The quarterly publication of APEGA. This edition features Plot Devices: Children Engineer Solutions for Storybook Characters; Council Candidates Announced; Legislative Review Wraps Up; Dues Increase Goes to Risk Reserve; Foundation Renamed, Refocused
FALL 2015
The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta |
apega.ca
Contents
PEG
FALL 2015
FEATURED PHOTO: PAGES 66 & 67 ››
53
39
17
Mentoring Conference
Salary Survey
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
28 Profiles in Success
4 President’s Notebook
89 Member Benefits Listing
39 Towards Better Mentoring
6 CEO’s Message
91 Record
46 Summits of Greatness
10-26 Latitude
53 Salary Survey Results
34-38 AEF Campaign Connection
61 Perceptions in Professionalism
39-52 Professional Development
64 Regulatory Success Stories
70 The Discipline File
71 A Great Friend of R&D
75 Focal Point
85 Member Services Success Stories
82 Good Works
PRINTED IN CANADA
FALL 2015 PEG | 1
US POSTMASTER: PEG (ISSN 1923-0044) is published quarterly in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, c/o US Agent-Transborder Mail 4708 Caldwell Rd E, Edgewood, WA 98372-9221. $15 of the annual membership dues applies to the yearly subscription of The PEG. Periodicals postage paid at Puyallup, WA, and at additional mailing offices. US POSTMASTER, send address changes to PEG c/o Transborder Mail, PO Box 6016, Federal Way, WA 98063-6016, USA. The publisher has signed an affiliation agreement with the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency. Please return Canadian undeliverables to: APEGA, 1500 Scotia One, 10060 Jasper Ave., Edmonton, AB T5J 4A2. Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40062712
VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 3 | FALL 2015 (Print) ISSN 1923-0044 (Online) ISSN 1923-0052
Opinions published in The PEG do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the Association or its Council. Editorial inquiries: glee@apega.ca. Advertising inquiries: chiemstra@apega.ca.
Editor George Lee glee@apega.ca Administrative Assistant Catherine Hiemstra
chiemstra@apega.ca
COUNCIL President Connie Parenteau , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) ( St. Albert) President-Elect Dr. Steve Hrudey , P.Eng., FCAE (Canmore) Vice-President Nima Dorjee , P.Eng. (Calgary) Past-President Colin Yeo , P.Geo., FGC, FEC (Hon.) (Calgary) Councillors Dr. Jeff DiBattista , P.Eng., MBA (Edmonton) Lisa Doig , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (Calgary) Jennifer Enns , P.Eng. (Calgary) George Eynon , P.Geo., FGC, FEC (Hon.) (Calgary) Dr. Brad Hayes , P.Geol., FGC (Calgary) Wenona Irving , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) (Edmonton)
STAFF LEADERSHIP
EXECUTIVE Chief Executive Officer Mark Flint , P.Eng. Director, Executive & Government Relations Pat Lobregt , FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.) Director of Operations Krista Nelson-Marciano , BA
REGULATORY Registrar Carol Moen , P.Eng.
MEMBER SERVICES Director, Member Services Heidi Yang , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) COMMUNICATIONS Director, Communications Philip Mulder , APR, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.)
Paul Knowles , P.Eng. (Calgary) Craig McFarland , P.Eng. (Calgary) Mahsoo Naderi-Dasoar , P.Eng. (Edmonton) John Rhind , P.Geol. (Calgary)
CORPORATE SERVICES Director, Corporate Services D.S. (Pal) Mann , P.Eng.
Art Washuta , P.Eng. (Edmonton) Terry Waters , P.Eng. (Calgary) Public Representatives Ross J. Harris , FCA, ICD.D Robert Lloyd , QC Mary Phillips-Rickey , F CA Engineers Canada Directors Jim Beckett , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) Larry Staples , P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) Geoscientists Canada President George Eynon , P.Geo., FGC, FEC (Hon.) BRANCH CHAIRS Calgary Adekunle (Ade) Okusanya, P.Eng., MBA calgarybranch@apega.ca Central Alberta Sonny Nagra , P.Eng. centralalbertabranch@apega.ca Edmonton Sadiq A. Pirani , P.Eng. edmontonbranch@apega.ca Fort McMurray Unokhaso (Uno) Monofi , P.Eng. fortmcmurraybranch@apega.ca Lakeland Natasha Pounder , P.Eng. lakelandbranch@apega.ca Lethbridge Adam St. Amant , P.Eng. lethbridgebranch@apega.ca Medicine Hat Said Said Yussuf , P.Eng. medicinehatbranch@apega.ca Peace Region Brian Morrison , P.Eng. peaceregionbranch@apega.ca Vermilion River Dustin Wiltermuth , P.Eng. vermilionriverbranch@apega.ca Yellowhead Vacant
APEGA CONTACT INFO
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www.apega.ca email@apega.ca
2 | PEG FALL 2015
WHO WILL BE CELEBRATED NEXT?
