Governance
Annual Report
August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2020
Board of Directors
Our Board is structured to provide for the participation of all stakeholders while remaining independent from the telecom and TV industries. It consists of seven directors who are elected for three-year terms:
- four independent directors, two of whom are appointed by consumer groups
- three industry directors, one each to represent the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs), the cable companies and the other Participating Service Providers
Independent directors
Catherine Aczel Boivie, PhD, ICD.D (Board Chair, appointed October of 2016)
A senior executive and CEO, Catherine has led the advancement of the strategic value of information technology as a business enabler at Vancity Credit Union, Pacific Blue Cross and CAA British Columbia. She serves on several boards, including those of BC Real Estate Association (BCREA), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), MedicAlert Canada and Artsclub theatre. More…
Darlene Halwas
Darlene currently serves on the boards of Canada Development Investment Corporation, CMC Research Institutes and the Alberta WaterPortal Society. She has almost 30 years of work experience, with 15 years focused on leading risk management functions for companies. More…
Independent directors: Consumer group appointees
Marina Pavlović
Marina is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, where she is a member of the Center for Law, Technology, and Society. Marina has research and teaching experience in consumer protection, telecommunications, law and technology policy, and dispute resolution. More…
Jacques C.P. Bellemare
Jacques graduated in Engineering Physics at École Polytechnique in Montreal (1961) and later obtained an MBA from Laval University in Quebec (1973). In the private sector, he has worked in telephony with Bell Canada, in cable TV with Cablevision Nationale (acquired by Videotron), in consulting with Raymond, Chabot, Martin, Paré, and in regulation with Teleglobe Canada after its privatization. More…
Industry directors: Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs)
Ruby Barber
Ruby is Assistant General Counsel, Legal & Regulatory Affairs, at Bell Canada and is based in Ottawa. She joined Bell in 1997 and has a broad range of legal and regulatory experience with telecom issues. More…
Industry directors: Cable companies
Dean Shaikh
Dean is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Shaw Communications, where he is primarily responsible for CRTC proceedings and compliance under the Broadcasting Act. He also provides advice on matters involving the Telecommunications Act, Competition Act and Copyright Act. More…
Industry directors: Other Participating Service Providers
Geoff Batstone
Geoff is the Vice President, General Counsel at Distributel Communications where he is responsible for managing the legal, regulatory and public policy affairs of the Distributel group of companies. Called to the bar in 1995, he has over twenty years of experience working in diverse legal environments, advising a range of clients from small start-ups to multinational companies. More…
For up-to-date biographies throughout the year, see our Board of Directors web page.
Meetings and director attendance
Committees and working groups: Membership and meetings
The Board has the following committees and working groups. Membership and meeting dates are as follows.
Audit Committee
August 1 to October 16: Darlene Halwas (Chair), Jacques C.P. Bellemare, Dean Shaikh.
October 17 to July 31: Darlene Halwas (Chair), Marina Pavlović, Ruby Barber.
Meetings: October 2 and December 4, 2019, and January 15, March 12, April 15, June 10 and July 22, 2020.
Corporate Governance Committee
August 1 to October 16: Catherine Aczel Boivie (Chair), Geoff Batstone, Marina Pavlović.
October 17 to July 31: Catherine Aczel Boivie (Chair), Geoff Batstone, Jacques C.P. Bellemare.
Meetings: August 21, September 18 and October 10, 2019, and January 14, March 26, April 14, June 1, June 3 and June 10, 2020.
Independent Directors Committee
Catherine Aczel Boivie, Jacques C.P. Bellemare, Darlene Halwas, Marina Pavlović.
Meetings: October 2 and 15, 2019, and January 27, April 27 and June 17, 2020.
Budget Working Group
Marina Pavlović, Dean Shaikh.
Meetings: June 2, 8, and 12, 2020.
CCTS budget
The CCTS audited financial statements for 2019-20 can be found in Appendix C. The CCTS is funded by the service providers. Large providers pay a fee based on the proportion of their revenues to the revenues of all the large service providers. Small providers pay an annual fee. All providers pay a fee for each complaint concluded by the CCTS from their customers in the year. New provider sign-up fees and bank interest make up the other sources of revenue.
In 2019-20 the CCTS recorded revenues significantly below those projected because the number of complaints actually received and concluded were substantially below the forecasts made at the beginning of the fiscal year. Nonetheless, through judicious management of spending, CCTS finished the year with a surplus.
Under the Participation Agreement that governs the relationship between the CCTS and PSPs, the CCTS normally credits the excess of revenues over expenses back to the service providers as a year-end adjustment. In 2019-20, the CCTS Members decided to retain the surplus and earmark it to defray future anticipated technology upgrade costs, which are related to implementation of service delivery improvements.