31st Annual
Conference & Trade Show

Venue & Hotel

Ajax Convention Centre & Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Ajax

When

February 28th – March 1st, 2024

Where

500 Beck Crescent
Ajax, ON
L1Z 1C9

Hotel Accommodations:

A room block has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Ajax until January 28th, 2024. Reservations made after this date will be subject to availability and the next best available rate. All exhibitors and sponsors are to make their own room reservations. Room prices start at $199.00 (subject to change and availability without notice) with upgrades available on a first come first served basis. Breakfast is not included unless indicated and self-parking is complimentary. Please contact the hotel at 1-800-596-3985 to reserve your room and quote Group ID Code OASIS Conference 2024.

Event Highlights

Onsite Training

Engaging Speakers

Exhibition

Live Demonstrations

AGM

Networking

Awards Banquet & Auction

Thank you to our 2023 Exhibitors!

2024 Sponsors

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Networking/Media Sponsors

2023 Speakers

2024 details coming soon

Brian Barron

Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Brian Barron has been with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) since 2004. He started as a construction health and safety inspector and has since worked in numerous positions with the MLITSD. Brian began his role as the Senior Manager of the Construction Health and Safety Program in 2017.

Denise Waligora

Mental Health Commission of Canada

Denise Waligora has a Bachelor of Science Degree and over 20 yrs. of working in the mental health field. Prior to joining the Mental Health Commission as Training and Delivery Specialist for Mental Health First Aid in 2011, Denise’s professional experiences included psychiatric nursing, Residential Program Director, IBI Therapist at CHEO, crisis worker and case manager in a justice program. Denise has been facilitating MHFA since 2008. 

Anisha Phillips

Canadian Equality Consulting Inc

Anisha (She/Her/Hers) is a Lead Strategist & Trainer at Canadian Equality Consulting Inc..  She is an experienced DEI consultant and subject matter expert, who supports clients in building sustainable solutions to barriers faced by those who are marginalized, and ultimately scale DEI across their organization.

 

As a Lead DEI Strategist with CEC, Anisha provides strategic DEI advice, qualitative and quantitative research and analysis, DEI training, and change management, to guide organizations in making data informed and human centered decisions, with intersectionality foundational in every stage. As a trainer, Anisha leads DEI related training and development for CEC clients. When doing so, she supports participants to listen in the spirit of empathy and unlearning, to collaborate with the intent of building bridges, and participate from a place of vulnerability.

 

Anisha has years of experience in the DEI field influencing clients to think critically, participate in unlearning, find collective objectives, and build systematic strategies for change. Anisha has a BA(H) in Gender Studies from Queen’s University, and an MA in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto. From her studies, she developed a passion for making knowledge about anti-racism, anti-oppression, and social justice accessible for people at any stage of their learning journey. Before working in DEI, Anisha has worked with several non-profits in community and program development.

 

Anisha is a mixed race South Asian woman who has origins in South Africa. Her mother’s side was brought to South Africa from Southern India as indentured laborers. From a young age she learned the importance of participating in unlearning and eliminating inequity. Anisha grew up in Kamloops BC (Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory) and now resides in present day Toronto. Outside of work she can be found exploring dog parks with her cockapoo puppy, Della (named after Nelson Mandela).

Anna Liu

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Anna is a Senior Program Support Coordinator in the Permissions and Program Services Section as part of the Environmental Assessment and Permissions Division, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Anna has been with the Ministry for over ten years, and she currently provides policy and program implementation support across various permissions programs, including hauled sewage approvals.

Bud Kneller

Frontline Commercial Vehicle Solutions

Bud is a part owner and Vice President of the consulting firm Frontline Commercial Vehicle Solutions. Prior to Frontline, Bud spent nearly 20 years with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) including time spent as an enforcement officer, facility auditor, provincial trainer, and National CVSA trainer. Bud concluded his career at MTO in the St. Catharines Carrier Enforcement Program Office where he worked assisting with the provincial enforcement training program and as a liaison with Ontario OPP and Municipal police. He and his business partner started Frontline 5 years ago.

