Effective March 1, 2022, Barbara B. Pike commences a six (6) year term as Board Chair of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB). Under legislation, the Board Chair is a joint appointment of the federal and provincial governments.
Until her appointment as Board Chair, Barbara was a federally appointed Board Member, who joined the Board on June 21, 2017. Barbara has a strong background in energy, communications and business development. Born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador, Barbara attended Memorial University, where she studied Commerce. She began her career as a journalist and producer, working primarily for the CBC and The Canadian Press. Following a 20-year career in journalism, Barbara transitioned to the communications field. She worked with the Nova Scotia government and as the CNSOPB’s Public Information and Environmental Coordinator before moving to the Atlantic Institute of Market Studies, first as the Director of Communications and then as Vice-President. Barbara then served as the founding CEO of The Maritimes Energy Association. She completed her ICD.D designation at the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto in 2020.
Barbara lives in Halifax and is an active community volunteer with many interests and decades of work on numerous community not-for-profit and private-for-profit Boards. More information about Barbara can be found here.
The Board Members and staff of the CNSOPB wish to express their gratitude to Keith MacLeod for his dedication and leadership during his six (6) years as Board Chair. Keith completed his term as Board Chair on August 17, 2021.
As Chair, Keith renewed efforts to build public trust and confidence in the CNSOPB. This included the rollout of a new corporate communications strategy and an updated website focused on delivering information in a way that is open, timely and easy-to-understand. During his term, the CNSOPB increased engagement with Indigenous groups, fisheries representatives, local communities, and other organizations and stakeholders, and established the Board’s Social Responsibility Committee to assist the CNSOPB in building and maintaining its licence to regulate.
Similar to Keith in his role as Board Chair, Barbara is committed to CNSOPB’s mandate, advancing the already high standards for safety, environmental protection, and resource management in the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Area through staff’s involvement with Governments’ regulatory changes to modernize the regulatory framework for frontier and offshore energy activities in Canada, and the establishment of a new occupational health and safety regime in Canada’s Atlantic offshore area. Barbara looks forward to building on these achievements, working with the provincial and federal governments, and continuing engagement with Indigenous groups, fisheries representatives, local communities, and other organizations and stakeholders.
The CNSOPB is governed by an independent Board of Directors, which is comprised of provincial and federal appointees and a Board Chair. The Board sets the CNSOPB’s policies and programs through strategic, ethical and transparent lenses in the stewardship and regulation of offshore energy resources. The CNSOPB is the independent joint agency of the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia responsible for the regulation of petroleum activities in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area.
Contact:
Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
Main line: 902-422-5588
info@cnsopb.ns.ca