The Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) announced it is initiating the creation of an independent advocacy body for engineering and geoscience in British Columbia. The advocacy body is expected to be operational by July 2025.

The decision came following significant review and evaluation of EGBC’s programs and activities as it worked to integrate the requirements of the Professional Governance Act (PGA) into its operations, including adopting a more focused mandate that significantly restricts advocacy.

“Engineers and Geoscientists BC has undergone a significant evolution over the past three years,” noted Heidi Yang, P.Eng., CEO. “With most PGA requirements now in place, we felt the time was right to make this change. We need to refocus our efforts to best deliver our regulatory mandate and advance our Strategic Plan, but in doing so we also wanted to find a way to retain valuable programs that have contributed to a strong and connected community of engineering and geoscience professionals. Divesting advocacy activities to an independent organization creates clarity for both of our roles and allows both regulation and advocacy for the professions to flourish.”

Over the next two years, several of EGBC’s programs and activities will be changing. For example, activities focused on community-building and registrant benefits such as the branch program and the affinity program will be transitioned to the advocacy body. Programs that no longer fit within EGBC’s mandate as a regulator such as the awards program, sponsorships, and the outreach program will be discontinued.

The advocacy body will be established through a steering committee that will select the group’s inaugural board of directors. The steering committee will be in place by August 2023.

EGBC will be providing $250,000 in initial seed money to support the establishment of the advocacy body.