Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Conference 2026

One of the youngest women ever elected to Parliament, The Hon. Kamal Khera , PC MP, has represented Brampton West as a Member of Parliament since 2015 and is the Minister of Seniors. Join us as she speaks about her career as a registered nurse who has moved to the highest levels of federal policy decision making, and the political and life lessons she has learned along the way!

Labelled by the Kansas City Star as “the most interesting man in the NFL,” Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the first Quebecer in 15 years drafted to the NFL when he joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014. In 2020, the team would go on to win its first Superbowl victory in 50 years. He made history in 2020 when he was the first NFL player to opt out of the season as a precaution due to COVID-19 – choosing instead to work as a much-needed orderly in a long-term care setting in Montreal.

Engaging in anti-racist work for over 15 years, Sandy has developed the ideal atmosphere to learn about the difficult topic of racism. As an anti-racist scholar and activist, Sandy will also use first-person storytelling to engage participants to consider how they can shift into active anti-racist action throughout their lives.

Dr. Richard Booth, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University in London, Ontario. His program of research seeks to explore the relationships between human and technological interactions within health care and educational contexts. Dr. Booth’s main research streams include technological teaching-learning innovation for nursing education and digitally-enabled health care and nursing.

André Picard is one of Canada’s top health and public policy observers and commentators. He is a health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail , where he has been a staff writer since 1987. He is also the author of five bestselling books.

Karen is a three-time Olympian and two-time world champion in sprint kayaking and author of Strong Beauty: Power Up the Champion Within. She is a 2016 inductee into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame and has been named one of the province’s top 15 athletes.

Laurie Gottlieb is a Professor in the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill University. She holds the Flora Madeline Shaw Chair of Nursing at McGill and is the Nurse-Scholar-in-Residence at the CIUSSS-Centre Ouest (Jewish General Hospital) in Montreal, Visiting Professor of Leadership at the Canadian Nurses Association, and co-director of the International Institute of Strengths-Based Nursing and Health Care (SBNHC).

Amie Varley, RN, BScN, MScN- CP Women's Health, received her Bachelor's degree from the University of New Brunswick in Nursing and her Masters Degree in Nursing from the University of Toronto (U of T). She also completed a collaborative Masters Degree program with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T in Women's Health. Amie is a dynamic speaker, advocate and activist for nursing as a profession, mental health, health equity, Womxn's health and Womxn's rights.

Sara Fung received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Western University and her Master's of Nursing from the University of Toronto. She is on the Research Advisory Board at the Conference Board of Canada and is a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). She has been practicing as a registered nurse since 2007.

Pam Hubley’s contributions to nursing & interprofessional practice, education and health care leadership have inspired many, advanced innovative models of care and fostered healthy, healing work environments. Pam is known as a trailblazer and change maker. She is an executive leader at SickKids who is known for her strengths-based, solution-oriented approach, commitment to team culture and overall positive influence.

Je suis fière d’être une infimière autorisée. Pendant plus de 40 ans, j’ai eu l’occasion de promouvoir la santé des personnes, des familles et des collectivités et de faire une différence dans leur vie.

Chantal Cara, inf. aut., B. Sc. inf., M. Sc. inf., Ph. D., FAAN, est professeure titulaire à l’Université de Montréal au Québec (Canada). Elle a obtenu un doctorat de l’Université du Colorado sous la direction de Jean Watson. Elle est également chercheuse au Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain et au Réseau de recherche en interventions en sciences infirmières du Québec pour les pratiques humanistes.

Greta G. Cummings, inf. aut., Ph. D., FCAHS, FAAN, est la doyenne de la faculté des sciences infirmières de l’Université de l’Alberta. Passionnée par le leadership relationnel en soins infirmiers qui habilite les personnes, les équipes et les organisations afin d’atteindre des buts communs, Greta Cummings vise à ce que les membres du corps professoral figurent parmi les principales facultés de sciences infirmières universitaires de recherche internationales dotées de la force et l’expertise en vieillissement et chronicité, en équité de la santé, en systèmes de santé et en santé mondiale.

Laurie N. Gottlieb, Ph. D., inf. aut., D. Sc. (hon), FCAHS, est professeure à l’École des sciences infirmières Ingram de l’Université McGill, à Montréal (Canada). Elle détient la Chaire Flora Madeline Shaw en sciences infirmières de l’Université McGill, est l’infirmière scientifique en résidence du CIUSSS-Centre Ouest (Hôpital général juif) de Montréal, professeure invitée en leadership à l’Association des infirmières et infirmiers du Canada et codirectrice de l’International Institute of Strengths-Based Nursing and Health Care.

Mme Keath a obtenu son diplomé du programme de soins infirmiers en psychiatrie du British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) en 1977, puis a assumé divers rôles en soins directs et en supervision des soins en santé mentale de longue durée, dans des établissements traitant la déficience mentale, dans des services gériatriques et en santé mentale chez les adolescents. En 1988, elle a obtenu son diplôme en soins infirmiers généraux du Collège Douglas.

Dianne Martin, M.A., B. Sc. inf., IAA, inf. aut., travaille comme infirmière depuis 1979. Elle a d’abord été diplômée comme infirmière auxiliaire autorisée (IAA) et, en 1998, elle a obtenu son diplôme en soins infirmiers à titre d’inf. aut. et elle est aujourd’hui doublement autorisée à titre d’inf. aut. et d’IAA. Elle a ensuite fait un baccalauréat en sciences infirmières à l’Université York et une maîtrise en leadership à l’Université Royal Roads.