The doc reports

on how some of APEGA’s Professional

Engineers responded to the emergency,

and includes footage of the actual

flooding, and flood-ravaged areas and

neighbourhoods in Calgary and High

River, along with interviews with

Professional Engineers directly involved

in the flood emergency response and

mitigation efforts.

With the help of the Professional

Engineers interviewed in the video,

our Communications crew was able

to capture footage of some of the

damaged infrastructure in Calgary, such

as McLeod Trail and the South LRT

Line, as well as the hard-hit Sunrise

neighbourhood in High River. The

crew also shot footage of Calgary’s

Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant, which

remarkably was able to maintain clean

drinking water for Calgarians throughout

the intense flooding.

On the day that Mr. Maghrabi and

Ms. Lutter arrived in High River, the

residents of Sunrise were just getting

back into their homes for the first

time since the flooding occurred. The

APEGA crew had a rare chance to see

the extent of the damage before major

cleanup and restoration was underway.

“Although it was very difficult to see the

damage firsthand, it was great to see

Albertans uniting,” said Mr. Maghrabi.

“The positive vibes from a volunteer

JIM BECKETT, P.ENG. . .

. . .Engineers Canada President


LATITUDEThis and That

DISCOVERE FRIENDS

APEGA’s sponsorship of DiscoverE — University of Alberta summer camps on science and engineering for young people — received recognition recently at the U of A. In this

photo, APEGA lines up with fellow supporters from the Canadian Society for Senior Engineers. From left, U of A Dean of Engineering Dr. David Lynch, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.);

Phillip Mulder, APR, FEC (Hon.) FGC (Hon.), APEGA Director, Communications; Dr. Fred Otto, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), and Andy Jones, P.Eng., both representing the CSSE; and

Mohamed El Daly, outreach coordinator for DiscoverE.

crew from Stewart Weir — that side of

the story is really inspiring.”

The video is available on APEGA’s

YouTube Channel, under Engineers

and the Southern Alberta Floods of

2013. APEGA’s YouTube Channel is

APEGAabca, or you can reach it through

our homepage of apega.ca.

“Viewers are encouraged to share

the video on their social media chan-

nels,” Mr. Maghrabi said — a true-to-form

statement, given that he’s the public

relations coordinator assigned to social

media.

THE GEO SHORTAGE

We had a difficult time connecting

with geoscience Members, particularly

on the ground in their volunteer and

professional roles. But just as flood

recovery continues, so too does our

coverage.

After this edition, we won’t be

dedicating as much space to the subject

all at once. But we’d love to hear your

stories — whether or not you’re a

Professional Geoscientist — and we’ll

do our best to give them some mention.

Send contact coordinates, personal tales

or other information to George Lee,

editor of the The PEG, at [email protected].


CAREERS

Want to be more effective leading, coaching and communicating with a diverse workforce?Join ERIEC’s Career Mentorship Program to participate in no-cost, government-funded professional development. Through a mentoring relationship, you can coach an immigrant professional in engineering and help them successfully achieve employment in the Edmonton region (mentors do not fi nd jobs for their mentees).

In 24 hours over 16 weeks using an easy-to-follow-guide, you will:

• Improve your cross-cultural leadership and management skills;

• Develop intercultural skills; and• Have ‘no strings attached’ opportunities to assess

potential recruits for your organization Go to www.eriec.ca/career-mentorship-program and check out the list of profi les of mentees waiting for a professional mentor today. Apply now!

Big company, small company — each has

its own pros and cons. It comes down to a

matter of personal choice and what values

and goals you take to the job.

But perhaps you don’t know enough

about each kind of company to make that

decision. The following list of small compa-

nies’ usual workplace qualities should help.

THE GOOD ABOUT SMALL

• You get better experience at multiple

projects and at being all things to many

people at once — that’s a very good

foundation for any career.

• Small companies tend towards true

empowerment. They do not have the

resources to keep employees glued to

their job descriptions.

• Each employee’s actions can make a

more visible difference to the company’s

successes or failures.

Those who shine really shine.

Successful employees stick out.

• You tend to get a true feeling of

entrepreneurship, which is another

outstanding foundation for any career.

• You may get an opportunity to share in

profits or even ownership.

WHAT ABOUT BAD?

• Small companies are frequently

resource constrained, so they may

not have the latest

equipment, technology,

training funds, etc.

• They are less

able to weather

market bumps,

so job security is

usually poor. Small

companies go belly-

up more frequently

than larger

companies.

• Salaries and

benefits are

generally lower

than at more

established

and larger

companies.

BIG PICTURE

For larger companies — reverse the pros

and cons above.

However, plenty of larger companies

these days are doing their best to bring the

small-business ethic of opportunity and

recognition into the workplace.

That means that if you are hired by

a well-managed and progressive large

company — a truism for many large APEGA

permit holders — most of the pros for a

small company may apply.

Big Company, Small Company?

Which One is Best for You?

OVERRIDING CONSIDERATION

In any job, if you happen to get a boss, a

supervisor or a manager who is excellent,

try to stay put for as long as you can,

regardless of whether the company is big

or small. Learn how that person operates

and why you like working for him or her,

and then use those lessons to build your

own career.

With that kind of attitude, you’ll soon

be on to bigger and better things, no matter

what size of company you’re working for.

Do the letters CEO sound attractive?


CAREERS

Here is a rare career opportunity for a proven executive to play a major operational and strategic role in the future of professional self-regulation. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is a recognized national and international leader. It is the second-largest regulator of engineering and the largest regulator of geoscience in Canada, and the largest professional association of any kind in Western Canada.

As the Registrar, you will lead a team of well-respected staff members and volunteers as they formulate policy, review practice standards, infl uence legislation (the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act), and uphold the public interest as it relates to the professions. You understand the importance of customer service, public interest, commitment to integrity, and building strong relationships.

You will provide leadership, direction, guidance and oversight to the Regulatory Group, and you will create and foster a culture of integrity throughout the organization. You will bring demonstrated leadership and management experience and success in leading complex change. You have or are eligible for professional membership in APEGA.

Are you interested in exploring this opportunity? If so, please contactElizabeth Hurley, Principal ORArdyce Kouri, Senior Consultant ORIva Seto, Search Associate

Davies Park Edmonton1505 Scotia 210060 Jasper Avenue NWEdmonton, AB T5J 3R8

Ph: 780-420-9900Fax: 780-426-2936

Email: [email protected]: www.daviespark.com

APEGA Leadership Opportunity Registrar

Bring your talent and passion to a global organization at the forefront of business, technology and innovation. Collaborate

with diverse, talented colleagues and leaders who support your success. Help transform organizations and communities

around the world. Sharpen your skills through industry-leading training and development, as you build an extraordinary

career. Discover how great you can be.

©2013 Accenture.

All rights reserved.

Careers in Energy ConsultingAre you looking for a new challenge?

Take your career to the next level with

Accenture, one of the leading providers

of energy consulting services in Canada.

With experience spanning the entire energy

value chain, including upstream,

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As a member of Accenture’s team, you

will be working at the forefront of this

evolving landscape, helping Canadian

energy companies meet challenges

and seize opportunities.

To learn more and apply, please visit:

careers.accenture.com/peg


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LUNCHEONSTuesday, September 17

Resource Development in Alberta in the 21st

Century — When Engineering Solutions Alone

Simply Aren’t Enough

Richard Dixon, Executive Director of CABREE

Tuesday, October 15

Benefits and Returns on Investments for Intelligent Transportation

System (ITS) Applications

Sadiq A. Pirani, P.Eng., Senior Transportation Engineer,

Strathcona County, Alberta

Wednesday, October 23

LOCATION: Dow Centennial Centre, Fort Saskatchewan

Alberta Pressure Equipment Safety Programs and the Role of

APEGA Members in Over-Pressure Protection

Dr. Ken Lau, P.Eng., Chief Inspector and Administrator, ABSA

Tuesday, November 12

Managing Transitions

Gail J. Powley, P.Eng., Chair of the Women in APEGA Committee

Luncheons held at: Westin Hotel, 10135 100th St., Edmonton

Schedule: 11:30 a.m. Registration

12 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. Presentation

Cost: Members – $30 ($35 at door)

Non-members – $35 ($40 at door)

Students – $15

To register: Online at www.apega.ca under Fast Find, Branch

Events Registration; or phone Sara Wolbeck

780-426-3990, toll free 1-800-661-7020, ext 2338.

SPONSORS

LUNCHEONS Wednesday, September 11

Canadian Oil, The Battle to Change Public

Perception, Nationally & Internationally

Deborah Yedlin, Calgary Herald

Wednesday, October 16

The Pueblo Viejo Gold Project: Design, Fabrication, And

Transportation of the World’s Largest Gold Autoclave

Murray S. Pearson, Hatch Ltd.

Wednesday, November 20

Natural Gas Liquids in Canada

Carlos Murillo, CERI

Wednesday, December 11

Canada-Wide Labour Demand Outlook to 2022

Cheryl Knight, Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada

Luncheons held at: Fairmont Palliser Hotel, 133 9th Ave. S.W.

Schedule: 11:15 a.m. Registration

11.45 a.m. Luncheon

Cost: Members & Guests – $45

Students – $22

ASAP (APEGA Student Advantage Program) – $15

Register: Online at www.apega.ca under Fast Find, Branch

Events Registration; or the Calgary APEGA Office at

403-262-7714, noting any dietary restrictions.

SPONSORS

EDMONTON BRANCH CALENDAR CALGARY BRANCH CALENDAR

* PDHs

** This discount code ONLY applies to EPIC’s regular 1 to 4 day Public Seminars and Webinars. This discount may not be used in

EPIC On-Site Program, Where and When it’s Convenient for You

Tim Chugh at: 1-888-374-2338 ext 242 or [email protected]

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Upcoming Courses Code Location Date (2013) PDHs*

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WEBINARS (All times are in EDT) TIME

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✔ Give back to your profession

✔ Take satisfaction in helping others

✔ Share your knowledge

✔ Enhance coaching skills

✔ Earn CPD credits

Alberta’s locally and internationally educated graduates need your help.

Please contact Arlene Lack, BScNMentoring Coordinator EMAIL: [email protected]

www.apega.ca/members/ Mentoring/tocmap.html

URGENTLY NEEDED – Mentors in the Calgary Area

✔ Give back to your profession

✔ Take satisfaction in helping others

✔ Share your knowledge

✔ Enhance coaching skills

✔ Earn CPD credits

Alberta’s locally and internationally educated graduates need your help.

Please contact Arlene Lack, BScNMentoring Coordinator EMAIL: [email protected]

www.apega.ca/members/ Mentoring/tocmap.html

URGENTLY NEEDED – Mentors in the Edmonton Area

CAMP 6

The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer

Mr. Clayton Tiedemann P.Eng., Chief Warden of Camp #6 in Edmonton, announces that the next “The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer” (IRON RING) Obligation Ceremony will be held November 16, 2013 at the Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton.

For further details and to obtain an application form to participate, please contact the Camp Secretary, Ms. Susan Ancel, P.Eng.

c/o EPCOR Water Services Inc. E-MAIL [email protected] Ir

on R

ing

Cer

emon

y

THANK YOU 2013 SPONSORS

Title Sponsor:

Tournament Sponsors: CH2M Hill Sherritt Coal

Media Sponsor:

Photo Sponsor:

WISEST extends a special thanks to APEGA for their partnership and support of the tournament

7TH Annual Golf Tournament & Silent Auction

Lunch Sponsor:



REGISTER NOW AT www.cspg.org

Topics and speakers at this year’s conference include: Mudstone Sedimentology: Dr. Juergen Schieber, Indiana State University

Geomechanics and Natural Fracture Characterization: Dr. Jon Olson, University of Texas

Petrophysics in Unconventional Reservoirs: Dr. Quinn Passey, ExxonMobil

Seismic Attributes and Microseismic Advances: Dr. Mirko van der Baan, University of Alberta

Multidisciplinary Studies: Dr. Roberto Aguilera, University of Calgary

. Bring in your found rocks and fossils for identification by Professional Geologists and university geology students.

. Free admission to the clinic.

. Great family event!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2013 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Canmore Museum and Geoscience CentreCanmore Civic Centre902 7 Avenue

Guest speakers and children’s hands-on geoscience activities

A CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK (OCTOBER 18-27)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2013 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TELUS World of Science — Edmonton11211 142 Street

If you are into Rock visit the

Rock Rock && Fossil Clinic Fossil Clinic


Canada’s Energy Geoscien sts

CSPG Professional Development Fall Short Courses Mannville Stra graphy, Sedimentology and Petroleum Geology

Doug Cant, P.Geol.—October 16-18th

Subsurface Methods in Clas c Sediments

Doug Cant, P.Geol.—October 21-22nd

Drilling and Produc on Fundamentals

David Hill—October 21-22nd

Rock Creek Stra graphy, Sedimentology and Petroleum Geology

Doug Cant, P.Geol.—October 23rd

Conflict Resolu on Within the Realm of Oil & Gas

David Hill—October 23-24th

Fluvial Stra graphy

John Holbrook —October 23-24th

Networking: Real Worlds & Real Time Connec ons—Crea ng Powerful New Circles of Influence

Bruce Lee—October 24th

Prac cal Geomechanics for Unconven onal Oil and Gas

Pat McLellan, P.Eng.—October 24-25th

Special Workshops

Descrip on and Interpreta on of Shale Facies Workshop

Jurgen Schieber—October 18th

2013 Gussow Conference Speaker

For More Informa on and Registra on:

www.cspg.org/educa on, 403-264-5610, [email protected]



JOIN

www.wpcyouthforum.com #whyattend

the world’s brightest YOUNG MINDS in energy


READINGS

Our passion to continually improve allows us to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.

NEWS

Fuels, Energy and the Environment

By Ghazi A. Karim, P.Eng.

US $89.95

CRC Press

Editor’s Note: The book’s writer, Ghazi A. Karim, P.Eng., FEC, FGC

(Hon.), is a professor at the University of Calgary. Dr. Karim has

developed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, conducted

research, and published extensively on topics relating to energy

conversion, fuels, combustion and the environment. He has also been

a consultant to a wide variety of public and private institutions, is a

past Summit Award winner, and is a current member of the APEGA

Professional Practice Examination Committee.

We assigned reviewing the book to a member of the APEGA

Environment Committee. Her submission follows.

The book is written as a textbook and is very technical — but

at a basic level. It proposes problems to solve within each chapter.

An engineer with an understanding of thermodynamics will have no

problem understanding it.

Realizing that, I read the book without delving into the technical

aspects or completing the problems. I found it to be what it says in

the preface — “an up-to-date, integrated, and balanced overview of

the whole rapidly changing field of fuel science and technology.”

From a more non-technical perspective, it provided a good over-

view of fuel sources, how they are used and the considerations when

choosing and designing equipment. It also provides balance with

some alternative fuels and some challenges associated with them.

All in all, this book was an interesting read.

-Shannon Hiebert, P.Eng.


THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THE 2013 APEGA/ASET GOLF TOURNAMENT

Title Sponsor

Albatross Sponsors

Eagle Sponsors

Par Sponsors

Round Trip for Two Draw Sponsor

Hole-in-One Sponsors

APEGAASET Bell MobilityBudget Rent A CarCapital ColourChris TurnbullCity of Edmonton

Hole and Team Prize Contributors

Endress & HauserGill TruckingHanscomb Ltd.Hemisphere EngineeringIslay AgenciesMelcor Developments Ltd.Phoenix Fencing

Shaw Conference CentreStantecStrathcona CountyTD InsuranceWestin EdmontonWindermere Golf & Country ClubWolseley Canada

Armtec

Endress & Hauser ISL Engineering & Land Services Ltd.


VOLUNTEERS

And You ARE?Keith Diakiw, P.Geo.Naval Reservist

Wayne Gretzky Super Fan

APEGA Rock & Fossil Clinic Volunteer

BY CORINNE LUTTERMember & Internal Communications Coordinator

At an early age, Keith Diakiw, P.Geo., was already a self-taught

rockhound. Growing up in Hinton, he spent many long summer

afternoons exploring the outdoors, amassing a collection of rocks,

minerals and fossils, and imagining he was Indiana Jones off on a

grand adventure.

“I started thinking of myself as a geologist in Grade 6 when I

would take my yellow and black BMX bike, my dad’s red-handled

bricklaying hammer, my backpack and a magnifying glass, and head

down Collinge Road to explore different outcrops around Hinton,”

says Mr. Diakiw.

His family lived in a new subdivision with lots of exposed earth,

revealing the rocky treasures of the foothills. “There would be areas

where large culverts were installed and I remember seeing phyllite

in the rock mix and pretending I’d found silver.”

The mica in the granite boulders? Diamonds glittering in the

sun. Clusters of iron stone concretions? Dinosaur eggs, of course.

Now that he’s grown up, Mr. Diakiw’s fascination with rocks

continues and he hopes to inspire a new generation of rockhounds

as an APEGA Outreach volunteer. He started volunteering in the late

1990s when he was geology student at the University of Alberta,

visiting elementary schools to talk to Grade 3 students who were

already learning about rocks and minerals in their classes.

For the past decade, he’s shared his love for geology at APEGA

Rock & Fossil Clinics held in Edmonton. Kids and adults alike can

bring their rocks and fossils to be identified by Professional Geosci-

entists and other volunteers. Attendees enjoy other fun, hands-on

science activities, too. Last year, Mr. Diakiw brought his two young

boys along to take in the experience.

“Every year I participate, I take samples representing the major

rock categories, domestic fossils, and even some precious metals

and gemstones. It’s a great conversation starter,” says Mr. Diakiw. “I

also like to conduct mineral field tests, such as streak, hardness and

magnetism, as well as discuss products we use in our daily lives

derived from these natural resources.”

“It’s my way to give back to the community,” he says. “By

bringing my knowledge and enthusiasm to the public classroom, I

can help educate future Earth scientists.”

A COAL MINER’S SON

Mr. Diakiw’s path from young explorer to Professional Geoscientist

was a winding one.

He knew he wanted a job that would allow him to travel and

work outdoors. After high school, he planned to work at the local

coal mine, like his dad, as a heavy equipment operator. But when

a friend talked about heading to university, it opened his eyes to

different possibilities.

After graduation from high school, he ended up at the University

of Lethbridge. There, he earned a bachelor of science in physical

geography in 1996 — becoming the first in his family to earn a

degree. From there, he decided head north to continue his studies at

the University of Alberta. In 2002, he earned his bachelor of arts in

anthropology and with specialization in geology in 2003.

BASIC TRAINING

One of his first jobs after university was working on offshore oil

platforms in Brazil. A year later he returned to Canada to finish his

training as a reservist with the Royal Canadian Navy, which he had

joined in 2001.

Mr. Diakiw completed 14 weeks basic training and 10 weeks at

sea on board the HMCS Whitehorse, circumnavigating Vancouver

Island and travelling north along the West Coast via Haida Gwaii to

LIFE STORIES IN THE MAKING

Keith Diakiw, P.Geo., is one busy Professional Member — whether hiking the Burgess

Shale in Yoho National Park (right), operating heavy equipment for CNRL (above) or

sharing his enthusiasm for all things rock as an APEGA volunteer.


Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. He earned

his bridge watchkeeping ticket as a qualified

maritime surface and subsurface officer,

before returning to Alberta.

Back in his home province, Mr.

Diakiw took a production geologist job on

the Horizon oilsands project, near Fort

McMurray. “When I arrived, they were still

logging, building site roads for the sites,

and all the piles and concrete were being

poured,” says Mr. Diakiw, who lives in

Edmonton but travels north for his job. He’s

worked with Canadian Natural Resources

Ltd. for more than seven years, and last

year his career came full circle when he

took a position in mine operations running a

400-tonne heavy hauler.

“I wanted to do something new and ex-

citing,” he explains. “Now I’m on the other

side of the fence and seeing the industry

from another perspective. I actually get to

see the site formations much closer than

I did as a mine geologist. Being an equip-

ment operator, I’m 20 feet away from dig

face when I queue up to the shovel, so I get

to examine the channel incisions, bedding

planes and ore grade changes with higher

precision.”

It’s a unique experience that’s giving

him a stronger understanding of the industry

— and will make him a better manager when

he soon returns to his career as a geologist.

“I consider myself a blue/white collar kind

of guy who’s OK with getting dirty and likes

to be hands-on to know how things really

work,” says Mr. Diakiw.

As part of his work with CNRL, he also

volunteers as both a mine rescue and fire

auxiliary member. And as a lieutenant with

the Canadian Naval Reserve, he was recently

selected to serve as an aide-de-camp for the

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, a volunteer

position which involves providing logistical

support for official public functions.

Mr. Diakiw’s likes to build plastic

models. He collects coins. And he’s a Wayne

Gretzky nut — a fan so avid he collects Great

One, game-worn memorabilia. He played

hockey with Gretzky at his fantasy camp in

2005, and even has a tattoo of the hockey

legend on his shoulder — a silhouette of him

with his jersey tucked into his pants.

“I guess you could say I have a love

for life experiences,” says Mr. Diakiw. “So

when I’m old and grey in a rocking chair, I’ll

have lots of cool stories to share with my

great-grandchildren.”

You can celebrate National Science

and Technology Week in Alberta

by attending Rock & Fossil Clinics

in Canmore and Edmonton. Bring

along your found rocks and fossils

for identification by Professional

Geoscientists and university geology

students. Admission is free.

Oct. 19

Canmore – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Canmore Museum and Geoscience

Centre

Canmore Civic Centre

902 Seventh Ave.

Edmonton – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TELUS World of Science — Edmonton,

11211 142nd St.


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PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & ETHICS CORNER

Are Clients Allowed to Copy and

Distribute an Engineer’s Drawings?

BY RAY CHOPIUK, P.ENG.

APEGA Director of

Professional Practice

APEGA Members with professional

practice or ethics questions are welcome

to mail them to Ray Chopiuk, P.Eng., FEC,

FGC (Hon.), Director of Professional

Practice, APEGA, 1500 Scotia One, 10060

Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 4A2;

fax them to 780-426-1877; or email them

to [email protected].

Q I have a question about what a client is

allowed to do with the drawings I stamp

and sign. I have a regular client to whom I

provide stamped/signed design drawings

for construction. At the end of the job, I also

provide stamped/signed as-built drawings.

My client has been sending copies of

the signed/stamped drawings (mainly the

as-built set) to their client but I wasn’t aware

of that until today. I told my client that they

should not send copies of my stamped/signed

drawings to other parties without my express

permission, but they feel that since they paid

for the work, they have the right to forward

the drawings to other parties.

They’ve agreed to ask my permission in

future, but we still have a disagreement as to

whether they have the right to forward copies

of the signed prints without my permission,

since they paid for my work. I’m sure this has

come up for other consulting engineers so I’m

hoping APEGA can give me some direction

on what our clients are allowed to do with

our stamped/signed drawings without our

permission.

A It might seem like this is a simple

question with a straightforward

answer, but it isn’t. First of all, it’s a

question on a legal matter, and neither I nor

APEGA is in a position to offer legal advice.

Second, the answer depends on factors

that aren’t apparent from your summary of

the situation.

Questions on the point of a client

having or not having the right to reproduce

an engineer’s drawing have been addressed

countless times by the courts, courts of

appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Higher courts have overturned rulings by

the lower courts when judges held different

views of the circumstances surrounding

particular cases, even in instances where

written contracts were in place between the

engineer and the client.

In The Canadian Law of Architecture

and Engineering, Beverley McLachlin,

Wilfred Wallace and Arthur Grant said the

following about Ownership of Drawing,

Copyright and Patent where the engineer is

an independent contractor. At the time of

publication, McLachlin was a justice of the

Supreme Court of Canada. Now she is the

Chief Justice.

Unless the contract between the architect

or engineer and client contains provisions

to the contrary, the client owns the physical

drawings prepared at his or her request

once the client has paid for them. The

courts have rejected the argument that by

custom or general usage plans belong to an

architect or engineer in such circumstances.

However, the architect or engineer who

created them owns the copyright in

them and in the design embodied in the

structure. The client may not, therefore,

reproduce the plans or repeat the design in

a new structure without the architect’s or

engineer’s express or implied consent.

To prevent the owner from being able

to use the plans for an indefinite number

of structures, it is common to insert in

the contract between the architect or

engineer and the client a clause providing

that the drawings, plans, models, designs

and specifications remain the property of

the architect or engineer and are not to

be used on any other work without the

architect’s or engineer’s prior written

agreement. Under such a clause, the plans

and specifications remain the property of

the architect or engineer even after the

structure for which they are drawn is

constructed and the architect or engineer

has been paid. In such circumstances,

in return for the payment for the plans

and specifications, the client acquires the

right to use the designs for the purpose of

constructing the structure contemplated

and that structure only. The copyright in

the plans and specifications remains in the

architect or engineer who created them.

It is an implied term of such a contract

that the client is entitled to make as many

copies of the plans as may be necessary for

the completion of the work and give them

to contractors and subcontractors for that

purpose.

-Reprinted with permission of LexisNexis

Canada Inc. All Rights Reserved

Although this doesn’t address your

question directly, hopefully it will be of

some help. As you can see, the answer in

your particular situation will depend on

the terms of the contract between you and

your client, and also on whom the client is

forwarding copies of the drawings to and

for what purpose.


COMPLIANCE COMMENT

Relying on a Contractor?

Remember to Check for a Permit

BY JAMES HUNTING, P.ENG.

APEGA Director of Compliance

If you are aware of practice or title

violations, we encourage you to contact

James Hunting, P.Eng., Director of

Compliance, at [email protected].

The Compliance Department accepts

anonymous complaints.

In these busy times, corporations, Profes-

sional Engineers and Professional Geosci-

entists often rely on contractors to help

them get the job done. In the rush to find

the right person or company for the job,

however, how many of us take the time to

ensure that the help we’re contracting is

licensed?

This is an important step to take,

because if a company is providing you

with engineering or geoscience services, it

must hold a permit to practice.

While it is not uncommon for engineers

and geoscientists to check the APEGA

Member Register to ensure individuals are

Professional Members of APEGA, fewer

take the time to verify that the company

employing the individuals holds a permit to

practice. We have a register for that, too, on

the APEGA website.

So, you might be asking, what is the

benefit of a corporate licence? And why is

it in my best interest to check for a permit?

According to the Engineering and

Geoscience Professions Act, no corporation

except a permit holder shall engage in the

practice of engineering or geoscience.

Alberta is one of only several provinces

that require a corporate licence. We may be

in the minority, but the Alberta Legislature

enacted the requirement for good reason.

Actually, for several good reasons.

The first revolves around the Alberta

Interpretation Act, which states that in an

enactment of the Alberta Legislature (such

as our act and regulation), the definition of

“person” includes a corporation. Accord-

ingly, the EGP Act requires that each com-

pany, as a person under the law, must hold

a proper licence to be entitled to practise

engineering or geoscience.

The regulations of the EGP Act also

require that all engineering and geoscien-

tific activities of a corporation be carried

out under the direct personal supervision

and responsibility of a full-time, perma-

nent employee who is also a Professional

Member of APEGA. This Responsible

Member, as he or she is called, should be

someone of influence at the company — a

person who can ensure that concerns of

the Professional Members they supervise

are heard at the highest level and duly

considered. This helps ensure that a com-

pany performs its duties professionally

and ethically.

Finally, a permit confirms that a

corporation has a plan in place to assure

the quality of the services provided to the

public. The EGP Act’s regulations require

that a Professional Member certify that

the company has in place and will follow

a professional management plan that is

appropriate to the company’s professional

practice. The plan should outline how

professional services are developed,

verified and authenticated, prior to being

issued for use. The mandatory attendance

at a seminar every five years reinforces

the duties and responsibilities that those

Members carry with respect to their

professional services.

What are the potential consequences

of associating with a company that does

not hold a permit? If the company has

had its permit struck or cancelled by the

association, individuals and companies risk

facing disciplinary action for associating

with the company, as per Section 97(2)

of the EGP Act. If a company is practising

unknowingly without a permit, the APEGA

Compliance Department can require that

it cease and desist all practice until one is

obtained. While our preference is always

to work with a company to assist it in

getting properly licensed, Compliance has

sought and won legal injunctions against

companies that have refused to comply.

If you have any questions regarding

the permit to practice, please consult our

website, apega.ca, or contact the Compli-

ance Department.


COVER

On the

Ground and in the

MuckWhen southern Alberta needed

APEGA Members and permit

holders, you were there — with

your wallets, your brains, your

brawn and your compassion.

Following is a sampling of your

stories, along with a close look

at the damage done by the

Great Flood of 2013, the lessons

learned and the strategies

necessary for mitigation

STORIES BY CORINNE LUTTERMember & Internal Communications

Coordinator


-photo by Corinne Lutter


COVER

‘No One Person Could Do This Alone’They flipped burgers and baked muffins to feed volunteers. They scrubbed mould and removed muck

and ruined appliances from flooded homes. Raised money for relief efforts. Donated their professional

services and time. APEGA Members were among the thousands of Albertans who stepped forward in a

time of need to help communities recover and rebuild

The humans may have been kept away, but there were no such

restrictions for the nine long-toed salamanders living it up in the

toxic muck in Linda Clarke’s flooded High River home. Volunteers

from Stewart Weir, a land surveying, engineering and environ-

mental consulting firm, found the amphibious residents on July

16, nearly a month after the Highwood River spilled its banks and

turned Ms. Clarke’s Sunrise neighbourhood into a lake dotted with

flooded houses.

Crews were now allowed into Ms. Clarke’s home to start

cleaning up, and the team from Stewart Weir’s Calgary office was

eager to get at it. While staff had been doing work in the town for

a couple weeks already, this house had a personal connection. Ms.

Clarke’s daughter, Laura Richeson,

is a safety representative with the

company, and her co-workers had

been waiting since late June to

help on site.

Volunteers from her employer

brought not only their muscles,

says Ms. Richeson, but also

supplies, food, drinks and caring.

“I can’t begin to explain how

important their support has been

for us,” she says. “No one person

could do this alone. No family

could do this alone.”

“Being a family is one of

our company values,” says Basir

Saleh, P.Eng., Stewart Weir’s

transportation infrastructure

manager. “It makes it very special

to help one of our own.”

The high-water mark was

six inches above Ms. Clarke’s

main floor. Despite the devastation to her modest, one-storey

bungalow, a smile lit up her face as she watched Mr. Saleh and

the other volunteers — their white coveralls now spattered with

brown — haul ruined belongings to the front curb. “I have these

wonderful people to help me and a loving family, and that’s more

important than stuff,” she says. “There’s no way you could put a

value on the work that these people have done, and the passion

and caring they have given me is just overwhelming.”

The volunteers did, by the way, safely relocate those

salamanders.

Stewart Weir budgeted $25,000 for 40 Calgary staff members

to support cleanup in Calgary and High River. Between June 24

and July 19, teams of five to 10 employees spent more than 700

hours pitching in.

“About 90 per cent of our staff members have picked up

a shovel and gone out to help,” says Mr. Saleh. “Residents are

grateful. Every individual that you talk to has a story that touches

people’s hearts. They are

overwhelmed, but the helping

hands give them hope more than

anything. Everybody has that

sense of hope for the future.”

Walking around High River in

mid-July, he was shocked by the

damage. “It was just devastating,

and to me that’s when it kind of

kicked in, the havoc two or three

weeks later. It was completely

a ghost town, cars full of mud.

When you see it on TV it’s one

thing, but when you see it in real

life it hits home,” says Mr. Saleh.

MISSION POSSIBLE — BUT DAUNTING

Members of the integrity

engineering group at Calgary’s

NAL Resources Management also

felt compelled to lend a hand to

their neighbours in the south. Nine volunteers cleaned two High

River houses in one day as part of the Mission Possible 2 Flood

Relief efforts.

“Everyone chipped in shoveling mud, moving furniture,

tearing up carpet and even removing a now infamous fridge from

“I have these

wonderful people to

help me and a loving

family, and that’s

more important

than stuff.”LINDA CLARKE

High River Resident


FROM HOME TO CURB

High River homeowner Linda Clarke (back row, third from left) is surrounded by her family and the clean-up crew from Stewart Weir outside her flooded High River home, including

Basir Saleh, P.Eng. (front left). Ms. Clarke was finally able to start cleaning out her flooded Sunrise home on July 16.



COVER

one apartment,” says team lead Adam

Moore, P.Eng. “It was very moving to see

the community pitching in to help their

neighbours with the huge recovery effort.

We quickly realized how daunting this

cleanup is and how difficult it would be for

residents if they didn’t receive help and

donations.”

The homeowners included an elderly

couple who couldn’t move furniture on

their own. “They made a point of taking a

photo of each group of volunteers so they

could always remember the help they got,”

says Mr. Moore. “At the second house we

visited, we helped retrieve mud-soaked

furniture from the basement, which was

an engineering challenge in itself as the

furniture weighed several times more than

if it was dry and it was extremely difficult

to grip.”

FOCUSED FUNDRAISING

Returning to their downtown Calgary office

a few days after the flooding, employees

and executives at Focus Corporation had

one question on their minds: What can we

do to help?

“Before we knew it, everyone was

donating money towards relief from

the flooding,” says Trent Purvis, P.Eng.,

Focus’s manager of land development

engineering in the southern region. “We

were really blown away by the employees’

generosity.”

Through the company’s Stampede

breakfast, golf and bowling tournaments,

along with other events, employees raised

$15,000, a total the company matched. On

one day’s notice, staff also answered an

appeal to organize a barbecue that fed 300

hungry volunteers who were helping the

owners of flooded homes.

“It was really rewarding,” says Mr.

Purvis. “We felt like it was a small effort

that we could make to support the hun-

dreds of people who were getting their

hands dirty and cleaning up.”

BEFORE AND AFTER

Adam Moore, P.Eng., (above, blue coveralls) and a team of volunteers from NAL Resources lend a hand in High River,

cleaning two houses in one day. Among their tasks: shoveling mud, moving furniture and tearing up carpet.

-photos courtesy Adam Moore, P.Eng.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 64 ››


COVER

APEGA DirectorHas ‘Critical,Positive Impact’From a helicopter 600 feet above Kananaskis Country, APEGA’s

Director, Corporate Services, gained new respect for the force

of the June 2013 floods. Malcolm Bruce, MSM, saw trees that had

been snapped like twigs, roads washed out of existence, bridges

wiped out.

“It was very sobering to see the extent of the damage,” recalls

Mr. Bruce.

Four days earlier, as much of southern Alberta was being

swamped by flood waters, Mr. Bruce got a call from an old friend

and former military colleague. Andre Corbould, P.Eng., had been

appointed Chief Assistant Deputy Minister of the Southern Alberta

Flood Recovery Task Force. Was Mr. Bruce available to help get the

task force up and running?

Mr. Bruce and APEGA’s executive were quickly on board.

“APEGA was looking at ways to assist and this seemed like a good

fit,” says Mr. Bruce, who works from APEGA’s Edmonton office. He

was seconded to the task force for two weeks.

“APEGA had a very critical, positive impact on the recovery

task force, starting from day one, by providing Malcolm’s expertise,”

says Mr. Corbould. “I had about four days to build a task force of

up to 80 people. At the same time I had to figure out what the task

force was going to do once it was built. So I reached out to APEGA

for a specific expertise and got great support.”

Mr. Bruce’s expertise comes out of 30 years in the military

with a focus on leadership and planning. The former commander of

CFB Suffield has five overseas missions under his belt, including

divisional level planning in Iraq with the British Forces and as a

chief of advisers in Afghanistan. He was involved in operational

planning during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver — but more

pertinently the 1997 Red

River flood in Manitoba

and the 2007 Fraser

River flood in B.C.

“My background and

experience have enabled

me to take a concept, an

idea, and bring it through

to fruition. That’s one of

the skillsets that I was

able to bring to the table,”

says Mr. Bruce.

His immediate role

was to help develop the

task force’s organiza-

tional structure and find

individuals from various

government departments to staff it. He also helped develop a model

for the provincial recovery framework.

The Alberta Emergency Management Agency was in charge of

the immediate response, but the task force was needed to quickly

take over recovery and rebuilding.

“It was a bit of a challenge to ensure that we had the right

people in place, but every ministry really stepped up to the plate.

“It was a bit of a challenge to ensure that

we had the right people in place, but every

ministry really stepped up to the plate. They

were really putting their best folks forward”MALCOLM BRUCE, MSM

They were really putting their best folks forward,” says Mr. Bruce.

Within two week, the task force was about 70 per cent staffed

and Alberta Emergency Management Agency was beginning to

transition responsibility for some affected communities to the task

force. When Mr. Bruce’s work wrapped up on July 3, the task force

was fully operational.

“I’ve worked on a number of domestic operations in this

country and this was by far one of the best responses I’ve seen.

From the Premier right through to the folks affected on the ground,

people just wanted to do the right thing and get on with the job,”

says Mr. Bruce. “I met some tremendous individuals over the course

of the two weeks and I was very proud to be a small part of it.”

MALCOLM BRUCE, MSM


THE FUN ELEMENT

A contingent from Scheffer Andrew Ltd. is shown at the Alberta Flood Aid concert. From left are Ben Petch, Todd Boley, Ross Thurmeier, P.Eng., Matt Luik, P.Eng.,

and Angie Lucas.

-photo courtesy Matt Liuk, P.Eng.


COVER

APEGA Members and permit holders are among those who have opened their hearts and wallets to raise money in straightforward — and creative — ways

Performers held benefit events, children set up lemonade stands,

and the Calgary Stampede sold more than 150,000 Hell or High

Water T-shirts. There were silent auctions, comedy nights, bake

sales, pancake breakfasts and even Alberta Rose doughnuts at Tim

Hortons.

Professional Members responded to an appeal on APEGA’s

website and donated more than $17,000 to flood relief efforts

through the Canadian Red Cross. APEGA permit holders large

and small were among the generous companies that not only

provided expertise and resources to flood-ravaged communities

— everything from cleaning supplies to fuel cards to pumping

services and volunteers — but also pledged thousands and even

millions of dollars to relief organizations. Many companies are

matching individual employee contributions.