It’s actually up to you. Without nominations, deserving Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists will go unrecognized at the annual, preeminent event of our professions — The Summit Awards Gala . Nominate greatness so our accomplished Members can be celebrated for their contributions to society. Nominate a peer, a colleague or even a project. Our new shareable digital nomination form makes it easier than ever.
BE AMONG EXCELLENCE. BE AT THE SUMMIT.
SUMMIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS Final submissions due October 15, 2015 NOMINATE TODAY!
Complete the shareable, digital form at apega.ca/summitnominations
President’s Notebook
MASTER APEGA
A More Strategic Council is a More Successful Council
BY CONNIE PARENTEAU, P.ENG., FEC, FGC (HON.) APEGA President
This edition of The PEG celebrates various forms and measures of success. Member success, APEGA success, the tools we use to build and recognize success — you’ll find these areas documented throughout the magazine. The obvious question I should answer here, then, is this one: How successful is Council? My swearing-in ceremony was in the spring, but I actually joined Council in 2013 as Vice-President. Since then, I’m pleased to say that there are, indeed, results to report. Some of them are esoteric, because this is gover- nance we’re talking about. A major priority for this Council and the one before it has been changing our governance model. We’re largely there now, so I’d like to explain what we did, why we did it, and how it is helping build continued APEGA success.
As Professional Engineers and Profes- sional Geoscientists, most of us deal with incremental change on an almost daily basis. Incremental change is made up of minor adjustments within a well-defined and proven process. Routines are disrupted only minimally. Dramatic change , as the name sug- gests, has a bigger impact. It’s about replac- ing major components in a process that’s no longer as effective and efficient as it should be. Disruption of routines is significant, but the overall template is the same. And then there’s transformational change. The entire process is replaced. The original template is not used. New routines and regimens are created and implemented. Council is going through something between the last two types of change I’ve listed. Our change is in many ways trans-
formational and in some ways dramatic. There’s incremental change in there, too, because there always is. The outcome remains the same: the sound regulation of our professions. The improvements your Council has adopted, however, are enabling APEGA to regulate more efficiently and effectively. That’s important for the future of our professions and for our continued, high-quality service to Albertans and their interests. Elsewhere in this PEG , you’ll read about some important operational achievements. To have come so far operationally required a new and more clearly defined connection between Council and staff — which is what we are creating. Your Council has eliminated a signifi- cant duplication of effort. It is recognizing and clarifying the difference between
How APEGA Helps Members Succeed Recognition creates success. In fact, past recipients of APEGA Summit Awards often speak of what a boost the award was to their lives and careers. Members have one of the best vantage points to
a simple system that allows sharing of the form before completion. In the summer PEG , I stated that we are not successful by ourselves and that we all have roles in each other’s success. This doesn’t just happen — it takes effort. It is important to keep honing our mentoring skills. The better you are at mentoring, the more success everyone enjoys. I can’t emphasize enough how important mentoring is in professional development. If you don’t believe me, please register for the APEGA Mentoring Conference, coming up November 2 and 3 in Calgary, and prepare to be convinced. You will improve your mentoring skills, network with mentors and mentees, and learn all about the mentoring world’s best practices.
recognize others’ success. I encourage each of you to take a look around you and consider nominating a peer or project. In doing so, you help APEGA shine a light on excellence in our professions and strengthen the public’s awareness of the amazing work our Members and Permit Holders do. To recognize deserving Members is to change lives. It really is that big of a deal. The deadline for nominations for next year’s Summit Awards is only a few weeks away — October 15. Nominations are now accepted digitally, in
4 | PEG FALL 2015
President’s Notebook
APEGA
governance and operations. It is freeing its time and energy for what Councillors are elected to do: advise the CEO and a handful of Council committees, and develop clear and relevant strategies. Before this began, we had 11 committees reporting to Council. On the surface, that might seem like a good thing. If there are a lot of committees, a lot must be getting done. Right? Well, yes and no. Certainly, the committees were all about great work being carried out by dedicated APEGA volun- teers. The problems lay in the reporting structure and the
clarity of roles. Most of those committees had earlier made their strategic recommendations to Council, which Council had accepted, tweaked, or changed. Then these committees started doing the work Council had empowered them to do. From that point forward, the committees became cumbersome. They were reporting to Council, yet they were doing operational work that is ultimately the responsibility of the CEO. The difference between strategy and operations was unclear. The connection between committee work and staff work was unclear. Lines of authority were unclear. We now have just four Council committees, and they have clear Council roles. The committees that did not need to report to Council have now been changed into groups that report, through staff, to the CEO. Whenever necessary, Council creates a task force in a spe- cific area to advise it and come up with strategic recommendations. Once recommendations are accepted by Council, the task force is disbanded. If the CEO needs a group of volunteers to help turn a direction into operations, it’s the CEO’s responsibility to create one. Another key element is the change in the way we gather nomi- nations for Council. The new system is an example of how strategy becomes action, helping make Council stronger and more effective in the years to come. Council wanted to ensure that for each election, diverse and experienced nominees run for Council. Also needed was a way to make sure strategic needs — which can change from year to year — are represented on the list of candidates. So Council directed one of the four committees, the Nominating Committee, to come back with recommendations that would transform the nominating process. The resulting proposed bylaw changes were approved by Council and then by Members attending the most recent Annual General Meeting. What‘s different is that Council has identified, for the Nomi- nating Committee, the top seven Councillor attributes and top Council needs. This information is now available for all Members, helping them decide whether to self-nominate. So, if you are interested in self-nominating for the next Council, you have until October 19 to complete the requirements in the Member Self-Service Centre. To read more about the new system, check out the summer PEG — the full digital edition appears online at apega.ca. I have confidence in the new nomination system, which I think bodes well for Council and APEGA’s future — and future success.
