Overview

Cheryl is a senior partner in our national Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Workers’ Compensation practice.  A former Ontario OHS Prosecutor, Cheryl has almost 40 years of experience in advising on strategic and practical approaches for management of workplace safety issues including the complexities of OHS due diligence, contractor management, accident response strategies, and discipline for safety matters.  She frequently advises on multiple aspects of national and federal OHS policies and programs.  She has defended and represented Canadian employers, constructors, senior management, and supervisors in some of the most serious and complex health and safety trials, complaints, inquests and appeals.  She provides hard hitting and practical OHS training on due diligence, contractor management and other topics to management and supervisors.
Cheryl led a national OHS practice group as well as an international OHS practice group prior to joining the Firm Mathews Dinsdale. She is a past Director of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and Chair of its OHS SubCommittee .  She is currently serving as member of the Firm's Executive committee.
She has been repeatedly listed as a leading lawyer in workers’ compensation in Best Lawyers® in Canada, and a leading occupational health and safety practitioner in Canadian Legal Lexpert®. The Firm and Cheryl have been selected as top ranked advisors in the OHS field in multiple readers' choice awards from Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine . Cheryl also regularly provides practical advice and representation in grievance arbitration and labour board proceedings. She is a frequent speaker at in house training sessions and professional conferences.
* Denotes practicing through a law corporation.
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### Representative experience
December 2023
2022-2023 – Advised Municipal Organizations and Other Owners of Workplaces–on best management practices, contractual arrangements and other overall steps to manage complexities of OHS obligations to ensure contractor safety.
December 2023
Successful intervention application on behalf of federal employers’ organization in significant appeal under Part II Canada Labour Code ( Occupational Health and Safety) of an OHS enforcer’s direction respecting obligations of federal employers towards provincially regulated contractors. Important due to interpretation of the Canada Labour Code provisions respecting contracting, and control over provincially regulated contractors. Co- counsel: Jeremy Warning.
December 2019
Successfully represented general contractor on all charges under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations relating to a fall through a roof opening. All charges withdrawn without a trial — Counsel: Cheryl A. Edwards
December 2019
Successful representation of general contractor on charges under Ontario OHSA arising from worker fall from false work after false work collapsed. Defence of due

Practice Areas

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Labour Law
• Employment Law
• Human Rights

Bar Information

Called to the bar: 1986 (ON)