july 2009 issue
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Newsmakers
Boiler Chief Wins Major Medal
Compiled By CHRISTINE COTTRELL
The PEGG
Dr. Ken Lau, P.Eng., chief inspector and administrator for the Alberta Boilers Safety Association, has been awarded the highest honour bestowed by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.
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TOP RECOGNITION |
In May Dr. Lau received the 2009 National Board Safety Medal at the board’s general meeting in La Jolla, Calif.
Born in Cantonin, Southern China, Dr. Lau came to Canada in 1977. The following year, he joined the Alberta boiler program and became chief inspector in 1990. In addition to being an APEGGA member, Dr. Lau is a registered chartered engineer in the United Kingdom.
The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors recognizes equipment industry professionals for their commitment to safety. The board was created in 1919 to promote greater safety through uniformity in construction, installation, repair, maintenance and inspection.
Provincial Projects
Win in Concrete
Outstanding Alberta design and construction in the concrete industry have received their due. The provincial
chapter of the American Concrete Institute’s Alberta chapter has announced winning projects in its 2009 awards.
Buildings
Eagle Ridge Condominiums
Kassian Dyck Associates,
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Special Concrete Applications
Glenmore Elbow Fifth Street Interchange Project-Jumping Trout
Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
Kassian Dyck & Associates
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Bridges
Glenmore Trail Legsby Road Pedestrian Bridge
Bluerock Engineering Ltd.
Cohos Evamy
Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Civil
Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant — Pretreatment Facility
Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd.
Cematrix (Canada) Inc.
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Restoration Projects
Whyte Avenue (over Mill Creek) Bridge Rehabilitation
Cohos Evamy
Green/Sustainable Projects
Child Development Centre
EllisDon Construction, Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
Advanced Concrete Construction
Glenmore Trail Legsby Road Pedestrian Bridge
Bluerock Engineering Ltd.
Cohos Evamy
Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Yes-We-Can
Attitude Helps
Food Banks
Three APEGGA permit holders generated a little food for thought — and charity — in the Canstruction competition in May in Edmonton. Among the winning teams were Dow Chemical Canada, Group2 Architecture and Williams Engineering Canada Inc., at the event at Southgate Centre in Edmonton.
Dow won for best use of labels, Group2 received an honourable mention, and Williams won the jurors’ favourite award.
Held in cities throughout North America, Canstruction has teams of architects and engineers design and build giant structures made entirely of cans of food. The building materials end up at local food banks.
Begun in New York City over 10 years ago, Canstruction now includes competitions in both Calgary and Edmonton.
Schulich Students Compete
In Baja SAE Competition
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SCHULICH RACERS |
-Photo by Chris Bolin |
Engineering skills were put to the test recently in the 2009 Baja event of the Society of Automotive Engineers, held over three days in Oregon. A team of APEGGA student members and one APEGGA applicant were there, representing the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering.
The nine students placed 35th in a field of 99. Team leader Alex Mazepa says on the Schulich website, "That's very good, considering the quality of the competition and the harsh terrain."
Students must design and build a vehicle that’s functional in a competitive setting. Teams from across Canada and the U.S. took part in the event, which included tests of hill climbing, manoeuvrability, acceleration, rock crawling and endurance.
The team received $4,000 from the Schulich's Engineering Student Project Fund, which is supported by APEGGA through an annual sponsorship.
Meanwhile, APEGGA student members Marcus Beaudry and Yan Klyashitsky were among the University of Alberta's 16-member team in an international SAE event in California. It was held in June, after The PEGG deadline.
The engineering students entered the four-day formula car race in California, after spending over 16,000 hours perfecting their entry. It was to be judged on design, look, cost to produce commercially and marketability, as well as how it performs and places in the 30-lap course.
Last year the Edmonton team was the highest placing Canadian entry.
Canadian Consulting Engineer
Celebrates 50 Years in Print
First published in 1959, the Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine is celebrating its 50th anniversary. In the May issue, a call for nominations went out inviting readers to send names of their favourite Canadian engineering projects over the past half century.
The publication is the only national engineering magazine in Canada that covers all engineering disciplines and geographic regions. Every fall it hosts the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, in association with the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada.