Questions or comments? president@apega.ca
FALL 2015 PEG | 5
CEO’s Message
APEGA
How a Formalized Leadership Team is Helping Create APEGA Successes
BY MARK FLINT, P.ENG. APEGA Chief Executive Officer
When I was informed that the theme of this PEG is Success, I thought: How can I possibly choose a topic? APEGA has achieved significant success over the past year, improving the way applications are processed, improving customer service, improving the efficiency of some of our statutory processes, and continuing to refine governance. Any one of these subjects is a story all its own. If you don’t believe me, check out the rest of this edition. Many of the subjects I’ve mentioned are covered elsewhere. So, back to the original question: How do I choose? The answer is that I don’t. As the CEO, I’ll use this space to look at the people who have directed and enabled these successes. While we have accomplished these changes in stride, none of them would have been possible without great leadership. And no, this does not mean the CEO is about claim credit. APEGA’s Council has provided leadership to me. From a day- to-day perspective, however, much of APEGA’s success is due to the leadership provided by APEGA’s senior leadership team. Our current senior leaders have been working here for varying lengths of time, but they have been together as a full team for only seven months. I would like to honour their contributions by briefly discussing their achievements, starting with the leaders with the longest APEGA tenure. APEGA’s Director, Communications, is Philip Mulder, APR, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.). No relation to his X-Files namesake, our Mulder leads a very capable team of communication specialists who assist me in assessing reputational risk and developing and crafting messages. Drawing on his depth of strategic communications experience with the Government of Alberta and Credit Union Central of Alberta, Philip has been a key advisor. He has helped our team interpret items that arise in the media and their relevance to APEGA. He has also provided sage input whenever APEGA has decided to speak on potentially contentious issues. Philip, thank you for your nuanced explanations and fearless candour. Pat Lobregt, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.), is APEGA’s Director, Executive & Government Relations. Pat has been an APEGA stalwart, supporting staff members and volunteers alike. Pat currently provides two critical functions. First, drawing on her vast experience both in and with government, Pat gives
superb advice on how government might interpret situations and how APEGA can most appropriately communicate with government. Second, using diplomacy and wisdom, Pat helps me support APEGA’s Council by fielding questions and coordinating a host of details, as well as by providing administrative support for Councillors as they prepare to chair committees and attend meetings. Pat, thank you for your patience and loyalty. Carol Moen, P.Eng., joined APEGA after more than 25 years with Dow Canada in Fort Saskatchewan. Approaching two years as APEGA’s Registrar, she has been instrumental in ensuring that APEGA’s regulatory mandate is effectively discharged. Responsible
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CEO’s Message
MASTER APEGA
people in APEGA’s Calgary office. A breath of fresh air at APEGA, Heidi always offers a new perspective on challenges, and she leads an outstanding group of people focused on. . .well, other people! Heidi, thank you for your positivity and bright outlook. The most recent addition to our leadership team is Pal Mann, P.Eng. Pal served for more than 30 years in the Canadian Army. In fact Pal and I served together as combat engineer officers. As Director, Corporate Services, he tends to critical parts of the business, such as taking care of our employees, our finances, and our information technology. Corporate Services provides key enabling functions across APEGA, and leads business and strategic planning. This group did not exist as a cohesive, integrated group until the end of 2012. Pal, your well-timed sense of humour and your intellect have caused us to up our game and be on our toes. Chimo! As I said at the beginning of this article, this amazing group hasn’t been together for long. Yet already, the APEGA senior leadership team is truly a success story. I am fully confident that as APEGA prepares for tough economic times over the next year or so, our ability to succeed is secure in the hands of these talented leaders. I am truly honoured to be a part of this team, and I am very proud of how well it serves the Association.
