Innovation Winter 2025/26

AGM in review | How guidelines are developed | Annual renewal due

INNOVATION ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BRITISH COLUMBIA WINTER 2025/26

ELECTRIC TUGBOATS THE PULL OF

MEET THE 2025/26 BOARD CHAIR

ROCK & ROLL: PREDICTING ROCKSLIDES

PM40065271

Innovation Winter 2025/26

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Modern regulation for a resilient world

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Winter 2025/26

Innovation

CONTENTS

COMMENT 4 Viewpoint NEWS 5 AGM in review 7 AGM motion defeated 8 2025/26 Board 9 Meet the new Board Chair 12 Annual Report 13 Board meeting highlights 14 Annual Renewal due soon 15 Project Highlights reminder 40 Quick Guide to Authentication FEATURES 10 Annual Conference in photos 18 Registrant roles in guidance 20 Tugboats go electric 30 Predicting rockslides DEPARTMENTS

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Workhorses on the waterfront The quiet, but mighty, fleet of electric tugboats significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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The science of rockslides Understanding the unpredictable nature of rockslides.

P hoto : C ourtesy of D avid R egehr , P.E ng .

16 Professional Practice 28 CE: speaker spotlight 38 Volunteer spotlight 41 In memoriam

10 In view A photo roundup of the Annual Conference.

42 Discipline and enforcement 45 Display advertisers’ index

P hoto : W endy D P hotography

Digital Innovation Interested in receiving Innovation digitally instead of by mail? You can change your preferences in your online account, under General/Overview/ Communication Preferences. View the digital version by scanning the QR code or by going to egbc.ca/Innovation.

ON THE COVER The HaiSea Wamis, a battery-powered tugboat. P hoto : S anmar S hipyards

Innovation Winter 2025/26

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V I EWPO INT

ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BRITISH COLUMBIA Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 6N2 Tel: 604.430.8035 | Toll free: 1.888.430.8035 WINTER 2025/26 | volume 29 number 4 INNOVATION BOARD 2025/2026 Chair: Karen Ling, P.Eng. Vice Chair: Dr. Jens Weber, P.Eng. Immediate Past Chair: Mark Porter, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC BOARD MEMBERS Bill Chan, CPA, CGA, MBA, ICD.D; Veronica Knott, P.Eng.; Michelle Mahovlich, P.Eng., P.Geo., FCSSE; Cathy McIntyre, MBA, C.Dir; Matthew Salmon, P.Eng.; Email: info@egbc.ca | Web: egbc.ca

Board is aligned and engaged

I am honoured to be re-elected to the Board and to serve as Chair on a strong, diverse and experienced Board; we are in an exciting phase. Our goals for the upcoming year

reflect the depth of experience and continuity built by Board members as we continue our work to ensure public safety and protection of public interests in our professions. Our province's focus on economic resilience is shared by the public, government, and organizations like Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Changing economic conditions highlight the importance of the public’s continued high confidence in our professions. As we continue to engage with the public and government representatives, we aim to apply our specialized expertise to lend confidence to regulatory decisions. For example, we’re updating our processes to align with the requirements of the International Credentials Recognition Act , ensuring new professionals can be licensed more efficiently while also maintaining a high standard in our admissions process. This balanced approach is essential to maintaining our reputation as being collaborative, engaged, and resilient. Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s regulatory fundamentals and responsibilities have come into focus over recent years. The organization’s engagement with the provincial government and other regulatory bodies will continue to grow now that we have transitioned to our defined role under the Professional Governance Act . A key challenge within the organization will be to balance regulatory responsibilities while considering professional registrants’ perspectives and welcoming input from the public. Progress will depend on collaboration, building trust, and encouraging open and regular communication. The Board will continue its work to further improve and advance itself and the professions with work towards equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. We must continue making progress towards this important consideration, as a diverse workforce strengthens our community and organizations. Focus on climate change and environmental considerations also continues to be important to our registrants and the wider public. Our role in environmental stewardship and oversight of sustainability initiatives remains at the forefront. The Board is aligned in its focus and engaged in the challenges and opportunities for this upcoming year. Karen Ling, P.Eng.

T.J. Schmaltz, JD, FCPHR, SHRM-SCP, ICD.D; Malcolm Shield, P.Eng.; Colette Trudeau, MA; Dr. Gordon Zhou, P.Eng.

