APSIM Conference Day 2 – Speakers & Topics
Welcome to Day 2 of the APSIM Conference!
This webpage provides details on each session, including titles and brief topic descriptions. Check out the biographies so you can get to know our speakers!
KEYNOTE SESSION
In the World of Privacy Regulation, What’s the Constitution got to do with it?
This presentation will take a behind-the-scenes look at the connection between Canada’s privacy laws and the constitution. At a time when technology is evolving rapidly, while privacy law reform continues to perch on a receding horizon, this talk will look to Canada’s constitution for answers about the road ahead.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kate Robertson, Lawyer and Senior Researcher, Citizen Lab, University of Toronto
Kate is a researcher exploring the intersection of law, policy, and technology. She draws on former experience as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada, and subsequently, as a lawyer in Canada’s justice system.
KEYNOTE SESSION
Protecting the Fundamental Right to Privacy in the Digital Age: An Overview of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s Activities Over the Past Year
This presentation will highlight work performed by the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner in the past year that advanced the Office’s Strategic Plan priority of addressing and advocating for privacy in this time of technological change. While the Strategic Plan was just issued in January 2024, the reality of a fast-moving pace of technological advancements and its impacts on privacy have been a concern for the Office for many years. The presentation will focus on the Office’s work related to investigations, litigation and the preparation of guidance material that enhanced the protection of our fundamental right to privacy in the context of these technological advancements.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marc Chénier, Deputy Commissioner and Senior General Counsel, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Marc Chénier was appointed Deputy Commissioner and Senior General Counsel at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada in January 2024. Before joining the OPC, Marc had worked for more than 25 years in various capacities in the federal public service, most of them in the area of electoral law and policy, and more recently in ensuring compliance with and enforcement of federal election and referendum legislation. He thus began his career at the Department of Canadian Heritage, before beginning in 1999 at Elections Canada. He was seconded to the Privy Council Office on two occasions for a total of four years, working on key legislative and constitutional reforms related to elections and other democratic reform issues. More recently, as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Legal Counsel, he was responsible for Legal Services and the Compliance Unit at the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, the office responsible for ensuring compliance with and enforcement of federal election and referendum legislation.
PLENARY SESSION
The Role of Journalism in Transparency and Accountability of Public Bodies
Section 3 of ATIPPA, 2015 says that the purpose of the Act is to facilitate democracy by “ensuring citizens have the information required to participate meaningfully in the democratic process,” and “increasing transparency in government and public bodies so that elected officials, officers and employees of public bodies remain accountable …”.
The panelists will identify and grapple with the challenges facing professional journalism today, and discuss how they see their role in facilitating transparency and accountability of public bodies, through questions such as the following:
- What role do professional journalists play in fulfilling the purpose of ATIPPA?
- How has online misinformation and disinformation affected the ability of journalists to publish “the news”?
- The business model for journalism has shifted substantially in the past number of years – how has this impacted the way journalists do their work?
- How does a more fragmented media environment impact the idea of “the public” and does it still allow for a broad public discourse, where the majority of citizens can debate policy issues surrounding agreed-upon facts?
- How can laws like ATIPPA, and those who work to administer and oversee it, best facilitate the role of journalism?
- What other means can public bodies use to increase transparency and facilitate the work of journalists?
ABOUT THE PANEL
Sean Murray, Director of Research and Quality Assurance, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Newfoundland and Labrador (Moderator)
Sean Murray has served close to twenty years in senior roles with the Newfoundland and Labrador OIPC, during which he has either led or carried out work associated with every aspect of the Office’s mandate. Sean’s current role is the Director of Research and Quality Assurance with OIPC NL.
Tom Cardoso, Investigative Reporter, The Globe and Mail (Virtual)
Tom Cardoso is an award-winning Toronto-based reporter with The Globe and Mail. He spent the better part of two years reporting on Canada’s broken access systems as part of The Globe’s “Secret Canada” project.
Juanita Mercer, Journalist, The Telegram
Juanita Mercer is The Telegram’s legislative reporter. She won a National Newspaper Award in 2022 for reporting about pay equity in Newfoundland and Labrador. That work was largely informed by filing frequent access to information requests. Last year, The Telegram was a finalist for another National Newspaper Award about conditions at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary, work which was also largely informed by Mercer’s access to information requests. Mercer is a former high school English and Social Studies teacher. She lives in St. John’s.
Craig Westcott, Editor and Publisher, The Shoreline News
Craig Westcott is the Editor and Publisher of The Shoreline News. He has worked in the media in Newfoundland since 1987 starting with The Northern Pen in St. Anthony and then on to The Telegram, The Sunday Express, CBC Radio, The Newfoundland Herald, and The Business Post.
