IEEE Canada Newsletter

This Issue's Content:

News of Interest
   - Section Events
   - Conferences
   - Awards & Recognition
   - Announcements
Upcoming Events
   - New Brunswick
   - Montreal
   - Ottawa
   - Toronto
   - Winnipeg
   - Calgary
   - Other
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Issue: December 2006 IEEE Canada News Central

A Happy Holiday Season to All!

News of Interest

Ø Section Events

- The First Transatlantic Cable (TAT-1) – IEEE Milestone Presentation

- The IEEE Ottawa Section 2006 Annual General Meeting

Ø Conferences

- 16th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Electrical and Computer Engineering Conference - NECEC 2006

- Upcoming IEEE Conferences in Canada

Ø Awards & Recognition

- IEEE Awards – Message from Bob Hanna, IEEE Canada President

- 2007 Outstanding Young Engineer Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) – Dr. Christophe Caloz

o Fellows

- IEEE Canada Fellows – Class of 2007

- Congratulations to the New Fellows from IEEE Canada Board of Directors

- New Fellow Featured in this issue:

- Bill Chisholm - Toronto Section

o Senior Members

- Ziqin Li - Toronto Section

Ø Announcements

- The Formation Of A New Team To Compete In The Formula Hybrid Competition

- IEEE and Canadian Standards Association Announce Joint Agreement to Improve and Promote Electrical Safety

- 2007 IEEE Region 7 Director Elections

News of Interest

Ø Section Events

The First Transatlantic Cable (TAT-1) – IEEE Milestone Presentation

On Sunday, September 24 the IEEE Newfoundland and Labrador Section in partnership with the Town of Clarenville and the Clarenville Heritage Society celebrated an IEEE Milestone dedication ceremony commemorating the site of the first transatlantic cable (TAT-1) near the site of the former cable station in Clarenville.

The IEEE Milestones Program honours significant achievements in the history of electrical and computer engineering. There are approximately 70 of these milestone sites in the world, 6 of which are in Canada. In recognition of its pivotal role in the development of worldwide communications, half of the Canadian sites are in Newfoundland. The first successful transatlantic telegraph cable, in 1866, is commemorated by a Milestone at Heart’s Content. There is also a Milestone at Signal Hill in St. John’s honouring the reception of the first wireless signal across the Atlantic by Marconi in 1901. The latest Milestone recognises Clarenville as the eastern terminal of the first transatlantic telephone cable, TAT-1 which entered service on September 26, 1956.

The TAT-1 inaugurated the modern era of global communications. Before TAT-1, voice was carried on unreliable radio channels and text messaging was carried on submarine telegraph cables (the technology of the previous 90 years), which was reliable, but slow and expensive. TAT-1 operated with exemplary reliability until 1978, when advances in technology made it obsolete.

The dedication ceremony drew about 100 spectators. Gerard Dunphy was the Master of Ceremonies. The roster of speakers began with greetings and best wishes from the political leaders at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels - Mayor Fred Best, Ross Wiseman, MHA, Trinity North and Bill Matthews, MP, Random-Burin-St.George. Dr. Camilla O’Shea from the Clarenville Heritage Society eloquently explained the role of Clarenville in the transatlantic project. The Heritage Society and the Town of Clarenville were instrumental in establishing the Milestone. The role of the people of Newfoundland in telecommunications was celebrated by Dr. Wallace Read, a resident of Newfoundland and a past President of IEEE. Dr Ferial El-Hawary, President Elect of IEEE Canada conveyed the best wishes of IEEE Canada. Dr. Jerry Hayes, a former worker on TAT-1 and who has written extensively on TAT-1, called for a moment of silence remembering the men and women who contributed to the advances of global telecommunications. The plaque was unveiled by Lloyd Currie and Kathleen Chafe. Mr. Currie worked at the Clarenville cable station and is a member of the Clarenville Heritage Society. Ms. Chafe was the Chair of the TAT-1 Milestone Organizing Committee.

The dedication ceremony was followed by a reception at the Clarenville Inn. All enjoyed refreshments and hors d’oeuvres during this excellent social networking opportunity. The Clarenville Heritage Society prepared a very interesting display of TAT-1 artifacts and photographs. Dr. Jerry Hayes presented an informal slideshow highlighting key events in telecommunications history before, during, and after TAT-1. Commemorative Booklets and Clarenville pins were provided to all attendees.