for a large span of our business, she initially focused on addressing capacity and process challenges facing the registration system. She has also found time to lead our legislative renewal, while spearheading a cleanup of outstanding appeals. Carol has a keen eye for detail and the ability to manage large amounts of work. Carol, thank you for your diligence and sense of duty. Krista Nelson-Marciano, BA, APEGA’s Director of Operations, joined the APEGA team in the summer of 2014. Coming to APEGA from GE and Intuit, Krista is an energetic and enthusiastic addition to the team. In the midst of competing priorities, I tried for two years to create an operations unit to help me coordinate efforts internally, assist with external liaison with Engineers Canada and Geoscientists Canada, manage projects, and generally help me with everything! Krista has helped make this unit a reality, forging a great team that brings order to chaos and translates ideas
into coordinated action. Although we are still getting used to what a group like this does for APEGA and how we can best take advantage of it, we’re already experiencing enormous benefit. Krista, thank you for making all of our lives easier. Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), is a former APEGA Councillor and a former Grande Prairie Branch Chair. After more than 20 years with Weyerhaeuser, Heidi arrived at APEGA just after Krista did, becoming our Director, Member Services. Heidi has quickly developed a clear picture of what the lives of Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists entail. From this has come a profound understanding of how we can optimize APEGA’s support to Members and volunteers, be they applicants, students, Members-in-Training, or Professional Members — reflected in Enriching the Member Experience , the Member Services tagline. Heidi has the additional responsibility of leading our remarkable
Questions or comments? ceo@apega.ca
APEGA’S SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM From left: Krista Nelson-Marciano, BA, Director of Operations; Pal Mann, P.Eng., Director, Corporate Services; Carol Moen, P.Eng., Registrar; Mark Flint, P.Eng., CE0; Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), Director, Member Services; Philip Mulder, APR, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.), Director, Communications; and Pat Lobregt, FEC (Hon.), FGC (Hon.), Director, Executive & Government Relations.
FALL 2015 PEG | 7
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The Buzz
CARBON TAX INCREASE, ROYALTY REVIEW MOVING AHEAD The Government of Alberta hopes that an increased carbon tax on heavy emissions and a new carbon policy will help polish Alberta’s image as a climate leader. Alberta is doubling its carbon tax over the next two years — the first change to the levy since it was introduced eight years ago. On January 1, 2016, the tax on heavy emitters will increase to $20 from $15 per tonne. In 2017, it will rise again, to $30 per tonne. By 2017, the province will also increase the percentage of required emission reductions from 12 per cent per unit of production to 20 per cent. The government is also working on a review of the energy royalty framework. An expert panel has been selected to complete the review by the end of the year, but the province has promised there will be no changes to the rates until the end of 2016. -Jacqueline Louie
CHANGES ON TAP Alberta is doubling its carbon tax over the next two years and has begun a review of the province’s energy royalty framework. The review will be complete by the end of the year, but in the meantime the government has promised no changes to royalty rates until the end of 2016.
line. Linking Churchill Square to the NAIT campus, the Metro line is finally transporting commuters, but at slower speeds than normal. Since opening September 6, LRT drivers have relied on line-of-sight operation, which means trains only travel at speeds up to 25 kilometres an hour. It’s an interim solution until the kinks are worked out of a new signaling system. This compromise was reached in late summer after a dispute between the City of Edmonton and the project’s signaling contractor. A report released by a third-party auditor in August found communication management problems between the city
downtown core, and into the far south- east to the South Health Campus. Construction on the public transit project is expected to start in 2017 and wrap up by 2024, nearly doubling the size of the city’s CTrain network. There are still some challenges to overcome, though, including determining the final alignment of the 50-kilometre track and buying land along the route. -Jacqueline Louie
A LOT OF GREEN FOR CALGARY’S GREEN LINE LRT
Green stands for go. At least that’s what the City of Calgary is hoping, with a recent announcement by the federal government of $1.5 billion in funding for the Green Line LRT. Ottawa is contributing one-third of the project’s $4.6-billion cost. If approved, the line will run from Calgary's northern edge down Centre Street, through the
INTERIM SOLUTION FOR EDMONTON’S METRO LINE
After a lengthy delay, it’s half-steam ahead for Edmonton’s newest LRT
10 | PEG FALL 2015
The Buzz
LATITUDE
SUSTAINABLE LIVING Edmonton’s new Blatchford community will be one of the largest sustainable communities on the planet. It will boast abundant park spaces, multi-use roadways to encourage walking and cycling, accessible transit, and high-efficiency buildings fueled by renewable energy. -artist rendering courtesy City of Edmonton
and the contractor. The line was originally scheduled to open in April 2014. -Caitlin Crawshaw
