About Us

Background:

The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research, is a University of Saskatchewan facility that is a world leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development for humans and animals.

As part of the University of Saskatchewan, VIDO’s expertise, infrastructure, and history put VIDO at the forefront of innovation and make it a valuable resource and a source of pride for Canada. For more than 45 years, VIDO has been developing solutions to emerging threats and, using this experience, has played a key role in Canada’s pandemic response research.

Purpose:

The Community Liaison Committee’s (CLC) role is one of overview of the safety and security
of the high containment operations. The CLC follows a risk management algorithm to
ensure that it receives appropriate notification of incidents of significance to the community
on a timely basis and confirmation that these incidents are resolved.

As a result, the CLC provides information to the public with regard to safety and security at the high containment CL3/CL4 facility of the USask VIDO research laboratory so that such transparency and independent review will create and maintain an atmosphere of public trust and confidence between VIDO and the community. While the CLC has no authority over the operations of VIDO, the CLC uses a transparent process to provide insight to the public about the biocontainment activities.  

Mandate:

The CLC provides an ongoing opportunity for discussion and sharing of information between VIDO at the University of Saskatchewan and the community of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as well as other Canadian communities.

Objectives:

The objectives of the Community Liaison Committee (CLC) are:

• To monitor safety and security perspectives of the high containment areas from a community perspective in order to provide assurances to the public that provincial, federal, and industry standards are being met or exceeded.
• To proactively seek and provide accurate information to the community in order to foster a greater understanding of the activities of VIDO high containment and to promote common understanding on and resolution of issues of public concern.
• To provide an ongoing forum for public input and a sustained information exchange.
• To provide advice on areas relating to communications and public safety and offer the
  perspective of the CLC to the Director and the VIDO Board of Directors in these areas.

Role and Responsibilities of Members:

The CLC is responsible for providing information to the public on incidents or activities related to real or perceived community concerns, monitoring issues related to high containment safety. Each member of the committee is responsible to regularly attend meetings, provide input, monitor issues, and provide feedback to the Director of VIDO and the VIDO Board of Directors on appropriate actions to address such issues or concern. The chair is the spokesman for the committee.

Role and Responsibilities of VIDO:

The Director of VIDO and the VIDO Board of Directors shall ensure that CLC members are provided with appropriate assistance, information and instruction as well as timely access so as to be able to properly fulfill their stated objectives. In addition, CLC members will be provided timely information regarding laws and regulations including contractual obligations assumed by VIDO that affect confidentiality and potential conflict of interest.

Reporting:

The CLC communicates directly with the VIDO Board of Directors through its chairperson for the purposes of insuring public confidence in VIDO and VIDO’s safe and optimal performance. The CLC will maintain a good working relationship with VIDO and its governance bodies to provide transparent information and services to the public.

The CLC has the authority to direct concerns to the Director of VIDO or to the VIDO Board. The VIDO Board has the responsibility to advise the CLC to what degree such concerns are warranted, the circumstances affecting such concerns, the nature of the appropriate response and the ongoing status of any action taken.

If the response and action taken is considered insufficient, the CLC, via the committee’s chairperson or designate, will convey to the Vice-President Research and/or the President of the University its continuing concern in an effort to effect a satisfactory resolution. The CLC may, via the community chairperson or designate, raise issues of concern with appropriate government and regulatory officials including but not limited to, the Chief Medical Health Officer of the Saskatoon Health Region, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, and the President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency. If, in the opinion of the CLC, there are still overriding public concerns, the CLC has the authority to directly communicate with the public at large.

At the conclusion of each year, the CLC is responsible for producing and publicly distributing a summary report of committee activities.

Committee Membership and Structure:

The CLC will comprise 8 to 12 participants with expertise that reflects a cross-section of relevant community sectors. Elected officials will not serve on the committee to avoid the perception of partisan involvement or influence. In addition, faculty and staff of the University of Saskatchewan will not serve with the exception of the VIDO director.

Areas of representation and expertise to be considered in committee membership include:

• Neighbourhoods in and around Saskatoon
• Saskatoon Fire Department/Emergency Management Organization - without term
• Public Health - without term

The committee may also consider the following:

• Producer groups
• Environment interests
• Communications expertise
• Animal health
• Saskatoon Police Service

The committee will include a chairperson and a vice chair. The Director of VIDO serves ex officio on the committee on a permanent basis as well as the biosafety officer. In addition, the committee may decide to appoint others as observers.

