Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

You have the Power to End Sexual Violence (Part 1)

It is estimated that 1 in 3 women/girls and 1 in 6 men/boys in their lifetime will experience some form of sexual violence either in childhood or in their adult life. Young adults are generally most at risk, but it can happen at any age, and it's been going on for many, many years. A new facility, the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre (CSAC) in Lethbridge at 740-4 Avenue South is now open. It offers services to all people of all ages, no matter how they identify sexually. Some of those services include crisis support, victim advocacy, and counselling. Some forerunners, such as Lethbridge Family Services and the YWCA with its Amethyst Program, has dealt with sexual violence for many years, but CSAC is about having people be able to identify with one source, so they know where to go. The speaker will focus on the current state of sexual violence in our world with particular focus on Canada, the economic impact of the crime and contributing factors that support its existence. We will continue to explore the ways in which each of us, as individuals, communities and as a country, can end sexual violence by reshaping our beliefs/values and by taking action. Speaker: Kristine Cassie, MSc, RSW Kristine has worked in the human services sector for over 35 years with substantial experience and advocacy efforts in the areas of youth empowerment, domestic and sexual violence and housing. A graduate of Mount Royal from the Youth Development Program, Kristine started her career working with youth in care. It was while working at the YWCA Lethbridge and District that she reinvested in her education and completed an Applied BA in Human Service Administration (Grant McEwan) and a Master’s of Science in Leadership and Management from Walden University. Kristine worked at the YWCA for nearly 25 years, serving as its CEO for the last 11 years. Leaving the YWCA in January 2016, she worked as the Director of Operations at Southern Alberta Community Living Association, an agency serving people with developmental disabilities. Currently, Kristine is the CEO for the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre which opened its doors to the public January 7, 2019. Kristine also serves as vice chair on the Board of Governors at Lethbridge College; Trustee for Palliser Regional School Division; maintains registered social worker status in the Province of Alberta and is a certified traumatologist. Moderator: Mary Shillington Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

You have the Power to End Sexual Violence (Part 2 Q&A)

It is estimated that 1 in 3 women/girls and 1 in 6 men/boys in their lifetime will experience some form of sexual violence either in childhood or in their adult life. Young adults are generally most at risk, but it can happen at any age, and it's been going on for many, many years. A new facility, the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre (CSAC) in Lethbridge at 740-4 Avenue South is now open. It offers services to all people of all ages, no matter how they identify sexually. Some of those services include crisis support, victim advocacy, and counselling. Some forerunners, such as Lethbridge Family Services and the YWCA with its Amethyst Program, has dealt with sexual violence for many years, but CSAC is about having people be able to identify with one source, so they know where to go. The speaker will focus on the current state of sexual violence in our world with particular focus on Canada, the economic impact of the crime and contributing factors that support its existence. We will continue to explore the ways in which each of us, as individuals, communities and as a country, can end sexual violence by reshaping our beliefs/values and by taking action. Speaker: Kristine Cassie, MSc, RSW Kristine has worked in the human services sector for over 35 years with substantial experience and advocacy efforts in the areas of youth empowerment, domestic and sexual violence and housing. A graduate of Mount Royal from the Youth Development Program, Kristine started her career working with youth in care. It was while working at the YWCA Lethbridge and District that she reinvested in her education and completed an Applied BA in Human Service Administration (Grant McEwan) and a Master’s of Science in Leadership and Management from Walden University. Kristine worked at the YWCA for nearly 25 years, serving as its CEO for the last 11 years. Leaving the YWCA in January 2016, she worked as the Director of Operations at Southern Alberta Community Living Association, an agency serving people with developmental disabilities. Currently, Kristine is the CEO for the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre which opened its doors to the public January 7, 2019. Kristine also serves as vice chair on the Board of Governors at Lethbridge College; Trustee for Palliser Regional School Division; maintains registered social worker status in the Province of Alberta and is a certified traumatologist. Moderator: Mary Shillington Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

Are Aboriginal Rights and Canadian Law Reconcilable? (Part 1)

