2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Regulating the Professions Protecting the Public
APEGA is the regulator of engineering and geoscience in Alberta, safeguarding the public by enforcing professional and ethical standards. Our licensed professionals and permit-holding companies sustain a century-long legacy of innovation and economic growth in our province, inspiring the next generation of engineers and geoscientists.
Contents
Message from the President �������������������������������4 Message from the Registrar & CEO�������������������6
Performance Culture Information Technology & Office Services �����41 Our Volunteers ��������������������������������������������������42 Council Election �����������������������������������������������44 Annual General Meeting ��������������������������������45 Public Member Reports APEGA Council �������������������������������������������������47 Board of Examiners������������������������������������������ 48 Discipline Committee ��������������������������������������� 49 Investigative Committee����������������������������������� 50 Appeal Board����������������������������������������������������51 Financial Statements Report of Independent Auditors �����������������������52 Summary Financial Statements ������������������������53 Notes to Summary Financial Statements �������� 54
Regulatory Excellence Our Membership������������������������������������������������� 9 Internationally Trained Applicants �������������������10 Application Processing Times��������������������������� 11 Examinations �����������������������������������������������������12 Practice Standards ��������������������������������������������13 Professional Governance Act���������������������������14 Continuing Professional Development�������������15 Digital Signatures����������������������������������������������16 Individual Practice���������������������������������������������17 Corporate Practice��������������������������������������������18 Unlicensed Practice������������������������������������������ 22 Investigations �����������������������������������������������������24 Discipline �����������������������������������������������������������26 Appeals ������������������������������������������������������������ 27 Trust & Relevance Member Benefits & Discounts ������������������������� 29 Branches ����������������������������������������������������������� 30 Professional Development ��������������������������������32 APEGA Nexus �������������������������������������������������� 34 Summit Awards��������������������������������������������������36 K–12 Outreach ������������������������������������������������ 38 University Outreach ������������������������������������������39
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Message from the President
My two years as APEGA’s president-elect and president have gone by quickly. Like past councils, we’ve had our unique opportunities, such as implementing the legislative changes that will set APEGA on its path for the next hundred years. I’m grateful and honoured to have worked alongside fellow council members and APEGA staff, and I view these past two years as an evolution of my volunteerism with APEGA, which started more than three decades ago. The gift of volunteering I was a new engineer when I first volunteered for APEGA, helping children explore science in the classroom. The teachers were thrilled to have someone with a science background, and the children loved doing something interactive and hands on. I just had to show up and work with beads, Popsicle sticks, and elastic bands—or even just paper, depending on the curriculum—and explain simple machines or air and aerodynamics. I remember thinking to myself: what a gift that APEGA co-ordinated all this. They took in all the requests, they knew who needed what and when, and they had a long list of volunteers at the ready. They created a space where all I had to do was share my love of science and be a role model for students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math, especially the young girls.
Terri Steeves FEC, FGC (Hon.), P.Eng., ICD.D
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Science presentations took me to different classrooms for 10 years, and I haven’t stopped volunteering since: on the Summit Awards Task Force, on APEGA’s Strategic Planning and Finance committees, as an APEGA councillor, on the Nominating Committee, and now in my role as council president. This makes me one of the thousands of licensed professionals who have volunteered throughout APEGA’s long history, and volunteers are vital to the functioning of APEGA as a regulator. This isn’t a philosophical stance. The main function of self-regulation is that you participate in the activities and functions that enable us, as licensed professionals, to effectively govern the professions, for example by running for council and volunteering to join a group of professional peers responsible for setting APEGA’s direction. This means every registrant is integral to the success of self-regulation, whether they’re making paper airplanes at their first Science Night, lending their expertise during investigations, or interpreting new legislation as part of council. Change is here APEGA Council has been preparing for the modernization of our legislation since I was a councillor in 2012–2015. We were excited, even then, about the coming changes, but we also knew these types of changes have consequences that must be properly considered by those on council, which is where we are now.
Council has deliberated thoughtfully and often about the legislative changes to come, to determine how best to implement the new legislation efficiently and smoothly while still allowing space for our registrants to grow as self-regulated professionals within it. In November, APEGA launched the revised Continuing Professional Development practice standard, which is now in the transition year of implementation. As registrants get accustomed to the new requirements, we also know greater changes will come in 2027 with the new Professional Governance Act . A fresh perspective for the future As we move forward together, I would like to thank council, our volunteers, and APEGA staff for the support I’ve received over the past two years as president-elect and president—it feels like the same support I received at that first science presentation. I believe the role of APEGA Council is to do the same thing for our registrants: provide them with resources, set the direction and expectations for them to follow, and then step back and let them flourish.
