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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

In a regulated profession such as engineering or geoscience, it is important to maintain a respectful and productive relationship with the decision-makers in government. For Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, this means working with the Manitoba government to ensure that engineering and geoscience professions and stakeholders are not adversely affected by changes in laws and regulations, and to ensure that both are a key resource for the government to rely on for information and support within engineering and geoscience areas of expertise.

The overarching goal of the Association's government relations activity is the creation of a relationship where government officials in all areas think "engineering and geoscience means Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba". Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba will be their first call as a reliable source of information, a source of new policy ideas, and a partner in satisfying the consumer, working towards the public good/safety. Creating this relationship requires the formation and execution of a Government Relations Operational Plan, a clear and thorough communications strategy, to further engagement of the members with government, to connect with MLAs locally, and to take action through an active Government Relations Advisory Committee. Positive interaction with government will allow Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba to achieve its broader strategic goals and bolster communication and public relations efforts.

For more information about government relations, please contact JDuque@EngGeoMB.ca.

Act Change Project

Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba is modernizing The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Act to create a more flexible, accountable, and future-ready framework. The project aims to strengthen public protection, transparency, and administrative robustness while aligning Manitoba's regulatory system with modern national standards for engineering and geoscience practice.

After extensive consultation, Council approved legislative objectives in June 2025 focusing on governance, registration, protected titles, and emerging technologies like AI. With assistance from legal counsel, a legislative proposal was prepared in January 2026 and approved by Council. Work has begun on the preparation of legislative drafting instructions, which will further review, clarify, and define proposed changes to support the government's legislative process. It is anticipated that the Minister of Labour and Immigration will put forward a bill for the new Act in spring of 2028.

To fine tune the policy direction and intended outcomes, engagement continues with EngGeoMB practitioners, Indigenous rights holders, and adjacent professional associations.Public engagement is also scheduled for Spring 2026. For more information, see the News Story.

EngGeoMB is mandated by The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Act. Please see the Association's Legislation webpage for more information, including the link to the Act, and links to current By-laws and the Code of Ethics.

Over the past nearly 30 years since the existing Act was passed, several trends affecting the professions have led regulators, particularly those in Western Canada, to re-evaluate and/or to update their legislation. Examples include:

  • The adoption of The Professional Governance Act in British Columbia in 2018, which includes for Engineers Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) several changes that EngGeoMB is currently considering.
  • The adoption of The Professional Governance Act in Alberta in 2025, which includes similarities to the legislation adopted in British Columbia, although with several policy differences
  • The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) is currently involved in a legislative review of their Act. The changes being considered broadly align with those EngGeoMB is considering.

Consistent with the approach of engineering and geoscience regulators across Canada, EngGeoMB has engaged in a thorough review of its constituting legislation and concluded that several legislative changes are required. The changes are broadly grouped into the following categories:

  • Regulatory Instruments and Structural Issues
  • Technological Change and Delineation of Practice of Scope
  • Registration of Members
  • Oversight, Investigations, and Discipline
  • Governance
  • Web presence, Confidentiality, and Privacy
  • Reconciliation and Representation

For more information about each of these objective categories, please see the Act Change Objectives

Preliminary Planning and Legal Review June 2023 to June 2024
Meeting with Minister July 2024
Phase I Engagement and Consultation September 2024 to May 2025
Legislative Objectives Approved June 2025
Phase II Engagement and Consultation November 2025 (Ongoing)
Legislative Proposal Development July 2025 to June 2026
Drafting Instructions and Policy Refinement June 2026 to Fall 2027
Phase III Engagement (Informed Understanding) TBD
Projected Introduction and First Reading Spring 2028

EngGeoMB began conducting engagement with interest holders in September 2024 and continues to work to do so. This engagement has been multi-faceted, consisting of website news, an online forum, both public and private surveys, Council presentations and special meetings, Keystone Professional articles, focus groups, dyadic interviews, workshops, the Act and React series, and Open Houses.

Act and React Activities

These are specific topics about the Association's Act that are under consideration by Council. First, we explore the issue and then gather your views through a short series of questions. Each activity takes approximately 10 minutes. At the end, you can ask anything you'd like about the Act Change Project, and we'll respond.

Open Houses

Public Open Houses on the Act Change Project are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 7 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm CT and on Thursday, April 16 from 12:00 - 1:30 pm CT. The Open Houses will provide opportunity for a presentation on the Act Change Project generally and for experts to answer questions. See the News Story for more information.

Keystone Professional Articles
Website News
Council Minutes
Phase I - Practitioner Input

Engagement has included focus groups, dyadic interviews, workshops, phone and email conversations, and meetings. To date, engagement has been conducted with:

  • CTTAM
  • Leaders within the Price Faculty of Engineering and Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources
  • Allied professional associations
    • Winnipeg Construction Association, Winnipeg Association of Architects, Manitoba Construction Sector Council, Mechanical Contractors Association of Manitoba Inc., Manitoba Home Builders Association, CTTAM, and Association of Manitoba Land Surveyors
  • Educators
  • Consulting employers
  • International employers
  • Public Sector employers
  • Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak
  • Manitoba Metis Federation
  • Treaty One Development Corporation
  • University of Manitoba engineering students

Contact Us

For more information about the Act Change Project or to provide feedback, please contact Juan Duque, Government Relations, at JDuque@EngGeoMB.ca. You may also post your questions on the Act Change Project section of the member forum.

Project Support

The Act Change Project falls under the Government Relations Department of the Association. As such, support is provided from the Government Relations Advisory Committee (GRAC), composed of a panel of practitioner peers, academics, and other industry professionals who advise, assist, and advocate for the development and delivery of the Association's Act Change Project.