road projects, two disaster mitigation projects, one public transit project, and a solid waste management project round out the list. The funding was awarded using a merit-based scoring system that looked at factors like public safety, environmental stewardship, and economic development. The need for infrastructure improvements is still great — there were nearly 300 applications submitted totaling $1.1 billion. -Corinne Lutter
were laid off in recent months, the result of sustained low oil prices. The numbers show that Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) has declined for the past two quarters. It fell by an annualized rate of 0.5 per cent between April and June, after dropping by 0.8 per cent from January to March. There’s some good news, though. StatsCan also reported 0.5 per cent growth in June, thanks to exports, house- hold consumption, and international trade. A TD Economics report released earlier this summer predicts that Alberta’s economy will shrink by 0.9 per cent in 2015, after growing by 4.5 per cent in 2014. The company pointed to a decline in the construction sector, a reduction in oilpatch capital spending, and a 10 per cent drop in new homes being built. -Caitlin Crawshaw
FUNDING APPROVED FOR 56 MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
New funding for 56 municipal in- frastructure projects in Alberta will help smaller communities improve drinking water and wastewater systems, road- ways, disaster mitigation, public transit, and solid waste management. The total combined federal, provincial, and munici- pal investment in the 56 projects is nearly $414 million. The funding, announced in July, comes from the Small Communities Fund, which offers grants to municipali- ties with fewer than 100,000 residents. Of the 56 projects, 24 are for pro- viding drinking water and another 24 are for handling wastewater. Four major
RECESSION CONFIRMED BY STATSCAN
It’s official. Statistics Canada announced earlier this month that the country is in the midst of a recession. That won’t come as a surprise to the many oil industry employees who
FALL 2015 PEG | 11
The Buzz
LATITUDE
2020 VISION FOR NEW CANCER TREATMENT CENTRE
SMARTPHONE APP WILL TRACK MYSTERIOUS LOW-FREQUENCY HUM
Southern Alberta is finally getting its long-awaited cancer treatment centre, with construction expected to begin next year in Calgary. The province announced in July that the full-service centre will be built at Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre campus. The facility was first proposed a decade ago. Replacing the Tom Baker Centre, it is expected to open in 2020. A price tag and construction timeline are expected to be announced this fall. New and expanded services at the centre will include additional inpatient beds, outpatient services, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. -Jacqueline Louie
Electrical and computer engineering researchers at the University of Calgary can now add sleuth to their resumes. The team has developed a smartphone app to track a mysterious low frequency hum that residents in Calgary’s northwest Ranchlands community have been complaining about for years. Headed by Mike Smith, P.Eng., a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Schulich School of Engineer- ing, the team has designed the app to help residents record the sound wave frequency of the approximately 40-hertz hum. They’ll analyze the information to try and determine what’s
causing the noise. -Jacqueline Louie
CARLESS CONDOS WILL COME WITH A FREE BIKE
GREEN HOUSING PROJECT TAKES OFF AT FORMER AIRPORT
It’s getting cool to go car-free in Calgary. Calgary city council has unanimously approved the city’s first parking-free residential condo tower in the East Village. It will have 167 units — but no parking stalls. N3 Condo, a 15-storey tower, is being developed by Knightsbridge Homes beside the former St. Louis Hotel on 8th Avenue and 4th Street S.E., one block from the City Hall LRT station. Condo buyers will receive a free bicycle and a $500 Car2Go car-sharing credit. -Jacqueline Louie
Construction has officially begun on Edmonton’s new Blatchford community, where the City Centre Airport once was. After a ceremonial sod-turning in early August, crews began removing storm sewers under runways. Soon they'll demolish the remaining six airport buildings. Redeveloping the 217-hectare site is a massive job, but the city hopes the first residents will move in as early as 2016. Within the next two decades, an estimated 30,000 people are expected to move into the neighbourhood, making it one of the largest sustainable communities in the world. The city’s plan for the area includes abundant park spaces, multi-use roadways to encourage walking and cycling, accessible transit, and high-efficiency buildings using renewable energy. In 2014 Edmonton city council selected Vancouver architectural firm Perkins + Will to come up with a scheme for the area. -Caitlin Crawshaw
ALBERTA’S MINIMUM WAGE TO RISE
In a move that makes burger flippers hopeful and business owners nervous, the province is moving ahead with its plan to increase the minimum wage from a $10.50 to $15 per hour. The hike will happen in stages, beginning with an increase to $11.20 per hour on October 1 and continuing in increments until 2018. The move will boost the minimum wage from one of the lowest in the country to the second highest. Some business groups and opposition parties have argued that the increase could harm the economy by raising the prices of goods and causing layoffs. The Government of Alberta argues that
NO CARS ALLOWED In Calgary, city council has approved the first parking-free residential condo tower. Residents of N3, in the East Village, will get a free bike with their purchase — but no parking stall.
