Program elements are expected to include keynote speakers, numerous breakout sessions, and panel discussions focused on practical, solutions-based perspectives. While the deadline for submissions has passed, if you have an idea for our program committee please contact Peter May, Partner and Practice Area Lead, Organizational Resilience, Trace Associates.
Below you will find the 2024 Disaster Forum speakers for reference.
Mayor | Yellowknife
Rebecca Alty is serving her second term as Mayor of Yellowknife. Prior to being elected as Mayor, she served as a Yellowknife City Councillor for two terms, from 2012 - 2018, and worked in communications and community relations for the Diavik Diamond Mine, NGO's, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Outside of work, she enjoys walking, gardening and traveling. Mayor Alty is bilingual in French and English, so feel free to share your concerns, comments or suggestions in either language.
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OPENING KEYNOTE
Navigating Crisis: The Role of Leadership Resilience Overview
In the face of continuous and unforeseen challenges and crises, leadership resilience has emerged as a cornerstone of organizational survival. Mayor of the City of Yellowknife, Rebecca Alty has direct experience with leading a community and an organization through crises. From the pandemic through the 2023 wildfire and city evacuation, Mayor Alty will draw on real-world examples to discuss the critical attributes and strategies used to navigate these crises. By cultivating resilience at both the individual and organizational levels, leaders can not only weather the storms of crisis but also foster innovation and inspire confidence in the face of uncertainty.
Fire Chief | West Kelowna
Session sponsored by ATCO
Jason serves as the Fire Chief for the growing community of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nations. Jason led hundreds of firefighters through the devastating McDougall Creek Wildfire in the summer of 2023, evacuating over 25,000 residents and saving thousands of homes from destruction. Previously, Jason served as Deputy Fire Chief with the Kelowna Fire Department. Jason has been involved in emergency services for the past 28 years. He was directly involved in the emergency management component of major wildfires and floods in British Columbia and as a Venue Fire Commander during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Jason holds a Bachelor degree in Technology with a specialization in Emergency Management. He has been awarded the British Columbia Provincial Fire Services Long Service Medal and the Canadian Fire Services Exemplary Services Medal. In 2022, Jason was named West Kelowna Citizen of the Year. Jason is passionate about protecting communities from Wildfire and serves on the board of the Fire Chiefs Association of British Columbia.
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CLOSING KEYNOTE
“100 Years of Firefighting… in 36 hours” Overview
Join West Kelowna Fire Rescue Fire Chief Jason Brolund for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire. In August of 2023, West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation was devastated by a fast-moving wildfire, fueled by high winds and extreme drought conditions. At the height of the fire over 35,000 were evacuated and 30,000 on evacuation alert across the region. Sadly, 190 homes were lost however there was no loss of life. Emergency responders came from around the province and across the globe to help. The event attracted international media attention. Chief Brolund will share the story of the massive emergency response, the communities’ resilience and what to expect after a major emergency incident turns the world around you upside down.
Senior Technical Advisor | Trace Associates Inc.
Bruno Cornejo, AMBCI is a Project Manager and Senior Technical Advisor at Trace Associates Inc. and is responsible for the project management and/or technical support of emergency and business continuity management projects. Bruno has over 20 years of emergency management and business continuity experience in the energy, industrial, mining, government, health care, and transportation sectors, both nationally and internationally. His expertise is in developing and implementing effective risk and emergency management programs including deep knowledge of planning, developing, and conducting emergency response exercises and related training.
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WORKSHOP 1
Designing and Running Powerful Exercises (Emergency Response & Business Continuity) Part 2
Objectives:
Participants will work through the development of a drill and/or functional exercise. This will build on the workshop presented at Disaster Forum 2023, but participants need not have attended last year. Participants are encouraged to come prepared to share potential scenarios and plans for an upcoming exercise within their organization. The scenarios will be used throughout the workshop elevate exercise design and execution to a more advanced level. Participants will identify what challenges could be faced and what ideas and strategies to implement to ensure the exercise is a success.
