Navigating the decision to blow the whistle can be challenging, whether you work in the public or private sector. In two insightful videos, Justin Villeneuve breaks down the rights of whistleblowers in Ontario, offering essential guidance and practical options. From understanding legal protections in the public sector to exploring the steps and safeguards available in the private sector, these resources aim to empower individuals to speak up while safeguarding their rights. If you’re considering whistleblowing, start here to gain the knowledge you need to make an informed decision. Should you wish to speak to a lawyer, click here to go to our Directory of lawyers for whistleblowers.

Whistleblowing in Ontario: What Are My Rights in the Public Sector? 

In this informative video, Justin A. Villeneuve sheds light on the rights of individuals considering whistleblowing in Ontario's public sector. 

Watch Justin A. Villeneuve speak to your rights in the Public Sector

Download the Transcript

Whistleblowing in Ontario: What Are My Rights in the Private Sector?

Considering whistleblowing in Ontario’s private sector? Justin A. Villeneuve dives into the protections available for those who choose to speak up. While Canada’s whistleblower-protection laws may have gaps, there are measures in place to shield individuals from being fired, demoted, or mistreated.

Watch Justin A. Villeneuve speak to your rights in the Private Sector

Download the Transcript

Whistleblowing in Ontario: A Guide to Relevant Laws

At Whistleblowing Canada, we are committed to fostering research and education around whistleblowing. Unfortunately, Canada’s legal framework for whistleblower protection remains unclear and inadequate, leaving many individuals vulnerable to retaliation.  This leads to silence and potential harm. To support your journey, we’ve compiled a list of laws that could be relevant for whistleblowers in Ontario depending on circumstances.

This resource complements the videos on this page, providing additional information to help you navigate your rights.

Click here to read the document

This work was made possible by a grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario. 

Access to Justice for Whistleblowers:  Results of a Survey of Ontario Lawyers

Whistleblowing Canada Research Society (WCRS) is dedicated to researching, educating, and communicating the vital role of whistleblowers in upholding democratic principles.  In line with this mission we conducted a survey of Ontario lawyers to provide key insights that will inform future research, educational initiatives, and the development of legal resources for whistleblowers.

This report provides the results of our survey.

Click here to read the Report

Year in Review 2023

This year has been eventful for Whistleblowing Canada. 

Here is a list of our accomplishments: 

Speaking Engagements

• Association of Canadian Financial Officers Destigmatizing Whistleblowing 
• Parliamentary Committee on Bill C290 – An Act to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act –
  Presentations from Board and Advisory Board members, Pamela Forward, Joanna Gualtieri and Ian Bron and whistleblower, Sean Bruyea
• World Congress of the International Sociological Association 
• Whistleblowers of America, Workplace Promise Conference – Global NGO Panel
• Queen’s University, Smith School of Business – Presentations Panel on Managing and Auditing Whistleblowing Management Systems

Webinars

• Whistleblowing in Westminister Governments Such as Canada: Still not a Safe Space by presenter, Ian Bron
• Moral Injury by presenter, Richard Rapoport
• Whistleblowing by Nurses by Amelie Perron, University of Ottawa
• Achieving Social Justice for South African Whistleblowers – Tina Uys and Ugy Radulovich
  
  

Grant
Grant Awarded from the Law Foundation of Ontario. Funding provided to conduct a survey of lawyers in Ontario
and develop a directory of whistleblower-friendly lawyers.

Calls from Whistleblowers on the following topics: 

• Electrical safety in Ontario
• Trampled Rights of a disabled young person in Saskatchewan
• Fraud in British Columbia
• Fraud in Ontario 
• Misconduct at CBC in Quebec
• Dentist in Alberta maltreated by Professional Association
  
  

Speakers Bureau

Launched Speakers Bureau comprised of Board and Advisory Board members 

Webinars

Access links to our past webinars below: 

April 3, 2024: The Chinese Communist Party's Global Hybrid War: How Canada Became a Useful Idiot 

 - with Dean Baxendale 

February 14, 2024: The Politics of Unity

- with Marianne Cerilli & Dr. Jennifer Fraser

May 24, 2023: Achieving Social Justice for South African Whistleblowers: Protection & Support

- with Tina Uys & Ugljesa Radulovic

April 26, 2023: Whistleblowing by Nurses: Specificities and Implications for Safety Cultures in Care Settings

- with Amelie Perron

March 29, 2023: Moral Injury: Embracing Moral Pain to Engage Moral Values When Pain Becomes Suffering

- with Richard Rapoport

January 18, 2023: Whistleblowing in Westminster Governments such as Canada: Still not a safe space 

- with Dr. Ian Bron

November 23, 2022: Academic Freedom & Academic Mobbing in a University Health Center in Quebec & Canada

- with Dr. Richard LeBlanc

September 28, 2022: The Degradation Ceremony: Its impact on the brain

- with Dr. Jennifer Fraser

May 12, 2021 : Whistleblowing: Necessary to Democratic Governance

- with Edgar Schmidt 

April 14, 2021: Canada's Failed Whistleblower Protection Law Comes Last

- with Tom Devine

March 17, 2021: Expansion of Whistleblower Reward Programs in the US, Canada and Globally 

- with Mary Inman

Feb. 10, 2021: Organizational Culture and Whistleblowing. The invisible forces driving reprisals

- with Pamela Forward

Panel Sessions & Presentations

Dec. 5, 2024.

