Workshop 1: October 22, 2025, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Workshop 2: October 23, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

(hosted by Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Where: In-Person (Downtown Ottawa, 269 Laurier Ave. W.) [limited spaces available]; Virtual (Microsoft Teams Meeting, Details to be provided)  

*Non-Canadian attendees are encouraged to participate on-line (security clearance for in-person attendance may be complex and lengthy).

Format: Hybrid Meeting - Workshop format, plenary (no breakout sessions)

Cost: Single Workshop cost - $250 + taxes. Combined Workshop cost - $400 + taxes (20% discount). Registration fee is the same for in-person and virtual attendance.

Accommodations and meals: On your own. The venue is 269 Laurier Ave W. and multiple hotels at varying price points are nearby.

October 22, 2025, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

WORKSHOP 1 DRAFT AGENDA

Surveys conducted under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) are an essential, but resource-intensive, mechanism for gathering the information needed to support risk assessment and risk management. At the same time, these surveys raise important considerations around clarity, timing, and data quality, subjects that benefit from open discussion between government and industry. Given that all stakeholders are focused on reducing burden, this unique opportunity provides you with a front row seat into how the CMP program is addressing industry concerns.

This ICG Workshop will provide a forum for Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada officials and industry practitioners to exchange perspectives on survey design and information requests. Government representatives will outline upcoming and current reporting requirements, share recent improvements to survey processes, and highlight common challenges observed in past submissions, along with approaches to help address them. Industry participants will share experiences from a practical standpoint, helping to identify opportunities to support regulatory objectives while ensuring efficient compliance.

Through presentations and dialogue, participants will:



• Gain clarity on CMP reporting timelines and survey design, including standardized notices, thresholds, and specific survey updates,
• Learn about regulatory tools to support compliance, such as extensions, harmonization initiatives, and service standards,
• See demonstrations of electronic reporting platforms (SWIM, ERF), including guidance on avoiding common errors and strengthening data quality,
• Be encouraged by the dialogue to identify potential improvements to the process, and
• Engage in a panel discussion with government risk assessment and risk management representatives to address questions and explore collaborative next steps.

October 23, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

WORKSHOP 2 DRAFT AGENDA

In July 2025, the Government of Canada published a Strategy to replace, reduce or refine the use of vertebrate animal testing under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) that, importantly, includes the “development, standardization, and incorporation of New Approach Methods into risk assessment activities”. The Strategy outlines 5 key elements, namely: prioritization of NAMs for regulatory needs; advancing related research; promoting harmonization; consultation; and implementation in regulatory programs.

This ICG Workshop features key program and technical experts and scientists in Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada charged with carrying the Strategy forward, and practitioners and subject-matter experts from industry to exchange early views on each of these strategic elements. The aim of the workshop is to identify areas of alignment; gaps to be addressed; and most importantly, opportunities for prioritization and collaborative follow-up to practically advance this Strategy and together, help build confidence and uptake of NAMs to support regulatory decision making under CEPA.

This workshop targets safety/risk assessment practitioners and scientists, as well as regulatory affairs professionals and is intended to be the first of a series of workshops that can help take Canada’s 3Rs Strategy into practical reality.