2022 Year in Review | Editors' Choices
As we whittle down the final days of the year, APEGA’s editors are reaching deep into the article vault to revisit the stories we published in 2022. During a year of committed change, mindful growth, and increasing optimism, we found promise and inspiration in the stories of our members and communities.
Check out five of our top picks below, and then head on over to our Regulatory Roundup to catch up on the top regulatory stories of the year.
Stay tuned for more compelling stories in 2023!
Was there an APEGA article that inspired, informed, or moved you in some way this year?
Reach out to us on social media or email [email protected] and let us know!
1. A Spirit for Societal Change
Connor Scheu, P.Eng., is the first generation in his family raised from birth knowing he is Métis. Having found an enriching Indigenous network in his professional life—he is a part of an Indigenous employee group at his workplace—he advocates for equity not only for Indigenous Peoples, but also for other marginalized groups.
Published: June 2022
Why we chose this story: This article masterfully presents the important role engineering can play in the wider world of environmental and social well-being.
Learn about Connor’s journey for justice
2. Chasing Helium
The charms of the cache have enticed Kevin Morrissette, P.Geol.—throughout his body of work, he’s been in pursuit of underground knowledge. Since becoming a geoscientist, he’s shifted from searching the seams of B.C.’s southeastern coal belt to pinpointing what some geoscientists describe as an integral part of our modern world. He’s chasing helium—one of the most abundant elements in the universe, yet also the most elusive to find in the subsurface.
Published: August 2022
Why we chose this story: Helium’s exciting double life is uncovered in this story—more than just a party favour, this darling of the geoscience world holds amazing opportunity for the modern world.
Read about Kevin’s noble pursuit
3. A Symbiotic Asset for So Many
Dr. Qiao Sun, P.Eng., APEGA’s 2022 Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Summit Award recipient, imparts the courage to fail on those who look up to her successes—her mentees. Through Dr. Sun’s stories, told between meetings at her standing desk at the university, one begins to understand that although she attributes her accomplishments to teamwork, she is simultaneously an educational leader, a government influencer, and an entire grassroots organization. She explains, “Equity and diversity is everybody’s matter.”
Published: April 2022
Why we chose this story: Equity, diversity, and inclusion are more than just buzzwords in the professions. As Dr. Sun showcases, actively removing the barriers for students interested in the professions is a surefire way to improve access for everyone.
Get inspired to live courageously
4. A Blocked Pipeline to Success: Changing the Female Geoscientist Experience
Ambiguity trails through regions of the geoscience landscape in more ways than just oil-pool prospects. It is similarly plaited into the experience of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, something Mandy Williams, P.Geol., knows all too well. The data bringing this to light—that the experiences of women in the profession differ from men’s—sit like hidden caches of the viscous commodity, only recently unearthed and mapped into awareness.
Published: March 2022
Why we chose this story: The conversation surrounding equity in the professions is a crucial one. This piece highlights how different levels of accessibility affect the way professionals are onboarded in the workplace and how their careers advance—two important considerations in the fight for fairness.
5. Tears of Enthusiasm
The sun shines on Murray Smith, as suit-clad, he treads five blocks of grey sidewalk—from 501 Pennsylvania Avenue to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.—pitch book enclosed in his grip. It’s 2006, a hot day in May, and a congressman from the Carolinas has phoned: he wants to meet in the Canadian Embassy to talk about Alberta’s oilsands.
Published: April 2022
Why we chose this story: The oilsands are a key piece of Alberta’s history, and they will continue to play a starring role in the years to come. This snapshot of their younger years explains how they got their start—and what has transpired since.
Read about his provincial pitch
Check out the Regulatory Roundup of 2022
APEGA took innovative strides forward this year, making practices safer by streamlining the permit holder review process and updating practice standards and guidelines. Check out some of APEGA’s 2022 regulatory accomplishments in our 2022 Year in Review | Regulatory Roundup.
Was there an APEGA article that inspired, informed, or moved you in some way this year?
Reach out to us on social media or email [email protected] and let us know!