APEGGA ED Handles a Hot Potatoe

Neil Windsor, P.Eng., and Idaho Counterpart
Win Prestigious PNWER Award


APEGGA Executive Director & Registrar Neil Windsor, P.Eng., is sharing a prestigious award with his Idaho counterpart for his work to improve cross-border mobility. The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region has presented its Hot Potato Award to Mr. Windsor and David Curtis, P.E., Executive Director of the Idaho Board of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors.

PNWER presents the award annually to recognize those who do the most work to avoid potential conflict between the U.S. and Canada. Last year’s winner was Alberta Agriculture Minister Shirley McClellan, who won for her handling of the BSE crisis. Mr. Windsor and Mr. Curtis received the award in Victoria during the 14th annual PNWER Summit.

PNWER is a public-private partnership made up of the American states and Canadian provinces of Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Canada’s Yukon territory. Its mission is to foster sustainable economic development throughout the region.

Mr. Windsor and Mr. Curtis have both been active in PNWER, promoting initiatives that improve the cross-border licensure of engineers. See related story, front page.

The Hot Potato Award commemorates an 1859 crisis in the San Juan Islands. An American farmer shot a British-owned pig that had broken out of its pen and eaten one of the farmer’s potatoes. The islands were claimed by both countries at the time.

At one point, the U.S. Army and the Royal Navy were at gunpoint. But cooler heads prevailed and the incident ended peacefully.

“I’m certainly honoured to receive this award,” said Mr. Windsor. “And the fact that I share it with David Curtis is a symbol in itself of the kind of progress Canada and the U.S. are making on mobility and other trade issues – thanks in no small part to the work of PNWER.”


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