Workplace Safety North hosts 26th annual conference in Sudbury
A sold out, two-day conference hosted by Workplace Safety North is underway in Greater Sudbury.
A sold out, two-day conference hosted by Workplace Safety North is underway in Sudbury. (Alana Everson/CTV News)
Tina Varughese, the first keynote speaker, is a cross-cultural communication and diversity expert who talked about building an inclusive workplace with a sense of belonging.
“Really giving them some practical and tactical strategies on how to become more inclusive how to create that culture of belonging,” Varughese said.
“And even psychological safety, which isn’t the easiest topic sometimes at the workplace because that is more of a journey not a destination. It’s not something that comes easy -- it comes with time.”
Officials said the theme of the conference this year is ‘inclusive mines, a safer future’ and the goal is emphasizing the importance of diversity and equity in ensuring safer work environments.
“In northern Ontario we currently have 36 active mines so we have 32 significant projects in the works, also we have a labour shortage,” said Mike Parent, Workplace Safety North interim president and CEO.
“It’s going to take all kinds of persons to come and help us keep our mines operating and build new mines. The theme of diversity equity and inclusion couldn’t be more appropriate,”
Mike Parent, Workplace Safety North's interim president and CEO at the organization's 26th annual conference in Greater Sudbury on April 17, 2024. (Alana Everson/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Workplace Safety North officials said there are 350 people attending in person and 150 people joining online from all over the world including Bosnia, Australia, Abu Dhabi and Greece.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.