In an opinion piece for the Hamilton Spectator, McMaster University Director of the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology Brian Baetz argues that Canada’s overlapping challenges—climate change, housing affordability, and health system strain—are an opportunity to reimagine nation-building with engineers as civic partners. He calls for cross-sector collaboration that centres communities and Indigenous leadership, and for a broader definition of resilience—one that goes beyond traditional engineering definitions of “withstanding stress,” to include adaptability, inclusivity, and foresight. “Canada’s future will not be built by engineers alone, nor by politicians or entrepreneurs in isolation,” Baetz writes. “It will be built by communities coming together to solve problems that matter.”
