Dale LeClair (Director of Indigenous Relations, CNL), B.Ed/LLB : As part of CNL's Corporate Affairs team, I work closely with our Indigenous Relations team and the team that supports Indigenous engagement, including Projects, Environmental Protection, Procurement, Human Resources and the Executive, to provide guidance to CNL on its journey to reconciliation with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples.
During 20 years of executive management I have served as: Chief of Staff – Métis National Council, Chief of Staff for the Assembly of First Nations; Director Aboriginal Relations/Acting Director General Aboriginal Issues with the Federal government; Chief Administrative Officer for the Métis National Council; and Executive Operating Officer for the Squamish Nation as well as the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
Adam Levine is currently the A/Director of the Indigenous and Stakeholder Relations Division at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Adam has over a decade’s experience in Indigenous consultation and engagement and Federal Regulatory Processes. Adam puts a significant emphasis on building relationships and working collaboratively with Indigenous Nations and communities, other government entities, the public and industry to find solutions to ensure that Indigenous communities and the public can meaningfully participate in the CNSC’s processes and decision-making, on nuclear projects across the country. Adam has a Masters of Environmental Assessment and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
Plenary Session #2Beginning with the End in Mind: Radioactive Waste Disposal in Canada
Paul has over 33 years experience almost evenly split between operations of nuclear facilities and radioactive waste management:
Supporting CANDU power plant operations at the Bruce and Darlington sites 1991-1998
Supporting Waste Management and Decommissioning with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority at Dounreay, Scotland 1998-2008
Supporting nuclear facility operations and radioactive waste management at Chalk River Laboratories 2008 to 2015.
Paul’s current role (2015 to present) is providing primary waste management technical oversight for the performance of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in executing their agreements with AECL.
Ms. Vickerd is currently the General Manager of Waste Services at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). After starting her career in the oil and gas sector, Ms. Vickerd has devoted 15 years at CNL supporting the nuclear decommissioning and waste management industry. Ms. Vicker is part of CNL's team working on three major environmental assessments and in particular leading the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) Project. The NSDF Project is a critical project which facilitates the cleanup of the Chalk River Laboratory site as well as enables the site revitalisation in order to support the ongoing science and technology mission at CNL. Ms. Vickerd enjoys all the recreational adventures the Ottawa Valley has to offer on both land and water.
Ms. Vickerd holds a B.Sc. in Physics, a M.Sc. in Hazardous Waste Management and is a registered Environmental Professional with EcoCanada.
A trailblazing and results-oriented leader with a deep passion for the nuclear industry and a relentless commitment to safety and excellence, Sara Dolatshahi has excelled in both technical and leadership roles over her 25-year career.
Sara is currently the Director of Strategic Projects at the NWMO, responsible for leading the organization's work related to fuel waste disposal from new reactors in Canada (including small and advanced reactors) as well as directing the work related to the disposal of intermediate-level and non-fuel high level waste in a deep geological repository.
Her track record includes leading the work related to Canada’s Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste and a proposed process for selecting a disposal site for the intermediate level waste. Notably, Sara also has experience as a federally licensed shift manager at Ontario Power Generation’s Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, a multimillion-dollar facility that produces emissions-free power for the province.
Sara’s career is characterized by her resilience in overcoming challenges, breaking-down barriers, and paving the way for future generations of women in a traditionally male-dominated field. She is passionate about volunteering her time to advocate for engineers and mentoring the next generation of STEM and nuclear professionals. In recognition of her influence, she was nominated for Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women of the Year award in 2020.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Sara enjoys traveling the world with her family, enriching her experiences and perspectives. Sara holds Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and Master of Nuclear Engineering degrees from McMaster University (UNENE).
Plenary Session #3Regulators are People Too! The need for regular and honest dialogue
Plenary Session #4From Reactors to Restoration: Status and Solutions in Nuclear Decommissioning
Kristan is a professional engineer and project management professional and has been working in the nuclear industry for over 20 years largely on engineering, construction and decommissioning projects. His portfolio covers both decommissioning and environmental clean-up, as well as site operations at the Chalk River Laboratories site, as well as CNL’s three prototype reactor sites - Gentilly-1, Douglas Point and Nuclear Power Demontration.
Brian Wilcox is the Site Licence Holder for the Whiteshell Laboratories Restoration Project. He previously managed several nuclear reactor decommissioning projects in 3 provinces. Brian has led numerous nuclear decommissioning and waste management projects at the Whiteshell Laboratories site. He is a professional engineer, has extensive experience with the Canadian nuclear regulatory processes, and is a principle technical lead for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories on public and indigenous engagement.
Chase Amyot
OPG
Plenary Session #5Building the Future: Attracting and Preparing the Next Generation for Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Management
I am a master's student at the University of Guelph studying muon spectroscopy analysis of solid-state material transformations in deep geological repository nuclear waste containers.
Fred Dermarkar was appointed as AECL’s President and CEO in February 2021 to lead the organization in its mission to drive nuclear innovation to deliver clean energy technologies and improve the quality of life of Canadians while caring for the land. AECL is a federal Crown Corporation that delivers most of its mandate through a long-term contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) for the management and operation of its sites.
Prior to joining AECL, Fred was President and CEO of the CANDU Owners Group (COG), where for almost seven years he led the not-for‐profit organization to advance collaboration between CANDU nuclear reactor operators in seven countries worldwide.
Fred has been working in the Canadian nuclear industry for more than 40 years. Prior to joining COG, he occupied a variety of key technical and senior leadership positions at Ontario Power Generation in support of the design, commissioning, operation and refurbishment of its CANDU reactors.
Fred has received the Canadian Nuclear Association’s Ian McRae award in recognition of his substantive engineering contributions, leadership and positive influence on the Canadian nuclear industry and the advancement of nuclear energy in Canada, and the Nuclear Excellence Award from the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).
Fred holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto and is a registered professional engineer in the Province of Ontario.
Plenary Session #6Innovative Pathways: Shaping the Future of Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning
I am a master's student at the University of Guelph studying muon spectroscopy analysis of solid-state material transformations in deep geological repository nuclear waste containers.