2018 Conference Keynote - The Next Canada

2018-04-23 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM

The Next Canada with Jesse Brown

What does the future hold for this country? Are Canada’s institutions and economy at odds with rapid technological change? Are we keeping up? From business to government to education, disruption is coming. Jesse Brown draws on his experiences in technology and media to present this fast-paced and thought-provoking keynote about the exciting and challenging shifts ahead, and how to stay on top of them. 

Jesse Brown runs Canadaland, the crowd-funded news site that has disrupted the way the Canadian media works.  Its companion book is a #1 Globe and Mail bestseller, and the companion podcast is the #1 podcast in the country.  He launched his career at CBC Radio, creating and hosting two national programs.  He has contributed to such publications as The Guardian, The Toronto Star, and Business Insider, and his commentary has been broadcast on the BBC and on NPR.  He has won the National Magazine Award for Humour and the Hillman Prize for Investigative Reporting.

2018 Conference - Concurrent Session - Creating and Maintaining an Effective Mental Health Strategy

2018-04-23 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Creating and Maintaining an Effective Mental Health Strategy

Since the introduction of their Mental Health Strategy, Emera has been very proactive in their approach to managing employee health and disability benefits by addressing health issues before they manifest into a long-term illness.  Their short-term illness durations are tracking 2 weeks less than third party provides, their long-term disability plan has seen a steady decrease in the numbers of claims over the past two years, their LTD claims for mental health and musculoskeletal issues are below national comparative benchmarks, and EFAP utilization is well above national norms leading to a more preventative solution.

During this session, Leanne will provide a first-hand account of how Emera developed and implemented a Mental Health Strategy that has resulted in their ability to address health issues before they manifest into long term illness.  Emera supports a workplace environment where stigma is replaced with compassion.  Learn how Emera, through a shared commitment to safety and health, has armed its leaders to understand and care about the individual struggling and how it has created a positive ripple effect throughout their companies.

About the Facilitator

Leanne Dixon, CPHR - Senior Manager, Human Resources & Health, Emera

Leanne Dixon is a leader with a passion for workplace health and safety.  She is the Senior Manager, Human Resources & Health for Emera Inc, an international energy and services company with roots in Nova Scotia.  In this role Leanne is responsible for the delivery of programs and services for Emera employees, including their Mental Health Strategy.  Prior to joining Emera, Leanne managed Health, Wellness and Safety at the IWK Health Centre where she worked with Capital District Health Authority on the development of the provincial Mental Health Strategy for healthcare workers in Nova Scotia.  Leanne's career began in Human Resources where she specialized in Employee and Labour Relations.  The majority of her career has been spent working in large, unionized workplaces such as banking, government, healthcare and now the energy sector.  Leanne is a graduate of Dalhousie University and obtain her Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation in 2001.

2018 Conference Keynote - The Power of Healthy Tension

2018-04-23 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

The Power of Healthy Tension: Thriving in a World of Increased Polarization and Complexity with Tim Arnold

As hard working professionals, our goal is to thrive both at work and home; however, we can get stuck in survival-mode due to increasing complexity, conflicting organizational values, and team issues.  The Power of Healthy Tension provides a simple four-step framework that will allow participants to distinguish between a problem to solve and a tension to manage; identify the tensions that matter most in their organization; and leverage these tensions for breakthrough conversations, mindful decision-making, and unified team effectiveness.

The author of the book The Power of Healthy Tension, Tim Arnold has spent the past 20 years pushing the boundaries in the field of team-building and executive development, working with organizations including Bombardier Aerospace, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota Canada, and The United Nations.