Media Advisory: Professional Engineers Ontario to Celebrate 90 Years, Honour MPPs at Queen's Park Reception

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 11, 2012) - Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) will celebrate its 90^th anniversary and recognize the contributions to the profession of three MPPs at a reception at Queen's Park on Wednesday, October 17. The recipients of the first PEO MPP Awards will be announced at the event. This will be the association's sixth reception at Queen's Park. The first was held in 2005 and coincided with the establishment of PEO's Government Liaison Program, which fosters dialogue between professional engineers and elected government officials on the importance and direction of the self-regulated profession of engineering. Guest speakers at the 2012 event will be the Hon. John Gerretsen, Attorney General, MPP Kingston and the Islands; Sylvia Jones, MPP Dufferin-Caledon; Jagmeet Singh, MPP Bramalea-Gore-Malton; Nadine Miller, P.Eng., president and chair, Ontario Society of Professional Engineers; and PEO President Denis Dixon, P.Eng., FEC. In addition to the speakers, 55 MPPs are confirmed to attend.

The reception will also introduce the concept of a Provincial Engineer, an idea proposed by President Dixon that is currently being discussed with the provincial government. The concept calls for the appointment of an independent Provincial Engineer, much like the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health, with overall authority for engineering works in the province, to provide specific direction in the event of situations like the recent Elliot Lake mall collapse, and to determine whether such situations are indicative of systemic problems.

Media are cordially invited to attend. Event details are as follows:

When: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Queen's Park Legislative Dining Room, 11 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, Ontario

About Professional Engineers Ontario

Through the Professional Engineers Act, PEO governs over 80,000 licence and certificate holders and regulates professional engineering in Ontario to serve and protect the public. Professional engineering safeguards life, health, property, economic interests, the public welfare and the environment. Professional engineers can be identified by the P.Eng. after their names.