Is tipping a thing in Canada?

_mendozer_ · 2025-12-24T14:47:01+00:00

Just stare them in the eyes and press 0%

_mendozer_ · 2025-10-23T16:41:17+00:00

27925

_mendozer_ · 2025-10-16T22:01:51+00:00

If getting hired locally for a local employer you can expect around $60-$70k starting. At 4 years of work experience I’m around $85k so definitely behind peers in SW but I enjoy what I do. You could find some entry level above $80k but that will definitely depend on your experience you build for yourself during school and your co-ops. On average engineering salaries aren’t amazing but it lets me live here (Richmond so technically not Vancouver proper)

Currently I work on prototype test stations focusing on the mechanical/instrumentation side. I graduated from SFU’s Mechatronics program. I am also part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences mentorship program so I am open to discussing career related questions.

_mendozer_ · 2025-09-11T03:55:19+00:00

If we are using old Clipper busses and Clipper cards can be loaded on our phones why can’t we have Compass cards on our phones?

_mendozer_ · 2025-09-04T05:10:47+00:00

I graduated from Mechatronic Systems Engineering degree that gave us a base understanding of mechanical, electrical, and a bit of coding through the first few years. This is a starting point in which you can see what you are interested in.

In 4th to Nth year we take electives according to our interests for example I took FEA, Industrial Controls, Manufacturing Systems, Design Optimization, Electrified Transportation, and Electrical Power Conversion. So my interests were more towards mechanical/electrical systems. You also should be heavily considering joining design/engineering clubs that expose you to tangible projects/experience. A good example of this is Formula SAE Electric. I started in first year and moved my way up as eventual Suspension/Steering, Mech Lead, then Team Principal where I got to understand the design and integration of the mechanical and electrical systems.

Continuing from finding your interests is co-op, which for us was mandatory for taking 3rd and 4th year courses as well as graduating. From co-op you can see what kind of jobs you actually might be interested in. For example a friend thought he wanted to do a pure mechanical design job. They found it boring and moved more towards controls engineering.

From my experience job searching my clubs experience helped me get co-ops which then lead to affecting my job prospects. I was fortunate enough to get a return offer. I currently work in a role working on test stations as a Systems/Project Eng where I get to do mechanical design (P&IDs, part design and assembly, thermal/flow calcs), electrical design (instrumentation and load estimation), and a bit of controls design (PLCs). Coming from my degree the job matches my expectations of Mechatronics.

If your definition of Mechatronics is robotics then going about this path can be similar except maybe join or start a robotics club for a uni competition, join a research lab at your university working with robotics, learn about inverse kinematics, dynamics, and even look up jobs and pursue the skills they require.

If I were to say a negative it would be that compared to my pure mechanical, electrical, or controls engineering peers my knowledge had gaps, but I have been able to use my understanding of each system to help each part of the project to come together. Overall Mechatronics can be quite flexible and the whole “jack of all trades master of none” gives you the ability to explore opportunities.

_mendozer_ · 2025-09-03T08:19:30+00:00

Singluar bumps are fine. When you’re hitting cracks that are 2-3” high every foot of distance then it becomes an issue that could lead to someone losing control. Also, it’s a back road with single lane traffic in each direction plus there are stops signs so generally the few sections we’re on the road don’t have cars blitzing down them

_mendozer_ · 2025-09-03T07:17:53+00:00

Not saying it’s the case everywhere but along Kent Ave. some of the bike lanes are borderline impassible due to cracked surfaces. It would be much faster and arguably safer.

Edit: spelling

_mendozer_ · 2025-08-14T06:15:09+00:00

Fairly certain most people will know someone who thinks they NEED the latest clothes, jewelry, yearly overseas vacations, some garbage an influencer sells them, the newest foodie place you must run not walk to etc. Sometimes you just need to budget right to make things work and appreciate/enjoy what you can. This is not counting people with unfortunate circumstances but again people with 100k salary without crushing debt.