Emily Deming, Business Reporter, AllNewfoundlandandLabrador.com
Emily, originally from the US, is an award-winning reporter with a background in earth sciences and experience in both academia and industry before she turned to journalism. She worked for years as a freelance writer in St. John’s contributing to The Scope and CBC among other outlets. She co-created the interactive podcast Consent: Walk the Walk, based on her coverage of the Snelgrove sexual assault trials, with the late Chris Brookes. She had a regular column in The Overcast and The Independent covering municipal politics and news before moving to full-time business reporting for allNewfoundlandLabrador.com in 2020.
BREAKOUT SESSION
OIPC Investigation Process and Key Decisions
An overview of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s complaint investigation process, touching on several of the Office’s reports which are likely to provide insight into the interpretation and application of ATIPPA, 2015 and PHIA.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Collins, Senior Access and Privacy Analyst, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Newfoundland and Labrador
As Senior Access and Privacy Analyst since 2020, Andrew manages the OIPC’s investigation’s branch. Andrew was previously an access and privacy analyst working in both the investigations and advocacy and compliance branches of the OIPC. Before joining the OIPC in 2016, Andrew was a lawyer in private practice.
BREAKOUT SESSION
Title and Session Description Coming Soon!
General Topic: Privacy Management Program Business Case
ABOUT THE SEPEAKER
Brian Bennett, Director of Quality and Credentials, NLHS Medical Services
Brian Bennett has worked in the province’s health care sector in advisory and leadership roles for close to twenty years, and is currently acting as Director of Quality and Credentials with NLHS. Prior to joining NLHS’s Medical Services department, Brian acted as Director of Quality and Privacy Officer with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador, as Manager of Access and Privacy with the Department of Health and Community Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Privacy Lead with the former Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information. Brian holds a B.A. from Memorial University and an LL.B. from Dalhousie University.
BREAKOUT SESSION
Handling Difficult Conversations
Difficult conversations. We’ve all had them. Some are expected, which may come with anticipatory stress, while others catch us off guard and can be unpleasant surprises. These challenging conversations at work are a fact of life. From discussing an access request with an applicant or senior executives or calling someone to tell them that they have been impacted by a privacy breach, these conversations can be difficult to handle. Hear from a panel of professionals that, much like yourselves, face these challenges on a regular basis. Learn how they prepare for these conversations, how to find the right words in the moment, and additional tips to better ensure your conversations go as smoothly as possible.
ABOUT THE PANEL
Erin Drover, ATIPP Manager, ATIPP Office (Moderator)
Erin Drover is the Manager of the ATIPP Office in Executive Council with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. She has been with the Office for over 10 years. Her work has included developing and presenting training to a wide range of stakeholders including government departments, public bodies, municipalities, and NGOs. She also conducts research into various access and privacy issues and assists public bodies with privacy impact assessments. Finally, she regularly provides advice and guidance to public bodies on how to handle access and privacy challenges.
Erin holds an LL.B. from the University of New Brunswick and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional.
Andrea Learning, Information Management, Privacy Analyst, and ATIPP Coordinator, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
Andrea Learning is the Information Management / Privacy Analyst and ATIPP Coordinator for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. In this role, she is responsible for providing IM / privacy training to new employees, handling privacy breaches, completing privacy impact assessments and information sharing agreements, while offering general IM and privacy guidance to the departments of the Corporation. Andrea is also responsible for receiving and processing ATIPP Requests and addressing any related complaints. During her career in IM and privacy, Andrea has become a subject matter expert in legislative compliance and the protection of personal information of the vulnerable population the Corporation serves. Prior to working in the IM and privacy sector, Andrea spent four years providing administrative support to the Strategic Staffing Division and the Office of Employment Equity for Persons with Disabilities within the provincial government. Andrea has a Certificate in Records and Information Management from the College of the North Atlantic and a Certificate in Criminology from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Sherri Tiller-Park, Privacy Manager, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
Sherri Tiller-Park is currently a Privacy Manager with NL Health Services. She has worked in information access and privacy for over 20 years, starting with the Western Region Community Services Board, which integrated into the Western Regional Health Authority, and is now NL Health Services. The first decade of Sherri’s career was spent as a social worker in community-based programs in Central and Western regions. The transition from a health care professional to privacy and access subject matter expert creates a professional that has intimate, first-hand knowledge of the health system, coupled with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by its users. Sherri holds both a bachelor and masters degree in social work from Memorial University and has completed the Information Access and Protection of Privacy Certificate from the University of Alberta.
Rod Hynes, Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Pouch Cove
Rod Hynes is the Chief Administrative Officer with the Town of Pouch Cove. Before embarking on his new career as a municipal administrator, he spent 14 years working with access to information and protection of privacy, working with the OIPC, Eastern Health, the Departments of Natural Resources and Industry Energy and Technology and most recently as the Municipal Access and Privacy Analyst with the ATIPP Office. Rod has twice been recognized by the OIPC in their annual reports for his work on access to information and protection of privacy and is a strong advocate for municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador as it relates to ATIPP matters.