EXECUTIVE TEAM Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.), Chief Executive Officer & Registrar Jennifer Cho, CPA, CGA, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Alison Dantas, MA, CEC, C.Dir, Chief Operating Officer Jason Ong, Acting Chief Regulatory Officer

MANAGING EDITOR Shelley Nicholl

EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP Ryan Bird, P.Eng.; Ian Rodriguez, EIT; Raya Smertina, P.Eng.; Aman Tanvir, P.Eng.; Stefano Vitucci, P.Eng. Innovation is published quarterly by Engineers and Geoscientists BC. As the official publication of the organization, Innovation is circulated to all registrants of Engineers and Geoscientists BC as well as architects, contractors and industry executives. The views expressed in any article do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Board or Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

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Sales Representative: Wing-Yee Kwong Tel: 604.681.1811 Email: advertising@egbc.ca For information see: www.egbc.ca/About/Publications/Innovation/How-to-Advertise SUBMISSIONS Innovation does not accept unsolicited articles or photos, but we do welcome article proposals and ideas. Proposals should be of interest and relevant to our readers and recognize the regulatory role of Engineers and Geoscientists BC in ensuring public safety and environmental protection. They should not be a "sales pitch" for a company or organization. Send suggestions to: innovation@egbc.ca . LETTERS All submitted letters may be subject to editing for length, clarity or accuracy. We reserve the right to reject unsuitable letters and we do not publish open letters to third parties. Send letters to: innovation@egbc.ca. REPRINTS & COPIES All material is copyright. For reprint permission or extra copies, contact: innovation@egbc.ca. SUBSCRIPTIONS All registrants with Engineers and Geoscientists BC receive Innovation in print or digital form. Registrants can update their communication preferences for Innovation in their accounts at egbc.ca/account. Send print or digital subscription requests to: innovation@egbc.ca.

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ISSN 1206-3622 Publications Mail Agreement No 40065271. Registration No 09799. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Innovation , Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC V5C 6N2.

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Winter 2025/26

Innovation

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

A total of 735 registrants attended the AGM held October 28 in Vancouver. P hoto : W endy D P hotography

CEO Heidi Yang, P.Eng., speaks about the positive progress of Engineers and Geoscientists BC. P hoto : W endy D P hotography

AGM highlights growth in registrant base of the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family, and Sempulyan Stewart Gonzales, also a member of the Squamish

At the Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s 106th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 28, CEO Heidi Yang, P.Eng., shared a positive review of the organization’s finances and achievements. Speaking to a total of 735 registrants who attended the event in person in Vancouver and online, she explained the highlights from the 2024/2025 fiscal year’s budget. She noted that revenue increased to $34.3 million from $32.2 million in the previous fiscal year. “These numbers reflect growth in our registrant base, which grew by 2,283 professionals and 268 firms this year, representing a 5.3 percent increase,” Yang said. “This naturally led to increased revenue through individual and firm fees, which made up 65 percent of our total revenue.” The current budget does not raise registration fees, and the organization will be running a planned deficit budget of approximately $900,000. The deficit will be covered by tapping into the previous budget’s surplus. “This deficit budget aligns with our budget guidelines and will help us fund needed project work without making changes to operations or increasing registrant fees,” Yang said. Organization update Following opening statements from 2024/2025 Board Chair, Mark Porter, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC, and the territorial greeting by Larry Shucks Nahanee, President

Ocean Canoe Family, Yang noted Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s achievements over the past year, which included: • Supporting the BC Society of Engineers and Geoscientists (BCSEG) as they begin independent operations • Developing Regulatory Principles to clarify Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s approaches to decision making • Working to reduce barriers for internationally trained professionals, and acknowledging that more work is needed to reduce wait times for professional registration • Initiating 119 new investigations and resolving 23 cases with disciplinary outcomes • Completing approximately 500 individual and firm audits • Hearing feedback from about 4,000 registrants in the organization’s annual Registrant Insights Survey • Expanding equity, diversity, and inclusion, and Truth and Reconciliation programs, and launching the Organizational Climate Change Strategy

Continued on page 6

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

2024/25 Board Chair Mark Porter, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC, opens the 106th AGM. P hoto : W endy D P hotography

“There are savings on programs, but there are revenue losses that even things out,” she said, meaning there will be no significant differences to the organization’s bottom line. Registrants also asked about the areas of practice that may fall under the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) purview and whether that would encroach on engineering reserved practice. Yang shared that Engineers and Geoscientists BC is supportive of reserved practice for applied science professionals and is working closely with the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance (OSPG) and ASTTBC to gain clarity on the impact this would have on engineering practice, and that discussions were ongoing. Yang also clarified that the reserved practice of engineering will not be impacted by ASTTBC’s reserved practice but rather would impact the current work engineers do more broadly that does not fall into reserved engineering practice.

Registrants asked about the delay in application processing timelines and what steps the organization is taking to address those delays. Acting Chief Regulatory Officer Jason Ong acknowledged the impact of longer processing timelines on individuals and firms and noted that the organization is managing an unprecedented volume in applications, with 7,300 received last year. Ong spoke to several measures being taken to address this issue – including adding more assessors and increasing updates to applicants – while still maintaining the integrity of the admissions process. Questions were also raised about whether the loss of benefits and services that are being transferred over to BCSEG would lead to a decrease in registrant fees. Jennifer Cho, Chief Financial and Administration Officer, noted that while certain costs of running programs will be transferred to BCSEG, so will revenue streams.

