Board & Leadership Share Organizational Updates with MLAs
On March 31, members of Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Board and leadership team met with members of the Legislative Assembly as part of a day of activities at the BC legislature, where they spoke about the organization’s evolving role in protecting the public interest over its more than century-long history.
Engineers and Geoscientists BC representatives also attended question period and were introduced in the legislature with greetings from MLA Sunita Dhir, Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials.
“This event is an engagement opportunity to highlight how professional regulation works and the impact of engineering and geoscience on people and communities across the province,” said Engineers and Geoscientists BC CEO Heidi Yang, P.Eng.
Joining Yang in addressing members of the Legislative Assembly was Engineers and Geoscientists BC Board Chair Karen Ling, P.Eng. “We appreciate the opportunity for open dialogue and look forward to continuing to work with members of the Legislative Assembly in support of our shared goals of public and environmental protection,” Ling said.
During the day’s events, Yang shared how Engineers and Geoscientists BC has changed since the introduction of the Professional Governance Act (PGA), including via the separation of public-interest regulation from professional advocacy, the establishment of the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance (OSPG) as the oversight body for the regulators, and the addition of the mandate to regulate firms.
“Engineers and geoscientists work within organizations that shape how work is supervised, reviewed, and delivered. Those organizational systems matter,” Yang said on March 31. “Regulating firms allows us to focus on those systems. It ensures that firms have appropriate quality management processes in place, that professional work is properly supervised, and that ethical obligations are supported at the organizational level, not just left to individuals.”
She also noted the improvements Engineers and Geoscientists BC has made since the introduction of the International Credentials Recognition Act (ICRA) to the credential recognition process for internationally trained professionals, including the publication of clear registration policies to improve transparency, consistency, and applicant experience.
On April 1, Yang presented alongside Mark Vernon, CEO of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), at a Select Standing Committee meeting about Bill M216, the Professional Reliance Act. Yang and Vernon spoke on behalf of PGA regulators, addressing overarching concerns related to Bill M216, including permit clarity, evaluation processes, liability transfer, dispute resolution, and the need for clear roles and safeguards.
Photo: Geoff Howe