OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021 - 41

COVER STORY
" There are expectations internationally, and across our nation, that Ontario needs
to get our house in order in terms of professional engineering. The PEAWG has
been looking at the Professional Engineers Act and has put together a series of
recommendations for changes. We're actually looking at two phases - the first
phase is in terms of changes to the Act that can immediately take into effect and
help PEO through the transformation and make our profession stronger. The second
phase is looking more at changes that will really improve our profession and how
we regulate our profession going into the future, "
- Mark Frayne, P.Eng.,
President and Chair of OSPE, and member of the PEAWG
Critics and the Fairness Commissioner on October 4, 2021,
included recommended changes to the Act in the following areas:
1. Regulatory Focus
2. Cease Regulating the Consulting Engineer Title
3. Backstopping PEO Accountability through Ministerial
Action
" We want to support the PEO as it strives to achieve the
outcomes it has outlined in its transformation plan. We support
the positive changes but, at the same time, we want to give
them nudges once in a while to make sure that they continue
on a path that is beneficial to our profession and at a pace
that is beneficial to our profession, " said Mark Frayne, P.Eng.,
President and Chair of OSPE, and member of the PEAWG.
regulatory changes to its governance structure and operations.
The Attorney General of Ontario, the Honourable Doug
Downey, has indicated that he is willing to make further revisions
to the Professional Engineers Act to enact the governance changes
at PEO, as well as to reinforce PEO's regulatory mandate.
This Working Group has been studying these issues and others
to formulate a proposal as to how the Act can be revised and what
legislative changes will be necessary to remove any reference to
non-regulatory activities within PEO.
Throughout the summer, the PEAWG met to discuss and
draft an initial submission for government. The first submission
from the group, sent to the Attorney General as well as PEO,
Engineers Canada, the Association of Consulting Engineering
Companies-Ontario (ACEC-Ontario), the Attorney General
4. Time Limits for Licence Application Processing
5. Eliminate the Requirement for 12 Months of Canadian
Experience for Licensure
6. Grants, Scholarships, Bursaries and Prizes
7. Employment Advisory Service / Voluntary Retirement
Savings Plan
8. Provide a Single Type of Certificate of Authorization
(C of A)
9. Joint Practice Board
OSPE believes that these recommendations will safeguard the
public interest, enable PEO to be a strong and focused regulator,
and contribute to the overall economic progress of our province.
The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies -
Ontario (ACEC-Ontario) has also issued a letter of support for
OSPE's proposal for amendments to the Professional Engineers
Act.
ON THE WEB
The full submission is available on OSPE's website at
www.ospe.on.ca/advocacy
December 2021 THE VOICE
41
http://www.ospe.on.ca/advocacy
OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021