Crash Pad Improvements
Designed in Time
For 2010 Olympics
Schulich School of Engineering professor Dr. Clifton Johnston, P.Eng., along with Sean Maw, an instructor at Mount Royal College, have developed a new design for crash pads. Improving athlete safety in high-performance sports, the pads are now in use at the Utah Olympic Oval. They’ll make their Olympic debut in 2010 during the Winter Games in Vancouver.
“If you crash into the side of the rink, you don't want padding that's going to fling you back into the path of oncoming skaters,” Dr. Johnston explains in an article on the University of Calgary website.
Many hours were spent experimenting with hundreds of different foam materials. Finding the right combination of materials to minimize bounce back and deceleration of skaters is vital for absorbing impact and keeping injuries to a minimum.
Anderson Energy
Appoints RBC Exec
To Board
Anderson Energy Ltd. has announced that Chris Fong, P.Eng., will join its board of directors. Mr. Fong recently retired from his position as global head, corporate banking, energy, with RBC Capital Markets. He sits on the petroleum advisory committee of the Alberta Securities Commission, chairs Education Matters, Calgary’s public education trust, and chairs UNICEF Canada.
Heavy Oil Group
Has New President
Tracy Grills, P.Eng., is president of the Canadian Heavy Oil Association for the 2009-10 term. A graduate of the University of Alberta with a degree in mechanical engineering, Mr. Grills moves up from vice-president. He is the business development manager, heavy oil reservoir monitoring with Pinnacle Integrity Engineering Ltd.
The Association’s mission is to provide an appropriate technical, educational and social forum for people connected to the heavy oil and oilsands industries.
APEGGA is Home To Companies On Social Responsibility List
Macleans magazine has partnered with Jantzi Research to present the inaugural list of Canada's 50 most socially responsible corporations. APEGGA permit holders on the list are Canadian Hydro Developers, Nexen, Petro-Canada, Stantec, Suncor Energy, Talisman Energy, TELUS and TransAlta.
The companies were selected because of performance across a broad range of environmental, social and governance indicators. All corporations demonstrated strong performance in environmental management, human rights, impact on local or First Nations communities, and treatment of employees.
Who’s Moving Where
Andy Mah, P.Eng., was named as CEO for Advantage Energy Income Fund. Mr. Mah will continue to be on the board of directors for Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd.
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True Energy Trust announces the appointment of Raymond Smith, P. Eng., as president and CEO. Mr. Smith has many years of experience, having worked in Canada, the U.S., Tunisia and Argentina.
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Benhard Anderson, P.Eng., has been appointed as a consultant to Frontier Energy Corporation. Mr. Anderson graduated as a petroleum engineer from the University of Oklahoma.
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The board of directors for Gran Tierra Energy has appointed Shane O’Leary, P.Eng., as the company’s new chief operating officer. Mr. O’Leary is a member of the Canadian National Committee of the World Petroleum Council.
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The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board has appointed Stuart Pinks, P.Eng., as CEO. Since joining the board in 2002, Mr. Pinks has served in progressively senior management positions. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto.
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Douglas Hibbs, P.Geol., assumes the role of vice-president, exploration, at Second Wave Petroleum Inc., bringing with him 28 years of experience in oil and gas exploration. Mr. Hibbs graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Memorial University.
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Dan Fichter, P.Eng., has been appointed vice-president, North American operations, for Panlantir Solutions. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Mr. Fichter has a wealth of experience in development and analysis models for oil and gas exploration production and service domains.
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Tango Energy Inc. welcomes Geoff Beatson, P.Eng., and Allan Phillips, P.Geol., to its management team. Mr. Beatson is the vice-president of engineering and operations. He is a graduate of the University of Calgary and has held increasingly senior positions in other local companies. Mr. Phillips, the new vice-president of exploration, is a graduate of Brock University in Ontario and has held responsible positions in the energy and resource industry.
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Don Williams, P.Geol., is the new vice-president of exploration for Reliable Energy Ltd. A professional geologist for many years, Mr.
