George Comrie is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Industrial Engineering program, where he received his Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Engineering degrees. Following his graduation, he held the position of Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Engineering for several years.

He received his licence as a professional engineer (P.Eng.) in 1973, and was certified as a management consultant (CMC) by the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario in 1975.  

He subsequently joined the firm of RMC Resources Management Consultants Limited, first as Associate and later as Principal, where over a period of fifteen years he completed consulting assignments in information technology, metric conversion, manufacturing productivity improvement, and facilities planning.  During this time, he spent over five years on contract to the Government of Ontario to establish the Ontario Police Information Centre.

George’s strong interest in high-availability, fault-tolerant computing led him to leave the practice of consulting in 1989 to found and manage Data Design Systems, Inc. – a software products company with products and services in the areas of software configuration management and heterogeneous networking.  His company was a business partner of Tandem Computers Incorporated (now HP), and during this time he served as a founding Director of the Canadian Tandem User’s Group and a Director of the International Tandem Users’ Group.

After selling his interest in Data Design Systems in 2002, George joined Wardrop Engineering Inc. as Manager of Software Engineering.  There, he managed a small group that developed real-time control systems for railways and transit authorities, nuclear power generation, and other mission / safety critical applications.  His technical interests remain in the areas of mission-critical / safety-critical systems and cyber security.

He left Wardrop Engineering in 2006 to return to independent practice as a systems engineer and management consultant.

First elected to its governing council in 2001, George served as President of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – the regulatory and licensing body for Ontario’s  engineering profession – in 2004-2005, and again in 2016-2017.  He also served two terms as a Director of Engineers Canada (the national association of professional engineering regulators across Canada) and of the Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation of Education (which grants scholarships to engineering students in Ontario universities).

Presenting Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation for Education Gold Medal to York University graduate Abdullah Merei 

He continues to serve PEO as a member of its Licensing Committee and an executive member of its Etobicoke Chapter.  A strong advocate for greater involvement of professional engineers in government and public policy, he was instrumental in the establishment of PEO’s current government liaison program.  In 2007 he was invested as a Companion in PEO’s Order of Honour for his many years of leadership and service to the engineering profession.

With PEO Order of Honour Recipients

His governance experience also includes serving as:

• A Director of the Information and Communications Technology [Sector] Council,
• A member of the advisory board of the Dofasco Centre for Engineering and Public Policy at McMaster University, and
• A member of Session (church board) and Property Committee Chair of Cornerstone Community Church in Kleinburg, Ontario.

A prolific writer, George has written extensively on professional engineering and regulatory affairs, a selection of which is included under the Publications tab in the main menu of this website.  Recently, he has compiled a detailed history of his family’s property in McKenzie Township, which was included in the book Whitestone – From Gordon Lake to the Bunny Trail released by the Whitestone Historical Society. 

George and his late brother Don Comrie have been actively involved in the WahWashKesh Conservation Association since its founding in 1954.  (Our father was a founding Director, and Don served as its President for a number of years.)  George was part of a 4-member committee that secured funding for and oversaw replacement in 2008 of the dam that controls the outflow from the lake into the Magnetawan River and maintains its minimum water level.  He was also involved on behalf of the Association and Municipality in lobbying the CRTC and Bell Canada to erect the Taylor’s Bay cell site in 2010, providing residents of the WahWashKesh, Ardbeg, and Bolger Lake areas of the Municipality with cellular telephone, internet, and 911 service.  He currently maintains the Conservation Association’s water monitoring equipment that provides on-line, real-time data on the lake level, water and air temperature, and rainfall at WahWashKesh. (See https://www.hobolink.com/p/80d20354f1756809e834ac72e3780d95)

From WahWashKesh Dam replacement project

Boating on Lake WahWashKesh

The Comrie family is committed to conservation and responsible stewardship of land; so a portion of their property is registered as Managed Forest.  During the fall, winter, and spring George logs for firewood and mills lumber using a portable bandsaw mill.

Sawmilling

With a keen interest in public politics, George has been active in political campaigns at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.  He has advocated widely for sound public policy in the areas of education, energy, transportation, and infrastructure renewal.  He believes that maintaining constructive relationships with politicians at the provincial and federal levels – which fund many programs of benefit to municipalities – is key to the success of Whitestone.

With members of the Ontario PC Caucus, Feb. 2013

George was first elected to Whitestone Council in October, 2014.  During his first Council term he has championed the creation of the Municipality’s first Strategic Plan and the recent revisions to its Official Plan and Zoning By-Law.

Inauguration of New Whitestone Council, December 2014

He was re-elected as a Whitestone Councillor in October 2018, and in November 2019 was appointed to succeed the late Chris Armstrong as Mayor of Whitestone.

Surveying flood damage to Bunny Trail, November 2014