Government of Canada announces 11 appointments to CCOHS

The federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Patty Hajdu has announced 11 appointments to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).

"Their individual and collective depth of knowledge and extensive experience in the field of occupational health and safety will be an asset to the CCOHS,” Hajdu said.

The individuals who have been appointed are as follows:

•Luanne Gallant, governor for Prince Edward Island. Gallant has been working for the Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island for five years. Since 2015, she has been the CEO responsible for the overall direction and leadership of the organization, which includes occupational health and safety. Prior to this role, she worked in human resources for close to 40 years in organizations such as Community Services and Seniors, the Queen's Health Region and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

•Jamie Hall, governor for Manitoba. Acting as chief operating officer at SAFE Work Manitoba for three years, Hall has 26 years of experience at Manitoba Hydro, with 16 of those years at a management or executive level. A Professional Engineer and holder of an MBA with a human resources specialty from the University of Manitoba, he has been active on various committees such as the Safety and Prevention Committee of the Association of WCBs of Canada and the SAFE Roads Committee of Manitoba.

•Sophie Dennis, governor for Ontario. Dennis has worked in the field of occupational health and safety in the workplace for more than 30 years. Since January 2014, she has been the deputy minister, Ontario Ministry of Labour, responsible for delivery of occupational health and safety, labour relations, pay equity and employment rights programs to all industries and communities across Ontario. During her career she held many senior positions in the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Dennis holds a bachelor of science degree in geology from Queen's University. In 2013, she received the Ontario Government Amethyst Award for Lifetime Achievement – Excellence in Public Service.

•Shelley Rowan, governor for Nova Scotia. Rowan currently serves as vice-president, prevention and service delivery, at the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, an organization she has been involved with since 1998. She graduated from Mount St. Vincent University in public relations and furthered her studies in organizational theories and industrial relations. Rowan also serves on the board of Mount St. Vincent University.

•Joseph Bajzath, governor representing employers. Bajzath holds a bachelor in engineering from Concordia University. With 20 years of experience with Air Canada in different capacities, he has been active in the director, corporate safety and emergency management position since 2011, where he has extensive experience in the development and implementation of safety programs related to occupational health and safety and crisis management.

•Chad Bradley, governor representing employers. A graduate of McGill University with a master of science in occupational health, certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, Bradley has over 25 years of experience in occupational health and safety. She has worked for Bell Canada since 1998 with a vast range of responsibilities in health and safety. She is now senior manager for corporate health and safety.

•Nina Mankovitz, governor representing employers. Holder of a master in engineering degree from Queen's University, Mankovitz has held environment, health and safety positions in different organization such as the E.I. du Pont Canada Company and Canada Post where she was responsible for strategic leadership in occupational health and safety. Mankovitz has been an active member of several safety and health non-governmental organizations and is currently the general manager of health, safety and environment for Rio Tinto Aluminum.

•Sari Sairanen, governor representing workers. Sairanen is currently the national health, safety and environment director at Unifor. She has held various positions in the health and safety and labour relations sectors for the union, including bargaining committee representative; vice-president, Western region; and co-chair of the joint health and safety committee. She was also a researcher at the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Sairanen has completed post-graduate studies in economics and industrial relations towards master of arts degrees from the Université Laval and the University of Manitoba and has completed a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Winnipeg.

•Denis St-Jean, governor representing workers. St-Jean has been a health and safety activist for over 25 years. Since 1994, he has been national health, safety and environment officer for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). St-Jean has obtained a wealth of knowledge and a solid background in the field, representing the rights of PSAC members through political action, as well as providing representation at various administrative tribunals. He previously served as health and safety officer for the National Capital Commission and is now co-president of the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health and the Workplace arising out of PSAC and Treasury Board. He is a graduate of the Université du Quebec en Outaouais, where he obtained a bachelor of arts in industrial relations.

•Tara Peel, governor representing workers. Peel has been acting as the national health, safety and environment representative for the Canadian Labour Congress since 2016. Prior to this position, she worked at the Manitoba Federation of Labour as a policy and special projects co-ordinator where she was in charge of developing and implementing public policy campaigns related to workplace health and safety. She graduated with honours from Trent University with a bachelor in political studies.

•Gary Robertson, chair. Robertson was appointed assistant deputy minister at the Labour Program in 2015. Prior to this position, he held a number of senior roles at Public Safety Canada. Earlier in his career, he also served as an executive in a variety of roles at Public Works and Government Services Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Before joining the federal public service, he worked for large international organizations including Nortel Networks and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Robertson holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Western Ontario and a master of business administration from the University of Hartford.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, located in Hamilton, was created in 1978 to promote the total well-being of working Canadians by providing information, training, education, management systems and solutions that support workplace health and safety. Governed by a tripartite council representing the federal, provincial and territorial governments, employers and workers, the CCOHS provides Canadians with unbiased and relevant information that supports responsible decision-making on health and safety issues in the workplace.