To celebrate the milestone of 100 years since the first “Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer” in 1925, the Corporation of the Seven Wardens has selected new poems for use in the iron ring ceremony.
The selected works aim to be more inclusive of all participants in the iron ring ceremony, as the longstanding use of Rudyard Kipling’s ceremonial text faced pushback in recent years over what some have viewed as colonialism, racism, sexism, and a Christian religious leaning.
Many engineering associations and bodies across Canada wrote to the ceremony’s wardens in the fall of 2022 calling for change in a 30-page letter entitled “Retool the Ring”.
The wardens ran a poetry contest in both English and French and released the two winning replacement texts in late 2024.
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“Next steps are to hold pilot ceremonies with the modernized text and to prepare materials to aid the 28 regional Camps in implementing the new Obligation Ceremony beginning in 2025 and moving forward into the next 100 years!” the wardens announced in a statement on January 13, 2025.
The poem highlights ethics and integrity, reminding that the actions of engineers have real-world consequences.
Beware demands that often lead
to bridging over want and need.
Each compromise a step too far
that blurs the line of who you are.
Your public duty sets the bearing.
True the hand that wears the Ring.
—Excerpt from The Hand that Wears the Ring by Gisela Hippolt-Squair
Following the selection of her poem, Hippolt-Squair was inducted as an honourary fellow of Engineers Canada and presented with recognition for her significant contributions to the engineering profession.
In a statement to Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine, Hippolt-Squair said that the use of her poem during the iron ring ceremonies is “truly a privilege.”
“I hope when the graduates hear the poem that it resonates with them because it correctly captures the essence of their feelings in that moment and the moments to come as they advance in their careers,” said Hippolt-Squair.
For the French poem contest, the winning poet is Réjean Plamondon, an engineering professor and researcher at Montreal’s Polytechnique University. He is the author of over 400 scientific papers covering over 30 different scientific disciplines and has also published five books of poetry.
Plamondon has stated that his poem, Horizons, is designed to inspire and unify new generations of engineers, guide their work, and uplift their spirits.
Quête en tête
JE RÊVE
d’imprimer
en quatre dimensions
ma feuille de route
Mon Curriculum Sapiens
Signature de changements
constructifs
Source d’innovations
créatrices
décryptées
dans la simplicité
d’un instant d’inspiration
Un clin d’œil à la sérendipité
—Excerpt from Horizons by Réjean Plamondon
Translated to English:
Quest in mind
I DREAM
to print
in four dimensions
my roadmap
my Sapiens Curriculum Signature
of constructive changes
Source of creative
Innovations
deciphered in
the simplicity of
a moment of inspiration
A nod to serendipity
In addition to the new poems, the wardens announced that they have revamped other elements of the ceremony with the assistance of:
- Marie-Célie Agnant, author and poet, originally from Haiti, resident of Québec since 1970.
- Tom Deer and Joe Deom, representatives from the Kahnawake Mohawk Community, south of Montreal.
- Chris Hadfield, engineer, author and retired astronaut
- Dan Levert, engineer and author
- Titilope Sonuga, engineer and poet, Poet Laureate of Edmonton.
To read the full versions of both poems, visit the wardens’ website.