Continued from page 5

Question Period Porter and organization executives fielded questions from registrants during the open question period.

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Winter 2025/26

Innovation

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

AGM motion on gas-fired equipment voted down

At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 28, attendees voted against a registrant-submitted motion proposing that specifying gas-fired equipment in buildings be avoided. The motion, which was voted down 359-133, asked that the Board consider regulatory options to: a) Establish expectations and obligations for registrants to: i) avoid specifying gas-fired equipment in new and existing buildings (e.g., furnaces, boilers, water heaters, etc.) wherever it is technically feasible, opting instead for efficient, electrified alternatives; and ii) where it is determined that use of gas-fired equipment is unavoidable due to factors such as site constraints, performance requirements, availability and lifecycle considerations, document the rationale and demonstrate that all b) Support registrants’ understanding of the risk of significant harm posed by climate change and the use of gas-fired equipment in new and existing buildings by strengthening educational resources related to these topics. “This topic isn’t a simple one,” said Board Chair Mark Porter, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC, “Climate change is a complex and multi-faceted issue lending itself to many different perspectives.” Those who spoke in favour of the motion, including the motion’s mover Roberto Pecora, P.Eng., and seconder Scott Kennedy, P.Eng., highlighted the urgency to respond to the impacts of climate change and stressed that the motion was not intended to be a ban on gas-powered systems. However, the motion’s opponents noted that limiting options available to engineers and prioritizing electrified systems could stifle innovation and leave communities with frequent power outages stranded in hazardous weather. Others believed the organization should not mandate the use of certain products over others. Each year, registrants have the opportunity to submit motions in advance of the AGM for the Board’s consideration. All motions are non-binding and advisory to the Board. lower-carbon design strategies, including electrical load management, were duly considered.

Registrant Roberto Pecora, P.Eng., speaks to the motion he put forward at the AGM. P hoto : W endy D P hotography

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BOARD NEWS

Board members, from left: Cathy McIntyre, MBA, C.Dir.; Vice Chair Jens Weber, P.Eng.; TJ Schmaltz, JD, FCPHR, SHRM-SCP, ICD.D; Mark Porter, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC; Colette Trudeau, MA; Malcolm Shield, P.Eng.; Bill Chan, CPA, CGA, ICD.D; Michelle Mahovlich, P.Eng., P.Geo., FCSSE; Veronica Knott, P.Eng.; Dr. Gordon Zhou, P.Eng.; Matthew Salmon, P.Eng.; and Chair Karen Ling, P.Eng. P hoto : W endy D P hotography Karen Ling chairs the 2025/26 Board

At the Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Board’s inaugural meeting for the 2025/26 term, October 29, the Board elected Karen Ling, P.Eng. as the new Chair. Dr. Jens Weber, P.Eng., was elected as Vice Chair. Ling is a senior leader in the construction industry, experienced in mentoring teams, assessing risk, and overseeing revenue and profitability of operations (see profile on page 9). Weber has over 25 years of work experience, with a focus on software engineering in industry and academia, particularly in safety- and security-critical applications and assured artificial-intelligence systems. He is the Associate Dean of Professional Programs and Development in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Victoria. Weber served as a member of Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Software Engineering Advisory Group and co-authored the first two practice guidelines for software engineering applied in safety- and security-critical applications.

2025/26 Board

Chair

Karen Ling, P.Eng.

Vice Chair

Dr. Jens Weber, P.Eng.

Immediate Past Chair

Mark Porter, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC

Elected Board members

Veronica Knott, P.Eng. Michelle Mahovlich, P.Eng., P.Geo. FCSSE Matthew Salmon, P.Eng. Malcom Shield, P.Eng. Dr. Gordon Zhou, P.Eng. Bill Chan, CPA, CGA, ICD.D Cathy McIntyre, MBA, C.Dir. Colette Trudeau, MA T.J. Schmaltz, JD, FCPHR, SHRM-SCP, ICD.D

Government appointed Board members

Scan the to see Board meetings, miniutes, and member profiles.

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Innovation

MEET THE 2025/26 BOARD CHAIR

Karen Ling, P.Eng.

