UPDATE: High Ground 2020 Cancelled
High Ground 2020, our annual civic governance forum, was scheduled to be held at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel in Vancouver, BC from 1pm on Friday, March 27 to 4:30pm on Saturday, March 28. The theme for the 2020 forum was “Committed to Action,” and featured plenaries on UNDRIP, Public Education and Privatization, and the Climate Emergency.
The event was postponed on March 12 due to conditions around the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hope was to reschedule the event in the fall or early winter. Given the outlook provided by public health officials, as well as the state of uncertainty around public gatherings of 50 or more, we decided to cancel the 2020 event.
Schedule
Friday, March 27
8:30am–11:15am
PRE-FORUM: Refocusing from reconciliation to decolonization: Gaining truth and trust for reconciliation
This pre-conference workshop is designed to take participants on a personal journey of decolonization leading to Reconciliation. Learning the true history of these lands, gaining a place-based understanding, and looking at history through an Indigenous lens will allow for self-reflection and a deeper understanding of the ongoing trauma and harm from colonization. By the end, participants will be better able to demonstrate cultural literacy and discover ways to better serve the populations with whom they work. Participants should bring with them an open mind and an open heart to get the most out of what is sure to be an enlightening experience.
Please pre-register via email to tsample@columbiainstitute.eco.
Rhiannon Bennett (Moderator)
Andrea Hilder
11:30am–12:45pm
PRE-FORUM: Women in leadership dialogue
Please pre-register via email to tsample@columbiainstitute.eco.
Sussanne Skidmore
Ela Esra Gunad (Moderator)
1:00pm–1:30pm
Indigenous opening and welcome
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Rhiannon Bennett (Moderator)
1:30pm–2:15pm
PLENARY: UNDRIP - From universal declaration to provincial action
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Remarks from Khelsilem Tl’aḵwasik̓a̱n (Squamish Nation Councillor)
Khelsilem Tl’aḵwasik̓a̱n (Featured Speaker)
2:30pm–3:10pm
IN CONVERSATION: Minister Shane Simpson, Social Development and Poverty Reduction
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Shane Simpson (Featured Speaker)
3:30pm–4:45pm
WORKSHOP: Tackling anti-poor stigma in your community
Viveca Ellis
Phyllis Joseph
Meenakshi Mannoe
WORKSHOP: Cooperative economies
Kim Novak (Moderator)
Elvezio Del Bianco
Jonny Sopotiuk
WORKSHOP: We painted our rainbow crosswalk, now what?
Tiffany Muller Myrdahl (Moderator)
Donna Sargent
Scout Gray
Trevana Spilchen
WORKSHOP: Mobilizing in the digital age
Matt Smith
Stephanie Lynn
4:45pm–6:00pm
WORKSHOP: Equity, diversity, and inclusion: how to turn a commitment into a reality
Sharmarke Dubow
Elodie Jacquet
WORKSHOP: Communities making a commitment to zero waste
Sue Maxwell
Ben Geselbracht
WORKSHOP: What we're learning on the job
Elsie McMurphy (Moderator)
Patti Bacchus
Moyra Baxter
Jennifer Reddy (Moderator)
WORKSHOP: Can we make change happen? (Revisiting protocols, charters, and more)
Gaetan Royer
Paul Finch
6:00pm–7:00pm
Networking reception
Foyer
7:00pm–
Dinner and conversation with Minister Judy Darcy, Mental Health and Addictions, and Pecha Kucha
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
We’ll kick off the evening program with a conversation with Minister Judy Darcy (Mental Health and Addictions). After that, we’ll move into Pecha Kucha, which focuses on climate action this year. Here’s what we have lined up so far:
- Students working to save a warming world
- A collaborative approach to climate action
- Why municipalities need to act on climate
- Taking a different approach to fighting climate change begins with reducing inequality
- TBA
Judy Darcy (Featured Speaker)
Kevin Millsip (Moderator)
Lilah Williamson
Arjun Singh
Toni Boot
Sharmarke Dubow
Saturday, March 28
7:00am–8:30am
Breakfast
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
8:00am–9:00am
PLENARY: Public education and privatization (K-12)
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Our education keynote — Sam Abrams of Columbia University’s Teacher’s College — will speak about how the rise of market forces and a commercial mindset in public education (K-12) threatens our values. He’ll also speak about what can been done to deal with this challenge and lessons we can adopt from other areas of the world. After that, there should be plenty of time for Q&A.
Sam Abrams (Featured Speaker)
Paul Shaker
9:00am–9:40am
IN CONVERSATION: Minister Selina Robinson, Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Selina Robinson (Featured Speaker)
9:40am–10:55am
WORKSHOP: Can we house our residents?
Christine Boyle
Mike Hurley
Marika Albert
WORKSHOP: Climate change and impacts on health: 101
Val Avery
Amy Lubik
WORKSHOP: Big lessons from the world's best public schools (Finland and Sweden)
Sam Abrams (Featured Speaker)
WORKSHOP: How to navigate UBCM / FCM / LMLGA
Sav Dhaliwal
11:15am–12:30pm
PLENARY: Emerging Issues
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
What’s next with childcare?
We don’t discriminate against disabled people…do we?
Finding the tools to spot and fight intolerance in our schools (via video)
Vaping: what do we need to know?
One doctor’s response to managing opioid use
How do we talk about China in our community?
Sharon Gregson
Tracy Humphreys
Jennifer Reddy (Moderator)
Bonita Zarrillo
Christy Sutherland
Kevin Huang
Seth Klein
12:30pm–1:30pm
LUNCH & IN CONVERSATION with Minister Scott Fraser, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Scott Fraser (Featured Speaker)
1:30pm–3:00pm
PLENARY: So your community declared a climate emergency, now what?
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Now that municipalities across Canada have declared a climate emergency, what does it mean when it comes to planning and implementation? In our closing plenary, you’ll hear from different communities across BC about how climate emergency is being tackled in real time.
The session will open with Minister George Heyman, Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
George Heyman (Featured Speaker)
Cheeying Ho
Christine Boyle
Karen Elliott
Nadine Nakagawa
Rik Logtenberg
3:00pm–4:15pm
WORKSHOP: Menstrual equity
Nikki Hill
Anita Ansari
Bonita Zarrillo
Madeleine Shaw
WORKSHOP: Working session on climate change implementation
Seth Klein
Dale Littlejohn
Christine Boyle
Karen Elliott
Rik Logtenberg
Nadine Nakagawa
Cheeying Ho
WORKSHOP: How these electeds pulled it off
Arjun Singh
Gaetan Royer
MaryLynne Rimer
Megan Dykeman
4:15pm–4:30pm
Closing remarks
Ballroom 1 + Ballroom 2
Testimonials from High Ground 2019
- “It was a fantastic opportunity to share and build relationships.”
- “I met so many interesting people and had such great conversations about issues that concern all of us.”
- “Very informative and perspective-changing.”
- “Brilliant and essential conversation.”
- “Great diversity of speakers and topics.”
- “A must attend annual event.”
- “After every High Ground forum, I’m involved in interactions with participants. There’s learning and exchange during each forum and that tends to continue after the forum. High Ground 2019 was fantastic.”