Whistleblowing Canada was invited to speak at an event organized by the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada.  Winnipeg, Manitoba – Virtual. The topic of Pamela's talk was Whistleblowing in Canada: Is it Safe?  Why Care?

September 12 – 13, 2024. 

Whistleblowing Canada spoke at a Conference organized by Whistleblowers of America's Workplace Promise Institute.  Pamela spoke on Why Reprisals Occur and How to Prevent them.

July 18-19, 2024.

Whistleblowing Canada presented at University of Johannesburg Colloquium, Johannesburg, South Africa - in person.   The topic of Pamela's talk was Protecting and Supporting Whistleblowers in Canada – a role for civil society organizations.

November 1, 2023

Whistleblowing Canada participated in a Panel discussion organized by Queen`s University, Smith School of Business on Managing and Auditing Whistleblowing Systems. You can watch the video of the session here. Pamela`s presentation titled Whistleblowing Advocacy and Whistleblowing:  A good citizen's responsibility and burden begins at 5:17.  The Panel was moderated by Prof. Bertrand Malsch.

Participants were, Pamela Forward, Danny Weil and Charles Cron.

September 2024

Whistleblowing Canada participated in Whistleblowers of America, Workplace Promise Institute Conference – Global NGO Panel discussion on Protecting Whistleblowers from a country perspective.

June 29, 2023

Whistleblowing Canada was invited to present at the XX International Sociology Association, World Congress of Sociology, Melbourne, Australia. Virtual.  Topic of Pamela's presentation: Organizational Culture and Whistleblowing - the invisible forces driving reprisals.

February 16, 2023

Whistleblowing Canada participated in a panel discussion at an Ethics conference organized by the Association of Canadian Financial Officers.  The topic was "De-stigmatizing Whistle-blowing".  Participants were Pamela Forward and Kelly Donovan with Moderator Joe Boughner.  Seen here with keynote speaker Marc Tasse.

July 30, 2021

Panel Discussion: International Whistleblowing - Challenges and Opportunities
During National Whistleblower Appreciation Day in the United States - Moderated by Mark Worth

- with Pamela Forward, Gilbert Sendugwa, and Darko Ivanovitch

Watch the Video here.

Whistleblowing Canada held the first ever Whistleblowing Conference in Canada in 2022.  We brought together experts and practitioners from around the world to share their knowledge and understanding of the whistleblowing phenomenon and the status of legislative protections, organizational and political culture and related issues around whistleblowing in Canada. To view any of the panel discussions, please click on your topic of interest below.

• Panel No. 1 Whistleblowing and the law
• Panel No. 2 Whistleblowing and Culture
• Panel No. 3 Media and Whistleblowing 
• Panel No. 4 Whistleblowers, Trauma and Reprisals 
• Panel No. 5 Civil Society Groups and Whistleblowing
• Panel No. 6 Whistleblower Stories
• Panel No. 7 The Law and Practitioners
• Policy Forum

- Click here for Webinars

- Click here for Panel sessions and presentations

- Click here for Conference

Welcome to the Whistleblowing Canada's Knowledge and Learning Centre

At Whistleblowing Canada, we believe in the power of research and education to create positive change. Our Knowledge and Learning Centre is your resource hub for understanding and championing whistleblowing best practices.

Our Work

• Experts Speak: Experts speak on various issues
• Speaker's Bureau: Connect with experts available for talks and conferences on ethics, transparency, and whistleblowing. 
• Resources: Access a “primer” for employees and for employers who are committed to doing what they believe is right concerning how their organizations function. 
• Research: Stay informed with studies and articles on whistleblowing.
• Notices Archives: Review important announcements and updates related to whistleblowing.
• Publications: Explore articles, policy papers and newsletters from our leadership. 
• Our Work & Past Events: Access past webinars, panel discussions, and 2022 Conference Panel discussions.

Join Us

Explore the Knowledge and Learning Centre and become part of a community committed to education and learning on the whistleblowing phenomenon that includes skill acquisition, and gaining expertise and competencies that can be applied in real-world situations. 

This directory is your essential resource for finding legal support. Each listing provides:

• Counsel Availability: Indicates the lawyer is willing to take on whistleblower cases.
• Pro Bono Consult & Case: Shows if the lawyer offers a free initial consultation and/or case representation.
• Contact Information: Includes phone numbers and email addresses for easy communication.

Introducing the First-Ever Lawyers Directory for Whistleblowers in Ontario

Whistleblowing, the act of disclosing illegal or unethical activities in organizations is crucial for maintaining integrity and accountability in public and private workplaces. A first step for whistleblowers is often to obtain legal advice. To address this critical need, we are pleased to introduce the first-ever Ontario Lawyers  Directory for Whistleblowers.

Empowering Whistleblowers with Legal Support

This comprehensive directory is designed to support whistleblowers in Ontario by providing access to a network of dedicated lawyers. Whether you are facing retaliation, discrimination, or legal hurdles as a result of your disclosure, this directory will serve as a valuable resource for finding the legal assistance you need.