Senior Vice President, Reputation Risk and Corporate Training | Argyle
Kim Blanchette is an accredited Public Relations professional and a member of the Canadian Public Relations Society College of Fellows. Canada's first PR professional to become Chartered by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (UK), Kim has 30 years of media relations experience, including providing presentation, spokesperson, media and crisis communications training to public officials, federal and provincial Ministers and Deputy Ministers, subject matter experts and company representatives.
Kim has designed and delivered media relations and presentation training programs for the Government of Canada (Veteran's Affairs, Canada Revenue Agency, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Foreign Affairs Canada), and provincial governments in Nova Scotia and Alberta. Kim also led communications at the Alberta Energy Regulator, providing media training to senior executives as well as more than 200 employees through simulations, interview preparation and regular refreshers. The result supported the regulator’s efforts to increase public confidence through media coverage and awareness, tapping into the trust and credibility of subject matter experts. In 2018, Kim led the development and delivery of university credit courses in spokesperson training, media and crisis relations for non-communicators in partnership with the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City.
Kim has won awards for her work in media relations for the Swissair Flight 111 tragedy, the 2013 Calgary Flood, the 2016 Alberta Wildfires and the Alberta Energy Regulator.
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WORKSHOP 2 | Trainer (with Vasie Papadolpoulos)
Planning and Managing for a Crisis: Your Communications Planning Tool Kit
When a crisis hits, strong leadership and clear communications is needed. Organizations need to be credible, trusted, decisive and be able to communicate with multiple stakeholders and audiences quickly and effectively. To be able to do this, preparation is paramount in being able to provide accurate and clear communications. This 4 hour workshop will focus on the elements of building and managing a crisis communications plan leaving each participant with an arsenal of tools to fully support their organizations in times of need. This will include:
This will be facilitated through a real-life incident with various interactive simulations to help participants enact a crisis communications plan successfully.
Vice President, Corporate Communications | Argyle
Vasie is a seasoned communications leader with deep expertise in executive coaching, crisis and issues management, and stakeholder communications for both public and private sector organizations. Her expertise Vasie has experience both in the public and private sectors developing strategic communication plans, data-driven business strategies and campaigns and creating unique company initiatives. She has led, guided, and trained organizations and executives on thought leadership, media training, public outreach, and crisis communications in complex and highly regulated sectors, working at the Government of Canada, Metrolinx, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and Philip Morris International. She has lived and worked in Canada, Switzerland, and the US, giving her a global view on corporate communication.
In 2018, she was nominated for a YWCA Woman of the Year Award and in 2020 was nominated for a Diversity and Inclusion Award with the CCDI. In 2020, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women through the Women’s Executive Network.
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WORKSHOP 2 | Co-Trainer (with Kim Blanchette)
Planning and Managing for a Crisis: Your Communications Planning Tool Kit
Manager, Emergency Management and Hazmat for Central/Western Canada | CPKC Railway
Jon is the Manager for Emergency Management and Hazmat for Central/Western Canada for CPKC Railway, with over 20 years of experience responding to hazardous materials incidents across North America. Mr. Gardiner started his career as a hazardous materials emergency response contractor. As a contractor, Mr. Gardiner responded to all TDG classes of dangerous goods ranging from fixed facility and roadway to water incidents and railway response. Mr. Gardiner accepted a position of Hazardous Material Officer with CPKC (CP Railway) in 2017 and in 2023 accepted his current position. In his current role, Mr. Gardiner is looked upon as a leader in industry providing mentorship and advanced training to contractors, fire departments, and other various emergency services. With a high regard for safety, diligence, and overall compliance, Mr. Gardiner is a highly trusted and an exceptional leader in the industry of hazardous materials and emergency response.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 1
Railway 101: An overview of how railways work with communities to manage emergency preparedness
General safety around the railway during an incident, support and training provide by the railway.
