Strengthening Consulting Engineering in Canada

Left to right: ACEC press conference, Parliament Hill Day 2013; ACEC and stakeholders with Prime Minister at announcement of the New Building Canada Plan; ACEC Chair Jason Mewis What We Are Achieving March 2014 for Our Members

ACEC advocates for a business and Highlights regulatory climate that recognizes and rewards our members’ expertise and their • Launching a New Building Canada contributions to society. To achieve these Plan goals, ACEC works closely with its provincial and territorial Member Organizations to • Making a Case for Northern educate and influence government and Infrastructure Investment other stakeholders on issues important to our members. ACEC also works closely with • Promoting Responsible Resource other organizations representing both public and private sector stakeholders such as the Development Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Mining • Fighting for Business Fairness Association of Canada and the Canadian Construction Association. • ACEC – A Nationally and Internationally Recognized Voice Learn more about ACEC’s successful and comprehensive advocacy program at www.acec.ca/advocacy.

The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Canada (ACEC) is a business association representing nearly 500 consulting engineering firms. Consulting engineering is a $25.8 billion a year industry that directly employs more than 75,000 . The vision of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies is a successful, trusted and sustainable consulting engineering industry.

Launching a New Building Canada Plan

The $53 billion New Building Canada Plan (NBCP) announced in February 2014 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. was welcome news for consulting engineers and their clients. ACEC’s leadership and credibility on the issue of long- term, sustainable funding contributed significantly to the ACEC representatives conveyed to parliamentarians the importance of investing in Canada’s infrastructure government’s renewed commitment to infrastructure.

ACEC and its stakeholder partners have invested significant “ACEC’s leadership and credibility time, energy and resources in promoting infrastructure on the issue of long-term, investment by the federal government. Over the course of this journey, we have worked closely with the Federation sustainable funding contributed of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Construction significantly to the government’s Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Engineers Canada, to name a few. renewed commitment to infrastructure.” In October 2013, ACEC held its annual Parliament Hill Day, the largest and most successful yet. ACEC representatives had over 65 meetings with parliamentarians to stress the urgency of Making a Case for launching the NBCP. Northern Infrastructure

Following Parliament Hill Day, and leading up to the NBCP Investment announcement, ACEC President John Gamble met with representatives in Minister Lebel’s office and the Prime As part of Parliament Hill Day messaging, ACEC raised the Minister’s Office. Thanks to ACEC’s expertise, credibility and importance of supporting northern and remote infrastructure strong presence on Parliament Hill, the association clearly has for improving access to Canada’s natural resources and allowing the government’s attention on this critical issue. their transport to market. This will not only strengthen Canada’s economy, but it will also allow Canada’s resource sector to create skilled jobs and develop expertise while making public infrastructure for northern communities more affordable and effective.

ACEC is collaborating directly with the Mining Association of Canada, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and other resource sector stakeholders to study the unique challenges of doing business in the North and to identify possible policies and/or programs to encourage more investment.

Investing in the North will strengthen Canada’s resource sector

During ACEC’s Parliament Hill Day, representatives of the consulting and provide opportunities to improve community infrastructure engineering sector had over 65 meetings with Members of Parliament in remote regions of the country.

Promoting Responsible Resource Development

ACEC is actively engaged with the resource sector and is committed to providing more value and opportunity to members of the association in that sector through advocacy and other activities.

Science-based environmental ACEC President John Gamble speaks out on energy infrastructure and the role of consulting engineers in addressing environmental and sustainability concerns reviews “ACEC is recognized as a ACEC partnered with the Mining Association of Canada and other stakeholders to challenge a potentially precedent-setting balanced and credible voice decision by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency on the economic benefits (CEAA) that could adversely affect our members. of responsible resource ACEC and the stakeholder community sought an explanation development.” from Natural Resources Minister as to why a recent decision by the CEAA on an economically significant mining to Canadians but also the ability and expertise of consulting project apparently ignored engineered design features that engineers to help address environmental and sustainability would have considerably reduced the potential environmental concerns. impacts of the mine. ACEC and its partners opposed the CEAA’s decision as it could set a precedent that will Similarly, in December 2013, ACEC issued a press release significantly impact the viability of future mining and resource welcoming the work of an independent Joint Review Panel and development projects across Canada. its finding that the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline fits squarely within Canada’s national interest and is important to Economic benefits of energy Canada’s long-term prosperity. infrastructure Consulting engineers involved with such projects, directly or indirectly, conduct themselves in accordance with all statutory ACEC has also been recognized as a balanced and credible voice and regulatory requirements, applicable standards and their on the economic benefits of the proposed Northern Gateway professional obligations. and Keystone XL pipelines. This is an area in which consulting engineering firms will and must have an important role to play.

ACEC-Canada and ACEC-US presented a unified voice in the fall of 2013 when they sent a joint letter to the U.S. and Canadian governments supporting approval of the Keystone XL pipeline which is considered critical energy infrastructure. As a result of the letter, ACEC President John Gamble has spoken to national media on this issue including CTV’s Don Martin on the national political affairs showPower Play. Mr. Gamble stressed not only the economic opportunities available

The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC) is made up of 12 provincial and territorial Member Organizations. For more information on how to reach our Member Organizations please visit www.acec.ca/about. Fighting for Business the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) and the International Federation of Consulting Engineers Fairness (FIDIC). Protecting Statements of ACEC – A Nationally Limitations and Internationally Recognized Voice ACEC took a stand in the summer of 2013 when Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) informed ACEC is governed by its members. A Board of Directors its engineering consultants that it would no longer accept establishes strategic priorities and a full time staff is responsible reports containing Statements of Limitations. ACEC challenged for day-to-day operations of the association. this position, believing that PWGSC misunderstood the intent and use of such Statements of Limitations. After ACEC raised The ACEC staff, based near Parliament Hill in Ottawa, is made its concerns with senior officials, PWGSC issued a clarification up of government relations, communications and association on its position, advising they will continue to accept Statements management professionals. Services are provided to ACEC of Limitations that provide necessary contextual background members in either official language. ACEC staff are regarded for work undertaken by the consultant and guidance as to the as experts within their fields and are frequently invited to make context in which reports should be read. presentations on both industry and association issues, nationally and internationally. Fair business agreements ACEC is a recipient of the prestigious Associations Make We work with our members, insurance experts and leading a Better Canada award from the Canadian Society of industry lawyers to provide a suite of professional service Association Executives for an advertising campaign to promote agreements for consulting engineering companies and their Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS). clients. These documents are free to ACEC members. In addition to our full suite of ACEC professional service agreements, we are also an official supplier of documents from

Left to right: Hon. , P.C., M.P. and ACEC Chair Jason Mewis; ACEC Chair-Elect Anne Poschmann, ACEC President John Gamble and Hon. P.C., M.P., Leader of the Government in the House of Commons; ACEC Past-Chair Murray Thompson, Mr. Corneliu Chisu, M.P. and ACEC Board member Shawn Gibbons

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