Grant Support from The Law Foundation of Ontario

This work has been made possible through a generous grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario. The value of this support and the importance of providing whistleblowers with the resources and legal education necessary to navigate the complexities of their cases cannot be underestimated.

Access the Lawyers Directory for Whistleblowers

This directory will provide a lifeline of legal information and education, helping whistleblowers find the representation they need. Explore our list of lawyers.

Discover the Whistleblower Directory of Lawyers in Ontario

Note: If you are a lawyer who wants to expand your own practice and be added to this directory, please contact us at [email protected].

The role of Volunteers is a large part of the success of any non-profit organization.  We greatly appreciate your willingness to help.  

Q&A with Pamela Forward

Pamela Forward is President of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society, a nonprofit registered charity whose purpose is to advance education and understanding of the whistleblowing phenomenon through research. The knowledge gained will be shared publicly and inform public policy dialogue and development. Whistleblowing Canada’s mission is to improve the practice of whistleblowing, the lives of whistleblowers and Canadians at large, and to increase accountability in Canadian organizations.

Question: Why did you start Whistleblowing Canada, and why do you focus on organizational culture related to whistleblowing?

Forward: We were propelled and motivated to do so because of a study that I did related to a 1990's whistleblowing case at Health Canada that revealed weak laws and policies, a dysfunctional organizational culture, a dysfunctional political culture and attitudes in the courts that didn't seem impartial. My overall findings were shocking, not only because of the self-protective conduct, putting many lives at risk, but also because of the overall negative implications for workplaces and accountable systems in governments. 

And there was a surprising finding: if you introduce laws into an unwelcoming, resistant culture, the laws won't be upheld. That happens in many organizations. We believe that's what's been happening in Canada since our whistleblower protection law was implemented in 2007. The government disobeyed its own statute in 2012, when it was supposed to review the law. It refused to do so. They just didn't review the law. For ordinary Canadians, it's a criminal offence to disobey a statute, and punishable by up to two years in jail.

In 2017, there was a review of the law, but it wasn't an independent review, as the law stipulated; it was a parliamentary committee. But I'm sure that the government, in 2017, was shocked when the parliamentarians on that committee unanimously recommended approximately 20 amendments. The government didn't make them; it ignored the review in that nothing was amended. Back then, we were in despair at the huge resistance to improvement. Canada is known for having the worst whistleblowing law in the world.

Q: Were you involved with the whistleblowing law currently going through Parliament and the Senate in Canada?

Forward: In 2022, we noticed a private member's bill, C-290, An Act to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) put forward by Member of Parliament Jean-Denis Garon, and we contacted him. We worked very closely with him. He's an amazingly candid and sincere man. He was a new MP and acted based on calls he got in his office from public servants who had told him stories about what they were forced to go through when they were doing their jobs ethically and upholding the rule of law. He told us he was shocked when he looked at the inadequate 2007 law. We rolled up our sleeves and worked with him to improve it.

In January 2024, Parliament voted on the C-290 law to amend the PSDPA -- and they all voted yes. I was there. There were three of us sitting there, in Parliament, in the bleachers I call them, watching the proceedings. Parliamentarians started waving at us. Jean-Denis was waving. The law passed unanimously on third reading, and everyone started clapping. I think what moved the Parliamentarians the most was hearing from whistleblowers firsthand. There were two that we'd mentioned, including a whistleblower, Luc Sabourin, a retired  Officer with the Canadian Border Services Agency, who told his story, which was appalling and apparently put national security at risk. It was about passports being destroyed, false information being put into databases, and his managers and colleagues harassing and threatening him for years after he disclosed, internally, wrongdoing and potentially criminal acts in his CBSA workplace.

The second whistleblower disclosure was related to Chinese criminal activity in Canada in the early1990s. Brian McAdam, a senior immigration official at Foreign Affairs, had noticed irregular behaviors, such as criminal records disappearing from his computer at the Canadian High Commission in Hong Kong, where he was posted. He reported the hacking, and the RCMP discovered bribery, forgery of visas, and profiteering at the high commission facilitating members of Chinese Triads entering Canada. Instead of anything being done, McAdam was ostracized, his career ended and his health harmed.

Cpl. Robert Read, the RCMP member who had conducted the investigation was fired when he went public with allegations of coverup. A report sparked by McAdam’s disclosures called “Project Sidewinder,” done by CSIS and the RCMP, was discredited and watered down by senior officials. Not only were these whistleblowers not listened to then and now, but they were targeted, harassed and harmed -- and the government ignored them when they asked for something to be done. With C-290, now in the Senate, while it’s not enough and more legislative improvements are needed, we hope it’s a signal that things will get better. In spite of declines in government oversight, access to justice, media coverage and whistleblower protection overall, momentum for reform now seems to be building in Parliament and among Canadian academics.

 
WCRS President, Pamela Forward talks leadership. 
Click to view the video.

Q: Given bill C-290, how can we do better in Canada in terms of corruption, fraud and regulatory failure?

