Questions and Answers Arising from the AIBC Special Meeting

Updated February 16, 2009

Section G: Role of the AIBC / AIBC Council / Task Force for Legislative Renewal

G1. Q: How do these changes and proposed changes address the important principle of maintaining separation between licenser and advocacy as articulated in the existing architects act?

G2. Q: AIBC Council, as per the Architects Act, is composed of 15 council members: 10 MAIBCs, four Lieutenant Governor’s Appointees and one representative from the University of British Columbia. Why does the AIBC web site show other persons as being council members, and why are these people allowed to sit as part of the council group at membership meetings?

G3. Q: With reference to Part 2: Governance of the Institute (Section 9), only 10 of the proposed 19 council members are registered architects. How will this benefit the institute? How will it protect the public interest?

G1. Q: How do these changes and proposed changes address the important principle of maintaining separation between licenser and advocacy as articulated in the existing architects act?

A: The proposed new legislation maintains the separation between regulation and advocacy. Regulatory obligations and protection of the public interest are of primary concern under the legislation governing any profession. Any advocacy of the profession to the public must be done against this backdrop, and always in the public interest rather than a narrower professional interest.

A: It is a long-standing practice of the AIBC to have non-voting members on AIBC Council, including representatives of the Intern Architects and Architectural Technologists. With the introduction of new associate categories, representatives of the Building Designers and Interior Designer have been designated, allowing those associate categories to provide information and advice to AIBC Council. There is nothing that legally prevents this practise.

G3 Q: With reference to Part 2: Governance of the Institute (Section 9), only 10 of the proposed 19 council members are registered architects. How will this benefit the institute? How will it protect the public interest?

A: Of those 19 members, four are lay appointments by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (Cabinet) and one a representative of the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture. As with the governing bodies of other self-regulating professions including engineers, doctors and lawyers, the LG appointees are named by the provincial government with the express purpose of protecting the public interest. Other council positions (beyond the 10 architects, four LG Appointees and UBC representative) are non-voting and advisory only. Accordingly, registered architects represent 10 of 15 council votes.

Should you have any further questions regarding the proposed legislation, please submit them using the Feedback resource on the New Legislation web page.

The complete Q&A is also available in PDF format. Please click here to download.