2025 Toronto Regional Symposium

Trust in Regulation: Strengthening Confidence, Compliance, & Collaboration

May 5, 2025  |  Law Society of Ontario

Trust in regulatory bodies is both a critical asset and an ongoing challenge. Regulators must navigate complex landscapes where public confidence, stakeholder engagement, and compliance outcomes are shaped by perceptions of fairness, transparency, and accountability.

This one-day symposium will explore the role of trust in regulatory processes and its impact on relationships between regulators, licensees, and the public. Participants will gain insights into how increased trust in regulators can drive greater voluntary compliance and improve public protection. Sessions will highlight best practices for fostering trust through meaningful engagement with registrants, the public, and government, as well as strategies for addressing skepticism and rebuilding confidence. The symposium will also examine the broader contexts in which regulators operate, including the unique challenges of the Canadian regulatory landscape. Discussions will address pressures from political and legislative shifts, workforce shortages, emerging technologies, and growing public expectations for more inclusive and responsive regulation.

Join fellow regulators and regulatory stakeholders for a day of critical discussions and practical insights into strengthening trust in professional and occupational regulation.

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.      Registration & Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.      Symposium Welcome & Introductions

Marc Spector, Deputy Registrar, Licensing and Compliance  |  Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA)

9:15 – 10:15 a.m.    FORESITE: What is the future of regulation and governance of professions in the 21st century?

Zubin Austin, Professor and Koffler Research Chair  |  University of Toronto

The Future of Regulation in this Era of Skepticism, Indifference, Technology, and Evidence-collapse (FORESITE) is research program focused on the significant challenges facing regulators of professional work.  This project examines regulatory implications of a variety of different issues, including climate change, artificial intelligence, corporatization of professional work, and political polarization, and how these broader trends and issues may influence both the work of professionals and the work of regulators.  This presentation will review recent findings from the FORESITE project focused on the knowledge ecosystem and the collapse in societal acceptance of scientific evidence, and engage participants in discussion and reflection on the future of regulation of professions.

10:15 – 10:30 a.m.   Break

10:30 – 11:15 a.m.   A Regulator’s Relationship with Trust

Jan Robinson, Registrar & CEO  |  College of Veterinarians of Ontario

Trust isn’t something a regulator earns once, it’s a dynamic, ever-evolving tension woven into every decision, interaction, and expectation. In this reflective session, Jan Robinson draws from more than 30 years of regulatory leadership to explore trust not as a destination, but as a lived, personal, and organizational relationship. Through candid storytelling and grounded insight, she examines the behaviors, expectations, and emotional labor involved in navigating trust across different regulatory environments. This session invites attendees to consider how trust shows up in their own roles, and how reliability, honesty, and competence shape public confidence over time.

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.    Panel Discussion – Cultivating Trust through Everyday Regulatory Practices

Anita Ashton, Deputy Registrar & CRO  |  College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
Nadja Gale, Director of Governance and Strategy  |  College of Midwives of Ontario
Brent Knowles, Director of Analytics and Research  |  College of Nurses of Ontario

Trust is often built in the quiet, consistent work of regulation—through policies, communications, and decisions that reflect fairness, transparency, and accountability. This panel will highlight how regulatory colleges have fostered stakeholder trust through routine practices, operational choices, and outreach initiatives. Panelists will share examples of both intentional efforts and unexpected outcomes that helped deepen public and professional confidence in their work.

12:15 – 1:15 p.m.    Networking Lunch 

1:15 – 2:45 p.m.       Workshop - Written and Oral Strategies for Building Trust and Reducing Harm

Eden Dales, Practice Director  |  Eden Dales Social Work

Regulators play a critical role in setting the tone for interactions that often occur during some of the most challenging moments in a professional’s career, fearful of significant loss. By integrating trauma-informed principles into written and oral communication, regulators can foster trust, reduce re-traumatization, and promote procedural fairness. Drawing on over two decades of clinical social work experience and a training program developed specifically for regulators, this workshop introduces practical strategies for applying trauma-informed principles to regulatory communication—both written and verbal. Attendees will learn to recognize the emotional impact of regulatory processes and adapt tone, structure, and delivery accordingly. Through examples, case studies, and discussion, participants will gain tools to enhance clarity and empathy while protecting both the integrity of the process and the wellbeing of all involved.

2:45 – 3:00 p.m.       Break

3:00 – 3:45 p.m.       Q&A with the day’s speakers

Reflect on the day's program with a dynamic question and answer session with the day's speakers. 

3:45 – 4:00 p.m.       Concluding Remarks

Marc Spector, Deputy Registrar, Licensing and Compliance  |  Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA)

Symposium slide decks and additional resources will be posted here as they become available. CLEAR thanks our speakers for sharing these resources with our attendees. 

FORESITE: What is the future of regulation and governance of professions in the 21st century?

Zubin Austin, Professor and Koffler Research Chair  |  University of Toronto

A Regulator’s Relationship with Trust

Jan Robinson, Registrar & CEO  |  College of Veterinarians of Ontario

Panel Discussion – Cultivating Trust through Everyday Regulatory Practices

Anita Ashton, Registrar & CEO  |  College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
Nadja Gale, Director of Governance and Strategy  |  College of Midwives of Ontario
Brent Knowles, Director of Analytics and Research  |  College of Nurses of Ontario
Moderator: Mahmoud Suleiman, Deputy Registrar  |  The Pharmacy Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada

Workshop - Written and Oral Strategies for Building Trust and Reducing Harm

Eden Dales, Practice Director  |  Eden Dales Social Work