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New Construction Industry Prompt Payment Framework & Dispute Resolution Process in Alberta

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New Construction Industry Prompt Payment Framework & Dispute Resolution Process in Alberta

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Announcement from the Government of Alberta on August 29, 2022:

Stronger construction rules will bolster industry

A new prompt payment framework ushers in payment timelines and a dispute resolution process for Alberta’s construction sector.

Formerly known as the Builder’s Lien Act, the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act is now in force. The new act creates rules for the timing of payments and sets out a streamlined adjudication process for disputes related to payment or work performed as an alternative to court.

Learn More About the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act

You can read the rest of the announcement on our Construction Prompt Payment Adjudication page.

New Construction Industry Prompt Payment Framework & Dispute Resolution Process in AlbertaRead More

Recap: ADRIA Annual General Meeting June 2022

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Recap: ADRIA Annual General Meeting June 2022

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ADRIA again held its Annual AGM in a hybrid fashion on June 16th, with reception gatherings in Edmonton & Calgary, and online opportunities to participate for members elsewhere in the province.  The evening featured a keynote presentation from Queens Bench Justice Anna Loparco, who outlined important Court Initiatives regarding Restorative Justice.

View the recording of Justice Loparco`s presentation and the AGM proceedings. 

Any questions or feedback regarding the 2022 AGM, or suggestions for the future of ADRIA, should be forwarded to board@adralberta.com.

Central to the AGM proceeding were the election and appointment of Board Directors and Officers.  Their bios are detailed on our Board webpage. Two new Board members were added, and ADRIA members will be well represented for the 2022/23 year as follows:

President
Barbara McNeil, C.Med, Q.Arb

Treasurer
Samuel H. Sele, Q.Med

Secretary
Cindy Imppola, Q.Med

ADRIC Representative
Dora Dang, C.Med, C.Arb, C.Med-Arb

Director & Governance Committee Chair
Paul Blakeney, C.Med

Directors
Stephen Carter-Edwards
Jerry Crawford
Diana Lowe
Andrea Menard
Amin Poonja, Q.Med
Sharon Roberts, Q.Arb

The position of Vice President is to be determined.

Three Board members left the Board in June, having completed their terms or relocated out of province: Barrie Marshall, Kevin Kelly and Ali Ansell. Each had contributed significantly to the success of ADRIA over many years, and each will be missed as the Board convenes for 2022/23. We owe them a great deal of thanks. 

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Frequently Asked Question About How to Apply for a ADR Designation

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Frequently Asked Question About How to Apply for a ADR Designation

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This is the time of year members are considering applying for a professional designation, so we have summarized the application process in simple terms.

The designations – Chartered Mediator (C.Med), Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb), Qualified Mediator (Q.Med), Qualified Mediator Family (Q.Med(Fam)), and Qualified Arbitrator (Q.Arb) – are awarded by the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC). These designations allow members to convey their level of experience and skill in a way that is recognized internationally. You can find out more on our Designations page.

ADRIA administers the first part of the application process for our members and sends the applications and recommendations to ADRIC for final approval. Applications are accepted in February, June, and October each year.

Criteria for Arbitration Designations

To apply for a Qualified Arbitrator (Q.Arb) designation you need to have completed a 40-hour approved arbitration course and passed the exam. 

ADRIA runs the National Introductory Arbitration course online, in Calgary and in Edmonton. On the last day of the course, you will view an arbitration hearing video and are provided with written evidence. You have 30-days from the last day of this course to write an Award on this case. The exam is pass/fail. A pass fulfills the requirements to apply for a Q.Arb designation. 

No practical experience is needed to apply for a Q.Arb designation however you still need to go through the application process – a designation is not automatically issued simply by completing the course.

To apply for a Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb) designation you need to have completed and passed an approved Arbitration course as described above, plus you must have practical experience in arbitration. Specifically, you must have chaired at least 10 fee-paid arbitrations and provide at least 2 awards that you have written for review by the Designation Committee.    

