Greetings certificants, the BCRSP has had a busy first quarter of 2025. The Board held its annual strategy session in December in Quebec City and is working forward to a 2026 plan update as we complete the last year of the current strategic plan in 2025. As part of the December meeting agenda, the Board had the opportunity to visit the ONHWA’ Lumina which is an enchanted night walk in the heart of Wendake, Quebec that invites visitors into a poetic multimedia world shaped by the stories, symbols and rhythms of the Huron-Wendat. The experience is grounded in the rich creative traditions of the Huron-Wendat culture, and explores themes such as the cycle of life, the passing down of knowledge, and the shared relationship between all living things. It was a very cold December evening; however, it was a great opportunity for the Board to learn more about the culture of the Huron-Wendat peoples.
One of the key items the Board approved moving forward with at the December meeting, was the 50th Anniversary celebration conference. The BCRSP turns 50 and we are planning a 50th Anniversary Celebration conference May 10-12, 2026, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Governing Board is excited to be bringing a conference to certificants and we hope to see you there! Please watch for information regarding early registration, as this will be a limited-attendance event.
The Call for Speakers information is included in this newsletter, so if you are interested in presenting at the conference, please consider submitting a proposal.
Please take one minute to respond to our 50th Anniversary poll: https://fwa.jotform.com/250434897192061.
The Governing Board also discussed potential certification or micro-credential opportunities to expand the BCRSP offerings. We will be hosting some focus groups (virtual) to gather input from certificants in 2025 on potential additional offerings, so please watch for more information if you are interested in participating.
Volunteer Appreciation Event
On November 26, the BCRSP held a virtual volunteer appreciation event. All active BCRSP volunteers were invited to a virtual appreciation event, which included a presentation on Reaching New Heights by Alan Mallory. Alan spoke about his expedition climbing Mount Everest as part of a family team (father, brother, sister) and illustrated how key the principles of teamwork, communication, and preparation are for any endeavour we undertake. During the Volunteer Appreciation Event, we also recognized the 2024 Volunteer of the Year Evan Edbom, CRSP. Please read more about this award and Evan in the article.
International Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations (INSHPO)
In January, I had the opportunity to represent the BCRSP at the International Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations (INSHPO) Annual Business Meeting in Dubai. Work during the ABM was undertaken on the update to the INSHPO OHS Professional Capability Framework, as well as Governance with changes to the Bylaws affecting the length of term of officers, and officer roles. INSHPO is revisiting its strategic plan to ensure that we are focused on issues that are relevant to the INSHPO membership organisations. The BCRSP Governing Board appointed me to serve as the INSHPO representative for 2025-2027, and I will be joining the INSHPO Executive Council as Vice Chair effective immediately. I am excited by this opportunity to represent the BCRSP internationally and to provide input from the BCRSP to this important international group.
National Education Symposium (NES)
The BCRSP is moving forward for 2025 with hosting the NES for the 9th time. The NES is being hosted in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and is a two-day symposium for program coordinators, managers, directors, administrators, curriculum developers, instructors and representatives from Canadian educational institutions offering occupational health and safety studies in post-secondary undergraduate, graduate, continuing education and distance learning environments. If you are a program lead at an institution and are not receiving the BCRSP’s information regarding this upcoming event, please reach out to the BCRSP’s Executive Director for information.
Governance
The Expression of Interest for the Board was issued in late 2024, and the BCRSP received over 40 submissions. The Nominations Sub-Committee is currently reviewing submissions and generating a short-list of candidates who will receive an interview. Receiving so many applicants for the three (3) available positions is a sign of the robust interest our certificants have in serving their profession. I would encourage anyone who is interested in giving back to the profession to consider volunteering for the BCRSP, in addition to the Board, we have a number of committees that are very active in supporting the certification processes. If you are interested in volunteering for a BCRSP Committee, please use the following link: https://bcrsp.lineupteams.com/members/application/3f600433-2a74-4ae0-a51e-53cf447150f0/request
The BCRSP is also committed to ensuring that we provide ongoing training to the Board, and the Board will collectively be participating in a Governance Workshop this spring. I am also pleased to say that we continue to see strong interest in both the CRSP and CRST certifications, and our new applicant intake is steady. This is in large part due to the number of certificants that proudly support and encourage emerging safety practitioners to earn a BCRSP certification. Thank you for your ongoing support of the profession and the BCRSP.
If you have any feedback for the Governing Board, you can send via e-mail.