APEGS Fall PD Days – Sustainability: An Engineering and Geoscience Perspective

Talk of sustainability is everywhere with climate change headline news.  Corporations are being asked to take a leadership role in becoming more sustainable, which the United Nations defines as providing for the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.  Amongst COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and political upheaval in the USA and around the world, how does sustainability fit into our global issues?  What role should engineers and geoscientists play in a sustainable future?  Are we helping guide this sustainable future using our skills or are we sitting back and waiting for those decisions to be made by others?  Bonnie will provide an overview of sustainability and talk specifically about some of the important engineering perspectives.

Presented by: Bonnie Dobchuk, P.Eng.

Bonnie is a Professional Engineer and business leader with over 20 years of experience in the mining industry.  She has held many roles but has more recently been able to pursue her interests in sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

A proud graduate of the College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan (USASK), she received an undergraduate degree in Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering and a Master’s in Environmental Engineering.

Bonnie’s career path has taken her through both research and consulting roles. Starting in mine tailings remediation, her research at USASK was instrumental in shaping her career. As she moved into consulting, she was able to incorporate her knowledge into the broader mining remediation field as a Professional Engineer.  She worked in this capacity for 18 years with O’Kane Consultants, a multi-national engineering consulting company that specializes in holistic mine waste management.  From 2016 to 2021, as Director and Chief Executive Officer with O’Kane, Bonnie applied her business leadership and oversaw the re-organization of O’Kane as a purpose-driven organization.

Bonnie recently decided to make a career change, with a greater focus on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. She sees sustainability as a culmination of the environmental, social and governance experience she gained through her time with O’Kane.

A proud mother of three daughters, active and valued participation in STEM fields by under-represented groups is always front of mind for Bonnie.  For this reason, she volunteers on the Board of Directors for Women-in-Mining/Women-in-Nuclear Saskatchewan.  She also advocates for women by volunteering on the Gender and Trade Advisory Group and the Gender-Based Analysis + Sub-Committee, both for Global Affairs Canada.

Bonnie is also a member of the Board of Directors for Birch Narrows Dene Nation Development Inc.

Early bird price: $25 (taxes included)
Regular price: $40 (taxes included)

Registration is closed.

Early bird registration deadline: November 8, 2022
Registration deadline: November 15, 2022

Cancellations are handled as follows:

• Cancellations received within 24 hours of registration will be given a full refund with no cancellation fee.
• Cancellations received greater than 5 business days before the event will result in a refund, less an administration fee being the lesser of $50 or the registration fee plus tax.
• Special circumstances for cancellations that fall within the 5 business days of the event will be considered at the Registrar’s discretion.