Kathleen Kurtin, OAA FRAIC
As I write this in mid-October, it is a critical time for architects across the country to make important choices. In Ontario, as well as many of the other provinces, our professional self-regulating organizations are holding elections for their councils. Meanwhile, the RAIC, our national advocacy body, is also running elections. And, of course, on the federal stage, various political parties are trying to sway our opinions over who is the best person to govern the country.
Having a federal government that understands issues like the climate crisis and the need for a resilient built environment as well as affordable, accessible housing is vital, but so too is having strong governing councils for our professional regulators and advocacy bodies. This requires architects across the county to take the time to thoroughly research the candidates running in our professional organizations and federal election, and then vote for the choice that reflects their aspirations. As president of the Ontario Association of Architects, I wrote an open letter earlier this year, challenging members to be more active in our Association?s decision-making. Today, I am challenging all architects across the county to participate in the decision-making of our profession. We are relatively small in number, but a strong architectural profession is critical to the future of our built environment?each of us has a responsibility to contribute to the profession?s continued stabil...