My sense is that many of us are entering this new year with some uncertainty and perhaps even a little anxiety.
I'm thinking about the situation in the Middle East, the war over Ukrainian territory, the conflicts in Africa and the unknown associated with a regime change with our friendliest neighbor and ally to the south, among other things.
In Canada, we also have some instability, particularly with our federal government. It seems imminent an election will be held prior to October. What will our political parties prioritize in this next election? Will efforts to modernize our data governance laws advance or get tanked?
Provincially, I think some provinces will advance things while others will continue to languish, creating a greater imbalance across the country. For example, the Alberta government announced it will modernize its public sector law from top to bottom, however, we haven't seen similar announcements from provinces like Manitoba, Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island.
I'll do my best to highlight what I think is important in our industry every week with my remarks introducing the Canada Dashboard Digest.
To this end, today, I want to draw attention to a special opportunity to invest in the future of our field and pay tribute to a great privacy pro. The April Gougeon (Stoker) Award in Law at Queen's University will support law students, with a preference for those enrolled in information privacy law courses. The award honors the memory of Gougeon and her young son, Oliver, who both passed away tragically while on vacation in late December 2023. The goal is to raise enough funds to establish a permanent endowment. I know that our wallets tend to be a little thinner at this time of year, but if you have even just a little to contribute to this cause, it will go long way. Here is where you can get more information on how to contribute to a well-deserved and lasting legacy for Gougeon.
On another note, 2025 is off and it's a roaring start for me and my crew. Everyone is quite busy and if the trend of the past 24 years continues, we are only going to get busier. So, let's buckle up and get to it, shall we? Start by catching up on the news.
Kris Klein, CIPP/C, CIPM, FIP, is the managing director for Canada for the IAPP.