As a rule, Aboriginal Rights are the rights of Indigenous people to carry on with their traditional and ancestral customs of hunting, fishing, trapping, feasting and holding religious ceremonies. They stem in part from Indigenous occupation of lands prior to European contact and assertions of sovereignty. Aboriginal rights also flow from the many treaties that Indigenous leaders signed with the Crown over the last few centuries, which are matters of contract law—sacred contract law. Through these treaties the Crown acquired a great deal of land from Indigenous signatories, who received remuneration and rights. Insofar as Indigenous signatories entered into these contracts voluntarily and in an enlightened manner, the Crown lawfully acquired the land on which most Canadian homes are built. Aboriginal land claims arise in BC primarily because provincial lawyers cannot produce the land transfer deeds needed to prove that the Crown lawfully acquired land on which it has built cities and townships over the last two centuries. Aboriginal rights flow from the Rule of Law, a notion to which the Canadian constitution ascribes, and they should require no justification to anyone. Federal and provincial governments must justify their intrusions into the customary ways of Indigenous people, simply because one society may not lawfully intrude upon the peaceful affairs of another society, including First Nations societies, without justification. This Rule of Law was not respected during the Age of Empire and much earlier, but since the late twentieth century the Canadian legal system has purported to take it seriously. In 1982 Canada’s constitution affirmed and recognized existing Aboriginal rights. In theory, therefore, Aboriginal rights are entirely reconcilable with Canadian law because they are a constituent part of a legal system that should be internally reconcilable. However, one sense in which Aboriginal rights can be said to be irreconcilable with Canadian law is that, from the perspective of Indigenous peoples, a foreign political-legal entity (such as Parliament) has never had a legal right to govern any aspect of their lives without their consent. When legal recognition of certain Aboriginal rights seems irreconcilable with Canadian law from the perspective of non-Indigenous Canadians, as it does from time to time, the source of the ‘problem’ is usually that past governments built their non-Indigenous constituents’ lives on insecure legal foundations vis-à-vis the rights of Indigenous peoples. Courts are expected to right these past legal wrongs. Recently an Ontario court held the Crown accountable for treaty-based annuities it had not paid the Anishinaabe since 1876. This century courts will continue to resolve Aboriginal Rights claims in ways that will not satisfy all Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, such is the very nature of adjudicating conflict. But this fact does not make Aboriginal Rights and Canadian law irreconcilable. Rather, the legal hope and expectation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada is to diminish conflict lawfully and peaceably, so that everyone can eventually live contentedly side-by-side, each society’s system of self-governance paying equal and practical respect to the other’s system. Such an ideal is reflected in the concept of Treaty Federalism. Speaker: Dr. Christopher Nowlin Dr. Nowlin was born in Lethbridge. He received his M.A. in Philosophy from Brock University in 1987 and his Ph.D in criminology from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1998. He has taught Canadian law and Aboriginal law at SFU. Presently he teaches Canadian law and Canadian Aboriginal law at Langara College in Vancouver. Dr. Nowlin has represented clients at all levels of court in BC, in Alberta, as well as at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has extensive experience representing Indigenous accused persons charged with various offences, ranging from fish

Are Aboriginal Rights and Canadian Law Reconcilable? (Part 2 Q&A)

