SOAR

SOAR Strategic Plan 2025-2030

The SOAR Board of Directors, together with Executive Director Daphne Simon, engaged in a facilitated strategic planning session on March 7, 2025 to develop SOAR’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The session was an opportunity to celebrate SOAR’s successes and identify areas for future growth, while re-invigorating SOAR’s commitment to champion excellence in administrative justice through education, collaboration, and innovation. SOAR fosters a robust and engaged community of adjudicators and regulators and offers trusted expertise and programs that support excellence in administrative justice across Ontario. SOAR is committed to the values of excellence, responsiveness, engagement, and integrity, and we renewed our commitment to diversity and inclusion in our operations, and in our faculty and offerings. Our strategic directions are built on four pillars: interactive learning, innovative leadership, empowered community, and excellent operations.

Announcement 2013-2015 Soar Board Of Directors And Executive

Posted on December 19, 2013

The Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR) is pleased to announce the results of the Board of Directors Elections and Executive Committee for the 2013-2015 term. In October 2013, SOAR launched its first electronic elections platform. A number of exceptional candidates came forward and expressed an interest in volunteering for the SOAR Board and furthering SOAR's mission. The Membership votes were finalized and results presented during the Annual General Meeting held at SOAR's 25th Silver Jubilee Annual Conference at the Chestnut Conference Centre in Toronto. At their first meeting held November 20th, 2013 the new Board elected their Executive Officers. Please join us in congratulating the new SOAR Board and Executive. Click here to read their biographies.

SOAR President

Emanuela Heyninck, Commissioner, Pay Equity Commission
Part Time Adjudicator Health Professions and Health Services Appeal Review Boards

SOAR Strategic Plan 2020-2023

Mission The mission of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators is to advance administrative justice through education, advocacy and innovation. Guiding Principles Leadership SOAR's profile in and outside the community is recognized as providing leadership and direction on issues of importance to the administrative justice community and the public that it serves. Education SOAR provides quality, timely and relevant professional development opportunities to its membership and the broader community through a variety of delivery models and strategic collaborations. Advocacy and Innovation SOAR advocates for the excellence and integrity of the administrative justice system and provides opportunities to discuss and address issues affecting the community. Information SOAR's website provides pertinent and timely access to current information affecting the administrative justice community. SOAR communicates regularly about its activities and matters of concern to its Members and the community. Capacity SOAR effectively generates sustained and robust revenue to support its educational and leadership initiatives. Governance SOAR's organizational structure supports and promotes good governance practices, operational efficiencies, inclusive policies and strategic priorities.

Structure of SOAR

SOAR is a non-profit association made up of individual members (institutional members do not qualify).

SOAR is divided into four sections:

  • Chairs,

  • Full-time adjudicators or dispute resolution officers,

  • Part-time adjudicators or dispute resolution officers,

  • Staff and Management.

Gavel on Book

Governance

The Society is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of elected section members, a President elected by the members of the Board of Directors, and an Executive Committee appointed by the Board. To see a listing of the current members of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, go to Meet the Board page.  A  "Call for Expressions of Interest" is distributed annually to all SOAR members seeking volunteers for the Board.

Membership

SOAR has approximately 800 members from over 150 agencies, tribunals, boards and commissions.

Finances and Resources

There is no general funding or revenue other than surpluses from the SOAR annual conferences, training programs and the Adjudicators' Manual. There is no membership fee for SOAR members. Work is generally done by volunteers with the co-operation of volunteer agencies.

SOAR's Mission and Guiding Principles

The mission of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR) is to advance administrative justice through education, advocacy and innovation.

The creation of SOAR and its constitution was approved by resolution of the Conference of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators in 1991 followingskd284429sdc 47 some five years of informal collaboration of chairs, members and executive staff of administrative justice system agencies. This collaboration had been focused on activities of an ad hoc "circle" of Ontario chairs, the Macauley inquiry, the annual Conference and CCAT (the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals).

The organization of SOAR was completed in the fall of 1992, with the inaugural meeting of the Board of Governors (now the Board of Directors) held on November 4, 1992.

SOAR was incorporated as the "Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators; Societe ontarienne des arbitres et des regisseurs", as a non-profit organization, in December 1993.

SOAR is explicitly non-partisan. Its focus is the public interest.

Membership

Membership in SOAR

The Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators is committed to an ongoing process of education and communication with its members in order to pursue issues of importance to adjudicators and staff in the administrative justice community. SOAR, encourages individuals in the agency sector to join the Association and participate in its various activities.

Joining SOARThere is no cost to be a member. You will have access to upcoming website features such as:

  • Professional development opportunities.

  • Member Only access to SOAR Resources

  • Social networking with others in the adjudicative world.

  • Being part of SOAR's advocacy efforts in support of the administrative justice community.

  • Member incentive offers for SOAR sponsored events.

SOAR members are also encouraged to provide the Board of Directors with feedback on the different educational and policy initiatives undertaken by SOAR. We are very sensitive to the views of our members and try to respond to them in the development of each successive endeavour.

Please join online now or download the SOAR membership application and return by fax, email or by mail.

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