Twenty years ago today, I stood in a tent with a few thousand former students, listened to a few speeches that I immediately forgot, and walked across a stage when my name was called to receive my Engineering degree, in full cap and gown regalia.
I had no clue that day, that deciding to chat to my neighbours would end me up with a 20-year friendship, and bring me to London. All I knew then was that I did not want to live in workaholic life-draining north america. And so, days after the ceremony, I left for good.
What I did not fully realise at the time was that I was taking a precious thing with me. My iron ring; my Engineer’s ring.
This tiny hoop of steel on my pinkie finger is my most valuable piece of jewellery, except its intrinsic value is nil.
The ring is given to all graduating engineers in their last semester. It was inspired by the twice-collapsed Quebec Bridge that killed 88 people, and is meant to be worn on the smallest finger of the working hand to always grate on the desk and remind engineers of their ethical responsibilities towards humanity.
2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Iron Ring ceremony (Ritual of the calling of an Engineer) held in Montreal.
And the 20th anniversary of when I got my Engineering diploma. 1st June 2005, Convocation day at McGill University.
In these twenty years, I have always stood by my ethical ground and professional standards, refusing outright to do certain things, even though doing so put my job at risk. Some colleagues respected me for it, others were annoyed by it, and some managers penalised me for it. I know which ones I would want to work with again, because doing the right thing will always come before anything and anyone else for me.
In the era of AI and questionable decision-making, having a reminder to be ethical, to have professional standards, to consider, respect, and protect human life in one’s work, I feel is paramount. And I worry it is being forgotten.
Much like the Hippocratic oath for medical practitioners, I believe the Ritual of the Calling of the Engineer contains an oath that everyone working in technology should take before entering the field.
I am glad that I was exposed to this, and that Canada, at least, does have ethical standards for its Engineers.
It may have been more than 20 years since I took the oath, but I will forever remember that day, and my promise to build things that are safe for people to use.
I now work in product strategy and design, and my key driver all this time has been and always will be to keep users safe.
Always an Engineer, regardless of the job title.