Criteria for Mediation Designations

To apply for a Qualified Mediator (Q.Med) designation you need education, practical experience, and reference letters. 

The educational requirement is 40 hours of mediation training which must be a single, pre-approved course; an additional 40 hours of ADR training which can be a combination of courses, but must be in ADR and must be training; and 6 hours of ADR ethics training.

ADRIA runs the National Introductory Mediation course online, in Calgary and in Edmonton. Other institutes also have pre-approved mediation courses. If you are unsure if a course would qualify for your designation, please contact the ADRIA office. 

For the practical experience requirement, you need three mediations, one must be a real (actual) mediation (paid or unpaid), one must be a supervised mock mediation, and the third can be either a real mediation or a supervised mock mediation.

For the real mediations, you are required to provide a summary of each mediation following the guidelines in the Q.Med application form. 

Supervised mock mediations can be arranged through ADRIA for a fee of $450 (plus GST) for in-person demonstrations and $400 (plus GST) for online demonstrations. Candidates can also arrange and record their own demonstration and submit that recording to the office to be reviewed for a fee of $250 (plus GST). Please contact education@adralberta.com for guidelines on recording your own demonstration.  

For the requirement of the reference letters, you need two professional letters of recommendation and one personal letter of recommendation. 

To apply for a Chartered Mediator (C.Med) designation you need education, practical experience, reference letters, and a skills assessment.

The educational requirement is 180 hours of ADR training, including the same 40-hour pre-approved mediation course requirement as for the Q.Med. The other 140 hours can be a combination of ADR courses. 

For the practical experience requirement, you need 15 solo, fee-paid mediations. 

For the requirement of the reference letter, you need two professional letters of recommendation and one personal letter of recommendation. 

The skills assessment is a one-hour role-play observed by three assessors approved by the designations committee. Two of the assessors will act as the role-players and one assessor will observe and take notes. Approval by at least two assessors is required to pass the skills assessment. This assessment is conducted separately and apart from any classroom evaluation occurring as part of the students’ mediation training and must be booked through ADRIA. It is recommended that you schedule your assessment after you have met all of the other requirements for a C.Med designation as the assessment must be completed within two years of applying for your designation. The fee for this assessment is $495 plus GST.

Additional information for all designations

The designation application fee is $200 plus GST. 

After you have been granted a designation, there is an annual fee to maintain your designation. The fee is payable to ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) due annually on January 1st. 

You must remain a full member in good standing with the ADR Institute of Alberta (ADRIA) to retain your designation. Your membership renewal with ADRIA is due yearly from the time you obtained membership.

In order to be granted a designation, you are required to have professional liability insurance also known as Errors and Omissions insurance. ADRIC has negotiated a special rate with Marsh Insurance for ADR professionals. Rates start at $235 per year for Arbitrators and $145 per year for other ADR practitioners, including mediators. 

You are also required to demonstrate Continuing Education and Engagement (CCE) in your field. Information on the Continuing Education and Engagement Program requirements can be found in your ADRIC member portal.

Full details of the application process and the necessary forms are on our Designations page. 

Frequently Asked Question About How to Apply for a ADR DesignationRead More

Share These Fall Capacity Building Events with Your Friends, Family & Contacts!

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Share These Fall Capacity Building Events with Your Friends, Family & Contacts!

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There are lots of free and low-cost opportunities this fall for the general public to increase their confidence in approaching conflict!

Many of these events are offered online and could be taken from across Canada. 

Please pass on these learning events to non-practitioners who are working on developing conflict management skills.

Conflict Resolution Day Free Workshop: Mind Your Bias

We all have biases, and their roots are complex. By understanding our own biases and how they’re formed we can be proactive and prevent conflict.Minding our bias can teach us how to welcome diverse perspectives, close the distance between perspectives, and find common ground with our neighbours. This workshop will shed understanding of biases, clarifying when a bias may be in play and offer tangible skills that help participants move from recognition to recovery. With this understanding, you will be able to communicate with each other in a way that sheds light on the perspectives that are gained from clear communication.

