Initiatives

Consumers Council of Canada’s commitment to good governance, excellence in research, and its consultative, fact-based approach, provide the foundation for its engagement of consumer issues.

The Council:

builds consumer networks to support its understanding and advocacy around issues it engages
leads in addressing emerging areas of consumer concern.
works to improve consumer understanding and actual experience in marketplaces and issues important to everyday life
represents consumers concerning a wide range of issues
advises on consumer representation and provides qualified participants to public processes
trains individuals to become effective, principled consumer representatives.
maintains an active publishing program and social media presence to foster and assist public and private discussion about issues of concern to consumers
develops consumer policy and advocates for its policies
seeks to expand and improve consumer representation, so issues of importance to Canadian consumers are addressed.

This section of the Council’s website offers information and recommendations about some of the issues receiving the Council’s attention.

Some examples of the Council’s and its members’ ongoing representation of consumers

Organization	Role	Sector
Advertising Standards Canada	Member	Advertising
Hydro One Networks	Customer Advisory Board	Energy
Canadian Payments Association	Stakeholder Advisory Council	Financial Services
Department of Finance	Payments Consultative Committee (Finpay)	Financial Services
ICANN	North American Regional At-Large Organisation	Internet
Competition Bureau	Fraud Prevention Forum	Fraud Avoidance
Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board	Board of Directors	Health
Standards Council of Canada	Consumer Panel	Standards
Canadian General Standards Board	Committee Work	Standards
Technical Standards and Safety Authority of Ontario	Consumer Advisory Council	Standards Enforcement
Home Construction Regulatory Authority of Ontario	Consumer Advisory Committee	Standards Enforcement
Electrical Safety Authority of Ontario	Participation in targeted operational reviews	Standards Enforcement
Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council	Consumer Advisory Committee	Standards Enforcement
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada	Consumer Protection Advisory Committee	Financial Services
Ontario Securities Commission	Investors Advisory Panel	Financial Services
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments	Consumer and Investor Advisory Committee	Financial Services
Commissioner for Complaints in Telecommunications Services	Consumer Representatives Working Group and Participation in Nominations of Consumer Representatives to the Board of Directors	Telecom
Broadcast Participation Fund	Consumer Representatives Working Group and Participation in Nominations of Consumer Representatives to the Board of Directors	Broadcasting
Standards Council of Canada	Consumer Panel	Standards
Canadian Standards Association	Consumer Representation	Many
Behaviourally Informed Organizations Partnership	Partner	Academia

In addition to the above, the Council intervenes on behalf of retail consumers concerning applications before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and the Ontario Energy Board.

Read the Council’s Annual Reports of Activities for more detailed historical reporting on the Council’s consumer representation.