Emergency Management & Business Continuity Manager, Instructor, Disaster & Emergency Management Program | NAIT
Claire has been in the field of disaster and emergency management for over 12-years working in both government and post-secondary sectors. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management, and a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) designation. Claire is not only a practitioner but also an instructor for the past 9 years in the DEM program at NAIT.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 2
Learning to be Innovative and Agile in Emergency Management and Business Continuity
Understanding there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach in emergency management is critical to success. Implementing effective processes and systems for both emergency response and business continuity promotes robust and sustainable organizations. Learn to be innovative and agile, and not afraid of change.
Principal Researcher | Preparedness Labs Incorporated
Dr. Jeff Donaldson is a proud veteran, backcountry paddler, father, husband, and entrepreneur. He is the voice of a global emergency preparedness podcast, Inside My Canoehead and the Principal Researcher at Preparedness Labs Incorporated, one of Canada’s leading preparedness education and research firms. Dr. D is the editor of the Journal of Preparedness in Canada, the author of two books on preparedness, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Emergency Management at Royal Roads University. Jeff serves as the coordinator of the Disaster Resilience special interest group within the International Social Capital Association and serves on the Board of Directors. His professional life is dedicated to fostering a more resilient society, navigating exogenous shocks and teaching everyone how to thrive in times of chaos. Preparedness is where the response fight is won.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 3
Co-Presenter (with Scott Cameron) Building a whole of society approach to community capacity and resilience
The World Bank identifies five dimensions of social capital – trust, social cohesion and inclusion, groups and networks, collective action and cooperation, and information and communications. This session will explore the five dimensions of social capital as they relate to the United Nations Sendai Framework and the “whole of society” approach contained within. Too often, local emergency management organizations are being supported by people in positions related to emergency management, and therefore form only part of their overall responsibilities. With limited resources and capacity, preparedness takes a back seat to response and recovery planning as priorities. Generating the community capacity and resilience possible by assuming a “whole of society” approach therefore falls off the corner of the desk. The knowledge, skills, and resources needed to adopt and implement a “whole of society” approach therefore needs to be built. Through a series of examples, this presentation will use the five dimensions of social capital as a framework to better understand the significance of this approach and how it can immediately shift community capacity and resilience – for the better. We will present a novel roadmap, a series of operationalized processes to implement a “whole of society” approach, scalable to all levels of governance. Through engaging the corporate, public, civil and non-profit sectors of society, this model will create the system for increasing preparedness across society and contribute to increased climate resiliency. It will lower the burden on the public sector, limiting demands for increased resource allocation.
Co-Founder | Emergency Management Logistics Canada
Scott Cameron is the President/CEO of bassa Social Innovations Inc. and co-founder of Emergency Management Logistics Canada – an online platform designed to help communities build preparedness through connection. By bringing local emergency management organizations, businesses, and community organizations together in one shared space, local communities can pre-identify resources, build relationships, and establish levels of trust and understanding that helps to increase community capacity and resilience. Scott brings a community development perspective to all his work. He understands that local communities can accomplish great things by working together and tapping into collective wisdom, networks, and shared resources. He is a graduate of the MA Interdisciplinary Studies program at Royal Roads University where he focused on Sustainable Community Development and Leadership. He calls Calgary home.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 3
Co-Presenter (with Jeff Donaldson) Building a whole of society approach to community capacity and resilience
BOS Lead and Clinical Liaison | Wayfound Mental Health Group
Ryan Collyer, a retired Advanced Care Paramedic from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has dedicated the past 15 years to Peer Support Advocacy, firmly believing in the concept of "in service of others" and living by the Latin phrase "acta non verba" (actions, not words). Ryan has previous experiences in Fire Suppression (Wildland and Structural) and is currently a Disaster Medical Specialist with Canada Task Force 2 in Calgary.
