june 2009 issue
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Newsmakers
E.I.T.’s 3-D Bus RideEarns International Award
Compiled By CHRISTINE COTTRELL
The PEGG
Edmonton’s Darren Achtymichuk, E.I.T., transformed a bus ride into a 3-D graph of ridership, and Internet giant Google likes the result. Mr. Achtymichuk, a 2008 University of Alberta graduate, is one of two winners in the student division of an international Google Earth contest.
Mr. Achtymichuk’s entry focused on using the satellite imagery program in a real-life situation. His graph showed ridership on an Edmonton Transit bus travelling from the south of the city to downtown. All entries involved the use of Keyhole Markup Language.
Ryan Falor of the Google Earth education team said, “We thought his entry was an interesting example of visualizing multiple types of information, which is something Keyhole Markup Language excels at.”
Mr. Achtymichuk’s project was posted on the Google site. His $700 prize package included an iPod Touch and a Garmin hand-held GPS unit.
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ALL ABOARD FOR AWARD |
Members Named To Merged Companies’ Executive Team
Rick George, president and CEO of Suncor, has proposed a new executive team in the wake of the recent announcement of a Suncor-Petro Canada merger. Among the appointments are two APEGGA members.
Mike MacSween, P.Eng., will become senior vice-president, in situ, expanding his current role of leading Suncor’s in situ operations, which he has done since April 2008.
Neil Camarta, P.Eng., moves to executive vice-president, natural gas. Mr. Camarta currently serves as senior vice-president, oilsands, for Petro-Canada.
U of C Dean
Reappointed To CFI Board
Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement has reappointed Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, P.Eng., to the board of directors of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Dr. Cannon has been dean of the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary since 2004. A prominent community leader, she’s served on many advisory boards and worked to promote science and engineering to young women.
In an Industry Canada release, Mr. Clement said Dr. Cannon’s “insight and experience will continue to be very valuable in helping guide the foundation over the next three years.”
The Canada Foundation for Innovation is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure.
Minister Names Chair
Of Climate Change Fund
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The Alberta Government has named Eric Newell, OC, P.Eng., as the chair of the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation. The former president and CEO of Syncrude Canada Ltd., Mr. Newell was the 17th chancellor of the University of Alberta and brings many years of experience, both in industry and the community, to the corporation.
The fund, paid for by companies that emit substantial amounts of carbon dioxide, currently holds $122.4 million. The money is for Alberta companies to research and implement technology for greenhouse gas emission reduction. The Alberta Minister of Environment will maintain responsi-bility for receiving payments from companies and transferring dollars
to the fund.
Immigrant Services
Honours Industry Leader
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ONE IMMIGRANT’S SUCCESS |
Tadeusz (Tad) Dabrowski, P.Eng., has received a 2009 Immigrant of Distinction Award from Immigrant Services Calgary, winning first place in the distinguished professional category.
After earning a PhD in hydrogeology in Poland, Dr. Dabrowski came to Canada in 1975. In 1982 he joined, among others, fellow hydrogeologist Fred Claridge, P.Eng., and Lucien Lyness, P.Geol., to build Komex International Ltd., an environmental engineering company acquired by WorleyParsons in 2006.
Dr. Dabrowski is a leading hydrogeologist who has mentored numerous younger colleagues.
Harper Government Names Member to Clean Energy Group
The federal government has named Charles (Charlie) Fischer, P.Eng., as a representative on a Canada-U.S. working group on clean energy. Mr. Fischer will head one of three groups that are part of a clean energy dialogue. During his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed to the dialogue.
Exact mandates for the groups have not yet been worked out, but Environment Canada says there will be no conflict-of-interest issues with group participants. Mr. Fischer, a Calgary resident, recently retired as president and CEO of Nexen Inc. He is a co-chair of the board of Alberta Climate Change Central.
Other envoys named are Jacques Lamarre, recently retired president and CEO of SNC-Lavalin, and Linda Hasenfratz, CEO of Linamar, an Ontario auto parts company.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fischer has also been named 2009 Resource Person of the Year by the Alberta Chamber of Resources. He won the chamber award for his extensive service to the oil-and-gas industry.
