2026 Speakers as of Dec. 4, 2025
Iqbal Brar, CRSP, CHSC, CUSP, NCSO
Iqbal Brar is the President and Principal Consultant of IQ Safety Solutions which specializes in high-risk construction industries. Born and raised in Manitoba, Iqbal has an unwavering passion for all things related to OHS, and his entire professional career has been dedicated to this field. With over a decade of experience, Iqbal has built a reputation as a skilled and knowledgeable safety expert. His journey began in the field on construction sites across Canada, where he gained invaluable hands-on experience. Over time, he transitioned into overseeing safety management systems on billion-dollar construction projects, demonstrating his commitment to ensuring safety at every level. Iqbal’s expertise has been honed through academic achievements, including graduating with honours from Red River’s Occupational Health and Safety Program, earning the Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation, Certified Health and Safety Consultant (CHSC) certification, and the Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) designation.
Ryan Davis, MBA, CRSP, CSP, CHSC, CIT, President, Staterea Risk Management Inc, Spruce Grove, Alberta
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Dan Demers, Director of Business Development, CannAmm Occupational Testing Services, Edmonton, Alberta
Mr. Demers is recognized as an international speaker and authority on the Canadian and international landscape of marijuana. As Occupational Health Operations Manager, Mr. Demers leads the most complex and fastest growing department of CannAmm. Mr. Demers’ commitment to lifelong learning is rooted in science and supplemented through executive education. His international presence and commitment to best practices is accomplished by serving on the SAPAA International Committee and IFDAT Legal Committee. Mr. Demers’ dedication to his community and the pursuit of a safer workplace is demonstrated by serving on the board of directors, as a member of the executive committee, for the Substance Abuse Program Administrators Association (SAPAA) and his local community Food Bank. By providing trustworthy information, tools, and best practices for occupational testing, Dan seeks to achieve his personal mission of effectively and sustainably ensuring more workers make it home to their families.
David Dunham CRSP
David Dunham has been a safety professional for 10 years. David started in the profession as a consultant, instructor and instructional designer. He has worked as an OHS regulatory officer and most recently as a Senior Safety Advisor, representing the owner on a large infrastructure project. David is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional and an avid student of contemporary safety science. David’s passion for safety is ignited by applying pragmatic solutions to safety challenges. He believes that good communication is a cornerstone of good safety performance and he explores methods of communicating safety concepts using humour, creative writing, story-telling and audio-visual representations. He believes that safety can be boring, but it doesn’t need to be.
Michael R Fears
Michael Fears is a recovering academic – though he still occasionally uses words like “ontology” in casual conversation. With over 30 years in post-secondary education, he has taught and researched in Calgary, Ottawa, and Moscow, before trading lecture halls for hard hats and hazard assessments. For the past 20+ years, Michael has been deeply embedded in the world of occupational health and safety, meddling in multiple sectors including education, health care, industrial production, oil and gas servicing, and construction.
A TapRooT® lead investigator and COR auditor, Michael is known for his methodical approach to incident analysis and his ability to ask the one question nobody else thought of (or were hesitant to ask). He currently volunteers on an examination committee for the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP), helping ensure that Canada’s future safety leaders experience the same certification test anxiety as other professionals. Despite his many volunteer roles and speaking engagements, Michael still works full-time as a senior health and safety manager with a national engineering firm, where he continues to develop a “safety culture” and kicks out the occasional last-minute, coffee-fueled program updates. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Michael brings a rare mix of academic depth, field-tested experience, and dry wit to every presentation. His sessions are engaging, practical, and designed to leave safety professionals with tools they can actually use – plus a few laughs along the way.
Brian Hollett – CRSP, MBA Candidate Founder & Lead Consultant | Deluxe Safety Services
Brian Hollett is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Deluxe Safety Services, a Canadian firm recognized for building practical, people-centered safety programs that drive lasting improvement. With over two decades of experience in the energy, construction, and industrial sectors, Brian has earned a reputation for helping organizations turn compliance into culture and leadership into measurable performance. A 2025 National Safety Council Green Cross Award semi-finalist for Safety Advocate of the Year, Brian is widely recognized for his ability to bridge the gap between theory and field reality. His work focuses on leadership mindset, metrics, and human performance, helping teams understand that true safety excellence starts with how people think, not just what they do. Drawing on the principles of Neuroleadership, he explores how brain science, trust, and communication can transform engagement and strengthen safety culture across every level of an organization.
In 2025, Brian has been featured at several national and regional safety events, including the Health & Safety Professionals Canada Professional Development Conference (HSPC PDC), the Wood Buffalo Safety Conference, and NAOSH Health & Safety Week. His engaging, evidence-based approach has made him a sought-after voice in discussions on leadership, culture, and the human side of safety performance. As an author and program developer, Brian continues to influence how organizations integrate culture, systems, and accountability. His programs are known for being clear, actionable, and deeply human built to create safer, more connected workplaces.
Outside of his professional work, Brian is a devoted father of two daughters and serves as the Director of League and Player Safety for Little League Alberta. He brings the same commitment to clarity, care, and leadership to his community that he does to his professional work, believing that real safety begins with how we lead, think, and treat others
Graeme A. Hooper, Counsel, MLG Law Corporation
Graeme Hooper practises in general litigation, appeals, and all areas of workplace law, with a particular focus on occupational health and safety matters. Graeme regularly acts for employers in matters involving WorkSafeBC and the Federal Labour Program. This includes appealing administrative orders and penalties, representing employers in regulatory and quasi-criminal investigations, and defending those facing statutory injunctions and regulatory prosecutions. Graeme also acts for parties to civil litigation matters seeking certifications before the Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal.
Graeme maintains a general appeal practice, having clerked with the current and former Chief Justices of British Columbia at the Court of Appeal. Graeme’s appeals include civil, family, and criminal and quasi-criminal matters. Graeme has appeared as counsel in all levels of court in British Columbia and before numerous administrative tribunals. Prior to joining Mitha Law Group, Graeme’s career included work in the civil service, both before and after becoming a lawyer. This included work with the Ministry of Public Safety, the Workers Compensation Board of British Columbia, the Court of Appeal, and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Graeme now uses those experiences to assist clients dealing with all levels of government
Max Karp, B.Sc., WorkSMART Ergonomics Ltd.
Bio to Follow
Jackie Kloosterboer
Jackie Kloosterboer has over 30 years of experience helping BC communities prepare for and respond to emergencies. Through her company, Survive-It Disaster Preparedness, she delivers practical, easy-to-understand training that empowers families and businesses to take simple steps that make a big difference. Known for her real-life stories and down-to-earth style, Jackie’s focus is always the same: helping people feel confident, capable, and prepared for whatever life throws their way. She is recognized throughout Canada as a trusted and compassionate voice in disaster readiness
Isabel Krueger CRSP(NP), Safety Matters:
Isabel is the owner of Safety Matters an occupational safety and health consulting firm. She is a well-known and experienced safety professional with many years of OSH experience. She has presented at the National Safety Congress in the USA, the Western Conference on Safety, The BC Municipal Occupational Health and Safety Conference and numerous other prominent safety events. She is a recipient of the National Safety Council’s Distinguished Service to Safety award (DSSA)
Lisa Lounsbury
Lisa Lounsbury is a Resilience & Well-Being Expert, International speaker, author, Certified Menopause Coach, and Mental Health Facilitator. As the Founder of New Day Wellness Inc., she brings over 35 years of experience to her mission of “Bringing Health to Health &Safety™.” Through her signature Making Wellness a Priority™ methodology, Lisa helps organizations understand how midlife transitions — including menopause and andropause — influence fatigue, cognition, focus, and overall workplace safety, without diminishing the capability or value of workers.
Lisa’s approach to resilience is deeply shaped by her 350-kilometre solo trek along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, where she learned powerful lessons in mindset, adaptability, and human performance. Blending science with storytelling, she equips leaders to reduce stigma, strengthen well-being, and create safer, more inclusive workplaces where every worker has the resilience and support needed to thrive.
Laurie Lowes, Mental Health First Aid Instructor
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Laura McNiece, CRSP, CSP, Principal Consultant, Oneeva Solutions Ltd.
Laura McNeice is a health and safety leader with over 20 years of international experience managing risk on multi-billion-dollar infrastructure and mining projects across Canada, the U.S., Australia, and East Africa. She has directed HSE programs for more than $10 billion in capital projects, led high-performing teams on major subway and bridge projects, and pioneered safety-by-design strategies that have saved projects millions in compliance costs.
Passionate about bringing clarity to complexity and focusing on what truly prevents harm, Laura helps organizations cut through “safety noise” and align their systems with real-world risk. At the 2026 Western Conference on Safety, she will present her Safety Clarity
Simon Miles, Communications Advisor & Instructor, Safety First Consulting, Victoria, BC
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Kevin Swinden, President, Global Hazmat Inc.
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Haley Whishaw, Training Specialist, Arete Training
Haley joined the ARETE team in 2016 and has fast become another sought-after ARETE training specialist. She has facilitated customized workshops for a broad range of low, medium, and high-risk employee groups in social services, education, municipal government, hospitality, retail, healthcare, and beyond. She fully understands the risks and various challenges frontline workers face when interacting with customers and clients. With her animated delivery, energy, and ability to connect with participants of all ages, she is a hit in every workplace she trains.
