Dear members,
I hope this message finds you well. For those of you in the NCR, the weather has been surprisingly kind so far this month, with temperatures this week that felt more like September than November. I know it won’t last, but I’m enjoying it while it does. It’s been three weeks since my last message, and a lot has happened since then, so let me catch you up.
I’ll start with a look back at our AGM and the Randy Orr Memorial Awards, followed by a first look at what Budget 2026 means for us. You’ll also find a heads-up about our upcoming member surveys, a welcome to our newest members, a group life insurance reminder, an invitation from the CDFN to a session on raising Third Culture Kids, a reminder that print copies of Diplomatic Notes are available, and a tribute to Adele Dion.
Our 2026 AGM and Randy Orr Memorial Awards
A big thank-you to everyone who joined us for our AGM on October 19, and especially to those of you who took the time to ask questions and share your views.
I’m very happy to welcome Jean-Philippe Dequen to the Executive Committee, and to welcome back Trisha Chang, Marc-André Desmarais, and Ashley Durec. I want to thank Zachary Campbell, who is leaving the Executive Committee after two terms. Thank you for everything, Zachary.
We shared some good news on workforce adjustment: GAC and IRCC have both confirmed that there will be no further cuts to FS positions through workforce adjustment over the next two years. After such a difficult year for so many of you, I know that will come as a relief. On collective bargaining, our next sessions with the Employer are set for late November, and I’ll keep you posted on how they go.
Members also approved our 2027 budget and our 2025 financial statements. I’m pleased to report that PAFSO’s finances are in good shape, and my thanks go to our Treasurer, Kirk Duguid, for walking us through them.
Right after the meeting, we came together online to present this year’s Randy Orr Memorial Award to Heather McCrimmon and Marie-Andrée Poupart, Co-Presidents of the Canadian Diplomatic Family Network (CDFN), a volunteer organization that supports and advocates for Canadian diplomatic families abroad. Heather and Marie-Andrée, congratulations, and thank you for all you do for our families.
If you missed either one, or want to watch again, both the AGM and the Randy Orr Memorial Award presentation are on our YouTube channel.
Budget 2026
I know many of you were watching yesterday’s federal budget closely, and after the year we’ve had, I can’t blame you. There was little in Budget 2026 aimed directly at the Foreign Service, but a few measures are worth flagging. More than 10,000 public servants applied for the government’s early retirement program. Where more people left a department than it had planned to cut, the government will now take back part of the money those departures free up, starting in 2027-28, rather than leaving it for departments to rehire. That could mean some vacant positions won’t be filled, and we’ll be watching closely to see how that lands at GAC and IRCC. At the same time, the budget gives GAC and IRCC significant new work to deliver, from hosting the 2028 Francophonie Summit and concluding new trade agreements to a larger immigration levels plan and expanded biometric screening, which makes it all the more important that departments have the people to do it. On a more positive note, the government will amend the Public Service Superannuation Act to restore our pension accrual of 2% of salary per year of service when combined with the CPP or QPP. I’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
Coming soon: our 2026 member surveys
At the AGM, we promised to ask for your views on the issues shaping the Foreign Service right now, and we’ll be sending out member surveys in the coming weeks. They will ask about things like your experiences with MSH, how cuts and workforce adjustment have affected you, and your bargaining priorities. What you tell us will help guide our bargaining, grievances, and advocacy over the coming year. Keep an eye on your inbox, and I hope you’ll take a few minutes to fill them out when they arrive.
Welcome to our newest members
On October 23, PAFSO met our newest cohort of foreign service officers at their orientation lunch to introduce them to the association and what it does for its members. I was sorry to miss it, but I was delighted to hear that more than 60 new members took part, with lots of energy, thoughtful questions, and lively discussion. My sincere thanks to our Executive Director, Dan Whalen, and Executive Vice-President Allison Poff for representing PAFSO and leading the presentation. To our newest members: welcome to PAFSO! I look forward to meeting many of you in the months ahead. Don’t forget to sign up for your account on the members’ portal!
New to the Foreign Service? Don’t miss your insurance window
I want to make sure our newest members don’t miss this one. If you’ve just joined the Foreign Service, here’s one thing worth doing right away. Apply for PAFSO group life insurance within 90 days of your start date, as written in your letter of offer, and you can get up to $150,000 in coverage with no medical assessment, plus up to $100,000 for your spouse and $5,000 for each eligible child. That can make a real difference if you or a family member has a pre-existing condition, so please don’t let the window pass you by. And if you’ve been with us longer, the program is available to all members, so it’s worth a look for you too. You’ll find all the details on our Group Insurance page, or you can reach out to Geneviève Frappier at genevieve.frappier@pafso-apase.com.
CDFN Online Members’ Café: raising Third Culture Kids
Anyone who has raised children in the Foreign Service knows that every posting is a big move for them too: new schools, new friends, sometimes a new language, and the question of where “home” really is never far away. That’s why I wanted to share an invitation from our friends at the CDFN. On Thursday, November 19, from noon to 1 p.m. (Ottawa time), they’re hosting an Online Members’ Café on raising and being Third Culture Kids, and PAFSO members are welcome to join. Their guest, Dr. Mathieu Gagnon, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the Royal Military College of Canada who studies repeated international mobility, and he knows the subject first-hand, having grown up across postings in France, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, and Switzerland. If this is something your family is navigating, I hope you’ll register here and join the conversation.
Diplomatic Notes: order your print copy
As you may have seen in our notice last week, print copies of Diplomatic Notes are now available to order, and thank you to everyone who has already ordered a copy. Published to mark PAFSO’s 60th anniversary, it tells the story of Canada’s Foreign Service community in its own words, in English and French. The paperback is $40 plus shipping, and we can send it anywhere in the world. You can order your copy here, and the ebook is still free to download from the same page and also available on Apple Books, Rakuten Kobo, and Google Play. With the holidays coming up, the book makes a nice gift for the family and friends who’ve followed you from post to post.
In memoriam: Adele Dion
I was very saddened to learn that Adele Dion passed away on October 7. Many of you will remember Adele, who joined External Affairs in 1972 and went on to serve as Ambassador to Finland and High Commissioner to South Africa. She did a great deal for human rights, and for the advancement of women in the Foreign Service. On behalf of PAFSO, I extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and former colleagues. You can read her obituary here.
As always, should you have any other concerns at work, do not hesitate to reach out to us. That’s what we’re here for. Are you having issues with your pay? Do you feel harassed or discriminated against? Do you have a grievance or a staffing complaint? Or do you just want some clarifications on our collective agreement or the FSDs? Whatever the case, PAFSO is here for you. Just send us an email with your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns. You can click here to learn more about all the member services PAFSO has to offer. For anything and everything else, please send us an email at info@pafso.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Next Wednesday is Remembrance Day. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you’ll take a moment to remember those who served and sacrificed for Canada. My next message to you will arrive on November 20. Until then, please take care of yourselves and each other.
Pamela Isfeld
President of PAFSO