Master of Ceremonies

Peter Anthony

Peter Anthony is a Canadian Comedy Award winning comedian (Breakout Artist) and nominee (Best Male Standup) originally from the small town of Pictou, Nova Scotia. His credits include Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival, CBC’s Halifax ComedyFest, Toronto’s North by Northeast (NXNE) Festival, CBC Radio’s The Debaters, and television appearances on CBC, CTV Comedy, MuchMusic, and MTV.

Outside of the club and festival circuit, Peter performs as the studio warm-up act and writes for CBC’s long-running, hit comedy program “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” He also provides corporate entertainment for events and fundraisers with past clients including Tim Hortons, Procter & Gamble, Bell Mobility, Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Partnership, SickKids Hospital, and the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser
Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist | Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is considered one of the best female hockey players of all time. Canada’s all-time leading scorer, she has won seven world championships, made six Olympic appearances, and won five Olympic medals — four of them Gold. Today, Wickenheiser is the assistant general manager of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as a community leader, medical doctor, and businesswoman who inspires audiences to give their best in everything they do.

A first-ballot Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Wickenheiser’s hockey IQ is highly respected in both the male and female game. She made hockey history as the first female player to notch a point in a men’s professional game and as the first woman in history to play in or coach at four NHL development camps with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Wickenheiser’s ascent to the top of her sport started in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan where at age 15 she became the youngest member chosen for the Canadian Women’s National Team. Her Olympic career spanned 23 years and two sports as she also competed in softball at the 2000 Games. In 2014, Wickenheiser was Canada’s official flag bearer at the Sochi Olympics and she also served on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission.

In 2017, Wickenheiser announced her retirement from the national women’s hockey team. In addition to her work with the Leafs, she is now a medical doctor practicing family and emergency medicine — a pursuit she has dreamt of her whole life. She is also a bestselling author having released her first book Over the Boards: Lessons from the Ice in 2021.

Wickenheiser has earned many accolades throughout her career, including being named on Sports Illustrated’s “Top 25 Toughest Athletes in the World” and twice named to their “Power 50 in Sports” list. She is also one of QMI Agency’s “Top 10 Greatest Female Athletes in the History of Sports”, a member of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40”, and an inductee in both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2014, Wickenheiser was awarded Canada’s highest honour when she was appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her athletic achievements and contributions to the growth of women’s hockey.

Wickenheiser’s passion for sport is paralleled by her desire to give back to the community through her work with dozens of philanthropic organizations, including Jumpstart, KidSport, and Right to Play — organizations dedicated to ensuring kids of all financial and cultural backgrounds can play sports. She is also the founder of the world-renowned personal and athletic development weekend, The Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival, which provides mentoring and growth opportunities for young athletes around the world.

Wickenheiser holds several honourary degrees from institutions across Canada, as well as a Masters in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary, where she also earned her degree in medicine.

Plenary Speakers

Alison Cocking BSc. PT, M.Ed.

Managing Director
Insight Health Solutions, Trillium Health Partners

Alison Cocking is a strategic healthcare leader who serves as Trillium Health Partner’s Managing Director, Insight Health Solutions, one of Canada’s largest hospital-based disability management third-party programs. As a senior leader in the healthcare sector, Alison has over three decades of experience leading high functioning teams and programs in their delivery of impactful value-based quality services. The ability to financially contribute Insight’s profits to the hospital’s programs and services to help create a new kind of healthcare for a healthier community, is what drives and inspires her. Alison is a UK-trained Physiotherapist with a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Toronto. An avid kayaker, hiker, traveler and general enthusiast of the great outdoors, Alison’s goal is to have visited 100 countries by 2045.

Scott Maxwell

Chief Executive Officer
Wounded Warriors Canada

Dustine Rodier

Superintendent
RCMP

Superintendent Dustine Rodier began her career with the RCMP in 1994 as a police dispatcher for the RCMP in Surrey, BC. In 2000, she joined as a regular member and spent the first half of her career in the Lower Mainland as a team leader in Serious Crimes.

In 2013, she transferred to Federal Serious and Organized Crime in New Brunswick as a Team Leader/Investigator on organized crime, proceeds of crime and money laundering investigations. In 2016, Dustine was promoted to Sergeant as the Detachment Commander for Hampton, NB and was responsible for overseeing the contract policing requirements for the community.

In 2018, she was promoted to Nova Scotia as Inspector in charge of Operation-al Support and Communications Centre and led the project building the RCMP’s newest state-of-the-art 911 dispatch centre. In 2021, Dustine was assigned as the Executive Officer to the Commanding Officer where she worked on Divi-sion-wide initiatives supporting the Force’s mandate across the province. She led the development of policies and procedures surrounding public notification during critical incidents for the RCMP in NS. She also assisted other Divisions and then nationally in the development of new RCMP policies and processes for the use of public alerting systems by police.

