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CCIL Welcomes New President and Board Members
 
We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new President as well as two new members to the Board of Directors. Join us in welcoming these industry leaders who bring their experience and expertise in helping to guide CCIL’s future.
 
 

Trevor Gluck, P. Eng.
Operations Manager – Manitoba/Saskatchewan Geotechnical & Materials
Wood PLC

 

Trevor Gluck, President of CCIL
Before becoming President, Trevor served on the Board of Directors for four years, most recently as Vice President.

Born and raised in Selkirk, Manitoba, Trevor got his start working in the testing industry at a young age. At just 13, he would spend his summers working at a concrete plant managed by his father.
 
“When you’re a kid working around concrete trucks every day and getting paid for it, how much better can it get?” he laughs.
 
Trevor worked there every summer until he was 18 and then took a job with Preset Piling Ltd., a local piling contractor, for one summer which got him into the geotechnical side of the industry.
 
While working to complete his Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering (BSCE) at the University of Manitoba, Trevor spent his summer terms with M. Block & Associates, a materials testing laboratory and geotechnical/environmental consulting firm. Upon completing his degree, he was hired full time.
 
Trevor spent 10 years with M. Block & Associates before moving on to Wood PLC where he has worked for the last 14 years as a senior associate geotechnical/materials engineer. During his time with Wood PLC, he has worked in pavement and concrete design, aggregate testing, road and bridge concrete/asphalt pavement assessments, slope stability, settlement analysis, construction inspection and monitoring of foundations and earthworks as well as construction management in Alberta, Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba.
 
In his spare time, Trevor loves to coach hockey, act as volunteer on organizations, and cheer on his favourite team, the Winnipeg Jets. He serves on the board of the St. Vital Minor Hockey Association in Manitoba and also coaches his own children’s hockey team.
 
As President, he has set his sights on strengthening regional committees so local laboratories can come together and identify issues important to them that can then be addressed by the larger organization. 
 
Trevor will serve as President until 2023 and looks forward to working with CCIL member laboratories.
 

Geoffrey Uwimana, M. Eng., P. Eng.
Vice President, Discipline Head – Geotechnical Engineering Services
Peto MacCallum Ltd.

 
Geoffrey Uwimana, CCIL Board Member and Chairman of the Geotechnical/Construction Materials Division
Geoffrey was born in the East African country of Uganda and grew up in a small town called Jinja. His early years in educational institutions – from kindergarten to the first two years studying civil engineering at Makerere University - were interrupted by two military coup d'états in 1971 and 1985. After the 1985 coup, he fled the violence and turmoil in Uganda and lived in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia as a refugee before emigrating to Toronto in 1989.
 
Despite losing all his original school certificates from high school and his two years at university in Uganda, Geoffrey went on to complete his Bachelor of Civil Engineering (BCE) at Ryerson Polytechnic University in 1994 and later earned a master’s degree in Civil Engineering (MCE) at the University of Toronto in 2004.
 
Following completion of his undergraduate degree, Geoffrey worked as a structural steel fabricator and a geotechnical/materials engineer at two different firms before being hired at Peto MacCallum Ltd., where he has worked since 1998.
 
His fields of expertise are in geotechnical/foundation engineering, pavement engineering and evaluation/testing of engineering materials. Geoffrey is Vice President of Peto MacCallum and oversees all MTO QA/QC assignments and is the MTO Designated Principal Contact in MTO’s Registry, Appraisal and Qualification System (RAQS).
 
"As a new CCIL Board member, I would like to focus on issues pertaining to quality system management of engineering materials evaluation/testing laboratory facilities, including the associated advocacy elements,” says Geoffrey. “Good quality outcomes can only ensue from good quality management systems.”  
 
Geoffrey is married with one son and in his spare time enjoys a variety of sports including soccer, hockey, basketball, cycling, and golfing. With the help of his mother in Uganda, Geoffrey has actively supported Ugandan orphans for the last thirty years.


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Cengiz Guldemet, P. Eng
Senior Materials Engineer / Branch Manager
Metro Testing + Engineering

 
Cengiz Guldemet, CCIL Board Member and Director of the Geotechnical/Construction Materials Division.
A lifelong Vancouver resident, Cengiz holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
 
Cengiz began his career working for a small materials testing laboratory in the Vancouver area and went on to join Metro Testing + Engineering as a field technician. While completing his P. Eng., he worked as the Quality Control Manager of ready-mix concrete for eight years at Ocean Concrete in Vancouver. In 2004, he returned to Metro Testing + Engineering as a Consulting Engineer where he has worked since.
 
The father of two lives in a suburb of Vancouver with his wife of 28 years. Sharing his work interests is his 24-year-old son who also works at Metro Testing as a field technician while his daughter, 22, studies criminology and also works seasonally at Metro Testing. In his spare time, he loves to travel, play hockey and take on the challenge of DIY projects at home.
 
