SOLD OUT!

The Rhythms of of Administrative Justice: Changing Tempos, Changing Times

Thursday November 14th, 2024 8:45am - 4:30pm (in-person only)

Chelsea Hotel

33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto

$495.00 plus HST 

2024 SOAR CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS

ERIC BRUCE, Deputy Registrar/Director, Registration & Professional Conduct, College of Dental Hygenists of Ontario

PREEYA SINGH, Director of Professional Conduct, General Counsel & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO)

Tune in and take a seat on November 14th for SOAR’s 36^th Annual Conference, featuring a medley of administrative insights and legal learnings. From a review of recent chart-topping administrative law cases to tips for composing great decisions to maintaining harmony in staff settings, our compilation of workshops and plenaries offers an engaging arrangement of professional development opportunities for those in the adjudicative and regulatory circles.

Join our virtuoso speakers as they riff on the latest trends and pose the tough questions of who and what we should be listening to in administrative justice. Conference-goers are sure to come away with helpful notes to put into practise. You’ll be asking for an encore performance!

 

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2024 - CONFERENCE PROGRAM

8:45-9:00 a.m. Mountbatten Salon, 2nd floor

Indigenous Greeting and Welcome

AMY DESJARLAIS, Rebirthed Teachings, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Office of the Vice President, Equity and Community and Inclusion, Toronto Metropolitan University

Welcome from 2024 SOAR CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS 

ERIC BRUCE, Deputy Registrar/Director, Registration & Professional Conduct, College of Dental Hygienists Ontario

PREEYA SINGH, Director of Professional Conduct, General Counsel & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO)

9:00a.m.- 10:10 a.m. OPENING PLENARY Mountbatten Salon

Overtures of Connection: Building a Culture of Human Connection Where People and Organizations Thrive

SPEAKER: PETER BOMBACI, Founder, GENWELL - Canada’s Human Connection Movement

Join Pete Bombaci, the visionary founder and CEO of Canada’s Human Connection Movement, for an inspiring and engaging exploration into the power of social connection and social health. This dynamic presentation, titled "Building a Culture of Human Connection Where People and Organizations Thrive," sheds light on the critical role of social connections in enhancing both personal well-being and professional success.

Discover practical strategies for nurturing deep connections that lead to happier and healthier employees who are more productive, trusting, optimistic, collaborative, and resilient in high-stress environments. Pete will guide you through the many ways in which fostering strong connections can combat the disconnected world we live in today and transform everyday interactions into powerful networks of support and mutual growth. This session isn’t just informative—it’s designed to be fun, interactive, and full of surprises, and audience participation is both encouraged and rewarded.

Pete’s passionate delivery and important message will inspire you to see the untapped potential of human connections in a new light. Let's shape a future where the promotion of strong social health fuels purpose-driven organizations, inspires leadership and innovation, and is the cornerstone of communities, enhancing our collective well-being!

10:10-10:30am MORNING BREAK

10:30-11:55 a.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOP 1 Rosetti Room, 3rd Floor

KEEPING IN TUNE WITH THE VOICES IN THE CHOIR: OUTREACH AND ACCOUNTABILITY BY TRIBUNALS AND REGULATORS

Regulators and tribunals work among a chorus of voices. To operate effectively, they must maintain the confidence of the publics they serve and avoid straying too far off key. How do these bodies stay true to their mandates, demonstrate accountability, and avoid a cacophony of criticism? This panel will explore measures employed by regulators and tribunals to keep in tune with other system partners to promote a more harmonious and effective approach to their work, including proactive outreach and self-review. Panelists will explore the high and low notes of these measures, riffing on lessons learned and key takeaways for regulators and tribunals looking to tune in with their own choir.

MODERATOR: DAN ABRAHAMS, Vice President, Policy & Governance and Chief Legal Officer, Professional Engineers

SPEAKERS:

DAVID SMITH, Director, External Relations, Professional Engineers Ontario

ROSEMARIE MCCUTCHEON, Chair, Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal 

ERICA RICHLER, Partner, Steinecke Maciura Leblanc, Barristers and Solicitors

 

CONCURRENT WORKSHOP 2  Wren Room, 3rd Floor

THE PRELUDE: SETTING THE STAGE FOR COMPOSING A GREAT DECISION

This workshop focuses on how preparation will help you write a clear and concise decision. Topics include: 

•   What to do before you hear the case? 
•   What makes a useful outline? 
•   How to harness the evidence and capture the results of the deliberation? 
•   Tips to save time and avoid backtracking after you start drafting your decision. 

Learn how the prelude to writing can help you excel as an efficient and effective decision-maker! 

