Minister Guilbeault Announces Two New Appointments to the CRTC

OTTAWA, June 25, 2020

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced two new appointments to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC): Ellen C. Desmond as regional member for Atlantic and Nunavut, and Nirmala Naidoo as regional member for Alberta and Northwest Territories. Each will serve a five-year term.

Ellen C. Desmond, of New Brunswick, is the Director of Legal and Administration with the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board. Prior to joining the Energy Board in 2006, Ms. Desmond was engaged in private practice for over 12 years. Ms. Desmond received a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University, a Bachelor of Law from the University of New Brunswick (UNB), a Masters in Social Work from Carleton University and a Masters in Law from York University. She has taught on a part time basis at UNB Law School for several years. Ms. Desmond is the current Chair of the Administrative Law Section for the Canadian Bar Association (New Brunswick Branch), a member of the Board for Symphony New Brunswick, a member of the Accounting and Auditing Standards Oversight Council, and the Atlantic Canada Lead for Women General Counsel Canada.

Nirmala Naidoo, of Alberta, is a veteran award-winning television anchor, journalist and communications expert. She has worked for CTV’s W5, NBC London, Christian Science Monitor Television (London), Visnews (London), and Middle East Broadcasting (London). She was the evening news anchor for Global Calgary and CBC Calgary. She is an outspoken advocate and keynote speaker for human rights issues. Ms. Naidoo is also a champion of environmental sustainability and worked as a senior manager for the Alberta Climate Change Office and Executive Director for Green Calgary. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in arts from the University of Alberta and an Honours Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Carleton University.

The CRTC is an administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications on behalf of Canadians. The Commission is dedicated to ensuring that media content creators and consumers have access to a world-class communication system that promotes innovation and enriches their lives