Embedded Files
February 18-19, 2026
Mobilizing PSIs as part
The Canadian Military, Veteran & Family
Connected Campus Consortium (CMVF3C) community is growing!
The CMVF3C is a coalition of representatives from post-secondary institutions, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and associated partners. The consortium promotes the creation of Military, Veteran and Family Connected Campuses across Canada that support military members, veterans and their families aiming to meet their personal, academic and professional goals as well as create academic environments that recognize their service.
Event: A "ONE CANADA" APPROACH: Mobilizing PSIs as part of Canada’s Defence
Dates: February 18th-19th, 2026
Location: Carleton University, Richcraft Hall (2nd floor)
Ottawa, ON & Virtual
Cost: FREE
Dress: Business attire or No.3 Service Dress for military attendees, for both days
Registration: Please fill out the registration form by clicking the "Register Here" link below
Virtual Link: Will be e-mailed to registered participants
Aims: This upcoming event broadens the conversation to examine how Canada can strengthen whole-of-society preparedness, with PSIs playing a more deliberate role in national resilience through talent development, applied research and innovation, industry partnerships, and coordinated upskilling and reskilling of military-connected learners. By drawing on the Nordic model of Comprehensive Defence, we aim to connect Canadian efforts with proven international approaches to integrated national defence.
Audience: Representatives of Post-secondary Institutions (Presidents, Provosts, Registrars, Deans, Student Service Officers, Students) who have signed or are interested in learning more about what the CMVF3C), Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and associated partners, military members, veterans and their families.
Funding Sources: The CMVF3C has made possible with funding from the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion AB-NWT, MINDS, and the Department of National Defence.
Symposium Format: A hybrid event, with attendees participating in-person & virtually across Canada.
Symposium Program: See below.
Ottawa Program: Wednesday, February 18th
Ottawa Program: Wednesday, February 18th
This tentative agenda is listed in Eastern Time, please adjust accordingly for your time zone.
9:00 AM ET
REGISTRATION (Richcraft Hall Atrium, Carleton University)
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
_______________________________________________________________________________
9:30 AM ET
MEET & GREET OVER BRUNCH
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
_______________________________________________________________________________
10:30 AM ET
WELCOMING REMARKS
Carleton University
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
_______________________________________________________________________________
11:00 AM ET
OPENING REMARKS & CONTEXT-SETTING
Lead: Suzette Brémault-Phillips & Robert Summerby-Murray
Mr. Bill Flanagan - President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta (video remarks)
Ms. Tabitha Stubbs - Director General, Veterans Affairs Canada
Mr. Todd Stride - Acting Senior Vice President, Military Family Services, CFMWS
11:00 AM - 11:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
11:30 AM ET
KEYNOTE ADDRESS - NORDIC MODEL OF COMPREHENSIVE DEFENCE
Lead: Alex Petruk
Colonel Juha Helle – Defence Attaché to Canada & USA, Embassy of Finland
11:30 PM - 12:00 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
12:00 PM ET
SPECIAL PRESENTATION - INTERNATIONAL POST-SECONDARY MODELS
Lead: Robert Summerby-Murray
Alex Petit-Thorne – Senior Associate & Project Lead, Strategy Development, Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA)
12:100 PM - 12:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
12:30 PM ET
THINK-SHARE-SYNTHESIS
Mentimeter CC1 Participant Link: https://www.menti.com/alqa2mm6wrag (see QR code below)
Access Code: 8493 8472
12:30 PM - 12:50 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
12:50 PM ET
SHORT BREAK
12:50 PM - 1:00 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
1:00 PM ET
CRITICAL CONVERSATION #1: ONE CANADA: MOBILIZING PSIs AS PART OF CANADA'S DEFENCE
Moderator: Robert Summerby-Murray
Lieutenant-General Molstad - Commander of the Canadian Joint Forces Command
Colonel Helle - Finland's Defence Attaché to Canada & USA
Alex Usher - President, Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
2:00 PM ET
LIGHT FARE & NETWORKING
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
2:35 PM ET
CRITICAL CONVERSATION #2: SOVEREIGNTY, THE NORTH, AND THE KNOWLEDGE DOMAIN
Lead: Suzette Brémault-Phillips
Brigadier-General John Valtonen - Chief of Staff, Army Support, Canadian Army
Alice Aiken - Professor at Dalhousie University, Co-founder and former Scientific Director of CIMVHR
Ronald Stonehouse - Lead, Health Partnerships, Civilian-Military Cooperation at CF Health Services
Sara Greco - Board Member WIIS-C, Research Collaborator with CDSN, & Policy Analyst with Chief Military Personnel
Mentimeter CC2 Participant Link: https://www.menti.com/alvokhheony2 (see QR code below)
Access Code: 4249 3410
2:35 PM - 3:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
3:25 PM ET
SHORT BREAK
3:30 PM - 3:40 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
3:40 PM ET
CRITICAL CONVERSATION #3: PSI RESEARCH SECURITY AND INNOVATION IN A COMPLEX THREAT ENVIRONMENT
Moderator: Adam Green - Director, Research Security, National Security Policy , National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada
Jacqueline Littlewood - Director, Research Security, University of Alberta
Alexandre Picard, Director, Contract Security Program, Industrial Security Sector, Public Services and Procurement Canada
René Ouellette, Director, Academic Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Serge Raymond, Chief Security Officer, National Research Council Canada
Mentimeter CC3 Participant Link: https://www.menti.com/al835nhkc9cb (see QR code below)
Access Code: 3739 6109
3:40 PM - 4:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
4:35 PM ET
SUMMATIVE REMARKS
Lead: Suzette Brémault-Phillips & Robert Summerby-Murray
4:35 PM - 5:00 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
5:00 PM ET
END OF DAY 1
_______________________________________________________________________________
5:30 PM ET
PRE-DINNER RECEPTION
_______________________________________________________________________________
6:00 PM ET
DINNER
Ottawa Program: Thursday, February 19th
Ottawa Program: Thursday, February 19th
This tentative agenda is listed in Eastern Time, please adjust accordingly for your time zone.
