Volume XIII, Issue I Autumn 2018 WILLOWDALE/THORNHILL CHAPTER
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The WTPEO executive gather at the licensing ceremony at the Thornhill Club, July 13, 2018.
The Official Newsletter of the
Willowdale/Thornhill PEO Chapter.
The Chronicle
OPEN PUBLICATION
© 2018 WTPEO
Visit us at
www.willowdalethornhill.peo.on.ca
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Willowdale/Thornhill PEO Executives
Officers
Chair Nanda Lwin, P.Eng. [email protected]
Vice Chair Rana Tehrani Yekta, P.Eng. [email protected]
Past Chair Nick Shelton, P.Eng. [email protected]
Secretary Andrew Herbst, P.Eng. [email protected]
Treasurer Souheila Bardakji, P.Eng. [email protected]
Committee Chairs
Chair Licence Presentations Andrew Herbst, P.Eng. [email protected]
Government Liaison Program (GLP) John Penaranda, P.Eng. [email protected]
Chair Education Alan Lam, EIT [email protected]
Chair Programs; Co-Chair GLP Shayan Sepiani, P.Eng. [email protected]
Chair EIT/LAP Maziyar Bolour, P.Eng. [email protected]
Chair Publication Jackson Christian, EIT [email protected]
Chair Electronic Media Mammad Horriyat, P.Eng. [email protected]
Chair Awards Mohinder Grover, P.Eng. [email protected]
Additional Board Members
Co-Chair EIT/LAP; Programs Jason Chan, P.Eng. [email protected]
Co-Chair Awards Amit Gupta, P.Eng. [email protected]
Co-Chair Electronic Media Amin Mali, P.Eng. [email protected]
Member Hamdy El Arabi, P. Eng. [email protected]
Member Tony Chiu, P.Eng. [email protected]
Member Debasis Dey, P.Eng. [email protected]
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Chair’s Message
Chair Nanda Lwin, P.Eng., FEC, at Seneca College, April 4, 2018.
Autumn is now upon us, the leaves on the trees are changing colour, and we couldn't be happier. As you may know the operations of PEO is intrinsically intertwined with the comings and goings of the provincial government. With a change in government at Queen's Park after the June 7th election, we have tried to make sense of what this means to our operations not only at PEO but also in Willowdale and Thornhill. We welcome
Stan Cho, MPP, and Vincent Ke, MPP, who were elected in the ridings of Willowdale and Don Valley North, respectively. We also welcome back incumbent Gila Martow, MPP, in Thornhill. I had the pleasure of being invited by PEO to attend the swearing in of the Progressive Conservative government and Premier Doug Ford at Queen's Park, on June 29th, as well as the throne speech on July 12th. It was a great opportunity for me to meet some of the new
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MPP's, including Jessica Bell (NDP, University-Rosedale), Belinda Karahalios (PC, Cambridge), Rudy Cuzzetto (PC, Mississauga Lakeshore) and Jill Andrew (NDP, Toronto-St. Paul). I also had an engaging conversation with the
aforementioned Mr. Ke, who was elected as a PC in Don Valley North. And before I leave the topic of politics, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that our own Andrew Herbst, P.Eng., who is currently secretary, is running for Toronto city council in the October 22nd municipal election. Herbst is running in his
home ward, Ward 18, Willowdale. All the best.
In April, Vice Chair Rana Tehrani Yekta, P.Eng., and I attended PEO's annual general meeting and Order of Honour ceremony here in Toronto. Two former members of the Willow-dale/Thornhill family were honoured at the latter event. Changiz Sadr, P.Eng., FEC, who served as chair from 2009 to 2011, and Jeanette
M. Southwood, P.Eng., FEC, who served on the executive of Willowdale/Thornhill, were among
six inducted as officers into the Order of Honour. A licensing ceremony held on July 13th at the Thornhill Club welcomed 43 new professional engineers into our profession. We also
welcomed PEO vice president Marisa Sterling, P.Eng., as she offered the evening’s keynote ad-dress. From an administrative point of view, we tried new things: we used the services of a disc jockey, introduced recipients by reading small bios on them, and publicly introduced the
executive.
