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On Wednesday April 15 2026, The Canadian Internet Society (TCIS) will host its annual Digital Access Day policy conference. The 2026 theme is ‘Access, Autonomy, and the Open Internet‘ and asks a simple question: how do we build stronger Canadian capacity for AI, cloud, and networks without breaking the open, global internet that people rely on every day?
PROGRAM (All times EDT = UTC-4)
09:00 – Opening
Franca Palazzo – Executive Director, The Canadian Internet Society
Karim Bardeesy – Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
09:25 – Keynote: Digital Sovereignty, Access, & Inclusion
Mark Schaan – Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
09:40 – Panel 1: AI Adoption, Skills & Access: Making AI Work For People, Not Just Platforms
Introduction: Dr. Wendy Cukier – Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute; Academic Research Lead, Future Skills Centre
Vidya ShankarNarayan – Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, People, Culture, and Digital Solutions, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Dr. Wendy Cukier – Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute; Academic Research Lead, Future Skills Centre
Shannon Lundquist – Vice Chair and Senior Client Partner, Deloitte
Moderator: Karen Savoie – President & Founder, Savoie Faire Consulting
11:05 – DAD Talk: Community Story — Haudenosaunee Digital Sovereignty
Jeff Doctor – Impact Strategist, Animikii
11:25 – Panel 2: Cybersecurity, Critical Infrastructure & Sovereign Cloud: Building Resilience in Essential Systems
Emily Laidlaw – Canada Research Chair, Cybersecurity Law & Associate Professor, University of Calgary
Charles Noir – VP, Community Investment, Policy & Advocacy, CIRA
Sami Khoury – Government of Canada Senior Official, Cyber Security
Moderator: Brent Arnold – Chair, The Canadian Internet Society; Partner, INQ Law
13:25 – Panel 3: Oceans, AI, & Data Sovereignty
Christiana Cavazzoni – Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Jad Taher – CEO & Cofounder, Goflek
Sarkis Abrahamian – Director of Business Development, Government & Defense, Evertz
Moderator: Georgia Evans – Consultant, Earnscliffe Strategies
14:25 – Panel 4: Access, Affordability, & Sovereign Infrastructure: Who Really Benefits?
Shelley Robinson – Executive Director, National Capital FreeNet
Joel Templeman – Executive Director, Internet Society – Manitoba Chapter; Project Manager, North End Connect
Dr. Michael Geist – Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa
Moderator: Matthew Gamble – AVP, Network and Security Services, Canadian Tire Corporation; Principal, Int13 Consulting Inc.
15:40 – Closing Panel: What Comes Next? Digital Access and Sovereignty in a Changing Landscape
Bill Abbott – Director, Regulatory Law at TELUS
Natalie Dunleavy Campbell – Senior Director, NA Government and Regulatory Affairs, Internet Society
Josh Tabish – Senior Director for Canada, Chamber of Progress
Moderator: Lena Trudeau – President, The Canadian Internet Society; Owner & CEO, Inclined Analytics
#Canada #DigitalAccessDay #DigitalSovereignty #DifitakEquity #OpenInternet