As a Peer Support Specialist trained in Group Crisis Intervention and Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Ryan aims to inspire others to embrace courageous authenticity and pursue meaningful change in self and others. Currently, he serves as the Before Operational Stress Lead and Clinical Liaison at Wayfound Mental Health Group, supporting proactive protection programs for Public Safety Personnel, Healthcare workers, Military members, and other frontline professionals who serve humanity.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 4
Before Operational Stress: Disasters and Mental Health
In our session we will explore the complexities of Mental Health bringing data that supports the ever-growing need for training in this landscape. We will provide information and practical tools that participants will be able to take away to implement them within each organization for their staff. One of the concepts that will be the presented is the concept of functional disconnection and reconnection that underpin our conversations.
Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Specialist | SaskPower
Trevor Leggett began his public safety career in 2005 with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice where he honed his skills as a Hostage Negotiator, eventually overseeing security and operations of the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre. In 2019, he went to work for Saskatchewan’s Emergency Measures Organization (Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency) as an Emergency Services Officer, where he advised elected officials and first responders on emergency preparedness and response measures during large-scale disruptive events. Trevor spearheaded several initiatives while at the SPSA including the development and implementation of critical programs in Saskatchewan during the pandemic, such as the COVID-19 rapid test kit distribution program. He also led the construction of a mobile command unit shared by police, fire and emergency management agencies across the province. However, Trevor’s dedication transcends provincial borders as he has been deployed across Canada to assist during large-scale disasters including a posting to the BC Provincial EOC for the atmospheric river event, and as an Information Officer for the 2021 wildfire and flooding events in the Yukon.
In 2021 Trevor was appointed as a Coroner for the Province of Saskatchewan. In this capacity, he coordinates and leads death investigations, leveraging his expertise in public safety to make recommendations aimed at educating the public on hazardous practices and conditions.
In his current role as SaskPower's Emergency Management and Business Continuity Specialist, Trevor works to ensure the utility is prepared to handle the evolving challenges posed by extreme weather events and a changing climate, and both cyber and physical security attacks.
SaskPower is changing the way we power the province, and planning is well underway for the corporation to introduce nuclear power from Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a future supply option. The future supply option presented by nuclear power is another project Trevor is helping oversee, where his shared responsibilities include building the emergency management program to meet federal licensing requirements, with potential construction of the SMR’s slated for 2030.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 5
Keeping the Lights On: Emergency Management in the High-Stakes World of Electrical Utilities
The electric grid is the backbone of modern society, and its reliability is critical to our daily lives. Yet it faces a growing and evolving array of threats, both natural and man-made. From extreme weather events and cyberattacks, to physical sabotage and supply chain disruptions, the risks are as numerous as they are complex.
This session will delve into the unique challenges faced by emergency managers in the electric utility sector, exploring the current threat landscape, and examining the most pressing risks and their potential outcomes. I will also discuss the latest strategies and technologies for mitigating these threats, including:
How can external stakeholders become more engaged with their local utility EM program? Join in for a thought-provoking discussion on one of the most precarious jobs in emergency management. This session will provide actionable insights for emergency managers, utility employees, policymakers and anyone interested in the security and resilience of our electric grid. Purpose of session or outcome:
Founder | Rebecca Innes Consulting (RIC)
Rebecca Innes is an innovative disaster and emergency management leader with over 18 years of experience across various industries. She holds a Master’s in Human Security and Peace Building and has completed a range of diplomas and certificates in related fields, providing a strong academic foundation for her work. Receiving the Partners in Humanity Award from the Canadian Red Cross and provincial awards for enhancing community preparedness inspired Rebecca to combine her knowledge of emergency management with her passion for humanitarianism. As the founder and Principal of Rebecca Innes Consulting (RIC), she leads initiatives focused on creating stronger, more resilient communities and businesses by building networks of leadership and support so clients can effectively manage disasters and get on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 6
Critical Oversights in Disaster Recovery: A Case Study
Communities have made strides in enhancing their capacity to address various hazards, but the focus on recovery planning remains inadequate. The recovery stages often present the greatest difficulties for a community, resulting in profound psychological effects, financial strains, and turmoil. Through the lens of a disaster recovery case study, Rebecca will share critical insights on what should be included in a recovery plan so that people are taken care of, projects are managed properly, and the public perception of recovery is high.