Engineers Canada Acknowledges
Professional Contributions
Engineers Canada celebrated professional accomplishments at a recent gala awards ceremony in Montreal. Two APEGGA members — both 2008 Summit Award winners — were among those who received accolades.
Dr. Chris Backhouse, P.Eng., of the University of Alberta, received the National Award for an Engineering Project — Engineering Accessible Healthcare. He developed state-of-the art medical diagnostic systems that improve health care accessibility.
Laura Lucier, P.Eng., received the Young Engineer Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution in a field of engineering by an engineer 35 or younger. Ms. Lucier is first Canadian woman to work as a robotics flight lead.
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DR. CHRIS BACKHOUSE, P.ENG.…awarded nationally for engineering accessible healthcare.
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LAURA LUCIER, P.ENG.…wins the national Young Engineer Achievement Award. |
In the APEGGA Summit Awards, Dr. Backhouse won the Project Achievement Award and Ms. Lucier won the Early Accomplishment Award.
Export Winners Include Members
An APEGGA member and several permit holders are recipients of the 2009 Alberta Export Awards. Hosted by the Alberta division of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the awards honour individuals who contribute to the success of a business, as well as companies that use innovative approaches in exporting.
Winners
Export Leadership Award — James (Doug) McNeill, P.Eng., Stream-Flo Industries Ltd.
Professional and Services — AMR Process Inc.
Manufacturing: Oil and Gas — KUDU Industries Inc.
Manufacturing: Other — Evans Consoles Corporation
Advancing Technologies — XSENSOR Technology Corporation
New Exporter — Xtreme Coil Drilling Corp.
Finalists
Professional and Services — Associated Geosciences Ltd.
Advancing Technologies — Tenet Medical Engineering Inc.
New Exporter — Questor Technology
Sustainability — Katch Kan Ltd.
Among Top 50
In Management
Associated Engineering Group Ltd., CCI Thermal Technologies Inc. and Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. are among Canada’s 50 best-managed companies, says a new list. The program sponsors are Deloitte, CIBC Commercial Banking, the National Post, and Queen’s School of Business.
Associated Engineering provides engineering services, specializing in water, transportation, infrastructure and environmental sectors. CCI engineers and manufactures heating and filtration products for industrial, commercial and hazardous area applications. And Klohn Crippen Berger is an engineering and environmental consulting company that focuses on two main areas — dams and bridges.
Established in 1993, the award recognizes excellence in Canadian-owned and -managed companies with revenues over $10 million. It acknowledges overall company performance and sustainable growth.
Alberta Companies
Recognized
For Reclamation
Alberta Chamber of Resources has recognized EPCOR and Sherritt International for their “innovation, patience and diligence” in reclaiming an area that was once part of the Genesee Coal Mine.
Award recipients are determined by Alberta Environment officials and presented at the chamber’s annual banquet in Edmonton.
Prominent Entrepreneur
Honoured For
Lifetime Achievement
Ernst & Young has named Clayton Riddell, P.Geol., as the winner of the 2008 Prairies Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his numerous contributions to regional and national business.
Mr. Riddell is the founder, chairman and CEO of Paramount Resources Ltd. The Calgary resident and part owner of the Flames NHL team received APEGGA’s Centennial Leadership Award in 2008.
In 2005, the University of Manitoba named the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources in his honour. The name change at his alma mater recognizes a $10 million donation Mr. Riddell made for an endowment fund for the young faculty.
CSEG Recognizes
Professional Contributions
The 2009 Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists has recognized several APEGGA members for their outstanding contributions to the geophysical profession.
In his role as Canada Research Chair in Rock Physics at the University of Alberta, Dr. Doug Schmitt, P.Geoph., has made significant contributions to the industry through his research, teaching and mentorship of students. He took home a Meritorious Service Award.
Another Meritorious Service Award winner, Larry Mewhort, P.Geoph., is known for always finding the time to personally assist his peers, including new hires, summer students and experienced geophysicists. He realized early in his career, any knowledge he gained means nothing if he cannot pass it on to others.
