ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE AT CINEPLEX CINEMAS PARK LANE  

Note: Attendance at the conference counts as Informal Education under our CPD program, and every 2 hours counts for 1 PDH.   

 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM …... REGISTRATION, COFFEE & CONVERSATIONS  

• A light continental buffet will be provided with yoghurt, fruit and pastries, with Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea stations. While you grab a bite to eat, we encourage you to filter around the room and make new connections! 

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM …... PANEL DISCUSSION: THRIVING AS AN EMERGING PROFESSIONAL—DESIGNING HAPPINESS AND VALUE IN YOUR CAREER 

• Join our engineering panel as we explore inspiring stories of professionals who successfully made career changes and thrived as emerging experts. Our panelists will share their experiences, insights and valuable advice for anyone considering a career transition. Whether you're pondering a change within your current company or exploring new horizons, this discussion will equip you with the knowledge and motivation to make informed decisions for your professional growth.   ​​

9:45 AM – 10:00 AM …... BREAK, CHANGE ROOM  

• Beverages will be provided all-day and during breaks  

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM …... SPEAKER SESSION 1 

• This is the second of our two speaker sessions, which offer 3 breakout streams to choose from: Technical, Professional & Regulatory. 

A:  Benjamin Doucet, P.Eng. Associate, Dillon Consulting Ltd.  

“Implementation of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and their roles and benefits in the Built Environment” 

• From an Owners perspective, the path to net-zero poses significant challenges. BIPV provides an opportunity to address assets that traditionally require replacement over time such as rooftops, wall assemblies, or cladding. By incorporating BIPV, both envelope efficiencies and renewable energy production can be addressed for an otherwise unproductive area of the building from an energy capture perspective. With careful collaboration and the entire team being aware of these factors, it has been possible to successfully implement the tallest Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) system in North America. 

B: Jane Elise Bates. Counsel and Practice Innovation Leader, Cox & Palmer.  

“Statements of Work – Tips & Tricks for Avoiding Disputes” 

• Did you know that the Statement of Work (SoW) is the most heavily disputed part of any contract? And yet contract negotiations often focus on the warranties, indemnities, liability limitations and intellectual property clauses, rather than on ensuring that the parties are clear on what, where, when, why, how and by whom the work will be performed. Engineers have a major role to play in making sure the scope of the contract is properly documented. In this session, you will learn about the different SoW types and receive practical guidance on how to develop your SoW and what it should include. There will also be some horror stories of what can go wrong if the SoW is not properly prepared and some tips and tricks for getting it right. After the session, you will be better equipped to avoid scope creep, minimise disputes and deliver your project on time and on budget. 

C: Dharminderpal (Pal) Mann, CD, FCSSE, P.Eng., ICD.D., CEO & Registrar at Engineers Nova Scotia. 

“Pan-Canadian Perspective on Professional Regulation” 

• From British Columbia to Northern Area to Newfoundland & Labrador, professional regulators are face evolving governmental expectations and increased public scrutiny regarding their roles in protecting the public. Engineers Nova Scotia is monitoring issues that may affect professional regulation in our province. In this session, Pal will share the latest issues that our sibling regulators are managing that may impact the regulation of engineering in Nova Scotia.  

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM …... BREAK, CHANGE ROOM  

• Movie-theatre popcorn will be freshly popped and served alongside other sweet treats found at our candy bar—one of our most exciting partner opportunities to-date. All of the snacks will be available for the duration of the Conference.  

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM …... LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S AWARD WINNER SESSION: PEGGY’S COVE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS 

• Harbourside Engineering Group, in collaboration with Englobe Corporation, was named this year’s recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Engineering for the Peggy’s Cove Infrastructure Design Project. In this session, Michael MacDonald, P.Eng., Senior Transport Engineer, Partner at Harbourside Transporation Consultants, will speak on the Design Project and its contributions to public safety and climate change adaptation. Michael MacDonald, P.Eng, Senior Transportation Engineer, Partner at Harbourside Transportation Consultants will be offering insight into the project’s role in the community, as well as their partners.  

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM …... THEATRE-THEME FOOD STATIONS 

• An array of crowd-pleasing theatre eats will be provided including hotdogs, pizza, and nachos, as well as vegetarian-friendly options like wraps and salads. Don’t miss out on meeting other attendees in this fun, energizing setting.  

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM …... SPEAKER SESSION 2 

• This is the second of our two speaker sessions, which offer 3 breakout streams to choose from: Technical, Professional & Regulatory. 

A: Alex Pottier. Program Manager, DeepSense.  

“DeepSense’s AI Applications in the Ocean Sector” 

• See how working with DeepSense has taken advantage of the latest technologies to help elevate and expand the research of companies in the marine sector. DeepSense unites the next generation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud experts with grad students, PhDs, post-docs, and researchers to maximize the full potential of their data. This presentation will detail projects DeepSense has done in the past, from early-stage data readiness to more mature time series forecasting and computer vision and show how we can work together to engineer more intelligent ocean solutions. 

B: Jonah Ssenyange. Workplace Belonging Advisor & Facilitator.  

“Placemaking 4G. Getting to Belonging with a powerful unified voice and purpose in a changing world” 

• Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility is a priority for many organizations, but why is this important? This interactive session will candidly discuss the importance of inclusion, how we can reframe workplaces for the present and emphasize the significance of transitioning from awareness to action. Attendees will walk away inspired and committed to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging. 

C: Kris Dove FEC, MBA, P.Eng., COO & Treasurer at Engineers Nova Scotia. 

“Complaints and Discipline 411” 

• Having a complaint placed against you can be one of the most stressful things experienced by a Professional Engineer or Engineer-in-Training. Though unpleasant to be involved with, having a fair and transparent process in place for dealing with allegations against a registrant is a critical part of professional regulation. In this session, Kris will provide an overview of the Complaints and Discipline processes at Engineers Nova Scotia, including the rights and obligations of registrants and complainants, and what to expect if you are the subject of a complaint. Several examples of recent complaints will also be shown during this session. 

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM …... BREAK, AUDITORIUM ENTRANCES   

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM …... KEYNOTE- THE POWER OF PERCEPTION BY YAN MARKSON  

• Professional Mentalist, Yan Markson, will be presenting a one-of-a-kind demonstration on how mindset, perception and community can affect your personal and professional lives. We can promise you it will be nothing short of fun, engaging and unforgettable, and you’ll leave the Conference with actionable takeaways.  

3:00 PM …... CLOSING REMARKS  

• A big thank you to our event partners, speakers and registrants—both old and new!