We offered two seminars to our members in the past few months. We presented one seminar on the climate change and the Paris Accord in May, and another about failure
analysis in June.
I also attended PEO's East Central regional meeting, along with my colleagues Debasis Dey, P.Eng., and Alan Lam, EIT, in Barrie, June 9th. We discussed a variety of issues facing the chapters in our part of the province.
Finally, I want to tell you how grateful and
honoured to be acclaimed as your chair on
March 12th. If you've seen my name in this
space before, it's probably because this is my
second time serving as chair. I previously
served in the position from 2011 to 2013 and
had such a great time that I had to do it once
again! I want to thank the executive for its
support. I particularly want to pay homage to
my predecessor Nicholas Shelton, P.Eng., for his
guidance and leadership these past two years.
Having served twice, I realize in a very profound
way the demands of being chair, so I do
appreciate his service to our chapter.
Until next time, please visit our website and do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if you have feedback or concerns.
Nanda Lwin (Mr.), P.Eng., FEC Chair, Willowdale/Thornhill PEO Chapter
The Chronicle publishes articles of interest Thornhill Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Chapter.
The content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Willowdale-
Thornhill PEO Chapter. The chapter or PEO do not assume responsibility for the opinions
expressed herein.
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Committee Updates
A brief overview of recent chapter events, as reported by WTPEO committee chairs.
Annual General Meeting Held
WTPEO’s annual general meeting was held on February 27th at Pleasant View Library in Willowdale. The
meeting, chaired by then chair Nicholas Shelton, P.Eng., included reports from the individual committee
chairs, and questions form the audience regarding the operations of the chapter. Also, the new
executive was introduced (see page 2 for a list of the entire executive). Sixteen candidates were
nominated and declared elected, well below the maximum of 20, as stated in WTPEO’s by-laws. Detailed
minutes of the AGM will be posted at www.wtpeo.org in due time. (A.H.)
Willowdale/Thornhill Hosts Two Seminars
WTPEO hosted two popular presentations at the Thornhill Community Centre this spring. Canada’s
Commitment in Achieving the Target of the Paris Agreement with Clean Energy, presented by Nan Ge
of the University of Toronto, delved into the engineering implications of the Paris Agreement, an
international accord reached in 2015 with a common goal to stop climate change. Those in attendance
at the May 1st presentation discussed such topics as Canada’s commitment to minimizing greenhouse
gas emissions, clean energy technologies, and vehicles powered by fuel cells. Unusual Failure Patterns
and Innovative Approaches to Failure Analysis, presented by Dr. Erhan Ulvan on June 6th, offered
analysis of conventional approaches to studying failure patterns as well as explored new methods.
Throughout the evening, guests discussed how to deal with unusual engineering failures along with
possible approaches to determine root causes. (S.S.)
Dr. Erhan Ulvan talks during his seminar, Unusual Failure Patterns and Innovative Approaches to Failure Analysis, on June 6, 2018, at Thornhill Community Centre.
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National Engineering Month Event Attracts Students from Willowdale/Thornhill
WTPEO hosted the Air-Powered Drag-Race Car
Competition, held at Zion Heights Middle
School for students in grades 7 and 8, on
March 3rd. The contest was held in
celebration of National Engineering Month,
celebrated annually every March. Students
from the Willowdale/Thornhill region learned
about the design process behind miniature
drag race cars. Ultimately, they put their
designs to the test by seeing how far the cars
can travel. Students were able to develop their
own original designs, manage budgets, and
work as a team to work towards a common
goal.
Students were assessed according to such
factors as performance, design and creativity,
and presentation, and were credited for how
they spent play money that was given to them
to purchase components for their designs.
(A.L.) Scholarship Winners to be Announced in
September
WTPEO is awarding three engineering scholarships to three eligible secondary school students who gained admittance to an engineering program at the university level. The scholarships will be awarded to first place and two runner ups in the amount of $1,500, and $1,000 each, respectively. Winners are expected to be announced by late September 2018. (A.L.)