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Message from the Registrar & CEO
For more than 100 years, APEGA has built a strong reputation as one of Canada’s best regulators, and over the last year—my first with this great organization—we have striven to sustain century- long standards. It was a year of simultaneous transition: a new role for me and a new legislative era for APEGA. Taking on this leadership role has felt like a natural progression for me. Of course, there are notable differences between conducting military engineering, performing deputy minister responsibilities, and overseeing regulatory processes, but one constant throughout my career has been a duty to serve the public. Although I’ve been an engineer for a long time, the last true engineering job I had was with the Canadian Armed Forces in 2008. Since then, I’ve worked more generalist jobs, including with the provincial government as a deputy minister, and that work undoubtedly eased my transition into the role at APEGA. But being welcomed here, and getting back to my engineering roots, has truly energized me throughout my first year as registrar and chief executive officer. Collaborative work with APEGA Council Some of that energy came from seeing our high-functioning APEGA Council in action. Although council sets APEGA’s strategy, it’s our job as the executive leadership team to translate it into action for our registrants, and the synergy between the two groups was clear from my first council meeting.
Paul Wynnyk FCAE, P.Eng., ICD.D
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This relationship between council and APEGA leadership instils great confidence as we prepare for the Professional Governance Act (PGA). This new legislation places us at a pivotal time in APEGA’s existence, and it gives us an opportunity to review our processes and bylaws to make sure we’re well positioned for the future. The PGA’s rollout will be a primary focus for the next year, as will a new overall strategic plan. In November, we launched the revised Continuing Professional Development practice standard and new Personal Annual Competency Evaluation practice guideline. The new continuing competence requirements will be assigned to all registrant cohorts by November 2026. Feedback on the new requirements has been overwhelmingly positive— an early sign of forthcoming success on this front. Listening to feedback It’s been energizing to visit APEGA’s branches across the province and listen to registrant feedback. We received the message that we can provide better service and communicate more clearly with registrants, so that we’re there when they need us, letting them quickly get back to practising their professions. It can be as simple as hearing a human voice on the other end of the phone when they call us, which strengthens our relationship with registrants. We’ve been running a pilot program to improve our call service and are planning registrant-focused activities in 2026 to answer more questions.
Another thing I’ve come to learn is just how hard our volunteers work. From branch and public events, such as the APEGA Science Olympics and Rock and Fossil Clinic, to late-night deliberations by dedicated board and committee volunteers, I’ve been amazed to see so many registrants sharing their time because they want to give back to the professions. APEGA’s work wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers. Seeing the professions in action My travels also highlighted what I already knew: Alberta is flourishing, thanks largely to the work of professional engineers and geoscientists. Half of all APEGA applicants in 2025 were internationally trained, and many other applicants applied for licensure in Alberta through interprovincial mobility applications. As the professions continue to evolve, it remains important that we welcome more women, newcomers, and anyone who wants to prosper in the professions to our province. We’re living in a time of regulatory change. Although it starts with the PGA, it will also include a new strategic plan that will shape the future of APEGA and how we regulate the professions. Successfully implementing both will require clear communication from leadership, continued dedication from our army of volunteers, and a shared commitment to our mission of regulating the professions and keeping Albertans safe. Together, we can set the direction for APEGA’s next hundred years.
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Regulatory Excellence
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Our Membership We had a net increase of 1,310 registrants in 2025.
TOTAL MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS Licensed professionals* Members-in-training Other †
70,885
68,971
69,575
The number of APEGA permit holders practising engineering or geoscience in Alberta increased to TOTAL ACTIVE PERMIT HOLDERS 5,022
75,000
70,000
65,000
5,022
4,892
4,777
60,000
55,000
50,000
0
2023
2024
2025
2023 2024 2025
* Professional members, life members, licensees, professional licensees † Provisional licensees, exam candidates, registered students, honorary members
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Internationally Trained Applicants
APEGA supports newcomers to Canada through the licensing process so they can practise independently.
When an engineer or geoscientist immigrates to Canada, their education and work experience are big assets—so much so that science, technology, engineering, and math occupations are third on the Government of Canada’s Express Entry selection list. Newcomers can start working right away under the supervision of a licensed professional, until they themselves become licensed. The licensing process, which an applicant can begin before they leave their home country, includes an education assessment, an evaluation of their work experience—including their knowledge of codes, standards, ethics, and conflict resolution—and confirmation from validators of the applicant’s competencies, knowledge, and abilities.
“Oversight of the professions, which protects Albertans, is something many newcomers didn’t experience back home,” says APEGA’s international qualifications officer, “because their countries do not regulate engineering and geoscience.” APEGA supports newcomers through the licensure process by offering licensing information seminars, access to dedicated staff with expertise in international qualifications, guidance on APEGA’s application requirements, and referrals to community organizations for further support.
