Speakers
Dr. Loren Vanderlinden
Loren Vanderlinden, a Supervisor with the Environmental Health Assessment & Policy
Environmental Protection Office at Toronto Public Health has a broad background in social and health sciences. She received a doctorate in medical anthropology from the University of Toronto, and postdoctoral training in environmental health at the McMaster Institute of Environment and Health. Loren has done applied environmental health research with academic, health and environmental institutions for over a decade. Her work at Toronto Public Health has focused on children’s environmental health, the health effects of pesticides, and fish consumption messages for vulnerable groups.
Mark Bekkering
Mark Bekkering is currently the Manager, Environmental Planning & Support, in the Toronto Environment Office for the City of Toronto. He is primarily responsible for the development, implementation and management of the City's Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan which was unanimously adopted by City Council in July 2007. Mark has a Master's degree in geography, almost 20 years of experience working in municipal government, primarily in the area of environmental policy and programs and has worked for the City of Toronto for almost nine years.
Franca Ursitti
Franca joined the Environmental Health Division, Peel Region, Public Health in 2005 as Research and Policy Analyst. Previously, she worked in the Environmental Protection Office of Toronto Public Health for ten years as a Research Consultant, and for four years with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. She has worked on assessing and implementing many environmental health initiatives in the public health sector including those associated with air pollution, soil contamination and children’s exposure to contaminants. Franca holds a Master’s of Science degree in Toxicology from the University of Toronto. She is a member of the Ontario Public Health Association, a member of the OPHA Environmental Health Workgroup and the OPHA representative in the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE).
Wayne Trusty
With almost 40 years of experience in such diverse fields as resource industry economics and policy, water resources, transportation, energy policy and markets, and regional development, Wayne Trusty now serves as President of the ATHENA Sustainable Materials Institute and its U.S. affiliate, Athena Institute International. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor on the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design and a member of the board of the Green Building Initiative. Recently, Wayne organized and coordinated a green building project team for the design and construction of a new “green” Day Nursery School in Merrickville, Ontario, with emphasis on the environmental health and safety of the children.
Kathleen Cooper
Kathleen Cooper has worked in environmental research positions for more than 20 years. As Senior Researcher at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, she provides casework support to environmental litigation files and has directed several major law reform campaigns on the subjects of toxic substances, pesticides and land use planning. She has written extensively on the subject of environmental policy and children’s health with a particular focus in recent years on federal law and policy concerning toxic substances and pesticides.
Sue Weststrate
Sue Weststrate is a Health Promotion Consultant with a strong personal interest in environmental issues. For more than 20 years, Sue has focused her interest and energy on the early years, providing support to children, families and service providers in a variety of early learning, child care, public health and community resource settings. Prior to launching her own consulting company, Sue spent four years as a Health Promotion Consultant with Best Start: Ontario’s Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre. In her role with Best Start, Sue was recently staff lead for Children’s Environmental Health. Her experience includes management of child care and special needs resource consulting programs and an entrepreneurial business. Sue is a member of the Canadian Organic Growers.
Wendy McNalley
Wendy McNalley has been a Product Safety Officer with the Federal Department of Health Canada for 32 years. Prior to her current position, she was with the Federal Consumer Fraud Protection Division of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Guelph.
Nadira Rambritch
Nadira Rambritch, currently with Health Canada, graduated in 2002 from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science. She majored in human biology with a minor in animal physiology and history.
Nadira and Wendy McNally’s areas of expertise include enforcement of the Hazardous Products Act, which regulates consumer products regarding chemical, flammable and mechanical hazards; investigation of non-regulated issues; recommendations for policy development; and providing product safety information to consumers, industry, other government agencies, associations, private laboratories and the media.
Myriam Beaulne
Myriam Beaulne is Health Promotion Coordinator for the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE). Myriam has many years of experience in environmental toxicology, ecology, and environmental law and a strong commitment towards the protection of our environment and our health. Myriam has worked for government agencies, educational institutions, labs and non-profit organizations in Canada and the United States.
Beth Anne Currie
Beth Anne Currie completed a nursing science degree in 1986 and has enjoyed a wide variety of roles in education, public health and community nursing , while doing most of her environmental crusading in a volunteer capacity. She completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Applied Science and Management at Ryerson University in 2005 where her thesis examined the health and environmental benefits associated with green roof and green wall technologies in urban areas. She has contributed to recent green roof policy development in Toronto and continues to consult on the design and installation of green roofs in the GTA. Recently, she has turned her attention to children’s environmental health issues and joined the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and the Environment (CPCHE) in 2007 as a Health Promotion Coordinator. Beth Anne is a volunteer Director with the Toronto Food Policy Council and a Board member with Riversides Stewardship Alliance. She is an avid field naturalist, bird-watcher, amateur photographer and part-time farmer in Grey County near Owen Sound.
Jill McDowell
Jill McDowell joined Toronto Public Health in August 2000 as a Health Promotion Consultant in the Environmental Protection Office (EPO). She is currently managing the department’s social marketing campaign entitled 20/20 The Way to Clean Air, which aims to encourage residents to reduce energy and vehicle use to help improve air quality in the Greater Toronto Area. She is also involved in the EPO’s sub-program on children’s health and the environment, delivering training sessions to front line staff on childproofing for environmental health. Prior to joining Toronto Public Health, Jill worked for Pollution Probe, a national environmental non-profit organization. She started there as the Coordinator of its annual Clean Air Campaign and then moved into managing its Child Health Program, with a focus on indoor air quality in schools. Jill has a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto.
William Humber
William Humber is on secondment from his role as Chair of the Centre for the Built Environment to formalize the transfer of Storm Cunningham’s Revitalization Institute to Seneca College. William is currently working on his 11th book on the topic of winter sports and climate change.
Brian Killin
Professor Brian Killin is a faculty member in Seneca’s School of General Education, where he teaches subjects in placemaking, urban development, and sustainable communities. He has a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University, and is a long time participant in organizational forums and events on new urbanism and restorative development.
Karen Eilersen
Karen Eilersen is the Owner/Director of Discovery Child Care Centres in Barrie Ontario. They are community based, licensed child care programs for children ages 12 months to 12 years of age. The Centres were founded in 1995 and one of the things that sets them apart is a commitment to the environment. At one centre, the entire two-acre property is exclusively maintained without the use of pesticides and they diligently use the blue box recycling program, practise water conservation (including rain barrels) and composting. All diapers are recycled, and they are Ontario’s first child care centres that are BullFrog Powered using 100% green electricity. They also only use environmentally friendly cleaners/sanitizers at the centre. Karen’s Centres have won numerous awards including the 1998 City of Barrie, Business of the Year, and most recently the 2007 Bell Canada Business Award for the Green Community.
Josephine Archbold
Josephine Archbold is a Research Consultant with the Environmental Protection Office at Toronto Public Health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Guelph and a Master of Science in Environmental Health and Toxicology from the University of Toronto. She has worked as an Environmental Policy Analyst for Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and as a toxicologist with Cantox Environmental. Josephine has expertise in human and ecological risk assessment with a strong focus on lead, mercury, flame retardants and children's environmental health.