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Peter Lighthall Snippet A
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Abstract: Geotechnical engineer Peter Lighthall recalls the 2014 failure of the Mount Polly tailings dam in British Columbia, which released over 12 million cubic metres of water and tailings into a creek and, eventually, into pristine Quesnel Lake. This major upset for the mining industry triggered a review of all tailings dams in British Columbia – which "greatly increased the amount of available work… more
Kwan Yee Lo Snippet A
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Abstract: Geotechnical engineer Kwan Yee Lo describes his work on the intake and discharge tunnels of the Darlington Nuclear Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Canada. He worked with a student, Dr. Ogawa from Japan, to predict the in-situ stresses and time-dependent deformations of the intake tunnel during its construction in 1983. The predicted values matched the observed values so well that, when… more
Yves Choinière Snippet A
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Abstract: Agricultural engineer Yves Choinière describes his work, facilitating the production of food – vegetables, forage for livestock – with a specialty in the design of farm buildings and livestock housing. His work is very diverse: it includes environmental protection and integrating a number of mechanical, control, robotic, and other systems to produce food. Every kind of food – tomatoes, potatoes,… more
Susan Tighe Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil engineer Dr. Susan Tighe describes her work in leading a team from across Canada to develop the Pavement Management Asset Design and Management Guide for the Transportation Association of Canada. The guide represents a "crown jewel", containing the results of many laboratory projects she worked on with various graduate students and many field projects, including over 100 test sections… more
Nicholas Isyumov Snippet A
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Abstract: Wind engineer Dr. Nicholas Isyumov talks about his work on the Sears Building – now the Willis Tower – in Chicago during the late '60s. It was to be the tallest building in the world, taller than New York's World Trade Center. The World Trade Center was sensitive to cross-wind dynamic excitations due to vortex shedding. The Sears Building had a more irregular shape – only two of the nine modules… more
Garry Lindberg Snippet A
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Abstract: Aeronautical engineer Dr. Gary Lindberg describes his role as Project Manager for the development of the "Shuttle attached remote manipulator system", now widely known as the Canadarm. In accordance with past practices involving joint ventures with the US National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA), a Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and signed by the President of the National Research… more
Martin Fandrich Snippet A
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Abstract: Mechanical engineer Dr. Martin Fandrich describes one of his design-build projects – a boat lift. The lift reaches under the water surface to pick up the boat and rotates it to the left or right for a forklift to take it to dry storage. The owner of a boat that was at the limit of the lift's capacity offered his vessel for a load test. Dr. Fandrich recalls "I am not a mariner – but it was a very… more
Bruce McGibbon Snippet A
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Abstract: Bruce McGibbon describes a field trial he conducted with the Canadian Armed Forces in Shilo, Manitoba. One morning, three teams of fifteen men were given hearing tests. One group was given ear muffs and ear plugs, the second only ear plugs, and the third was given no protection and ordered not to cover their ears – the standard protocol of the day. After a four-hour barrage, the men were retested… more
G. Van Uytven Snippet A
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Abstract: Electrical Engineer Guy Van Uytven describes leaving university at Ghent, Belgium, to start his first job with Schlumberger, an oil services exploration firm. He was given a ticket to fly to Lisbon the same day he was interviewed! He found his way to a hotel and, not knowing Portuguese, managed to order a chicken meal for supper. He was surprised to be served a soup that contained a chicken leg… more
Celia Desmond Snippet A
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Abstract: Celia Desmond describes her unusual early career journey – although she loved mathematics as a high-school student, she was counselled to consider a career in nursing or teaching. She became a kindergarten teacher, earning a degree in mathematics by taking night courses. The neighbours in her apartment building were undergraduate engineering students – and she found their homework interesting.… more
Denise Leahy Snippet A
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Abstract: Dr. Denise Leahy describes her first job, working in a geotechnical laboratory at the massive La Grande hydroelectric project at Baie James. She was very excited to start field work, but was devastated to learn that, due to security issues, women could not work outside the laboratory. She describes being on a work site with 1000 guys and 100 women as "a learning experience". Eventually she and… more
David S. Weaver Snippet A
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Abstract: Dr. David Weaver describes his 16 years of retirement as "travelling around the world solving big problems". Always an avid modeler, one of his first initiatives as a new professor at McMaster University was to build a model of Cape Breton Island control structures for the hydro-electric power stations. He used the model to identify and resolve potential problems converting Megawatts of water… more
Karl Doetsch Snippet A
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Abstract: Aeronautical engineer Dr. Karl Doetsch describes his involvement in the Canadarm project. The timeline to build the Canadian government and industry (Spar Aerospace) teams was tight and there were challenges – the prototype could not be tested on earth because the force of gravity was too strong. But it was worth it: the first image from space, of the arm emblazoned with the word "Canada" with… more