A Demonstration of an Emergency Response Operation | Disaster Forum
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BREAKOUT SESSION 7
Delegates attending Disaster Forum 2024 will be treated to a demonstration emergency response exercise: Exercise "Illustrate". The exercise is designed to illustrate the principles of incident management as practiced by a typical community in Western Canada. Exercise is the result of collaboration between the organizers of the Disaster Forum Conference and the Bow Valley Regional Emergency Management Agency.
Director Emergency Management & Security, Field Operations Business Unit | Canada Energy Regulator
Chris Finley has over 25 years’ experience in the federal regulatory field with the Canada Energy Regulator (formerly National Energy Board) as an Environmental Specialist, Inspection Officer, and Director for various teams and programs. For many years, Chris has served as the Director of the Emergency Management and Security Program Team, accountable for the development, delivery and oversight of these programs.
Chris has acted as the CER’s Emergency Response Director accountable for leading the federal regulatory oversight of pipeline emergencies and incidents, as well as the CER’s response to the BC Floods in 2021.
With growing climate change impacts, there are increased environmental impacts from floods and fires that can have an impact on pipelines, and the CER’s and regulated-industry posture, as we prepare for further emergencies.
In February of 2024, in his Security role, Chris appeared before the House of Common’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to discuss Bill C-26, the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 8
Indigenous Involvement in Emergency Management Best Practices
The CER recognizes the important role of Indigenous Nations and communities in emergency management to improve safety for their members, and to mitigate potential impacts on the environment and sites of significance to Indigenous Peoples.
The CER is committed to advancing Reconciliation and being a leader in this space. As such, the CER has developed a Statement on Reconciliation and made a commitment to prioritize Reconciliation in the work we do and to drive meaningful change in the CER’s requirements and expectations of regulated industry.
The Indigenous Involvement in Emergency Management Best Practices will also help the CER and CER-regulated companies to better understand the unique emergency management risks that Indigenous communities may face in the event of a pipeline emergency. The best practices are an opportunity for CER-regulated companies to explore ways in which they can further involve Indigenous communities in their Emergency Management Program, by considering cultural impacts, being responsive to the unique strengths and customs of Indigenous Nations and Communities and by being adaptive to the challenges that a community could face because of a pipeline emergency.
Following publication, Indigenous Peoples, CER Indigenous partners, and the public will have an opportunity to review these best practices as part of the OPR Review.
Emergency Response Coordinator | Alberta Energy Regulator
As a graduate of the Brandon University Applied Disaster & Emergency Studies program, Jenna-lee has spent the last 15 years working in the field of emergency management in private industry as well as the federal and provincial government sector. Prior to joining the Alberta Energy Regulator Jenna-lee spent several years working for a large multifaceted oil & gas producers, followed by consulting for several companies across western Canada supporting with their diverse planning, training and incident response needs and inherently building relationships. Now in her role as an Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC), she provides valuable insight from industry experience on many initiatives to modernize regulatory oversight in the emergency management space. As an ERC Jenna-lee leads the coordination of the AERs response to critical incidents in the energy sector. Jenna-lee has a remarkable talent for bringing people together, fostering a cooperative environment, and ensuring that details of a response are meticulously addressed.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 10 | Co-Presenter (with Chad Schappy)
AER – Cooperating in Emergency Preparedness & Response
Emergency Response Coordinators (ERCs) at the Alberta Energy Regulator are responsible for on site verification of response to upstream oil and gas, coal, insitu operations, oil sands, mining and geothermal emergencies. Directive 071 Emergency Preparedness and Response is the guiding regulation for planning and response requirements applicable to energy resource developments and is the AERs primary regulatory instrument when assessing a duty holders’ emergency management program and response capabilities. Under the purview of Directive 071, ERCs coordinate enhanced response functions during incidents and emergencies larger in scope and liaise with cooperating provincial and federal agencies. In a continued effort to build and maintain strong working relationships with industry and agency partners, ERCs also proactively attend regulated parties’ emergency response exercises engaging with provincial agencies, mutual aid and synergy groups across the province.