John Henry, P.Eng., president and CEO of Calgary-based

Tarpon Energy Services, watched as floods inundated his home

town of High River. A company news release said Tarpon was

donating $10,000 to the Red Cross. “It’s overwhelming to see

the devastation . . . Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone

affected by the floods,” Mr. Henry said.

AltaLink announced on its website a $100,000 contribution

to the Calgary Foundation’s Flood Rebuilding Fund. “Like so

many others, we have been inspired by the spirit shown by

volunteers to help their neighbours as Alberta recovers from

this flood,” said Dennis Frehlich, P.Eng., AltaLink’s interim

president and CEO.

With a US $1 million contribution, ConocoPhillips was

among several corporations that announced seven-figure

donations. “So many people in southern Alberta have been

impacted by this disaster, and we want to support the

outstanding work that emergency responders and organizations

like the Red Cross have been doing, and will be doing over the

coming days and weeks,” said Ken Lueers, P.Geol., president of

ConocoPhillips Canada.

Among other permit-holding companies that donated are

• Agrium ($50,000)

• Apache Canada ($500,000)

• Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. ($1 million)

• Cenovus Energy Inc. ($1 million)

• Chevron Canada Resources ($150,000)

• Dow Chemical Canada, with Dow Agro Sciences ($100,000)

• Encana Corp.($500,000)

• Finning Canada, with Caterpillar Foundation ($150,000)

• Focus Corporation ($15,000)

• FortisAlberta Inc. ($100,000)

• General Electric Canada ($50,000)

• Husky Energy Inc. ($1 million)

• Imperial Oil, with Exxon Mobil ($500,000)

• Long Run Exploration Ltd., Phoenix Technology Services,

Cathedral Energy Services Ltd., Coral Hill Energy Ltd.,

Secure Energy Services Inc. and industry partners

($1 million)

• Noise Solutions ($10,000)

• Nova Chemicals Corporation ($100,000)

• Q9 Networks ($50,000)

• Shaw Communications ($1 million)

• Shell Canada ($550,000)

• Statoil Canada and PTTEP Canada Ltd. ($1 million)

• Suncor Energy Inc. ($1.5 million)

• Syncrude Canada Ltd. ($150,000)

• Viterra Inc. ($75,000).

Editor’s Note: APEGA staff went to a number of sources to find

out which of our permit holders made donations to flood relief,

but of course it was impossible to find out about them all. If your

company made a donation that is not acknowledged here, please

email the information to Gillian Bennett, editorial assistant,

[email protected], and we’ll make mention in The PEG or online.

If you have an interesting donation-in-

kind story to tell us, please

pass that information

along, too.

From Doughnuts to Dollars

mpany made a donation that is not acknowledged here, please

mail the information to Gillian Bennett, editorial assistant,

[email protected], and we’ll make mention in The PEG or online.

you have an interesting donation-in-

nd story to tell us, please

ss that information

ong, too.


COVER

SEARCH, RESCUE — AND INSPECT

Christopher Banbury, P.Eng., a volunteer with Canada

Task Force 2, inspects a C-Train bridge in Calgary

along Macleod Trail near Erlton/Stampede Station.

The bridge spans the Elbow River.

-photo courtesy Canada Task Force 2

“There were

massive piles

of donations in

the middle of the

gym. It was so

high it reached

half-way up the

ceiling. There

were no limits

to how generous

people had

been with their

donations.”

BINNU JEYA KUMAR, P.ENG.Volunteer in Morley



COVER

FROM HASHTAG TO HANDS

A few days after the flooding, Calgarian

Binnu Jeya Kumar, P.Eng., was checking

#YYC on Twitter when she saw a call for

volunteers in Morley, one of several First

Nations communities hit hard by flood

waters. She baked three dozen muffins

for volunteers, then headed out to deliver

them and see how else she could help.

“I ended up spending the day in the

high school gym in Morley where the

donations were coming in, helping sort the clothing and food. It

was a very inspiring day,” says Ms. Jeya Kumar. “There were

massive piles of donations in the middle of the gym. It was so

high it reached half-way up the ceiling. There were no limits to

how generous people had been with their donations.”

THE FEE WAIVING WAVE

In the aftermath of the flooding, the media reported that engineers

were walking around flooded neighbourhoods, volunteering

professional services. Calgary resident Naser Rabbani, P.Eng., was

one of them. He provided structural inspections on several severely

damaged homes in High River. It was just one small way he could

help victims who lost so much, he says.

“It was really sad to see all the destruction caused, although

the people I met were so strong and determined to move on,” says

Dr. Rabbani, who has a PhD in civil engineering.

THE SEARCH-AND-RESCUE ENGINEER

Canada Task Force 2 — CAN-TF2 for short — is a heavy, urban

search-and-rescue team of more than 100 firefighters, paramedics,

doctors and other professionals. All of them are volunteers. At the

request of the provincial government, the team responded to the

crisis.

“Every individual that you talk to has a story

that touches people’s hearts. They are

overwhelmed, but the helping hands give

them hope, more than anything. Everybody

has that sense of hope for the future.”

BASIR SALEH, P.ENG.Stewart Weir

Among CAN-TF2’s ranks is a structural engineer, Edmonton-

based Christopher Banbury, P.Eng. Actually a U.S. resident, Mr.

Banbury came to Canada in 2011 on a work visa.

The flood was his first deployment with the task force. He

arrived in Calgary on June 22 in the midst of the disaster, and

spent six days assisting the city’s emergency operations centre by

inspecting bridges, flooded homes and commercial buildings.

“I wanted to do something to help, something to give back to

the community and to Canada, and this is one way I could do that

effectively,” says Mr. Banbury.

SONGS OF SUPPORT

Eight weeks after the flooding, APEGA Members were still giving

back. A team of volunteers from Scheffer Andrew Ltd. helped out

at the Alberta Flood Aid concert, Aug. 15 at Calgary’s McMahon

Stadium. The concert raised an estimated $1.5 million for the

Calgary Foundation’s Flood Rebuilding Fund. A variety of Canadian

acts from across the popular music spectrum performed, among

them Jann Arden, the Sadies, the Sheepdogs, Nickelback, Loverboy,

Ian Tyson and Colin James.

Says Matt Luik, P.Eng., the Calgary branch manager for Scheffer

Andrew: “As a firm of planners and engineers in the land develop-

ment industry, the flooding affected us and our clients personally and

professionally. Volunteering at such a great event was a fitting way to

give back to our community, and it was a lot of fun.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 58 ››


COVERFlood NumbersOVERALL

19 the day in June that flooding

starts in Canmore — the Great

Flood of 2013 is underway

150 to 200 rainfall in

millimetres

in the upper portions of the Bow, Oldman

and Red Deer River basins

S300 rainfall in millimetres in

the Sheep River basin

20 the day in June that #abflood

begins trending on Twitter

29 number of local states of

emergency declared

55,000 total flood zone in

square kilometres

14,500 homes damaged across

southern Alberta

2,700people still in temporary

housing, in hotels, or with

friends and family two months after the flooding

8,000applications for

disaster recovery relief

as of mid-August

10number of years the

Government of Alberta

estimates full recovery may take

1 billion amount in dollars of Govern-

ment of Alberta’s initial, first-phase support

of flood recovery and reconstruction

5 billion+ dollars necessary

to rebuild damaged infrastructure

400 million damage in dollars

from the 2005 floods in Alberta

2,300 Canadian Forces troops deployed

254 homes located in floodways

that may qualify for

government relocation funds

985 kilometres of provincial roads

and bridges closed from damage

857 kilometres of provincial roads and

bridges reopened as of Sept. 4

CALGARY

50,000 residents evacuated

from 26 neighbourhoods

1,750 peak flow of Bow River in cubic

metres per second, which is

equal to about 100 million litres of water

flowing past every minute and is more than

twice the peak flow during the 2005 flood

2,500 seats replaced in the Calgary

Scotiabank Saddledome

10 rows of Saddledome flooded

650,000 hours crews put in

repairing Saddledome

5 the September day the

Saddledome reopens

11 & 12 the September days the Eagles

perform at the Saddledome

20 bridges closed

16 C-Train stations closed

3C-Train tunnels flooded

34,000 locations without power

1.5 time in days it takes to rebuild 0.3

lane-kilometres of MacLeod Trail

washed out by the Elbow River

12 days to rebuild 100 metres of C-Train

lines destroyed by flood water

424 million Estimated cost

in dollars to

repair damaged city infrastructure

45mm Calgary rainfall on June

20, a one-day record

35.1mm One day, previous record for

rainfall, set in 1964

160 Calgary Zoo animals moved

to higher ground

HIGH RIVER

13,000residents evacuated

300 residents who defied the

evacuation order

80% of High

River

without

basic

services, such as water, electricity and

sewage, during the worst of the flooding

30 thousand tonnes of garbage taken

to Foothills Regional Landfill in

six weeks after the flood

300-400 tonnes of garbage taken to Foothills

Regional Landfill during an average month

2,050 truckloads of debris

removed from High

River’s residential areas

CANMORE


120 homes damaged along

Cougar Creek, including 40

with structural damage

3§ Cougar Creek homes not

expected to be repairable

30 width of Cougar Creek in metres

before the flood

150 width of Cougar Creek in metres

after the flood

MEDICINE HAT

7,100+ residents evacuated

1,000 estimated homes damages

5,460 peak

flow in

cubic

metres per second of the South

Saskatchewan River


COVER

SIKSIKA FIRST NATION


170 homes flooded

STONEY NAKODA NATION

700 people evacuated

300 homes flooded

TURNER VALLEY

46 homes evacuated due to sour gas

pipeline leak, the result of debris in

the Sheep River damaging a flow line

6 homes flooded

BRAGG CREEK


180 homes flooded

BLACK DIAMOND

66 homes evacuated

61 homes flooded

'1 water treatment

plant destroyed

3 wells destroyed

KANANASKIS COUNTRY

740 people evacuated from

campgrounds and other facilities

25 aerial missions to rescue people

and deliver supplies

116 people rescued by aerial missions

TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY

6 time in days it takes to reopen high-

way to two-way traffic after major

washout between Canmore and Banff

EXSHAW

320 people evacuated

120 homes flooded

Flood Recovery Leaders

Tell Their Stories —

And Outline Their Plans

In post-flood Alberta, Professional Engineers are crucial to the recovery and rebuilding process. Meet four leaders whose experience and skills are being put to the test as provincial and municipal governments clean up and face the future


COVER

Q&A with Andre Corbould, P.Eng., OMM

Chief Assistant Deputy Minister, Southern Alberta Flood Recovery Task ForceB.Eng. (Civil Engineering), Royal Military College of Canada (1989)

Master’s Degree (Management), University of Canberra (2002)

Master’s Degree (Defence Management and Policy), Royal Military

College of Canada (2007)

Overseeing the widespread repair and rebuilding of flood-damaged

infrastructure is no simple task, but if anyone is up for this $5-billion

challenge, it’s Andre Corbould, P.Eng., a former brigadier-general in

the Canadian Forces. Over a 30-year military career, he worked as

an engineer and field commander on tours in Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia,

East Timor and Afghanistan. In 2006, he worked with 24 Afghan

ministries to develop a national reconstruction plan; he returned

ALL PART OF THE JOB

Andre Corbould, P.Eng., briefs the media Aug. 22, during a Government of Alberta

announcement in Bragg Creek on floodway relocation compensation.

-photo by Joel Belizario, Government of Alberta

there in 2010 to command 20,000 troops with the United States

Army’s 10th Mountain Division.

Domestic operations he’s been involved in include the 1997

Winnipeg flood and the Swiss Air recovery in 1998. He also led

security forces at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. After

retiring from the army in 2012, Mr. Corbould transitioned to a new

public service role as Assistant Deputy Minister of Regional Services

for Alberta Transportation. His new marching orders came June 21

in the midst of the worst national disaster in Alberta’s history.

Edited and condensed for publication, the following interview looks at his

first few months on the Southern Alberta Flood Recovery Task Force.

The PEG: What was your role when the flooding began and how did it evolve?

Andre Corbould: For the first 48 hours I was working with my

regional director in southern Alberta on initial flood response,

dealing with our maintenance contractors and assessing the damage.

I got a phone call at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 21, and was asked to

lead the recovery effort. By 1 o’clock I was over in the provincial

operations centre, absorbing everything that was going on.

The PEG: What were your initial goals?

AC My job was to build a task force to eventually take over

for the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, as we

transitioned from the response to the recovery phase. On Saturday

and Sunday I spent all my effort working on my mission analysis,

putting together a draft provincial recovery framework plan to

present to the Premier and cabinet for approval.

The PEG: When did you begin putting the framework into action?

AC We started the same week we put it together. Some

elements kicked in very early; in fact some elements were

already starting with the response force, in terms of enabling and

supporting local municipalities. Some of it will take a little longer

to kick in. It’s about varying degrees. For example, the long-term

greater mitigation planning and discussion has started and we’ve

done some work in High River to scrape the river. That’s the first

of several mitigation methods that will be put into action over the

next few years. We started almost immediately with some of these

actions and of course we go back and do more and more every day.

This is a long-term recovery and I’ve been told I’ll probably be with

the task force for at least a year.

The PEG: What are the top priorities for provincial infrastruc-ture rebuilding?

AC We’ve got a four-page list of critical infrastructure that

was damaged and it includes schools, hospitals, seniors’


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homes, roads, bridges, water and sewage

treatment plants. It probably took us about

three weeks to get a real good hard assess-

ment on all the provincial infrastructure that

was hit. We are clearly placing a priority

of effort on things like water and sewage

treatment plants and hospitals, because

those are essential to normalcy and healthy

living. The next level is schools. Our intent

is to make sure all schools are operational

before school starts in the fall.

The PEG: You spent some time touring the flood zones. What did you see and how did it compare to what you saw during the Winnipeg floods?

AC To see some of Highway 1 ripped

up and Highway 66 cut in half by

the force of water — it’s always surprising

to see the force of nature. That was the

initial shock. Winnipeg was different

because it was one large flooded area.

Alberta has many flooded areas with lots of

significant local impacts.

The PEG: Looking to the future, do Professional Engineers need to change the way they design public infrastructure to deal with the impacts of climate change?

AC Professional Engineers are always

changing the way that they design,

no matter what they’re doing. In my time at

Alberta Transportation, we were continually

looking at innovations and better ways of

doing things. The same is true of recovery

in a disaster. Every time one of these things

happens, we learn more about it and we

learn better ways of mitigating it. At the

provincial level, we’re definitely going to

work with others on what the best practices

are. I think there could be some designs that

come out of this that become best practices

around the world.

Gordon Stewart, P.Eng.Recovery Director, City of CalgaryB.Sc. (Civil Engineering), University of

Calgary, 1973

Gordon Stewart, P.Eng., is no stranger to

managing big projects. In 2011 and 2012, he

oversaw the largest single infrastructure

project undertaken by the City of Calgary,

the $1.4 billion west LRT line. The city’s

director of transportation infrastructure, he

was in charge of the $295 million Airport

Tunnel Road project – the most expensive

road project in the city’s history — when

flood waters hit.

Two weeks later, on July 8, he was

named recovery director for his city, a role

that’s expected to last four to 12 months.

“This was never really in my career

plan,” he says, “but it actually allows me to

draw on a number of skills that I’ve devel-

oped over the years, working on capital

projects and in plant operations and emer-

gency services. So it’s a lot of little pieces

that kind of fit together.”

Over the past few months, his job has

been to come up with an action plan on how

to get displaced Calgarians back in their

homes and repair about $425 million in

damaged infrastructure.

“My approach is to tackle this like any

other complex problem — look at what the

issues are, evaluate them and bring together

a team to solve them,” says Mr. Stewart.

“There’s going to be a lot of work done by a

lot of people, and a good chunk of those will

be engineers.”

It’s a huge challenge, partly because

the problem isn’t fully defined yet.

“We’re working through the process

now in addressing the issues, whether they

be infrastructure issues or people issues.

We’re using frameworks that we’ve put

in place to manage projects, and this is a

project like other ones,” says Mr. Stewart.

A top priority has been repairing $25

million in damaged roadways. Final repairs

to most of the city’s major transportation

infrastructure wrapped up around mid-

August. But damage to pedestrian bridges,

buildings, wastewater treatment plants,

riverbanks, paths, parkland, athletic fields

and outdoor pools will take months and

possibly years to repair or replace.

“Part of the recovery effort is de-

termining to what standards we should

construct,” says Mr. Stewart. To that end,

the city has established an expert panel to

investigate ways to reduce and manage

future flood risks.

“We’ll be looking at some of the mitiga-

TICK IT OFF THE LIST

Gordon Stewart, P.Eng., recovery director for the City

of Calgary, stands in front of the south line at Erlton/

Stampede Station, where a 100-metre stretch of tracks

destroyed by flooding was completely rebuilt in less than

two weeks.



COVER

tion strategies we should do on a larger scale,” he says. “Should we

build berms or protection walls? Obviously there are things that can

be done, and that’s what we’ll have to identify.”

And there’s a big pair of questions always in play: “What does

that cost and where does that money come from?”

Andy Esarte, P.Eng.Disaster Recovery Team Infrastructure Lead, Town of Canmore B.E.Sc. (Civil Engineering), University of Western Ontario, 2003

After experiencing two major floods in Canmore over the past

two years, Andy Esarte, P.Eng., has a whole new appreciation for

Mother Nature.

In early June 2012, flooding along Cougar Creek in the

picturesque mountain town eroded banks and damaged pathways,

causing $1.3 million in damage. Just over a year later, a flash

flood on the same creek wreaked much more havoc, washing out

highways and damaging 120 homes along its banks. The creek

grew from 40 metres wide to more than 100 metres wide in some

spots. This time, the damage is expected to reach $10 million.

Officials were still tallying the tab two months later.

“Last year was supposed to be a big one. We responded to it

fairly aggressively and spent $3.2 million on flood mitigation. That

was a really large program for a town our size,” says Mr. Esarte, the

town’s manager of engineering.

The mitigation included additional armouring along 800 metres

of creek bank, with more work planned for 2014. But on June

19, rushing water laden with boulders and trees washed out the

armouring and the banks it was protecting.

“It was humbling,” says Mr. Esarte. “It’s raised my awareness

of how important it is to better understand our natural environment

and to protect ourselves as best we can — but also that there are

limits to what you can do with engineering.”

GROUND ZERO

Mr. Esarte and town officials were monitoring the weather on June

19 and knew a significant storm system was on its way. At 4 p.m.,

on his way to an evening meeting, he checked on Cougar Creek.

It was dry — the norm other than during spring runoff or heavy

storms. When he returned around 10:30 p.m., water was starting to

flow, carrying with it debris that was already blocking culverts.

Suddenly, both the TransCanada Highway and Highway 1A

were flooded. Shortly after that, the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks

washed out.

Mr. Esarte and the town’s engineering department, alongside

local engineering consultants and other emergency personnel,

started a race to save Elk Run Boulevard and the Three Sisters

Parkway — the only routes left to bring supplies to the town. Both

were in danger of being washed out.

“When I was standing on the Elk Run culvert, a large section

of armouring that protects the culvert inlet sloughed into the creek.

The armouring had been in place for decades. It was pretty clear at

that point that this was different from the storm that had washed

out the CP tracks in the past, and that it was different from anything

we had ever experienced,” says Mr. Esarte.

Time: not even 1 a.m.

Soon after, the town began evacuating residents along the

creek and by 3:40 a.m. its emergency operations centre went live.

It took a couple of days for the town to stabilize Elk Run

Boulevard and Three Sisters Parkway, but they were able to keep

those vital outside links open for deliveries and emergency services.

“We worked around the clock for two and a half days before

it was stable. I think in the first four days, I had something like 15

hours of sleep,” says Mr. Esarte. In the first week after the event,

about 25 engineers from the town and surrounding communities

offered support with road infrastructure, bridge inspections

and other issues, including repairs to the water and wastewater

treatment plants.

WORKING THROUGH THE LIST

As of early September, all but 13 homes were safe for occupation,

says Mr. Esarte. Three houses may have to be demolished and 40

had structural damage. The disaster recovery team is working its

way down a long list of small, medium and major projects to repair

damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, culverts and banks.

As part of the recovery efforts, channel restoration was

undertaken on Cougar Creek to manage any summer storms. The

town has also hired an engineering firm to develop the Mountain

Creek Flood Mitigation Plan, to better understand how mountain

creeks behave and to identify steps that can be taken to reduce

future risk.

IN THE SCENE

Andy Esarte, P.Eng., inspects riprap at the centre of the historic Canmore Engine

Bridge over the Bow River. Pier armouring there was damaged in the flood and

requires repair before next flood season.

-photo courtesy Andy Esarte, P.Eng.


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Rick Vincent, P.Eng.Senior Project Manager, High River Recovery Project

B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering), University of

Waterloo, 1984

Like many of the displaced High River

homeowners his team is helping, Rick

Vincent, P.Eng., is currently living away

from home. A resident of Kelowna, B.C.,

he’s staying full-time in High River in a

temporary camp while his company, Tervita

Corporation, coordinates remediation

efforts in the flood-ravaged town. High

River remained under a local state of

emergency, more than two months after

flooding began. His stay in Alberta will last

about six months.

Not that he’s complaining.

“I think the people side of this whole

project has been the most rewarding part,”

says Mr. Vincent. “There are people here

who have been out of their homes for a

number of weeks. It’s been quite a challenge

for many residents and I really appreciate

the opportunity to be here and to be able to

help them.”

Tervita was awarded a $45-million

Government of Alberta contract on July

18, but Mr. Vincent was on the ground in

Calgary weeks before, leading cleanup

at the Saddledome, where flood waters

reached the eighth row of seats and caused

major damage to mechanical systems.

That was a warm up for the extensive

repair work being done in High River on

damaged homes, roads, bridges, sewer

lines, storm ponds, river banks and parks.

“We’ve been working seven days a

week here since we arrived. It’s been pretty

intense but we’ve made some great prog-

ress,” says Mr. Vincent.

By the end of August, Tervita had

assessed about 370 High River homes

deemed by Alberta Health Services as NFH

— Not Fit for Habitation. Many of these had

sat for weeks in stagnant, contaminated

flood water. “We go in with an environmen-

tal consultant and a structural engineer, and

they determine a scope of work that is re-

quired to rescind that NFH order and make

the home safe again,” says Mr. Vincent.

Tervita crews execute the work, which

often includes mould remediation and re-

pairs to structural damage. By the end of

August, 34 NFH homes had been remedi-

ated, with homeowners given the thumbs up

to begin renovations. Work was in progress

on more than 100 homes.

“We are trying to get people back

in their homes as soon as possible, so

we have a large number of crews on the

ground,” says Mr. Vincent.

The company is also conducting and

overseeing repairs to public infrastructure.

It removed silt and debris from more than

45 kilometres of storm sewers and began

scalping 60,000 cubic metres of gravel,

sediment and debris from the Highwood

River to improve flow.

A request for proposals has been

issued for storm pond restoration, to

improve their ability to take on large storm

water flows. This may include emptying the

ponds to remove silt deposited by the flood,

then digging them deeper.

Other projects include road and bridge

repairs. Sinkholes are appearing, and some

bridges are so damaged they may have to

be taken down and rebuilt. Plenty of general

cleanup is still going on as well, including

silt removal on roads and parkland.

“At this point we’ve done a good situa-

tion appraisal of the town and we’ve identi-

fied the areas that need to be addressed.

We’re working with the Alberta Government

and the Town of High River to understand

their priorities and receive authorization to

proceed with the work,” says Mr. Vincent.

Even though he has 25 years of project

management experience, the extent of the

damage is shocking. “I’ve certainly never

entered into an area like this,” he says.

As an engineer, the biggest challenge

has been the fast-track nature of the

project. “Prior to arriving, we had a very

short time to determine the scope of work

and develop a plan to execute the work as

quickly as possible,” says Mr. Vincent. “But

when you talk to residents and see that

your work is having a positive impact, that

makes it all worthwhile. That’s a very cool

part of the project.”

GET THOSE PEOPLE HOME

A top priority for Tervita is getting displaced High River

residents back in their homes as soon as possible, says

senior project manager Rick Vincent, P.Eng.

-photo courtesy Tervita Corporation


Editor’s Note: The facts in this story come

from a number of sources — our own

research, information published by multiple

media outlets, and government press releases.

Five billion dollars and counting. That’s the

financial cost estimate — so far — for what

is reportedly the worst flooding in the prov-

ince’s history. What can’t be measured in

dollars is the human toll. Four people died.

About 100,000 were evacuated. In all, 30

communities were affected by floods, and

2,700 people were still out of their perma-

nent homes as The PEG went to press.

The provincial government estimates

that up to 10 years will pass before the

recovery is complete. To get the process

started, it committed an initial $1 billion to

recovery and rebuilding.

“There is a significant amount of

damage and Premier Redford has been very

clear from the beginning that the recovery

process is going to be a long process,”

says Andre Corbould, P.Eng., the Assistant

Deputy Minister of the Southern Alberta

Flood Recovery Task Force.

Insurance companies are expected

Tallying Up the Damage

to cover $1.7 billion of the $5-billion price

tag. Municipalities and the provincial

government will have to cover the rest, up

front, although the federal government is

expected to eventually reimburse as much

as 90 per cent.

In mid-July, the Alberta Government

released its Provincial Recovery Framework

to guide intermediate and long-term recov-

ery, helping individuals, municipalities and

First Nations get back to normal as quickly

as possible. On Aug. 29, Finance Minister

Doug Horner provided the first fiscal update

since the flooding hit. He told the media that

$148 million had been spent on flood relief

to date and another $556 million has been

earmarked for recovery efforts.

The province’s list of damaged public

infrastructure includes

• 80 schools

• eight hospitals and health facilities

• 10 seniors’ housing facilities

• 40 wastewater and waterworks systems

• 985 kilometres of roads and bridges.

The province will also spend millions

of dollars on disaster assistance to help

SOGGY VIEW

Siksika children look over their flooded community on

June 22. As of Sept. 4, the number of Albertans living in

temporary housing in High River and on the Siksika First

Nation was 950.

-photo courtesy Cory Alston, Siksika Media

Albertans rebuild their homes and busi-

ness. An estimated 14,500 homes were

flooded and more than 8,200 applications

for disaster recovery support had already

been processed as of Sept. 4.

The province says 2,700 people —

most from Calgary, High River and Siksika

First Nation — are living in temporary

housing, in hotels or with friends and family.

An unknown number of homes are so badly

damaged they’ll have to be demolished;

assessments are still taking place.

In Calgary, the city estimates it will

cost at least $425 million for infrastructure

repairs, and possibly more. That includes

• $25 million for road repairs

• $10 million to repair or replace nine

damaged and destroyed pedestrian

bridges

• $26.5 million for corporate buildings like

the municipal building and the old city hall


• $34 million to restore riverbanks

• $18 million to repair the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment

Plant.

Sixty-five kilometres south in High River, an estimated

600 homes were declared NFH — Not Fit for Habitation — until

remediation work is completed. More than 2,050 truckloads filled

with soaked drywall, water heaters, ducts, sodden furniture and

other debris have been taken to the landfill. The province has

awarded Tervita Corporation with a $45-million contract to begin

the immediate cleanup and recovery in the community, where some

neighbourhoods sat under water for three weeks.

To the east, the community of Medicine Hat watched the flood-

water coming, and enlisted 400 Canadian Forces soldiers and local

volunteers to build protective barriers. Despite their efforts, the city

pegs damage at around $72 million.

Smaller communities were also devastated. Water from the

Bow River forced 1,000 people from their homes on the Siksika

First Nation. Families were evacuated to relief shelters but some

camped on nearby hills, watching the flood waters flow through the

valley below.

Creeks inundated the tiny mountain community of Exshaw,

where more than 75 per cent of about 120 homes were affected by

the flooding. At the end of August, 22 families were still displaced.

A video on YouTube showed the roof of a Bragg Creek home float-

ing down the Elbow River and smashing into a bridge.

Despite the devastation, there is good news. Much of the dam-

aged infrastructure was quickly repaired, and the Greatest Outdoor

Show on Earth — albeit a scaled back version — went ahead.

After a 100 metres of C-Train line were washed out in Calgary,

the city had the tracks fixed in just under two weeks, at a cost of

$8.2 million. Right beside the tracks, a jagged gash that opened on

MacLeod Trail on June 21 was patched in time for morning rush

hour on June 26. Fifty per cent of damaged roads were reopened by

June 25; 95 per cent by June 27.

At Stampede Park fairgrounds, where flooding caused massive

damage, crews worked for days to ensure that the show would go

ahead on July 5.

For the provincial government, one milestone on the road to

recovery was the reopening of the Highway 22 Sheep River Bridge

on July 12. Flooding had nearly covered the bridge structure and

washed out the approach ramp, turning the three-kilometre trip

from Turner Valley to Black Diamond into a 40-minute detour.

Crews worked every daylight hour to rechannel the river, construct

a berm, restore the bridge head slopes, backfill abutments and

construct an approach road. A project that normally would have

taken three months was done in three weeks.

Of the 985 kilometres of provincial roads and bridges

closed, 857 were reopened by mid-August. On Sept. 4, another

22-kilometre-stretch of Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country

reopened to backcountry enthusiasts. Contractors had to clear

debris that scraped the roadway, plugging culverts and ditches.

Repairs included regrading damaged sections of the highway.

At three schools in the region with extensive flood damage,

classes began as scheduled on Sept. 3 — although 950 students

were in temporary classrooms.

“We’re going to work hard, we’re going to focus on priorities,

and we’re not wasting time in getting on with making decisions. But

not withstanding that, it’s not something that’s going to be done in a

couple of months,” said Mr. Corbould.

THE SHOW WILL GO ON

The racetrack and infield at the Calgary Stampede grounds were hit by eight to 14 feet of water. Despite the extensive flood damage, hundreds of contractors and volunteers worked

around the clock so the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth could go ahead on July 5.

-photo courtesy City of Calgary

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Tales from

the FrontlinesAt the height of flooding in southern Alberta, Professional Engineers were working on the frontlines to ensure public safety and protect infrastructure. Civil engineers from Canmore and High River share their experiences

The call came in at 3:30 a.m. on June 20,

waking Darin Langhorst, P.Eng., from a

sound sleep. It was the Town of Canmore

emergency operations centre on the line.

“The phone call went something like,

‘Darin, we need you up at Elk Run Boulevard

and Cougar Creek as soon as possible. We

think the creek is going to take out Elk Run

Boulevard,” recalls Mr. Langhorst.

He was onsite 15 minutes later in his

rain gear and safety vest. It was the start

of a two-day battle to keep the road — a

vital transportation link for the mountain

community — from washing away.

LIKE ANY OTHER STORM — AT FIRST

It had started raining the night before, a

medium, steady rain that didn’t raise any

alarm bells. “It just looked like any other

storm,” says Mr. Langhorst. “The storm

systems were able to drink it, just like

normal. The abnormal part of it was that

higher up, in the alpine, we still had snow

pack and that snow pack was also getting

melted with the rain.”

A heavy rainfall warning had been

issued, calling for 100 to 150 millimetres.

Days later, Mr. Langhorst learned that

some rain gauges in the area had measured

rainfall of 200 to 300 millimetres in the 30

hours or so leading up to the flooding.

“We had this firehose of rain pouring

down and Canmore was in the epicentre

of where all this moisture was dropping

down,” he says.

Overnight, the town declared a state

of emergency and began calling in local

engineers, contractors and emergency

personnel. Parts of the TransCanada High-

BOULEVARD BLUES

When flooding hit, engineers and contractors raced to save Elk Run Boulevard in Canmore, a vital transportation link

after the Trans-Canada and Highway 1A were washed out. The road crosses Cougar Creek. The water raged on June

20 (top photo), but the creek was dry days later (bottom photo).

-photos courtesy Darin Langhorst, P.Eng.


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way, Highway 1A and the Canadian Pacific

Railway tracks had been washed out, and

Cougar Creek was recklessly carving a new

path through the valley.

Suddenly Elk Run Boulevard was the

only remaining east-west route in the Bow

Valley. Officials knew it was now imperative

to keep the two-lane residential road open

to bring in food, fuel and other supplies,

not to mention materials for rebuilding

and repairs when the crisis was over. It

was also the only way for residents to be

evacuated from the east side of the creek.

Trouble was, it’s the only street in Can-

more that crosses Cougar Creek, and the

flash flood was doing its best to wipe it out.

“Cougar Creek was a massive, raging

torrent of brown water with trees and huge

boulders rolling down from the mountain-

side. It was a roar of water – like constant

thunder. A lot of the creek bank armouring

was already long gone,” says Mr. Langhorst.

Two track hoes already on site began

chucking landscape boulders and trees

around the arch culvert that passes under

the road, their operators trying to slow the

erosion. It was a bit like plugging a dike

with a finger.

“Water was chewing on the backsides

of the wing walls quite heavily. We were

losing a lot of pavement on the upstream

side and water was close to overtopping the

road,” he says.

By sunrise, though, there was a shift in

the tide when big trucks arrived and began

dumping in loads of large rocks from local

quarries. The work continued over the next

two days until the water levels dropped and

the rocks started staying in place.

A week later, the creek was dry again.

THIMBLES OF ROCK

“Awestruck is a word that comes to mind,”

says Mr. Langhorst. “To see the amount

of material the water moved in a day, and

then we come in with our tiny trackhoes

and start scooping in thimbles full of rock.

It will take us weeks and weeks and weeks

to get back some of what the water moved

in a day.”

Mr. Langhorst’s employer, McElhanney

Consulting, is one of several firms doing

recovery work in the area. The company is

working in the Eagle Terrace community,

which McElhanney’s branch manager Ron

Sadesky, P.Eng., helped design about 15

years ago. The neighbourhood is along

Cougar Creek and suffered major damage

to utilities and roads.

“Even after four to five weeks, we were

still finding new things that were broken.

Storm pipes downstream under Benchlands

Trail got packed full of massive rocks,” says

Mr. Langhorst. “So even though it looks like

we’re fixing this canyon in the road, the

damage underground extended way further

than what you can see on the streetscape.”

Despite living a few hundred metres

from Cougar Creek — his home wasn’t

damaged — Mr. Langhorst has no plans to

leave Canmore any time soon. “I’m happy

to stay right here, knowing that Canmore

is working to protect itself from things like

this in the future,” he says.

‘WE’RE GOING TO REBUILD’

A month before High River’s 13,000 resi-

dents were evacuated and the town became

a disaster zone, Reiley McKerracher, P.Eng.,

was at an open house helping unveil a new

flood model of the Highwood River.

The long-awaited model was to be the

first step in the town’s Flood Management

Master Plan, a strategy to limit the impact

of flooding from the Highwood River, which

cuts a meandering path through the centre

of town and has overflowed its banks four

times in the past 20 years.

Now it’s back to the drawing board as

High River rebuilds from the June 20 flood

that dumped billions of litres of water into

the community and left a wide swath of

destruction in its wake. “This kind of threw

a monkey wrench into everything,” says Mr.

McKerracher.

As the town’s engineering manager,

he helped oversee a dewatering process,

which had officials fighting for days and

weeks to drain contaminated flood water

from hundreds of swamped homes and

businesses.

He was at a workshop in Calgary when

the flooding began. “Things were moving

very fast,” he says. “The flood came in a

lot faster than expected. In past events,

particularly ’95, ’05, and ’08, the river gave

us quite a bit of warning. It came up slowly,

and it was something we were prepared

for. In this case, it came in a matter of

hours and surprised everyone.”

HIGH RIVER BY THE NUMBERS

• Time for Highwood River to peak: 8.5

hours

• Width of river: 1.34 km (35 times its

usual width)

• Land inundated by water: 11.5 km2

(59 per cent)

• Town structures affected by water:

Up to 70 per cent

• Lift stations affected: 13

• Power lines/substations damaged: 5

per cent

• Communications infrastructure

damaged: 50 per cent

• Gas Lines Broken: 4


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Hundreds of residents were trapped in their homes by the

creeping river and had to be rescued by motorboat, helicopter,

front-end loaders, combines and canoes. People watched as sub-

merged cars and trees floated down the streets. By 4:15 p.m. on

June 20, the town issued a mandatory evacuation order for all

13,000 residents. Water was up to six metres high in some areas.

“The amount of water we are talking about was just mind

boggling,” says Mr. McKerracher.

Much of the water drained on its own. But on the north side

of town, in the hardest hit communities of Hampton Hills, Sunshine

Meadows and Sunrise, the water had to be pumped out of the

streets and drained into the nearby Little Bow canal.

By Friday, officials started building berms at Second Avenue

and Highway 543 to try to speed up the pumping. The decision meant

floodwater from Sunrise drained into Hampton Hills, a move that

angered many residents.

In the end, massive industrial pumps were brought in to dry the

WATER BEGONE

On July 16, nearly one month after the flood hit High River, pumps were still sending

flood water into the town’s canal system. Riley McKerracher, P.Eng., oversaw

dewatering.


town out. By Sunday, a local oilfield contractor, Canadian Dewater-

ing, was onsite assembling several pumps, including three of the

largest in North America, with 24-inch intakes.

“To our knowledge, there are only four of these pumps in

Canada. Three of them were on site here in High River,” says

Mr. McKerracher. “Two of them came from a working job in Fort

McMurray. Suncor gave them up willingly to try and help us out.”

Getting the pump systems up and running took about a week

and a half, even with fusing crews putting pipe together 24 hours

a day. Once they were online, pumps at three different sites were

draining roughly 473,000 litres per minute into the canal at peak

capacity. From the Hampton Hills site alone, the pumps were

removing 300,000 litres per minute, or enough to fill an Olympic-

sized swimming pool every 10 minutes.

Sunshine was the first area dewatered, followed by Sunrise

and finally Hampton Hills — it took three weeks in total. One month

after the flooding, pumps were still removing 68,000 litres per

minute from a field north of town.

It was a long, challenging process, added onto other issues the

town was facing, including power outages, sewage backups, a boil

water advisory, and damage to its wastewater lift stations, roads,

bridges and river banks.

