Since 1925, Canadian engineering graduates have participated in the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer—a solemn tradition where they pledge professional responsibility and receive the iron ring.
Administered by The Corporation of the Seven Wardens through regional Camps, including Waterloo’s Camp 15, this ceremony symbolizes an engineer’s ethical commitment to integrity, competence, and humility, as well as their responsibility to innovation, public safety, and societal well-being.
A century later, we celebrate 100 years of this uniquely Canadian tradition. The Faculty of Engineering will mark this milestone throughout 2025 with a series of events and initiatives. We invite our alumni to join us in honouring the legacy of the iron ring and the remarkable contributions of engineers locally, nationally, and globally.
Photo by Casey Wagter
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Join the conversation
How do future engineers build trust in a world shaped by misinformation? To explore this vital and timely question, the University of Waterloo welcomed TVO’s Big [If True] to campus for a timely discussion about what the future of Canadian engineering will look like over the next 100 years.
Hosted by journalist Molly Thomas, this special TRuST network lecture features Dean Mary Wells in conversation about the critical role engineers play in upholding integrity, evidence and public trust in an increasingly complex world.
Joining the discussion are:
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Dr. Ashley Rose (Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo),
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Hamid Arabzadeh (CEO and co-founder, RANOVUS Inc.), and
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Stephanie Hazlewood (Distinguished Engineer and trust expert, RBC).
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Alumni return to campus to celebrate reunion!
The University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering hosted a lively reunion event welcoming alumni from across generations back to campus to reconnect and relive their student days.
The engineering grads came together for a full day of activities that included a patio party, the popular back-to-the-classroom lecture with Dr. Larry Smith, drinks at POETS, the iron ring renewal ceremony and a dinner party.
Faculty and alumni launch Ring Road Lager — cheers to the engineers!
A party of Waterloo Engineering alumni, faculty members, students, staff and friends gathered to celebrate the launch of the Faculty’s Ring Road Lager, a special collaboration with Elora Brewing Company to mark 100 years of the iron ring.
The limited-edition lager received rave reviews. A portion of the beer sales go towards the 100 Years of Canadian Engineering Fund to support future Waterloo Engineering students.
Dean Wells joins national celebration of iron ring centennial
The centennial of Canada’s iconic iron ring ceremony was marked with renewed spirit through the unveiling of a modernized and more inclusive Calling of the Engineer — exactly 100 years after the original event.
Dean Mary Wells represented the University of Waterloo at the first-ever presentation of the updated ceremony, held April 25 at McGill University. In Montreal for the annual spring meeting of Engineering Deans Canada, Wells attended the event alongside fellow engineering deans nationwide.
Dean Wells pays tribute to the iron ring's legacy
This opinion piece by Dean Mary Wells of Waterloo Engineering and Dean Suzanne Kresta of the University of Prince Edward Island's Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering recently appeared in the Globe and Mail.
Nearly a century ago, Canadian engineers conducted the first iron ring ceremony, a way for the profession to symbolize its commitment to the public good following a moment of failure and broken trust.
Dean Wells celebrates the iron ring centennial
Waterloo Engineering’s Dean Mary Wells joined a panel of engineering leaders to kick off National Engineering Month with a discussion celebrating the centennial of the Iron Ring tradition and the unveiling of a newly modernized Calling of an Engineer ceremony.
Hosted by Engineers Canada, yesterday's virtual event honoured the legacy of the Iron Ring’s obligation ceremony and explored recent updates made by the Corporation of the Seven Wardens to reflect a more inclusive and forward-thinking profession.
Prof and students wear the Iron Ring with pride
A Waterloo Engineering professor bestowed the Iron Ring on her students at this year's Iron Ring ceremony on campus. Now in its 100th year, the ceremony is an important rite of passage for Canada's professional engineers, reminding them to work with integrity.
Dr. Nadine Ibrahim from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering shares why the Iron Ring tradition holds enduring relevance for future engineers and the societies they work in.
Alum’s poem celebrates the Iron Ring tradition
The Iron Ring ceremony is an important rite of passage for Canada’s engineers, unifying them in a professional mission to do good work that serves society.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Iron Ring. The Poet Laureate of Dublin, California and Waterloo Engineering alum James Morehead (BASc ’90, computer engineering), recognizes the enduring relevance of the Iron Ring and what wearing it means to him as an engineer.