Forward: First, we need to fix our laws. Bill C-290 has to get through three readings in the Senate. The name of the bill is "An Act to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Conflict of Interest Act." The bill has already made it through three readings in the House of Commons. There's concern the government will block it in the Senate; blocking it would be in keeping with the defensive tendency by governments to deny mistakes, protect reputations, promote the myth of administrations being error free, and so on. I hope this bill becomes law, which, frankly, because it’s a private members bill is limited in the scope of reform it can enact. It's a beginning, but it’s not enough. It contains only eight of the 20 best practices needed for effective whistleblowing-protection legislation. Only a government bill can fix that.

Another thing we can do better: pay attention to culture change simultaneously with implementing new legislation. Leaders should show leadership. Their behavior and decisions impact workplace cultures, both political and organizational. We need sincere commitment and action. We need Parliamentary scrutiny and oversight of whistleblowing rules and laws. For example, internal disclosure officers, whose job it is to receive, investigate and report on disclosures are also being targeted within the public service. I know, because they contact me. Ministers and leaders need to lead the change, and deputy ministers need to actively reassure employees it’s safe to speak up if they witness wrongdoing. Change and protections within the bureaucracy can happen in many ways.

Q: Is there anything else that can be done, other than legal and political initiatives?

Forward: Workplaces in both the public and private sectors need training and communication regarding rights, laws, conflicts of interest, ethics, criminal activity in the workplace, whistleblowing processes in the workplace, reprisals, how to resist unwanted influences, protection of whistleblowers, and so on. Quite often, whistleblowing is interpreted as a criticism of management or the employer. In reality, what’s required in such situations is listening, reflecting and investigating, not coverups and whistleblower harassment, which often backfires anyway.

Along with training, we need to clarify how ‘loyalty’ is interpreted in the courts and in organizations, especially in government organizations. Understanding of loyalty is often outdated and wrong, meaning coverups of wrongdoing or ‘covering the minister's back.’ That's not loyalty. Some organizations are beginning to acknowledge that whistleblowing is the highest example of loyalty to an organization, the best example of the traditional role of a public servant – as guardians of the rule of law and preserving the public trust. That sort of loyalty prevents failure, harassment, abuse, corruption or criminal activity. Most whistleblowers use internal processes first, not publicity, to expose wrongdoing, and that kind of internal loyalty prevents public exposure if they’re listened to.

Another huge area of focus is penalties. Reprisals against whistleblowers are illegal, so why don't we see perpetrators fined, charged or even jailed, depending on the severity of the reprisal? Fines or charges would send a message along the lines of, "We're serious. We want to know when things are going wrong in our organization. Reprisals won’t be tolerated."

Canada also needs a standing committee of parliamentarians to whom whistleblowers could go directly. Members of the public and receivers of government services have explained this to me; they’re aware of wrongdoing, and they need somewhere to go, some authority whose job it is to receive and ensure such reports are investigated and appropriate action taken.

Pamela speaks to Parliamentarians. Click to view her speech.

Q: What about whistleblowers in the private sector?

Forward: In Canada, approximately 90% of workers are in the private sector, and whistleblowers there don't have any real protections. As citizens, why and how can we watch as our country implodes during serious incidents of wrongdoing? Why do we have that kind of culture in Canada? Many of our citizens are in denial about the coverups and attacks on whistleblowers in the public and private sectors. We need to aspire to higher ideals.

Individuals need to be aware of what happens inside of themselves when they feel pressures or threats. If we're going to change workplaces in the private sector or public sector, individuals need to learn how to resist the downward spirals into wrongdoing, harassment and violent behavior.

Q: What inspires you and your team to continue working on whistleblowing issues?

Forward: What inspires me most is the whistleblowers themselves. They are the best that our country has to offer. I'm honored to be in their company. Many are professionals, and many are just people doing their jobs in accordance with the missions of their organizations and governing legislation. The professionals are lawyers, doctors, accountants, nurses, engineers and others. Without all of them and their tremendous courage, our country's political system and bureaucracy would be declining faster than it is.

According to Transparency International, which just came out with its 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, Canada has lost seven points since 2015 in terms of corruption in the public sector. Corruption is increasing around the world, including in the public sector here. Also, according to the Rule of Law Index, the world is experiencing a decline in the functioning of justice systems. That includes justice systems in Canada. So, you see, in a public sector that's increasingly corrupt, whistleblowers are not only targeted, they're also among the most underserved citizens in our legal systems. Lawyers are reluctant to represent whistleblowers. For decades, whistleblowers have had little access to justice in Canada, which, remember, has the worst whistleblowing laws federally and provincially in the world. Without whistleblower protections and access to justice, the increasing impunity for corruption in our public sector and political systems will continue to rise and accountability won’t exist.

Personally, I understand what it takes to be a whistleblower, as I was an internal whistleblower in organizations all my life. It’s part of my nature to critically analyze and suggest new ways of doing things in an organization, and this made me a target -- and led to where I am today, working with whistleblowers for change, and that's my second inspiration: working for change, working to improve things. Whistleblowers are usually just doing their jobs. Targeting them is cruel and unusual punishment, causing physical and psychological damage to honest, conscientious employees and colleagues -- and we need to correct things as quickly as possible.

Q: Are there other organizations working on whistleblowing issues that stand out as exemplary?