“I grew up here. I’ve worked for the town for roughly three and

a half years,” says Mr. McKerracher. “It was pretty rough to see

people you know well who have lost everything. A lot of people have

endured a lot of hardship. But we’re going to rebuild. We’ll try and

do it better.”

The town is seeking funding from the province for flood

mitigation projects to protect the downtown and northwest areas

of the community. Work could begin by mid-September and be

completed before winter. The plan is to repair and modify local

dikes and to build berms large enough to withstand a repeat of this

year’s flood. The town is still calculating just how large the event

was — all its gauge stations were washed out, so high water marks

are being used.

“We had originally designed everything to a one-in-100 event.

With this recent event, which dwarfed what we previously had

planned for, we have to change what we design for in the future,”

says Mr. McKerracher.

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COVER

‘Our Number One Concern Was Public Safety’Flooding takes a huge toll on transportation infrastructure, but reopenings are quick and plentiful

Five days into the flooding, near the intersection of the Trans-Canada

and Highway 56, the Crowfoot Ferry seemed ready to break loose

and perhaps even take out a dam. Docked along the Bow River, one

of its cable towers had collapsed. The only thing holding the ferry in

place was the Caterpillar D7 bulldozer it was anchored to.

“The whole area of the river crossing had become a gigantic

lake, and our ferry was floating in the middle of the lake,” recalls

Fred Lee, P.Eng., who helped coordinate emergency flood response

for Alberta Transportation in the province’s southwest region.

“We were really worried that the ferry would break off and hit the

Bassano Dam about 12 kilometres downstream.”

A military dive team was sent in to assess the situation. The

team gave the word: all clear, the dozer would hold.

On to the next issue.

Rising water, washouts and slides had already forced the

closure of numerous roads and bridges. “Our number one concern

was public safety. We didn’t want people getting stranded or hurt,”

says Mr. Lee, who worked closely with highway maintenance

contractors and municipalities.

Among the many challenges on his plate during the crisis were

• Trans-Canada Highway by Canmore washed out by Cougar

Creek

• Highway 1A cut open to divert flood water away from Exshaw

• The entire Sheep River Bridge at Highway 22 nearly covered in

water, its road abutments washed away

• A 600-metre section of Highway 758 lost to the Elbow River

• Huge chunks missing from bridges on Highway 66 and 40.

And that’s just a partial list.

As flood waters receded, the focus shifted from response to

recovery. Opening the Trans-Canada was at the top of Mr. Lee’s

to-do list. “At one point we had 24 pieces of heavy equipment

operating there,” he says. “We had the highway reopened in six

days. A lot of people said it would take a month to repair, but we got

CONTINUED ON PAGE 80 ››


COVER

WASHED AWAY

After parts of the Trans-Canada Highway were washed out, restoring the

major route became a top priority for Alberta Transportation. Crews had the

highway reopened to two-way traffic within six days; at one point, 24 pieces of

heavy equipment were on-site fixing the damage.

-photo courtesy Jacob Johnson, C.E.T., Town of Canmore

“ We had the highway

reopened in six days.

A lot of people said it

would take a month

to repair, but we got

all our people out

there, came up with

solutions and acted

on them right away.”FRED LEE, P.ENG.Flood Responder for Alberta Transportation


COVER

Top-Notch Water Treatment Proves its Worth

Chocolate milk — those are words Dan Limacher,

P.Eng., uses to describe the Bow River in Calgary at

the peak of the flooding. Yet in the midst of the crisis,

the city was able to continuing turning that chocolate

milk into clean, safe drinking water for its 1.1 million

residents. How did the city do that?

Silt, mud and organic debris washed down from the mountains

during the June floods, creating challenges for water treatment

across southern Alberta. The Province of Alberta’s water

infrastructure was significantly impacted, with damage to more

than 50 dams, canals, water and wastewater treatment plants,

wells, fish hatcheries and other waterworks systems.

Municipalities were slammed, too. In Black Diamond, the water

treatment plant was destroyed. Boil water orders were issued

in several communities where systems simply couldn’t keep up,

including Canmore, High River and Exshaw.

Noticeably absent from the boil water list is Calgary.

Dan Limacher, P.Eng., Calgary’s director of water services,

was among many city and other officials keeping a close watch on

the Bow and Elbow rivers. The city has two water treatment plants.

The Bearspaw, on the Bow, produces two-thirds of its usable water,

and the Glenmore, on the Elbow, produces the rest.

“As we hit the morning of June 20, we knew that we were

going to see some really significant flows in both the rivers,” he

says. “We have about a 10-hour notice of what’s coming from

upstream, which allowed our plants to get ready for the increasing

flows and turbidity levels.”

Water clarity for raw Bow water deteriorated to 4,000

nephelo metric turbidity units, which is well beyond what the plants

usually treat. The seasonal norm is 10 NTUs — so turbidity was 400

times that. In winter, turbidity hovers at around one NTU.

‘THICK AND NASTY’

Mr. Limacher likened the Bow’s water to chocolate milk you’d

never want to drink. “It was really thick, nasty water to treat. If

you combine the organic level with the amount of silt, it was a

significant water treatment challenge we were faced with,” says

Mr. Limacher.

Peak river flows in Calgary were about four times higher

than during the last major flood, in 2005. On the Bow, water raged

by at 1,750 cubic metres per second; the normal for June is less

than 500 cubic metres per second. The Elbow River below the

Glenmore Reservoir moved at 700 m3/s; June levels are normally

around 150 m3/s.

DRINK UP, CALGARY

Dan Limacher, P.Eng., Calgary’s director of water services, holds treated water at the

Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant. Plant operators and engineers worked non-stop

during the flood to ensure the city’s supply of safe drinking water carried on.



Fortunately, the city’s water treatment infrastructure is state-

of-the-art. Major upgrades were completed at Bearspaw in 2007,

followed by similar ones at Glenmore in 2011. Both projects resulted

in big improvements to the water treatment process. Calgary Mayor

Naheed Nenshi told reporters that those infrastructure investments

are what prevented boil water advisories and major water restric-

tions in the city.

Mr. Limacher agrees. “The really big story is that we have

really remarkable pre-treatment facilities at both the Bearspaw and

Glenmore water treatment plants,” he says. “Professional engineers

were hugely involved in the design and construction of these

fantastic facilities, and we had city engineers involved, as well,

working with operators to address significant treatment challenges

during the crisis itself.”

Both plants were able to handle the enormous load of silt and

organics entering the system. “We had to slow the plants down a

little bit, but they made water that was easily within our drinking

water guidelines. Even at 4,000 NTU coming in, we were still

making water at 0.05 NTU,” says Mr. Limacher.

Calgarians were asked restrict their water use for a week due

to the reduced output. “We asked for citizens’ help with the water-

use restrictions, and they responded terrifically,” says Mr. Limacher.


COVER

all our people out there, came up

with solutions and acted on them

right away.”

Damage to Alberta Transporta-

tion’s road and bridge infrastructure

is still being tallied. Thirty major

bridges require significant repairs,

plus numerous smaller ones. Many are now open but require fur-

ther work, while others remain closed.

Sections of highway totalling about 985 kilometres were closed

due to flood damage, which ranged from complete highway wash-

outs to bridge damage and destruction. By mid-August traffic had

returned to 830 kilometres of highway, although much repair work

continues.

“This is totally unprecedented. We’ve never seen anything like

this,” says Mr. Lee. “We’re actually pretty happy that everything

stood as well as it did and we were able to repair most of the

damage within about three weeks.”

MEANWHILE BACK IN CALGARY

Craig MacFarlane, P.Eng., chief structures engineer with the City

of Calgary, was busy keeping a close eye on the city’s 24 vehicle

bridges, three C-Train bridges and 25 pedestrian bridges, which, in

a normal situation, allow cars, trains and people to safely cross the

Bow and Elbow rivers.

“I was coordinating a lot from my car, out in the field. For the

first week of the event we were inspecting all of our river bridges

daily,” he says. “Personally, I’ve experienced a few floods, but

nothing to this extent. I was sure glad we had our bridge resources

coordinated ahead of time and everybody available on a moment’s

notice to go out and inspect structures.”

About 10 Professional Engineers and two technicians were

doing inspections. Road maintenance workers and Calgary police

were calling in reports on rapidly changing river conditions.

“With high water levels, there’s only a limited amount of the

bridge you can see. We were watching to ensure the water and

debris didn’t come up onto the superstructure — the deck — because

it isn’t designed to take stream flow or debris,” says Mr. MacFarlane.

Another concern was the potential for scour or settlement.

Scour happens when fast water washes away gravel around bridge

abutments or piers. When the Bonnybrook rail bridge over the Bow

River buckled on June 27 and caused six tanker cars to derail,

engineers with Canadian Pacific Railway said the cause was scour

from flood waters. CP inspects its own bridges and didn’t detect any

problems above the water.

But for the city’s bridges, scour didn’t cause issues, says

Mr. MacFarlane. “All of our bridges are either founded directly on

bedrock or on piles going into bedrock,” he explains.

In fact, all the city’s traffic bridges remained structurally safe

throughout the flooding. “We didn’t have any bridges that were

in any structural distress, apart from the three small pedestrian

bridges on the Elbow River that were completely destroyed by the

high water,” says Mr. MacFarlane. Another six pedestrian bridges

suffered minor damage.

Several traffic bridges were closed at the height of the crisis,

but that was primarily because adjacent roads were flooded, or

because officials wanted to limit access into areas such as the

downtown, parts of which were under water.

The only major washout was at Scollen Bridge, which connects

the Mission and Erlton communities. Debris caught on the piers,

forcing the Elbow River to flow around it. Other damage included

a few sinkholes around some bridge abutments and some bank

erosion.

Several weeks after the flood, precautionary bridge inspections

continued. The city initiated a scour study to map the new

topography of river bottoms. There were also plans to send in an

underwater diver to inspect bridge piers once water levels dropped.

As for the city’s roads, about 20 kilometres of blacktop was

damaged, costing $25 million to repair.

HIGH AND FAST

The Bow River rushes over a walkway near

the Centre Street Bridge in Calgary during the

June flooding, the speed of the flow character-

ized by the photographer’s use of a slow shut-

ter speed. The lower car deck of the bridge

was flooded, but the iconic landmark remained

structurally sound.

-photo by Ryan L. C. Quan

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 76 ››


COVER

“It’s actually holding up pretty well.”

Those were Mark Schuh’s thoughts on the

evening of June 19 as he checked the new

armouring along Cougar Creek, installed

by the town the previous fall. Rain was

pouring hard and the creek, normally dry,

was coming to life.

The 22-year-old was weeks away

from wrapping up a 12-month intern-

ship with the Town of Canmore. Soon

Mr. Schuh, a University of Calgary civil

engineering student, would be thrust into

a natural disaster, receiving a level of

internship he could barely have imagined

only hours earlier.

He awoke on June 20 to learn that a

state of emergency had been declared and

that residents in his Cougar Creek neigh-

bourhood were being evacuated. “When I

walked down to the creek to check it out,

the first thing I saw was those backyards

getting washed away,” says Mr. Schuh.

The armouring, needless to say, was

long gone.

His own basement suite on Moraine

Lake Road wasn’t affected. Mr. Schuh

grabbed food and a sleeping bag before

being bused to the local high school,

then walked to the town’s emergency

operations centre to see how he could

help. He was quickly put to work

patrolling flood sites that were stable but

needed monitoring.

“I made the rounds and reported back

where and when we might need resources

— equipment and people. Riprap here,

sandbags there. What can we do for this

person? Things of that nature, nothing

major,” he says. “It was pretty non-stop

for those two or three days.”

Among the lessons he learned during

the crisis were the importance of clear,

concise communication, and how to think

fast on your feet.

“Everywhere I went people were

asking questions and wanting information,

wanting to show me what their house was

“I made the rounds and reported

back where and when we might need

resources — equipment and people.

Riprap here, sandbags there. What can

we do for this person? Things of that

nature, nothing major. It was pretty

non-stop for those two or three days.”

MARK SCHUHUniversity of Calgary Engineering Student

Flood Disaster Work Experience: Be In Flood, Get to WorkInternships help students put what they learn in the classroom into practice in the real world. For University of Calgary civil engineering student Mark Schuh, that happened in a big, wet and devastating way. And what he learned from the experience is something you can’t get from a textbook

like. It was almost like triaging where I

needed to be and what resources needed

to be where,” says Mr. Schuh. “It was

definitely a unique learning experience,

obviously not something you can find in a

classroom.”

Now in his fourth year at the U of C

with a minor in structural engineering,

those lessons will be invaluable as he

advances his career. “I think it’s definitely

something I can draw on and keep in

mind, now that I’ve seen firsthand the

force of nature and just how quickly

things can get out of hand.”


COVER

Across Alberta, municipalities

and expert panels are exploring

flood mitigation solutions to

protect people and property from

the impacts of extreme weather.

APEGA Members are at the

forefront of the discussions and

debate. When the next big flood

hits, will Alberta be ready?

A few days after the flooding began, some

former geoscience students of Dr. Jerry

Osborn, P.Geol., struck up a conversation

on Facebook. It went along the lines of:

“Remember how Dr. Osborn said the big

one is coming and we didn’t believe him?

Remember how we had to do that lab,

predicting the 100-year flood extent, and

it seemed so big we didn’t believe it? We

should have listened.”

Dr. Osborn, P.Geol., a professor in the

Department of Geoscience at the University

of Calgary, certainly wasn’t surprised by the

flood’s magnitude. There have been floods

of similar size in the not-so-distant past,

and he has no doubt they will happen again.

In fact, he says, there’s an increased risk

due to climate change and the potential for

bigger, longer-lasting storms.

“We have a history of big floods on

the Bow River. In the past 130 years, we’ve

had four floods of a similar magnitude, or

bigger, than this last one,” says Dr. Osborn.

“The two biggest floods, in 1879 and 1897,

were only 18 years apart, so there’s no

reason to assume that it’s going to be a long

time until the next one.”

As a Professional Geologist, he’s also

not surprised by the destruction along

Cougar Creek in Canmore, where raging

floodwaters swiftly eroded creek banks

and damaged 120 homes along the creek’s

edge. The reason: the houses were built

on an alluvial fan, a cone-shaped sediment

deposit often found at the mouth of canyons

or gullies. Normally dry, alluvial fans are

Managing the Risks

characterized by flash flooding from storms

or spring run-off. The fast moving water

has a tendency to sweep back and forth

along the fan, carving new, wider channels

in order to carry large volumes of gravel

and debris being washed down the valley.

“Instead of rising and overtopping its

banks, it just makes new banks. Unlike a


TWISTER

Dean Hagen, with the Calgary Transit Track and Way Department, assesses the

twisted C-Train tracks near the Erlton/Stampede Station. Flooding from the Elbow

River mangled 100-metres of track and caused $8.2 million in damage, disrupting

service into the downtown core.

-photo courtesy City of Calgary

regular river, it just expands its channel,” says Dr. Osborn.

With flood risks now front and centre in the public eye, he’s

hopeful governments will take a more cautious approach when it

comes to development along waterways. In the three months since


COVER

the flood, many flood mitigation improvements have already been

announced and expert panels — which include several APEGA

Members — have been established by municipalities and the provin-

cial government to investigate a plethora of options.

In mid-July, the province announced it will ban new develop-

ment in floodways — the flood hazard area where flows are the

fastest and most destructive. The government has also offered to

buy about 250 southern Alberta homes located in floodways, even

if they weren’t damaged in June.

Homeowners living in the flood fringe — where floodwater

is generally shallower and the flow slower — will be eligible for

disaster recovery funding to help them pay for flood proofing. This

could include berms or raising the house higher off the ground.

Those who don’t install flood proofing won’t be eligible for disaster

relief in any future flood.

The province has also appointed a community advisory panel

that will make recommendations on future flood protection and

prevention solutions. The panel includes Allan Markin, P.Eng.,

whose home in Calgary was badly damaged by flooding. He’s

president of AMP Financial Inc. and past chair of Canadian Natural

Resources Ltd. Also on the panel is Tino DiManno, P.Eng., a senior

vice-president with Stantec Consulting.

Andre Corbould, P.Eng., Chief Assistant Deputy Minister of the

Southern Alberta Flood Recovery Task Force, says many questions

need to be answered.

“Are there lessons learned based on what happened? Are there

ways that we can control the water? Do we need to consider greater

levels of mitigation, whether it be dams or bridges or floodways,

to help prepare for this type of thing?” says Mr. Corbould. “Our job

is to work together with municipalities to figure out what we can

implement immediately, and what may take a little more engineering

or consideration to do in the future.”

Some work has already begun. In High River, for example, the

province has hired a consultant to begin scraping the Highwood

River to increase the river’s flow.

Mr. Corbould says the community advisory panel will take up

where the 2006 Provincial Flood Mitigation Report left off. That

report was written by former Highwood MLA George Groeneveld

after flooding in 2005 killed three people and caused $400 million

in damage. The report made 18 recommendations and called on the

province to spend more than $300 million on flood mitigation in 54

municipalities, including many of those that were flooded in June. It

also called for a ban on development in flood plains.

The province has been criticized for failing to act on the rec-

ommendations, but Mr. Corbould says many of the recommenda-

tions were implemented or were in progress when the flooding hit

in June.

“We’re taking up where that left off, in many ways. But this

year’s event was much bigger than the 2005 floods, so we’re also

looking at it from first principles as well. We’re opening everything

up,” he says.

The province will be working closely with municipalities like

Calgary, High River and Canmore, which have set up their own flood

mitigation panels. In Canmore, the town approved the Mountain

Creek Flood Mitigation Plan, designed to help spread a better under-

standing of how mountain creeks behave, and to identify steps to

reduce further property loss though mitigation projects. High River

is seeking funding from the province for immediate flood mitigation

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Residents pile sand bags along the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat on June

23 to protect infrastructure from rising water. More than 7,000 residents were evacuated

from their homes and initial damage in the community is pegged at $72 million.

-The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette


COVER

projects, including berms and dike improve-

ments, and discussions are ongoing for

long-term projects.

In Calgary, a four-member panel of

experts has been struck to help identify

ways to protect people and property from

future flooding. Darrel Danyluk, P.Eng.,

FEC, FCAE, a past APEGA president, was

selected to sit on the committee, along with

Dr. Steve Hrudey, P.Eng., a current APEGA

Councillor.

WHAT ENGINEERS SHOULD DO

Mr. Danyluk says the panel is a positive first

step to finding solutions. But all Profes-

sional Engineers who design infrastructure

projects — including buildings, roads, utili-

ties and storm water systems — have a role

to play in flood mitigation, he says.

From Far and WideAfter the June floods, Professional

Engineers arrived in Alberta from across

the country to provide assistance and

expertise.

Micheka Kostyniuk, P.Eng., was one of

them. A forensic engineer with Caskanette

Udall Consulting Engineers in Kitchener,

Ont., she arrived in High River in early

July and spent two weeks doing struc-

tural inspections on deluged commercial

and condominium properties. Licensed in

Alberta, she was assessing on behalf of

a major insurance company processing

claims in High River.

She’s worked in disaster zones

before — her company was involved in the

Goderich, Ont., tornado in 2011. But this

was the first time she’s seen flood damage

on such a massive scale.

Ms. Kostyniuk examined about 15

buildings during her time in the community.

