As of February 10, 2023, the AIBC has been under the authority of the Professional Governance Act (PGA). As part of the transition, new Bylaws were published to comply with the requirements of the legislation. As we move through the first phases of the transition, the AIBC continues to refine the Bylaws. Under the PGA, the AIBC Board (previously AIBC Council) is authorized to amend the Bylaws, with final approval by the Superintendent of Professional Governance.
Recently, the AIBC submitted proposed Bylaw amendments to the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance for approval and filing with the minister. After review, the Superintendent declared that Bylaw amendments would be in force, effective June 5, 2023. As of today, the updated AIBC Bylaws (PDF) are now in effect, and available on the AIBC website.
Most of the amendments are minor in nature, although there are several changes of note, which are highlighted below. All capitalized terms in this Notice are defined terms in the AIBC Bylaws.
1. Terminology
All regulators under the PGA are required to update their terminology to better reflect their roles as regulatory bodies. Changes to several terms in relation to the Board (previously AIBC Council) were made. It is important to note that the core purpose and function of the Board remains the same – only titles have changed. The updated terms are the following:
- Council to Board;
- Councillor to Board Member;
- President to Board Chair; and
- Vice-President to Board Vice Chair
Over the coming weeks and months, the AIBC will update the website and regulatory documents to be reflective of these terminology changes.
2. CES Non-compliance
Amendments were made to the Continuing Education System (CES) non-compliance bylaws. Notably, Bylaw 5.19 confirms that after 90 days of suspension for CES non-compliance, registration will be cancelled. An additional amendment was made to help clarify the reinstatement process following registration cancellation.
3. Reinstatement Interview Process
Bylaw 4.25 outlines the reinstatement requirements for former registrants. It has been amended to include a previous reinstatement practice of conducting reinstatement interviews for those seeking reinstatement as Architects, if they have not engaged in the Regulated Practice of architecture for three or more years.
4. Information on the Register
Bylaw 8.5 defines what information about Individual Registrants must be included in the register. An additional requirement was added to ensure that the register reflects all businesses connected to an Individual Registrant when they are engaged in the Regulated Practice of architecture.
Upcoming Amendments, Questions and Comments
Additional amendments related to some Professional Standards found in Schedule A: Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct are currently under consideration. Registrants will be given an opportunity to provide feedback later in 2023.
If you have any questions or comments about the AIBC Bylaws or upcoming amendments, please email bylawfeedback@aibc.ca.