The members of the Organizing Committee were very pleased with the event. The IEEE Newfoundland and Labrador Section would like to acknowledge the enormous contribution of the Town of Clarenville and the Clarenville Heritage Society who were critical to the success of the celebration.

Source: Newsletter of the Newfoundland and Labrador IEEE Section, Volume 06, No. 2, Nov. 2006

The IEEE Ottawa Section 2006 Annual General Meeting

The IEEE Ottawa Section 2006 Annual General Meeting was held at the National Art Centre on October 24, 2006. Dr. Bransilav Djokic, chair of the IEEE-Ottawa Section started the meeting by a report on the activities and achievements in 2006.

During the AGM 2006, the following were elected as the new IEEE Ottawa Section executives for the year 2007:

* Chair: Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi

* Vice-Chair: Raed Abdullah

* Treasurer: Dr. Sreeraman Rajan

* Secretary: Kexing Liu

Congratulations to the new elected officers and our thanks to the outgoing executives: Dr. Bransilav Djokic and Amir Ghavam.

Following the election of the new executives, Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi gave his acceptance speech as the new Chair of the IEEE Ottawa Section in 2007. The speech included the planned activities for 2007:

- Encouraging and helping the Section chapters and affinity groups to organize local, national and international conferences to be held in the National Capital/City of Ottawa. Doing this, it will

- bring many presenters and attendees from around the world for cross pollination;

- benefit the city’s economic development;

- increase the knowledge and keep engineering community updated with industry involvement.

- Develop the Electrical Power Symposium into a Canada wide event that will be hosted by other IEEE sections. (national vs. local conference)

- Continuous promotion of members to Senior and Fellow membership levels.

- Applying for the IEEE Regional Activities Board awards for the past Section activities.

- Increase the number of technical and educational seminars and workshops.

- Promote and support the new formed affinity group “Women in Engineering”.

- Increase the interaction with other IEEE sections.

- Further develop relations with the engineering societies, organizations, industry, academia, and government institutions.

- Invite all members of the IEEE Ottawa Section to volunteers and provide suggestions and feedback and to increase the value of their membership as well as the value of the Section activities.

The AGM 2006 was continued by the Keynote Speech by Dr. Arthur Carty, National Science Advisor to the Prime Minister. The topic of the speech was Science, Technology and Innovation: Recent Developments and New Challenges.

Ø Conferences

16th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Electrical and Computer Engineering Conference - NECEC 2006

On November 9, 2006 the IEEE NL Section, in partnership with Memorial University, hosted the 16th annual Newfoundland and Labrador Electrical and Computer Engineering Conference (NECEC) at the Holiday Inn in St. John’s. NECEC is a forum where professionals and students in electrical, electronic and computer engineering as well as information technology and sciences can present their work to the growing technical community within the province.

The Conference Chair for NECEC 2006 was Gerard Dunphy from Newfoundland & Labrador Hydro and the Technical Chair was Dr. Eric Gill from Memorial University. Organizers are pleased to report that this year they had 114 attendees and 61 papers (52 oral presentations + 9 posters) covering a wide range of technical subject areas. Awards were given as follows:

Wally Read Best Student Paper Award – Dilan Amarasinghe
Wally Read Best Graduate of the Last Decade Paper Award – Reza Shahidi
T. David Collett Best Industry Paper Award – Jonathan Anstey
Best Poster Award – Isheeta Nargis

Congratulations to all of the winners as well as to all those who submitted a paper for the conference. It is your participation which continues to ensure the event is a success.

The keynote speaker was Paul Dubé, Executive Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries, who gave a very thought provoking presentation on our “flattening world” and dynamic global marketplace and challenged the audience to acquire the “softer” skills they need to position themselves within the new global realities. The luncheon speaker was Dave van de Wetering, Nortel - Wireless Account Executive for Bell Aliant. For the past eight years he has been working directly with Bell Aliant providing solutions for wireless and Metro Ethernet environments. He spoke on the evolution of wireless technologies.

Proceeds from this event and past conferences are used to sponsor IEEE Scholarships, which are awarded to students in the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering program at Memorial University of Newfoundland, as well as to support other activities within the province.

