The Professional Governance Act Virtual Town Hall was held on Thursday, September 17. With more than 100 attendees, the event gave registrants an opportunity to hear from the government directly regarding the recent announcement to move the AIBC from the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training to the Ministry of the Attorney General, and the eventual transition from the Architects Act to the Professional Governance Act.
AIBC President Ian McDonald Architect AIBC welcomed attendees and introduced Paul Craven, the Superintendent of the Office of Professional Governance (OSPG), and Mark Vernon, CEO of the AIBC.
The Town Hall began with a presentation from Paul Craven, which provided a general overview of the OSPG and the PGA, before sharing specifics about how the AIBC will govern and operate under the PGA. Paul covered the history of the legislation that led to the formation of the OSPG, and the evolution of the professional governance model. He described the role of the Office to be a centre for excellence and expertise in professional governance, as well as shared their vision and four main pillars: regulate, review, research, and report.
The presentation then shifted to focus specifically on the AIBC, and the phased approached that will be taken throughout the transition.
Paul outlined what registrants could expect during the transition, as well as impacts on professional practice and architectural regulation, such as a leaner council, changes to the bylaw adoption process, declarations of conflict of interest, and more. The presentation concluded with looking ahead – with a focus on modernization, improvement in regulation, and better responsiveness by the government to concerns of the province’s professional regulatory bodies. Paul noted he looked forward to working closely with the AIBC as we move through the transition together.
The full presentation is now available for review on the AIBC website:
Following the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions directly to Paul and have their comments addressed. The AIBC is in the process of compiling several of these questions and will be adding them to the PGA webpage. If you were unable to attend but still have a question you would like to ask, please email pga@aibc.ca and we will forward your questions to the OSPG.
Of note, since the Town Hall, the provincial government has announced that an election will be held on October 24, which may cause delay in the timeline that was presented. The AIBC will continue to work with the OSPG and share any updates and information.