10:00 AM ET
REGISTRATION (Richcraft Hall Atrium, Carleton University)
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
10:30 AM ET
NETWORKING BRUNCH
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
_______________________________________________________________________________
12:00 PM ET
DAY 2 OPENING REMARKS
Lead: Suzette Brémault-Phillips & Robert Summerby-Murray
Tammy Wheeler - Executive Director, Alberta-NWT Command, Royal Canadian Legion
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
12:30 PM ET
PANEL/CONVERSATION #4: FROM EDUCATION TO CAPABILITY – ALIGNING PSIs, INDUSTRY, AND DEFENCE NEEDS
Lead: Robert Summerby-Murray
Tabitha Stubbs - Director General, Veterans Affairs Canada
Ian Smith - Director of Business Development, Research at Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta
Chris Hunt - Executive Director & Advocate, Utilities Consumer Advocate & International Fellow, US Army War College
Nick Grimshaw - CEO, Northern Alberta Division, Commissionaires
Lieutenant-Colonel Tracy East – Canadian Army G4 Reserves
Jeff Graham – Manager for Defence Industry Engagement & Industrial and Technological Benefits, Prairies Economic Development Canada
Mentimeter CC4 Participant Link: https://www.menti.com/algr52c1no8x (see QR code below)
Access Code: 8356 3443
12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
1:25 PM ET
SHORT BREAK
1:25 PM - 1:30 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
1:30 PM ET
PANEL/CONVERSATION #5: RECOGNIZING MILITARY LEARNING AT SCALE – PROGRESS, LIMITS, & SYSTEM DESIGN
Moderator: Ann Marie Lyseng - Senior Manager, Learner Pathways/ACAT Secretariat, Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education
Donald Moore - Associate Vice-President Academic & Dean, Portage College
Nick Hanson - Vice-President, Programs, Research & External Relations, Ontario Council on Articulation & Transfer
Pamela Chiasson - Seamless Canada Team Lead, DND – Chief of Military Personnel
Mentimeter CC5 Participant Link: https://www.menti.com/al5qhm23n7om (see QR code below)
Access Code: 7409 4195
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
2:25 PM ET
COFFEE BREAK
2:25 PM - 2:50 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
2:50 PM ET
PANEL/CONVERSATION #6: BUILDING CANADA'S CIVIL DEFENCE TALENT ECOSYSTEM
Moderators: Suzette Brémault-Phillips & Robert Summerby-Murray
Alex Petit-Thorne - Senior Associate & Project Lead, Strategy Development, Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA)
Camille Khoury - Director, Partnerships Development, Colleges and Institutes Canada
Michelle Coates Mather - Vice-President, Public Affairs, Universities Canada
Mentimeter CC6 Participant Link: https://www.menti.com/ald5yo5fcnmq (see QR code below)
Access Code: 6113 4086
2:50 PM - 3:40 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
3:45 PM ET
SUMMATIVE REMARKS
Lead: Suzette Brémault-Phillips & Robert Summerby-Murray
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
_______________________________________________________________________________
4:00 PM ET
END OF DAY 2
Day 1 Summary (c/o Candace Ramjohn)
Day 1 Summary (c/o Candace Ramjohn)
Pre-Briefing Material
Pre-Briefing Material
This publication shares curated updates, synthesis, and member-contributed work from the Canadian Military, Veteran, and Family Connected Campus Consortium in support of national knowledge mobilization and coordinated action.
This publication shares curated updates, synthesis, and member-contributed work from the Canadian Military, Veteran, and Family Connected Campus Consortium in support of national knowledge mobilization and coordinated action.
In this publication, you will find executive summaries of the Consortium's monthly meetings, Member Spotlights, and other relevant information aimed at shining a spotlight on the tremendous work this "network of networks" has and continues to accomplish regionally, nationally, and internationally.
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