This year, Christan Drolet, ing., accidentally passed away. Christian contributed a lot toward our profession, first in the field of drainage, and then on the construction of manure storage structures. AIAQ wanted to express sympathies to friends and family of Christian. 

For several months now, AIAQ has been working on his new action plan for the coming year in order to continue promoting agri-food engineering and defending our members’ interests. Our main objective this year will be to increase AIAQ activities in food engineering. The first step was to elect a second food engineer on the Executive Committee (Ms Alfa Arzate) last spring to help Henriot M. Sabourin, our vice-president, food engineering. The new duo has joined forces this summer to establish a strategy to enhance AIAQ’s services in food engineering. In the end, the results is that AIAQ is now an affiliated member of the Conseil de transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ). This partnership will promote AIAQ on CTAQ’s website, allow reduced inscription costs to CTAQ’s events, and give access to our members to technical committees and scientific information. AIAQ is also in discussion with other groups (REGAAUL, IRDA and CSBE) to organize other scientific events in agri-food engineering. AIAQ will also continue his work with the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) to sensitize different organizations to the Law of engineers that states some exclusive practices to our engineers in the field of drainage and river management. AIAQ will also try to increase and enhance promotion activities and communications with its members. For example, we are working on a video project that will promote AIAQ and agri-food engineering. Follow our actions on our website!

It's now time to renew or register as an AIAQ member for 2017. You can register online: http://aiaq.qc.ca/en/members/devenir-membre.

On October 26, a training session on wood constructions given by two engineers from the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) was held in many MAPAQ regional offices around the province. The 8 hours course was a huge success and an advanced course could be given in the next months. If you have suggestions for training sessions, you can contact us at: Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser..

AIAQ wishes to continue its collaboration with Université Laval. Sébastien Fournel, president, met Christina Ratti (Professor and Quebec regional director of CSBE/SCGAB) to discuss about possible collaboration for the organisazation of events in agri-food engineering. Damien de Halleux (Professor) was met to discuss about a project to create a research chair on farm buildings. Finally, students were met to promote AIAQ and the profession. 

Last year, AIAQ added on its website a repertorty of companies. If you are a member, you can post a description of your campany for only 50$/year. Moreover, a visibility will be allowed to the registred companies at the AIAQ events. You are also invited to post a job offer. 

AIAQ want to acknowledge the awards earned by some of its members during the AGM of the CSBE in Halifax: groupe Génie-Conseil Consumaj inc., Alexandre Houle, Raphaël Soucy-Gauthier, Cédric St-Pierre, Jérémie Bonneau and MUtrac and ULtrac teams.