2000

Website
The Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission's first website was created and posted.

2000

Workshop for stakeholders
In accordance with the Blueprint for Change's objective of establishing a mechanism for full consultation on renewal, HMIRC organizes its first workshop in Ottawa on June 15, 2000.

2002

Capacity Assessment
The Commission completes its first phase of modern comptrollership implementation that gauges the health of HMIRC 's operation against seven criteria: strategic leadership, integrated performance information, motivated people, mature risk management, clear accountability, shared values and ethics, and rigorous stewardship.

2002

Global Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)
The Commission gets involved in several aspects of the GHS as a member of the tripartite WHMIS Current Issues Committee, which ensures a common understanding of the GHS as it evolves and establishes a Canadian position on these developments.

2002

New fee regulations
Claimants welcome the Commission's new fee structure with one flat lower rate for new and refilled claims and retained the fee reduction for small businesses.

2002

Endorsing change
Council of Governors' endorses legislative changes to the Commission's enabling statute and recommends to the Minister of Health Canada.

2003

Client survey
As a result of administrative changes from the Commission's renewal program, 90% of claimants replying to the client satisfaction questionnaire have given positive feedback on HMIRC 's services.

2004

Focus of outreach activities
The Commission launches an awareness project by distributing 30,000 mailing cards to the American chemical industry and over 3,000 to the Canadian chemical industry to increase awareness of the Commission's programs and services and records an increase in number of visits to our website and requests for information.

2004-2008

Delays due to three federal elections
Three federal elections were called in 2004, 2006 and 2008 therefore delaying the legislative changes recommendations.

2005

Changing the Commission's enabling statute
A stakeholder panel appears in unity before the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology in support of Bill S-40 laying out the first changes to the Commission's enabling statute.

2006

Widespread support
Bill S-2 (formerly Bill S-40) is reintroduced in March as one of the first bills in the new Conservative Government and receives the support of all parties.

2007

Reference Database
The Commission's annual update of the scientific reference database of 2900 ingredients found in chemical products is completed by adding publications of 708 new ingredients.

2007

Legislative change
Three key amendments to the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act receive Royal Assent - simplifying and streamlining the claims process.

2007

New leadership
A 20-year veteran of HMIRC , Sharon Watts takes on the role of President and CEO, initiating a three-year plan to reduce the claims backlog, improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness, and continue the legislative reform initiative to completion.

2008

Regulatory reform
Regulatory amendments resulting from 2007 legislative changes are defined and implemented.

2008

First appeal in eight years
The Commission receives its first appeal in eight years.

2008

Business case to eliminate a chronic backlog of claims
HMIRC 's business case, endorsed by Health Canada, is funded to eliminate a chronic backlog of claims over three years.

2009

Organizational capacity and staff development
With funding from Treasury Board, HMIRC adopts a new recruitment and training protocol.

2009

Workshop for stakeholders
The Commission conducts its second workshop for stakeholders in order to present among other things, the amendments to the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA), the Hazardous Materials Information Review Regulations (HMIRR) and to the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act Appeal Board Procedures Regulations that came into effect on October 1, 2008.

2009

Eliminating the Backlog of Claims
During the first year of its three-year backlog elimination plan, the Commission reduces the backlog of claims by 49.8%.