Q Why did you want to take a leadership position with the Board? My position in a leadership role on the Board supports continuity in our current progress and focus on the organization's mandate. Our strong, experienced Board has a culture of collaboration and effectiveness. I am proud to be part of the leadership team that supports and fosters this high engagement. The Chair is accountable to the Board and I am committed to amplifying our voices to build consensus while considering strategic risks and direction in the upcoming year. Q As a professional with extensive leadership experience, what would you say is your most important strength as a leader? Strategizing priorities and overall goals are very important in my industry. I enjoy assessing situations and focusing quickly on core priority items, then engaging with teams on immediate solutions. My approach as a leader is to ensure that the team collaborates effectively and efficiently, with guidance where needed. This is founded on a solid base of understanding each team member's expertise and goals, to ensure that the highest priorities are being resolved. Q What have you found fulfilling in your past volunteer work? I have appreciated sharing my passion for engineering and construction with impressionable young people, particularly those who may not have considered a similar career path. Volunteering in a role going into classrooms in diverse neighbourhoods throughout our community has been rewarding, as I remembered enjoying a similar glimpse into future opportunities when I was in elementary school.

PROFILE HIGHLIGHTS

• Project Director at Turner Construction • Experienced in collaborative delivery methods with strengths mentoring teams, overseeing operations, and assessing risk, profitability, and strategy ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BC ACTIVITIES • Vice Chair, Board, 2024-2025 • Councillor/Board member, Council/Board, 2022-2024 • Chair of the Board of Directors, Engineers and Geoscientists BC Benevolent Fund Society, 2020-2022 • Treasurer, Benevolent Fund Society, 2019-2020 • Director, Benevolent Fund Society, 2017-2018 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT • Mentor/Educator, Scientists & Innovators in the schools, 2018-2022 • Young Professionals Advisory Committee member, Boys and Girls Club BC, 2018-2020

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

NETWORKING

Innovation Innovation

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Winter 2025/26

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025

Conference highlights

Nearly 1,000 attendees gathered for learning, networking, and inspiration at the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Annual Conference, October 28 to 30, in Vancouver. Of those participating, about 27 percent were attending the conference for the first time. The keynote speakers delivered insights that challenged and inspired. Speakers were Dr. Jody Carrington presenting "Leadership: Taking the Wheel in Complex Times;" Dr. Michel Bruneau, P.Eng. (Ont.) presenting "The Blessings of Disaster: The Lessons That Catastrophes Teach Us and Why Our Future Depends on It;" and Yassmin Abdel-Magied presenting "Beating Bias." “I love hearing the stories of the speakers themselves,” said Yvonne Post, P.Eng.,

TRADESHOW

Continued on page 12

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REGULATORY NEWS

Organization’s 2024/25 Annual Report published Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s 2024–2025 Annual Report is now available online. The report provides a comprehensive look at the work of our Board, staff, and volunteers over the fiscal year from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. This year’s report highlights Engineers and

Geoscientists BC’s continued efforts to proactively regulate the professions, protect the public and the environment, and support registrants through evolving professional demands. These initiatives reflect the commitment to the vision outlined in the 2022–2027 Strategic Plan: modern regulation for a resilient world. The report also includes audited financial statements, key performance indicators, along with insights into how the organization is deepening its commitment to transparency, accountability, and strategic impact.

Scan to view the Annual Report.

Continued from page 11 Conference highlights

referring to the "Beating Bias" presentation. “I feel like often it’s one of those things that everyone knows that we should incorporate. We know that there are biases out there, but I think it’s a good reminder of just how it affects people, and then how everyone has a role to play in addressing biases that affect everyone.” Ryan O’Grady, P.Eng., also enjoyed the keynotes and Continuing Education (CE) programs. “I appreciate the focus on the climate and the social pieces. There are some great sessions this year on the climate side and also social considerations and even the wrap up keynote who focused on bias – I think we all have our inherit biases, and how those are considered, so I really appreciate that perspective in addition to all the technical and regulatory pieces.” The conference also featured a robust lineup of CE sessions, exploring topics ranging from leadership development and AI integration to Lean Six Sigma and Truth and Reconciliation principles. Building on feedback from previous years, the following were added to the conference agenda: • Pre-conference workshop for deeper learning • Dedicated tradeshow hours to maximize interaction with exhibitors • Expanded networking opportunities

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BOARD NEWS

BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 The following are the highlights of the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Board meeting, held on September 19, 2025. Audit & Practice Review Committee • Evelyn Playle, P.Eng. • Tom Johnston, P.Eng. • Mehrad Roozbahani, P.Eng., FEC • Andrew Mill, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC

The Board received a summary of year-end financial results and approved the audited Engineers and Geoscientists BC Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. In the 2024/25 fiscal year, Engineers and Geoscientists BC generated a surplus of $1.3 million mainly as a result of higher exams revenue and savings driven by staff vacancies. Strategic plan update The Board received an update on Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Strategic Plan, which is in Year Four of the organization’s five-year roadmap. Since the last reporting period: • The Future Space Needs and Volunteer Program Pathways Phase 2 projects have been completed; • The Digital Migration project has updated its completion date to May 2026; • The Building Trust with Registrants project is on track to present its strategy recommendations to the Board in December; and approved by the Board, and this project will be completed in late September. Appointments Discipline Committee • Cyril Lopez, CPA, CGA • Jiak Chin Koh Investigation Committee • Mehdi Banki, P.Geo. • Jeffrey Corbett, P.Eng., Struct. Eng., FEC • The Organizational Climate Change Strategy has been