700 50 newcomers attended more than
In 2025:
seminars on registration requirements
More than
5 % of APEGA Approximately 2025 ANNUAL REPORT
applicants were internationally trained
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Application Processing Times
Talented professionals want to work in Alberta—APEGA prioritizes timely reviews and approvals to help them continue their careers.
APEGA receives thousands of registration applications each year, and it is our responsibility, as per the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act and other legislation, to ensure every qualified applicant receives their licence to practise within legislated time frames. This makes prompt application processing an important part of our mission to protect Albertans from unsafe or unskilled practice, while welcoming newly qualified, interprovincial, and international applicants to the professions in our province. Our registration decision time frames are governed by two pieces of Alberta legislation: • The Labour Mobility Act requires interprovincial mobility applications (IPMAs) to be processed within 30 business days — 20 to make a decision plus10 to inform the applicant. • The Fair Registration Practices Act (FRPA) requires registration decisions for all other registrant applications to be processed within six months of receiving the application and all required documentation.
Volunteers on the Registration Executive Committee of APEGA’s Board of Examiners met 11 times in 2025 to review and make application decisions. APEGA staff supports the Board of Examiners. Performance metrics APEGA received 1,333 IPMAs, rendering decisions in fewer than three business days on average. APEGA received 6,107 applications (excluding IPMAs).
• In 2025, APEGA rendered decisions on 99.5 per cent of applications within the
six-month requirement of the FRPA. Since June 2025, we have been 100 per cent compliant with the FRPA.
PERCENTAGE OF APPLICATION DECISIONS MADE WITHIN SIX MONTHS
99.5
95.3
93.8
2023
2024
2025
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Examinations
When it comes to setting professional standards, APEGA doesn’t just lead by example—we administer the test others must pass.
To become licensed, APEGA engineers and geoscientists must show proficiency in their work, whether it be analyzing seismic waves or doing mass balance calculations—but just having technical skills is not enough. To practise in Alberta, registrants must also show their knowledge of professionalism, law, and ethics by passing the National Professional Practice Examination (NPPE). But the NPPE wasn’t always a national exam. Different provincial and territorial regulators assigned different exams until 2021, when APEGA began administering the NPPE on behalf of 13 other engineering and geoscience regulators.
Since then, applicants from all Canadian jurisdictions, except Quebec, take the same exam, which follows the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing to ensure it is valid, reliable, and fair. Engineering and geoscience applicants complete the same 110 question exam, administered five times per year. APEGA’s director of registration says, “The co-ordination of the NPPE exam in Canada ushered in an era of collaboration and harmonization between regulators. And, as the provider of the exam, APEGA’s expertise supports jurisdictions across the country.”
NUMBER OF APPLICANTS REGISTERED TO TAKE THE NPPE Partner regulators APEGA
12,993
11,326
12,745
10,915
10,926
9,523
2,078
1,819
1,803
2023
2024
2025
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Practice Standards
APEGA publishes practice standards written by licensed professionals that their peers must follow.
To practise safely, permit holders and licensed professionals must adhere to codes and regulations that apply to their areas of practice. In addition, APEGA publishes practice standards against which our statutory boards can assess a registrant’s conduct and work. Practice Standards Subcommittee and Practice Review Board volunteers are all practising engineers and geoscientists, meaning that all practice publications are created by licensed professionals, for licensed professionals.
2025 PUBLICATIONS
April 1
› Published revised Clarifying Authentication Requirements for Drilling and Completions practice bulletin
July 24
“Sometimes people forget about the ‘self’ part of
› Published the practice notice Use of Artificial Intelligence by Licensed Professionals
‘self-regulation,’ which means that although APEGA is the publisher, fellow registrants set the actual standards.”
November 1
› Withdrew Considerations for Establishing a Consulting Practice guideline › Published revised Continuing Professional Development
— APEGA’s professional practice standards manager
practice standard, new Personal Annual Competency Evaluation practice guideline, and Personal Annual Competency Evaluation plan template
To keep these standards current and clear, APEGA—with guidance from the volunteers on statutory boards and committees—updates them based on educational, technological, and industry changes, as well as registrant feedback. Bulletins clarify new or niche subjects, and guidelines articulate recommended best practices that support our practice standards. In 2025, APEGA also published practice notices on emerging subjects registrants wanted to know more about, such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI). “We received so many questions about handling AI in their work, so we issued a notice explaining that if you use it and authenticate it, you take responsibility for it, which is a core statement from our Authenticating Professional Work Products practice standard.”