In May 2022, Dustine was promoted to Superintendent and took on the role as the Administration and Personnel Officer, responsible for human resources, security, employee wellness and business planning for the Nova Scotia RCMP. A strong advocate and champion for mental health, Dustine continues to work with experts in the field of care and treatment of those suffering from PTSD and work-related stress injuries. Dustine openly shares her personal story to employees of all levels across the RCMP and other first responder agencies to raise awareness and effect change.

In April 2025, Dustine was posted to RCMP National Headquarters where she is now the national Senior Strategic Advisor at Occupational Health and Safety Branch. In this role, she is providing expert advice and promoting coordination in the advancement of psychological supports, workplace health and safety, physical well-being and other initiatives that improve the overall resilience of members.

Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli, PhD

Professor (PhD) and Research Chair in Safety, Security, and Wellness
Memorial University of Newfoundland

The winner of the 2023 International Corrections and Prison Association’s Research Excellence Award, the Canadian Sociological Association’s Angus Reid Applied Researcher Award, and the President’s Award for the International Community Justice Association in 2024. Ricciardelli was also elected to the Royal Society of Canada and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Her research centers on evolving understandings of the needs of public safety professional across sectors, their leaders, and those who experience systems of justice with a focus on occupational and posttraumatic stress injuries, vulnerabilities, and risk. She studies public health and public safety, where as a sex and gender researcher, her interests lay in the supporting societies through empowerment of the frontlines for positive community impacts always informed by evidence. She leads a longitudinal study, in year eight, on the mental health and well-being experiences of correctional officers employed by Correctional Services Canada and has participated in correctional officer training with the Service. She works in partnership with all Correctional Services in Canada as well as the Uganda Prison Service, Michigan Department of Corrections, Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, as well as many other youth justice and health organizations, and co-directs MicroResearch, particularly focused on expanding the practices to include leaders and in public safety sectors. ScholarGPS ranks her as among the most influential (ranked 1st) social scientists in Canada and has ranked her 10th internationally in her discipline. She is listed as in the top 2% of cited scholars by Stanford.

Mike Annan

Director of Service Dogs
BC & Alberta Guide Dogs

Mike Annan resides in Nanaimo, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. Mike, began his career in 2004 by founding Sal Pacific Canine Obedience, where he led a team of trainers and developed puppy and competition-level obedience programs. His LIMA-based, positive training methods attracted up to 120 dogs in classes each month.

In 2008, Mike partnered with Dr. Jeff Grognet, DVM, to launch the Academy for Canine Educators (ACE), a behavior clinic and online education platform serving veterinarians, pet owners, and shelter workers. Their programs included seminars, e-books, and training courses delivered to organizations such as the BCSPCA.

In 2013, Mike was invited to pilot a service dog program for military veterans with PTSD. The project grew rapidly, leading to the creation of VICD Service Dogs. Mike oversaw the program’s first Assistance Dogs International accreditation in 2017—making it one of the first organizations in the world to be accredited under ADI’s Military-Related PTSD Service Dog Standards.

In 2019, VICD Service Dogs merged with BC & Alberta Guide Dogs, expanding operations to include Vancouver Island, Vancouver, The Lower Mainland, Edmonton and Calgary. Mike now serves as an ADI Accreditation Assessor, trainer certification committee member, and Wounded Warriors Canada National Service Dog Advisor. Mikes passion for championing collaboration and excellence in service dog programs has led him to help build OSI PTSD programs around the globe mentoring programs across Canada as well as Japan, Sweeden, USA, Australia and Poland.

Allison Wyatt, B.A.S., CRSP
Director, Claims & Compensation
WCB PEI

Workers’ Compensation Board of PEI Director of Claims and Compensation, Allison Wyatt is a respected executive with 18+ years of experience in public sector health care and return to work, with a track record of achieving results. As a strategic thought leader with a skill for problem-solving, she leads teams in the pursuit of a common vision. A skilled negotiator with a strong moral compass and political acumen, successfully navigating the growth and creation of complex corporate teams. An engaging communicator proficient at managing even the most contentious issues with calm and tact, Allison is a passionate individual who puts people first and is committed to life-long learning, the betterment of community, and the next generation of leaders.

Dr. Tim Black PhD, R. Psych.

National Clinical Director
Wounded Warriors Canada

Dr. Tim Black, R. Psych. is the National Clinical Director for Wounded Warriors Canada. During his more than 20-year career as a tenured Associate Professor at one of the top graduate counsellor education programs in the country, Dr. Black has been a researcher, clinician, program developer, program co-founder, and clinical supervisor specializing in group counselling approaches for working with Trauma Exposed Professionals (TExP) and Trauma Exposed Family (TExF) members. As National Clinical Director, Tim supports and oversees the development and delivery of WWC’s group counselling programs in Canada, as well as WWC’s TExP education and training programs, alongside an extensive team of dedicated mental health professionals committed to serving the needs of TExP and TExF communities.