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REGULATORY NEWS

P hoto : W endy D P hotography

Renew your registration by December 31

Individual registrants are reminded they must renew their annual registration and pay their fees by December 31. Fees have not changed since last year. Registrants who have not paid their annual fee by December 31 will be subject to late fees (15 percent of fee), and those who have not renewed by January 31, 2026, will have their registration cancelled and their status reflected in the Engineers and Geoscientists BC registrant directory.

The December 31 renewal deadline also applies to registrants who submit their 2025 annual renewal invoice to their employers for payment. Please allow enough time for your employer to process your renewal. Changing to non-practising status To change their registration status to non-practising, registrants may begin the process of registration renewal and select the “Apply for Non-Practising Status” link and

complete the declaration. Please note registrants must still pay a reduced fee after declaring this status. Registrants may move from practising to non-practising status if they are not going to practise professional engineering or geoscience. Registrants who elect this status must sign an annual declaration not to engage in professional practice and use one of two qualified titles: non-practising or retired. Detailed information on non-practising status is available on the website. Resigning without late fees Registrants who are resigning their license with Engineers and Geoscientists BC must do so before December 31, 2025, to avoid late fees. Resigstants can resign by signing into their online account and selecting “Resign Registration” in the left-hand menu.

Scan to see how to renew your registration.

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REGULATORY NEWS

Project Highlights submissions open in January

Innovation ’s annual Project Highlights issue showcases registrant projects that reflect the regulatory mandate of Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Individual registrants and registrant firms are invited to submit project photos and brief descriptions of their projects from 2024/2025. Projects must be currently underway or have been completed by or after June 30, 2025. Submissions can be submitted Registrants will be notified by email when the submission form is open. Project highlights are published in the summer issue of Innovation in mid-June. Criteria for submissions The project description should provide a basic description of the project, how the registrants or registrant firms were involved and how the project meets the public safety and/or environmental stewardship requirement. Other criteria are: • Maximum length is 140 words. • List participant names separately. • Project must involve and identify at least one registrant or registrant firm of Engineers and Geoscientists BC. • Project must be accompanied by at least one high-quality, high resolution digital photograph. In most cases, only one photo will be used, so send your best. • Photos must include photographer’s name or copyright information. The final decision about which projects are included in the edition rests with the Editorial Advisory Group. Registrants working for large companies are encouraged to online from January 5 to March 6, 2026, at 5 p.m.

coordinate their project submissions to avoid multiple or duplicate submissions. More information More submission details will be on the project webpage by January 2026. Last year’s project highlights edition can be viewed in the 2025 Summer issue of Innovation, which is also available online.

Scan to see the webpage for project highlights information and the submission form (live January 5).

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PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Professional practice guidelines in development

Professional Practice Guidelines – Climate Resilience Retrofits Engineers and Geoscientists BC is developing professional practice guidelines that establish the duties and obligations in professional practice for registrants who are engaged to provide services in retrofit projects where the project scope includes climate change resilience considerations. These guidelines are designed to support registrants working on deep retrofit initiatives – an area of growing importance in BC where a few large-scale projects are already underway with more expected in coming years. These guidelines reinforce and build on resources created by public-sector organizations, health facilities, academic institutions and Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s own work. The guidelines are being developed in ongoing collaboration between Engineers and Geoscientists BC, the Province of BC, the Climate Risk Institute and Natural Resources Canada. Natural Resources Canada has recently launched a training program called “Climate Resilience Training for Building Sector Professionals.” For more information about these professional practice guidelines and the training program, contact Harshan Radhakrishnan, P.Eng. at hrad@egbc.ca . Professional Practice Guidelines – Subsurface Investigations These guidelines establish expectations and obligations of professional practice in characterizing subsurface conditions for engineering and geoscience projects. They outline expectations for planning and implementing investigations using methods such as geological surveys, in-situ testing, sampling, and laboratory analysis. They emphasize appropriate scoping based on project complexity and risk, clear documentation, and alignment with Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s quality management standards, while also ensuring that investigations consider regulatory requirements, as well as environmental and cultural sensitivities. For more information, contact Kendra Zammit, MSc., P.Geo. at kzammit@egbc.ca .

Scan for information about the "Climate Resilience Training for Building Sector Professionals."

Guidelines and advisories Scan to see all professional practice guidelines and practice advisories.

Innovation Innovation

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Winter 2025/26

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Professional practice inquiries

What is the requirement for applying a Permit to Practice number to engineering/geoscience documents? How can contractors comply?