As a rule, Aboriginal Rights are the rights of Indigenous people to carry on with their traditional and ancestral customs of hunting, fishing, trapping, feasting and holding religious ceremonies. They stem in part from Indigenous occupation of lands prior to European contact and assertions of sovereignty. Aboriginal rights also flow from the many treaties that Indigenous leaders signed with the Crown over the last few centuries, which are matters of contract law—sacred contract law. Through these treaties the Crown acquired a great deal of land from Indigenous signatories, who received remuneration and rights. Insofar as Indigenous signatories entered into these contracts voluntarily and in an enlightened manner, the Crown lawfully acquired the land on which most Canadian homes are built. Aboriginal land claims arise in BC primarily because provincial lawyers cannot produce the land transfer deeds needed to prove that the Crown lawfully acquired land on which it has built cities and townships over the last two centuries. Aboriginal rights flow from the Rule of Law, a notion to which the Canadian constitution ascribes, and they should require no justification to anyone. Federal and provincial governments must justify their intrusions into the customary ways of Indigenous people, simply because one society may not lawfully intrude upon the peaceful affairs of another society, including First Nations societies, without justification. This Rule of Law was not respected during the Age of Empire and much earlier, but since the late twentieth century the Canadian legal system has purported to take it seriously. In 1982 Canada’s constitution affirmed and recognized existing Aboriginal rights. In theory, therefore, Aboriginal rights are entirely reconcilable with Canadian law because they are a constituent part of a legal system that should be internally reconcilable. However, one sense in which Aboriginal rights can be said to be irreconcilable with Canadian law is that, from the perspective of Indigenous peoples, a foreign political-legal entity (such as Parliament) has never had a legal right to govern any aspect of their lives without their consent. When legal recognition of certain Aboriginal rights seems irreconcilable with Canadian law from the perspective of non-Indigenous Canadians, as it does from time to time, the source of the ‘problem’ is usually that past governments built their non-Indigenous constituents’ lives on insecure legal foundations vis-à-vis the rights of Indigenous peoples. Courts are expected to right these past legal wrongs. Recently an Ontario court held the Crown accountable for treaty-based annuities it had not paid the Anishinaabe since 1876. This century courts will continue to resolve Aboriginal Rights claims in ways that will not satisfy all Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, such is the very nature of adjudicating conflict. But this fact does not make Aboriginal Rights and Canadian law irreconcilable. Rather, the legal hope and expectation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada is to diminish conflict lawfully and peaceably, so that everyone can eventually live contentedly side-by-side, each society’s system of self-governance paying equal and practical respect to the other’s system. Such an ideal is reflected in the concept of Treaty Federalism. Speaker: Dr. Christopher Nowlin Dr. Nowlin was born in Lethbridge. He received his M.A. in Philosophy from Brock University in 1987 and his Ph.D in criminology from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1998. He has taught Canadian law and Aboriginal law at SFU. Presently he teaches Canadian law and Canadian Aboriginal law at Langara College in Vancouver. Dr. Nowlin has represented clients at all levels of court in BC, in Alberta, as well as at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has extensive experience representing Indigenous accused persons charged with various offences, ranging from fish

What did the April 16 Election Results tell us about the Sentiments of Albertans?

In the 2015 provincial election, the New Democratic Party, led by Rachel Notley, won an unprecedented victory in Alberta. Unseating the Progressive Conservatives -- who had won every provincial election since 1971 -- they formed an NDP government for the first time in the history of the province. Unfortunately for Premier Rachel Notley and her NDP government, revenues from Alberta’s energy sector tanked in 2015 and still hasn’t fully recovered. Nevertheless, the NDP government pressed on with their plans to rectify Alberta’s massive infrastructure deficit in support of public institutions, but in the process, they’ve amassed hefty budgetary deficits, despite implementing progressive tax changes and a carbon levy In July 2017 the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose Party merged to become the United Conservative Party (UCP) and the official opposition party in Alberta. Later that year, Jason Kenney became the leader of UCP and since then, has laid out a very different way forward for Alberta with more emphasis on a balanced budget by cuts to spending, scrapping the carbon levy and giving business incentives through taxation relief. The speaker will analyse the April 16 Alberta election results and speculate on the consequences of such. Speaker: Dr. Duane Bratt Duane Bratt is a political science Professor and Chair in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University (Calgary, Alberta). He was educated at the Universities of Windsor (BA 1991, MA 1992) and Alberta (Ph.D. 1996). He teaches in the area of international relations and Canadian public policy. Duane’s primary research interest is in the area of Canadian nuclear policy. Recent publications include: co-editor, Readings in Canadian Foreign Policy: Classic Debates and New Ideas 3rd edition (Oxford University Press: Toronto, 2015) and author of Canada, the Provinces, and the Global Nuclear Revival (McGill-Queen’s University Press: Montreal and Kingston, 2012) Duane is also a regular commentator on political events. Copies of Duane’s most recent book Orange Chinook: Politics in the New Alberta will be available for sale Moderator: Dylan Purcell Date: Thursday, April 18, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

