Celebrating 25 years of Professional Self-Regulation


2000 - 2025:  A Milestone in Protecting the Public Interest

The Professional Geoscientists Ontario (PGO) proudly marks its 25th year as a professional regulatory body. PGO was created in 2000 following the Royal Assent of  the Professional Geoscientists Act on June 23 of that year. Since then, PGO has played a critical role in safeguarding professional and ethical standards, supporting geoscientists, and contributing to responsible decision-making across sectors that rely on geoscience expertise.

Join us as we celebrate this important milestone - honouring our history, recognizing those who have contributed to the profession's growth, and looking ahead to the future of professional regulation in a changing world.

Event Overview

Date and Location
June 6, 2025 l Toronto Marriott City Centre
One Blue Jays Way, Toronto

Schedule
Day Program: 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Evening Program: 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

1:30 to 3:30pm Annual General Meeting.  (Northern Lights Ballroom) Further information about the AGM will be available soon.
3:30 to 4:45pm Networking with APGO Education Foundation (Raptor Room) Join Dr. Bill Pearson, Founder and Chair of the APGO Education Foundation, for a brief introduction to GeoscienceINFO.com, a wonderful resource for geoscience information and virtual field trips including GeoRoutes, GeoWalks, GeoHikes, and GeoPaddles!  A networking session will immediately follow with light refreshments.
3:30 to 4:45pm Wine Tasting with Malivoire (Legends Lounge)

$20/pp; limited availability

Join Shiraz Mottiar, winemaker and team principal at Malivoire Wine Company, as he highlights the relationship between geoscience and winemaking, featuring wines from Ontario’s original gravity winery, certified sustainable, and exceptionally delicious.  Taste the terroir! 
5:00 to 8:30pm  Celebration Dinner featuring Guest Speaker Adam Shoalts (Northern Lights Ballroom) $100/pp for a ticket (Wine, Beer and Soft Drinks are included)

Come together with colleagues and friends for a special evening as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of PGO.  Help us honour our history, recognize those who have contributed to the profession’s growth, and look ahead to the future of professional geoscience regulation in a changing world.

The evening celebration will feature a keynote address by Adam Shoalts, professional adventurer and best-selling author, described by the Toronto Star as “Canada’s Indiana Jones.” Learn more about Adam Shoalts.

Futher Evening Celebration Details:

-4:30pm Northern Lights Ballroom opens. Cash bar avaliable until 5:30 pm.
-5:00pm to 5:30pm PGO Speakers.
-5:30pm to 7:00pm Dinner will be served.
-7:00pm to 8:00pm Guest Speaker
-8:00pm-8:30pm Adam Shoalts Book Signing

Contact:  Carmen Li-Tsang, MBA
Operations & Administration Coordinator
carmenli.tsang@pgo.ca

Online registration will be available soon. 

Featured Keynote Speaker - Adam Shoalts, Ph.D.

Professional adventurer and best-selling author, Adam Shoalts will deliver the keynote address, sharing stories of resilience, exploration and the natural world.



Adam Shoalts, Ph.D., is a professional adventurer and Westaway Explorer-in-Residence at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. His expeditions range from mapping rivers to archaeological projects, but Shoalts is best known for his long solo journeys, including crossing alone nearly 4,000 km of Canada’s Arctic. Named one of the “greatest living explorers” by CBC and even declared “Canada’s Indiana Jones” by the Toronto Star, Shoalts’s latest adventure was a 3,400 km solo journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic, the subject of his new national bestselling book Where the Falcon Flies. His other books include Alone Against the North, A History of Canada in 10 Maps, Beyond the Trees: A Journey Alone Across Canada's Arctic, and The Whisper on the Night Wind, all of them national bestsellers. He has a PhD from McMaster University in history, and in his free time, enjoys long walks in the woods. More about Adam on this link - https://adamshoalts.com/ 

Geoscience for the Future - Articles

Starting January 2025, a series of monthly articles will be published to call attention to the importance of professionalism in geoscience and the regulator of that practice, Professional Geoscientists Ontario.  The articles will highlight the importance of geoscience to the public, look toward our future and reflect on our past.  The purpose of the articles is to inform and create excitement leading up to the 25th Anniversary event “Geoscience for the Future.” 



January 2025 Issue  
Professional Geoscientists: Their Importance in Public Protection and the Future of Geoscience



February 2025 Issue  
Geoscience Regulation, Why the Public Should Care: A Non-Registrant Perspective



March 2025 Issue 
Canada's Reputation on the World Stage of Mining: Drawing the Best and Brightest from Around the World.



April 2025 Issue 
The Future of Professional Geoscience: Perspectives From Students, GITS and Early Career Professionals


Disclaimer:  This article was prepared by a committee of volunteers from Professional Geoscientists Ontario (PGO) working to plan a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Professional Geoscientists Act on June 6, 2025, in Toronto. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the dedicated PGO volunteers and authors who gave their time and professional input to this endeavor, not of the PGO.