Under the Professional Governance Act , firms providing professional engineering or geoscience services in BC must register with Engineers and Geoscientists BC and obtain a Permit to Practice. This permit includes a unique number that represents accountability and compliance within a regulated quality management framework. The core requirement is that every registrant firm must apply its Permit to Practice number on all authenticated documents. The number serves to signal that the document originates from a registrant firm that is regulated and operating under a Permit to Practice. There are exceptions. Registrants are not required to apply a Permit to Practice number to their authenticated documents if they are employed by and acting on behalf of: • a ministry or agency of the Government of British Columbia that has not been prescribed by regulation as a “government registrant” by the Lieutenant Governor in Council; or • the Government of Canada, including its departments, agencies, and the Canadian Armed Forces. The Permit to Practice number must be applied visibly and legibly by either a Responsible Registrant of the firm, or an authorized individual employed by or under contract with the firm. It is important that firms include clear policies and procedures in their Professional Practice Management Plan (PPMP) for applying the number and ensure registrants follow those policies and procedures accordingly.

Prepopulating the Permit to Practice number on template documents, such as title blocks or signature/ seal areas, is acceptable if a Responsible Registrant or an authorized individual maintains control and has final approval of the template document. From a regulatory perspective, contractors performing professional engineering or geoscience work (including providing direct supervision) must operate under a Permit to Practice. This requirement applies even in informal scenarios, such as helping a friend, if the work constitutes professional practice. Engineers and Geoscientists BC does not stipulate the entity from which the Permit to Practice should originate. This should be clarified in the contractual arrangement between the parties involved. Generally, contractors (including sole practitioners) have two compliance pathways: 1. Operate under a registrant firm’s Permit to Practice, work under the firm’s PPMP, and ensure the firm’s roster includes them. 2. Obtain their own Permit to Practice and work under their own PPMP. Both options are applicable for full-time, part-time, or seasonal/temporary work. For additional information, please refer to the following regulation of firms bulletins: "Permit to Practice Number Usage" and Employed By Or Under Contract With." Ryan Dai, EIT Junior Practice Advisor

Regulatory Learning Module Practising registrants must complete the mandatory Regulatory Learning Module in the current reporting year (July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026). This year’s module focuses on deepening awareness of Indigenous Peoples, their histories, and the ongoing impacts of colonization. Scan to see the course in the Knowledge Centre.

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Registrants play a role in the development

T o develop effective professional practice guidelines and advisories for registrants, Engineers and Geoscientists BC seeks input from relevant sources. In that process, registrants have several ways they can be involved. Guidelines and advisories are proactive regulatory tools designed to set the expectations and obligations of registrants and guide their professional practice. “They are there to set the minimum bar of professional practice,” explained Amy Fehr, P.Eng., Acting Associate Director, Professional Practice at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Without these resources, Fehr continued, “the alternative is to have case law determine what practice standards are,” which is a less focused process in which outcomes can vary widely in terms of applicability. “By proactively stepping in and providing what the expectations and obligations of professional practice are, [advisories and guidelines] fill that gap and support what good professional practice looks like within a broader context,” she said. Identifying guideline topics Registrants can play a crucial role in the development of advisories and guidelines by helping to identify practice areas of risk. Engineers and Geoscientists BC develops guidance based on an assessment of risk.

“We are finding that we get requests directly from government, industry, and the professional community saying, ‘we need to fill this gap,’” Fehr said. “We see that more and more as we develop these guidelines and advisories,” dubbing these requests “demand-based.” Registrants can also indirectly influence these resource documents’ development by their interactions with the organization. Practice-based topics are developed as a result of Engineers and Geoscientists BC tracking “our practice inquiries [and] talking to registrants every day about what’s happening in industry and practice,” Fehr explained. “We also have data from practice reviews, audits, investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and general feedback to staff or to our Board around issues in practice.” Reaction-based advisories and guidelines are a result of an engineering or geoscience failure, or a near miss, that brings to light an issue that needs urgent attention. Once a topic is identified, Engineers and Geoscientists BC uses a risk-based approach to prioritize and develop practice guidelines and advisories. Considerations include, but are not limited to: • public safety and environmental risks; • the applicability and scope of existing guidance on the topic;

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Got a topic? Want to be involved in the process? Anyone who would like to propose a topic for a future guidance document can fill out the Request for Guidance form located on Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s website (scan below) and send it to practiceadvisor@egbc.ca .

