Paul Guy, P.Eng., FEC, Appointed President of NAPEG 

Paul Guy, P.Eng., FEC, Appointed President of NAPEG 

Paul Guy, P.Eng., FEC, was appointed President of NAPEG on May 15th, 2024 during the Annual General Meeting after serving many years on NAPEG committees, Council and the NAPEGG Education Foundation Board. He brings nearly 30 years of professional experience working as an engineer in the North and a deep commitment to NAPEG fulfilling its purpose for members and the public. Read on for an introduction from Paul and upcoming priorities. 

I’ve been involved with NAPEG since 1997 and some of you will have met me through my work on the Membership and Enforcement Committee or my roles on Council over the years. You may not know that I first moved from Ottawa to Rankin Inlet in 1996 to work on building the Nunavut airports with a plan to stay for two years…but like many of us, I never left. 

I made my way to Yellowknife to work in Transportation and then Water and Sanitation. In 2009 I became the Deputy Minister for the Department of Public Works and Services for the Government of the Northwest Territories where I was responsible for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of all government vertical infrastructure, along with departmental employees, operations and maintenance and annual capital budgets. 

In 2017 I became Deputy Minister for the Department of Infrastructure where I was responsible for lifecycle asset management and operation of government owned road, air, marine, and building infrastructure. During this time, I was also the Board Chair for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Today, I am a consultant providing strategic advisory services and planning, project management and engineering services. 

Throughout my career I’ve held various NAPEG positions including the Nunavut Councilor while based in Rankin Inlet, as a member of the Membership and Enforcement Committee, and I spent ten years on the committee for the NAPEGG Education Foundation. More recently I’ve been on Council holding 2nd Vice President and 1st Vice President roles, along with sitting on the Education Foundation’s Board of Directors. 

As President, I hope to continue to guide NAPEG as it evolves in its role and mandate to regulate practice and protect the public. I want to thank everyone for their support on this endeavour and I also want to extend my thanks to Melanie Williams, P.Eng., for her many contributions as NAPEG’s past President. 

 

Planning for the Future 

Today, the engineering and geoscience professions face many challenges including the increasing complexity of practice (AI, use of computerization, evolving fields), supply of professionals, evolving accreditation process, and increasing diversity and representation in the field. It’s incumbent upon NAPEG to engage in these challenges and I hope to be able to contribute my diverse experiences and what I’ve learned throughout my career towards finding solutions in collaboration with NAPEG Council and Northern professionals across the country.

To help plan for the future, I am looking forward to Council finalizing a new strategic plan for NAPEG and implementing a work plan that will help address some key upcoming priorities. We are also currently in the process of developing a new 3-year strategic plan for the NAPEGG Education Foundation, which will launch in early 2025 and refocus our efforts in supporting those seeking engineering and geoscience careers in the North. 

Another big priority is implementing the provisions of the new Practice of Engineering, Geoscience and Applied Science Technology Act and completing the bylaw updating process. This work has already begun (read more here) and will continue to roll out in a staged approach over the next two to three years. 

And most recently, in May 2024, NAPEG signed Engineer Canada’s National Statement of Collaboration in Winnipeg, Manitoba, alongside other provincial and territorial regulators. This signed agreement aims to promote the long-term commitment of signatories to collaboration and identification of harmonization initiatives within the regulatory framework. With the support of Council and our members, we will continue to engage in the collaborative work that emerges from this new agreement. 

 

2024 Events and 2025 Elections 

It was great seeing many of you at the 2024 Professional Development Symposium this past May, where we had an incredible lineup of expert speakers on engineering and geoscience topics tailored for the North. Thank you to the Professional Development Committee and the NAPEG staff team for all of their hard work in pulling together an excellent learning event. 

I attended Geoscientists Canada’s President’s Meeting virtually on May 31st and Dinah Elliott, P.Geo., NAPEG Councilor, represented me at the 2024 Annual General Meeting the following day. I wish to thank Yuri Kinakin, P.Geo., Past-President of Geoscientists Canada for his contributions to the geoscientist community across the country. I also congratulate Christine Vaillancourt, P.Geo., the new President of Geoscientists Canada, from all of us at NAPEG. 

I am looking forward to attending the 2024 Engineers Canada Fall Board and President’s Meeting in October, which will focus on next steps following the signing of the National Statement of Collaboration among other key priorities. 

With NAPEG elections coming up in January, I want to encourage our skilled and experienced NAPEG members to consider running. You can help shape our work and provide insight and input into many of the initiatives and projects I’ve mentioned here. The deadline for nominations will be in January and the election polls will close in April. If you have any questions please reach out to napeg@napeg.nt.ca for more information.

 Lastly, applications for NAPEGG Education Foundation’s scholarships are open until August 16th, 2024. There are scholarships available for both undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in full-time engineering or geoscience programs. Please share these widely with your networks. 

Thank you to everyone for their warm welcome as I take on this new role – I look forward to continuing to work with you!

Paul Guy, P.Eng. President, NAPEG