Privacy and Public Safety: A Progress Report
Whether the issue is police record checks, street checks or body-worn cameras, new technologies and new ways of collecting and sharing personal information are having a substantial impact on privacy. These issues have sparked intense public debate about the collection, retention and disclosure of information by police services. The public discussion has led to significant progress in the protection of Ontarians’ privacy, but there is still more work to be done to find the appropriate balance between public safety and privacy.
We invite you to join us in person or via webcast for a Privacy Day symposium which will examine this progress and look at the essential next steps that need to be taken to both protect privacy rights and ensure public safety. This event will include a feature presentation by the Commissioner and a panel discussion among privacy, human rights and public safety experts on the most pressing topics.
Our special guest panelists are:
- Chief Bryan Larkin, Waterloo Regional Police Service and Vice President, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
- Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane, Ontario Human Rights Commission
- Deputy Commissioner Michael McEvoy, Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
- Deputy Minister Matt Torigian, Community Safety, Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
The panel will be moderated by Assistant Commissioner David Goodis. This is a free event, but we kindly ask that you register to attend in person.
The webcast of the event will be streamed here.
Location Details:
Epic Hall (2nd Floor, The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon),
Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge Street
January 28, 2016
9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Celebrated across Canada and internationally, Privacy Day (also known as Data Privacy Day) highlights the impact that technology is having on our privacy rights and underlines the importance of valuing and protecting personal information.
Presenters:
| SPEAKERS | |
 | Brian Beamish, Commissioner Brian Beamish first began his career at the office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) in 1999, as Director of Policy and Compliance. This was followed by his appointment to Assistant Commissioner in 2005, where he directed the Tribunal Services Division - investigating privacy complaints and resolving access to information appeals. In addition to overseeing Tribunal, Commissioner Beamish also served as an executive policy advisor, playing a key role in executing the mandate of the IPC and supporting several initiatives in the best interests of the public, such as bringing universities and hospitals under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and ushering in the Personal Health Information Protection Act. Prior to joining the IPC, Brian held a number of positions within the Ontario Public Service, including with the Ministries of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services. |
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Bryan was appointed as the 7th Chief of Police of the Waterloo Regional Police Service on August 31, 2014 by the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board. Bryan began his policing career in 1991 as a member of the Waterloo Regional Police Service working as a front-line Constable assigned to Division #1 (Kitchener). During this time, he has worked in many capacities as a police officer. Over the course of his career, he held a number of progressively responsible positions including; Community and Media Relations, Special Assignments, Traffic Services, Human Resources, Recruiting, Media Officer, Executive Officer to the Chief of Police, and Superintendent of Central Division. He has lectured extensively on police communications and media relations at the Canadian and Ontario Police Colleges as well as coordinated the Media Officer Course at the Ontario Police College. Chief Larkin is committed to enhancing the effectiveness of operational policing services while developing long-term strategies to build a strong, vibrant and healthy Waterloo Region. |
 | Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission Renu Mandhane is the former Executive Director of the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law. She has an LL.M in international human rights law from New York University, and is a recognized expert. Renu sits on the Canada Committee of Human Rights Watch, and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada and the United Nations. She has also trained Canadian and foreign judges through the National Judicial Institute of Canada. Renu has worked at several domestic and international organizations to advance women's human rights, and has represented survivors of domestic and sexual violence and federally sentenced prisoners. Renu was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in October 2015. |
 | Michael McEvoy, Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia (OIPC) Prior to this appointment, he served as Assistant Commissioner and as Senior Adjudicator. Before joining the Office he acted as legal counsel to the Labour Relations Board, practiced law in the private sector and was also an advisor to the Attorney General of British Columbia. Mr. McEvoy’s community service has included Chair of the Greater Victoria Board, serving as President of the BC Trustees Association and the Canadian School Boards Association. He is a past Campaign Chair of the United Way of Greater Victoria. He is married with two daughters, is a road bike enthusiast and continues to have dreams of glory as a hockey player with the Victoria Grey Leafs old-timers. |
 | Matthew Torigian, Deputy Minister of Community Safety Matt Torigian was appointed Deputy Minister of Community Safety effective June 9, 2014. In this role he also acts as Ontario’s Deputy Solicitor General. Matt began his policing career with the Waterloo Regional Police Service in 1985 and has held progressively responsible positions until his appointment as Waterloo Region’s fifth Chief of Police on December 12, 2007. He is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University (Political Science) and received his Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Western Ontario. Matt is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia as well as the FBI National Executive Institute. He was a contributing author in Contemporary Issues in Canadian Policing (2004), and also completed a research project involving a Process Evaluation of the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s implementation of Community Mobilization. This research led to the development and implementation of a skills based Community Mobilization Practitioners Course for the Waterloo Regional Police Service. Matt was elected President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) for the 2011-2012 term, and represented the OACP on the Future of Policing Advisory Committee, the Ontario Police College Advisory Group, the Continuum of Public Safety Personnel Working Group, and the Ontario PTSD Working Group. In addition to his involvement on many provincial, national and international law enforcement agencies and organizations, Matt represented the interests of Ontario police services as a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP). He also co-chaired the CACP Police Information and Statistics Committee (POLIS) and the National Police Service, National Advisory Committee. He is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award, and, in 2012, was invested as an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces by His Excellency, Governor General David Johnston. |
| MODERATOR | |
 | David Goodis, Assistant Commissioner David Goodis is Assistant Commissioner (Policy & Corporate Services) with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. David is a graduate of Western University's law school, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988. David has represented the IPC in hearings before the Divisional Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. David recently co-authored the 2015 Annotated Ontario Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Acts, and teaches Canadian administrative law to foreign-trained lawyers at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law. |
