8:00 am – 8:45 am

REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
Drawing Room

8:45 am – 8:55 am

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Adam Room

Co-Chairs:
Alexis Kerr, Norton Rose Fulbright (Vancouver, BC)
Suzanne Morin, Sun Life (Ottawa, ON/Montreal, QC)

8:55 am – 10:10 am

INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
Adam Room

This session will be offered with simultaneous interpretation.*

Our annual international update is a must-attend event. Our panelists provide critical guidance to Canadian organizations operating internationally. Be sure to catch this session to stay up-to-date on international developments.

Speakers:
Eduardo Ustaran, Hogan Lovells (London, UK)
Chantal Bernier, Dentons Canada LLP (Ottawa, ON)

Moderator: Brent Arnold, Capstan Legal, (Toronto, ON)

10:10 am – 10:30 am

REFRESHMENT and NETWORKING BREAK
Adam Room Foyer
SPONSOR

10:30 am – 11:20 am

PROVINCIAL UPDATE – Privacy and Access
Adam Room
SPONSOR

This session will be offered with simultaneous interpretation.*

This is your chance to hear about the major privacy and access to information developments from the last 12 months at the provincial level. Whether you specialize in privacy and access issues or you’re new to the field, our expert panelists will provide insights on recent decisions from the courts and the information and privacy commissioners to help you understand important trends.

Speakers:
Kristel Kriel, MLT Aikins (Regina, SK)
Alexandre Ajami, Miller Thomson (Montreal, QC)

Moderator: Ethan Plato, BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (Victoria, BC)

11:20 am – 11:25 am

5 MIN – Panel Change

11:25 am – 12:15 pm

FEDERAL UPDATE – Privacy and Access
Adam Room

This session will be offered with simultaneous interpretation.*

The annual Canadian Update provides a summary of the major public and private sector privacy and access developments from the last 12 months at the federal level. The panelists will provide their insights on key changes in legislation, recent regulatory decisions and guidance, and court decisions that you need to know about.

Speakers:
François Joli-Cœur, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (Montreal, QC)
Frederic Wilson, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (Montreal, QC)

Moderator: Sarah Anderson Dykema, McInnes Cooper (Halifax, NS)

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm

LUNCH WITH ESSAY CONTEST WINNER / KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Drawing Room

12:35 – Essay Contest Winner - Ambreena Ladhani

12:45 – Keynote – Professor Michael Geist, University of Ottawa

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

CONCURRENT SESSIONS #1

SESSION 1.1: 3rd party information exemption – practical tips to protecting your organization’s confidential information
Canadian Room

All levels of government are subject to some form of access to information legislation. Those acts provide a right of access to all records subject to limited and specific exemptions. Some of the records contain information of third parties. The applicable legislation strikes a balance between disclosure and protection of third parties and this balance should be reflected in the interpretation and administration of that legislation.

Speakers:
Erin Hardy, Service New Brunswick (Fredericton, NB)
Allison Knight, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (Gatineau, QC)
Ryan Rutley, FIPA (Victoria, BC)

Moderator: Kris Klein, nNovation (Ottawa, ON)

SESSION 1.2: Protecting Voter Privacy: Addressing the Privacy Gaps for Political Parties
Adam Room

Political parties in Canada hold vast amounts of voter data, which they utilize for various campaign activities, including voter outreach, fundraising, and targeted communications. However, unlike businesses and public bodies, federal political parties, and most provincial political parties, are not subject to the same privacy regulations. This panel will explore the need to update Canadian privacy laws to address the implications for voter privacy in the digital age, amidst resistance from political entities.

Speakers:
Eric Montigny, professeur de science politique, Université Laval (Québec City, QC)
Scott Lamb, Clark Wilson LLP (Vancouver, BC)
Sara Bannerman, McMaster University (Hamilton, ON)

Moderator: Caroline Deschênes, Langlois Avocats (Montreal, QC)

2:30 pm – 2:35 pm

5 MIN – to get to next Concurrent session/change panels

2:35 pm – 3:40 pm

CONCURRENT SESSIONS #2

SESSION 2.1: Assessments here, there and everywhere – how to practically manage the world of overlapping assessments
Adam Room
SPONSOR

In today’s complex regulatory landscape, organizations are often required to conduct multiple impact assessments across various projects, jurisdictions, and departments. Managing these overlapping assessments can become overwhelming, resulting in duplicated efforts, inconsistent findings, and delayed compliance. This session offers actionable insights to help you navigate the demanding world of privacy impact assessments (PIAs). You will learn how to streamline your PIA process—including related assessments such as data transfer and AI impact assessments—leverage technology and standardized frameworks to reduce redundancy, and foster collaboration to effectively conduct PIAs (and other assessments) and support business initiatives across both the private and public sectors.

Speakers:
Robin Gould-Soil, Pentavere Research Group Inc. (Toronto, ON)
Andriana Cvetkovik, Sun Life (Toronto, ON)
Benoit Deshaies, Treasury Board (Ottawa, ON)

Moderator: Horia Soltani, Canon Canada (Toronto, ON)
 

SESSION 2.2: Alberta blazing a new trail: Public Sector Privacy and Access Reform
Canadian Room

On June 11, 2025, the Government of Alberta issued Order in Council 196/2025, thereby proclaiming the Access to Information Act (“ATIA”) and the Protection of Privacy Act (“POPA”) to be in force. As a result, the long-standing Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (which had been in place since 1994) has now been repealed and Alberta has set upon a new trail in the world of access to information and protection of privacy for the provincial government and local public bodies such as municipalities and school divisions. This panel will discuss the new bold legislative changes in the ATIA and the POPA, and how it has impacted access to information and privacy protection in its early infancy.