 

Frontline sets itself apart from other consulting companies as they have helped develop, train, and enforce many of the regulatory components around commercial vehicle safety management and oversight. This gives them an in-depth understanding of the industry best practices as well as legal obligations needed to ensure commercial vehicle compliance and safety. Frontline specializes in mock audits, assistance with removal of conditional ratings, interviews, show cause hearings and driver training.

Kiljon Shukullari

Peninsula Canada
An experienced HR professional and a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), Kiljon often speaks to the media on HR management issues, with his views featured in leading HR management publications, such as HRD Canada, Canadian HR Reporter, and on live news radio stations like News1130 Vancouver, 680 News Toronto and 770 CHQR (Global News radio station).

Shelly Bonte-Gelok

Organization/Company

Don Hoekstra

Organization/Company

Paul Parsons

Organization/Company

Matthew Neundorf

Organization/Company

Hitesh Patel

Organization/Company

Chad Winger

Organization/Company

Pete Frazer

Organization/Company

TOPIC

Emerging Septic System
Contamination – Marijuana Facilities

Shelly Bonte-Gelok is a licenced professional engineer with a masters degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph and has worked in private industry, consulting and most people here would have met her when she was the project co-ordinator at the Ontario Rural Wastewater Centre (1999-2001)

In 2002 Shelly joined the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in the Technology Assessment and Standards Development Branch and worked on a variety of files ranging from mercury emissions from incineration and coal fired plants to nutrient management.

In 2018 Shelly transferred to the Resource Recovery Policy Branch at MECP and in January 2019 she joined the Ontario Clean Water Agency as the Program Manager, Biosolids, Organics and Resource Recovery.

2023 Tour

2024 details coming soon

As part of our Annual Conference and Trade Show, we strive to organize tours that showcase innovation in the water and wastewater industry. We are pleased to announce that for our 2023 conference we will be visiting Cave Spring Vineyard.

Cave Spring Vineyard is classified as a sustainable grape grower and wine producer, which is to say that we intervene minimally in the vineyard and in the cellars in order to allow nature to take its course as much as possible in the growing of our grapes and the making of our wine. Our goal is to minimize our impact on the environment so as to preserve the natural world we live in for future generations, while recognizing the need to produce wines that meet the expectations of the marketplace, and are economically viable in the long term.


Cave Spring Vineyard is located in a village setting with access to municipal water supplies. As a result, there is no need for water to be transported to our facility or to tap into local aquifers to supply our needs. In 2015 we installed an in-house wastewater treatment system, which uses natural bacteria to pre-treat wastewater prior to entering the municipal sewer system. This treatment means that the municipal infrastructure is not overburdened by wastewater discharged from the winery. Cave Spring’s wastewater treatment system is a pioneering initiative in the development of sustainable practices within the food and beverage industry in North America.

2019 Award Recipients

Mark Brosowski

President’s Award

Rob MacLellan

Robert Noble Award

Wanda Inglis

Committee Chair Award

Jake Groen

Service Award - 40 Years PolyJohn Canada

Randy Knight

Service Award - 50 Years Glen Knight & Sons Septic Service

Confined Space Entry Awareness

Many workplaces contain spaces that are confined spaces. Confined spaces are high risk work areas that have killed workers and would-be rescuers. Very specific rules need to be followed by workers who work in and around these spaces.

This training program will familiarize a participant with the requirements of Ontario Regulation 632/05 – Confined Spaces. Furthermore, the training program is intended to provide entrants, attendants and competent persons the skills and training required to recognize confined space entry risks and how to establish measured and corresponding controls. Participants will have the opportunity to become familiar with, inspect and use Confined Space Entry (CSE) access equipment and air quality instrumentation.

  • Confined space entry accidents
  • Regulation 632/05 – Confined Spaces overview
  • Statutory and regulatory responsibilities
  • Confined space documents
  • Recognizing confined space entry hazards
  • Assessing risk
  • Controlling hazards
  • Evaluating Control Measures
  • Air Quality Monitoring
  • Ventilation and purging
  • Lock-out/Tag-out
  • Rescue planning
  • Classroom interaction with experienced instructors
  • Performing hazard assessment and applying appropriate control measures
  • Demonstration and hands-on training in the inspection, care and use of personal protective and rescue equipment
  • Detailed handouts, videos and quizzes

The confined space entry training program is designed for employers, supervisors and workers who enter or perform related work around confined spaces. Ask about our customized confined space courses for managers, employers, health and safety administrators and those responsible for implementing confined space policies or programs.

