Wikar Bhatti, OLS (He/Him)
Innate in everyone is an intrinsic want "to belong" or to be part of . . . whether it be family, a group of friends, or colleagues at work.
Life is a journey marked by chapters. Chapter One began in the England of the 60s – a time rife with racial tensions. My parents sought a better life and we immigrated to Canada. However, as the son of immigrants, racial strife seemed to have followed us across the pond to Etobicoke. Growing up in the racially charged "Archie Bunker-era" of the '70s, I struggled with that sense of "belong" every single day.
Attending Erindale College in the mid-80s, I felt that sense of "belong." A love of geography, an interest in the law, and an aptitude for math led me to a career in surveying – "the art that is the science of determining the relationships between physical features, natural and artificial, on, below, or above the Earth's surface." The friendships built my first day in class remain to this day.
My professional journey started May 5, 1990 at the MTO, later the MNRF, and currently the City of Toronto. Each chapter marked by a new venture: Toronto, London, Kingston, Ottawa, Peterborough. Along the way, I had the fortune to have crossed paths with Doug Aron, Brian Maloney, Eric Ansell and, most importantly, John F. Goltz – wise, engaging, and charismatic. This band of characters would become lifelong mentors!
In 2015, a documentary on Dan Rather of CBS Evening News fame included his signature closing remark, a simple, but powerful word: "Courage." It was one of those ironic "aha" moments. Despite my own experience, our kids were raised to respect everyone and to know that nothing was beyond their reach.
As I journeyed from chapter to chapter, one constant remained: the reminder that I was different. Comments like "how can you be a surveyor and not drink," "what has brown done for me today," or "I can't find a white articling student to hire," were some choice phrases. Begrudgingly, I shrugged them off as isolated acts of ignorance.
I realized that the face of my profession was changing and that this face needed representation. Classes with Henry, Thomas, and Joseph were changing to Mayank, Jing, and Prakhar. As an instrument of change, I became a member of the AOLS Council – the first person of colour – to encourage EVERY face in our profession to be an instrument of change.
Unequivocally, I can truly say that I have loved every second of a truly rich professional journey. My travels across our province have included boundary discussions with First Nations in the far north, surveying the provincial boundary for the first time in almost 100 years, and being an expert witness (a.k.a. being "grilled") in a Boundaries Act tribunal.
I'm still excited every morning by the day’s unfolding challenges. Every aspect of our work has changed: how we work, who we work for, who we work with. I would be remiss in not passing along some sage offerings. Believe in your courage. Embrace the challenge of change. Make the future yours.