National Resilience Policy Paper Launch

Launch of the NATO Association of Canada's 2026 Policy Paper on Canada's National Resilience The conference will feature three panels analyzing the results of the policy paper publication examining how national security intersects with major areas of Canadians’ daily lives. The paper consists of seven sections dissecting the current outlook and policy recommendations for building the sovereignty and resilience of Canada’s economy; public health; infrastructure and procurement; digital technology; climate change and disaster preparedness; education and information resilience; youth engagement and civic readiness. Each panel will bring together policy paper authors alongside experts from the Canadian Armed Forces, National Defence, Public Safety, industry, and Ambassadors from NATO member and partner countries to discuss Canada’s most pressing national resilience challenges and propose concrete policy recommendations. Event Details: • Date: Friday, September 25 • Time: 01:00 PM – 08:00 PM. Guest arrival and registration will begin at 12:30 PM. The opening keynote will begin promptly at 1:00 PM. • Location: Royal Canadian Military Institute located at 426 University Ave, Toronto. Keynotes & Speaking Engagements: • Hon. Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and the Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency • Hon. Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario • Hon. Jill Dunlop, Ontario Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response • Hon. Stephen Crawford, Ontario Minister of Public Business Service Delivery and Procurement Panels: • Physical Infrastructure and Environmental Resilience; • Speaker: Trevor Bhupsingh, Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada • Speaker: Mathieu Grenier, Executive Director, Transport Canada (Policy Group – Transportation & Economic Analysis) • Speaker: Dr. Blair Feltmate, Professor and Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo • Speaker: Perry Steckly, Executive Director, National Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection, Security and Resilience • Moderator: Dylan Odd, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Critical Infrastructure Security, Protection and Resilience • Cyber Resilience and Digital Sovereignty • Speaker: Sami Khoury, Former Government of Canada Senior Official for Cyber Security • Speaker: Nazim Benhadid, Executive Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Telus • Speaker: Daniela Spagnolo, Chief Information Security Officer for Government Information Technology Ontario • Speaker: Saliou Babou, Director, Rapid Response Mechanism, Global Affairs Canada • Moderator: Paul Samson, President, Centre for International Governance Innovation • Education, Civil Preparedness and Youth Engagement • Speaker: Sebastien Aubertin-Giguere, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and Programs, Public Safety Canada • Speaker: Lisa Priest, Ontario Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Preparedness and Response • Speaker: BGen Shawn Bindon, Director General Mobilization, Strategic Joint Staff, Canadian Armed Forces • Speaker: Kristine Ennis-Heise, Director of Cabinet Liaison, Department of National Defence • Moderator: Robert Baines, President and CEO, NATO Association of Canada