Community Liaison Committee: National Microbiology Laboratory 

On this page

• About the committee
• Member representation
• Current members
• Contact the committee

About the committee

The Community Liaison Committee is a forum to create and maintain an atmosphere of public trust, confidence and cooperation between the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health and the surrounding local Winnipeg community.

The Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health is home to the:

• Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease

The federal ministers of health and agriculture established the committee in 2000 to provide ongoing opportunity for discussion and sharing of information between the community and the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health.

The committee is composed of local community members and representatives from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The objectives of the committee are to:

• seek information and facilitate a mutual understanding on issues of public concern
• provide an ongoing forum for public input and a sustained information exchange
• provide laboratory leadership with community perspective
• improve laboratory processes and protocols
• provide relevant information to the community
• foster a greater understanding of the activities of the laboratory activities in Winnipeg
• monitor safety for the community and for the employees of the laboratories

The committee meets quarterly with management representatives from the laboratories to:

• receive updates on the latest laboratory activities
• ask questions and share concerns

Members host public meetings and publish periodic community reports, as well as share information about the committee with their networks to connect with the public.

Other high containment laboratories around the world have emulated this community relations model as a best practice, including the establishment of a community liaison committee.

Learn more:

• Community Liaison Committee Terms of Reference
• National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease Winnipeg

Member representation

The committee consists of 12 to 18 volunteer members who represent a wide range of expertise and perspectives, including:

• scientists
• educators
• civic leaders
• health care professionals
• agricultural professionals
• local community residents

Current members

• Steven Guercio (facility co-chair), Director General, Scientific Operations and Response, National Microbiology Laboratory
• Pauline Clarke (community co-chair), Community and Education
• Cathy Collins, West Alexander Residents Association
• Yvonne Hawryliuk, Environment, Climate, and Parks, Province of Manitoba
• Dr. Judy Hodge, Katrime Integrated Health
• Robyn Koropatnick, Global Regional Sector, Stantec
• Dr. Danielle de Moissac, Biological Sciences, Université de St. Boniface
• Marg Rempel, Keystone Agriculture Producers
• Jay Shaw, Emergency Management and Public Information, City of Winnipeg
• Allan Wise, Policy, Program and Legislation, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure

Contact the committee

The committee's goal is to ensure the community's interests are represented effectively through open communication. Share your thoughts or concerns by emailing us at communityliaisoncommittee-comitedeliaisoncommunautaire@phac-aspc.gc.ca .