Municipal Licensing & Law Enforcement Forum

Agenda

• 8:30am - Welcome/Morning Moderator Introduction

  Welcoming Remarks:
  Kyle Pratt, MPA, CMM III, CHRL, CMO, Dipl.M.A.
  Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Tillsonburg
  AMCTO President 

  Morning Moderator:
  Annette Gilchrist, CMO, AOMC, Dipl.M.M.
  Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk/Deputy Treasurer, Township of Bonnechere Valley
  AMCTO Vice President

• 8:45am - Keynote Presentation: Bringing Down the Temperature: Leading Through Hostility, Mistrust and Conflict

  Municipal licensing and law enforcement staff regularly work at the point where public frustration, personal values, and mistrust of government collide. This keynote explores how municipal leaders can help staff respond constructively without tolerating hostility, intimidation, or abuse. Join us to gain practical tools to navigate increasingly challenging interactions with members of the public, including strategies to better understand what may be driving a resident’s conduct and support successful de-escalation. The session will also examine how escalation pathways, staff training, public-conduct policies, and well-defined boundaries in council-staff relationships can help bring down the temperature while protecting staff and maintaining public confidence in municipal services.

  Presented by:
  Natasha Savoline
  Partner/Lawyer & Workplace Investigator, Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP

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

  John Mattocks
  MLEOA President & Supervisor of Security Services, Town of Oakville

• 9:55am - Electronic Death Registration (EDR) and Marriage License Modernization (MLM) Provincial Scaling

  The modernization of death registration and marriage licensing services is transforming how municipalities, professionals, and residents interact with essential government services. Hear about the progress made to date, lessons learned from implementation, and how collaboration with sector stakeholders is helping scale these initiatives across Ontario.

  Presented by:
  Geeta Ohri
  Senior Manager, Service Transformation, ServiceOntario

  Darren Denomme
  Executive Director, Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals (OACFP)

• 11:00am - Greetings from the Ontario Association of Property Standards Officers

  Allison Henshall
  OAPSO Vice President & Licensing & Standards Officer, City of Waterloo

• 11:05am - Municipal Special Constables: A New Tool for Community Safety

  Municipal enforcement is evolving, and the City of Kingston is taking a new approach to addressing increasingly complex community safety challenges. This session explores Kingston's development and implementation of a Municipal Special Constable Program, including the operational need, legislative framework, training requirements, and our partnership with Kingston Police. Hear about the journey from concept to implementation, including lessons learned, challenges encountered, and the importance of clearly defining authorities and responsibilities. The session will also explore how special constables can provide municipalities with additional tools to respond safely and effectively to complex public-space interactions. Join us to discover practical considerations for determining whether a special constable model could support enforcement and community safety objectives in your municipality.

  Presented by:
  Kyle Compeau
  Director, Licensing & Enforcement Services, City of Kingston

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

  Kelli Campeau, CMO, AOMC, Dipl.M.A.
  General Manager of Corporate Services/Clerk, Township of South Glengarry
  AMCTO Director at Large

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

  April Patterson
  PAO President & Manager of Prosecutions, City of Burlington

• 1:00pm - Prosecutors’ Association of Ontario 2026 Case Law & Legislative Update

  Join us for an overview of the most significant municipal and regulatory law decisions of 2026. Through a review of recent court and tribunal rulings, this session will identify important legal trends, clarify their implications for municipalities, and provide practical guidance for navigating an evolving regulatory environment.

  Presented by:
  Ruarri Patterson
  Prosecutor, City of Mississauga

• 1:55pm - Bylaw Appeals & Tribunals: Best Practices

  This session focuses on conducting committee appeals and tribunals relating to matters such as property standards, licensing and dog designations. This includes regulatory requirements such as composition and authorities, as well as meeting process and decorum.  The session will also explore terms of reference, operating procedures and best practices from various municipalities.

  Presented by:
  Shayne Turner
  Owner, Municipal Compliance Solutions

• 3:05pm - Court Orders: Section 440 of the Municipal Act

  Discover the process of applying for and executing injunctive relief issued by the Superior Court, pursuant to section 440 of the Municipal Act. This is yet another tool available to municipalities when addressing significant bylaw violations where continued attempts to obtain compliance are met with little to no positive outcomes. This session will review an ongoing court case involving the Municipality of Greenstone and a property owner who has already served jail time for defying a section 440 court order. We'll discuss the outcomes, key takeaways and best practices for dealing with similar difficult situations.
  
  Presented by:
  Nicole Papke
  Director, Municipal Enforcement Services, City of Waterloo

• 3:40pm - Closing Remarks & Adjournment

  David Arbuckle, MPA
  Executive Director, AMCTO