Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) is the licensing and regulating body for engineering in the province. It fulfills the same role for engineers as the College of Physicians and Surgeons for doctors or the Law Society of Upper Canada for lawyers.
Under the Professional Engineers Act, a provincial statute, PEO is responsible for the licensing and discipline of engineers and companies providing engineering services. PEO protects the public by ensuring all professional engineers are qualified for licensing.
Individuals may not call themselves a professional engineer, a P.Eng., or use any similar title that may lead to the belief that they are qualified to practise professional engineering, unless they are licensed by PEO. There are currently 64,000 licensed professional engineers in Ontario, organized across the province in 38 regional chapters.
To become a professional engineer, applicants must meet the following criteria: be at least 18 years of age; be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada (this requirement may change); graduate with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited Canadian engineering program, or meet PEO's education standards; successfully complete PEO's Professional Practice Examination on ethics, practice, engineering law and professional liability; and obtain four years of verifiable, acceptable work experience, with at least one year in a Canadian jurisdiction under a licensed professional engineer.
Companies and individuals may not offer or provide engineering services to the public unless they obtain a PEO Certificate of Authorization. There are approximately 3800 Certificate of Authorization holders in Ontario.
The above and more regarding PEO can be found at http://www.peo.on.ca.