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The Professional Governance Act (PGA) received royal assent in May 2025 and has an anticipated proclamation date of June 2026. At proclamation, the implementation process for different professional regulatory organizations across Alberta will begin, and APEGA is expected to transition under the PGA in early 2027. The PGA will repeal and replace the existing acts, including the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act , that govern the mandates of 20 regulatory bodies in Alberta. These regulatory bodies will then be unified under a single act, with regulator-specific regulations. Professional Governance Act New legislation will bring big changes for some Alberta regulators—APEGA is prepared. “We’re working with the Alberta government to prepare for the APEGA-specific regulation so we can implement it quickly when it comes.”
– APEGA’s deputy registrar and chief regulatory officer
In 2025, APEGA started preparatory work for updating our information technology systems to meet the PGA-required process and terminology changes, which will also apply to all of APEGA’s practice standards, bulletins, and guidelines.
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Continuing Professional Development
A revised standard emphasizes the licensed professional’s responsibility to maintain and enhance their own competence.
Launched in November, the revised Continuing Professional Development practice standard and new Personal Annual Competency Evaluation practice guideline changed how licensed professionals complete their continuing professional development (CPD) activities. The new requirements replaced the submission of activity-based reporting (to meet a minimum number of hours and categories) with the completion of specific learning modules in myAPEGA and the maintenance of a customizable Personal Annual Competency Evaluation (PACE) plan. Completing the online learning modules keeps licensed professionals current on their legislated obligations and customizing their PACE plans enhances their competence. “The learning modules are the start, and their PACE plans are unique, personal records of their professional journeys,” says APEGA’s professional practice standards manager. “On top of the technical knowledge, licensed professionals will also expand and track the activities that improve their communication, leadership, and management skills.” Now that these publications are in effect, licensed professionals will be assigned the new CPD requirements at their next annual renewal dates and have one full year to complete them. Once a licensed professional has completed a full year under the new requirements, the Practice Review Board may ask to review their PACE plan, including supporting documentation for their CPD activities, to confirm compliance. Addressing special considerations To support licensed professionals, we approved 786 special consideration requests for reduced CPD requirements due to personal circumstances. These were the last special considerations that needed to be approved before the CPD requirements changed to focus on the quality of CPD activities rather than the quantity of hours needed.
Learning modules These self-directed modules in APEGA’s learning management system share information about APEGA’s practice standards and enhance licensed professionals’ understanding of their legislated responsibilities.
They cover five knowledge areas:
• Authenticating Professional Work Products • Duty to Report • Ethical Practice • Regulatory • Relying on the Work of Others and Outsourcing
A template for success To help APEGA licensed professionals transition to the new CPD requirements, a PACE plan template was developed to show a standardized format for detailing the types of CPD activities they are pursuing to maintain competence. As every licensed professional’s PACE plan will be individual to them, the template provides general guidance and insights to consider when planning yearly courses, conferences, and ongoing professional development.
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Digital Signatures
The online world can lead to verification problems—using digital signatures is part of the solution.
The reputation of the engineering and geoscience professions depends largely on building and maintaining public trust, which is earned through accountability and transparency. APEGA helps licensed professionals earn this trust by requiring them to authenticate their professional work products using either a physical or digital method. In addition to an APEGA digital signature, digital authentication requires the application of electronic images of a licensed professional’s stamp, their signature, and the authentication date. The APEGA digital signature is encrypted metadata that connects the licensed professional to their work like a “digital passport.”
Many clients request digital files, and some municipalities are even mandating digital only. With an APEGA digital signature, a geoscientist or engineer can securely and efficiently authenticate their work, and the digital signature confirms for the client that a licensed professional has signed off on the work. This protects Albertans, as well as the reputation of professional engineers and geoscientists. Starting in 2025, any licensed professional who purchased an APEGA digital signature also received an electronic stamp, reducing costs and providing added protection against online fraudsters.
TOTAL ACTIVE DIGITAL SIGNATURES OF APEGA REGISTRANTS
14,287
13,514
12,479
2023
2024
2025
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Individual Practice
APEGA supports licensed professionals who return to practice by using a variety of checks and balances.
APEGA licensed professionals who stop practising do so for a variety of reasons—such as moving to other provinces or resigning for personal reasons— but to return to practice, they all must apply for reinstatement, resumption, or reactivation. Returning to practice may come with practice restrictions, conditions, or both, determined by the length of lapse in registration or non-practising status, compliance history, and number of years practising. A licensed professional may have to work under the supervision of another licensed professional for one year, or complete an ethics
course or the National Professional Practice Exam, or undergo a continuing professional development (CPD) review under the Continuing Professional Development practice standard. Before the revised standard came into effect on November 1, the Individual Practice team focused on clearing returning professionals’ CPD conditions for those who were eligible, so they would not carry over to the new requirements. Through the Practice Review Board’s approval, we removed 641 CPD conditions before the transition.
