Workshop Agenda
Wednesday April 15, 2026
7:00 am to 8:45 am
Breakfast
Location: Great Falls Ballroom & Foyer
HOSTED BY
8:45 am to 9:00 am
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
Morning Stretch
Jen McGillis – Certified Professional Ergonomist
A desire to help people and prevent injuries were always at the heart of ‘my why’ but it wasn’t until I started my Master’s Degree, and dived into ergonomics more deeply, that I found my passion – and quickly realized how it could expand my impact on injury prevention. Whether I’m delivering a training session, or partnering with a business to solve an ergonomic challenge, I always strive to stay worker-focused, ensuring that every educational moment or ergonomic solution is grounded in preventing injuries in practical and sustainable ways. I feel privileged knowing that I help guide organizations to a safer workplace every day.
PRESENTED BY
9:00 am to 10:00 am
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
PRESENTED BY
Where does DEI, psychological safety, and values-driven leadership fit into building resilient teams?
Incivility often arises from gaps in emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and shared values, rather than isolated bad behaviour. This interactive session shows how DEI, psychological safety, and values-driven leadership strengthen resilient municipal teams. Participants will learn to spot early warning signs of incivility, coach leaders to address disrespect constructively, and embed DEI and psychological safety into daily leadership practice.
10:15 am to 11:15 am
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
HR’s Role in Navigating Incivility
This session equips municipal HR leaders with a practical playbook to mediate conflict, coach leaders, navigate union expectations, and align team behaviour with respectful workplace and harassment/violence-prevention policies. Participants learn to triage incivility risks and choose appropriate interventions, from coaching and facilitated dialogue to mediation or investigation. They are guided in using emotionally intelligent mediation approaches that preserve psychological safety while embedding accountability through restorative and performance-management tools
PRESENTED BY
11:15 am to 11:30 am
Sponsor Showcase Session – Coffee Break Incorporated
Location: Great Falls Ballroom & Foyer
11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
Who rolled their eyes?
This session tackles what happens when leaders themselves become the source of incivility, despite formal respect-in-the-workplace policies. Through real stories of disrespect from councillors and senior leadership, three members will present cases for participants to analyze and relate to their own experiences. Together, attendees will co-create strategies to prevent these behaviours or respond quickly and effectively when they occur, drawing on AMO’s latest tools and supports. The emphasis is on HR leaders designing a future-focused roadmap that builds genuine respect and civility stewardship from the top.
PRESENTED BY
12:30 pm to 1:15 pm
Lunch & Live Jazz Performance
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
HOSTED BY
1:15 pm to 2:15 pm
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
PRESENTED BY
When Civility Breaks Down
Trauma Informed Investigation
A trauma-informed approach to investigations involving sexual assault and sexual harassment is now widely seen as essential, but its principles benefit all types of investigations. Applying these practices promotes fair, respectful processes for parties and witnesses with diverse experiences, including people from historically marginalized communities, neurodivergent individuals, and those with mental health disabilities. This session, jointly presented by Turnpenney Milne LLP and Williams HR Law LLP, focuses on building practical, usable skills. Participants will learn how to apply trauma-informed principles at every investigation stage, with particular emphasis on interviewing techniques and credibility assessment.
2:15 pm to 2:30 pm
Sponsor Showcase Session – Coffee Break Incorporated
Location: Great Falls Ballroom & Foyer
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
PRESENTED BY
Navigating Incivility in Municipal Workplaces and Compliance with Workplace Laws
This session helps participants distinguish legally between incivility, harassment, and discrimination. It explains when and how to respond to incivility, conduct workplace investigations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and prevent incivility from becoming a toxic workplace. Attendees will learn about required and recommended policies, as well as how and when to discipline employees for incivility without triggering constructive dismissal claims.
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Spring Workshop Reception
Location: Great Falls Ballroom Foyer
Dress: Business Formal
HOSTED BY
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
OMHRA Spring Workshop Dinner
Location: Great Falls Ballroom
Dress: Business Formal
HOSTED BY