Speakers:
Adam LaRoche, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (Calgary, AB)
Meredith Giel, Government of Alberta (Edmonton, AB)

Moderator: Lorne Randa, Brownlee LLP (Edmonton, AB)

3:40 pm – 4:00 pm

20 MIN – REFRESHMENT and NETWORKING BREAK
Adam Room Foyer

4:00 pm – 5:15 pm

CONCURRENT SESSIONS #3

SESSION 3.1: Privacy Due Diligence: Navigating Risks and Responsibilities in M&A and Beyond
Adam Room
SPONSOR

As data becomes a central asset in corporate transactions, legal professionals face heightened responsibility in identifying and mitigating privacy risks during M&A. This panel will examine due diligence obligations, and post-acquisition data integration risks from a legal perspective. Attendees will gain practical insights into mitigating liability, and advising clients on data governance strategies throughout the M&A lifecycle.

Speakers:
Sara A. Levine, K.C., Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP/S.E.N.C.R.L., s.r.l. (Vancouver, BC)
Jaime Cardy, Dentons Canada LLP  (Toronto, ON)
Brandon Rasula, WELL Health Technologies Corp. (Vancouver, BC)

Moderator: Samara Starkman, INQ Law (Toronto, ON)
 

4:00 pm – 5:15 pm

Session 3.2: Roundtable Discussion: Access to Information - What’s on your mind?
Canadian Room

Alexis Kerr, Norton Rose Fulbright (Vancouver, BC)

5:15 pm – 7:00 pm

NETWORKING RECEPTION
Drawing Room Foyer

8:15 am – 9:00 am

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

9:00 am – 10:10 am

CONCURRENT SESSIONS #4

SESSION 4.1: Trivial, frivolous, vexatious, outrageous! – The state of frivolous and vexatious access requests
Adam Room

As Canada’s access to information regime comes under increasing strain, legislation is being introduced around the country that would allow public bodies to turn away frivolous and vexatious access requests in the name of efficiency. But do these laws and bills strike the right balance? This panel will explore the current state of how frivolous and vexatious access requests are treated in Canada, where things are headed, the potential impacts on government transparency, and indeed, on Canadian democracy.

Speakers:
David Nurse, Nova Scotia Information & Privacy Commissioner
Jason Woywada, BC FIPA (Victoria, BC)
Hunter Fox, Gowlings (Ottawa, ON)

Moderator: Marie Andrée Rowsell, PrivacyWorks Consulting Inc. (Casselman, ON)
 

SESSION 4.2: Unlocking the Potential: Data Sharing in Healthcare Delivery and Research
Canadian Room

The future of healthcare innovation hinges on the responsible sharing of data. This expert panel will explore why data sharing is critical to advancing healthcare delivery and research, from improving patient outcomes to accelerating the development of new treatments. Our panelists will delve into the key barriers that currently hinder effective data sharing and highlight innovative solutions and best practices for overcoming these obstacles.

Speakers:
Lesley Rapaport, University Health Network, Director Research Legal, IP and Commercialization (Toronto, ON)
Abhi Kalra, Executive VP Connected Care, Canada Health Infoway (Toronto, ON)
Steven Tam, INQ Law (Vancouver, BC)

Moderator: Michael Migus, University Health Network (Toronto, ON)

10:10 am - 10:30 am

REFRESHMENT and NETWORKING BREAK
Adam Room Foyer

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

THE REGULATORS’ PERSPECTIVE
Adam Room

This session will be offered with simultaneous interpretation.*

A hallmark of each symposium, this panel will be a moderated discussion with regulators from across the nation, touching on key privacy and access issues. New this year will be split panels on access and privacy.

Access Speakers:
Caroline Maynard, Information Commissioner of Canada
Michael Harvey, Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
David Nurse, Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia
Kerry Hatfield, Information and Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador

Privacy Speakers:
Philippe Dufresne, Privacy Commissioner of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Michael Harvey, Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Naomi Ayotte, vice-présidente de la Section de surveillance, Commission d'access a l'information (Quebec, QC)

Moderator: Bill Abbott, Director - Regulatory Law, TELUS (Ottawa, ON)

12:00 pm – 12:15 pm

CLOSING PLENARY & WRAP-UP
Adam Room

A few words from the incoming chair of the CBA National Privacy and Access Law Section:

Christiane Saad, Association des collèges et des universités de la francophonie canadienne (Gatineau, QC)

Closing remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs:

Alexis Kerr, Norton Rose Fulbright (Vancouver, BC)
Suzanne Morin, Sun Life (Ottawa, ON/Montreal, QC)

12:15 pm

GRAB 'N' GO LUNCH
Adam Room Foyer

Delegates are welcome to grab their lunch to go for their travels back home, or if you wish, feel free to take this opportunity to further network with your colleagues over a bite.