Free & Online
October 20, 2022

Details & Registration

Want to Host a “Mind Your Bias” Workshop in Your Organization?

Please join on September 22 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM for a Train-the-Trainer Workshop to receive the information and resources to host your very own Mind Your Own Bias presentation. 

Free & Online
September 22, 2022

Details & Registration

Learn to Approach Conflict with Confidence

Series of Courses in Conflict Resolution for the General Public

Understanding Conflict

This course is designed to introduce students to new ways of looking at conflict.  With these new understandings, students will be able to approach conflict more confidently and effectively.

Online
Sept 14 & 21, 2022

Details & Registration

Assertive Expression

Students will have more skills for using assertive communication effectively and will be more confident using these skills in their daily lives, as well as in conflict. 

Online
October 4, 2022

Details & Registration

Managing Conflict

This interactive and applied training is designed to get students applying key concepts and practicing conflict management skills from the start of the course, so students will leave the course feeling able to start applying their new skills.

Online
October 27-29, 2022

Details & Registration

Defusing Techniques

This workshop will help you understand the dynamics of anger and will provide you with the knowledge, self-awareness, and skills to verbally defuse situations.

Online
November 7, 2022

Details & Registration

Interested in Taking Your Skills a Bit Deeper?

Communications in ADR forms the foundation of further learning in conflict resolution and is a prerequisite for some of our other courses.

Communications in ADR

Edmonton, September/October 2022

Calgary, October/November 2022

Online, November 2022

An introduction to the causes and effects of interpersonal conflict, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of conflict, conflict resolution styles and the cycle of conflict.

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Workplace Harassment: Expected and Prohibited Conduct

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Workplace Harassment: Expected and Prohibited Conduct

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While we all know there is a requirement to treat our colleagues, clients, and others we interact with at work with dignity and respect, sometimes inappropriate interactions creep in without our awareness or recognition.

This introductory presentation covers:

  • sexual harassment and bullying behaviours
  • affects to the targets of harassment and the overall workplace
  • respectful workplace behaviour and expectations
  • reporting and investigative procedures and expectations

Speaker:  Ruthann Weeks, CRS

Ruthann Weeks is a People and Culture Strategist and founder of Harmony In The Workplace. She is a change agent whose efforts have helped to bring the importance of an abuse-free work environment to the forefront of public awareness. She is an author and gifted keynote speaker who delivers a powerful message about today’s workplace challenges.

Working as a Certified Resource Specialist in the human service sector, Ruthann went on to graduate as a Human Resource Manager. She is a Certified Psychological Safety Advisor and specializes in leadership development, people and culture, diversity and inclusion, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and mental health in the workplace.



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Looking for Office Space?

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Looking for Office Space?

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ADRIA is seeking office and training partners

If you are a private professional, or work with another business or non-profit, ADRIA is looking to share its Mill Woods facilities over the next leasing period. 

ADRIA can offer office space and shared training rooms, meeting rooms, coffee rooms and more. Shared administrative, reception, IT and photocopier support are also possible. 500 to 5000 square feet are available, walking distance from the new Valley Line LRT. The office tower is attached to a shopping mall and food court, offering abundant free parking. 

If you are interested in knowing more about this opportunity, or know of any interested organization or business, please contact ADRIA’s Executive Director at paul@adralberta.com. 

Looking for Office Space?Read More

Free ADR Webinar – Workplace Harassment: Expected and Prohibited Conduct

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Free ADR Webinar – Workplace Harassment: Expected and Prohibited Conduct

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While we all know there is a requirement to treat our colleagues, clients, and others we interact with at work with dignity and respect, sometimes inappropriate interactions creep in without our awareness or recognition.

