News Release

Appointments and Reappointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Ottawa, June 5, 2007 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced three full-time appointments and one full-time reappointment to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). Pierre Duquette was appointed to a three-year term in Montreal. Peter Weed was appointed to a three‑year term in Toronto. Philip J. MacAulay was appointed to a three-year term in Vancouver. Joanne Sajtos was reappointed to a three-year term in Toronto.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Duquette, a former member and Assistant Deputy Chairperson of the Board, was a resettlement expert with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees both in Lebanon and Ghana. He also worked as an international advisor and immigration and refugee law expert. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Collège Ste-Marie and his Licentiate in Laws from the Université de Montréal. Mr. Duquette was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1971.

Mr. Weed was on the Board from 1993 to 1998. He has worked as a realtor with Re/Max Realty, specializing in residential and real estate sales. Since 2004, he has been self-employed in his family property management business. Mr. Weed attended Ryerson Polytechnical Institute and Seneca College of Applied Arts where he completed his studies in Business Administration.

Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. MacAulay was a managing partner with Smiley, Hibbard, MacAulay. Mr. MacAulay is a senior litigator specializing in administrative law. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and his Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1977.

Ms. Sajtos (Toronto) has been with the Board since May 31, 2004. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Sajtos held the positions of a Vice-Chair with the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal and an Alternative Dispute Resolution Adjudicator with the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada. She also worked as an Appeals Commissioner/Consultant with the British Columbia Workers’ Compensation Board in 2002 and 2003. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from York University and her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1990.

Created in 1989, the IRB is an independent administrative tribunal that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. 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 further information (media only), please contact:

Philippe Mailhot
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Marina Wilson
Spokesperson, Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650