Forward: I don't know of any organization that has adopted exemplary mechanisms related to whistleblowing. However, there is an exemplary organization working to improve things for whistleblowers: the Government Accountability Project  in the U.S. They're working very closely with us. Their legal director is Tom Devine, and he's on our Advisory Board. He and Samantha Feinstein, his colleague, studied approximately 60 countries, asking if whistleblowing laws really work. Their report listed Canada as tied for last place, because Canada’s law has no best practices needed for effective legislation. He’s been advising Canada on how to fix its laws for years. He volunteers his time here and around the world, and has done so for some forty years.

Another organization is the US-based Centre for Public Impact, which works with governments around the world to adopt approaches to governance that are collaborative and work closely with stakeholders at the local level. This approach to governance is driven by bottom-up listening and learning, rather than top-down command and control.

 
WCRS President on the future. Click to watch the video.

Q: What are some future plans of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society?

Forward: We'll continue our research and continue to share the findings with the public, academics, lawyers and political leaders. The four findings from our foundational research that will guide our future directions are:

• Weak legislation. We’ll continue to work on that.
• Dysfunctional organizational cultures in both the public and private sectors.
• Dysfunctional political cultures. We haven’t been shy in making public the kind of political culture that exists, one that allows law breaking before whistleblower protection, which shocks many people.
• The courts and our legal system, where it's been noted that there's deferment to government and sometimes employer-friendly standards when judging whistleblowing cases.

We welcome people who have similar concerns to contact us, to sign up for updates, to support our campaigns on social media, or by contacting elected officials.

Also, while we don't have lawyers now, or the funding to hire lawyers, one of the things we're working on is a public fund that will pay for legal support for whistleblowers. Canada is a country of laws, and we should support whistleblowers who are upholding the rule of law. We recently received a grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario to produce a lawyers’ directory for whistleblower cases and educational materials for the general public on whistleblower rights under the law.

We hope that other provinces and territories see this, and that philanthropists understand the need for grants for lawyers, psychiatrists, counsellors and other people to support whistleblowers who are physically, psychologically, financially and professionally harmed while doing their jobs with integrity. We welcome anyone who wants to join us in improving people's lives and helping to maintain accountability and our democratic institutions.

Pamela Forward explains more during a panel discussion, at 1:24 of "Organizational Culture(s) and Whistleblowing."

Q&A with Jennifer Fraser

Jennifer Fraser is consultant, speaker, teacher and writer of a blog about bullying and the brain and neuroscience.

Her PhD in Comparative Literature and her experiences as a whistleblower herself motivated her to help others to understand how bullying, gaslighting, mobbing, harassment and exclusion are connected to psychology, neurobiology, medicine and neuroscience. She's also on the board of directors of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society.

Question: How is your work about whistleblowing related to your work about brain science?

Fraser: I'm very engaged in the work that Pamela Forward has launched with Whistleblowing Canada Research Society. The keyword is "Research." The more we keep a sense of facts and figures, and the more we really take a look at the laws related to whistleblowing, the more valuable our work is. It's deeply concerning to us that Canada has some of the weakest whistleblowing laws in the world. That has to change. 

In our society, whistleblowing is still treated as a dangerous, destructive and self-sacrificing act, but it shouldn't be. Blowing the whistle on the harm or abuse being done to others is one of the healthiest, most self-determining acts you can do in your life. And yes, there are trauma and risk that come with it, but the focus of my book, The Bullied Brain, is that the brain is innately wired to repair and recover. If you suffer a trauma, if you are gaslit, if you are manipulated, lied to, or cast out of your workplace unfairly, you can get yourself back on track — you can make your brain, healthier, stronger, and more high-performing after that traumatic event.

What I find empowering and inspiring — something that could change the narrative about traumatic events — is 20 years of research into brain science. The research tells us if we learned more about our brains and how they work — and how they connect with others and the world – we could see how we could bring these learnings into schools, sports, workplaces, international affairs and elsewhere. We'd live in a completely different world.

Q: What are you working on now related to whistleblowing?

Fraser: I'm researching what gaslighting does to the brain (defined as the manipulation of a person so that they question the validity of their own thoughts, perceptions or memories). As most people know, we have a stress response during traumas or threatening situations: fight, flight or freeze. We fight like animals, or we run from danger (including absenteeism at work or school, or procrastination), and we freeze like a rabbit or deer (we go still or become indecisive in the face of a threat). With gaslighting, as during whistleblowing, the brain fragments, the brain divides, and a person becomes two people, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a victim and a perpetrator, and both are entwined. This fragmenting leads a stressed individual to act with care and respect in the outside world, but harm and disrespect others behind closed doors. The division may lead someone to act healthy and happy in public, but self-sabotage, self-harm in private.

My upcoming book about gaslighting has three parts. Part one presents examples of cultural moments of gaslighting happening around us — in the financial industry, sports, the media and in politics — to show how common it's become. It's not like gaslighting is new, but in 2022, a year of misinformation and conspiracy theories, the Merriam-Webster dictionary declared 'gaslighting' the word of the year.

Part two looks at contemporary case studies of gaslighting where the targets have different responses ranging from tragic to fragmenting to fighting back. An in-depth treatment of three individuals manipulated in destructive ways – all three examples of the betrayal that occurs during institutional complicity – examines the traumatic impact on the brain. When one assumes safety is the institution’s priority, only to discover covering up a variety of abuses is in fact the modus operandi, this puts the brain and self at risk.

