Agenda
CPD Accreditation | S: Substantive PM: Practice Management
Day 1
November 5, 2025
Networking Breakfast and Registration
Keynote Address
The Honourable Wally Oppal, K.C.Senior CounselBoughton Law Corporation
In his final days as Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau called for the future of the RCMP to be in federal policing with a focus on national security, violent extremism and terrorism, money laundering, cybercrime and organized crime. The RCMP’s current policing duties in 150 municipalities, provinces, territories and 600 Indigenous communities have contracts due to expire in 2032. This session will look at the future of the RCMP’s mandate. Topics will include:
- The sunset of RCMP responsibility in municipalities
- RCMP federal focus: National security, violent extremism and terrorism, money laundering, cybercrime and organized crime
- Exploring how should newly created and existing municipal police services be set up, and what is the provincial legislation to make this happen
Networking Refreshment Break
Security measures are being heightened at the Canada-US border, backed by a $1.3 Billion federal investment. This session will look at the legal and “on the ground” impact of the federal government’s proposed Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, which would give increased powers to Canada’s security and intelligence services.
- Amending the Canada Post Corporation Act to allow police from searching mail as part of a criminal investigation
- Ensuring electronic service providers retain data, in the event it is needed for a criminal investigation
- Amending the Sex Offender Information Registration Act to allow for greater cross-agency information share information
- Tackling cross-border crime, including drug trafficking, irregular migration, vehicle theft and organized crime activity
- Deploying a new Aerial Intelligence Task Force comprised of helicopters, drones, and mobile surveillance towers
- The impact of Increased information sharing between Canadian and United States (U.S.) officials
Judy KliewerSenior General CounselPublic Prosecution Service of Canada, MB
- The pros and cons of using AI to write search warrants and crown briefs
- New, emerging ethical uses and privacy concerns
- Spotting and protecting against an AI hallucinating false information
- How are judges viewing AI-generated reports in court? If an officer didn’t write it, is it valid?
- Spotting hallucinations in court, with a look at Supreme Court of British Columbia decision, Zhang v. Chen, 2024 BCSC 285,
- Security risks associated with Report Writing and Transcription
Criminal Code, Section 490 Detention Applications and Best Practices – Do You Really Need to Seize and Keep a Thing | CPD: S
R. Kyle Friesen, O.O.MGeneral Counsel, Legal ServicesSurrey Police Service
Ryan HiraPartnerHira Rowan LLP
Alexandra RiceGeneral Counsel Public Prosecution Service of Canada
- Review of 490-requests, and non-compliance, R. v. Gill (2024) BCCA 63
- Applying the legal requirements for police to keep detained items, with a focus on more than 90 days
- Key trends in Charter challenges surrounding Section 490 orders
Networking Luncheon for Speakers and Delegates
Involuntary Care for Inmates with Mental Health and Addictions Challenges in BC-and the Ripple Effect Across the Country | CPD: S
Dr. Vijay SeethapathyChief Medical OfficerBC Mental Health & Substance Use Services
In response to an ongoing drug crisis in British Columbia, the provincial government has announced a first-of-its-kind facility: The new 10-unit Surrey Pretrial Centre will give involuntary care to people with mental health and/or addiction problems, as announced April 2025. This session will delve into the legal questions posed by the facility, including:
- Balancing Duty of Care with involuntary care
- What is the spirit and intent of the facility
- How does this impact police
- New areas of legal exposure
Kayla OishiAccess and Privacy OfficerSaskatoon Police Service
Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act is being replaced by two new pieces of legislation, the incoming Protection of Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act, in Spring 2025. The bills clarify how information can be shared with provincial bodies, including police. This session will look at how the updated legislation will impact Freedom of Information requests amid an onslaught of requests for Body Worn Camera and cellphone video images.
- Sharing personal data between provincial bodies, including;
- Between provincial and municipal governments, schools and police
- Medical records and vehicle registrations
- Examining the impact of the new Freedom of Information Process (FOIP) under the incoming laws
- Best practices for streamlining FOIPOP requests
- Balancing an individual’s right to access documents, and an individual’s right to privacy
- Clarifying the exceptions, including:
- Protecting against unreasonable invasion of personal privacy
- Protecting law enforcement activities
- Safeguarding the business conducted by government not sure what you mean by this
- Addressing the challenges with FOIPOP requests for body-worn or car camera footage
- Resolving challenges with FOIPOP requests for officer disciplinary reviews
Networking Refreshment Break
Jessica BerglundChief Civilian DirectorIndependent Investigation Office of BC
Prabhu RajanPolice Complaint CommissionerOffice of the Police Complaint Commissioner BC
Carly ChunickDirector of Policing, Oversight and AccountabilityBC First Nations Justice Council
- Examining the trends of oversight complaints, including statistics and frivolous complaints
- Comparing oversight processes, where they differ and are similar
- Best practices for working with police departments
- Expediting review timelines and alleviating process bottlenecks
- Analyzing how legislation is developing around civilian oversight
- Examining best practices for police statements, when taken out of context or not used in full
- Challenging the review
Chris RhodesPresident Saskatoon Police Association
Vice President, North
Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers
- Examining dogs as a police resource from an operational, investigative and legals perspective
- Analyzing how the evidence discovered by a police dog is handled by courts: What is and is not admissible
- Determining appropriate use of police dogs, including use-of-force, and less-lethal force
- Scrutiny and oversight perspectives on public complaints involving policing dogs
Closing remarks from the Co-Chairs
Day One Adjourns
Day 2
November 6, 2025
Opening Remarks from the Co-Chairs
Meena BrisardSenior Manager, Human Resources Surrey Police Service
This early morning session will focus on best practices for recruitment and retention with a focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
- Attracting qualified recruits: Bets practices for attracting high quality candidates and common missteps to avoid
- Competing with other departments for the same recruitment pool
- Training, onboarding and supporting members: Identifying “vanilla training” and leveling-up
- What does an EDI policy look like on paper and in practice
Bail Reform Act: The Expected (and Unexpected) Impact of How Bill C-48 Amendments are Changing Policing | CPD: S
Brian SauvéPresidentNational Police Federation
Elenore SturkoMLA, Surrey-Cloverdale, Official Opposition Critic for Solicitor General & Public SafetyLegislative Assembly of BC
This session will look at Bill C-48, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (bail reform) (2024). How will the bill work in concert with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Criminal Records Act.