Understanding the role and expectations of the Regulator can be a challenging task, especially during non-routine situations. This discussion will highlight the importance of relationships between the Regulator, local authorities and industry introducing you to the AERs responsibilities and expectations during and emergency. We will also include conversation around the preparedness and response phases of the AERs internal processes through surveillance programs, external engagement, and incident response.
Emergency Response Coordinator | Alberta Energy Regulator
Chad Schappy is a seasoned emergency management professional with over 15 years of expertise across both private and public sectors. Currently, as an Emergency Response Coordinator with the Alberta Energy Regulator, he leads and coordinates agency responses to critical incidents in the energy sector, ensuring swift and effective action. He is experienced in all hazard type (fire, flood, rail, oil & gas) emergencies and collaborating with various local, regional and federal partners. Chad’s background also includes significant contributions in driving crisis management initiatives and developing compliance and audit programs. Known for his strong communication skills and collaborative approach, Chad excels in fostering effective emergency management strategies and enhancing organizational resilience.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 10 | Co-Presenter (with Jenna-lee Natrasony)
AER – Cooperating in Emergency Preparedness & Response
Director, Industrial & Emergency Management | Transitional Solutions Inc., Strathcona County Mutual Assistance Program
Kerri Holmes is an accomplished Emergency Management Specialist with over 20 years of experience, specializing in risk management, health & safety, and emergency management across municipal and private sectors. Throughout her expansive career, Kerri has developed a robust portfolio of managing high-stakes projects, including the development of municipal management plans and industrial emergency response plans, Fire Service Reviews and Master Plans, exercises and training programs. Kerri was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association “Core Competencies” Toolkit, the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrator’s Crisis Management Toolkit, and completed nearly all the After-Action Reviews for the 2023 Wildfires that occurred in central and northern Alberta. For the past seven years, Kerri has supported the Strathcona District Mutual Assistance Program, a collaborative industrial mutual aid group comprised of over 20 industry partners and seven municipal and provincial agencies. With her education background, Kerri brings unique insights into the design and execution of innovative emergency management strategies.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 13
Better Together: Unlocking the Power of Industrial Mutual Aid
Explore the benefits that arise when industries unite for mutual aid support. This session delves into the world of industrial mutual aid networks, where businesses and organizations across various sectors come together to share resources, knowledge, and assistance during emergencies. Participants will learn about wise practices happening right now in effective industrial mutual aid networks across the province. We'll discuss how to overcome common obstacles such as competitive interests and logistical hurdles to create a robust and responsive network.
Protective Services Manager/Director of Emergency Management | Town of Canmore
Caitlin Miller is the Director of Emergency Management for the Town of Canmore. Having grown up in Canmore, Caitlin sees the effects of a changing climate and is keen to help her community be prepared in the face of new or increasingly frequent hazards. Caitlin’s approach to emergency management involves working with all agencies in the Bow Valley to increase community safety and decrease vulnerabilities. Caitlin has a Master of Public Safety from Wilfrid Laurier University and a multi-disciplinary background that includes education, recreation, health and safety, and public safety.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 14
Interagency Collaboration in Canmore: A mid-size city case study
Canmore is located in the Bow Valley, just outside of the Banff National Park and in an area surrounded by provincial parks, protected areas, and hamlets of another municipality. Inter-agency and inter-municipal relationships are the key to ensuring community preparedness across the Bow Valley, to make the most of out the resources available, and to meet the demands of increased visitation and tourism in the area. In this session, Caitlin will share the different ways that Canmore collaborates with its regional partners, which includes other municipalities, levels of government, and industry.