Part three circles back to parts one and two with a focus on five brain mechanisms that we unconsciously or consciously use to create our sense of reality. Our massively sophisticated brains are designed to simultaneously process vast amounts of data from the outer world, inner-bodily world, spatial-physical bearing, safety or threat assessment, and interpersonal navigation. Understanding these mechanisms, learning strategies to strengthen them, assists us in identifying and resisting the lure of gaslighting.

Q: Can you explain more about the brain science related to whistleblowing and trauma?

Watch the video

Fraser: Gaslighting is on the mind of everybody. But what I like to look at, ever since I started studying what the neuroscientists know, is what do they know about what gaslighting does to the brain -- and what can we do about it? My big question, my pressing question, and this is very much a whistleblowing question, is: why are we so susceptible to manipulation and lies? Why, in the 21st-century, when we have fact-checking, do we still choose to believe the lie of the cult leader, or the politician, or the boss, even after whistleblowers point to their wrongdoing? Why do we do that?

It's fascinating to me. It's important, because, think about it, our lungs are to breathe air. It's our survival. That's what lungs do. You can't mess with that. If you do, our survival is at risk. Our heart, its role in our lives, is to pump blood through our body. If that's jeopardized, we're at risk. The brain's job is to make sense of massive amounts of data, 24-7. We get data from the outside world coming into our senses. We get data from our body at the same time, telling us what's going on with temperature, or whether we're hungry or sleepy — or if we're under threat. It's incredible how much data the brain is expected to absorb. It takes all that data and creates reality. When the brain can't create reality, as when a whistleblower gets gaslit, the brain starts to degrade all internal systems; it's a survival issue. This abuse is destructive to the brain and can be seen on brain scans. Scientists have extensive, peer-reviewed, replicated research that shows ALL forms of abuse, including verbal abuse and yelling in the face, can cause physical damage to the brain that is visible on brain scans. 

We've seen people become extremely unhealthy in ways that we haven't seen for a long time. Mental illness: we've never seen such high levels. And we have to ask ourselves, we have to try and say, "What could we do differently, so that we're not so vulnerable, so that our brains aren't so vulnerable to gaslighting, because it disrupts our ability to create an authentic reality.

Q: A lot of coaching and teaching normalizes bullying and abuse -- and punishes whistleblowers. What’s going on here?

Watch the video 
 

Fraser: For me, sports is where I learned a very difficult lesson, and that is that it’s a taboo in our society: we are very comfortable talking about children who bully other children. We don’t think that it’s something outrageous or negative or unfair to say – we don’t paint all children, tar and feather all children, when we say that some children use bullying behaviours to harm other children, but if we say – and this is where sports is so important in this arena — if you say, which is what I did, that adults are actually the ones who are bullying children, then people become very uncomfortable. Adults teach children how to bully, why to bully, what benefits you get from bullying, and then they tell them not to do it. This hypocritical behaviour that we see, this pontificating in an adult world about how we have zero tolerance for bullying, and then, in actual fact, all of us have witnessed it.

We've witnessed a parent bullying a child in ways where we felt sick about it and we wanted to intervene — perhaps we wanted to comfort or protect that child. We know enough not to do it. We all know that if you do that, you actually will probably make it worse for the child, who will suffer retaliation for the fact that the parent got exposed publicly. It's the same thing with coaches, same thing with teachers. I was a teacher for 20 years. Never once did I attend some kind of a faculty meeting or professional development workshop -- I taught at the University of Toronto, I taught at Humber College, I taught at private schools in Canada. Not once did we have a discussion around what do you do if you see a colleague bullying children, bullying students. It’s just taboo. It’s not to be spoken of.

What I look at is the science. I look at big structures, and tell myself, “How does somebody get to that place?” We now know that verbal abuse is as destructive to the brain as sexual and physical abuse is; that's not common knowledge, but it's what they're starting to see on brain scans. And when you look at the brain science, it's really interesting. It's empowering and inspiring, because what we have to remember every single time we talk about the brain is that, while we feel that the broken system of injustice, and economic disparity, and toxic masculinity, and these structures that we can never seem to get away from, the brain can heal from it. The brain has neuroplasticity, and most people don't know that.

Q: How is your whistleblowing research related to your whistleblowing experiences?

Fraser: Many whistleblowers have a strong sense of justice. I call myself an unlikely whistleblower, because I'm not somebody who has a clear sense of justice. I'm more academic and psychological, and have an exploring mind — and think that there's a huge grey area between right and wrong. I'm a whistleblower who acted more on empathy.

When I found out about abuse at a school, I was targeted by the administration. Kids would come to me, parents would come to me, and it got to the point where I said, "There's nothing I can do. I've tried. Telling me is going to get you nowhere. You have to go to the administration and tell them." I didn't have a strong sense of justice that many whistleblowers have. But in 2012, when I found out about the abuse in my son's basketball program, my empathy for my son is so great that I somehow manifested the courage to take the whistleblower path, which is a really awful one. (In 2015, she published a book about the crisis, Teaching Bullies: Zero Tolerance on the Court or in the Classroom.)

