PEO developed initiatives on continuing competence for licence holders prior to introducing the voluntary version of the PEAK program in 2017. Notable initiatives included the Professional Excellence Program (1980s and 1990s), Voluntary Annual Reporting (2000s) and Professional Development System (2000s and 2010s).
- 2014 October - Report from the commission of inquiry into the collapse at the Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake, Ontario in 2012. The report recommended a mandatory continuing professional development program for PEO licence holders within 18 months of the commissioner’s report.
- 2015 November - Report from PEO's Continuing Professional Development, Competence and Quality Assurance (CPDCQA) Task Force outlining the guiding principles for a continuing professional development program.
- 2016 September - Report from PEO's Continuing Professional Competence Program (CP)2 Task Force on the continuing professional competence program.
- 2017 March - PEO launched the Practice Evaluation and Knowledge program for professional engineers and limited licence holders to participate on a voluntary or optional basis.
- 2017 December - Amendment to subsection 7(1)(27) of the Professional Engineers Act empowers Council to make regulations for continuing education and professional development programs for PEO licence holders including developing programs, making compliance mandatory and applying sanctions for non-compliance.
- 2019 April
- Jury's verdict from the coroner's inquest into the death of Scott Johnson in 2012. The verdict recommended an annual, mandatory continuing professional development program for PEO licence holders.
- Report from PEO's external regulatory review. The report recommended a mandatory continuing professional development program for PEO licence holders.
- 2019 June
- Council carries the PEAK program from being a pilot project to an operating program while continuing with the existing program rules.
- PEO's report after Year 2 of the PEAK program.
- 2019 September - PEO Council accepts the Registrar’s Action Plan to address the recommendations from the April 2019 external review of PEO’s regulatory activities. And Council directs the Registrar to propose the legislative framework needed for a mandatory continuing professional development program and to review the PEAK program.
- 2021 February - PEO Council rescinded its September 2015 policy intent to ask licence holders to ratify in a referendum any mandatory requirement to participate in a CPD program. This decision allowed PEO to move forward with the creation of a mandatory CPD program for its licence holders as soon as any required legislative and operational tasks have been completed.
- 2022 April - Ontario Cabinet and PEO Council approve Regulation 353/22 which establishes section 51.2 of Regulation 941 that will take effect on January 1, 2023, stipulating the continuing education and professional development requirements for licence holders.