The 2026 AWCBC Learning Symposium brought workers’ compensation colleagues from across Canada together in Ottawa for two days of learning, networking and collaboration. Participants from every jurisdiction had the opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships and learn directly from fellow WCB members.
Keynote speaker Connor Emeny opened the symposium with All In, an inspiring reflection on commitment, resilience and ambitious goals. Morgan Hamel’s keynote on moral injury explored why good people can make poor ethical decisions and emphasized the importance of leadership, workplace culture and psychological safety.
Presentations from WCB members highlighted innovation across the country. WCB Nova Scotia explored work-connected recovery, while WorkSafeNB shared lessons on aligning strategy with operations and taking a readiness-first approach to transformation. WSIB speakers discussed preserving organizational knowledge through corporate archives and using service design to improve business outcomes. SAFE Work Manitoba presented its endorsed training program and centralized training portal.
Return to work and worker well-being were important themes throughout the symposium. Speakers emphasized leadership, compassion and partnership in supporting recovery. Sessions from Threads of Life and Wounded Warriors Canada brought attention to the human impact of workplace injury and the value of trauma-informed support. Dr. Peter Smith also shared emerging approaches to work-related psychological injuries across jurisdictions.
Looking ahead, presenters examined demographic change, responsible data use and artificial intelligence. Sessions highlighted the importance of trustworthy AI, transparent decision-making and using data to strengthen services and member value.
The symposium’s greatest strength was the opportunity to connect. Conversations between sessions allowed participants to compare experiences, discover shared challenges and return to their organizations with new ideas and stronger national relationships.
AWCBC extends its sincere thanks to all speakers, volunteers, participants and member organizations, as well as our generous sponsors whose support helped make the symposium possible. Their contributions played an important role in creating a successful, engaging and valuable event for Canada’s workers’ compensation community.
Members can revisit the presentation slides from each session below. (Requires log-in)