Most of them held up well, and she found

little in the way of major structural damage.

The floods were a learning experi-

ence. “The most interesting thing to me

was learning how pre-engineered joists

hold up in flood conditions,” she says. “We

had a lot of discussions with manufactur-

ers about how long they can be underwa-

ter. We’ve seen joists that have been wet

and dried out before, but we’ve never seen

the pre-engineered joists that have been

submerged for two or three weeks con-

stantly. There was some damage, but most

of them held up fairly well.”

She credits cleanup crews of vol-

unteers with making her job easier, by

clearing out debris and drywall. “They got

everything torn out and I was able to get in

quickly,” says Ms. Kostyniuk.

Void mapping was also required on

one of the properties she examined, where

there were concerns of an underground

sinkhole beneath the building. Ground

penetrating radar determined everything

was OK.

She’s hopeful the business owners

are able to reopen soon. “We’ve seen God-

erich rebuild and they’re doing fabulous.

They rebuilt quicker than we anticipated,

so hopefully southern Alberta can, too.”CONTINUE ON PAGE 87 ››


What the Bedrock SaysUniversity of Calgary geophysics students look to Bow River riverbanks to learn more about flooding

What can the bedrock along the Bow

River teach society about past — and

future — floods? A group of geophysics

students from the University of

Calgary’s Department of Geoscience

hopes to find out.

In August, 50 students took part in

a unique, two-week urban field school

to examine the geologic record of riv-

erbanks around the city’s Inglewood

Wildlands Park and Shouldice Park, two

areas flooded in June.

In a story on the U of C website,

Don Lawton, P.Geoph., a professor at the

university, says the June flooding was

a tremendous learning opportunity for

students. By figuring out what happened

in past floods, the students may be able

to predict the effects of future floods.

“This has given our students a once-

in-a-lifetime chance to participate in an

important research and training program

fueled by a tangible objective to better

understand the history of floods in the

Bow River, while also contributing to the

knowledge about the city’s river system,”

Dr. Lawton says.

Students conducted geophysical

surveys, including electric resistivity

imaging and seismic refraction surveys,

to create images of the subsurface

beneath the floodplains. Now that

they’re back in class, they’ll interpret

the field data and write a report on their

findings.

Field schools are a course require-

ment for geophysics students. They give

students a chance to use sophisticated

technology and put into practice the tech-

niques that they’ll use once they graduate

and get jobs in industry.

This was the department’s first

urban field school. Typically, the field

schools are held in the Rocky Mountains,

the Canadian Shield or the Prairies. The

City of Calgary granted the university

access to the parks for the research.

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COVER

“As engineers, what

can we do? We define

what the problem is, define

what level of protection to

mitigate against, and then

engineer solutions to do

that. Recognizing that there

is a problem is the obvious

first step,” he says.

Mr. Danyluk, a civil

engineer, is vice-president

of the World Federation of

Engineering Organizations

and chairs its engineering

and environment com-

mittee, which provides

recommendations on the

adaptation of civil infra-

structure to climate change

impacts and risks. He’s also

chair of the national Public

Infrastructure Engineering

Vulnerability Committee, a

project funded by Engineers

Canada and Natural Resources Canada.

Known as PIEVC, the committee has developed an assessment

tool to help experts — in particular Professional Engineers — evalu-

ate the vulnerability of infrastructure to extreme weather events. To

date, there have been more than 30 PIEVC assessments conducted

by municipalities across Canada, including Calgary and Edmonton.

“The reality is that the climate is changing,” he says. “We’re

seeing more extreme weather. We’re seeing bigger events, com-

bined events, which are causing our infrastructure to be vulnerable

to failure. We can’t say there’s a standard pattern now.”

Currently, infrastructure is designed to codes and standards

based on historic weather data that has been fairly benign, says Mr.

Danyluk. But the changing climate is exposing Canada’s infrastruc-

ture to impacts it wasn’t originally designed for, he says. Moving

forward, professionals need to consider new design and operational

practices to withstand these new weather conditions.

“We can’t wait for the standard to change. We must consider

whether or not there are climatic events that should be taken into

account today. If you’re building a new facility or you’re rehabilitat-

ing existing infrastructure, it’s best to ask the question: Are there

climatic criteria here that we should consider in our new design or

in our upgrade? It’s no-regrets action,” says Mr. Danyluk. “Engi-

neers need to take leadership on this and can do so by doing climate

risk assessments in their work.”

DOZENS OF EXPERTS,DOZENS OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Both Mr. Danyluk and Dr. Hrudey also participated in the

development of a white paper called The 2013 Great Alberta Flood:

Actions to Mitigate, Manage and Control Future Floods. Released

Aug. 2 by Alberta

WaterSMART, it gathered

the contributions of dozens

of experts — Professionals

in Engineering and

Geoscience, ecologists,

business leaders,

researchers, policy

analysts and others —

and it contains dozens of

recommendations on how

to manage, mitigate and

control future floods and

severe droughts.

“The purpose of our

work is to provide a road

map looking forward, to

inform the discussions

underway in committee

rooms across the province,”

says Kim Sturgess, P.Eng.,

founder and CEO of

WaterSMART, which has

spent the past eight years

working on water management in the Bow and South Saskatchewan

river basins. “Where do we go from here to make sure we don’t run

into this problem again? What actions need to be taken to mitigate

this the next time around?”

Many of the contributing experts were on hand at the Cana-

dian Water Summit in Calgary on June 27. At the time, the city was

still mopping up from the flood waters. Summit organizers quickly

changed the day’s program to focus on flood solutions. The ideas

that emerged were the beginning of the white paper, which contin-

ued to evolve over the next four weeks.

Ms. Sturgess says the final recommendations are logical,

science-based actions that can be taken to strengthen the

province’s capacity to respond to natural disasters. They can be

summarized in six general tasks, which are that society should

• anticipate and plan for more extreme weather events, including

flood and drought

• improve the province’s operational capacity to deal with

potential extreme weather scenarios through better modeling

and data management

• investigate the cost/benefit balance of investing in physical

infrastructure

• consider flood risks in municipal planning and strengthen

building codes for new flood plain development

• evaluate options for overland flood insurance

• manage water resources collaboratively.

ACTING WITH THE WHOLE IN MIND

Ms. Sturgess says it’s important that any flood mitigation work

takes into account the river system as a whole. “A berm placed

BRIGHT LIGHTS

Volunteers and family clean out Linda Clarke’s flooded basement in Sunrise, the second commu-

nity to be drained after flooding in High River. Crews were allowed into the home on July 16.

-photo courtesy David Richeson


COVER

Wood Buffalo Cleanup ContinuesWood Buffalo was just starting to recover

from its worst flooding in decades when

the media spotlight shifted south to what’s

being dubbed the Great Alberta Flood. But

just like southern Alberta, the northern

municipality is still putting itself back

together, months later.

Flooding began June 10 in the Anzac

area, after the region was drenched with up

to 180 millimetres of rain over four days.

High, fast-flowing waters began to ravage

Fort McMurray a day later, resulting in a

week-long, local state of emergency.

Damaged public infrastructure includes

roads, bridges and trails, as well as water,

sanitary and storm systems. The initial

estimate of the cost of the damage, for public

infrastructure only, is around $35 million,

says Joseph Zachariah, the municipality’s

flood recovery project manager.

The municipality is hiring engineering

consultants to determine the best strat-

egy for repairs. “We are trying our best to

recover everything back to pre-flood condi-

tions. There are no safety concerns now

but there is some inconvenience,” he says.

Back in June, 400 to 500 people

were placed under mandatory evacuation

in the Grayling Terrace, Draper Road and

Waterways residential areas, after rapidly

rising water on the Hangingstone River

eroded slopes and shorelines. Waterways

and Draper residents were also faced

with a boil water order after waterworks

infrastructure was damaged.

Flooding in the Anzac area forced the

closure of Highway 881, and a section of

Highway 63, about 30 kilometres south

of Fort McMurray, was impassable for

a short time. Two major parks were

flooded and remained closed when The

PEG went to press. Representatives of the

Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre said

six centimetres of water made it onto the

main floor. About 100 kilometres north of

Fort McMurray, north and south approaches

to the Firebag Bridge were washed out,

stranding 60 backcountry campers until

crews could stage a rescue.

In early July, the provincial govern-

ment announced the Wood Buffalo Disaster

Recovery Program, part of the $1 billion in

flood recovery funding promised after the

destruction in southern Alberta. Home-

owners and businesses with uninsurable

damage can apply to the program for relief.

As the recovery and rebuilding

continues, the municipality is undertaking

studies to determine long-term repairs

and flood protection measures for the

future, said Mr. Zachariah. The studies will

complement flood protection strategies

already included in Fort McMurray’s City

Centre Area Redevelopment Plan. Some

strategies have already been incorporated,

such as an elevated roadway along the

shoreline of the Clearwater River.

on a river may save one property but cause significant issues for

another property. You have to understand what those impacts are.

Things that are done in the City of Calgary have a huge impact

downstream. It’s one river system, one watershed, and you need to

look at your actions within a watershed,” she says.

It will also be important to analyze the cost of hard engineering

— dams, canals, diversions and the like — against benefits and risks.

“One of our recommendations is to use modeling to assess

the various investments in infrastructure and what their impacts

will be,” says Ms. Sturgess. “We want to make sure that the

money is spent in the best way possible. And we want to try and

avoid having an impact on the natural infrastructure. Any time

you start interfering with the natural flow of the river, you start

having unintended consequences. Having a look at low-impact

developments would be extremely helpful, rather than immediately

diving into the big, hard solutions.”

Low-impact solutions could include improvements to wetlands

and riparian areas, which could be used as natural water storage

areas. “The point is to use as much of the natural infrastructure as

you can,” she says.

APEGA has also been involved in the flood mitigation

conversation. CEO Mark Flint, P.Eng., was part of the Engineering

Working Group which provided input for the WaterSMART white

paper. “As a professional association, we have a responsibility to

lead,” says Mr. Flint.

The association’s Practice Standards Committee is also

looking at producing practice standard guidelines for flood

mitigation to support members in their professional practice.

“We are looking at our practice standard guidelines to see if

there are recommendations we can put together to provide some

guidance to our professions,” Mr. Flint says. “What should we be

thinking about and looking at, as professionals, when creating

flood mitigation designs? Guidelines can help us shape the way we

approach the design process.”

SIDEBAR

WEATHER AHEAD

By 2050, Alberta will see a 10 to 15 per cent increase in

extreme rainfall events as average annual temperatures in

the province rise by 2 to 4 C. So predicts a June 2012 study

prepared by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction for

the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

The bureau notes that over the past four years, severe

storms, fires and flooding in Alberta caused an average of $670

million in damage. That compares to an average of $100 million

annually over the past 15 years.

SEPTEMBER 2013 PEG | 89SEPTEMBER 2013 PEG | 89

Head Office 1500 Scotia One 10060 Jasper Avenue NW Edmonton AB T5J 4A2

PH 780-426-3990 TOLL FREE 1-800-661-7020 FAX 780-426-1877 [email protected] www.apega.ca

Calgary Office 2200 Scotia Centre 700 2 Street SW Calgary AB T2P 2W1

PH 403-262-7714 TOLL FREE 1-888-262-3688 FAX 403-269-2787

SALARY SURVEY

Highlights from Value of Professional Services publication

2013 APEGA SALARY SURVEY2013 APEGA SALARY SURVEY

Dear Members and Permit Holders,

The Value of Professional Services is one of APEGA’s most highly sought after publications.

It provides APEGA Members, both individuals and corporations, with an unbiased salary

and benefits comparison across a wide range of industries in Alberta. APEGA encourages

the use of this resource, and any other at your disposal, to ensure fair compensation

for individual practitioners while helping corporations remain competitive in the labour

market.

This year, APEGA engaged the services of Aon Hewitt to administer and conduct the

2013 Value of Professional Services salary and benefits survey. Data was gathered from

120 employers (with over 12,000 individual data points), representing APEGA’s 10 regional

branches and 10 industry sectors. We appreciate the effort required by the participating

permit holders who complete this annual survey every spring. Without your help, this

service would not be possible. We know from experience that this service is appreciated

by the membership. Thank you for your continued support.

The full report will be available online this month at apega.ca. It will contain details for

determining your responsibility level, your expected 2013 base salary, the predicted salary

change, and your expected 2013 total compensation. The report also contains salary data

pertaining to both Engineering and Geoscientists for gender, location, years of experience,

company size, engineering discipline, co-op students and by degree.

Any comments are welcome and can be addressed to myself, Jessica Vandenberghe,

at 780-426-3990 (1-800-661-7020 outside of Edmonton), extension 2819, or

[email protected].

Sincerely,

Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng., M.Sc.

APEGA, Director of Outreach and Product Services


SALARY SURVEY

HOW TO USE THE SALARY SURVEY RESULTS:

Step 1: Determine your responsibility level

Step 2: Determine your expected 2013 base salary

based on responsibility level

Step 3: Review the predicted salary change, as

reported by permit holders

Step 4: Determine your expected 2013 total

compensation based on responsibility level

The flowchart to the left gives a generalized overview

of responsibility levels. APEGA encourages using the

advanced method of determining responsibility level,

which is included in the Value of Professional Services

publication.

NOTE ON SALARY SURVEY METHODS

This year, APEGA engaged the services of Aon Hewitt

to administer and conduct the 2013 APEGA salary and

benefits survey. Invitations to participate in the survey

were distributed to all registered APEGA permit holders

at the end of May. Results were gathered and compiled

by Aon Hewitt throughout the months of June and July.

The highlights and final publication are being prepared

jointly by APEGA and Aon Hewitt for September.

The Salary Survey is completed by each Permit

Holder’s Human Resources department (or other

applicable department) and all data is anonymous.

The 10 industrial categories used in this report are:

• Engineering and/or Geoscience Consulting Services

• Engineering, Procurement, and Construction

• Resource Exploitation (except oil & gas)

• Resource Exploitation (oil & gas only)

• Manufacturing (durables)

• Manufacturing (non-durables)

• Service and Control (not for profit)

• Service (for profit)

• Utility (rate controlled)

• Advanced Technologies

DATA REPORTING METHODS

The statistical information reported includes the average,

mean, mode, median (D50), minimum value, maximum

value, D10, D25, D75 and D90. Please refer to the figure

at the top of the opposite page for further clarity. In

an effort to ensure data confidentially, a minimum of 3

responses in any given reporting break is required to

publish a survey average. Responses noted as “n/a” in

any table or chart is defined by having less than 3 data

points or the inability to compute a given value.

Data results were filtered by individual job

classification and responsibility level to ensure all

salary data points were within three standard deviations

of the sample average, using a single iteration approach

to remove any potential outlying data point.

Senior+ Management Engineer/Geoscientist

Authority over companies, often

responsible for policy framework,

approval of projects having wide public

impact costing a significant amount of

money

Senior Management Engineer/Geoscientist

Authority over several interrelated

professional groups in different fields,

each field under a Management

Eng/Geo.

Management Engineer/Geoscientist

Authority over Supervisory Eng/

Geo or a large group containing both

professionals and other staff.

Supervisory Engineer/Geoscientist

First level of direct supervision over

other Eng/Geo.

Project Engineer/Geoscientist

Independently produces responsible

and varied assignments. Minimal

supervision. May give guidance, but not

direct supervision to other Eng/Geo.

Assistant Project Engineer/Geoscientist

Assignments of limited scope and

complexity. Work supervised in

detail. May give guidance to M.I.T.,

technicians, technologists, etc.

Member-in-Training

On-the-Job Training Assignments

Co-op/Intern Student

On-the-Job Training Assignments

Senior+ Specialist Engineer/Geoscientist

Internationally recognized authority in a

field of major importance and generally

exercises authority over a group of

highly qualified professionals engaged in

complex applications.

Senior Specialist Engineer/Geoscientist

Recognized authority in a field of major

importance and generally exercises

authority over a group of highly qualified

professionals engaged in complex

applications.

Advanced Specialist Engineer/Geoscientist

In addition to second level specialization,

may have authority over a group of highly

qualified professionals.

Specialist Engineer/Geoscientist

First level of full specialization in

complex applications (e.g. research,

design, sales, etc.)

JOB CLASSIFICATION FLOWCHART

2013 EMPLOYER SALARY

F+

F

E

D

F+

F

E

D

C

B

A

A-

Level of

Responsib

ilit

y


SALARY SURVEYSURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

GENDER VS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE – ENGINEERING

GENDER VS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE – GEOSCIENCE

Base salary is provided as an annual value,

effective as of May 1, 2013. Base salary includes

pay for time worked at normal rates plus the cost

of benefits for time-not-worked (e.g. vacation pay,

statutory holiday pay, payments in-lieu of holiday/

vacation, etc.). Base salary does not include

payment of overtime.

Total compensation is the sum of the base

salary, overtime compensation, additional cash

compensation and other compensation. Additional

cash compensation includes direct payments to the

employee for items such as cash bonuses, profit

sharing, performance/merit bonus, and the like.

Other compensation includes direct payments to

the employee for items such as stock options, con-

sulting fees and other payments easily converted to

cash. For more details on what is included, please

see the Value of Professional Services final report.

INFORMATION ON PARTICIPANTS

Participation for the 2013 survey grew by 38%,

with 120 companies submitting data in time for

inclusion in the final published report. The 2013

survey captured current compensation data for

12,435 Engineering and Geoscientist Professionals

across Alberta.

PREDICTED SALARY INCREASE

Based on current survey responses, 84% of compa-

nies plan to increase salaries in the next 12 months

by an average of 3.7%, with a range of 1.8% to 7.0%,

whereas 13% of companies are forecasting a salary

freeze in the next 12 months. 3% of respondents

were unable to provide a response to their predicted

salary increases.

Please be sure to download your full copy

of the Value of Professional Services in September

from the APEGA website (apega.ca, under Fast

Find, Salary Survey). Included are the full salary

survey results, with other information pertaining to:

• Benefits

• Vacation

Entitlement

• Gender

• Location

• Years of

Experience

• Company Size

• Engineering

Discipline

• Co-op Student

Salaries

• Degrees

Participation in the salary survey is free and

encouraged by all permit holders in an effort to

garner the most robust and representative data-

base possible. As survey participation grows, a

more accurate representation of our membership

is shown. Please contact Jessica Vandenberghe at

[email protected] to ensure you are sent

your 2014 survey participation package next May.


SALARY SURVEY

ANNUAL BASE SALARIES – ALL INDUSTRIES

Category#

Engs.

%

Change

from

2012

Average

$

Mode

$

Median

(D50)

$

Min Value

$

Max Value

$

D10

$

D25

$

D75

$

D90

$

A- 476 8.3% 54,038 64,260 53,472 34,224 75,000 46,617 48,750 58,895 64,260

A 1,393 5.7% 71,960 83,200 72,000 45,600 95,500 61,000 66,220 78,057 83,200

B 1,461 3.7% 84,055 87,500 85,000 56,287 112,320 71,175 78,603 90,363 95,025

C 1,839 5.0% 99,757 100,000 100,000 59,795 140,000 83,624 93,000 106,500 114,966

D 2,563 3.9% 125,499 120,000 125,700 75,238 175,000 106,220 115,980 135,408 143,962

E 1,952 4.8% 157,992 150,000 158,359 97,825 218,400 136,500 148,612 168,239 179,519

F 1,013 5.4% 191,855 195,000 190,000 97,000 287,040 159,920 174,636 206,300 228,520

F+ 484 4.1% 220,850 200,000 218,430 76,440 360,000 174,300 200,592 245,078 275,000

Category#

Engs.

