Line up of Panellists for the Governor General's Conference on Concussions in Sport

OTTAWA, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will host "We Can Do Better: Governor General's Conference on Concussions in Sport," at Rideau Hall, on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. Presented in partnership with Sport Canada, the conference will feature panellists speaking on four themes.

The conference will provide participants with the opportunity to share experiences and best practices in an effort to contribute to the work being done to help reduce the incidence of concussions, to keep sport safe, and to encourage young people to pursue the sport or physical activity they love without hesitation.

Canadians from coast to coast to coast are invited to follow the conference live online at  www.gg.ca/concussions and to submit questions to the panellists via Twitter by using #GGCC2016. 

Below is the sequence of events (approximate timings):

9 a.m.	Speech by the Governor General
9:10 a.m.	Introduction by moderator Mark Sutfcliffe
9:20 a.m.	Concussions in Professional Sports
	Panellists: Étienne Boulay, retired CFL player Matt Dunigan, retired CFL player Eric Lindros, retired NHL player
10:40 a.m.	Olympic and Paralympic Athletes Overcoming Concussions Panellists: Kristina Groves, retired Olympian in speed skating Rosie MacLennan, Olympian in trampoline
	Tara Whitten, Olympian in cycling Karolina Wisniewska, retired Paralympian in alpine skiing
12:40 p.m.	"State of Play: Where We Are and Where We Go From Here" Keynote speaker: Ken Dryden, retired NHL goaltender
1 p.m.	Improving Concussion Management–The Medical Perspective
	Panellists: Dr. Pierre Frémont, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University and Chair of the Canadian Concussion Collaborative Dr. David Mulder, Team Physician with the Montreal Canadiens Dr. Charles Tator, Neurosurgeon at Krembil Neuroscience Centre and Toronto Western Hospital Dr. Roger Zemek, Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Research at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
2:15 p.m.	We Can Do Better: Advancements in Addressing Concussions
	Panellists: Dr. Dan Cass, Chair of the Rowan's Law Advisory Committee Monique Charbonneau, BC Rugby Head Therapist Michel Fafard, Director of Safety Promotion in Sports and Recreation at the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning of Quebec Aaron Geisler, Manager of Development at Football Canada
3:15 p.m.	Closing remarks by the Governor General

Short biographies of the panellists are available on www.gg.ca/concussions. For a sneak peek of the day's events, watch His Excellency's video message online at https://youtu.be/cPi0mxbm1M8.

About "We Can Do Better: Governor General's Conference on Concussions in Sport"
The conference is hosted by Governor General David Johnston and driven by his strong desire for Canadian youth to play safe and to continue to get involved in sport and physical activity.
Its objectives are to bring together federal, provincial and territorial government representatives and key stakeholders in the sport, recreation, health and education sectors to advance collaboration in the development of a national approach to manage, detect and prevent concussions. The event is presented in partnership with Sport Canada.

Media wishing to cover the event are asked to confirm their attendance
with the Rideau Hall Press Office in advance.

Follow GGDavidJohnston and RideauHall on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Governor General of Canada

Media information: Marie-Ève Létourneau, Rideau Hall Press Office, 613-998-0287, 613-302-0912 (cell), [email protected]