Empathy is important in whistleblowing. You can see it in the brain. When a normal person sees something horrible, they feel empathy, and scientists can see the empathy neural networks and the emotional centres of the brain completely light up when that person is in an MRI machine. Neuroscientists have learned that the brains of narcissists and psychopaths don't light up in those parts.

Whistleblowing research shows a pattern with a typical whistleblower. First, you try to solve the problem internally. So, you go to the authorities. In my case, I went to the school headmaster, the chaplain, the school board. I did all of the things that you're supposed to do when there's a serious problem. I think people should be cautious about that pattern. We're all told that in the workplace you report to the leader or the manager, and that HR will support you every step of the way – and we all know that's not true.

Whistleblowers have to be really careful and very strategic about how we whistleblow. The pattern involves realizing that, internally, people are going to target and gaslight you. That's a really shocking thing to the brain, because, from day one, the brain has been told to do the right thing, or as whistleblowing experts, say, "Commit the crime of telling the truth." But, all of a sudden, you become the problem. The authorities are usually negligent — that's what I found out in the case of my son's school. A year earlier, a lawyer had clearly informed them that abuse was occurring, and they hadn't protected students, and they hadn't informed parents, so they were at risk. The school authorities did everything in their power to make it seem like I was the problem and that nothing was going on.

At that point, the pattern is that the whistleblower seeks a higher authority. I gave an interview to The Toronto Star, and my son and another student were interviewed as well. I also spoke to CTV's W5, even though I am a private person and I didn't want my colleagues to suffer. I'd worked with my colleagues for eight years!

Q: Should whistleblowers always turn to the authorities?

Fraser: In my book, The Bullied Brain, I don't say, "Don't go to an authority." What I do say is, "Develop the capacity to disobey." From a very young age, our brains are conditioned to obey; this has been shown in history and through scientific studies. You need to learn when authorities are untrustworthy. You need to be thoughtful and skeptical. Your health and well-being, and the safety and health of others, hinges on this.

In the book, I have sections and steps in every chapter that present practical, evidence-based, scientific knowledge about what you can do when your brain is being abused or bullied, including case studies of adults and children who have undergone focused training to heal their neurological scars and restore their health from the abuse that’s rampant in our society. We know that our brains are remarkably adept at repairing all kinds of neurological scars. How do you get better?

I want whistleblowers — and all people — to know that Whistleblowing Canada Research Society is fighting to change laws and practices. We want to make whistleblowing a part of every school, organization, sports program and workplace. We should be blowing the whistle all the time, and sharing with each other the difficult truths, because they'll make us safer and healthier and increase fairness in our world.

Jennifer Fraser explains more during a panel discussion, “Whistleblowers, Trauma and Reprisals,” at 8:41 of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj7hizV4pEQ. She also wrote and directed a play and now writes a regular column for Psychology Today called "The Bullied Brain."

Hearing from experts on issues that matter is crucial for understanding the complexities and implications of exposing wrongdoing. These experts offer valuable insights into legal protections, ethical considerations, and potential health, career, financial and other consequences for whistleblowers. By listening to these experts, we can develop a deeper understanding of the issues and be better equipped to cultivate a culture that encourages transparency and safeguards against corruption.

- Click here for more information On Trauma

- Click here for more information On Culture

- Click here for more information On NDA's

Education

Meeting the need for comprehensive educational programs is critical to achieving our mission. Our work aims to improve the practice of whistleblowing, the lives of whistleblowers and Canadians at large, integrity and accountability in Canadian public and private organizations and to inform public policy dialogue and development. To expand our reach, our programs encompass sharing knowledge through webinars, conferences, policy briefs, courses and training.

Webinars

Our webinars are aimed at providing knowledge and information needed to educate and inform around critical issues surrounding whistleblowing such as workplace culture, psychological safety, safe reporting mechanisms, legislation and the impacts of retaliation.  Our presenters bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the forefront, offering valuable insights into the world of ethics, transparency and accountability.

Visit our Knowledge and Learning Centre - Previous Events to view our webinars.


Policy Briefs

Our Policy Briefs are a key tool to present research and recommendations to a non-specialized audience. They serve as a vehicle for providing evidence-based policy advice to help readers make informed decisions around policy development. 

Visit our Knowledge and Learning Centre - Publications to see Policy Briefs. 

Conferences

Our May 2022 Conference, Whistleblowing:  Policy, Practice and Research was the first Conference to be held in Canada on the topic of whistleblowing.  This event brought together Canadian and international scholars, researchers, practitioners, whistleblowers and policymakers  to present and discuss their work and lived-experience.   Canadian literature on whistleblowing is sparse to non-existent threatening our ability to understand the issues and the impact on our institutions and country.   An outcome of this conference is the beginnings of a Research Network to sponsor regular Conferences, fill the knowledge gap in Canada and provide evidence- based recommendations for improvement and reform. 

Visit our Knowledge and Learning Centre - Previous Events to view the Conference panel discussions. 

Courses and training.

We offer education and training programs to organizations - both public and private - to share our knowledge and equip employees to develop needed skills and competencies.   

Visit our Knowledge and Learning Centre - the Speakers Bureau page to see the range of topics offered.