12 | PEG FALL 2015
RIVERSIDE REVITALIZED Proponents of the proposed CalgaryNEXT development — which includes a new hockey arena and covered football stadium — say it will revitalize a neglected part of the city’s downtown core, and connect communities along the Bow River. -artist rendering courtesy Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation
the wage increase will improve the quality of life for many families and decrease dependency on social support programs and food banks. -Caitlin Crawshaw
Saddledome and McMahon Stadium. CSEC says the project could be funded through a $240-million community revitalization levy, a $250-million ticket tax, and contributions of $200 million each from the city and the Flames’ ownership group. Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the proposal was intriguing, but added that there are challenges to overcome. These include remediation of the proposed West Village site. Much of the land was contaminated decades ago by a creosote plant and still needs to be cleaned up. The price tag for CalgaryNEXT doesn’t include remediation, which could hit
THE NEXT BIG THING FOR CALGARY
The Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) has unveiled a bold vision for a new hockey arena, a covered football stadium and a multi-sport field house in the city’s West Village. CalgaryNEXT, as it’s been dubbed, would cost an estimated $890 million and would replace Scotiabank
$300 million. -Corinne Lutter
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FALL 2015 PEG | 13
World Watch
LATITUDE
pulp to make foam-like batteries and supercapacitators that can stand shock and stress, says the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm), which partnered on the project with Stanford University. Unlike regular batteries, these ones can be used to create 3D structures, allowing the storage of more power in less space. Researchers say the batteries could be used in electric car bodies or to line flexible materials such as clothing. The aerogel is made by breaking down tree fibres, making them about a million times thinner. It’s then coated with a special ink that conducts electricity. GREEN CONCRETE MIX INCLUDES ALUMINUM CANS AND FLY ASH Researchers in the civil engineering faculty at the Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia have come up with a way to make concrete more environmentally
BY GAIL HELGASON Freelance Contributor
SCIENTISTS TRANFORM WOOD PULP INTO BATTERIES
CHINESE FIRM BUILDS 57-STOREY SKYSCRAPER — IN JUST 19 DAYS Three weeks might be ample time to build a shed. But a 57-storey skyscraper? A Chinese company has done just that, erecting an office and residential tower in 19 working days, reports the Canadian Consulting Engineer (Toronto). Mini Sky City in Changsha, Hunan province, shot up by three floors a day. It has office space for 4,000 people, plus 800 apartments and 19 atriums. The feat was accomplished by the Broad Sustainable Building Company, using 2,736 pre-assembled modular blocks, that took almost five months to prefabricate. The company’s next goal is to erect Sky City, a 220-storey skyscraper — the world’s tallest — in three months.
Could your jacket soon charge your smartphone? Thanks to Swedish and American researchers, that technology may be getting close to reality. The team has created an aerogel from wood
ON THE SOLAROAD TO SUCCESS
The world’s first solar road is exceeding expectations in the Netherlands, reports Science Alert website. The 70-metre test bike path, dubbed SolaRoad, was built last fall by a government and industry consortium. Paved with glass-coated solar panels, it’s been generating 3,000 kilowatts per hour, sufficient to meet the annual power needs of a small household. Engineers spent five years creating a durable, skid-resistant system capable of supporting a fire truck. The design features solar panels sandwiched between glass, silicon rubber, and concrete.
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD -photo courtesy SolaRoad Since it was installed last fall, approximately 150,000 cyclists have driven on the SolaRoad test bike path, which is the world’s first solar road. An experimental laminate coats the panels and provides protection.
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P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering modified the display to draw attention to the plane that will first cross the pilot’s path. The display either blinks or is coloured yellow. Tests show the modifications improve pilot decision making and significantly reduce response times.
HAVE ROBOT, WILL PARK
An automated parking structure could ease parking congestion in West Holly- wood City, reports the Engineering News- Record (New York). The US $10.6-million robo garage uses motorized vertical lifts and horizontal shuttles to move vehicles from the arrivals level to a remote park- ing space. It requires only 60 per cent of the land needed by conventional ramp-style garages and can hold up to 200 cars — about three times more than a ramp-style garage in the same space. The garage was designed by LPA Inc. of Sacramento, Calif., and the mechanical system by Unitronics of Quincy, Mass. The technology is just emerging in North America. There are about 15 other automated parking garages in the U.S., compared with more than 500 in Europe and 1.6 million automated parking spaces in Asia.
ROBO PARKING A new automated parking garage in California was designed with sustainability in mind. Features include roof-mounted photovoltaic solar panels and drought-tolerant landscaping, while sustainable material, made from recycled grocery bags, was used in construction. -artist rendering courtesy City of West Hollywood
THIS ONE CAN MAKE YOU BREAKFAST
friendly. Their green concrete contains conventional materials mixed with a blend of recycled waste materials, including aluminum can fibres, concrete aggregates, and fly ash from coal power plants. The resulting product is cost- effective, and tests show it’s up to 30 per cent stronger than regular concrete.
The lift can travel up to 365 metres per minute. It’s driven by a 1,200-horse- power electric motor connected to a gearbox that’s connected to a bull wheel. TECHNOLOGY REDUCES SMALL AIRCRAFT COLLISIONS Engineers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh have developed technology to help pilots of small aircraft avoid mid-air collisions. Improvements were made to the GPS cockpit displays that pilots use to spot nearby planes, reports Science Daily . Pilots tend to focus on the closest aircraft displayed, even though a faster plane, further away, could cross their path first. Researchers at the Edward
In Europe, a robot named PR2 has been teaching itself to cook by perusing online videos and recipes. Researchers from uni- versities across the European Union have created PR2 as part of a project dubbed RoboHow, says an article in MTI Technol- ogy Review. The robot, which calls Germany’s University of Bremen home, is learning to make pancakes and pizzas by following directions on WikiHow. The goal is to teach robots to understand language so that one day a person can simply tell a robot what to do. So far, researchers have been able to turn a few WikiHow instructions into useful behaviour, both in simulations and in real robots.