This introductory presentation covers:

  • sexual harassment and bullying behaviours
  • affects to the targets of harassment and the overall workplace
  • respectful workplace behaviour and expectations
  • reporting and investigative procedures and expectations

Speaker:  Ruthann Weeks, CRS

Ruthann Weeks is a People and Culture Strategist and founder of Harmony In The Workplace. She is a change agent whose efforts have helped to bring the importance of an abuse-free work environment to the forefront of public awareness. She is an author and gifted keynote speaker who delivers a powerful message about today’s workplace challenges.

Working as a Certified Resource Specialist in the human service sector, Ruthann went on to graduate as a Human Resource Manager. She is a Certified Psychological Safety Advisor and specializes in leadership development, people and culture, diversity and inclusion, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and mental health in the workplace.


April 28, 2022
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Online

Details & Registration

Free ADR Webinar – Workplace Harassment: Expected and Prohibited ConductRead More

Decisions, Decisions – How to Write them Successfully

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Decisions, Decisions – How to Write them Successfully

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In this video Leila Gosselin discusses the essential requirements for an effective decision. She shares how to write an effective decision designed for the related audience, including the legal requirements for administrative decision makers. She addresses two main motives/explanations on what makes a written decision ineffective or futile. Leila shares a sample of a decision writing structure and the steps for effective decision writing.

Leila Gosselin, BA Specialization in Criminology, JD, CTAJ

Ms. Gosselin is a retired lawyer who practiced in the area of administrative law.

She received her B.A. (Criminology with Distinction 1986), and LL.B. (1989), from the University of Alberta. She articled with The City of Calgary Law Department in 1989 and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1990. She received her Chartered Mediator status in January 2000.

Ms. Gosselin has appeared before several administrative tribunals including the Labour Relation Board, Human Rights Commission, Land Compensation Board, Assessment Review Board, Municipal Government Board, and Livery Transport Services Board. Ms. Gosselin has appeared before all levels of court in Alberta, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

She is a senior instructor with the Foundation of Administrative Justice (FOAJ) and holds her Certificate in Tribunal Administrative Justice™ offered by FOAJ.

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Irish Mediation Act 2017

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Irish Mediation Act 2017

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Support for the regulation of mediation in Canada has waxed and waned over the years. Many practitioners agree that some form of oversight is needed although many cannot agree why. One of the strongest arguments against regulation is the cost involved to set up regulatory bodies which would likely mean higher professional membership fees for mediators. But there is more than one way to consider regulation and in this webinar we hear about the experience in Ireland with its Mediation Act, 2017 and if this model should be considered in Canada.

Presenter:  Colm Brannigan

Colm Brannigan is mediator and arbitrator in the Toronto area. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, holds an LL.M. in ADR, and is a Chartered Mediator and a Chartered Arbitrator through the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC).

An acknowledged Canadian expert in the development of online dispute resolution and med-arb processes, he is the first person to receive the Chartered Med-Arb designation from ADRIC.

Colm is a frequent speaker at continuing education webinars, programs and conferences and has taught ADR in the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University.  He is a founding member of the Canadian Collaborative for Engagement & Conflict Management (https://www.c4ecm.ca/) an innovative group dedicated to ADR training and best practices.

Colm can be contacted by e-mail at colm@mediate.ca or through his website www.mediate.ca.

Presenter:  Paul Pierse

Paul Pierse is a lecturer on the LL.B. in Irish Law, the Certificate in Mediation and the Certificate in Dual Career Development (Sports).

From Listowel in County Kerry, Paul obtained an honours degree in Commerce and German from the National University of Ireland, Galway, before being admitted on to the roll of solicitors by the Law Society of Ireland and Certified to practice as a Mediator by the Mediators Institute of Ireland. Paul has developed a keen interest in mediation as an alternative to litigation and actively promotes its use in appropriate circumstances. He was instrumental in the inclusion of a separate module on Mediation in the LL.B. (Hons) in Irish Law in Griffith College – a first in Irish third level education.