95
Reinstatement former licensed professional approved for reinstated registration Resumption of practice non-practising licensed professional approved to resume practice Reactivation former licensed professional with a short registration lapse approved for reactivated registration
applications approved 557
101
361
e o
Total number of conditions applied to approved reinstatement and resumption of practice applications 34 practice restrictions 168 CPD 124 ethics course or National Professional Practice Exam
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Corporate Practice
Keeping standards high and registrants informed starts with collaborative practice reviews.
A responsible regulator doesn’t just react to issues after they arise—it works proactively with all levels of the professions to prevent problems. APEGA’s Corporate Practice team does this by collaborating with senior officers and their Responsible Members through permit holder practice reviews to keep them current with best practices and up to date with their Professional Practice Management Plans (PPMPs). The review program includes quarterly reviews of APEGA’s entire database of permit holders, specific sector reviews, and referrals from other departments. These practice reviews aren’t technical reviews of engineering or geoscience projects or outputs, but rather opportunities to provide permit holders with feedback about their compliance with APEGA requirements, such as authentication and outsourcing practices, engineering or geoscience oversights, and whether their PPMPs adequately outline how they align with and meet regulatory and professional obligations. Practice reviews are undertaken collegially with a focus on improving geoscience and engineering practices in Alberta. “It’s absolutely not an investigation,” says APEGA’s corporate practice manager. “It’s an effort, when a misunderstanding occurs, to get them back to a correct understanding of their requirements to ensure they’re establishing an ethical and responsible environment for their staff to function in. We explain what’s missing, and coach them into alignment with their obligations.”
“We look at large permit holders, we look at
long-standing permit holders, and we look at companies within a specific sector, in consultation with the Practice Review Subcommittee, under the authority of the Practice Review Board.”
— APEGA’s corporate practice manager
Practice review in action Some practice reviews require greater depth and urgency. In May, APEGA completed its largest review of the year: an assessment of the City of Calgary’s engineering practices following a major water main break. The review involved analyzing extensive documentation to confirm the City’s engineering practices were aligned with legislative requirements and APEGA’s practice standards.
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PRACTICE REVIEW CLOSURE STATUS Closed without conditions Closed with conditions
By the numbers
641 In 2025, APEGA completed practice reviews in which 316 cancelled permit reviews were conducted. 20
100%
80%
60%
40%
companies with cancelled Permits to Practice were referred to APEGA’s Unlicensed Practice team.
20%
0%
2023
2024
2025
In 2025, 48 per cent of practice reviews were closed without conditions. One practice review may include multiple GRAPH review levels (see page 20).
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GRADUATED RISK ASSESSMENT FOR PERMIT HOLDERS (GRAPH) EXPLAINED Cancelled permit review
Level 2 › More detailed, scorecard-based compliance checks based on written permit holder documentation and a risk-based evaluation approach Level 3 › A scorecard analysis plus a project review and permit holder meeting Level 4 › A scope-specific review for elevated-risk or complex scenarios—most rigorous review level Level 5 › Follow-up reviews to assess the actions taken to address compliance findings
› Ensures that companies cancelling their APEGA Permits to Practice are not engaged in or holding out as engaged in the practice of engineering or geoscience › Formally added into the GRAPH process in November Level 1 › Screening: Using compliance data and established criteria to assess the pulse of the professions through quarterly high-level screenings of all permit holders › Reviewing compliance data and publicly available information on individual permit holders as a risk-escalation tool through the GRAPH program
GRAPH REVIEW LEVEL OF EFFORT
Evidence of practice
CANCELLED PERMIT REVIEWS
Desktop review Spot check Data mining
L1
Standardized review scorecard
L2
Standardized review— increased scrutiny
L3
Complex file-dependent
L4
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NUMBER OF REVIEWS COMPLETED BY TYPE
Cancelled permit review * Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Other†
1,000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2023
2024
2025
* In 2024, the Corporate Practice department cleared a backlog of cancelled permit reviews † Referrals from other APEGA departments
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Unlicensed Practice
To protect the public, we work to ensure only licensed professionals practise engineering and geoscience in Alberta.
The difference between licensed and unlicensed practice can mean the difference between safe and unsafe work, which could endanger Albertans. If someone is practising without a licence, they are not abiding by the rules and regulations that protect the public and keep registrants accountable for their work. With public safety always top of mind, the Unlicensed Practice department receives concerns from many sources, including other licensed professionals, regulators, municipalities, the public, media, and other APEGA departments. “If we find someone is practising geoscience or engineering and isn’t licensed, we work with them to get them to stop practising or get licensed,” says APEGA’s director, conduct and legislation. “If they refuse, we can take legal action to stop them.” Every concern is reviewed through a risk- assessment matrix. If the risk is rated as medium or high we will open a case file, and the review team determines the next steps, which often include conversations with the individual or company. “Their licence may have lapsed, or they may be unaware of Alberta’s licensing requirements. They may not realize their work falls under the definition of engineering or geoscience in Alberta. They may not be practising at all and just embellishing their work on their website. Regardless of the reason, we work with them to correct things.” In situations in which there is ongoing non-compliance, APEGA applies to the courts to obtain an injunction to stop them from practising or using restricted titles, but this only happens in about one per cent of cases. “Most cases are closed by having conversations with people and educating them on Alberta’s licensing and title use requirements to bring them into compliance voluntarily.”
