What is a Professional Engineer?

Professional engineers have been called "guardians of public safety", licensed to ensure we all remain safe, in the same respect that doctors have been called "guardians of public health". The "P.Eng." appended to an engineer's title denotes that they are licensed. Only a professional engineer can authorize the development of a project, and they will be the one ultimately responsible for the success and safety of the project.

There are nearly 161,000 professional engineers (P.Eng.) in Canada, working on projects which involve many different aspects of engineering. In order to regulate this large body of people, professional associations have been formed. In Ontario, the governing association is Professional Engineers Ontario, or PEO. These associations are responsible for licensing and disciplining engineers and companies providing engineering services. Provincial laws define the powers and limitations of such organizations.