GIVING SKIERS A LIFT, AT 365-METRES-PER-MINUTE
Skiers can spend more time hitting the slopes, and less time riding up the ski lift in Vail Mountain, Colo. Leitner-Poma of America. recently introduced what it believes is the fastest gondola lift in the United States, reports the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
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Movers & Shakers
gineering faculty undergo enormous expansion. Under his leadership, the faculty more than doubled in size, with the addition of 110,000 square metres of teaching and research space. And for his last day as dean on June 30, he opened the new Donadeo Innova- tion Centre for Engineering, adding another 26,360 square metres of space to the mix. Dr. Lynch saw 5,000 students DAY OF THE DEAN Dr. David Lynch, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), (left) receives a proclamation from City of Edmonton Coun. Mike Nickel declaring June 30 as David Lynch Day.
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY GILLIAN BENNETT The PEG
DISTINGUISHED DEAN HAS HIS DAY
After 21 years as Dean of Engineering at the University of Alberta, David Lynch, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) , finally has a day to call his own. By proclamation of Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, June 30 will now and forever be known as David Lynch Day. Such proclamations don’t happen often — they’re awarded only to individuals or groups that have supported the betterment of society through education and charitable works. Dr. Lynch, the University of Alberta’s longest-serving Dean of Engineering, certainly fits the bill. During his time in the position, he oversaw the education of more than 13,000 undergraduates, or more than 50 per cent of the 25,000-plus engineering undergrads who’ve studied at the U of A over the past 107 years. When Dr. Lynch was first appointed interim dean in 1994, it was something of a surprise for the chemical engineering professor. Alberta was in the midst of a serious budget crisis and post-sec- ondary funding was being slashed. The University of Alberta was in a state of disarray — the president having resigned on short notice — and the vacant dean position needed to be filled. The acting president called Dr. Lynch and, with just three days’ notice, told him he would be appointed acting dean. Despite the tumultuous times, Dr. Lynch was able to look to the future, drafting a plan that would see the en-
earn their master's or doctoral degrees — 75 per cent of all
engineering graduate degrees ever awarded at the U of A. His focus was always on students, in keeping with his conviction that skilled, creative types are what ensure a prosperous society. “There’s one thing there is no shortage of, and that’s human creativity…" Dr. Lynch told the Edmonton Journal. "We always seem to be able to find solutions to the challenges of the day.” To celebrate his achievements, APEGA and the Alberta Chamber of Resources held a special recognition event for Dr. Lynch on June 23 at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre. Over 300 people were on hand to honour his achievements. Dr. Lynch — on administrative leave to refocus on his education and research — is a professor of chemi- cal engineering with the Faculty of Engineering.
CIVIL ENGINEER SHOOTS FOR GOLD
Being a straight-shooter has taken on a whole new meaning for Lynda Kiejko, P.Eng. A senior civil engineer with AltaLink, Ms. Kiejko took home two gold medals for pistol shooting this summer
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at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, assuring Canada a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Born in Ontario, Ms. Kiejko grew up in small towns across Alberta. Her late father, Bill Hare, a minister in the United Church and a three-time Olympic pistol shooter, was known as the Pistol Packing Preacher. It was her father who
encouraged Ms. Kiejko and her sister Dorothy to take up pistol shooting. In 1998 Ms. Kiejko made the national team, and in 1999 she competed in her first World Cup. She then decided to focus on her education, completing a bachelor’s degree in engineering at the University of Alberta. She started her career with North
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PISTOL PACKING P.ENG. WINS GOLD AT PAN AM GAMES Lynda Kiejko, P.Eng., pictured with husband Kevin and daughter Olivia, won two pistol shooting gold medals at the Pan Am Games in July, securing a spot for Canada in the Rio Olympics in 2016.
American Construction Group and worked in Fort McMurray on Syncrude projects until joining AltaLink in 2004, progressing from Engineer-in-Training to Manager Operational Engineering, and now Senior Civil Engineer. After graduation, Ms. Kiejko renewed her dedication to pistol
shooting. In 2003 she took home a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic, which led to more competitions at national and international levels. This July, Ms. Kiejko competed at the Pan Am Games before an unusually boisterous crowd. Her
sister Dorothy, also a pistol shooter, had won gold four years ago in Mexico, so she was determined to win another one for her family. Despite the noise and distraction, she maintained her composure and took home gold in the women’s 10-metre air pistol and in the 25-metre rapid fire.