Dr. R. Nicholas Carleton, Ph.D., R.D. Psych.

Professor of Clinical Psychology
University of Regina

R. Nicholas Carleton, Ph.D. is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and a registered clinical psychologist in Saskatchewan. His work is focused on supporting the mental health of first responders and other public safety personnel. He has published 300+ peer-reviewed articles and book chapters exploring the fundamental bases of anxiety- and trauma-related disorders, cited 25K+ times. He has completed 600+ national and international conference presentations. He also serves as an active member of several national and international professional associations. As principal or co-principal investigator he has been awarded $110M+ in competitive external funding. He has received several prestigious awards and recognitions, including induction to the Royal Society of Canada’s College and as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the 2020 Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research, and the 2023 Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Mid-Career Award, as well as Canadian Psychological Association Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Profession and Distinguished Contributions to Public or Community Service. He is principal investigator for the RCMP Longitudinal PTSD Study (www.rcmpstudy.ca) and the associated extension study for Saskatchewan public safety personnel (www.saskptsistudy.ca), and co-investigator on the Federal Internet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for public safety personnel (www.PSPNET.ca).

Dr. Nadia Aleem

Psychiatrist, MD, MHSc CCFP, FRCP
Mental Health Lead
Insight Health Solutions, Trillium Health Partners

Dr. Nadia Aleem initially worked as a Family medicine Doctor and Addictions Physician prior to retraining and starting her work as a Psychiatrist. She is currently the Mental Health Lead Physician at Insight Solutions, Trillium Health Partners and was formerly the Medical Head at the Work Stress and Health Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Nadia works exclusively in the field of Occupational Psychiatry, specializing in disability management and providing consultation and education on workplace mental health policies. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and provides education seminars to organizations and medical training programs across Canada.

Derek Cassista

Deputy Registrar
Paramedic Association of New Brunswick

Derek is the Deputy Registrar of the Paramedic Association of New Brunswick. PANB represents over 1200 practitioners as the regulatory body and professional advocacy organization, advancing the role of paramedics within healthcare and public safety.

Shawn Carter, M.ADS., BCBA, D.Sc(c)

National Director, EHN Guardian Clinical Programs
EHN Canada

Mr. Shawn Carter is a doctoral candidate and National Director of EHN Guardians Clinical Programs as well as Executive Director of EHN Guardians Gateway. His research efforts explore bridging the gap between first responders and their significant others while they’re receiving residential care for trauma and substance use issues.

Emma Vester

EHN Guardians National Research Coordinator
EHN Canada

Ms. Emma Vester is a registered psychotherapist and research coordinator who works exclusively with first responders and their loved ones. She also is a family member of a first responder who has grown up understanding the family tie to this workplace culture.

Brian Bennett

ICISF Approved CISM Instructor
Organization: Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Training Canada

Brian Bennett has more than 16 years of experience in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and is an ICISF “International Critical Incident Stress Foundation” Approved CISM Instructor in several course offerings. He is also a Registered Massage Therapist based in Collingwood, Ontario. He has responded to critical incidents in the ski and sports world and has been teaching and presenting for over 12 years across Canada and internationally, delivering more than 195 courses and presentations to audiences including airlines, municipal staff, fire, EMS, healthcare, industry, and First Nations communities. Brian has been a paid and volunteer member of the Canadian Ski Patrol for 36 years, and national coordinator for their CISM. Brian has held senior medical leadership roles at major international sporting events, including the Toronto 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, the Invictus Games, Canada Summer Games, 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he developed and delivered a Medical Staff Support (CISM) Program supporting over 1,400 medical volunteers. Brian attained his NFPA 1001 FF1 &2, Known for his engaging presentation style, Brian focuses on practical strategies to support staff and build resilient, supportive workplaces.

Joe Triff

President

Atlantic Provinces Professional Fire Fighters Association

Joe began in the fire service with HRFE in 2002 as a paid on call/volunteer.  In 2003, he attended the Maritime School of Paramedicine for their Primary Care Paramedic program.  Joe worked as a Paramedic for several years in Industrial, Hospital and Pre-hospital settings.  In 2008, he was hired by HRFE as a firefighter.  In 2013 Joe got involved with my Union, Halifax Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 268.  He has held multiple offices and is currently in his 3rd term as Vice President in a local of almost 600 members.  Joe also currently serve as the President of the Atlantic Provinces Professional Firefighters Association, representing over 1500 members in 4 provinces.  Joe also works as a Captain with our Technical Rescue Team at fire station 7 in Halifax.