- Creating a new reverse onus to target serious repeat violent offending involving weapons
- Expanding the list of firearms offences that trigger a reverse onus
- Broadening the reverse onus targeting repeat offenders of intimate partner violence
- Clarifying the meaning of the terms “prohibition order” in an existing reverse onus for offences involving weapons
- How courts are considering an accused person’s history of convictions for violence when making a bail decision
- How courts are satisfying the requirement that they have considered the safety and security of the community when granting bail
Networking Refreshment Break
Police Act Reforms in Alberta and BC
Compare and Contrast: What is Now Captured Under the “Misconduct” Definition and What Can (and Can’t) be Resolved through an Informal Complaint Process | CPD: S
Mark Fassina Executive DirectorPublic Safety and Solicitor General, Government of British Columbia
Ian SandersonPast Chair and DirectorAlberta Association of Police Governance
This session will discuss the nuances, similarities and difference between current and proposed legislative changes in Alberta and British Columbia.
- Anticipating how the changes will impact police departments
- Examining how changes will affect police service boards, including how the board is constructed and the election of a board chair
- Changes to the police discipline process and what can be done informally vs. a formal disciplinary process
- Defining which offences can now be captured under the new misconduct definition
BC Police Act Reform (2024)
- Strengthening oversight of municipal police with several changes
- Allowing the police complaint commissioner to call a public hearing earlier in misconduct investigations
- Providing the police complaint commissioner authority to conduct systemic reviews and investigations into the causes and contributors of police complaints
Alberta Police Amendment Act (2022)
- Implementations of the Police Review Commissioner, and addressing complaints involving municipal and First Nations police services in Alberta – due to be in place in December 2025
Alberta’s Bill 49, Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act (2025), proposes to change the Police Act, the Police Amendment Act (2022), and the Emergency Management Act.
- Creating an independent police service to take over sheriff duties
- Functioning as a crown corporation, independent of government
Networking Luncheon for Speakers and Delegates
Simon AuthierLegal AdvisorVancouver Police Department
- Officer statements: When a member becomes a witness, when an officer is allowed to view BWC and dash cams videos prior to giving a statement
- Case Law Review:
- Analyzing the Alberta Court of King’s Bench’s decision that a police agency’s choice not to use BWC was “borderline negligence” in R v Ominayak 2025 ABKB 69
Cross-Country Round-Up of New Court Decisions and Pending Actions – Including Class Actions, Protests and Use of Force Cases | CPD: S
R. Kyle Friesen, O.O.MGeneral Counsel, Legal ServicesSurrey Police Service
S/Sgt. Mark McVicarCertified In‑House Counsel, Legal Risk & Management OfficerCalgary Police Service
- Evaluating the significance and policy changes stemming from class action lawsuits affecting police organizations
- Implementing new court decisions on protests and police use of force
- Police liability for use of force and related policies and training
Networking Refreshment Break
The Lesser Known Legal and Operational Challenges in Restorative Justice and Alternative Measures Cases | CPD: S
Christianne ParasExecutive DirectorRestorative Justice Association of BC
Roselle QuinonesPresidentPolice Victim Services of BC Victim Services Coordinator Port Moody Police Department
- Determining which cases are appropriate for restorative justice
- What are the hallmarks of a case that could work through this process, including domestic violence, sexual assault, young offender and, public disturbance cases?
- The scope of rights of the victim and police liability when restorative justice is not presented as an option, with a look at the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (2015)
- Understanding the victim complaints process
- Challenges with privacy rights when communicating victim information to community-based programs
- Diverting youth files to restorative justice programs with a look at the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) (2002)
Jeffrey Westman Legal Counsel Edmonton Police Service
This session will review when an officer has the discretion to lay charges, including:
- Examining the training as it pertains to charge discretion – do officers know the options?
- Determining when it is, and is not, appropriate to lay charges
- What constitutes leniency and/or abuse?