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Improved Public Interest
To better protect the public interest, the description of the types of geoscience documents and work products that need authentication should be updated in the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act (the Act) and relevant Practice Standards to reflect current practice and technology.
Background
- This briefing note supplements the Updating Authentication Practices briefing note that also forms part of the fall 2016 consultations.
- Under the existing Act, authentication is required for a “map, geoscientific cross-section, specification, report, or other document or a reproduction of any of them.”
Why this is important
- As a result of technological advances, the types of work products produced by geoscientists have changed since the current Act was introduced in the early 1980s.
- Current geoscience work products include much more than the paper-based products described in the existing Act and include processed data, 3D models, and other professional documents in electronic form.
- The Act should be updated to reflect these changes.
Proposed Legislative Change
It is recommended the Act be amended to update the description of the types of geoscience documents and work products that need to be authenticated to read:
“…professional documents…”
It is also recommended this change to the Act be supplemented by updated Practice Standards that will provide greater detail and will clarify that geoscience “professional documents” include:
“…map, geoscientific cross-section, specification, report, or other geoscientific work product in any form or medium, or a reproduction of any of them…”
Effect of proposed change
- The updated description will more accurately reflect the modern practice of geoscience and will allow APEGA to better regulate that practice in the public interest.
This chart compares the current legislation with the proposed new legislation.
| Current legislation | Future legislation | |
| Work Product |
Act Exclusive use of name geoscientist 6 (2) No individual, corporation, partnership or other entity, except a professional geoscientist or a licensee or permit holder entitled to engage in the practice of geoscience, shall affix the stamp or seal of a professional geoscientist or licensee or the permit number of a permit holder or allow that stamp, seal or permit number to be affixed to a map, geoscientific cross-section, specification, report or other document or a reproduction of any of them unless (a) that map, geoscientific cross-section, specification, report, other document or reproduction was prepared by or under the supervision and control of, and (b) the stamp, seal or permit number is affixed with the knowledge and consent or in accordance with the direction of the professional geoscientist or licensee to whom or the permit holder to which the stamp, seal or permit number was issued. |
Act Exclusive use of name geoscientist # (2) No individual, corporation, partnership or other entity, except a professional geoscientist or a licensee or permit holder entitled to engage in the practice of geoscience, shall affix the stamp or seal of a professional geoscientist or licensee or the permit number of a permit holder or allow that stamp, seal or permit number to be affixed to a professional document map, geoscientific cross-section, specification, report or other document or a reproduction of any of them unless (a) that professional document map, geoscientific cross-section, specification, report, other geoscientific document or reproduction was prepared by or under the supervision and control of, and (b) the stamp, seal or permit number is affixed with the knowledge and consent or in accordance with the direction of the professional geoscientist or licensee to whom or the permit holder to which the stamp, seal or permit number was issued. |