Whistleblowing Canada provides key services to whistleblowers and organizations.  Information and coaching services provide much-needed support to assist individuals reporting wrongdoing. Our speakers bureau is a rich resource for organizations wishing to educate their employees on addressing ethical concerns. Our newest service a Directory of lawyers for whistleblowers will play an important role in ensuring whistleblowers have access to lawyers. Together, these services create a strong support system for individuals and help to foster healthy, ethical workplace cultures.

Information and Coaching Services for Whistleblowers

Are you contemplating making a disclosure or have you already made one?  Not sure what to do, how to prepare, what are possible options for moving ahead?  We can help you clarify your thoughts by providing information and a “sounding board”.  You are not alone.  For preliminary information read more on the whistleblowing process and Tips for Blowing the whistle.

Contact: [email protected]

Information and Professional Development/Training Services for Organizations

Discover a powerful lineup of experts and thought leaders ready to shed light on critical issues surrounding whistleblowing - workplace culture, psychological safety, legislation, reporting mechanisms and the impacts of retaliation. Our speakers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the forefront, offering valuable insights into the world of ethics, transparency and accountability. Visit our Speakers Bureau page here. 

Contact:  [email protected]


Information and Legal Services

Thanks to a grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario we have created a Directory of Lawyers for Whistleblowers.  For a list of Ontario lawyers who take whistleblower cases, please click here to see the Ontario Lawyers Directory for Whistleblowers.

September 6, 2023: Whistleblowing Canada was recently awarded a grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario to support and develop resources for whistleblowers in Ontario. Read additional details in our press release here. 

May 27, 2023: Watch the video recording of our latest webinar on Achieving Social Justice for South African Whistleblowers with Tina Uys and Ugljesa Radulovic here. 

April 20, 2023: Bill C-290 OGGO hearing - Former CBSA Officer, Luc Sabourin, tells Parliamentarians what bosses did to him for refusing illegal/criminal orders. Read our submission to the Operations and Estimates (OGGO) Committee here.  

April 19, 2023: See Video.  Whistleblowing Canada testified at Parliamentary hearings at the OGGO Committee in support of MP Jean-Denis Garon's private members Bill C-290 to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.

December 24, 2022:  See news story by the Canadian Press  Whistleblower group criticizes federal review of wrongdoing disclosure regime regarding why Whistleblowing Canada cannot support the Task Force to Review the Public Servant Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) - recently announced by the Minister responsible, President of Treasury Board.  This story has been picked up by 30 and counting news outlets across Canada. Read the full details in the letter to the Minister responsible.

December 16, 2021: Whistleblowing Canada releases the third in the series of six policy briefs on whistleblowing and drug safety. Learn what happens to the whistleblower when she tries to do her job. And why she decided it was necessary to resign to warn Canadians about the harm that would occur. 

Law, Culture and Reprisals:  Whistleblowing and Health Canada's Drug Approval Process - How Reprisals Occur?

Read the Policy Brief
Hear the Trailer

November 10, 2021: Whistleblowing Canada releases the second in the series of six policy briefs on whistleblowing and drug safety. Learn why it became necessary to blow the whistle in this case which challenged Health Canada's drug approval process.

Law, Culture and Reprisals: Whistleblowing and Health Canada's Drug Approval Process - Why Blow the Whistle?

Read the Policy Brief
Hear the Trailer

October 13, 2021: Whistleblowing Canada is proud to announce our first in a series of six policy papers on exposing why we have up to 22,000 Canadians die each year from legally prescribed prescription drugs.

Law, Culture and Reprisals: Whistleblowing and Health Canada's Drug Approval Process - The Case Overview

Read the Policy Brief
Hear the Trailer

Sept. 13, 2021:  Canada has been called on to answer to the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, for ". . . legislative or other measures it has taken to enhance protection of whistleblowers".  See paragraph 22,  "List of Issues Prior to Reporting" related to how Canada has been fulfilling commitments to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Canada signed on to in 1976.  See Whistleblowing Canada's letter to the HRC on this matter prior to finalizing the list of issues.

August 31, 2021:  Florian Martin-Bariteau and his team at the University of Ottawa today announced the new Portal which is a step ahead in the whistleblowing world in Canada.  This portal aims to present in clear language the diverse legal protections available across Canada to whistleblowers, in other words the individuals making public interest disclosures about wrongdoing collected here in one place. 

The site provides an important Tip: "With the uncertainty surrounding the legal framework, whistleblowers’ best protection relies on their anonymity."  Good advice when protective legislation does not protect! 

This should be a great resource for those interested in helping whistleblowers.  

June 23, 2021: In celebration of World Whistleblower Day, we're announcing our partnership with the UK's newly launched charity, Parrhesia. View our Press Release.

June 23, 2021: Parrhesia, a new whistleblowing research charity launches its website on World Whistleblower Day. View their Press Release.

June 23, 2021: Read the latest Whistleblowing Canada newsletter here. 

May 16, 2021:  News Alert!  Threats to National Security - the consequences to Canadians of governments ignoring truth-tellers and Project Sidewinder some thirty Years ago. Click here to go to our new "Consequences" page for more details and a preview of Sam Cooper's new book on the subject.