CSEA Summer Picnic 2026: A Day of Ideas, Connection, and Community

Written by Chaoyi Wang, Review by Duo Huang, Photos by Bin Su

On Sunday, June 7, 2026, CSEA welcomed members, families, students, sponsors, and friends to Lakefront Promenade Park in Mississauga for the annual CSEA Summer Picnic. More than 70 people attended. The event was hosted by Duo Huang and Angela Sha. In the opening remarks, CSEA President Haixue Liao welcomed attendees and thanked the Association's members, sponsors, volunteers, and organizing committee for their continued support. He encouraged everyone to take the opportunity to network, connect with new faces, strengthen existing relationships and enjoy a day of learning and community. 

Featured Public Speaking Debate

The morning session featured two engaging communication activities organized by the Bilingual Book Club. The session began with an interactive public‑speaking exercise hosted by Annie Liu, inviting the audience to come on stage to translate classic movie quotes between Mandarin and English. The activity encouraged quick thinking, effective communication, and enthusiastic participation, providing a lively warm-up for the featured debate.

The featured debating session, moderated by Ping Ge, explored a thought-provoking question inspired by the book/movie Project Hail Mary: Should We/Humans Continue Space Exploration or Look for Aliens? Brady Lin, Joseph Liao, and Hangang Li, representing the Red Mars team, argued that continued space exploration drives scientific innovation and prepares humanity for future challenges. The Earth Oasis team, represented by Professor Cancan Yang, Duo Huang, and Michael Zhang, emphasized the importance of protecting our home planet and addressing today's environmental challenges, highlighting the high risks, significant costs, and relatively low returns associated with space exploration.

The debate was evaluated by Runxiao Zhang, Oliver Xiao, and Ammy Xie, who commended both teams for their thoughtful arguments and engaging speeches. Following audience questions and the judges' deliberation, the Earth Oasis team was declared the winner of the debate, and Michael Zhang received the Best Speaker Award for his outstanding performance.

Beyond the competition itself, the debate reflected one of CSEA's goals: to encourage engineers to communicate ideas confidently, think critically, and engage in meaningful discussions within and beyond technical practice.

Sponsor Recognition

CSEA sincerely thanks this year’s summer picnic sponsors for their generous support.

During the sponsor recognition session, participating companies introduced their organizations, shared their services, and connected with members and guests. Their continued partnership plays an important role in supporting CSEA's technical programs, networking events, and community activities throughout the year.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of:

• Vector Corrosion

• Hastings Utilities

• Hiland Engineering Inc.

• Electron Man

• Promodel

• X Pioneer Construction

• KW Living Realty

• HPL Green Construction

• Z1 Consulting Inc.

• Best Link Paving

The newly joined permanent members also received welcome gifts in recognition of their commitment to the CSEA community.

Lunch and Networking

Following the morning sessions, members and guests enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch while reconnecting with colleagues, meeting new members, and continuing conversations in a relaxed outdoor setting.

Lunch arrangements and volunteer coordination were led by Sarah Sha, together with a dedicated team of volunteers whose efforts behind the scenes helped ensure the event ran smoothly throughout the day.

Team Games

In the afternoon, members and guests participated in a series of interactive team games planned and coordinated by Gaohong Ye and Tianyang Yin.

Activities including the Word Guess Relay, Bean Bag Challenge, and Bottle Flip Tug-of-War brought members and families together through teamwork, creativity, and friendly competition. Participants of all ages enthusiastically joined the games, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere throughout the afternoon. Small prizes added an extra layer of excitement, making the games even more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Looking Ahead

The CSEA Summer Picnic continues to be one of the Association's signature annual events, bringing together members beyond the workplace and creating opportunities to exchange ideas, strengthen professional connections, and build lasting friendships.

CSEA sincerely thanks everyone who attended and contributed to making this year's picnic a success. We look forward to seeing our members again at future technical seminars, networking events, and community activities.

Acknowledgements

CSEA extends its sincere appreciation to everyone who helped make the 2026 Summer Picnic possible.

Organizing Committee

Haixue Liao, Hangang Li, Cancan Yang, Sarah Sha, Helen Zheng, Duo Huang, Chaoyi Wang, Hunt Zhong, Zhekai Wu, Gaohong Ye, and Tianyang Yin.

Volunteers

Angela Sha, Joseph Liao, Jody Liao, Jocelyn Liao, Arron Deng, Sophie Chen, Ruixi Qu, Alvin Hu, and everyone who generously contributed their time throughout the event.