October 29th, 2011 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
At Wanuskewin Heritage Park, near Saskatoon

PROGRAM

9:30 – 10:00am Registration

10:00 – 10:10am Greetings, Welcome from Elder Walter Linklater

10:15- 10:40 am – Prairie Leadership Stories Panel- Patricia Elliot’s Presentation

10:45 – 11:45am –  Developing Opportunities for Young People to Thrive  &
Climate Change Solutions for Cold, Small Places

11:50am – 1:00pm – Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 pm –  Engaging Community Members in Sustainable Planning &
Protecting the Environment and the Economy for the Long Term in Resource- Rich Communitie- Laura Bowman’s presentation

2:15 – 3:15 pm – Principles of Democracy

– Keeping Our Water Safe, Clean and Public Arlene Unvoas’ Presentation

3:15 – 3:30 pm – Coffee Break

3:30 – 4:15 pm – Small group discussions with a focus on sustainability during a time of
growth

4:15 – 4:45 pm – Closing Address with Guest Speaker Ryan Walker’s Presentation

5:00 pm           Closing

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Ahead of the Curve
An historical look at Saskatchewan and Alberta’s rich leadership history

Greetings, Welcome from Elder

Speaker: Walter Linklater

Prairie Leadership Stories Panel South Room

This workshop features three prairie leadership stories on widely different topics. Hear how one Prairie city has turned garbage in to a money maker, how a coalition of parents and community members are advocating for quality public education and about the small Prairie town (pop. 414 ) that is winning national awards for their eco-centre—and building a unique profile in the process. These current prairie leadership stories – from Edmonton, Regina and Craik, Saskatchewan — have one thing in common. They are Ahead of the Curve

Panelists: Patricia Elliott of Real Renewal Regina, Peter Farden of Mid-Lakes Community Coalition, and Ben Henderson, Edmonton City Councillor

Developing Opportunities for Young People to Thrive in the Prairies South Room
In many prairie communities, the population is rapidly aging, and people are concerned about how to keep their towns alive as young people leave. In other prairie communities, there are growing populations of young people, especially Aboriginal youth, and leaders are concerned about how to provide opportunities for education, skills training and jobs, as these youth transition to adulthood. This interactive workshop will give participants in any community some tools to engage young people in their communities and ensure that they are happy, healthy and safe.

Panelist: Bonnie Heilman and the Youth Team Launch

Climate Change Solutions for Cold, Small Places Paskwaw Room
Saskatchewan and Alberta have among the largest per capita emissions of greenhouse gasses in the entire world, and therefore are Canada’s biggest contributors to climate change. We are also starting to feel the effects of climate change, having experienced the largest rainfall on record this past summer, and unprecedented storms and flooding in many prairie communities. Municipal leaders have a significant role to play in preventing further climate change, and preparing for the effects of climate change that are already taking place. This session will include information on how climate change will affect the prairies, and what we can do about it, based on solutions that are being implemented in cold, small places just like our region, but in other parts of the world.

Speaker: Peter Prebble

Keeping Our Water Safe, Clean and Public Paskwaw Room
Water doesn’t come neatly packaged as Saskatoon’s own private river or the Town of Gravelbourg’s watering hole. Water comes from a larger ecosystem, called a watershed. Watershed management structures are evolving and municipalities and First Nations will need to actively participate in watershed governance and position themselves to respond effectively to emerging issues related to the cumulative effects of human activity. This panel will provide an overview of water policy issues as well as some examples of good practices related to water and watershed management that have been effective in other communities and other parts of the world.

Panelists: Murray Ball, Arlene Unvoas

Engaging Community Members in Sustainable Planning South Room
Communities around the world and across Canada are grappling with big challenges and questions related to the need to reduce our ecological footprint and live more sustainably, while, in many cases, the population is growing. The community of Williams Lake (population 11,500) is not unlike many prairie communities, only a little warmer! In May 2010, Williams Lake won the National Sustainability Planning Award for its innovation and dedication in creating its Official Community Plan. In this session you’ll hear about one of the best examples around of how small communities can engage community members to create strong plans for the future, both long-term and short-term.

panelists: Liliana Dragowska, Kerry Cook

Protecting the Environment and the Economy for the Long Term in Resource-Rich Communities Paskwaw Room
As oil, uranium, potash and other resource-extraction businesses come in to the prairies in growing numbers, many leaders are looking for tools to ensure that there are adequate regulations and watch-dogs in place, that existing regulations are followed, and that they can stop developments that are harmful to peoples’ health and the environment before it is too late. This session will help to empower leaders in resource-rich communities to be strong on environmental protection while also looking out for the economic future of their people.

panelists: Georgina Jolibois, Laura Bowman

Principles of Democracy South Room
William Lyon Mackenzie, who lived over 150 years ago, was the first mayor of Toronto and a leader of the rebellion in 1837. Mackenzie, like others in his time, put forward the notion that the public, who were increasingly educated and literate, wanted to be involved in decision-making, not just during elections, but at all times. In speeches and writings, he put forward these key points for democracy:
1. The public is entitled to full information concerning the issues and the conduct of public business.
2. There must be appropriate opportunities for public discussion of public issues and the conduct of public business, and those elected to office have an obligation to ensure that these opportunities exist.
3. Interested members of the public will have opportunities to present their opinions to those elected to office.
4. Those elected to office are obliged to listen carefully to what is said by members of the public.
5. Those elected to office must vote according to their conscience.
6. Elections must be free and fair, including a secret ballot.
This panel will respond to Mackenzie’s Key points through their own experience and studies of democracy and society today.

panelists: Lorne Calvert,  John F. Conway, Nettie Wiebe

Sustainability During a Time of Growth, Group Discussion

Facilitator: Centre for Civic Governance Staff

Closing Adress

Guest Speaker: Ryan Walker