The organization was established in 1936 as the Dominion of Canada Council of Professional Engineers.
In the late 1950s, the name became the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (French: Conseil canadien des ingénieurs).
It also promotes greater understanding of the nature, role and contribution of professional engineers and engineering to society, and undertakes federal government relations and national media relations on behalf of, and in consultation with, the provincial and territorial associations.
CEAB accredits Canadian undergraduate engineering programs that meet the profession's education standards.
Graduates of those programs are deemed by the profession to have the required academic qualifications to be licensed as professional engineers in Canada.
Engineers Canada has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Costa Rica that provides assurance to the Colegio's stakeholders that Engineers Canada will continue to work with them on the development of their accreditation system.