Jason Gasmo, P.Eng.

I grew up in Humboldt, SK, and obtained my engineering degree from the University of Saskatchewan. I graduated in 1994 from Civil Engineering and then continued to do a Master’s program in Singapore at Nanyang Technological University on the topic of slope stability of unsaturated soils.

I chose engineering as my career because, like many of us, I liked to take things apart and see how they worked. I was heading down the road of electrical engineering until my first-year electricity class, which made me rethink my choices, and thankfully steered me toward civil engineering. I specialized in geotechnical engineering because, at the time I was studying, the U of S was in its prime with renowned geotechnical professors (Sauer, Wilson, Barbour, Fredlund) doing high-end geotechnical research at that time.

When I graduated, Wayne Clifton was our keynote speaker at our grad supper, and that evening was when I decided that consulting engineering was where I wanted to take my career. After completing my Master’s research in Singapore, I returned home to Saskatchewan and started working for Clifton (1999). My career has been with Clifton since that time. My positions have grown from a junior geotechnical engineer drilling and instrumenting various sites in Western Canada to Vice President of Operations, the current position I hold at Clifton.

I have been very fortunate and really appreciate the wide variety of projects I have had the opportunity to be a part of. Highlights have included the Big Dig (Wascana), Fishing Lake Floods, Belle Plaine Spur, and Regina Bypass. I had been naïve at the start of my career thinking that all the big projects and cool things had already been built and that there would be no more big projects to be a part of in Saskatchewan, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The opportunities here at home have been fantastic.

Wayne Clifton has been the biggest inspiration throughout my career. One shiny nugget of wisdom he taught me through many of the major projects we have worked together on, is that we can design for most of the technical challenges on a project, but the bigger challenge we need to always spend time on is the clients and people. People are a very important part of every project, and it is the relationships we have with our clients and staff that require a significant amount of attention.

As a newly elected member of APEGS’ Council, I look forward to being able to give back and volunteer my service to the association that regulates our profession since it has allowed me to be who I am and work where I do. The self-regulation of our profession is not something we should take for granted, and I hope to be able to contribute to the ongoing improvements within our association, to reinforce the self-regulation of this profession for many more generations to come.

On a personal side, I live with my wife and four children in Regina. Outside of work, I enjoy spending quality time with my family outdoors, going on bike rides, travelling to airshows, and going camping. My spare time is also spent as a member of the Canadian Progress Club – Regina Centre, a community-building association founded by local businesspeople, where we host local fun events to raise funds for local children’s charities.