Emergency Management and Business Continuity Advisor | ATCO EnPower
Sharlee Kanters, Emergency Management and Business Continuity Advisor with ATCO EnPower, first entered the Emergency Management industry as a PMP certified project manager and consultant where she specialized in the development of emergency management programs, while maintaining a dedicated focus on building resilient teams. Sharlee has recently transitioned to the client side with the objective of diversifying her perspective of collaboration within the energy industry and amongst associated stakeholders. Her experience includes planning, coordinating, implementing, and facilitating unique opportunities to encourage the growth and maturity of organizational incident response and community engagement. Sharlee is an active member of Calgary Women in Energy, participant of Board Ready Women, NRCAER mutual aid group representative, and an engaged volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 15
Co-Presenter (with Ryna Brideau-Thombs and Emily Tam) | Resilience is a "Contact Sport": You Need An All-Star Team
Join us as Team ATCO presents on the importance of connecting industry with communities in preparation for, response to, and especially recovery from, emergencies and disasters. A path often riddled with complexities, expectations and influences, achieving connections that build resilience requires foresight and fortitude.
Program Supervisor, Emergency Management and Business Resilience (EMBR), Climate Adaptation and Resilience | ATCO Electric
Ryna Brideau-Thombs has spent most of her 30+ years in emergency management specializing in critical infrastructure. Her diverse portfolio includes experience in government, logistics, technology solutions, critical infrastructure protection, leadership, complex problem-solving and framework design. Ryna attributes her success to a robust network of connections in multiple industries that build resilience into every project. Ryna's ability to bridge gaps was key to several resilience-building initiatives in Alberta, examples of which will be discussed during the presentation. Part of her current role at ATCO Electric is to align response teams with partners to quickly re-connect a community after major events like the 2023-2024 wildfires.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 15
Co-Presenter (with Sharlee Kanters and Emily Tam) | Resilience is a "Contact Sport": You Need An All-Star Team
Emergency Management and Business Resilience, Program Advisor | ATCO Electric
Emily completely changed her career from accounting to emergency management a year ago. She engages in developing competencies of incident management teams, facilitating training and exercises, creating emergency response plans and business continuity plans, and leveraging the insights and lessons of response teams to optimize response tools. In that year, she has been gaining tremendous experience assisting ATCO Electric’s seven incident management teams respond to emergencies across Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. At the same time, she is building two concurrent networks – in emergency management and within the utilities industry. Emily’s approach to building a network from scratch entails leveraging opportunities to learn about others’ work and capturing their fortes and interests.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 15
Co-Presenter (with Sharlee Kanters and Ryna Brideau-Thombs) | Resilience is a "Contact Sport": You Need An All-Star Team
Communications & Training Manager | Western Canadian Spill Services Ltd.
Shannon is Mount Royal University graduate and a Certified Environmental Manager through the University of Calgary. She has been a part of Western Canadian Spill Services for nearly 20 years and has been certified in, and contributed to the development of several short environmental planning and emergency response courses. Her role as the Communications & Training Manager for WCSS ensures a direct conduit from headquarters to approximately 500 member companies, provincial regulators and emergency responders regarding policy, equipment, training and volunteer opportunities. In turn, member companies provide her with local issues and concerns so that WCSS may act and plan accordingly to support member company in-house spill preparedness programs. Her interests beyond environmental initiatives extend to multiple creative endeavours and spending time with her family.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 16
A cooperative perspective: collaboration before, during and after emergency response
For over 50 years, the energy industry has been committed to working collectively to ensure spill preparedness and effective response capability. Western Canadian Spill Services Ltd. (WCSS) is a not-for-profit cooperative solution that embodies this commitment. With a jurisdictional boundary that covers Alberta, Northeast British Columbia and West Central Saskatchewan, spill response equipment is strategically located based on direct input from industry. Training on the equipment is offered to hundreds of individuals year-round – not only to satisfy regulatory requirements, but also to encourage in- house skill development and teamwork.