%

Change

from

2012

Average

$

Mode

$

Median

(D50)

$

Min Value

$

Max Value

$

D10

$

D25

$

D75

$

D90

$

A- 476 6.9% 55,662 64,260 55,472 34,224 78,574 47,760 50,954 60,450 64,260

A 1393 8.0% 80,770 83,200 75,955 47,840 187,038 62,332 68,000 90,276 106,603

B 1461 0.1% 101,259 87,500 93,171 56,500 208,388 74,000 81,145 115,060 142,199

C 1839 6.3% 114,900 100,000 110,473 59,795 227,961 86,990 96,845 126,178 147,842

D 2563 5.1% 155,522 120,000 146,203 77,282 431,921 114,000 125,396 175,880 217,777

E 1952 9.4% 204,563 150,000 194,400 102,005 507,144 142,272 159,273 236,612 288,739

F 1013 14.1% 261,279 195,000 240,000 103,350 889,290 169,866 194,900 307,600 388,502

F+ 484 17.6% 349,397 250,000 324,625 80,262 1,078,463 188,644 230,831 432,526 543,810

Engineering

TOTAL COMPENSATION – ALL INDUSTRIES

SALARY BY GENDER – RESPONSIBILITY LEVELAs expected, base salaries across all responsibility

levels (ranging from A- to F+) have increased in

2013. Average base salary increases range from

3.7% to 8.3%, with an overall average increase of

5.1%.

It is well know that a labour shortage is upon

us, which is expected to continue well over the

next decade. As more Engineers and Geoscientists

leave the workforce, the heightened demand for

experienced Professionals will increase. This

is apparent in the increase in number of hits to

APEGA’s job board (www.apegajobboard.ca).

The widely publicized labour shortages will

continue to heighten employer’s awareness towards

the importance of a meaningful and successful Total

Rewards strategy, including (but not limited to)

competitive base salaries, variable pay plans, benefit

programs, work life balance programs and career

development plans. As the increase in demand

for talent within the Engineering and Geosciences

Professions continue, employers’ Total Rewards

strategies will continue to evolve and adapt to

ensure they remain market competitive.


SALARY SURVEY

ANNUAL BASE SALARIES – COMPARISON ACROSS INDUSTRY

Engineering

0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000 $350,000

All Industries

Engineering, Geological,

Geophysical Consulting

Service

Engineering, Procurement

and Construction

Resource Exploitation

(except oil & gas)


(oil & gas only)

Manufacturing

(durables)

Manufacturing

(non-durables)

Service and Control

(not for profit)

Service (for profit)

Utility (rate controlled)

Advanced Technologies


SALARY SURVEY Geoscience

ANNUAL BASE SALARIES – ALL INDUSTRIES

Category#

Geos.

%

Change

from

2012

Average

$

Mode

$

Median

(D50)

$

Min Value

$

Max Value

$

D10

$

D25

$

D75

$

D90

$

A- 31 13.1% 57,233 50,700 56,721 41,600 78,000 48,006 50,700 64,792 68,639

A 54 7.7% 74,234 58,000 79,500 48,300 100,000 56,136 64,098 82,800 85,970

B 122 2.7% 85,213 84,000 87,429 56,004 100,100 68,221 80,650 92,494 96,372

C 191 2.0% 102,065 107,000 103,025 72,000 142,400 86,920 97,250 107,000 115,000

D 241 5.5% 130,665 130,000 130,000 87,980 193,500 110,000 118,400 138,700 155,100

E 242 3.6% 167,608 175,000 171,850 104,360 230,300 140,100 156,600 180,000 189,850

F 185 2.9% 201,470 201,000 202,000 122,080 276,400 171,940 192,199 212,100 235,240

F+ 55 -5.1% 219,268 204,800 222,000 150,000 300,000 175,801 206,000 235,850 252,412

Category#

Geos.

%

Change

from

2012

Average

$

Mode

$

Median

(D50)

$

Min Value

$

Max Value

$

D10

$

D25

$

D75

$

D90

$

A- 31 14.1% 57,741 50,700 56,721 41,600 78,000 48,006 50,700 64,792 68,639

A 54 10.7% 85,242 58,000 86,934 54,914 155,587 58,000 68,550 97,449 105,256

B 122 2.0% 101,841 107,520 103,814 56,004 202,293 71,018 87,394 114,175 121,999

C 191 6.1% 120,395 97,500 118,853 72,975 205,202 89,719 101,725 135,345 151,947

D 241 8.3% 172,207 97,850 165,900 87,980 332,542 122,902 139,300 191,451 233,761

E 242 5.5% 241,550 270,900 241,950 106,000 457,600 159,706 200,455 273,935 311,288

F 185 10.8% 312,965 n/a 310,100 125,000 554,250 205,400 272,800 350,000 422,742

F+ 55 -2.4% 385,190 351,300 379,200 154,500 905,250 210,656 317,900 447,684 511,100

TOTAL COMPENSATION – ALL INDUSTRIES

SALARY BY GENDER – RESPONSIBILITY LEVEL For Geoscientists, the overall survey sample size grew by 70% in

2013. With the exception of level F+, base salaries have increased

across all responsibility levels (ranging from A- to F). The range

in increase was from 2.0% to 13.1%.

In addition to maintaining market competitiveness from a total

compensation perspective, the majority of industry continues to

focus on targeting other pools of potential members, especially

internationally educated graduates, females and Aboriginals. Out-

reach and diversity programs targeted for these groups continue

to gain momentum, as are meaningful collaborations amongst

APEGA, industry, government and various outreach organizations.

APEGA is continuing its aggressive targets of increasing the

female membership to 30% and Aboriginal membership to 2% by

2030 (be sure to self-declare in the Member Self Service Centre

at apega.ca if you are from an Aboriginal heritage!). To support

this, the salary survey is one means to gather information to bet-

ter gauge progress.

It is encouraging to see high female participation in the

Geoscience Profession, who represent just over 25% of the total

Geosciences data sample in the 2013 survey. Base salary survey

results for female Geoscientists are consistent and equitable with

their male counterparts for the majority of responsibility levels.

The female Engineering base salary survey results also show a

directional shift towards equitability for the majority of responsi-

bility levels, however only represent 17% of the total engineering

survey sample.


Geoscience SALARY SURVEY

ANNUAL BASE SALARIES – COMPARISON ACROSS INDUSTRY

0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000

All Industries

Engineering, Geological,

Geophysical Consulting

Service

Engineering, Procurement,

and Construction


(except oil & gas)


(oil & gas only)

Manufacturing

(durables)

Manufacturing

(non-durables)

Service and Control

(not for profit)

Service (for profit)

Utility (rate controlled)

Advanced Technologies

SALARY SURVEY Engineering – Years of Experience

PARTICIPANTS VS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SALARY VS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

ANNUAL BASE SALARIES – COMPARISON ACROSS YEARS OF EXPERIENCEWhen calculating the Years of Experience

since Graduation, it is assumed that

an individual enters the workforce

immediately upon completing their last

degree. This may not necessarily be

the case for all individuals, however is

considered the norm from a surveying

perspective.

Typically, progression to the next

responsibility level is also dependent on

an individual’s years of experience in

the workforce. As a member gains more

in-depth knowledge and specializations

over time, the member’s overall level of

contribution and responsibility within a

company progresses as well.

The highest average base salary

is not necessarily solely attributed to

the individuals with the most years of

experience, generally it is more directly

related to an individual’s level of expertise/

specialization , individual performance and

overall contribution within their company.

Responsibility level A- has been omitted

in these charts, as this level falls outside

of the defined parameters for Years of

Experience since Graduation.


SALARY SURVEYGeoscience – Years of Experience

PARTICIPANTS VS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SALARY VS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

ANNUAL BASE SALARIES – COMPARISON ACROSS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

The top four locations, in terms of base salary

rankings compared to the all industry average at

various levels, are:

Calgary ($56,071 to $224,558 for A- to F+)

Fort McMurray ($49,610 to $178,786 for

A- to F+)

Lakeland ($55,328 to $218,955 for A- to F)

Vermillion River ($57,218 to $197,600 for

A- to F)

The top four locations, when ranked against the

all industry average at various levels from a total

compensation perspective, are:

Fort McMurray ($55,839 to $365,316 for

A- to F+)

Calgary ($56,346 to $358,108 for A- to F+)

Vermillion River ($57,218 to $284,175 for

A- to F)

Peace Region ($51,158 to $185,342 for A- to E)

Not surprisingly, Fort McMurray consistently ranks

as one of the top three locations in terms of overall

total compensation at every level of responsibility.

In an effort to attract and retain Professional

Engineering services such remote/northern work

locations, variable pay plans (above and beyond

base salaries) will continue to be an important and

vital component of the total compensation pay mix.

CHARTS ON NEXT PAGE ››


SALARY SURVEY Engineering – Location

A- A B C D E F F+

APEGA

Branch

Regions

Total

#

Engs.

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

#

Engs

Total

Comp

$

Fort

McMurray1,292 108 55,839 151 113,740 236 145,280 151 160,995 362 209,080 205 256,517 52 318,328 27 365,316

Calgary 6,474 227 56,346 661 77,480 749 93,670 1,021 113,239 1,474 151,236 1,203 209,938 753 271,563 386 358,108

Vermillion

River117 34 57,218 13 82,879 13 88,277 18 112,406 14 133,321 19 188,727 4 284,175 2 n/a

Peace

Region110 4 51,158 33 80,978 32 109,898 19 117,580 11 136,228 7 185,342 2 n/a 2 n/a

Lakeland 71 5 55,328 21 83,712 14 104,384 20 111,021 6 155,408 1 n/a 4 218,955 0 n/a

Central

Alberta298 11 54,063 54 77,227 35 98,753 50 101,578 78 144,926 52 189,146 15 214,162 3 328,712

Medicine

Hat25 0 n/a 14 80,452 2 n/a 2 n/a 6 138,142 1 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a

Edmonton 2,371 55 52,420 396 73,697 325 87,588 466 104,922 531 134,477 402 164,216 161 200,555 35 256,597

Yellowhead 6 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 n/a 3 127,386 2 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a

Lethbridge 28 0 n/a 4 62,848 6 79,398 7 85,308 4 123,788 2 n/a 5 183,635 0 n/a

Undeclared 389 32 55,297 46 84,429 49 97,104 84 118,746 74 152,436 58 214,202 17 280,566 29 332,893

Total 11,181 476 1,393 1,461 1,839 2,563 1,952 1,013 484

All Industry Average

55,662 80,770 101,259 114,900 155,522 204,563 261,279 349,397

A- A B C D E F F+

APEGA

Branch

Regions

Total

#

Engs.

#

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Calgary 6,474 227 56,071 661 72,101 749 83,081 1,021 99,623 1,474 125,691 1,203 160,588 753 195,852 386 224,558

Fort

McMurray1,292 108 49,610 151 75,648 236 89,375 151 102,454 362 127,488 205 158,606 52 183,685 27 178,786

Lakeland 71 5 55,328 21 72,750 14 87,562 20 100,480 6 130,662 1 n/a 4 218,955 0 n/a

Vermillion

River117 34 57,218 13 77,171 13 86,419 18 100,650 14 120,174 19 153,352 4 197,600 2 n/a

Peace

Region110 4 51,158 33 69,203 32 78,056 19 94,134 11 124,003 7 153,579 2 n/a 2 n/a

Edmonton 2,371 55 51,736 396 70,161 325 82,675 466 99,671 531 124,039 402 151,305 161 178,792 35 204,907

Central

Alberta298 11 54,063 54 69,982 35 83,194 50 94,678 78 122,122 52 148,294 15 165,726 3 221,841

Medicine

Hat25 0 n/a 14 70,299 2 n/a 2 n/a 6 121,574 1 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a

Lethbridge 28 0 n/a 4 61,227 6 78,199 7 83,980 4 117,038 2 n/a 5 153,686 0 n/a

Yellowhead 6 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 n/a 3 110,619 2 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a

Undeclared 389 32 55,297 46 77,241 49 86,144 84 102,287 74 128,154 58 159,522 17 193,776 29 229,622

Total 11,181 476 1,393 1,461 1,839 2,563 1,952 1,013 484

All Industry Average

54,038 71,960 84,055 99,757 125,499 157,992 191,855 220,850

For full results and the Geoscientist data, please see the Value of Professional Services report found at apega.ca.

RANKED LOCATION — ENGINEERING BASE SALARY

RANKED LOCATION — ENGINEERING TOTAL COMPENSATION

See previous page for more information about the data in the charts.

Engineers Canada is the business name of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.

Great-West Life and key design are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company (Great-West), used under licence by its subsidiaries,

London Life Insurance Company (London Life) and The Canada Life Assurance Company (Canada Life). As described in this advertisement,

the group retirement and savings products are issued by London Life and the payout annuity products are issued by Canada Life.

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GOODWORKS

For most Albertans, keeping warm during the evening is as simple

as turning up the thermostat. Not so in the Guatemalan Highlands,

2,600 metres above sea level, where an open fire on a dirt floor is a

common choice. Even if the flames don’t hurt family members, the

toxic smoke they breathe probably will.

It’s a serious health and safety problem in Guatemala and many

other developing nations. A group of University of Calgary engineer-

ing students, however, came up with a simple and inexpensive solu-

tion, working in collaboration with a small not-for-profit in Calgary

called Help for the Highlands of Guatemala, or HFHG.

The students’ creation is a heat exchanger called the Chinook.

Existing high-efficiency stoves get smoke out, but on their own they

don’t do much actual heating of a home. Add the Chinook and the

problem is solved.

How did the students get to this point? Rewind to 2007. Two

Calgary professionals are looking for a way to use their skills

and experience to improve the living conditions of impoverished

families in Central America. Together they form HFHG, which

works to supply clean water, sanitation and high-efficiency stoves

— ecoplanchas — to families in the mountainous Mayan village of

Quiacquix, population 1,300.

Over the past three years, volunteers with Help for the High-

lands have installed ecoplanchas in 150 Quiacquix homes, replacing

the traditional — and unvented — three-rock cooking fires used in

three-quarters of the region’s homes.

“We were initially focused on water, but when we went there,

we quickly realized there is really a need for stoves because of the

respiratory deaths that were being caused by the open fires. It’s one

of the leading causes of death for the Mayan women and children,”

says Alan Sitter, P.Eng., cofounder of HFHG.

It’s a problem not only in Guatemala but in millions of homes

across the developing world. The World Health Organization esti-

mates that smoke from indoor cooking fires — which creates car-

bon monoxide and other noxious fumes — works out to two packs

of cigarettes smoked a day per person and causes numerous health

problems. Women and children are more likely to breathe the smoke

and are especially vulnerable to chronic respiratory illness, tubercu-

losis, eye infections, pneumonia and burns.

Student Design Addresses Deadly Heating System

Sitting around a fire for tea or a meal might seem like a foundation of happiness, but in some developing countries the technology people use to stay warm — open fires on a dirt floor — is literally a killer. A design project by six University of Calgary engineering students, however, creates a safer, healthier heating system for families than one that poisons the air they breathe

BY CORINNE LUTTERMember & Internal Communications

Coordinator

Each concrete ecoplancha has an oven core made of brick, a

flat-iron top and a steel chimney, and removes 99 per cent of smoke

from the house. As an added benefit, ecoplanchas burn 70 per cent

less wood than an open fire, saving families money in fuel costs

while reducing air pollution and deforestation.

Problem solved, right? Not so fast.

Upon return visits to see how the stoves were working, Help

for the Highlands volunteers discovered a perplexing conundrum.

“The ecoplancha stoves are really designed to be used in a

warm climate. But it’s cold up there in the highlands and the people

have no heat in their homes,” says Mr. Sitter. Nighttime tempera-

tures can drop to around 5 C.

“Because the stove we install is so efficient, it does not heat

up their homes. So people continue to build three-rock fires to

heat their homes — even after the vented ecoplancha stoves have

been installed,” he says.

A retrofit was in order. “What we were looking for was a heat

exchanger to go onto the flue pipe so families can sit around the

stove and stay warm at night,” says Mr. Sitter.

But even though thousands of the ecoplancha stoves are in-

stalled by not-for-profit organizations each year, he could find no

existing products on the market that fit the bill. “Why hadn’t some-

body already built something? Because with non-governmental

organizations, you don’t have money and you don’t have time.”

REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS

A mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Calgary’s

Schulich School of Engineering, Mr. Sitter started mulling over the

involvement of his alma mater. How might creative young minds

in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

approach the problem?

Each year, fourth-year students put their skills to the test by

working on real-world design challenges. Local organizations are

invited to submit proposals, so that’s just what Mr. Sitter did.

Many students, including Jane Leung, now an E.I.T., applied to

work on the retrofit.

“I think we had around 30 projects to choose from,” says Ms.

Leung. “I ranked the heat exchanger project as my first choice


GOODWORKS

and I was lucky enough to get it. I thought

it would be great to help out a non-profit

organization and make an impact.”

So did fellow students Sean Connors,

E.I.T., Asad Dandia, E.I.T., Brian Kemball,

E.I.T., Nishant Patel and Maulin Trivedi.

They all put their names forward and were

selected for the unique opportunity.

Says Mr. Dandia: “As a soon-to-be-

engineer, I think it’s important to use our

knowledge to develop innovative ideas, while

providing sustainable products for individu-

als who need it most. The ecoplancha heat

exchanger that we designed does both.”

For Ms. Leung, who had just finished

a 16-month internship working on the

installation of a gas plant heat exchanger,

it was also a chance to apply her skills in a

completely new setting. “That’s part of the

challenge that I love about engineering —

that’s it applicable outside of your industry.

You can look at Third World issues and

apply what you know to help organizations

like Help for the Highlands.”

DOWN TO WORK

Work on the project began last September.

The students had two semesters to design

and build a working prototype. They started

by consulting with their sponsor to get a

handle on the issue and find out their design

parameters.

Their objective: design an economical,

efficient and safe heat exchanger capable of

using heat escaping through the ecoplancha

flue to provide warmth to the occupants of

the house.

To be successful, the heat exchanger

had to

• cost about $15 to build

• be retrofittable to existing stoves

• be easy to operate

• not inhibit cooking

• not leak smoke into the home

• operate under repeated use with mini-

mal maintenance

• prevent accidental burns or cuts

• be quickly installable using conventional

tools

• be built and sourced locally with minimal

materials.

The environment the heat exchanger

is used in was also an important consider-

ation: it would need to heat a home about

FROM FIRE TO STOVE — PART OF THE SOLUTION

Many families in the Highlands of Guatemala cook meals using traditional three-rock fires (left), which leads to respiratory illness and burns. High-efficiency ecoplancha stoves

installed by Help for the Highlands of Guatemala (right) reduce health and safety problems, but don’t provide enough heat to keep families warm at night.

