Municipal Licensing & Law Enforcement Forum

Agenda

• 8:30am - Welcome/Morning Moderator Introduction

  Welcoming Remarks:
  Paul Shipway, CMO, AOMC, Dipl.M.A.
  Chief Administrative Officer, County of Middlesex 
  AMCTO Immediate Past President
  
  Morning Moderator:
  Kayla Thibeault, CMO, AOMC
  Director of Legislative Services/Clerk, Town of Gravenhurst
  Zone 5 Board Director

• 8:45am - Keynote Presentation: Understanding the Impact of Hate Crimes Through the Lens of Antisemitism

  This keynote presentation aims to raise awareness about the topic of antisemitism, exploring it from a historical to a contemporary context. Understanding historical forms of antisemitism places current incidents within a broader spectrum of understanding of the seriousness, longevity, and impact of this form of hatred and intolerance. It also informs conversations about how naming and calling out antisemitism alongside building allyship can work towards countering this hate. Join us for an impactful discussion about understanding and combating the root causes of hate in our communities. 

  Presented by:
  Zach Sadowski
  Director, Antisemitism Programming and Outreach, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre

  Emily Bonnell-Marcus
  Advocacy Manager, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre

• 9:50am - Greetings from the Municipal Law Enforcement Officers' Association of Ontario

  John Mattocks
  Supervisor of Security Services, Town of Oakville

• 9:55am - Toronto’s Rental Renovation Licence

  Discover how Toronto is reshaping tenant protections with its new rental renovation licence bylaw. This session explores how the bylaw ensures fairness in the renovation process—requiring landlords to be licensed before evicting tenants, safeguarding renters from bad-faith evictions, and strengthening oversight through clear application, protection, and enforcement measures.

  Presented by:
  Ted Van Vliet
  Project Director, City of Toronto

• 10:55am - Greetings from the Ontario Association of Property Standards Officers

  Alex Wray
  Manager, Bylaw Services, Town of Aurora

• 11:05am - Spark to Strategy: Developing a Fireworks Bylaw with Purpose

  Behind every fireworks bylaw lies a complex mix of policy, politics, and persuasion. This session reveals how industry stakeholders work to influence municipal decisions — and how municipalities can respond with clear, well-designed regulations that stand up to scrutiny.

  Presented by:

  Craig Williams
  Strategic Business Advisor, Town of Oakville

• 12:00pm - Lunch Break
• 12:50pm - Afternoon Moderator Introduction

  Kayla Thibeault, CMO, AOMC
  Director of Legislative Services/Clerk, Town of Gravenhurst
  Zone 5 Board Director

• 12:55pm - Greetings from the Prosecutors' Association of Ontario

  April Patterson
  Manager of Prosecutions, City of Burlington

• 1:00pm - Prosecutors’ Association of Ontario (PAO) 2025 Case Law & Legislative Update

  In our common law system, the law is constantly evolving based on decisions made by various courts as well as changes to legislation itself. It is important for legal professionals, enforcement officers, and policy makers to stay on top of this jurisprudence. To this end, the PAO collects all decisions and legislative changes of importance to our industry and reports on them twice annually. These are the highlights, with a focus on municipal enforcement for 2025.

  Presented by:
  Ruarri Patterson
  Prosecutor, City of Mississauga & Vice President, Prosecutors Association of Ontario (PAO)

  Sylvia Kym
  Prosecutor, City of Toronto

• 2:05pm - Regulating Salvage Yards: Enforcement Protocols, Challenges, and Key Stakeholders

  This presentation explores the regulatory landscape surrounding salvage yards, focusing on municipal enforcement protocols, operational challenges, and the collaborative roles of key stakeholders.  Attendees will gain insight into how the City of London monitors compliance with zoning and licensing bylaws, the complexities of enforcing standards in a dynamic and often high-impact industry, and the importance of inter-agency coordination.  The session will highlight the roles of municipal law enforcement officers, other internal/external partnering agencies and business owners in maintaining safe, lawful, and community-compatible salvage operations.

  Presented by:
  Wade Jeffery
  Manager, Municipal Compliance & Animal Services, City of London
  
  Patrick Cowan
  Supervisor of Municipal Law Enforcement, City of London
  
  Amanda Pfeffer
  Director, Municipal Compliance, City of London

• 3:05pm - So What? What Are You Going To Do About It?

  Municipal law enforcement officers are increasingly faced with shifting public and societal expectations. The perception of individual entitlement seems to be outpacing individual accountability. More and more, there seems to be a lack of balance.  Municipal law enforcement officers must respond to these challenges while facing constraints such as limited court accessibility, defaulted fine collections, and legislative requirements that can be met with responses like 'that's not my issue' and/or 'so what...what are you going to do about it?' This session will touch on what resources are available, and together we'll discuss what should be improved as enforcement officers work to address this changing landscape.
  
  Presented by:
  Shayne Turner
  Owner, Municipal Compliance Solutions

• 3:40pm - Closing Remarks & Adjournment

  David Arbuckle, MPA
  Executive Director, AMCTO