WCSS ensures ongoing communication by way of steering committee meetings with industry representatives and functions as a centralized management team so that its members can focus on their day-to-day operations, as well as support and learn from each other in a neutral setting. This presentation will include perspectives obtained directly from WCSS member company volunteers that discusses how the cooperative approach resonates within industry.
Regional Sales Manager, AB, NWT & Prairies | Bureau Veritas Laboratories
For over 14 years, Vivian has partnered with environmental laboratory stakeholders, clients, and employees across Western Canada. Currently the Regional Sales Manager for Bureau Veritas, Vivian has developed a deep understanding of the importance of sustainable practices in business. Her commitment to purpose-driven business, environmental stewardship, and innovative solutions has led her to explore new avenues to drive efficiencies by leveraging technology to create a positive impact. Vivian specializes in creating exceptional customer experiences and is actively contributing to the digital transformation of the environmental industry. Additionally, she provides valuable insights on cybersecurity from a real-world experience, helping businesses integrate secure practices and protect their data. Through her expertise, Vivian is shaping innovative solutions that integrate technology and drive sustainable practices for a resilient future.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 17
Co-Presenter (with Brody Anderson) Safeguarding Against Cyber Threats: Lessons from a Real-World Attack
Learn more about how hierarchical management structures can create gaps in disaster recovery and how to resolve them.
Technical Account Manager, Environmental Laboratories | Bureau Veritas Laboratories
With 11 years of experience in various industries, Brody has been a key player in protecting organizations from digital threats. Now with Bureau Veritas as a Technical Account Manager, he has worked to develop digital tools to mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks and safeguard sensitive information. Brody is dedicated to creating secure digital environments and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness. He is passionate about integrating cutting-edge technologies to address evolving cyber threats and empower our business to navigate the digital landscape securely in the aftermath of a complex cybersecurity event in our organization.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 17
Co-Presenter (with Vivian Bond) | Safeguarding Against Cyber Threats: Lessons from a Real-World Attack
Principal, Business Continuity and Technology Resilience | Trace Associates Inc.
Barry Moore, ABCP, ITIL, CSE is Principal, Business Continuity and Technology Resilience at Trace Associates Inc. Barry began his career in technology at IBM Canada, where he first became interested in the specialized area of technology resilience planning. In 2005 he joined Graycon IT where he moved into leadership and continued working with key clients helping them progress along their IT resilience journeys. After spending 12 years at Graycon, he went on to leading IT Disaster Recovery at WestJet Airlines where his portfolio quickly grew to include Business Continuity. Following establishing these two critical functions at WestJet, be joined Trace Associates as Principal, Business Continuity and Technology Resilience. In his role at Trace, he provides technology and business resilience consulting services to organizations within all market segments. He helps companies recognize risk, identify and address preparedness gaps, create greater cross-organizational resilience awareness, validate system criticality, develop effective recovery strategies, strengthen response through rigorous exercise programs, and provide evidence of recoverability through targeted testing initiatives. These investments in planning translate directly into decreased impacts during and following serious technology disruptions.
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BREAKOUT SESSION 12
(Un)natural Disasters - Real-world technology disruptions and how to be better prepared to survive them.
With an ever-increasing reliance on technology, the risk of severe financial and reputational impact due to critical system unavailability continues to grow. As a result, organizations need to predict these incidents to be better prepared to respond, thereby minimizing costly business impacts. In this regard, we can look to the past to benefit from previous lessons learned and thereby position ourselves to better manage the technology outages of the future. In this presentation, experienced technology resilience planner Barry Moore will discuss a number of real-world scenarios he has experienced over his 25-year career in IT and discuss steps organizations can take to ensure they are prepared when the unexpected happens.
Over two full days, beginning at noon on Tuesday, delegates will have the opportunity to learn from and engage with leaders in Emergency Management and business continuity from multiple industries across Canada. Tailor your own conference experience through the selection of concurrent workshops and presentation sessions that will complement the keynote speakers and a moderated panel discussion.
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