Paul is recognised as amongst the most established lecturers in delivering third level education through blended delivery. Having just completed his PGDip in Teaching and Learning at the time, Paul was selected as part of the pioneering cohort of lecturers when the LL.B. (Hons) in Irish Law was first launched via blended delivery.

Paul continues to lecture a number of core modules on this successful course.

Presenter:  Dr. Roisin O’Shea

Róisín is a former Irish Research Council scholar, who was awarded a Ph.D. in 2014 for her doctoral research on Judicial Separation and Divorce in the Circuit Court, Ireland. She has significant experience as a mediator completing hundreds of cases since 2009 including Family, Work-place, Farm family, SME mediations, Commercial disputes, Succession disputes, Wards of Court and EPA (Enduring Power of Attorney) disputes and Personal Injury claims. Many of these cases have been referred to Róisín after legal proceedings have been initiated, and the majority of cases subsequently came to a mutually satisfactory agreement.

This recording is from our February 17, 2022 Webinar:

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Free ADR Webinar – Irish Mediation Act 2017

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Free ADR Webinar – Irish Mediation Act 2017

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The pros and cons of regulating mediation practices and professionals in Canada has been debated for years. In this webinar, we hear about the experience in Ireland with its Mediation Act, 2017 and if this model should be considered in Canada.

February 17, 2022 at 11:30am – 1:15pm
Free & Online

Event Details & Registration

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Calling All Writers – Write for ADR Institute of Canada

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Calling All Writers – Write for ADR Institute of Canada

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ADRIC welcomes articles from members and friends (in both official languages) for their two official publications, Canadian Arbitration and Mediation Journal and ADR Perspectives e-newsletter.
 
Authors who submit articles enjoy the recognition received by being in Canada’s premier ADR formats. Your ideas and opinions reach the finest, most influential audiences across Canada: ADR practitioners in the Journal, and parties and their lawyers in ADR Perspectives. In addition, authors are eligible for ADRIC CEE credit hours. Consider submitting an article today! Find more details on the Job & Volunteer Board.

Job & Volunteer Postings

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Free Webinar: Being Cyber Safe – Why It Matters

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Free Webinar: Being Cyber Safe – Why It Matters

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In the presentation, “On Being Cyber Safe – Why It Matters” we’ll underline the importance of Internet and computing hygiene and provide you with some ideas that will help guide you in your day to  day Internet activities.  You’ll walk away with tips and tricks you can use in your personal life and leave with an appreciation of why carrying these behaviours over into the workplace matters. Among the varied items we’ll touch upon, we’ll also take a few minutes to dive into an example of a business email compromise, the most successful vector of attack leading to data breaches.

Speaker:  Phil Palamattam

Phil Palamattam is a Senior Manager at ATB Business Risk, Fraud and Cybercrime.  His role at ATB is to share  knowledge and educate employees, clients and the general public about fraud and cybercrime risk and how everyone has a role to play in protecting themselves and their workplaces.  Before moving to ATB Business Risk, Phil was a Senior Manager with ATB’s Operational Risk Management where he worked in a governance and oversight capacity, responsible for overseeing fraud, physical security and incident management risk, including providing fraud subject matter expertise in relation to new initiatives.

Prior to ATB, Phil was a police officer with the Edmonton Police Service.  Having retired after serving 25 years. For 15 of those years,  Phil managed the EPS’ Technological Crimes Unit, investigating, and managing the investigation of cyber crimes, digital forensic examinations and forensic video analysis.  In 2015 he launched EPS’ first dedicated Cyber Crime Investigative Detail.  He ultimately retired from the Edmonton Police Service from it’s Economic Crimes Section tasked with investigating large scale or complex frauds that would involve at times, numerous complainants, profit and not for profit organizations across a broad range of industries.  He would say if anything, he enjoys the fraud and cybercrime space because it’s a never ending journey in learning how bad actors operate while giving insight into our own vulnerabilities.

January 26, 2022 at 11:30 am – 1:15 pm

Free & Online

Details & Registration

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