Williams is a graduate of the University of Regina. He will join Alan Blackie, P.Geol., to form part of the management team responsible for current projects in Alberta. -
Enerplus Resources Fund announces the appointment of Robert Symonds, P.Eng., as vice-president, Canadian operations. Mr. Symonds has a master’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Alberta.
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The board of directors for OPTI Canada Inc. has named Christopher Slubicki, P.Eng., president and chief executive officer. Mr. Slubicki has been a director of the company since February 2007 and holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Queen's University, Kingston.
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Compton Petroleum Corporation announces the appointment of David Fitzpatrick, P.Eng., to the board of directors. Mr. Fitzpatrick has many years of experience as an independent businessman, as well as in increasingly responsible roles in several petroleum companies. He has served on the board of many public companies.
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Shannon Ouellette, P.Eng., has joined Compton Petroleum Corporation as vice-president of operations and development. Ms. Oulette holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and master’s in petroleum and chemical engineering, both from the University of Calgary.
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Transform Software and Services Inc. welcomes Mark Tobin, P.Geoph., E.I.T., as its Canadian account manager for sales and support. Mr. Tobin graduated from Memorial University with a bachelor of science degree in Earth sciences.
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Robert Chenery, P.Eng., has been appointed interim president and CEO of Canadian Phoenix. Mr. Chenery is co-chair of the company's board of directors and brings 40 years of experience in the industry to the position.
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The board of directors of Trican Well Service Ltd. has announced the appointment of Dale Dusterhoft, P.Eng., as CEO. Mr. Dusterhoft sits on the Industry Advisory Council for the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, and is past-president of the Canadian Association of Drilling Engineers.
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Associated Engineering has announced a number of appointments.
Laszlo Dunaszegi, P.Eng., has joined the Calgary office as a structural
engineer specializing in bridge engineering.
Guy Kieper, P.Eng., has brought his 15 years of conceptual planning
ex-perience in the municipal and industrial sectors to the Calgary office.
Barry Vallance, P.Eng., assumes his new role of engineering production manager, taking responsibility for assessing company engineering systems. -
Gallic Energy has announced, subject to regulatory approval, the appointment of Richard Wadsworth, P.Eng., to its board of directors. Mr. Wadsworth, a graduate of the University of Calgary, has held several management and operational positions within the oil-and-gas field and was a co-founder of Bankers Petroleum Ltd.
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David Elgie, P.Eng., has assumed the role of interim chairman of Petroflow Energy Ltd. Mr. Elgie is on the company's board of directors and has also served on the reserve committee, as well as the audit committee.
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Professional Engineers Ontario has named Catherine Karakatsanis, P.Eng., its 90th president. Ms. Karakatsanis is a senior vice-president and board member of Morrison Hershfield.
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Darryl Furey, P.Eng., has joined Levelton Consultants Ltd. as an associate. Mr. Furey graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.
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ARC Energy Trust welcomes Harold Kvisle, P.Eng., to the board of directors. Mr. Kvisle is the current president and CEO of TransCanada Corporation and a former chair of the Mount Royal College board of governors.
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Edmund Shimoon, P.Eng., chairman and CEO of Calvalley Petroleum Inc., announces the appointment of Memet Kont, P.Eng., P.Geol., as the new president and chief operating officer. Mr. Kont has over 15 years of international oil-and-gas industry experience in a range of exploration, development and reserves evaluation.
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TRLabs has named Robert Tasker, P.Eng., as its new president and CEO. Mr. Tasker, a graduate of the University of Waterloo, has many years of experience in information and communications technology.
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Energy Navigator has announced that Randy Freeborn, P.Eng., has joined the development team for its Value Navigator software. Mr. Freeborn's focus will be on research and development. A practicing engineer for 35 years, Mr. Freeborn coauthored the original version of Value Navigator with Boyd Russell, P.Eng., president of Energy Navigator.
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Exall Energy Corporation recently appointed Glen Kerr, P.Eng., as vice-president, operations. Mr. Kerr brings many years of experience in all facets of operations within the oil and gas industry.
CAN WIN |
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-Photos by Ian Alleyne- |
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APEGGA permit holders display three winning Canstruction creations. Clockwise from top are food can structures from Dow Chemical Canada, Williams Engineering Canada Inc. and Group2 Architecture. |
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