Source: Newsletter of the Newfoundland and Labrador IEEE Section, Volume 06, No. 2, Nov. 2006

Upcoming IEEE Conferences in Canada

All IEEE Conferences in Canada - please use this link.

Ø Awards & Recognition

IEEE Awards – Message from Bob Hanna, IEEE Canada President

My sincere gratitude for your excellent volunteer work and congratulations for being recognized by IEEE in 2006 for the following awards:

Stephen Dueck, Winnipeg Section, RAB GOLD Achievement Award "For outstanding and sustained contributions towards the success of the Winnipeg Section GOLD activities ".
Dawn Nedohin-Macek, Winnipeg Section - "For outstanding leadership of the IEEE Winnipeg Section GOLD Affinity Group".

Adam Skorek, St. Maurice Section, RAB Leadership Award - In recognition of his dynamic leadership and significant contributions in promoting IEEE and the engineering profession".

Vijay Sood, Montreal Section, RAB Achievement Award "For outstanding leadership and contributions in the development and production of IEEE Canadian Review/La Revue Canadienne de l'IEEE".
Hisham El-Masry, Kingston Section - "For exemplary leadership in
promoting IEEE membership and activities in the Kingston Section "

We are proud of your achievements and many thanks all for your contributions. You made my day and keep up the good work.

2007 Outstanding Young Engineer Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) – Dr. Christophe Caloz

Dr. Christophe Caloz has bee selected to receive 2007 Outstanding Young Engineer Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S)

This award recognizes an outstanding young MTT-S member who has distinguished himself/herself through a sequence of achievements which may be technical (within the MTT-S Field of Interest), may constitute exemplary service to the MTT-S, or may be a combination of both. Caloz’s citation reads: “For pioneering contributions to the development of novel concepts and

applications of electromagnetic metamaterials”.

Christophe Caloz has been a professor at Polytechnique Montreal since June 2004 and he is a member of the Poly-Grames Research Center. He is also the holder of the Canada Research Chair Future Intelligent Radio-Frequency Metamaterials, which constitutes the core of a larger scale research aiming at creating a platform for the development of a new generation of RF circuits and devices.

Prof. Caloz holds several patents and is a popular speaker, He is the author of the first unified text book on metamaterials, Electromagnetic Metamaterials: Transmission Line Theory and Microwave Applications (Wiley et IEEE Press), and of more than 150 papers, as well as the coauthor of three collective books.

The award will be conferred at the annual Society Awards Banquet to be held during the International Microwave Symposium the week of June 3 – 8, 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Congratulations to Dr. Christophe Caloz!

o Fellows

IEEE Canada Fellows – Class of 2007

The IEEE Board of Directors has named 14 IEEE Canada Senior Members to Fellow Grade effective 1 January 2007. The new Fellows are listed below.

KITCHENER-WATERLOO SECTION

Ming Li

University of Waterloo

for contributions in kolmogorov complexity and its applications

Claudio Canizares

University of Waterloo

for contributions to voltage stability of power systems

MONTREAL SECTION

David Plant

McGill University

for contributions to optoelectronic devices

Michel Duval

Hydro Quebec (IREQ)

for contributions to electrical insulation and high voltage equipment

Kamal Al Haddad

for contributions to research and development of power electronics

converters

OTTAWA SECTION

Hui Liu

National Research Council of Canada

Institute for Microstructural Sciences

for contributions to resonant tunneling and intersubband quantum devices

Barry Wood

National Research Council of Canada
Institute for National Measurement Standards
for contributions to fundamental electrical measurement standards

Andrew Podgorski

ASR Technologies, Inc.

for contributions to broadband immunity and compatibility certification

Paris Vachon

Defence R&D Canada – Ottawa

for contributions to operational marine applications of imaging radar

Charles Woodside

Carleton University

for contributions to real-time software system performance engineering

QUEBEC SECTION

Masoud Farzaneh

University of Quebec in Chicoutimi (UQAC)

for leadership in the area of ice-covered insulator flashover mechanisms and development of application guidelines

SOUTHERN ALBERTA SECTION

Fadhel Ghannouchi

The University of Calgary

for contributions to advanced microwave amplification circuits and

sub-systems

TORONTO SECTION

William Chisholm

Kinectrics, Inc.

for contributions to extra high voltage transmission line performance

assessment

VANCOUVER SECTION

Rodney Vaughan

Simon Fraser University

for contributions to the theory and design of antennas, diversity systems and signal processing techniques for mobile communications

A complete list of all IEEE Fellows - Class of 2007 can be found at: http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/fellows/new-fellows.html

Congratulations to the New Fellows from IEEE Canada Board of Directors

On behalf of IEEE Canada Board of Directors, our sincere congratulations to class 2007 Fellows. This is an excellent achievement to Region 7 that 14 members were elevated to Fellow Grade. Congratulations!