Why are only a few People Building Energy Efficient “Net-Zero” Houses? (Part 1)

For many people, a net-zero home conjures up visions of houses beyond their reach. But supplying energy for your own home is no longer confined to the future. For many homes, a well-designed solar power system can meet 100% of their energy needs on a yearly basis. Lethbridge and the entirety of Southern Alberta get more sunlight than almost anywhere else in Canada, making solar panels the perfect solution for powering your home on green energy. Geothermal is the most efficient heating system available today, with up to 500% efficiency. And, unlike in the past, geothermal works as a complete heating and cooling system, without any need for an auxiliary heater in the winter or an airconditioner in the summer. For those seriously considering moving to a net-zero home, or going off-grid, geothermal is an important step. Geothermal is equally as effective at lowering energy costs in an urban or suburban environment. The speaker will argue that the biggest hurdle to green energy is how entrenched the old ways of doing things are. Green energy makes sense both fiscally and environmentally, but the world is slow to change. So perhaps the most powerful thing you can do is to start talking about it and talking about the steps you’ve made to lighten your ecological footprint. Speaker: Rudy Reger Rudy Reger is the owner and president of Energy Smart Canada & Arctic Spas Lethbridge. He spent most of his childhood in Germany, later moving to Paraguay, South America where he met his wife, Stella, and eventually moving to Canada in 1988. They have lived in Lethbridge ever since, raising three daughters and growing their business. Rudy began his journey in Canada as a truck driver, but soon started to venture out as an entrepreneur and eventually a business owner. They turned their passion for renewable energy into a full time business with the inception of their company Energy Smart Canada in 2001. Since then, they have worked hard to educate and offer energy efficient solutions to southern Albertans, introducing new products and becoming experts in their field. And now they’ve finally reached the goal of building themselves a self-sustaining, net zero home, right here in Lethbridge. Casa Verde is the result of years of planning and dreaming, and they are so excited that it’s finally here. They hope it will show others living in Alberta how easy and comfortable it is to live net zero. Moderator: TBA Date: Thursday, April 11, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

Why are only a few People Building Energy Efficient “Net-Zero” Houses? (Part 2 Q&A)

For many people, a net-zero home conjures up visions of houses beyond their reach. But supplying energy for your own home is no longer confined to the future. For many homes, a well-designed solar power system can meet 100% of their energy needs on a yearly basis. Lethbridge and the entirety of Southern Alberta get more sunlight than almost anywhere else in Canada, making solar panels the perfect solution for powering your home on green energy. Geothermal is the most efficient heating system available today, with up to 500% efficiency. And, unlike in the past, geothermal works as a complete heating and cooling system, without any need for an auxiliary heater in the winter or an airconditioner in the summer. For those seriously considering moving to a net-zero home, or going off-grid, geothermal is an important step. Geothermal is equally as effective at lowering energy costs in an urban or suburban environment. The speaker will argue that the biggest hurdle to green energy is how entrenched the old ways of doing things are. Green energy makes sense both fiscally and environmentally, but the world is slow to change. So perhaps the most powerful thing you can do is to start talking about it and talking about the steps you’ve made to lighten your ecological footprint. Speaker: Rudy Reger Rudy Reger is the owner and president of Energy Smart Canada & Arctic Spas Lethbridge. He spent most of his childhood in Germany, later moving to Paraguay, South America where he met his wife, Stella, and eventually moving to Canada in 1988. They have lived in Lethbridge ever since, raising three daughters and growing their business. Rudy began his journey in Canada as a truck driver, but soon started to venture out as an entrepreneur and eventually a business owner. They turned their passion for renewable energy into a full time business with the inception of their company Energy Smart Canada in 2001. Since then, they have worked hard to educate and offer energy efficient solutions to southern Albertans, introducing new products and becoming experts in their field. And now they’ve finally reached the goal of building themselves a self-sustaining, net zero home, right here in Lethbridge. Casa Verde is the result of years of planning and dreaming, and they are so excited that it’s finally here. They hope it will show others living in Alberta how easy and comfortable it is to live net zero. Moderator: TBA Date: Thursday, April 11, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

