The Calling of an Engineer
The ceremony of the Calling of an Engineer – often informally referred to as the “Iron Ring Ceremony” – is a uniquely Canadian engineering tradition dating back to 1922.
Professor Haultain, then of the University of Toronto, remarked at a meeting in Montreal that there should be some means to foster greater camaraderie and support among those in the engineering profession, and that new engineers could adhere to an obligation of ethical principles.
At that meeting were seven past-presidents of the Engineering Institute of Canada. They acted on Professor Haultain’s call, and in 1925, the first Calling of an Engineer was held in Montreal. Soon after, the Corporation of the Seven Wardens was established to oversee this ceremony and legacy, and there are now camps which conduct the Ceremony at locations across Canada. Other engineering organizations in other countries have adopted a similar voluntary obligation, and other professions also have rings and commemorations, but the Canadian Calling of an Engineer is both unique and widespread: the vast majority of graduating engineers from Canadian engineering programs undertake this oath.
The hallmark of the Ceremony is the Iron Ring, which symbolizes the obligation each recipient voluntarily undertook: to be conscientious of how engineering serves society; of how ethics and safety are paramount; and of the duty to be diligent and mindful of our craft.
Camp 14 Windsor was established in 1961, with the first Dean of Engineering, Dr. DeMarco, being one of the key Wardens. Since that time, Camp 14 has witnessed thousands and thousands of obligants in the Windsor-Essex County community proudly taking the obligation and receiving the ring. The ceremony has been revised periodically over the last century, but in 2022, the Corporation undertook an extensive review to ensure it reflects the norms and demographics of our evolving profession and society. 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Calling of an Engineer and the unveiling of a modernized Ceremony to herald the next century of engineering.