WINNERS OF AIR POWERED DRAG-RACE CAR COMPETITION
PLACEMENT
NAME
SCHOOL NAME
1st Place Nisith DeSilva Zion Heights Middle School
1st Place Audrey Kim Zion Heights Middle School 1st Place Max Lu Highland Middle School
1st Place Thomas Wang Zion Heights Middle School
2nd Place Eric Wang Zion Heights Middle School
2nd Place Bryan Deng Zion Heights Middle School
2nd Place Nayan Liscombe Zion Heights Middle School 2nd Place
Aaron Harnett
Zion Heights Middle School
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
NAME
SCHOOL NAME
Monica Cao Zion Heights Middle School Amy Li
Zion Heights Middle School
WTPEO hosted the Air-Powered
Drag-Race Car Competition at Zion
Heights Middle School in Willowdale,
March 3, 2018.
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Willowdale/Thornhill Assists Engineering Interns
WTPEO continues its assistance program for engineering interns in the 2018-2019 season. The orientation session, held on April 24th at Thornhill Community Centre, included a presentation by Sami Lamrad, PEO’s EIT/student coordinator. Mr. Lamrad encouraged guides to attend future orientation session, so they can meet with their mentees. (M.B.)
Sami Lamrad makes his point at a meeting of WTPEO’s Licensing Assistance Program, on April 24, 2018, at Thornhill Community Centre.
Electronics Media Continues with its Mandate
The Electronic Media Committee continues keeping up with WTPEO’s technological needs. In the past few months, electronic invitations were created and sent to the membership, promoting the chapter’s seminars, ceremonies, student competitions among other events. In addition, the chapter’s website and electronic calendar have been updated. The committee continuously looks into new electronic media technologies and new features and upgrades will be made soon to the chapter’s website. Members can also find a list of the executive board members and read about the chapter’s activities through this interface. The membership is also encouraged to communicate and share their ideas by sending e-mail to the WTPEO’s committee chairs. (M.H.)
Penaranda, Shelton Recognized
WTPEO honoured two veteran executives recently. At the annual general meeting in March, then-chair
Nicholas Shelton, P.Eng., was awarded a certificate of recognition for his leadership.
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We also recognized John Penaranda, P.Eng., with a certificate, along with a PEO pin for five years of
volunteerism with the WTPEO. In committee news, we welcomed Amit Gupta, P.Eng., who was
selected as vice chair of the Awards Committee. Mr. Gupta was previously the chapter’s vice chair.
The Award Committee’s mandate is to search for and encourage nominations for various internal PEO
awards as well as awards offered by external community organizations. They include PEO’s Order of
Honour, PEO Engineering Excellence Awards, G. Gordon M. Sterling Engineering Intern Award, Ontario
Volunteer Service, and PEO Volunteer Service Recognition. The Awards Committee also identifies and
recognizes volunteers for work which goes above and beyond what is expected of them. (M.G.)
WTPEO Welcomes New MPP’s
The June 7th election brought about change in Ontario and in Willowdale/Thornhill. Stan Cho was
elected in the riding of Willowdale, Vincent Ke was elected in Don Valley North, while incumbent Gila
Martow was re-elected in Thornhill. All are members of the Progressive Conservative party.
WTPEO intends to continue developing strong relationships with our local MPP’s and to provide them
with PEO positions on matters relating to the profession. A “meet the MPP” reception is currently
being planned.
March 1st was designated as Professional Engineers Day by the Ontario legislature this year. The day
recognizes the fact the contributions of professional engineers as drivers of wealth, job creation,
innovation, and productivity. Members of Willowdale/Thornhill were present to see the motion pass
at Queen’s Park and to celebrate Professional Engineers Day. (J.P.)
Government liaison chair John Penaranda, P.Eng., was at Queen's Park on February 22, 2018,
when the motion to recognize Professional Engineers Day was debated and passed by the
Legislative Assembly.