 

 

MODERATOR: SASHA CRAGG-GORE Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission

SPEAKERS:

MARY CONDON, Adjudicator, Capital Markets Tribunal

BONNIE GOLDBERG, Presiding Officer, Inquests, Officer of the Chief Coroner, Ontario

JOANNE LEATCH, Senior Counsel, Tribunals Ontario, Legal Services Branch

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11:55a.m. - 12:45pm L U N C H / END OF ACT ONE

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12:45p.m. – 1:45 p.m. AFTERNOON PLENARY Mountbatten Salon

THE SOUNDTRACK OF INFLUENCE: SPEAKING WITH IMPACT 

Whether it’s orchestrating strategic relationships, composing sales pitches, or conducting stakeholder meetings, speaking with confidence is a vital skill that can be mastered. But finding the right feedback to fine-tune your performance is often a challenge. In the real world, people rarely offer honest critiques on whether your tone hits the right note, your body language strikes a chord, or your communication resonates with the audience.

In this dynamic, supportive, and highly interactive workshop, we’ll take you through a series of exercises inspired by the techniques of top musicians and performers. Participants will discover how they truly sound to others and learn how to harmonize their natural personality with the tools and techniques needed to communicate effectively. You'll will come away with tools on how to amplify your voice and presence, and create a powerful and magnetic performance.

SPEAKERS: STEPHAN DYER and JUAN CAJIAO, reTHINK Corporate Training and Communications

1:50p.m.- 3:05 p.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

CONCURRENT WORKSHOP 3 Mountbatten Salon

ADMIN LAW BLAST: CHART TOPPING CASES of 2024 

Back again by popular demand, SOAR's annual 'admin law blast' will review key decisions from the past year, including the Supreme Court of Canada's Yatar v. TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. Our expert panel will debate the current trends and developments in administrative justice that counsel, staff and decision-makers should know about. You won't be able to get enough of the exciting discussion and practical tips. 

MODERATOR: MICHELLE ALTON, Deputy Director, Court Services Division, Ministry of the Attorney General

SPEAKERS:

AMY BLOCK, Partner, Weir Foulds LLP

TIM GLEASON, Partner, Dewart Gleason LLP

 

CONCURRENT WORKSHOP 4 Wren Room, 3rd Floor

SETTING THE TONE: STAFF CHALLENGES IN MAINTAINING HARMONY

Although Tribunals may be of varying sizes, collectively, we face many similar objectives and issues in the practice of administrative law. This workshop will allow us to explore and benefit from the experiences and procedures of other Tribunals primarily from the perspective of front-line staff. Our panelists will focus on the role of Tribunal staff and will explore how Tribunal staff supports and sets the tone for efficient and productive hearings. We will address staff's role in managing attendees in a virtual hearing room. Suggestions and tips will be provided on how staff may handle aggressive and emotional Tribunal participants, as well as unresponsive parties. The workshop will also address managing requests for accommodations, and interpreters, as well as how Tribunal staff can best support individuals whose first language is not English. Additionally, our Panelists will share different Tribunal practices and the role of staff in decision writing. 

 

 

MODERATOR: GENEVIEVE PLUMMER, Manager, Hearings, Ontario College of Pharmacists

SPEAKERS:

ROMEO BENEDICTO, File Management Coordinator and Lead, Case Management System, Law Society Tribunal

MICHAEL MATTHEWS, Manager, Tribunal Ontario Hearings Unit, Landlord and Tenant Board

LYLA SIMON, Acting Head, Adjudicative Tribunals, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

 

CONCURRENT WORKSHOP 5 Rosetti Room, 3rd Floor

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FOR ADJUDICATORS - GIVING AND RECEIVING NOTES Increasingly, tribunals and regulatory bodies have developed systems to review the performance of adjudicators. Ideally, performance evaluation balances the need of managers to ensure accountability, transparency, and excellence in performance, with the need to uphold fairness and independence for adjudicators. This workshop will look at different perspectives on performance review, exploring why and how best to conduct an effective performance evaluation. 

GRACE KNAKOWSKI, Corporate Secretary & VP, Governance & Tribunal Secretariat, Ontario Securities Commission

SPEAKERS:

TIM MOSELEY – Chief Adjudicator, Capital Markets Tribunal

LORA PATTON – Vice Chair, Consent and Capacity Board

JODI ZIGELSTEIN-YIP– Chief HR Innovator and Founder, Enliven HR Consulting

3:05pm-3:25pm   A F T E R N O O N  B R E A K

3:25pm-4:35pm CLOSING PLENARY / F I N A L E Mountbatten Salon

WHO ARE WE LISTENING TO?

Has the use of social media and online platforms increased access to justice or created an environment of misinformation under the rise of populism? The spread of news and information is happening at lightning speed, and our panel will discuss how social media has impacted the work of regulators and adjudicators, sharing success stories, experiences of backlash and lessons learned.

SPEAKERS:

CRISTINA DAMIANI, Deputy Registrar, Supreme Court of Canada

JASON GENNARO, Manager of Communications & Special Advisor to the Chief Justice of Ontario, Court of Appeal for Ontario

NATASHA TUSIKOV, Associate Professor, Criminology Program, Department of Social Science, York University

ZIMRA YETNIKOFF, Director, Investigations and Hearings, College of Psychologists and Behavioural Analysts Ontario

4:35pm-6:30pm

NETWORKING RECEPTION Wine and cheese