To join an advisory group, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities page on the organization’s website. See page 39 for QR code.

of professional guidelines and advisories

• the number of registrants and firms impacted by the guidance; and • available resources for developing the guidance. Staff conduct this evaluation with the assistance of a network of volunteer advisory groups. Developing the guidelines Once a guideline or advisory topic has been identified and prioritized, registrants continue to have a critical role in their development. For example, at least two subject-matter experts draft the content. For longer, more complex topics, the number of authors can increase to five. While advisory and guideline authors

non-registrant volunteers with subject matter expertise will provide feedback on the author group’s work, ensuring it meets professional practice needs. Outside of volunteer registrants and Engineers and Geoscientists BC advisory group members, relevant authorities with jurisdiction over the practice area or subject will also be consulted, along with any governing and regulatory bodies, and other industry representatives.

“Usually, author groups are quite small – maybe two to three for an advisory, and three to five for a guideline,” Fehr said. “We do require many more for the review group, usually 10 to 12, with many more included in the consultation phase,” she added, pointing to the greater opportunity to get engaged with the advisory and guidelines process by reviewing drafts and providing feedback. For registrants, Fehr said “a really great way to get more familiar and involved with discussions would be to join one of our advisory groups. “If you have a topic that you think is critical to public and environmental safety and you feel like there’s not enough existing professional practice or ethical guidance, put in a request for guidance and we’ll take a look,” she said.

Amy Fehr, P.Eng., Acting Associate Director, Professional Practice

generally have been identified via recommendations from advisory group members and other volunteers, Fehr noted that new advisory and guideline projects are typically announced in Innovation magazine (see page 16) with contact details listed for those seeking more information. Interested parties “can certainly reach out and we can see if there’s a role for them to get involved,” she said. After authorship, the advisory or guideline document will undergo a very thorough review and consultation. During this process, another group of registrant and

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ELECTRIC TUGBOATS Zero-emission, electric-powered tugs are quiet and efficient – and they still pull their weight.

By Shereen Lee

HaiSea fleet in Burrard Inlet. P hoto : H ai S ea M arine

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E ach day across the Port of Vancouver, a pair of modest yellow-and-blue tugboats glide through the harbour, maneuvering vessels weighing up to 70,000 tons. At first glance, they appear no different from the other workhorses of the waterfront. Beneath the deck, however, is a significant technological shift; these are among the world’s first fully electric harbour tugs, eliminating an estimated 2,400 tonnes of CO 2 emissions per boat annually. That's equivalent to the emissions from about 560 cars. Operated by SAAM Towage on behalf of Neptune Terminals in North Vancouver, the vessels represent a new generation of zero-emission tugboats redefining short-haul marine operations. Both were conceived and engineered by Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL), a Vancouver-based naval architecture firm that has carved out a globally recognized niche in low-emission tugboat design.

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“The marine industry in BC has very much jumped in the lead when it comes to decarbonization,” said Mike Phillips, P.Eng., a project director and Senior Naval Architect for RAL. Organizations seeking to meet ambitious Canadian carbon-reduction benchmarks are increasingly looking to decarbonize different levels of the supply chain as a way to reduce indirect emissions. That has meant investments in developing low-carbon tugboats for companies like Teck Resources and LNG Canada, who have introduced electric tugboats to BC’s shorelines through RAL’s designs. In Canada, ships operating in domestic waters release roughly eight-million tonnes of CO 2 annually, and harbour tugs make up a visible share of that footprint. “Tugs are small, but they’re working all the time,” said Allan Turner, P. Eng., a project director at RAL. “They don’t go far, but they’re constantly on and off the throttle, moving ships around. That’s why their energy use is actually very high for the size of the vessel.” For a region powered by hydroelectricity, the path forward was clear. “In BC, you’ve got cheap, clean

power and short routes,” said Phillips. “You can actually make electric tugs practical here. It works, operationally and financially.” From hybrid to fully electric designs Founded nearly a century ago, RAL has designed thousands of tugboats that operate in ports around the world. Its first step forward came two decades ago with the Carolyn Dorothy, a hybrid tugboat launched in California that remains in service today. Through pilot projects and smaller initiatives, throughout the 2010s, companies like RAL experimented with different small scale battery projects. The first fully electric training tug, delivered in 2010, had just over three tonnes of bollard pull, or towing ability. By the end of the decade, RAL’s engineers recognized that battery technology had evolved enough to increase battery towing abilities by an order of magnitude. In 2019, LNG Canada’s tugboat service provider, HaiSea Marine, approached Robert Allan for a conversation about developing full-scale low-carbon tugs, with a required bollard pull closer to 60 tonnes. “We originally thought we’d do a 50–50 hybrid,” recalled Phillips. “Then we realized the entire operational profile could be met with batteries alone. That’s how the first battery-electric tug was born.” Earlier generations of hybrid tugs had relied on bulky lead-acid batteries, whose low energy density limited range and power. But as lithium-ion batteries transformed electric vehicles and grid storage, their marine counterparts rapidly followed suit. New chemistries and modular designs offered the energy density, cycle life, and safety features needed for demanding marine operations. ” In BC, you’ve got cheap, clean power and short routes. You can actually make electric tugs practical here. It works, operationally and financially. Mike Phillips, P.Eng. Senior Naval Architect Robert Allan Ltd.

