September APGO Council Meeting – View From An Observer

Recently, I took the opportunity to attend one of our APGO Council meetings. I am not a councillor so why go to a council meeting? I was curious, I wanted to see what Council was doing for us, the members, and perhaps I wanted to see where I might be able to contribute.

A meeting of council does not usually conjure up images of high drama or excitement. My expectations were not exceeded in this respect; however, I was very impressed (not surprised) by the people who represent us and the work that they are doing. These dedicated volunteers representing the diverse cross-section of geoscientists practicing in Ontario, are discussing and acting on interesting and pertinent issues facing regulation of the profession of geoscience in Ontario. I found the Council meeting to be informative, reflecting the many issues currently being addressed by the APGO.

From my vantage point, as a ‘guest’ observer, there were a number of interesting topics discussed during the meeting, too many to be repeated here. Of particular interest to me were the need to strengthen peoples’ recognition of our profession, and the potential implication of recent changes to environmental legislation in Ontario.

Our new members inevitably come from Colleges and Universities. As we are a relatively new regulating organization, we need to develop a culture within these institutions that recognizes the importance of a professional degree and professional registration, as well as support and promote this culture within the student body; the students that we, one day, hope to welcome into our ranks. In the following months it is the goal of the APGO to reach out to these institutions, work with the departments and student groups, to inform them of the Act and to foster this culture of recognition and pride of the APGO.

During the council meeting, a representative of the very active and dedicated Environmental Geoscience Subcommittee gave a presentation regarding recent legislation in Ontario. This committee over the past few years has dedicated much time and energy reviewing new legislation and providing comments on behalf of the APGO. A recent concern is O. Reg. 903/128. As many of you may be aware, the MOE`s current interpretation of this regulation requires that only licensed Water Well Technician install sampling or monitoring devices – work that is done by P.Geo’s regulated under the Professional Geoscience Act. The Environmental Geoscience Subcommittee is working on many levels to address this issue. It is also in discussion with PEO (Professional Engineers Ontario) whose P.Eng. members are similarly regulated already under a provincial act.

The efforts of this subcommittee, as well as all the other committees, require participation from dedicated members to continue in their mandate. I left the Council meeting feeling our representatives had a long slate of ambitious goals for our future. There are many people within the APGO that volunteer on Council, on various committees and within the organization. We, as members, benefit from being part of a regulated profession, and we should all consider how we could, in our own way, best contribute to further the recognition and pursue the important public mandate given the APGO.