Meritorious Service Awards go to members of the CSEG who have made prominent or lengthy contributions to the society or industry as a whole. The current practice is to present this award to two recipients.
Honorary Membership Awards are given only to a select few CSEG members who have gained recognition for distinguished contributions in the field of geophysics or in service to the CSEG, either nationally or internationally. This year, the winner of one of these awards is Peter Cary, P.Geoph., who has presented many papers at CSEG meetings on various topics concerning seismic data processing.
Dr. Cary has also published several papers in the area. In recent years, he has spent more and more time on 3-C data processing because of its increasing popularity.
Member Wins
Safety Award
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Shahid Jamil, P.Eng., is the recipient of the 2009 Electrical Safety Excellence Award for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Petroleum & Chemical Industry Committee.
After graduating in the early 1970s from the Aligarh Muslim University, India, Mr. Jamil went on to gain an M.Sc. from Queen’s University, Kingston.
Currently working for Imperial Oil at the Strathcona Refinery, he has been active in the area of electrical safety and authored or co-authored six electrical safety papers. He has received three first-paper awards and one honourable mention award from the committee, as well as a third-best presentation award from the committee’s electrical safety workshop.
Stars Arise
From Pages Of Magazine
Oilweek magazine has published its 2009 list of Rising Stars, and three APEGGA members are there. Ron Lewko, P.Eng., Darius Remesat, P.Eng., and Brian Taylor, P.Eng., are among the 12 inductees to be formally recognized by the magazine at a reception in Calgary on June 25.
The award profiles the Canadian energy industry’s future leaders younger than 45, successful in their respective corporate environments, and already known for giving back to their communities.
Permit Holders
Offer Top Work Conditions
Alberta Venture magazine has named several permit holders as recipients in its 2009 Best Workplaces competition.
Best workplace for training is PCL Constructors Inc., and best overall workplace, over 750 employees, is TELUS Corporation.
In the best overall workplace category, 101-750 employees, three permit holders won honourable mentions — A.D.Williams Engineering Inc., CH2M Hill and Crescent Point Energy Trust.
Other honourable mentions in a variety of categories were Devon Canada Corporation, EPCOR Utilities Inc., Midwest Surveys Inc., Nexen Inc., Suncor Energy Inc. and Terracon Geotechnique Ltd.
Permit Holders
On the Podium at Steel Awards
The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction biennial awards were presented recently in Edmonton. As usual, APEGGA permit holders were among the winners.
Architectural Award
The Water Centre, Calgary
Structural Engineer: Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
General Contractor: Dominion Construction
Engineering Award
Calgary Courts Centre
Structural Engineer: Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Industrial Award
ASU Cold Box, OPTI Canada Fort McMurray Site
Structural Engineer: SDK et associes
Steel Edge Award
Capital Health Centre, Edmonton
Structural Engineer: Protstatix Engineering Consultants Inc.
Sustainability Award
University of Alberta Triffo Hall
Structural Engineer: Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
Conference Board of Canada
Honours TransAlta Corp. CEO
For his distinguished career as a strategic thinker and exemplary leader, Steve Snyder, P.Eng., CEO of TransAlta Corp., is the recipient of the Conference Board of Canada’s Honorary Associates Award.
Calgary’s community is important to Mr. Snyder, who chairs both the Calgary Stampede Foundation and the Calgary Committee to End Homelessness. He is a past chair of the Calgary Zoological Society.
Schulich Professors Honoured
Two Schulich School of Engineering professors at the University of Calgary have earned new and prestigious accolades.
Fadhel Ghannouchi, P.Eng., Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been elected to become a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada. This rare distinction is given to less than 0.1% of the combined membership of all the societies under the EIC.
Gerard Lachapelle, P.Eng., Department of Geomatics Engineering, was selected by the Institute of Navigation to receive the Weems Award. It recognizes ongoing contributions to the art and science of navigation. Dr. Lachapelle was the 2007 winner of the Alberta Ingenuity Fund Research Excellence Award at the APEGGA Summit Awards.
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