Member Profile
This month The Professional Edge chats with Peter MacLachlan, P.Eng., a mechanical engineer who works out of Saskatoon as the General manager for the northern region for TransGas Limited and SaskEnergy Incorporated.
Tell us about your personal and professional background.
My parents and family started off in Toronto and eventually moved across Canada to Vancouver where I was born. Even though I was from Vancouver I pretty much grew up in Saskatoon.
Why did you choose to go into engineering?
I was always good with math and science and enjoyed figuring out how things work. But I bet you get that answer from everybody.
In particular, I always enjoyed working on cars. In 1972, my father bought a kit car – a Porsche 917 body for a Volkswagen frame and engine. My three older brothers were the principle builders but I was able to help out along the way.
What was your biggest challenge in college?
I started out in engineering right out of high school, where I soon found out I was not ready for university. I left university for a couple of years and then went to SIAST and received a diploma in CAD-CAM engineering technology. I worked mainly as a draftsman. Eventually, I came to realize that there was more I wanted to do, so I went back to school as a mature student, as they say, and earned my engineering degree.
What was your first job after college?
My first job after graduation was at SaskEnergy. That was back in 1991 during the recession and there were only a few of my class graduates able to get jobs in Saskatchewan at that time. I feel I was lucky to land the position with SaskEnergy and I’ve been with them ever since, although I’ve changed positions many times.
What is your single greatest accomplishment as an engineer?
It’s a rather technical achievement related to acoustics and sound dampening. I designed, built and implemented a pulsation dampening system for gas meter proving systems that was soon implemented by other Canadian gas utilities and Measurement Canada, the governing body for custody transfer measurement standards and procedures.
What are your interests outside of work?
I am presently on the APEGS Academic Review Committee. I also volunteer my time as a judge for the fourth-year engineering student design projects. I’m always amazed at how well they’re put together and how much thought goes into the designs, written documentation and the presentations. I also volunteer time for the annual elementary school cardboard boat races, which are always so entertaining from start to finish.
Who has had the greatest influence on your life and career?
For my life, I would say my parents. They were great examples of how to work hard and treat everyone as you would want to be treated. My father was the head of Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the Royal University Hospital for over 25 years so he was a strong leader in the community. My mother was also a physician but retired from practice to raise our family. She did however return to medical school in the late 1970s where she specialized as a geneticist and became the first practicing geneticist in Saskatchewan at that time.
As for my career, I’ve had so many mentors that it’s so difficult to narrow it down to one. In university, I had so many good professors – Owen Mann, Richard Brooks, Richard Burton, Dean Peter Nikiforuk, to try to name a few – who were tolerant of stupid questions but definitely enjoyed teaching and seeing students succeed.