Sarah Devereaux Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil and environmental engineer Sarah Devereaux describes one of her projects, the "Million Dollar Hole". Her company was retained to work on the decommissioning of the United States naval base in Argentia, Newfoundland. A number of environmental "situations" were left, including the "Million Dollar Hole", a large repository for "everything you can think of, like tanks, trucks". She oversaw… more
Emily Cheung Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil engineer Emily Cheung describes changes to her field of engineering since she started practice. She highlights the more holistic approach to designing structures like bridges – now the designer has to think about the environmental aspects, the fluid mechanics and impact on fish if it is a river crossing, the consideration of cultural aspects and social impacts. It is no longer just about… more
Christine MacKinnon Snippet A
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Abstract: Agricultural engineer and public servant Christine MacKinnon describes her first engineering job, designing farm buildings in Nova Scotia. She and her boss travelled to a lot of farms, where she was frequently told "you don't look like the last engineer that we had out here!" She quickly recognized techniques necessary to earn the trust of farmers. She also recalls, as a woman starting in the… more
Chan Warisinghe Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil transportation engineer Dr. Chan Wirasinghe describes the basis of his analytical models to optimize the geometric design of airports. In particular, selecting the number of "pier fingers" and the number of departure/arrival gates at each finger, defines the average time it will take a passenger to walk to the gates. Other airports have "satellites", so the analysis can determine the… more
Suzelle Barrington Snippet A
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Abstract: Environmental engineer Dr. Suzelle Barrington offers suggestions on changing the engineering workplace to encourage diversity. Government policies and programs to encourage the employment of workers with diverse backgrounds are a start. Bosses should be able to use human resources personnel to improve workplace environments. But there are subconscious biases still out there, some consulting firms… more
Monique Frize Snippet A
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Abstract: Biomedical engineer Dr. Monique Frize describes her "best project", a system for intensive care of infants – a software program that provides physicians and parents with decision assistance. It provides the physician with relevant data, predicts mortality, potential complications, duration of ventilation, and duration of stay. It provides parents with definitions of common medical terms and… more
Fred Dermarkar Snippet A
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Abstract: Nuclear engineer Fred Dermarkar describes the importance of humility in complimenting teamwork. "If you want to get things done, you really need to view everyone as your equal and everyone as someone you can learn from." He reflects on the successful application of this philosophy to a team of thousands that complete a very challenging response to a major nuclear accident.
Ken Putt Snippet A
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Abstract: Metallurgical engineer Ken Putt describes his role overseeing the building of the Strathcona Refinery at Edmonton, then the biggest project that his employer, Imperial Oil, had ever done. The new refinery replaced existing refineries in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, and Winnipeg, and its product was pipelined to Vancouver, Winnipeg, and points between. He was the owner's representative on the design… more
Madiha Kotb Snippet A
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Abstract: Mechanical engineer Madiha Kotb describes her calling as "engineers do fix things". Life-saving equipment found in hospitals is designed and maintained by engineers. Society takes engineering achievements for granted, even though they are essential and everywhere in every-day life: from plumbing fixtures to electricity to the buildings that we live in. "Unfortunately", she says, "engineers did… more
Willy Kotiuga Snippet A
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Abstract: Power systems engineer Willy Kotiuga describes his latest endeavour – enrolling in a Master of Fine Arts program at Kings College Halifax – primarily to prevent his untold stories from getting lost. The intention is to educate the next generation, allowing them to learn primarily from his mistakes. He was surprised, after authoring many reports and documents, by how his Creative Nonfiction… more
Tracy Primeau Snippet A
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Abstract: Tracy Primeau recalls a "huge" transport leak that occurred while she was working as a field operator at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in 1994. They had to go into the reactor and manually close a valve after the unit came offline. The event, and response, became well known in the nuclear industry and formed the basis of changes to design and operating practices. Then she experienced a… more
Robin Black Snippet A
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Abstract: Biomedical Engineer Robin Black thinks he more-or-less stumbled into his career in Engineering. In high school, he didn't know anyone who was an engineer. He was interested in medicine because his father and grandfather had been medical doctors. He started a biology program at McMaster, but when he found out that no one from that program at McMaster ever got into medicine, he switched to… more
Paul Thompson Snippet A
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Abstract: Nuclear engineer Paul Thompson talks about what's next on his agenda. "I am particularly interested in the potential merging and applications between nuclear and hydrogen." He stresses, given climate change concerns, the importance of getting nuclear established in areas of Canada that don't have hydro-electric power. "I think there's tremendous synergies in the advanced reactors, which are high… more
John Plant Snippet A
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Abstract: Electrical engineer and former President of Royal Military College, Dr. John Plant, reflects on the responsibilities of a professional engineer – "protect the public." He describes the Iron Ring "Society", where newly graduated engineering students receive an iron ring by attending a ceremony written by Rudyard Kipling. He recalls Kipling's poem, "The Sons of Martha" – "who strive to help the… more