Did you know APEGA maintains a public-facing
registrant and permit holder directory on our website, where anyone can quickly and easily find out if an engineer or geoscientist is licensed and in good standing. Remember: If they aren’t listed, they aren’t licensed.
Use our directory to confirm whether an individual or company is licensed to practise engineering or geoscience in Alberta. Verify before you hire.
In 2025, we launched a campaign to raise public awareness of APEGA’s member and permit holder directory.
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RISK-ASSESSMENT RATINGS
new concerns received 286
High risk likelihood of significant public harm Medium risk potential for some public harm Low risk little inconvenience or impact to the public No jurisdiction not within APEGA’s jurisdiction Undefined cases previously risk-assessed under legacy conditions
128 129 cases closed (including cases opened in previous years)
23
new cases opened 210
187
1
concerns closed 76
30
High risk Undefined (legacy)
3 cases escalated to legal action
46
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Investigations
SOURCES OF INQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS Public Registrants Anonymous
Knowledgeable volunteers and expert investigators continue
124
127
APEGA’s long history of responsible regulation.
Conducting thorough, timely, and fair investigations is vital to APEGA’s mandate to protect the welfare of Albertans. Our discipline and conduct review systems are based on public court processes and follow natural justice rules and procedural fairness, with evidence, witnesses, and expert investigators who assist the volunteers on our Investigative Committee. Investigations can be resolved in multiple ways: by referring the matter to a formal discipline hearing, by terminating for insufficient evidence, or by providing an alternative resolution between the parties. Such resolutions
60
58
45
51
can include sending letters of advice to registrants to share feedback on issues identified during the investigation.
22
15
Inquiries
Complaints
Anyone can also reach out to APEGA directly to make inquiries, which don’t trigger the review and investigation processes, before submitting an official complaint. Responding to inquiries and investigating complaints fairly and efficiently further establishes APEGA’s long- standing reputation as a responsible regulator, which is in large part thanks to the diligent work of committee volunteers. “Investigative Committee volunteers are registrants with diverse backgrounds in engineering and geoscience. APEGA staff members, including professional investigators, facilitate the committee’s work, but it is the volunteers who decide how each investigation is resolved,” says APEGA’s director, conduct and legislation.
Some opened cases include multiple complaints, and some complaints are resolved before they become cases.
COMPLAINT TYPES unskilled practice
both
unprofessional conduct
4
28
95
On average, every APEGA investigator has more than 20 years of professional experience conducting investigations.
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2023 2024 2025 HOW CASES WERE CLOSED
Discipline hearing The Investigative Committee refers matters to the Discipline Committee for a formal discipline hearing. Mediation The Investigative Committee approves a mediated agreement between the complainant and the registrant or permit holder. Recommended discipline order The registrant admits to unskilled practice, unprofessional conduct, or both, and agrees to specific sanctions. Termination The Investigative Committee determines the complaint was frivolous or vexatious, or there was insufficient evidence of unskilled practice, unprofessional conduct, or both. Withdrawal The complaint is withdrawn or abandoned by the complainant.
4
Discipline hearing
6
3
5
3
Mediation
4
19
Recommended discipline order
13 13
21
17
Termination
16
4
2
Withdrawal
1
Opened Active INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY BY YEAR Closed
PROCESSING TIMES (CASES CLOSED)
37 cases closed
243 median days to close
132
122
98
39
41
29
IN-PROGRESS TIMES (ACTIVE CASES)
40
40
32 active cases
338 median days open
32
53
41
37
2023
2024
2025
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Discipline Professional peers volunteering their time follow established legal practices to keep APEGA’s discipline processes thorough and just.
Both parties have 30 days to appeal the decision to the Appeal Board, and when this period has lapsed, the Discipline Committee’s decision is posted to APEGA’s website. In 2025, the Discipline Committee completed four hearings, requiring a total of 11 hearing days. One case took six days, while the rest took an average of 1.7 days. All four cases resulted in findings of unprofessional conduct and/or unskilled practice. APEGA’s discipline decisions are published at the end of the process. Read them on our website at apega.ca.