The New Alberta Advantage? Technology, Policy, and the Future of the Oil Sands (Part 1)

The global energy system is being transformed by new technologies that will revolutionize oil and gas markets — whether Alberta is ready for it or not. In his new book, energy journalist Markham Hislop examines how visionary oil sands executives like Suncor CEO Steve Williams are preparing their companies – which produce two-thirds of Alberta’s oil – for the onrushing low-carbon future. An integral part of the oil sands’ savvy business strategy is the energy and climate policies of Premier Rachel Notley’s government. In fact, the oil sands CEOs met privately with environmental groups for months before the 2015 election, hammering out a “carbon for no production cap” deal that the NDP government enshrined in the Climate Leadership Plan, legislation and regulations they strongly support to this day. If the oil sands companies are successful, Hislop describes a new strategy for building pipelines from Alberta to the West Coast. Doubling bitumen exports and building out Alberta’s petrochemical and partial upgrading sectors could usher in the next great Alberta energy boom. Speaker: Markham Hislop Markham Hislop is an energy journalist and publisher of Energi News (formerly North American Energy News). Hislop uses a technology adoption model of his own design to analyze and report upon all the facets of the energy industry, from oil and gas to EVs and renewables. Over the past 5 years, Hislop has probably reported about the Energy Transition more than any other North American journalist. His work has been published in Canadian Business, Alberta Oil Magazine, Hart Energy Publications, World Oil, Vancouver Magazine, and other publications. Hislop’s most recent book, The New Alberta Advantage: Technology, Policy, and the Future of the Oil Sands will be available for sale. Moderator: Cameron Howey Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

The New Alberta Advantage? Technology, Policy, and the Future of the Oil Sands (Part 2 Q&A)

The global energy system is being transformed by new technologies that will revolutionize oil and gas markets — whether Alberta is ready for it or not. In his new book, energy journalist Markham Hislop examines how visionary oil sands executives like Suncor CEO Steve Williams are preparing their companies – which produce two-thirds of Alberta’s oil – for the onrushing low-carbon future. An integral part of the oil sands’ savvy business strategy is the energy and climate policies of Premier Rachel Notley’s government. In fact, the oil sands CEOs met privately with environmental groups for months before the 2015 election, hammering out a “carbon for no production cap” deal that the NDP government enshrined in the Climate Leadership Plan, legislation and regulations they strongly support to this day. If the oil sands companies are successful, Hislop describes a new strategy for building pipelines from Alberta to the West Coast. Doubling bitumen exports and building out Alberta’s petrochemical and partial upgrading sectors could usher in the next great Alberta energy boom. Speaker: Markham Hislop Markham Hislop is an energy journalist and publisher of Energi News (formerly North American Energy News). Hislop uses a technology adoption model of his own design to analyze and report upon all the facets of the energy industry, from oil and gas to EVs and renewables. Over the past 5 years, Hislop has probably reported about the Energy Transition more than any other North American journalist. His work has been published in Canadian Business, Alberta Oil Magazine, Hart Energy Publications, World Oil, Vancouver Magazine, and other publications. Hislop’s most recent book, The New Alberta Advantage: Technology, Policy, and the Future of the Oil Sands will be available for sale. Moderator: Cameron Howey Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

Provincial All Candidates Election Forum for Lethbridge West (Part 1)

SACPA presents the 2019 Alberta Provincial all candidates Election Forum for the Lethbridge West constituency Date: Friday, March 29, 2019 Time: 6:30 – 9 pm Venue: Lethbridge Senior Centre (LSCO) Gymnasium, 500 – 11 Street South The April 16, 2019 Alberta Provincial Election promises to be an interesting contest and ought to attract more attention than normally would be expected of such. The SACPA forum will be conducted using both formulated and audience questions. Voice your concerns and help frame the issues you consider important, by asking the candidates to explain their views and party policies on those topics. Please plan to attend this forum and please also exercise you democratic right and duty by voting in the advance polls or on April 16, 2019 Moderator: Bonnie Farries Free event, the public is encouraged to attend.