FCO-ACCUO 2017 Conference Registration Opens

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons have announced details of their biennial conference, set for May 15-17, 2017 at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa.  The theme of the meeting is, "The Work of Ombudsman: Holding Governments and Organizations to Account."

Here is the program:

Monday, May 15

Welcome and Opening Address - Conference Tri-chairs, Lori Ciani, Amex Bank of Canada| Amex Canada Inc.; Thomas Irvine, (retired); Shirley Nakata, University of British Columbia

Keynote – Paul Dubé, Ontario Ombudsman

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Title TBC, Brigitte Goulard, Deputy Commissioner for Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
• How to Deliver Difficult Recommendations, Ian Darling, Ombudsperson, Office of the New Home Buyer Ombudsperson, Tarion Warranty Corporation
• Presentation of a study by ACCUO, Lucie Allaire, President of the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons, University of Ottawa

Networking Break

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Safe Space Policy/Social Media versus Principles of Fairness, Julie Boncompain, Associate Ombudsperson, Concordia University
• Comment préserver votre santé psychologique en tant qu’ombudsman? (How to preserve your mental health as ombudsman), Marie-Claude Pelletier, President, The Levia Group; France St-Hilaire, Associate Professor, University of Sherbrooke
• Hot Topics in Higher Education from Canadian and International Ombuds, Martine Conway, Ombudsperson, University of Victoria

Networking Lunch Keynote – Honourable Judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Provincial Court of Saskatchewan and former B.C. Representative for Children and Youth

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Creating Effective Metrics, Efficiently!, Julie Inglis, Complaints Resolution Specialist, Fair Practices Commission
• La santé psychologique en milieu de travail : quels sont les rôles de l’ombudsman? (Mental Health in the Workplace: What are the roles of the Ombudsman?), Marie-Claude Pelletier, President, The Levia Group; France St-Hilaire, Associate Professor, University of Sherbrooke
• The Restorative Practices Initiative (RPI) at the University of Alberta: Advancing Fairness and Accountability in the Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Fellow Communities, Marc Johnson, Undergraduate Ombudsman, University of Alberta

Networking Break

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• End to End Complaints Process in Banking, Dana Di Bartolo, Ombudsman, BMO Financial Group; Sarah Bradley, Ombudsman and CEO, Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)
• Preventing Escalation: Dealing with Difficult Complainants, Amy Fish, Ombudsperson, Concordia University
• Trends in Complaints to Ombudsmen: Analysis of Related Factors, Jean Marleau, Director, Performance Measurement, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages; Marcel Fallu, Senior Analyst, Performance Measurement, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

FCO AGM – Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers

• Presentation by research grant recipient and FCO’s research partner, Marina Pavlovic (University of Ottawa) on her project Private-Sector Industry Ombuds and Access To Justice: A Case Study of the Canadian Financial, Telecommunications, and Air Travel Sectors

Welcome Reception

Tuesday, May 16 

Keynote - Madeleine Meilleur, Former MPP for Ottawa/Vanier, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs and Ontario Attorney General

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Changing Expectations on Ombuds in the Era of Mass and Social Media: Opportunities and Challenges, Charles Murray, Ombudsman New Brunswick
• Core Strengths™: Create a Culture a Culture of Accountability, Madalena Coutinho, Senior Associate at Personal Strengths Canada & Intersol Group
• Responding to risks in higher education: the Student Ombudsman as a catalyst for systemic change, Deborah Peach, Student Ombudsman, Queensland University of Technology; Miriam Dayhew, University Ombudsman, Charles Sturt University

Networking Break

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Active Citizenship and Students' Rights in Europe: The Growing Role of Ombudsmen, Josef Leidenfrost, Austrian Student Ombudsman
• Promoting Fairness and Accountability in Saskatchewan’s Municipal Sector, Janet Mirwaldt, Deputy Ombudsman, Ombudsman Saskatchewan
• Difficult Versus Difference: A Discussion around Relational and Equitable Fairness when Working with Clients, Natalie Sharpe, Senior Advisor and University Director, OmbudService at University of Alberta; Carter MacDonald, Ombudsman at Camosun College, British Columbia

Lunch and Keynote – Peter Tyndall, President of the International Ombudsman Institute

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Mental Health and Compassion Fatigue, Amanda Rocheleau, Registered Social Worker & Compassion Fatigue Specialist - Compassion Fatigue Therapy
• Untangling a Big Ball of Yarn: BC’s experience with a major investigation initiated by a legislative committee, Jay Chalke, Ombudsperson of British Columbia
• Panel on alternative dispute resolution which focuses on the interest, goals and needs of the parties, Marc-André Bujold, Chief of Operations, CRC, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

Networking Break

• Panel on Safeguarding the Independence of Canadian Institutions, Howard Sapers, Independent Advisor on Corrections Reform to the Government of Ontario, former Correctional Investigator of Canada; Fiona Crean, Chief Operating Officer at Indspire, Former Ombudsperson at Hydro One, Former Ombudsperson for the City of Toronto; Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission; Kevin Page, President and CEO of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa; Lorne Sossin, Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School

ACCUO AGM – Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers

Wednesday, May 17

Keynote – Kevin Fenwick, Former Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General for Saskatchewan, Former Saskatchewan Ombudsman

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Reaching Audiences in the Digital Age, Sharon Squire, Deputy Veterans Ombudsman, Executive Director, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman
• Title TBC, John Craig, Partner, Fasken Martineau
• Safe, Equitable, Fair, and Healthy Campuses: Are we Making Post-Secondary Institutions Accountable through Stand-Alone Sexual Violence Policies?, Natalie Sharpe, Senior Advisor and University Director, OmbudService at University of Alberta, Carter MacDonald, Ombudsman at Camosun College, British Columbia

Networking Break

Concurrent Learning Sessions

• Can you Apologize Sometimes?, Lynne Casgrain, Complaints Commissioner/Ombudsman, McGill University Health Centre
• Title TBC, Laura Pettigrew, General Counsel, Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario
• Fairness Lens, Guy Parent, Veterans Ombudsman

Wrap-up and Lunch

Registration is now open and prices go up April 15.  (FCO-ACCUO 2017 Conf Info.)   
Related posts: Related posts: Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons Publishes Standards of Practice; FCO and ACCUO Post Agenda for 2013 Conference in Halifax; ACCUO Chronicles Three Decades of Ombuds in Higher Education; FCO/ACCUO Posts 2015 Conference Agenda; FCO/Osgoode Opens Registration for Fall 2016 Ombuds Certificate Program; ACCUO List of Past Conferences Highlights Ombuds History.