-photos by Alan Sitter, P.Eng.

“There’s a whole bunch of these stoves all over the

world and they all have the same problem in locations that get quite

cold during the evening. This could have a global impact if it is

successful, so that’s pretty amazing — I didn’t think a fourth-year

project could have that big of a potential impact” JANE LEUNG, E.I.T. Team Leader


GOODWORKS

4.5 by six metres in size, made of adobe bricks with a clay roof.

It was assumed that some heat would be lost through leaky win-

dows and doors, and that the average outside temperature was

12 C. The goal was not to heat the whole home but to warm oc-

cupants as they gathered around the stove for their meals or for

evening tea.

After several meetings and much emailing with Mr. Sitter, the

team got down to the business of brainstorming.

“We had a lot of goals originally. We considered using solar

powered fans — we really wanted that forced convection, a lot more

typical for heat exchangers,” says Mr. Kemball. “We tried to find out

if other NGOs would provide solar panels, so we could have fans

driving air, but that increased costs a little too much.”

Shell-and-tube, flat-plate and air-to-water heat exchangers

were also considered — even heat-retaining bean bags.

After meeting with their project adviser, Dr. Abdulmajeed

Mohamad, P.Eng. — a heat-and-mass transfer expert — the team

opted to simplify their design into a thin, flat-plate exchanger that

uses natural convection to maximize surface radiation.

Rectangular and cylindrical designs were considered, but

several drawings and three prototypes later, the rectangle won

out. The cylindrical design took up too much space and was

too expensive to build; while the rectangular design was more

affordable and created a larger surface area to radiate the heat.

“One of the big things on reducing costs is to make sure

that the heat exchanger can be cut economically from the four-

by-six-foot sheet metal they use in Antigua, where the stoves

are manufactured. They have simple machines that can just cut a

straight edge, and hand tools to cut all of the detailed tabs,” explains

Mr. Kemball. (Antigua is a city within the highlands.)

The team refined the design through a series of experiments

testing various hypotheses. What effect would circular or staggered

baffles have? Would black paint help increase external surface

temperatures?

The students didn’t have an actual ecoplancha stove to work

with, but they did have a lab with a heater.

Says Ms. Leung, the team’s leader: “We tried different

configurations of flue pipes on a heater in the engineering building’s

testing facility. We simulated smoke, basically, coming out of the

ecoplancha stove with hot air with the same temperature and

flow rate. We did a series of tests, and in the end our experiments

showed us that a flat-plate exchanger would be the best and would

meet our design parameters,” says Ms. Leung.

During experimentation, the temperature of the inlet and outlet

flows was measured. The flat-plate heat exchanger captured about

29 per cent of the heat entering the flue, or about 522 watts.

The final product is a thin duct that replaces the stove’s

four-inch flue pipe and connects to an existing cylindrical elbow.

“This was not an easy project —

their professors really pushed

them. They had to do a lot of

research because there’s not a lot

of published data on this. I think

it’s fantastic that a group of young,

future engineers took this task to

heart. They could have taken on

projects for large companies that

would most likely have helped

further their careers. However,

they chose to spend their time on a

project for NGOs, to help the native

people in a developing country.”

ALAN SITTER, P.ENG.

Cofounder

Help for the Highlands of Guatemala


GOODWORKS

THE MISSING LINK

From left, Jane Leung, E.I.T., Maulin Trivedi, Brian

Kemball, E.I.T., Nishant Patel, Asad Dandia, E.I.T., and

Sean Connors, E.I.T., pose with their flat-plate heat

exchanger, the Chinook, at an April design fair. When

ecoplanchas are retrofitted with the Chinook, they can

be used as heaters as well as stoves.

-photo by Alan Sitter, P.Eng.

MORE INFO

hfhguatemala.wordpress.com.

The only installation requirements are

to remove the current flue pipe from the

elbow up, then exchange it with the new

design.

“It takes the heat from the smoke and

basically radiates it out of this metal box —

the heat exchanger,” says Ms. Leung.

Each unit is built using

• sheet metal for the main body of the flue

• ventilation adapters

• black spray paint to increase thermal

radiation

• silicon sealant to prevent smoke leakage

• sheet metal screws to hold down

flanges

• chicken wire to prevent users from

touching the hot surface.

The final product meets all the original

design requirements — except cost. Per

unit, the total ended up being $20.65, but

the team is hopeful that materials will be

cheaper in Antigua and that bulk buying will

help drive the price down.

WARM WINDS OF CHANGE

In mid-April, the students presented their

finished product at a student design fair.

The symbolic name of their creation is

Chinook, for those famous Rocky Mountain

winds that sweep across the Prairies and

cause a rapid rise in temperatures.

“This warm rise in local temperature

is exactly what we want to happen with

the heat exchanger when it is used in the

Highlands of Guatemala,” says Mr. Sitter.

He travelled to Guatemala over the summer

to retrofit eight stoves for a six-month pilot

project, working with several local partners

on manufacturing and installation.

He’s especially pleased with the

students’ hard work and enthusiasm, and

the support from their professors and the

Schulich School of Engineering.

“This was not an easy project — their

professors really pushed them. They had

to do a lot of research because there’s not

a lot of published data on this,” says Mr.

Sitter. “I think it’s fantastic that a group of

young, future engineers took this task to

heart. They could have taken on projects for

large companies that would most likely have

helped further their careers. However, they

chose to spend their time on a project for

NGOs, to help the native people in a devel-

oping country.”

If the pilot project is successful, Help

for the Highlands will share the design with

other NGOs, especially those operating

in cooler climates. “It will be free, open-

sourced to anybody in the world who wants

to use it,” says Mr. Sitter.

In the Highlands, thousands of stoves

could be upgraded, and new stoves every-

where could be manufactured with the heat

exchanger built right in.

“There’s a whole bunch of these stoves

all over the world and they all have the

same problem in locations that get quite

cold during the evening. This could have a

global impact if it is successful, so that’s

pretty amazing — I didn’t think a fourth-year

project could have that big of a potential

impact,” says Ms. Leung.

All six students who worked on the

heat exchanger graduated in April and are

embarking on new careers with various

engineering companies, but their experience

with Help for the Highlands won’t soon be

forgotten.

“We’re all going to be staying in

contact with Alan (Sitter) long after we’ve

graduated to see how this turns out,” says

Mr. Kemball. “It’s pretty exciting to be able

to see this project through all the way to

completion.”


OBITUARIES

Born on a kitchen table in a humble

home, he grew up to be a well-respected

businessman and philanthropist, and a true

Edmontonian. Harry Hole, P.Eng., died July 3

at the age of 91.

Mr. Hole quickly learned the

importance of family and community,

growing up the middle child in a family

of nine siblings. He started his career

early with a paper route for the Edmonton

Journal and continued to deliver it for

nearly two decades.

After earning a degree in civil

engineering from the University of Alberta,

Mr. Hole completed officer training and

served as a lieutenant with the Royal

Canadian Engineers. After his discharge,

he apprenticed at his father’s company,

Lockerbie & Hole. He eventually took over as CEO, and led the

company to become the leading mechanical engineering company

in Alberta and one of Canada’s largest mechanical contractors. The

company was later sold to Aecon.

His devotion to education and the community continued far

into his retirement, with donations directed at improving health,

education and safety for children. In 1975 he served as general

manager of the Edmonton Exhibition Association (now Northlands).

There, he initiated multiple improvements and was integral in

securing financing for what is now named

Rexall Place.

He established the Edmonton Police

Foundation and served as its chairman,

raising money to buy the city’s first police

helicopter — Air-1. He and his family also

supported the $12-million expansion of the

Edmonton Space and Science Centre, now

the TELUS World of Science.

The Holes have always valued education

and have a strong history with the University

of Alberta. All nine siblings graduated from

the U of A. Mr. Hole’s father, Harry Hole Sr.,

and Doug Lockerbie built the university’s

first engineering building. In 2002, Mr. Hole

and his brothers donated $5 million to the

engineering faculty. This and other contribu-

tions led to the construction of the Natural

Resources Engineering Facility. It also allowed the university to

establish the Hole School for Construction Engineering.

Mr. Hole is a recipient of the Alberta Order of Excellence,

as well as an honorary doctorate of laws from the U of A. He is

survived by his wife of 64 years, Muriel, four daughters and 13

grandchildren.

A celebration of his life was held on July 8 at Holy Trinity

Anglican Church, Edmonton. In lieu of flowers, please send

donations to Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation.

Harry Hole, P.Eng.

APEGA Life Member


OBITUARIES

Arne Nielsen, P.Geol.

APEGA Life Member

Arne Nielsen, P.Geol., of Calgary,

the man behind one of the most

significant discoveries in the

history of the Alberta energy

sector, died on July 2. He was 87.

Born to Danish settlers in the

Alberta village of Standard, Mr.

Nielsen worked on the family farm

until the outbreak of the Second

World War. He joined the Canadian

Army and served overseas

before coming back to attend the

University of Alberta.

Mr. Nielsen earned a B.Sc.

and M.Sc. in geology and joined

the United States-based Socony-

Vacuum Exploration Ltd. (now

Mobil Oil Canada). He worked his

way up to chief geologist, and he

and his teams were credited with

discoveries offshore the East Coast

and Gulf of Mexico.

From the Edmonton field

office, Mr. Nielsen set out to explore 100,000 acres in the Drayton

Valley area. What he discovered was the massive Pembina oilfield,

the largest and most prolific oilfield in Canada. To date Pembina

has produced 1.5 billion barrels of light oil, and predictions are that

another 1.5 billion will be produced in the future.

Mr. Nielsen became Mobile Oil

Canada’s first Canadian president

and later its chairman and CEO. He

also served as CEO of Canadian Su-

perior Oil Ltd., Poco Petroleums Ltd.

and Shiningbank Energy Trust. He

was part of Canada’s first energy

trade delegation to China, and was

chair of the Canadian Petroleum

Association for two stints. In this

role he led the industry response to

the National Energy Program and

is credited as a key architect of the

free-market policies adopted by the

Mulroney government.

An ardent reader, Mr. Nielsen

published his own book in 2012 —

an autobiography titled We Gambled

Everything: The Life and Times of an

Oilman. He was a member of the

Petroleum Hall of Fame and had an

honorary PhD from the University

of Alberta.

Mr. Nielsen is survived by his wife, Valerie, seven sons and one

daughter.

A funeral service was held at Christ Church Elbow Park,

Calgary, on July 6. Memorial donations may be made to the Calgary

HandiBus Association.


OBITUARIES

IN MEMORIAMFrom this edition onward, The PEG will publish notices of deaths of Members. APEGA received notice in May, June and July

that the following Members had passed away.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

LIFE MEMBERS

ASTLE, Frederick Calvin, P.Eng.

BAKEWELL, David Reginald, P.Eng., FEC

BHAR, Gurdarshan Singh, P.Eng.

FFOULKES-JONES, Peter Squire, P.Eng.

GASSETT, Lorenza Dow, P.Eng.

GILLESPIE, Kenneth Raymond, P.Eng.

HATFIELD, Walter Theodore, P.Geol.

HATLELID, Lloyd Richard, P.Eng.

HOLE, Harry, P.Eng.

HOLT, John William, P.Eng.

HOLLICKY, James McCrie, P.Eng.

KUCZAJ, Krzysztof, P.Eng.

LOVEN, John Warner, P.Geoph.

NICKEL, Clifford Edward, P.Eng.

NIELSEN, Arne Rudolph, P.Geol.

NORRIS, Paul James, P.Geol.

RAGAN, Harold Stanley, P.Eng.

ROBERTS, Victor Edward, P.Eng.

RYMES, John Edis, P.Eng.

SCHAEBLE, Dieter, P.Eng.

TERLECKI, Henry, P.Eng.

OTHER

CAULFIELD, David Donald, P.Eng.

HALLIHAN, Michael Francis, P.Eng.

KENTFIELD, John Alan Charles, P.Eng.

MACGARVA, Michael Brennan, P.Eng.

MACLEOD, John Max, P.Eng.

MCKIBBIN, Thomas Niels Orr, P.Eng.

MOORE, Michael Andrew, P.Eng.

MORIARITY, Merton Thomas, P.Eng.

ROGERS, Randall Stewart, P.Geol.

RUSE, Douglas Charles, P.Eng.

STILL, David Albert, P.Geoph.

TOLTON, David James, P.Eng.

WEGH, Jack William, P.Geoph.

FOREIGN LICENSEES

ACKER, Robert Macdonald, P.Eng.


DISCIPLINE DECISION

APEGA Discipline Committee Order

Date: August 15, 2013 Case No.: 13-003-SO

IN THE MATTER OF THE ENGINEERING AND GEOSCIENCE PROFESSIONS ACTAND IN THE MATTER OF THE CONDUCT OF [PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER A]

Editor’s Note: This decision is published

almost verbatim and, as a reproduction of

an official regulatory record, is not subject

to usual editing. When there are findings

against a member, The PEG publishes the

decision with names unless the committee

recommends otherwise. In this case,

the committee recommended that the

Member’s name not be published.

APEGA’s Investigative Committee

concluded an investigation into the conduct

of [Professional Engineer A] with respect

to allegations of racist and unprofessional

statements made on the evening of Sunday,

April 23rd, 2012 during the transportation of

workers and contractors to the Kearl work-

site near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

[Professional Engineer A] has freely

and voluntarily admitted to unprofessional

conduct and has agreed with certain facts

and findings. Under those circumstances,

the Engineering and Geoscience Professions

Act permits the Investigative Committee to

recommend an order that the committee

considers appropriate instead of referring

the matter for a formal hearing.

A recommended order must be provid-

ed to a member of the Discipline Committee

who has been designated to act as a case

manager to review the order. If the case

manager or the investigated person rejects

the order, the matter must be referred to the

Discipline Committee for a formal hearing.

AGREED STATEMENT OF FACTS

The Investigative Committee and [Pro-

fessional Engineer A] have agreed to a

statement of facts, which is reproduced

verbatim:

1. [Professional Engineer A] was a

professional member of APEGA, and

was thus bound by the APEGA Code of

Ethics, at all relevant times.

2. On or about April 23, 2012, [Professional

Engineer A] was driving a team of

colleagues from an oilsands project

worksite to a work camp. Among the

passengers was [Professional Member B].

3. The vehicle was stopped for a routine

search prior to entering the camp by a

security guard of apparent North African

descent.

4. [Professional Engineer A], to the

passengers of the vehicle, made an

off-colour and racially insensitive joke

involving persons of middle-eastern

descent, camels, and bestiality.

5. [Professional Member B] took offense

to this joke, and submitted a complaint

to APEGA by e-mail on or about

September 1, 2012. This was followed by

a more detailed description of the events

on or about September 24, 2012.

6. On or about November 7, 2012,

[Professional Engineer A] admitted

to making the joke in his response to

APEGA’s Notice of Investigation.

7. On or about February 12, 2013,

[Professional Engineer A] was

interviewed by a Panel of the

Investigative Committee. He again

admitted to making the joke, and

offered an apology to both [Professional

Engineer B] and to APEGA.

CONDUCT

[Professional Engineer A] has freely and

voluntarily admitted that his conduct con-

stitutes unprofessional conduct in the

following respect:

In making an off-colour and racially

insensitive joke, [Professional Engineer A]

displayed a lack of concern with the dignity

of the security guard, and failed to treat a

newcomer to Canada fairly.

The aforementioned conduct consti-

tutes a violation of Rule of Conduct #3 of

the APEGA Code of Ethics, and thus is un-

professional conduct as defined in Section

44(1 }(b) of the Engineering and Geoscience

Professions Act.

ORDERS

The Investigative Committee has recom-

mended orders that it considers appropri-

ate. As the case manager designated by the

Discipline Committee to review the matter, I

agree with the recommended orders.

During my discussion of the orders

with [Professional Engineer A], he con-

firmed that he agrees with the recom-

mended orders.

Therefore, in accordance with Section

52 of the Engineering and Geoscience Profes-

sions Act, this Order has the same force and

effect as if it had been made by the Disci-

pline Committee following a formal hearing.

1. [Professional Engineer A] shall be

issued a letter of reprimand;

2. [Professional Engineer A] is required

to write a letter of apology to the

complainant;

3. [Professional Engineer A] is to write

an open letter of apology to the

membership suitable for publication in

the PEG, and

4. This Order shall be published in the

PEG, without names.

Dated this 15th day of August, 2013

JOHN NICOLL, P.ENG.

Case Manager, Discipline Committee

APEGA Discipline Committee decisions received by deadline appear in the subsequent edition of The PEG in order of their dates, from least recent to most recent. All these decisions, with names, are public documents and are available through the APEGA office. Please cite the case number.


BY THE NUMBERS Registration

Compliance

Jun30/13 May31/13 Jun30/12 Professional Members (includes Life Members)P.Eng. 44,990 44,894 42,422

P.Geo. 454 452 110

P.Geol. 3,413 3,420 3,596

P.Geoph. 1,017 1,022 1,084

Dual Membership 130 130 129

50,004 49,918 47,341Members-in-Training E.I.T. 9,566 9,424 8,614

G.I.T. 344 334 36

Geol.I.T. 581 583 731

Geoph.I.T. 167 168 214

10,658 10,509 9,595Other Licensees 1,053 1,044 932

Professional Licensees 385 370 346

Provisional Licensees 151 148 144

Exam Candidates 1,832 1,857 1,626

Students 457 452 376

ASAP University Students 5,393 5,215 4,949

Honorary Members 20 20 19

9,291 9,106 8,392TOTAL MEMBERSHIP 69,953 69,533 65,328

Permits to Practice 4,408 4,394 4,284

JUNE 2013 SUMMARY May31/13 Apr30/13 May31/12 Professional Members (includes Life Members)P.Eng. 44,894 44,500 42,220

P.Geo. 452 409 71

P.Geol. 3,420 3,428 3,612

P.Geoph. 1,022 1,027 1,088



G.I.T. 334 328 27

Geol.I.T. 583 599 743

Geoph.I.T. 168 172 218

10,509 10,637 9,489Other Licensees 1,044 1,025 912









MAY 2013 SUMMARY

Jul31/13 Jun30/13 Jul31/12 Professional Members (includes Life Members)P.Eng. 45,144 44,990 42,644

P.Geo. 464 454 134

P.Geol. 3,394 3,413 3,578

P.Geoph. 1,011 1,017 1,078



G.I.T. 364 344 53

Geol.I.T. 573 581 718

Geoph.I.T. 165 167 212

10,856 10,658 10,588Other Licensees 1,053 1,053 935









JULY 2013 SUMMARY

ACTIVITY REPORTActive files as of May 1, 2013 124

Files opened during the period 127

Files Resolved for Individuals 20

Highlights

Ceased using restricted title/holding out 15

Verified Not Practicing 1

Personal Registration 3

Others 1

Files Resolved for Companies 45

Highlights

Permits issued or re-instated 17

Ceased using restricted title/holding out 9

Verified Not Practicing 8

Others 11

Active Files at July 31, 2013 186

Heritage RESPs

www.HeritageRESP.com/APEGA.

Gordon Branden at [email protected]

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PEG September 2013 Calgary Flood CAB CAN TF2 p62-64

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