Workplace Violence and Harassment

None

For this course we can conduct the training at your facility or at our own training facility, whichever will suit your needs best. There are some great benefits to both approaches. By completing your training on-site we can save your staff travel time, by completing your training at our facility you can benefit from our spacious training room, our state of the art hands on training space and full use of our break room.

This training program will teach learners the legislative requirements and importance of a Workplace Violence and Harassment policy. Participants will also be lead through a review of the legislative provisions that prohibit violence and harassment in the workplace, as detailed in the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA).

  • Why You Should Be Concerned About Workplace Violence And Harassment
  • What is Workplace Violence and Harassment
  • The Legal Requirements for Policies and Procedures
  • The Need to Conduct a Risk Assessment
  • How Domestic Violence Can Impact the Workplace
  • Steps to Developing a Workplace Violence and Workplace Harassment Procedure
  • Classroom interaction with experienced instructors
  • Group discussions.
  • Detailed handouts, videos and quizzes

Workers from all Ontario workplace sectors. New hires, Joint Health and Safety Committee members and any worker who wishes to have a deeper understanding of legislative rights and responsibilities mandated by theOccupational Health and Safety Act.

½ Day (4 Hours)

OHSA Supervisory Due Diligence

None

For this course we can conduct the training at your facility or at our own training facility, whichever will suit your needs best. There are some great benefits to both approaches. By completing your training on-site we can save your staff travel time, by completing your training at our facility you can benefit from our spacious training room, our state of the art hands on training space and full use of our break room.

Employers must ensure that a supervisor who performs work for the employer completes a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program that meets the requirements of Ontario Regulation 297/13 – Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) within one week of performing work as a supervisor.

This training program will help prepare supervisors for their critical role as a competent person in the workplace charged with the duty of ensuring every precaution reasonable is undertaken to keep workers safe. 

  • The Internal Responsibility System / Due Diligence.
  • The duties and rights of workers under the OHSA.
  • The duties of employers and supervisors under the Act.
  • The roles of health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committees under the Act.
  • The work refusal process.
  • The roles of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and entities designated under section 22.5 of the Act with respect to occupational health and safety.
  • How to recognize, assess and control workplace hazards, and evaluate those controls.
  • Sources of information on occupational health and safety.
  • Classroom interaction with experienced instructors
  • Overview of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
  • Exercises to help increase learning
  • Detailed handouts and quizzes

Supervisors, foreman, lead hands and new hires into supervisory positions will find these training program material clarify will help encourage sound health and safety stewardship of workers in any workplace.

Accident and Incident Investigation

None

For this course we can conduct the training at your facility or at our own training facility, whichever will suit your needs best. There are some great benefits to both approaches. By completing your training on-site we can save your staff travel time, by completing your training at our facility you can benefit from our spacious training room, our state of the art hands on training space and full use of our break room.

This training program has been designed to provide learners with accident / incident investigation theory which is then applied in hands-on scenarios. The program covers the purpose, value and benefits of an investigation, legal reporting requirements, and proven steps and techniques for conducting effective investigations.

Participants are equipped with the essential knowledge, skills and tools to conduct investigations and prevent costly recurrences. The investigation of accidents and incidents is a core activity within a functional health and safety program.

  • Legislative requirements reporting
  • Securing and surveying the incident scene
  • Investigation theories
  • Interview etiquette
  • Finding witnesses and conducting interviews
  • Information gathering and report writing
  • Determining causes and making recommendations
  • Classroom interaction with experienced instructors
  • Exploring legislative requirements
  • Using table-top and staged accident scenario based exercises to apply theory
  • Detailed handouts, videos and quizzes

Employers, supervisors, health and safety representatives, JHSC members, and anyone who could be involved in investigating an accident or incident.

½ Day (4 Hours)