As we enter our 50th year, we have much to celebrate and much to anticipate in Ontario’s consulting engineering industry. Today, we embrace the Association’s remarkable journey and look forward to helping shape a prosperous future for our members and the communities we serve.
Since 1975, when our association was born, the consulting engineering industry has transformed in countless ways. Starting with 265 member firms, our organization has evolved into a powerful network of expertise and impact. In just a few years, our growth was substantial, with over 400 firms employing more than 10,000 people by 1978. This rapid expansion underscored the critical role consulting engineers play in building and maintaining Ontario’s infrastructure, and it demonstrated our members’ commitment to technical excellence, collaboration, and community impact.
In our early years, we laid the groundwork for our advocacy efforts, partnering with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Technology in 1989 to assess and improve the business environment for consulting engineers in Ontario.
This collaborative approach established the association as a vital voice for the industry, addressing issues such as fair competition, regulatory support, and equitable business practices. By the early 1990s, we partnered with the Ontario Association of Architects and the Ontario General Contractors Association, enabling us to tackle common challenges and drive improvements across the construction industry.
The 2000s saw a surge in our advocacy efforts. When the Ministry of Transportation agreed to overhaul its consultant selection system, it marked a major win for our members, setting a new standard for fairness and transparency in public sector engagements. Our involvement in the Walkerton Inquiry brought consulting engineers to the forefront of public safety discussions, reinforcing the industry’s role in safeguarding water quality and public health. In 2002, we successfully lobbied the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to recognize consulting engineering as a distinct business unit, addressing the unique safety and operational needs of our member firms.
Our successes continued as we strengthened our voice through partnerships. The Memorandum of Understanding with Metrolinx in 2014 was a pivotal moment, pioneering the qualifications-based selection process in transit engineering and solidifying our association as a trusted partner in Ontario’s largest infrastructure projects. Our advocacy was further recognized in 2015 when we influenced amendments to Bill 6, the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act, ensuring that engineers’ contributions are acknowledged in the province’s strategic planning and investment in public infrastructure.
More recently in 2020, we changed our identity to be in line with the national organization, creating a recognizable brand and unified voice at all levels of government. We also refocused efforts in this same vein of building our association’s profile, increasing our ever important digital presence and communications and launching an integrated technology platform to elevate the member experience.
Today, our association remains dedicated to advancing the consulting engineering industry by promoting innovation, safety, and diversity. Our focus on advocacy and community will be even stronger. We launched our Network Programs, fostering connections through the Women’s Network, Future Leaders Network, Transit and Transportation Network, Sustainability and Climate Change Network, and Chapter Leadership Network. We continue to effectively champion initiatives that improve business conditions for our member firms. Our impact continued to grow, with ACEC-Ontario’s policy recommendations featured in the 2023–2024 Finance Committee’s pre-budget consultation report. All of these initiatives are supported with a large group of volunteers. These dedicated individuals champion change and growth of our industry, and we can’t thank them enough.
Just last year, we set a new benchmark with nearly 500 participants joining our Procurement Pathways webinar, finalized and published a comprehensive Climate Change Position Statement, and secured a groundbreaking agreement with the City of Ottawa to reform its procurement by-law. These achievements honour our legacy while setting the stage for an even brighter future.
Our dedication to community goes beyond our membership, encompassing partnerships and outreach programs that strengthen our relationships with municipalities, government agencies, and other industry stakeholders. We do this through real, tangible initiatives such as the MEA | ACEC-Ontario Standard Agreement. By building and maintaining these relationships, we ensure that engineering companies remain an integral part of Ontario’s growth, resilience, and economic prosperity.
Thank you for being part of this journey, and here’s to a future filled with growth, innovation, and shared success. As we celebrate our 50th year, let us renew our commitment to supporting one another and building a better, stronger Ontario for generations to come.
– Mark Tulloch
2024-2025 ACEC-Ontario Chair of the Board
CEO, TULLOCH