Reginald Bing-Wo

Sadly, Mr Bing-Wo passed away on September 23, 2018. I am including his full obituary at the end of this blog post.

I would venture to say that not many have heard this gentleman’s name. At 96 years of age, his list of accomplishments is incredible — and all achieved in the face of the insidious racism that permeated Western society throughout his lifetime. One of his engineering credits is helping to design the Gardiner Dam. As 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the completion of the dam, this story becomes as timely as my previous Cutbank article.

The Leader Post has published a piece on Mr. Bing-Wo.

Bing-Wo

BING-WO, Reginald Reg passed away on Sunday, September 23, 2018. He was born in Lethbridge, Alberta in 1921. Reg was predeceased by his parents, Yee and Esther; wife Hayven; brother Winston; and sister Isabel. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Janine of Vancouver; brother Norman of Toronto; brother David of Regina; sister Betty of Calgary; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. Reg graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in Civil Engineering in 1943 and joined the design engineering staff of PFRA until his retirement in 1967. During this time, he was a member of the engineering team for major projects, including the Diefenbaker Dam in the South Saskatchewan River. These responsibilities took him on consultation visits to the US with engineers of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Army Corps of Engineers and their projects. He completed his PFRA career as Senior Design Office Engineer. In 1967, Reg accepted an appointment as General Manager and Registrar of the Association of the Professional Engineers of Saskatchewan (APES). During his tenure with the Association, he was assigned the responsibility of being the founding General Manager for Saskatchewan Applied Science Technologists and Technicians (SASTT) and the Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan (CES), until these organizations established their own offices and staff. In recognition of services to APES, Reg was made an Honorary Past President in 1985. SASTT awarded him an Honorary Membership in 1985. Reg was a life member of The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) and The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE). In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded Fellowships by both organizations. Reg was also a Fellow of Engineers Canada. He was the recipient of the APES McCannel Award and the EIC CPR Award. In 1987, Reg was awarded the degree of Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa, by Dalhousie University for achievements in applied sciences. In 2012, Reg was awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his services as an engineer, public servant and naval reservist (achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander C.D. Ret’d). Reg was a member of the Royal United Services Institute, the Naval Officers Association of Canada in which he held its Long Services Award and Bronze Medallion. He was a member of Wesley United Church and a Life Member of the Masonic Lodge and Shriners. The family would like to thank Dr. Cheryl Zagozeski, along with the tremendous staff at Harbour Landing Village, for their exemplary assistance and care in Reg’s final days. In accordance with Reg’s wishes, no public funeral service will be held. Cremation and private interment of remains in Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery in Regina, SK.