When reviewing the potential misconduct of a registrant or permit holder, an APEGA disciplinary hearing follows a procedure that’s similar to those used in Alberta’s legal system, with many of the same protocols—such as evidence, witnesses, and cross-examinations—to provide a fair review of every case. Instead of one judge, a hearing panel of three to five members of the Discipline Committee, including a public member, hears evidence from both parties, reviews submitted documentation, and determines if the allegations of unprofessional conduct or unskilled practice are proven. The hearing panel presents its findings in a written discipline decision. If there are findings of unprofessional conduct, unskilled practice, or both, the committee requests submissions from the parties regarding the possible consequences before the final decision is issued.
By the numbers
16 active cases as of December 31, 2025 24 cases referred to the Discipline Committee
Final hearing decisions
5
total publications 20
cases closed 16
15
Recommended discipline orders
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REGULATORY EXCELLENCE
Appeals Any registrant or permit holder that has gone through the disciplinary hearing process has the right to challenge a Discipline Committee decision through the Appeal Board. Doing so triggers another review of the facts, and sometimes another hearing in which appellants can make statements and have legal representation, but they cannot cross-examine witnesses or their accusers. “No new information is brought in. It’s purely about: Was it a reasonable, transparent decision? Is the Appeal Board able to follow the previous decision maker and connect the dots in terms of how they got to that decision? Is it within the goal posts of what they would expect as a reasonable outcome?”
APPEALS
6 cases opened
8 * cases closed
334 average days to render a decision
DECISION OUTCOMES
7 decisions upheld 0 appeals withdrawn
0 decisions modified 1 decision overturned
— APEGA's appeals manager
If unsuccessful at the conclusion of the appeal, the appellant may be assigned further sanctions or costs associated with the appeal case, depending on a variety of factors. If the appeal is successful, the decision can be overturned, and the $300 appeal fee refunded. The Appeal Board doesn’t review disciplinary or investigative cases exclusively—appeals can also be submitted for registration refusals and Practice Review Board decisions, providing a fair and balanced system on all decisions made by APEGA’s statutory boards and committees.
The Appeal Board is made up of APEGA registrants who volunteer their time to review and make decisions on appeals. There are typically 12–15 members on the Appeal Board at any given time.
* includes some cases carried over from previous years
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Trust & Relevance
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TRUST & RELEVANCE
Member Benefits & Discounts
Registrants accessed valuable savings, including on new cell phone plans and insurance options, from 30 providers.
APEGA partners with many companies to provide benefits to registrants. In total, our registrants accessed 40,782 redemptions, with many saving $600 or more depending on the benefit. New plan In April, the APEGA Wireless Program relaunched as APEGA Mobile (backed by Rogers). In addition to providing unlimited texts and calls in North America, the new platform is more streamlined and user friendly, with a self- serve portal to manage accounts, a simplified ticket submission, and a dedicated help desk. Insurance for all In October, we introduced a new insurance provider: the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association (ARTA). ARTA offers different levels of coverage to match employment and retirement plans, so active employees and retirees alike can find plans for health, dental, and travel insurance that work for them and their families. Many registrants had asked for new insurance options, and ARTA’s plans are for anyone who has their own business, or who doesn’t have a health plan through their work.
MOST-USED BENEFITS BY NUMBER OF REGISTRANTS
The Personal Insurance 19,850
Manulife 7,327
APEGA Mobile (Rogers) 4,682 Mark’s 1,749
TELUS Spark Science Centre 1,781
EXAMPLES OF TOTAL SAVINGS BY PROVIDER
Bailey Nelson $ 48,314 Connect Hearing $ 13,383
Geologize $ 25,410
40,782
NUMBER OF BENEFITS ACCESSED BY REGISTRANTS
36,105
35,214
2023
2024
2025
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Branches
In response to registrants’ desire for more branch events, branch executives began scheduling more events outside of work hours, and we saw a notable, province-wide increase in the number of their activities and attendees—to the highest level in five years. Registrants also attended more in-person events, including networking and golf tournaments across the province. Some branches began having facility tours that were so successful that most of them were fully booked. This excitement for in-person activities also overflowed to outreach events, with the Edmonton Branch hosting eight Science Nights and the Calgary Branch hosting five Science Nights, each of which was packed with eager students and more than 50 volunteers. Fort McMurray Branch and Peace Region Branch volunteers visited Indigenous communities to do their own Science Nights, and a Yellowhead Branch geoscientist went to local schools to talk about rocks and fossils. The demand for in-person branch and outreach events was the highest since 2020, thanks to the work of our branch volunteers.
By the numbers
total events 157
in person hybrid 82 49 26 virtual
Including:
site tours 7 19 17
golf tournaments
Science Nights
3
branch Science Olympics events
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TRUST & RELEVANCE
POPULAR BRANCH EVENTS
EDMONTON
PEACE REGION YELLOWHEAD FORT McMURRAY
The Edmonton Branch held six tours, including three fully booked Heidelberg Materials cement plant tours.