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The Chief Dan George. P hoto : SAAM T owage

Collaborating with Corvus Energy, a Vancouver-founded firm specializing in production of marine lithium-ion systems, RAL equipped the resulting ElectRA 2800 with Corvus’ battery systems. Each vessel carries more than five megawatt-hours of energy in nickel-manganese cobalt (NMC) and graphite cells, providing enough power for several ship assists on a single charge. “Short runs, lots of starts and stops, always coming back to the dock; it’s exactly the kind of work electric propulsion is good at,” said Turner. In 2023, after three years of design and manufacturing effort, North America’s first electric tugboats pulled into Vancouver, after a two-month journey at sea from the tugboat’s manufacturing shipyards in Türkiye. Today, nine of these electric tugs are in operation in ports ranging from Sweden to Chile and locally in North Vancouver, making up a significant share of the world’s existing battery tugs. The tugboat engineering process Building some of the world’s first fully electric tugs required significant redesign and space redistribution. “The biggest challenge was fitting in enough batteries,”

Turner said. “We were fairly familiar with using batteries in our designs from hybrid mechanical boats, but this was a different scale.” With required power supplies of 3,000 kWh and more, thousands of kilograms of batteries were needed on a typical electric tugboat. Switchboards similarly ballooned with the change to an electrical system, jumping from approximately four linear metres on a typical internal combustion engine to 16 metres on an electric motor. “A 28-foot electric tug could likely have been 24 feet on a traditional boat,” said Phillips. Much of the engineering effort of designing the electrical vessels went into designing for weight requirements, load distributions, and new system configurations. At the same time, working with an electric engine also provided new flexibility. “You’re not constrained in the same way mechanically, where the engine has to be aligned with the shaft,” said Turner. “There’s freedom in that respect to designing electric vessels where components are more independent of each other.” Fire safety was another complex aspect of the design. Like all lithium-ion systems, marine batteries carry a risk of thermal runaway: a chain reaction triggered by

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HaiSea Wamis battery room. P hoto : H ai S ea M arine

overheating or physical damage that can lead to fire. “Thermal runaway isn’t about the flames; it’s about heat generation,” Turner explained. “You effectively need a

way to cool the fire, and you can’t really do that with chemical systems.” The team worked closely with Transport Canada and classification societies to validate the containment and suppression systems. “Everything is reviewed by class: containment, suppression, compartmentalization. It’s all part of the design loop,” Phillips said. Behind the design work is a long-lasting focus on naval modelling and computational analysis, which helps the team validate the dynamics of the systems. “We were one of the first adopters of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in tug design,” Phillips said. “Now, classification societies actually accept our CFD results in place of physical testing for escort performance.” Specializing in modelling has allowed the team to test and design configurations that haven’t existed before, and to better understand different elements of the systems, from hydrodynamic stability to even acoustic modelling. This element is particularly important because the naval industry often divides naval design and manufacturing components. RAL’s final deliverable is typically a design-guidance drawing, which communicates the functional design of a tugboat and provides enough details for regulatory approval. Then, it’s up to shipyards, like Sanmar Shipyards in Türkiye, to execute these drawings with more detailed field specifications, in consultation with tugboat owner teams and RAL engineers. That means RAL’s engineers must rely extensively on CFD to understand, improve, and predict tugboat behaviour. “Sometimes, a little vibration or an interesting hydrodynamic phenomenon might make it so that the boat’s not tracking in the water quite the way that was

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SAAM Towage's Volia. P hoto : S anmar S hipyards

expected, and it can get very involved to figure out what’s even happening in the first place,” said Phillips. CFD efforts have expanded from purely tracking hydrodynamics to a number of different factors that model the ship’s behaviour holistically, from gas dispersion and underwater noise modelling. The extensive range of factors accounted for in the modelling has allowed the team to develop solutions for a wide range of different technologies. “The complexity of these alternative systems plays to our strengths,” Turner says. “As soon as you move away from straightforward designs, that’s very much our specialty.” Silence on the seas Once the first electric tugs entered service, boat operators began finding unexpected benefits to working on a fully electric system. “Performance wise, there are lots of advantages with how the vessels respond and the ability to maneuver,” said Turner. But there was another unexpected change: silent engines. “When the tugboats run on batteries, they’re exceptionally quiet,” Turner said. The difference was significant enough to require the captain's workflows to be reconfigured. “When they started running the electric motors, they had a hard time gauging the power because they were trained to listen for the engines revving up,” he said. “But on an electric boat, you don’t get that. They needed to look at the dials.” These adjustments in noise levels, while jarring, aided engineers in the design process.

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