Bob Hanna, President IEEE Canada

New IEEE Fellow Featured in this Issue

Dr. Bill Chisholm, Ph.D., P.Eng (Ont)

Toronto Section

Dr.Bill Chisholm, P.Eng (Ont) is a Principal Engineer at Kinectrics (www.kinectrics.com), the former Ontario Hydro Research Division, now owned by Vision Capital Limited of London. He received his BASc. in Engineering Science in 1977, an M.Eng in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering by the University of Waterloo in 1983. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (www.cigele.ca).
Bill has carried out and delivered research to understand how adverse weather affects EHV transmission system reliability. When lightning strikes the tall transmission-line towers, the electromagnetic response, including an apparently imperfect reflection from ground, adds to voltage stress on line insulation, causing unexpected flashover arcs through the air. When ice or freezing fog accumulates on typical EHV station-post insulators, combinations of surface pollution and melting temperatures also lead to flashovers. Lines with thermal restrictions have been operated with more confidence using distributed-average wind speeds derived from his real-time measurements of conductor clearance above ground.
His citation from IEEE is “for contributions to extra high voltage transmission line performance assessment”.
Bill chaired the IEEE Lightning and Insulator Subcommittee from 1997 to 2005 and also chaired the Transmission Lightning Performance Working Group that was awarded the “Best Standard, 1999” for IEEE 1243-1997, “Guide for Improving the Lightning Performance of Transmission Lines”. He has served on many paper and panel sessions at IEEE PES conferences and also gave invited guest lectures in Japan, Switzerland, Italy and Brazil. He contributed to the EPRI Transmission Line Reference Book, 200 kV and Above (third edition). Outside of work, he is a member of the North Toronto Masters Swim Club (www.swimordie.ca) and has held ten Ontario records in butterfly and distance freestyle.

o Senior Members

Newly Elected IEEE Senior Member Featured in this Issue

Ziqin Li

Toronto Section

Ziqin (pronounced Zee-chun) Li is a Registered Professional Engineer in Ontario and a Senior Engineer in the High Voltage Testing Laboratory at Kinectrics, the former Ontario Hydro Research Division. He received his BASc and MASc in Electrical Engineering, in 1972 and 1980, respectively, from University of Guangzi and Huazhou University of Technologies. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering by the University of Manitoba in 1989. He has extensive and diversified industry experience in testing and developing high-voltage power apparatus including insulators, high-voltage cables, switchgear and transformers. He has carried out research in SF₆ insulation and has also improved the test methods when carrying out measurements of very fast transient voltages in the high-voltage environment. His development contributions include methods to establish end-of-life and string replacement criteria for defective porcelain insulators on existing transmission lines, and ways to adapt up-to-date nondestructive test methods in the live-line working environment in order to establish the remaining cross-section of steel support wires in overhead transmission lines.

Ø Announcements

The Formation Of A New Team To Compete In The Formula Hybrid Competition

The University of Guelph's Gryphon Racing would like to announce the formation of a new team to compete in the Formula Hybrid competition offered internationally by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Gryphon Racing's Formula Hybrid team is made up primarily of engineering students, and will be the second of its kind in Canada and the first in the world to use a biodiesel engine. This team will join Gryphon Racing's existing FSAE team and aims to compete in the May 2008 competition in Hanover, New Hampshire.

The Formula Hybrid competition will see students around the world design, build and race complete open-wheeled, single seated racing cars that are powered by an electric motor in concert with an internal combustion engine. The University of Guelph's car will be a technological showcase for a number of cutting-edge automotive technologies including hybrid powertrains, biodiesel engines and continuously variable transmissions.

