Code of Ethics for the Commercial Member

The respect by the member towards their profession, the SIAQ, the client, the tree, and the practice.

The commercial member (and their employees)...

1. will use their knowledge and experience for the benefit of society in general;
2. must maintain arboriculture as an honorable profession in their daily actions, whether professional, civil, or social;
3. must strive, through continuous personal development, to increase their qualification, practice and techniques, their competence to remain up-to-date with the technological and scientific advancement of the profession;
4. must always respect the industry's standards and regulations (CNESST, BNQ, Hydro-Québec Works Code, municipal, provincial or federal regulations, ISA regulations, etc.) and promote adherence to this Code of Ethics;
5. must establish with accuracy and impartiality their capacity, qualification, and experience;
6. must provide accurate, complete, and truthful information when required;
7. understands that the SIAQ may receive verification requests by individuals or organizations, and they agree that this information may be disclosed;
8. agrees that the SIAQ may publish certain professional information about them on the SIAQ website, including the company's contact information. They also agree that the information entered on their membership application may be used for research and statistical purposes;
9. must cooperate with the SIAQ regarding ethics and the collection of information related to ethics;
10. must report, in a timely manner, behaviours that may violate any clause of the Members' Code of Ethics;
11. must avoid any behaviour or conduct that clearly violates the requirements of this Code of Ethics;
12. within their professional responsibility, must consider the health and safety of all persons as paramount, and strive to respect the property of others and the environment;
13. must respect proper health and safety procedures in their professional activities, to protect clients, employers, employees, and the public from any reasonably foreseeable condition that could lead to injury or other harm;
14. will strive to discourage the promotion of techniques, methods, and use of materials not sufficiently verified or approved. They will oppose the use of chemicals, phytosanitary products, or other compounds not verified, approved, or registered by recognized scientists or authorities. However, if such products prove to be the best in use, they will still inform their client;
15. must inform the appropriate government agencies or representatives if they are aware of activities or circumstances that could be unsafe or violate legal requirements;
16. is committed to informing the SIAQ of any changes that could affect any clause of their membership, whether a change of address, an insurance modification, an employee's departure, etc.;
17. understands that maintaining membership is based on compliance with all requirements, including respecting the Code of Ethics and procedures regarding ethics;
18. agrees to report to the SIAQ any act that may violate any clause of the Members' Code of Ethics, within sixty (60) days following such act. This type of reporting applies to behaviours or activities that occurred from the date the member applied for membership. (NOTE: any act that must be reported according to these terms must be noted on a separate sheet and submitted to the SIAQ.);
19. understands that being a member does not represent a permit, registration, or any other authorization to practice or conduct business activities in exchange for fees or other;
20. agrees to indemnify and hold the SIAQ harmless and its agents, employees, representatives, and successors and release them from any third-party claims, lawsuit, complaint, loss, or liability (claims including attorneys' fees) resulting from or relating to their membership; their professional activities and services or other business activities;
21. Regarding the use and display of trademarks concerning professional commercial activities, the member agrees to comply with all applicable SIAQ policies, as well as their potential future amendments;
22. If the membership expires, is suspended or revoked, the member agrees, as stipulated in the license agreement, to immediately cease using and displaying the SIAQ trademark, its references, and any other designation indicating an affiliation with the SIAQ. They agree to comply with any additional SIAQ directives.

The member's compliance with all business rules, policies and procedures among individuals, with one or more companies, and with all legal rules and requirements. The member:

The member...

1. must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and ethical standards governing the professional practice of arboriculture;
2. must adhere to all accepted professional standards related to the practice of arboriculture, including national standards of practice and policies;
3. must commit to fair and honest business practices when dealing with clients, suppliers, employees and other professionals;
4. must ensure to recommend a commercial member of the SIAQ to any potential client if they need to refuse/transfer a request for arboricultural work because they are unable to execute the mandate, unless there is no commercial member in the said region;
5. must not revise the quoted price for a given job if subsequently, inadvertently or otherwise, they become aware of another arborist's bid for the same job;
6. must support the improvement of professional services and products by encouraging research and development;
7. must preserve the security of information which includes preventing unauthorized disclosure of information;
8. must avoid any behavior or conduct that clearly contravenes the professional, ethical or legal standards governing professional activities or services;
9. must avoid exaggerating or omitting material fees relating to technical information, products, or services if the outcome could result in misleading or misrepresenting;
10. must offer safe and competent services through independent professional judgment in decision-making;
11. must recognize the limits of their professional abilities and only offer services based on their qualifications. It is the member's responsibility to determine the limits of their professional abilities based on qualifications, training, knowledge, skills, practical experience, and any other relevant element;
12. must make a reasonable effort to offer adequate professional references when unable to provide qualified professional assistance;
13. must provide truthful and accurate information to the public in advertisements, public statements, and other representations as well as in the preparation of cost, service, and expected outcome evaluations;
14. must recognize and respect the intellectual property rights of others and act accurately, completely, and truthfully, including in professional work and research activities;
15. must properly use professional accreditations and provide truthful and accurate information regarding their training, experience, skills, and service delivery;
16. must disclose to clients and employers significant circumstances that could be interpreted as a potential or actual conflict of interest or as an appearance of misconduct;
17. must be sincere in verbal or written statements concerning the services they are qualified to offer and the benefits they intend to deliver. To the best of their knowledge and beliefs, they will be honest and will not portray themselves as guaranteeing their work without first clearly stating or explaining the limits of the guarantees offered and the risks covered;
18. must avoid any behavior that could cause a conflict of interest with a client, employer, employee, or the public;
19. must not use their involvement on a committee, board of directors, project, or working group within the SIAQ as a promotional and/or advertising element for their business;
20. must maintain and respect the confidentiality of sensitive information obtained in their professional activities, unless: the information could reasonably be seen as pertaining to illegal activity; a court or government agency legally requires the disclosure of the information; the client or employer expressly authorizes the disclosure of this specific information; failure to disclose this information could cause death or serious physical injury to employees and the public;
21. if called as an expert witness, must base testimony on adequate knowledge of the subject and established facts. They will always testify based on their own convictions;
22. will be loyal to their client or employer and will faithfully discharge their responsibilities.

The member...

1. will ensure that no conflict of interest compromises the legitimate interests of a client, employer, employee, or the public, nor that any conflict of interest influences or interferes with professional judgment;
2. will avoid offering or accepting significant sums, gifts, or any other form of compensation or advantage to obtain a contract or if the purpose of the gift is to influence professional judgment;
3. will, when acting as a consultant and a person not involved in arboriculture overrides their technical advice, clearly show the consequences that could result from not following the procedures or policies they deem essential;
4. if employed by a public body, will not abuse their position to compete with a commercial arborist. They will not favor one commercial arborist over another in awarding work or services if they come from the same locality, are available, and possess identical qualifications;
5. will strictly refrain from making unfounded remarks, comments, or criticisms likely to prejudice another arborist, researcher, or forester's career and harm their employer's reputation. If they have clear evidence of a wrongful act or a breach of the code of ethics by an arborist, they must pass the relevant information to the appropriate authorities for appropriate action;
6. will refrain from evaluating the work of another commercial arborist. They will pass this evaluation to a scientist or another qualified person not engaged in the field of commercial arboriculture;
7. will encourage the principle of fair and equitable compensation to maintain a high degree of competence among staff working in arboriculture.