News Release – Minister Kenney announces appointments and reappointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Ottawa, November 30, 2009 — Eight appointments and one reappointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) were announced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“This government is committed to delivering on our promise to fill vacancies on the Board with qualified individuals as quickly as possible after vacancies arise,” said Minister Kenney.

Christian Boissonneault, Tracey Ann Martineau, Karyn Lesley Pellatt-Caron, Marie-José Rivest and Diane E. Sokolyk were appointed for three-year terms in the Montréal regional office. Mary Loretta Dobbelsteyn was appointed for a three-year term in the Calgary regional office. Sukhbir (Barry) Dhillon and Colleen Zuk were appointed for three-year terms in the Vancouver regional office.

In the Montréal office, Paule Robitaille was reappointed for a one-year term.

These appointments and reappointment were made in accordance with the IRB’s merit-based appointment process. Since October 2008, Minister Kenney has made 60 appointments and 23 reappointments to the IRB. With today’s announcement, the IRB is at 98 % of its full complement.

Created in 1989, the IRB is an independent administrative tribunal that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. The Board has three divisions – the Refugee Protection Division, the Immigration Appeal Division and the Immigration Division. The IRB determines refugee protection claims made in Canada, hears immigration appeals, and conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews.

For biographies on the IRB members, please see the attached backgrounder.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Alykhan.Velshi@cic.gc.ca

CIC Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounder

• Appointments and Reappointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada