Register Now for the 17th Canadian Legislative Conference

March 9, 2010 – The IAFF 17th Canadian Legislative Conference is fast approaching, and affiliates planning to attend are reminded to complete their Conference registration, make hotel reservations and make lobby day appointments with members of Parliament.

The Conference is scheduled for April 25-28, 2010, at the Delta Ottawa Hotel. Conference brochures were mailed from the Canadian office to affiliate presidents and secretaries.

The deadline for hotel reservations is March 25. Canadian affiliates can make hotel reservations by calling Delta Reservations at 1-800-268-1133 or e-mailing Reservations Manager Carolyn Campeau at ccampeau@deltahotels.com. The Group ID# is GKIAFF.

Lobby day is Tuesday, April 27. Please book your MP appointments well in advance of this date and then notify the IAFF Canadian office at (613) 567-8988 or e-mail Josée Paquin at jpaquin@iaff.org.

Click here to find your MP and House of Commons contact information.

The IAFF 2010 legislative agenda has been determined and legislative fact sheets are now available for the five issues we will be bringing forward in the federal arena during the 17th Canadian Legislative Conference and throughout the year.

The issues are:

• The need to establish a national Public Safety Officer Compensation (PSOC) Benefit
• The need to create a National Office for Fire Service Statistics
• Ensuring public safety by including fire fighters in the first tier for vaccines and antivirals in an influenza pandemic
• Adding fire fighter safety as a requirement in the National Building Code of Canada
• The need for third-party investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths

Click here to download fact sheets for the items on the 2010 Canadian legislative agenda.

All members of Parliament and senators will receive a copy of the IAFF Canada 2010 Legislative Briefing Book two to three weeks prior to the Conference so that they will be knowledgeable about fire fighter issues in advance of your lobby meetings.

This year’s edition of the Canadian Legislative Conference will feature an orientation session for new delegates, guest speakers, an issues focus session and IAFF Parliamentary Reception.

Local presidents and secretaries are asked to forward this information to any members of your local, such as Political Action Committee members who will require information about legislative issues and the 17th Canadian Legislative Conference.