The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is currently in the process of developing a new policy to support recent provincial legislation that would allow compensation for work-related chronic mental stress. This new policy will affect a number of sectors, including mun...
Last week Ontario Justice Michael Tulloch released his independent review of Ontario’s police oversight system. The review, which was created to improve the transparency and accountability of the province’s three police oversight bodies, resulted in 129 recommendations to hel...
The Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC) has released a discussion paper exploring the viability of allowing fire services to provide paramedic care. This proposal, which was initially made by the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA), could potentia...
Voters in California, Massachusetts, and Nevada all voted to fully legalize marijuana for recreation purposes in Tuesday's US general election. They join Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, and the District of Columbia, where recreational marijuana use is already permi...
Yesterday the Toronto Police Service's (TPS) Transitional Task Force (TTF) released a much anticipated report titled "The Way Forward: Modernizing Community Safety in Toronto." The report contains 24 recommendations including changes in five major areas: How TPS relates to...
The government of Ontario is conducting an independent review of the three agencies that oversee police conduct in the province: The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) The Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) The Ontario Civilian Police Commiss...
The government has passed Bill 163, the Supporting Ontario's First Responders Act, which will make post-traumatic stress disorder a presumptive condition for first responders. The legislation applies to police officers, firefighters, paramedics, some workers in correctional ...
The government has announced that it will introduce legislation that would create a presumption that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosed in first respondents is assumed to be work-related. This legislation is designed to ensure that first responders are able to acc...
The government of Ontario announced last week that it is launching consultations on a new community policing strategy. Specifically the consultations will focus on the following themes: Promoting more collaborative partnerships between the policy and civil society Impro...
The government of Ontario has announced a new strategy to help prevent and mitigate the risk of PTSD amongst first responders. The new strategy includes a a range of initiatives including: An online toolkit with PTSD resources for first responders Funding for researc...