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Willowdale/Thornhill Community Grieves By Jackson Christian, EIT
Toronto Strong
After a long cold winter, and as the city was gearing up for spring, Toronto, and in particular the
Willowdale/Thornhill community, experienced a horrifying incident that left them utterly terrified and
shocked. On Monday, April 23, 2018, a 25-year-old man, rammed a rented van through the busy
sidewalks of Yonge Street deliberately hitting pedestrians on its way, claiming the lives of 10 people,
injuring 16 others and shattering the lives of many. This stretch of Yonge Street - a neighbourhood that
boasts multiple office towers, condominiums, apartments, parks and squares, not to mention, a
multitude of food joints - is always bustling with people and is known for its positive, upbeat, and
peaceful setting. This is also where my home is, and I can testify how people from all demographics and
cultures harmoniously live here, sharing a unique bond of love and respect. A true community.
#bravery
As news unfolded about the attack, a dramatic
video of the police officer apprehending the
suspect surfaced online, drawing significant
attention. Constable Ken Lam, who previously
worked as an engineer for 14 years, acted with
bravery and maturity, and was hailed as a hero,
tactfully handcuffing the suspect without firing a
shot.
Commendations poured in from around the
world praising how he handled his emotions in
such a tense situation. We also are thankful for
the bravery and the commitment that was
shown by all the first responders and the people
who put their lives in danger trying to save
others.
#support
In unity we find strength, and the community
displayed exactly that when they got together to
support each other during this difficult time.
There was an outpouring of love and sympathy
from all over the city, Canada, and all around the
world.
Families of the victims were assured that they
were not alone. People showcased their
kindness and generosity towards these families
and offered their help through various mediums
made available to them. Information gathering
was crucial for this case and for that reason
separate hotlines were set up for anonymous
tips as well as for witnesses who wanted to assist
the investigation. Blood donations were
received at Canadian Blood Services, and public
funding platforms, such as GoFundMe
campaigns, were created, raising over $2.5
million.
One such campaign was initiated for a seven
year-old boy whose mother was killed in the
attack. He is now left alone in this world without
his parents. The community responded to his
plight by raising funds for his education and
other future living expenses, thereby securing
his future. A goal of $150,000 was set. The
support and love was overwhelming, as the
campaign ended up raising nearly $360,000.
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#prayers
Various temporary memorials were created in
the aftermath of the attack. People stopped to
offer prayers and flowers, confirming that we, as
a community, are in this together. Various vigils
were held where people of various faiths and
backgrounds stood together side by side. A small
vigil was held at Mel Lastman Square on the
evening of April 24th. Another was held by the
Toronto Korean Community Association on April
27th. The "#TorontoStrong" vigil was held by
the City of Toronto on April 29th which was
attended by several thousand people. It began
with a giant march from Yonge and Finch and
ended with a gathering at Mel Lastman Square.
Speaking at the gathering were community
leaders; in attendance were Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau, Governor General Julie Payette,
then-premier Kathleen Wynne, Quebec Premier
Philippe Couillard, and Mayor John Tory.
Remembering the Victims
On April 27th, Toronto police released the names of the eight women and two men killed in the attack.
WTPEO remembers the victims:
Beutis Renuka Amarasinghe, 45, nutritionist
Andrea Bradden, 33, account executive
Geraldine Brady, 83, Avon saleswoman
So He Chung, 22, university student
Anne Marie D'Amico, 30, financial analyst
Mary Elizabeth Forsyth, 94, retiree
Chul Min "Eddie" Kang, 45, chef
Ji Hun Kim, 22, Seneca College student from South Korea
Munir Najjar, 85, Jordanian retiree visiting family
Dorothy Sewell, 80, retiree
We pray for those who lost their lives, and mourn their passing.
Community Portal
Everybody has a story to tell. If you reside in Willowdale/Thornhill and have unique ideas, stories, fun
facts, or innovative thoughts to share with the engineering community, this is your opportunity. We
encourage you to contact us. You may be published in the next issue of The Chronicle.
You can also advertise in our newsletters! Advertising rates are shown on page 12. If interested, just e-
mail Jackson Christian, EIT, publications chair, at [email protected].
