ACEC meets Infrastructure Minister

In a recent meeting with the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable John Godfrey, ACEC stated again how pleased the consulting engineering industry is that the government has clearly set infrastructure investments as a top priority. ACEC reiterated its recommendation that the government establish a National Round Table for Sustainable Infrastructure. This roundtable would involve all relevant public and private sector stakeholders, including consulting engineers, in developing a comprehensive National Infrastructure Action Plan. Minister Godfrey indicated that his challenge in developing a 30-year national infrastructure plan will be the ability to collaborate with the provinces on this issue. The Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) is currently conducting a cross-Canada consultation on this matter.

ACEC, represented by Chairman Allen Williams, Vice-Chairman Dale Craig and President Claude Paul Boivin, also raised the subject of Qualifications-Based Selection as the best way to choose an engineer and to ensure quality, as well as the importance of sustainable infrastructure investments in international development. The Minister, who has personal experience in working in development, was particularly interested in this topic.

For a copy of the key points ACEC presented to the Minister, please visit www.acec.ca and click on “What’s New.”