Charles Attwood
Charles Hartley Attwood (1883-1963) PEng, Past President of EGM
Charles worked for the Winnipeg Branch Office of the Dominion Government doing survey work on water resources projects from 1919 to 1930. In 1930 he transferred to the Province of Manitoba Water Resources Branch. He was President of The Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba (now EGM) in 1929 and 1930.
Charles was born in Hamilton Ontario on September 17, 1883.
Education
Charles obtained his primary education at public school and high school in Hamilton, Ontario. He attended Queen’s University from 1908 to 1912. Charles was registered as an Ontario Land Surveyor in 1909.
Early Career
Charles began his career with John Henry Shaw (a graduate of the University of Toronto) who was an Ontario Land Surveyor working out of North Bay Ontario from 1904 to 1908. During this period, Charles was engaged in township, subdivision and mining surveys including underground surveys at Cobalt Ontario (silver mining). He was also involved in construction surveys of foundations for buildings and mining machinery, water supply, sewers and highway engineering works in the North Bay area and vicinity.
From 1909 to 1910, Charles worked on city municipal and drainage surveys in Toronto and Hamilton.
Dominion Water Power Career
Charles began his water resource career in Ottawa doing survey work for the Dominion Government. From 1911- 1913, Charles was the 1st Assistant Engineer, Dominion Water Power Branch in the Alberta and Saskatchewan Division. From 1914-1918, he was the District Chief Engineer, of the division.
In 1919, as he was starting work on a project in northern Ontario he was offered and took a position with the Branch Office in Winnipeg. He became the District Chief Engineer for the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta areas with his office based in Winnipeg.
In his engineering career he was the first to introduce Stadia Surveys into Western Canada, the first of which was along the Bow River in Alberta. Several years later when the Geodetic Survey passed through some of the triangulation points, Mr. Attwood Found his own survey to be within one-quarter of a foot.
Manitoba Water Power Branch Career
In 1930 the Dominion Government office in Winnipeg was closed. Charles transferred to the Province of Manitoba, Water Power Branch. He served as the first Deputy Minister of Mines and Natural Resources and a Director of Water Power Manitoba.
During his tenure he was involved with the selection of power sites along the Winnipeg River and a reconnaissance survey of the Churchill River. With respect to the development of the Saskatchewan River at Grand Rapids, he did not foresee the development of this site to be economical.
Professional Service
When Charles first came to Western Canada, Winnipeg engineers met in the old University of Manitoba buildings on the north-east corner of Broadway and Osborne Streets. The group were members of the Engineering Institute of Canada and were mainly interested in knowledge only.
However, there were a few who were interested to develop the legal standing of the profession and for this purpose the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba was founded in 1920.
A great deal of thought went into the writing of the Engineer Profession Act concerning the future of the Profession and the politics of the day. Many parts of the Act, fees for example were left flexible so they could be changed with time.
Charles was one of the early presidents of the Association, presiding for two terms, in 1929 and again in 1930.
Charles noted that during the early years the Association encountered many trials and tribulations since young engineers were not enthusiastic because times were bad and they could not afford the fees. He noted the Association gained strength and was well governed. He forecast it would do well in good times and continue to gain strength.
Associated Activities
Charles was registered as a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada as an associate member in December of 1915.
References
- Association of Professional Engineers of the Province of Manitoba application for registration, File no. 33, September 1920.
- Bulletin of the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba (now EGM) April 1963
1963 - April Edition of the Manitoba Professional Engineer - See also Manitoba Historical Society – Memorable Manitobans Charles Hartley Attwood (1883 - 1963). https://mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/attwood_ch.shtml
Compiled by
Al Myska, PEng (SM), FEC
Review – Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC
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