Gryphon Racing would like to thank the enthusiastic sponsors already on board, including Kubota Canada, Bombardier Canada, Tektronix, IET Toronto Section, Freescale Semiconductor, Henkel and SolidWorks, as well as faculty advisers Dr. John Runciman and Dr. Stefano Gregori. They continue to seek sponsors and students to join the team. No qualifications or skills are required and the team is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Contact Information:
web www.gryphonracing.org
email hybrid@gryphonracing.org
phone: (519) 824-4120 ex. 52698

IEEE and Canadian Standards Association Announce Joint Agreement to Improve and Promote Electrical Safety

Toronto, ON - 16 October 2006 - The IEEE and Canadian Standards Association (CSA), both leading developers of standards and codes, today announced a joint agreement designed to improve electrical safety by promoting awareness, knowledge and the application of standards and industry best practices in the community and workplace. To read a complete story please visit http://standards.ieee.org/announcements/pr_ieeecsaesa.html

2007 IEEE Region 7 Director Elections

Letter from the Past President IEEE Canada W.O. (Bill) Kennedy

Next year, 2007, IEEE Canada will elect a Director-Elect. The Director-Elect will serve for a six year term; two years as Director-Elect, two years as Director and two years as Past Director. During two years as Director-Elect, the successful candidate will serve on one or more Regional Activity Board committee including attendance at IEEE Board meetings and participate in IEEE Canada activities as a member of all three governance boards. During the two years as Director, in addition to the previous responsibilities, the successful candidate will serve on the IEEE Board of Directors; the Engineering Institute of Canada's Board and conduct all IEEE Canada business. As Past Director, the successful candidate will be IEEE Canada's representative and member of the IEEE Canada Foundation Board and may serve on one or more IEEE committees. In the IEEE world, IEEE Canada is Region 7.

As Past President and Past Region Director it is my duty to find suitable candidates and conduct the screening process for the Director-Elect position. Although any qualified member can run, the next Director-Elect will nominally come from the Canada West Area. The purpose of this note is to inform you about the election and provide you with an overview of how the screening process works.

Nominations - typically potential candidates are nominated by their respective Section, however self-nominations are allowed. The candidates must be an IEEE Senior Member and ideally have served on one or more Region Committees. Potential candidates are required to submit an IEEE biography outlining their involvement in IEEE Canada's activities along with a position statement. Potential candidates are advised to familiarize themselves with IEEE Canada's Bylaws and Operations Manual and IEEE Regional Activities Bylaws and Operations Manual.

IEEE Canada's Steering Committee will conduct telephone interviews with all potential candidates who meet the requirements to run for Director-Elect in February 2007. The candidates will be allotted a15-minute time slot. The first 5-minutes will allow the candidate to introduce themselves and state why they are running and how they can make a difference. The next 5-minutes the candidate will answer a common set of questions prepared by the Steering Committee. For the final 5-minutes the Steering Committee may ask additional and specific questions to the candidate on their experience and suitability. Strict time limits will apply to the call.

After all candidates have been heard the Steering Committee will rank the candidates and pick a minimum of two, maximum of three candidates for Director-Elect. The names will be submitted to IEEE for final screening, i.e. eligibility to run for office. The Past President will notify the candidates of the outcome of the screening results. Finally, the selected candidates will be invited to IEEE Canada's Spring Meeting in Vancouver to address the Region Committee and take questions on their candidacy from IEEE Canada's Board. IEEE Canada will provide the candidates with an allowance to cover their travel expenses.

Should you be interested in nominating a potential candidate or self-nominating, please forward a statement of interest along with a biographical sketch outlining your IEEE activities stating your qualifications for office to w.kennedy-at-ieee.org with a copy to c.lowell-at-ieee.org before January 15, 2007. IEEE Canada will notify the qualified candidates of the date and time of their telephone interview with the Steering Committee.

Petition Candidate - IEEE allows for petition candidates. Candidates must get valid signatures from 2% of the IEEE Canada voting members as of December 31, 2006. Typically this means the petition candidate requires the valid signatures of between 250 to 300 members. The numbers will be confirmed based on December 31, 2006 membership statistics. For 2007 a new category of membership Graduate Student Member (GSM) will eligible to vote and run for IEEE office. To be eligible to run as a petition candidate, IEEE must receive the petition and signatures prior to June 15, 2007. IEEE will verify that the petition candidate has satisfied IEEE requirements to run as a petition candidate.

W.O. (Bill) Kennedy, P.Eng., FEIC

Past President IEEE Canada