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CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING NAMES NEW FELLOWS From left, Horacio Marquez, P.Eng., Kenneth Andre Corbould, P.Eng., and Simaan AbouRizk, P.Eng., were recently named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Norbert Morgenstern, P.Eng., (far right) was given a special Honorary Fellowship, the highest accolade given to a current fellow of the academy. Presenting the award is Kim Sturgess, P.Eng., FCAE. -photo courtesy Canadian Academy of Engineering
Among those cheering her on was Ms. Kiejko’s daughter, Olivia. She’s often on hand when her mom competes. Indeed, Ms. Kiejko was six months pregnant with Olivia while competing at the 2014 USA World Cup. Olivia travelled with her mom to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland when she was only 15 days old, and she's watched her mom compete in Spain, Mexico, South Korea, and the United States. Ms. Kiejko will continue competing at the provincial and international levels, and hopes to make the Canadian team for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
P.Eng. , Dean of Engineering at the University of Alberta. Dr. Hardy had started the field of geotechnical engineering. He encouraged Dr. Morgenstern to return and join the U of A faculty as a civil engineering professor, which he did in 1968. Over the next 50 years, Dr. Morgenstern shaped the university into a leading geotechnical school and became an internationally recognized authority in geotechnical engineering. His research focused on dam design and slope stability and earned him multiple awards. Many recommendations resulting from his work have passed into professional practice. Indeed, he helped lay the framework for modern permafrost engineering, tackling engineering challenges in the Arctic and the Alberta oilsands. In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Morgenstern has shared his expertise with research institutions, multinational companies, and governments in over 30 countries. He has 330 published manuscripts, and he helped rewrite the provincial regulations and guidelines of engineering practice. Those named as Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering include Horacio Marquez, P.Eng., Kenneth Andre Corbould, P.Eng., OMM , and Simaan AbouRizk, P.Eng. A professor at the University of Alberta, Horacio Marquez, P.Eng., is a world-class expert in nonlinear dynamical systems and control theory — simply put, his designs help detect faults in industrial systems, in particular Alberta’s oil and gas systems. He has co-authored 81 journals and a book on nonlinear control systems. Dr. Marquez received a bachelor of science degree in Argentina before moving to New Brunswick to pursue a master of science degree, a master of engineering degree, and a PhD in electrical engineering. After three years of visiting appointments at colleges and universities in British Columbia, he took a position as professor at the U of A in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Faculty of
APEGA MEMBERS NAMED NATIONAL FELLOWS
June of this year saw four distinguished APEGA Members receive fellowships from the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Norbert Morgenstern, CM, P.Eng. , is already a fellow with the CAE, but in June was given an Honorary Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed by the academy. Given to only a handful of individuals, it recognizes those who have made an outstanding contribution to the profession of engineering — well beyond what is expected for a fellow. He was presented the award by Kim Sturgess, P.Eng., FCAE , founder and CEO of Alberta WaterSMART. Born in Ontario, Dr. Morgenstern graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of applied science in civil engineering. Awarded a fellowship for post-graduate studies, he then left to study soil mechanics at the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London. In 1960, he joined the college as a lecturer and stayed for another eight years. Dr. Morgenstern began to earn a reputation in Earth sciences and soon caught the attention of the late R. M. Hardy,
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-photo courtesy Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton
NICK MALYCHUK, P.ENG., FEC, FGC (Hon.) . . .
. . . cart full of inspiration
Engineering. From 2004 to 2014, Dr. Marquez was chair of the department and was instrumental in its growth to one of the largest research departments in the country. Retired Brigadier-General Kenneth Andre Corbould, P.Eng., has an esteemed reputation for applying his engineering skills in situations of conflict, disaster, and reconstruction. He led the planning and execution of the province’s flood recovery task force in 2013, helping Albertans cope with the largest natural disaster in Canadian history. Prior to that he had a 28-year career in the Canadian Forces, with tours in Kuwait, Bosnia, East Timor, and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Mr. Corbould led the combat and reconstruction efforts of 25,000 multinational troops, focusing on sustainable development and training for locals. He is currently the province’s Deputy Minister, Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour. Simaan AbouRizk, P.Eng., is an award-winning researcher in the world of construction engineering. He has been a professor at the University of Alberta in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for the past 25 years, focusing on construction simulation modeling and analysis.
Dr. AbouRizk’s work includes over 300 published papers. In addition to academic endeavours, he regularly consults with construction companies to put his research into practice. He has gained recognition for helping companies with productivity improvement, risk analysis, and assessment of management systems.
MEMBER IGNITES STUDENTS’ IMAGINATIONS
He has inspired 16,931 children since joining the APEGA Outreach program in 1995 and has been sharing his enthusiasm for the profession for close to 20 years. APEGA Life Member Nick Malychuk, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) , received a Sage Award for Science & Technology earlier this year from the Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (Sage). Mr. Malychuk completed a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree from the University of British Columbia in 1957. He began his career at Canadian Phoenix Steel & Pipe Ltd. in plant engineering, where he stayed for 15 years. In 1973, he joined Syncrude Canada Ltd. in research facilities management,
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