The Guide is published by the Building and Safety Standards Branch of the Office of Housing and Construction Standards, Province of BC. It is an important guidance document for both architects and engineers who work in the building sector and submit code-mandated letters of assurance as part of their professional work. The guide assists with delineating roles and responsibilities, outlines how to deal with changes in registered professionals and coordinating registered professionals at various points within a project, and discusses the application of letters of assurance to various disciplines and activities within the code.
This webinar will provide an overview of what has changed in this most recent revision to the guide, and there will be a time of Q&A at the end of the presentation.
- Describe the process by which the guide was updated;
- Identify the areas of the guide that were updated;
- Identify the new sections that were added;
- Apply the processes described in the guide for change of RPR;
- Produce a correctly completed LOA for the RPR’s discipline; and
- Verify that a LOA is correctly completed.
Amy Fehr, P.Eng.
Manager, Professional Practice Advice Program, Engineers and Geoscientists BC
As Manager of the Professional Practice Advice Program, Amy is responsible for overseeing a team that assists registrants with professional-practice-related issues. This includes practice advice services, practice guideline development, advisory group support, and external stakeholder engagement regarding practice issues that affect registrants.
Ms. Fehr is a registered professional engineer with experience in various fields related to civil engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. She spent over 15 years as a consulting engineer performing roles related to structural engineering, hydrotechnical engineering, and quality management before joining Engineers and Geoscientists BC in 2017. Her background in consulting gives her a solid understanding of many practice issues facing registrants and allows her to bring an efficient and constructive approach to her work.
Barry Thorson, P.Eng., CP, FEC
Thorson Consulting Certified Professionals
Barry is a professional engineer registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC since 1972 and a certified professional since 1981. Barry has had a wide variety of challenging career opportunities. He was project manager for the BC Pavilion at Expo 86, Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal Expansion, UBC Winter Sports Centre and the Richmond Olympic Oval for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.
Barry was the building code consultant and certified professional for VANOC for all the temporary Olympic Overlay installation which required obtaining 80 building permits and 80 occupancy permits in 6 different jurisdictions. He has worked on numerous building code committees including Past Chair of the Certified Professional Advisory Group, Chair of the Certified Professional Practice and Procedures Manual Working Group, Chair of the Guide to Letters of Assurance Working Group, and the BC Building Code Interpretation Committee. Barry was one of the primary authors of the Certified Professional Practice and Procedures Manual since 1995.
Jun’ichi Jensen
Acting Executive Director, Building and Safety Standards, Office of Housing and Construction Standards, Province of BC
Jun’ichi Jensen is the Acting Executive Director with the Province of BC’s Building and Safety Standards Branch. Before joining the branch, Jun’ichi worked as a carpenter and project manager. Since joining the branch in 2008, Jun’ichi has worked on several significant building code projects, such as daycare facilities, windows, and 6-storey wood, and the development and adoption of the 2012 and 2018 BC Codes. Jun’ichi also participates in the development of model National Codes and the adoption of regulations under the BC Safety Standards Act. As Acting Executive Director, he provides leadership and strategic direction to support a range of key government priorities through building standards and technical safety systems.
Maura Gatensby, Architect AIBC
Lead Practice Advisor and Regulatory Liaison, Architectural Institute of BC
Engineers and Geoscientists BC collects personal information (including the personal information you provide on this form and the personal information that is generated in connection with your registration for and involvement in Update to the Guide to the Letters of Assurance, pursuant to British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) for the purpose of facilitating your registration and involvement in Update to the Guide to the Letters of Assurance. Questions about Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s collection of personal information in relation to this event can be directed to Ailene Lim, Acting Director, Programs and Professional Development, at [email protected] or 604.412.4854. Engineers and Geoscientists BC will disclose the personal information collected as described above to the Architectural Institute of BC to facilitate your participation in the course.