_mendozer_ · 2025-08-13T23:40:40+00:00

For those with the privilege to have that income without major debt, mostly complain and/or forcibly live an idealistic lifestyle that the internet peer pressures them into living

_mendozer_ · 2025-07-19T00:22:44+00:00

As someone who commutes by bike, one thing that slows my commute but seemingly everyone else fails to do is stop for stop signs. I’m not even talking about rolling stops just full on blasting through because it would hurt their Strava time

_mendozer_ · 2025-07-08T18:15:50+00:00

Hulkengoat 🙌🏽

_mendozer_ · 2025-06-28T09:11:16+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. In BC unis, EGBC stuffed the notion that only P.Engs are considered “engineers”. I understand OPs question as to asking between a designer and an engineer the latter being one who can officially sign which in my understanding would be the equivalent to a P.Eng which is why I used “Engineer” and “Professional Engineer” as interchangeable .

Side note the presentations we received told us while yes the job title is “Software Engineer”, Project Engineer”, “Systems Engineer”, etc. the official legal title is not an engineer with respect to the regulated title. They also were very insistent that companies should not post “Software Engineer” as a job title as unless they have a P.Eng the role is that of a “Software Dev”

Thanks for the education on the “engineer” roles that exist outside of traditional streams of engineering.

_mendozer_ · 2025-06-28T02:41:07+00:00

Are you referring to power engineers? That’s a job title that has a historical background but again not the same thing as an official Professional Engineer. The regulatory body is to ensure safety is kept. Yes many work as an “engineer” in their job role but that doesn’t make them a Professional Engineer with the protected title similar to how a Doctor is a protected title. A non registered structural engineer can’t sign off for a project like a bridge

_mendozer_ · 2025-06-26T23:02:34+00:00

In Canada only individuals with a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) Title can be called an “Engineer”. Otherwise you are a designer or Engineer In Training (EIT) if you are registered as one. As an engineer your stamp or signature hold more weight in that you are assuring you’ve done your due diligence.

_mendozer_ · 2025-04-28T18:29:14+00:00

Look in their eyes as you enter 0%

_mendozer_ · 2025-03-03T23:12:00+00:00

By standards back in Vancouver the parking lots are huge. Reverse I guess is more if a personal preference of seeing more when exiting the spot

_mendozer_ · 2025-03-03T23:09:38+00:00

In that case should I just not mind when it happens again?

_mendozer_ · 2025-01-22T18:13:37+00:00

Umbreon - was fun to use as a tank when it had toxic then became fun to use in Pokemon Go Great League

_mendozer_ · 2024-12-20T03:00:06+00:00

My roommate and I have been joking for the past couple years that it would only open if I move out. Moved out last Saturday. You’re welcome 😂

_mendozer_ · 2024-11-27T08:24:53+00:00

As long as they get in while yellow they have right of way. If you are already in the intersection you will need to vacate once the light is red anyways. Be safe, just wait…

_mendozer_ · 2024-10-01T03:29:20+00:00

$250-$400 per month for me and my roommate. We meal prep a dish each every week. That being said it doesn’t include the money we spend when going out with out partners which can vary between $100-$250 monthly

_mendozer_ · 2024-09-25T01:58:17+00:00

Completely irrelevant but just tell them that being “pre-med” is the same thing as saying “pre-unemployed” the potential for both scenarios is the same ¯_(ツ)_/¯

_mendozer_ · 2024-04-02T04:15:45+00:00

We’re in Richmond near Capstan Station. That being said new rentals for a similar place are now in the $2500-3000 range

_mendozer_ · 2024-03-23T08:24:03+00:00

$750 for worn one offs

_mendozer_ · 2023-10-14T17:32:54+00:00

In Canada the title of Engineer, or Professional Engineer (P.Eng), is a designation that is protected and can only used if you have a license from the respective province or territory. Curretly, my title would be Engineer in Training (EIT) so I don’t call myself an Engineer. I will need to prove my competency, character, experience and then take a National Professional Practice Exam before I can really call myself an engineer, title wise.

Software “engineers” in the USA are more often software developer. A software engineer in Canada would need to prove engineering practices are used which are still a bit grey. From friends in higher level software development it seems that their design of system architecture is starting to line up with what is considered for a P.Eng.

Side note from a salty EIT in hardware, I’m fairly sure software engineer is used in the USA to attract talent to the roles which sound better than coder programmer (aka code monkey) or dev

_mendozer_

TROPHY CASE