With over 29 years of experience in the materials consulting, construction testing and concrete ready-mix industry, Cengiz has developed skills as both a senior technician and as a materials engineer. While also serving as a Board member, he is currently serving on CCIL’s regional committee in British Columbia and urges others in the industry to get involved.

“Being a member of CCIL allows you stay on top of the important issues,” says Cengiz. “One thing I would like to focus on as a new Board member is enhancing training for field technicians.”
 

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To the Hon. Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan Minister of Trade and Export Development
 

CCIL met with senior management of the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) last March as part of our ongoing efforts to have the publicly-funded institution stop competing in the provision of routine testing services. As a tax-subsidized organization, SRC is able to price its services at below market rates, thus hurting private-sector businesses and restricting their opportunities for growth and investment.
 
CCIL entered into the talks in good faith. Unfortunately, once more, our concerns were dismissed. As detailed in a letter sent to you on June 2, 2021, we are now calling on you as Minister responsible for the SRC to address our members’ concerns. CCIL, and particularly our Saskatchewan members, look forward to your assistance and intervention in this matter.
 

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Building PPE Testing Capability in Canada
 
CCIL is pleased to have liaised with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in facilitating a forum for CCIL members who are engaged in testing the safety and effectiveness of respiratory PPE.
 
The NRC worked proactively to assure the safety and effectiveness of PPE in Canada by lending its expertise to the development of testing capability, providing testing services for PPE and decontamination equipment, and funding research and development for innovative, made-in-Canada solutions to keep Canadians safe. As part of the NRC’s COVID-19 response, the NRC’s Metrology Research Centre developed capabilities to test particulate filtration efficiency (PFE) of respiratory PPE based on internationally recognised standards.
 
CCIL would like to extend its appreciation to the NRC for helping shape the PPE landscape in Canada. This testing was important to determine whether this critical PPE met performance requirements in order to protect the wearer, as well as support the development of an emerging Canadian PPE industry. 
 
Since then, multiple laboratories in Canada have developed testing capabilities, some of them accredited, or in the process of being accredited, by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and other accreditation bodies.
 
We are proud to have engaged with NRC in building PPE testing capacity in Canada. This is a perfect example of how research & development and innovation organizations like the NRC, along with the testing community, can work together to benefit all Canadians.
 
Stakeholders can refer to the SCC directory of accredited laboratories to find those offering Particulate Filtration Efficiency testing: (https://www.scc.ca/search/laboratories)
 

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CCIL Scholarship Award Winner
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Chemical Technology Scholarship

 
As part of our commitment to supporting STEM students, CCIL provides a number of scholarships across Canada. We are proud to be assisting these future engineers, scientists and technicians.
 
This year's winner of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology annual scholarship is Jon Wong. Jon is the second recipient of this annual bursary of $2,500 which is awarded to a student in the Chemical Technology Program entering his/her second year of studies.
 
Jon Wong
“I sincerely would like to thank the Canadian Council of Independent Laboratories for this award. I am proud to be chosen as the recipient of this prestigious honor. I was elated and proud to find out that I won, I told all my friends.  Receiving this award bolsters my confidence that I am doing a good job in school.”
 

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Extended Deadline for CCIL’s High School Graduate Scholarships
 
CCIL is awarding five annual scholarships, each in the amount of $500, to high school graduates who have been accepted into a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) program at a recognized Canadian university or college this year.
 
The deadline for applications has now been extended to September 30, 2021.
 
The scholarships are open only to those working for, or whose family members are employed by, CCIL-member firms. They must have demonstrated academic excellence based on grades and have shown leadership through extra-curricular involvement or volunteer activities within the community or school.
 
So if you or your family member meets the requirements and could use an extra $500 in academic assistance, check out the requirements here and make sure to apply by September 30.
 

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CCIL Honours Three
 
At the April Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors presented awards to CCIL’s outgoing President and two retiring members from the Board. Please join us in thanking   
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Let’s Hear From You
 
If there’s an issue affecting the testing industry or your business, we want to know about it. If you’d like to get involved in our various activities, we welcome your input. If you have a story or comment for LabWatch, pass it along. We’re here for you. Please contact:
 
Muktha Tumkur
CCIL Executive Director
905-805-1170
mtumkur@ccil.com
 
 

Correction
 
Michael Maher served on the CCIL Board for about 20 years, not 25 years as reported in the last issue of LabWatch.
LabWatch is a quarterly newsletter produced by the Canadian Council of Independent Laboratories. By opening this ‘window’ on our sector, we hope to engage government, industry and other stakeholders in an informed discussion of the issues.


NEWSLETTER CONTACT:
Megan Stephens

mstephens@ccil.com  
416-777-0368
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