OSPE - The Voice - June 2017 - 33

careerS

sional engineers and OSPE should provide overall
representation and advocacy for engineering. I
think OSPE's work in public policy, specifically in
regards to the Ring of Fire, is very important. I was a
speaker at OSPE's Spark the Fire event in North Bay
on May 12, which brought together several important stakeholders to discuss the future of the region.
I believe OSPE will make a difference.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has said
the Ring of Fire will create 5,500 jobs directly. It is
a national project that will benefit all of us - especially engineers, manufacturers and suppliers, First
Nations and the local communities. It's important
that we as engineers lead the discussion and provide
our expertise on such an important initiative for
our province."
Pakalnis believes that even just one engineer can
have a huge impact on the future of society.
"President John F. Kennedy once said, "one
person can change the world, and everyone should
at least try". I think we underestimate how much
influence engineers can have if we are passionate
and articulate. There are more than 80,000 of us in
Ontario, plus all of the allied occupations. If we can
get all of these groups motivated through OSPE, we
as Canadians can show our leadership to the rest
of the world. Engineers have to take their role in
society more seriously."
In addition to being engaged and volunteering
with OSPE and PEO, Pakalnis is a member of the
Society of Mining Engineers, the Canadian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy and the Institute of
Public Administration of Canada. He serves on the
Boards of the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada,
and Minerva Canada, which promotes the introduction of occupational health and safety in schools
of business and engineering. He has received Ontario's prestigious Amethyst Award for Excellence in
Public Service and the Minerva Educational Award
of Honour.
Wherever Pakalnis' career has taken him, he
continues to be a strong advocate for the engineering profession, and the importance of OSPE as the
voice of Ontario's engineers. "I think OSPE is an
organization that should grow. It is a safe-haven
for promoting the engineering perspective - and
not just for P.Eng.s - also allied engineering groups.
Engineering students have to feel they are part of
the community, they have to start up the ladder.
OSPE can move a lot quicker than other organizations, and they have a role to develop the next
generation, while encouraging people to respect the
P.Eng. designation."

are you taking advantage of OsPe's
member benefits and programs?

here's what your colleagues are saying.
big savings, while staying informed

"My OSPE membership balances my professional memberships as a
Professional Engineer. I have enjoyed a few OSPE talks over the years.
I also inspect the salary survey when published (it actually got me
released once. That is another story). My OSPE membership will assist
with the PEO's PEAK process as it provides access to various training
opportunities. Finally, The Voice magazine and the OSPE website are
excellent sources of information on what is happening in the community and what I need to be aware of.
As an additional benefit, there is the VENNGO MemberPerks discount/partner program with OSPE. This has been a tremendous bonus
to me. I have always been fitness conscious and require a gym to workout
at close to where I am working. GoodLife has the most facilities across
the province and country. So, GoodLife was a natural choice. Typically,
a GoodLife full membership is between $60-$70/mth (Translating to
$720-840/yr). I have had a GoodLife membership since 2012. When
the VENNGO program was rolled out, one of the first benefits was a
corporate GoodLife Membership for $450/yr. I signed up immediately
and also my wife. This translated into a minimum $270/yr savings per
membership. My daughter also decided to join and move away from the
the very high-priced training we were paying for her to use. This alone,
(actually just my GoodLife membership) has more than paid for my
OSPE membership. With that said, GoodLife has a membership benefit
program that has some benefits different from the OPSE/VENNGO
savings. So, there are even more opportunities to save.
It is funny that I have so much more to say about the savings... I
was a member of OSPE from my Toronto Hydro days; long before the
VENNGO program. VENNGO is a nice bonus that you get immediate
gratification from."
- Raymond Chokelal, P.Eng., Professional OSPE member

Navigating licensure

"When studying for the ethics exam I attended the seminar by OSPE
delivered at U of T.
I found the instructors extremely knowledgeable and engaging.
I wrote my exam shortly after - since I felt adequately prepared I did
not study - but I did read over my notes from the seminar.
I quickly wrote the exam, using the system presented at the seminar
and finished the exam in half the time allotted. It made a huge difference in my confidence level, and proved to be an excellent investment.
Then came up the experience record document. As I was working
on a graduate degree for three years, I did not look at the documents
from PEO. Once I did, I found the instructions obtuse and difficult.
I decided to take the experience record seminar, and it opened my
eyes. The presentation was extremely informative, and helped me set
my goals to complete the document. The most valuable piece was the
Story Writer software. That interface saved me."
- Pierre R. Hinse, P. Eng., Professional OSPE Member
June 2017

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