Terms of Appointment:

The term of committee members is three years with an option for re-appointment. As a general guideline total terms will not exceed six years. A member will be deemed to have resigned if they miss three meetings without explanation.

The CLC will solicit recommendations for new members and notify the Vice-President Research at the University of Saskatchewan or a designate.

Committee members who have completed their terms and are not reappointed are assets to the organization. VIDO will consider appointing them to a “Friends of VIDO” or other volunteer roles within the organization.

Operations:

The frequency of meetings will be at a minimum three times a year or as determined by the chair. The chair may call meetings independently from the Director of VIDO. 

Meeting quorum will require a minimum of four members of the committee; any vote of the committee will be determined on the basis of a simple majority. As a rule the committee works by consensus.

In addition to its regular meetings, the committee will aim to hold a community meeting annually.

The committee may appoint subcommittees as needed.

The CLC committee will submit an annual budget to the University of Saskatchewan for review and approval. The budget will include an itemized request for secretarial, administrative and communication support services, education, travel, website, answering service, refreshments for meetings and events. Services will be provided at no cost to committee members.

Scope:

The committee will supplement VIDO and the University of Saskatchewan’s ongoing communications and interaction with the community, stakeholders, media and regulatory agencies. The committee will provide guidance on appropriate and effective ways of communicating with the community through an open and transparent process.

The process and operation of this committee is considered public information and will be communicated openly.

Compensation:

Members are volunteers and do not receive any remuneration.

Security and Conduct:

Committee members are expected to sign a Conflict of Interest Declaration and a Confidentiality Agreement on terms consistent with its mandate. Notwithstanding the need for public information, personal information regarding VIDO scientists and employees should be generally treated as confidential unless consent is provided.

Full and open communication...

The CLC ensures full and open communication with the public on safety issues related to VIDO.  It was modeled after the successful Community Liaison Committee for the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health in Winnipeg.

Understanding the big picture...

VIDO significantly enhances Canada's capacity to develop and test new vaccines for both humans and animals, as well as develop new methods of delivering these vaccines. Existing and emerging diseases to be studied at InterVac will include, among others, hepatitis C, SARS, HIV and avian influenza.

There are more than 90 laboratories in Canada with the capacity to work on Level 3 diseases, however, VIDO is one of the few Containment Level 3 labs in the world that has the capability to conduct large scale vaccine testing with large animals such as cows. This advantage attracts researchers from around the world which further enhances the science of vaccine testing while at the same time provides Saskatoon and Saskatchewan with economic benefits.

"A new vaccine is the kind of opportunity that the public health community is constantly seeking out and adopting in order to improve the health of the public and reduce health inequalities, as individuals and as a society.” (2007)
Dr. David Butler-Jones, Former Chief Public Health Officer
Public Health Agency of Canada

Addressing issues of public concern...

Community members might have questions about biosafety and containment related to the development and testing of new vaccines for serious diseases. VIDO was built to exceed international biocontainment safety standards and its engineering, operational and administrative controls will ensure the safety of workers, the community and the environment. The Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are involved in regulating the safety of the facility. Even with these safeguards in place however, InterVac is working to address any concerns the community may have about the safety of the facility.

Representative of your community...

The CLC committee consists of up to 12 participants from Saskatoon and area. Committee members were selected to reflect a cross-section of community interests. The CLC operates according to the following Terms of Reference.

Accessible to you...

The CLC liaises with VIDO to provide you with answers to your questions about the safety of VIDO and will monitor issues related to community safety and incidents of potential public interest.

Unresolved concerns will be directed to the U of S Vice-President Research, the U of S President, and appropriate government and regulatory officials.

• Dick Batten, Lawyer

• Robin Chapman (Vice-Chair)

• Volker Gerdts, Director, VIDO

• Sarina Gersher (Chair)

• Dr. Brian Gibbs, Veterinarian, Central Animal Hospital

• Dr. Simon Kapaj, MHO Medical Director, Environmental Public Health

• Susan Lamb, Former CEO Meewasin

• Vance McNab, Vice President of Marketing, SIGA

• Patricia Roe, Retired

• Doug Wegren, City of Saskatoon Fire Chief

• Tracey Thue (ex-officio), Biosafety Officer, VIDO

• Stacy Strom (ex-officio), Associate Biosafety Officer, VIDO

• Jill van Kessel (ex-officio), Associate Biosafety Officer, VIDO

• Kelly Richmond (ex-officio), Security Manager, VIDO

• Leslie-Ann Schlosser (ex-officio), Director of the Research Profile & Impact, University of Saskatchewan

 

 2026 CLC members from left to right: