Petition to the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and Provincial Trade Certification Authorities

Canada’s welders are the backbone of our infrastructure — from bridges and pipelines to power plants and shipyards. Yet the very system meant to qualify these skilled workers is unfair, unrealistic, and financially punishing.

Under current Canadian welder qualification procedures (CWB/CSA standards), welders are:

Not allowed to repair minor defects — even though in real-world welding, repair and correction are standard, essential parts of the trade.

Subjected to strict time limits that create unnecessary stress and don’t reflect actual job conditions where safety is paramount to speed. 

Forced to pay high testing fees every two years, often out of pocket. Not including missed hours of work.

We, the undersigned, call for common-sense reform.

We are asking the Canadian Welding Bureau, the CSA, and provincial trade authorities to:

1. Recognize on-site weld testing as valid demonstrations of skill, reducing the need for redundant CWB requalification.

2. Allow welders to repair minor defects during testing, just as they would in real-world conditions.

3. Extend or remove rigid time limits that cause unnecessary stress.

4. Reduce the cost and frequency of recertification (extend validity beyond two years, or lower fees).

These changes will make welder testing more realistic, affordable, and fair, while still upholding Canada’s high safety and quality standards.