BREAKOUT SESSION
The Sociotechnical Approach to AI: Bridging Theory and Governance
I examine the concept of sociotechnical systems in the context of AI, exploring its historical and philosophical roots to provide clarity on its meaning. Using case studies from AI deployment in healthcare, I will highlight key questions and considerations for policymakers tasked with creating effective regulation for AI systems. The goal is to offer a clearer framework for thinking about AI as a sociotechnical system, with implications for privacy and governance considerations.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dylan J. White, PhD Candidate, Instructor, University of Guelph
Dylan J. White is a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph. His research focuses on issues at the intersection of cognitive science, the ethics of technology, and public policy, with a particular emphasis on the societal impact of artificial intelligence.
BREAKOUT SESSION
eDOCNL Information Management Framework
The provincial Electronic Medical Records (EMR) program has a mandate to improve collaboration and information sharing between health professionals, improve the quality of care, enhance the overall capacity for patient safety, provide a means for physicians to improve clinical efficiencies and provide health information to inform future health planning and policy development. To facilitate this program, the Department of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association worked together to develop an appropriate governance structure and information management framework. As a result, participating physicians sign an EMR Physician Participation Agreement with NLHS to participate in eDOCSNL. One of the terms is to provide personal health information for secondary uses. This EMR Data is collected from individual EMRs and retained in the provincial data warehouse within NLHS. There are close to 300 individual custodians contributing data to the data warehouse. This session will look at the framework and the collaboration and clarity required on such initiatives.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Lucy McDonald, Senior Advisor, Digital Health, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association
Lucy has worked in the digital health privacy field in Newfoundland and Labrador for over 25 years. She is the former Chief Privacy Officer at NLCHI and is currently advising the NLMA on digital health and privacy matters.
Brian Bennett, Director of Quality and Credentials, NLHS Medical Services
Brian Bennett has worked in the province’s health care sector in advisory and leadership roles for close to twenty years, and is currently acting as Director of Quality and Credentials with NLHS. Prior to joining NLHS’s Medical Services department, Brian acted as Director of Quality and Privacy Officer with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador, as Manager of Access and Privacy with the Department of Health and Community Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Privacy Lead with the former Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information. Brian holds a B.A. from Memorial University and an LL.B. from Dalhousie University.
BREAKOUT SESSION
Title and Session Description Coming Soon!
General Topic: Panel Discussion on Information Management
ABOUT THE PANEL
Lori Collins (Moderator)
Lori Collins has worked in Information Management (IM) for over 25 years. Following a successful run in Ontario’s public and private sectors, she managed the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s IM Education and Awareness program. This included the development and delivery of policies, standards and guidelines. Since 2016, she has been the lead instructor for a post-graduate diploma in IM at the College of the North Atlantic. She has a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto, a Masters Certificate in Project Management and has been a certified Project Management Professional since 2006. In 2021, she received her Bachelor of Education (Post-Secondary) from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Lori is passionate about providing her students with a solid foundation to prepare them for IM and Privacy Analyst-level work. Facilitating networking opportunities, delivering training and organizing communities of practice are a priority for Lori. Supporting IM practitioners reinforces strong IM programs. This in turn generates support for the profession and practice of Access, Privacy, Security and IM as a whole.
Donna Leonard, Access and Privacy Manager, College of North Atlantic
Donna Leonard is College of the North Atlantic’s Access & Privacy Manager, where she has worked for more than 20 years and is responsible for Access to Information and Protection of Privacy and Information Management. Donna has extensive academic and professional experience, including a Bachelor of Arts degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland and post-graduate diplomas in Computer Programming, Information Management, and Information Access and Protection of Privacy. Donna is also a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. She believes in the profound and positive impact good records management can have on an organization’s openness, accountability, and transparency.
Alison Randell, Chief Information Officer, Memorial University
Alison has 25 years’ experience in the areas of information technology, information management and protection in the private, public and higher education sectors. She holds a bachelor of commerce (co-op.) degree from Memorial with a concentration in management information systems and an Association for Intelligent Information Management electronic records management masters certification.
Alison has a unique background in developing innovative and effective methods to integrate the fields of information technology and information management and protection and a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by public bodies and higher educational institutions in meeting their technical, information management and protection requirements.
The chief information officer reports to the vice-president (administration, finance and advancement) and is responsible for the development and implementation of the vision, strategy and governance structure for information management and technology to enable the academic, research and administrative functions of Memorial’s multi-campus community.
Kimberly Porter
Biography coming soon!