CENTRAL ALBERTA
VERMILION RIVER LAKELAND
The Central Alberta Branch held seven fully booked facility tours, including at Red Deer Regional Hospital, the City of Red Deer Traffic Control Centre, and Red Deer Ironworks.
CALGARY
MEDICINE HAT WEBINAR EVs Unplugged: A Technical and Practical Overview
LETHBRIDGE WEBINAR Unravelling the Mysteries of Black Holes and Neutron Stars with Flashes, Bursts, and Eruptions
553 attendees
The Lethbridge Branch held four tours, including at
474 attendees
Lethbridge Iron Works and at the wastewater treatment plant, called Secrets Behind the Wastewater Throne.
BRANCH EVENTS & ATTENDEES
Professional development
Networking
Outreach
Total event attendees
14,256
55
76
26
2025
13,428
50
29
28
2024
9,044
42
26
24
2023
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Our professional development sessions help registrants improve their skills, keep current with industry trends, and live healthier lives. Professional Development
Additionally, a total of 2,064 people attended five sessions in 2025 through APEGA’s partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Attendees heard CMHA professionals speak on managing burnout, dealing with grief and loss, and adapting to adversity in a changing world. Increasing access and opportunities APEGA remained focused on supporting women in the professions with guidance from the registrant volunteers of the Women in APEGA Advisory Group. More than 1,100 people attended 13 training sessions (eight in person and five virtual) that supported greater understanding of barriers faced by underrepresented groups in the professions. As part of the Ethnocultural Grant Program, funded by the Government of Alberta, we introduced a free speaker series to share the history and culture of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples to help our registrants collaborate more effectively across cultures and adapt with the evolving needs of the communities they serve. We hosted 14 events in 2025, totalling 15 since receiving the grant in late 2024, with more than 600 attendees, surpassing the grant’s goal of offering 10 sessions. The in-person Ethnocultural Grant Program event was especially meaningful for attendees and speakers alike. At this session, Les Vonkeman, a retired police officer and Sixties Scoop survivor, led a campfire conversation with Lethbridge Branch registrants and Elders from the Kainai Nation, southwest of Lethbridge on Blood 148, the largest First Nation reserve in Canada. An APEGA manager who attended the session explains, “In the circle, Elders were talking about their experiences in residential schools, and they were very honest. One woman said she grew up hating white people. But at the end she said, ‘I don’t want you to feel sorry for me—I want you to understand the truth, because that’s part of reconciliation.’ And then she explained that us being there, willing to listen, was part of her healing.”
Being a professional geoscientist or engineer in Alberta means continually improving your technical skills and your ability to handle the responsibility and pressure that comes with your job. Every year, APEGA offers dozens of free webinars aimed at improving your abilities and your mental health. “Professional development doesn’t just keep you in touch with changes happening in the field, emerging topics, or trends—it enables you to connect with other people and build communities. You don’t have to do it—you get to do it, at no cost. And that all leads to better geoscience and engineering for Albertans.”
— APEGA’s career development manager
Supporting registrants’ mental health Registrants continued to benefit from our annual Building Mental Health Together series, learning sustainable strategies for improving their overall well-being. The theme was “Resilience in Action: Strengthening Mental Health.” In October, Alberta-based speakers Amanda Lindhout (Resilience Redefined: How to Unlock Your Inner Strength) and Lisa Belanger (Unlocking Health, Collaboration, Creativity, and Culture), and neuroscience coach and former firefighter Jim Brayshaw (Dismantling Stigma from the Inside Out) empowered 1,335 attendees to build stronger connections and mental-health culture within their workplaces.
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TRUST & RELEVANCE
Sessions Regulatory
Non-regulatory
SESSION TYPES
83
In addition to the live webinars, APEGA’s Professional Development Centre provides registrants with on-demand recordings of all APEGA professional development seminars, offering learnings on new research findings, industry trends, technical tips, and mental- health discussions that improve registrants’ professional and personal lives. In 2025, we posted 33 new on-demand sessions, which reached nearly 2,000 viewers. On-demand learning of Formal Technical Writing, with Lee Hunt, P.Geoph. : 562 registrations › Handling Challenging Calls and Conversations, with the Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton : 644 registrations › Combatting Depression and Isolation, with the Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton : 551 registrations › Advances in Non-Intrusive Isolation Technology: Piggable Valves for Efficient Pipeline Maintenance, with Ole Yin, P.Eng. : 529 registrations registrations 3,130 Our five most-popular webinars had a combined › Major Engineering Projects, with George Jergeas, P.Eng. : 844 registrations › Alleviating the Unbearable Burden
83
98
46
36
45
52
47
38
2023
2024
2025
SESSION ATTENDEES
9,953
9,573
14,225
9,715
5,369
7,584
4,510
4,204
2,369
2023
2024
2025
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