Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Recognition and discussion around violence and abuse has recently been prominent in social media campaigns, particularly with the #metoo campaign. Why are these age-old topics still today so easily being brushed under the rug? What ideas and systems maintain this silence? Join us for an intersectional analysis of the barriers and myths that continue the injustices of violence and abuse, with stories and statistics from frontline crisis and educational work at Safe Haven.  Speaker: Jaisie Walker Jaisie Walker is the Awareness & Public Education Coordinator at Safe Haven Women's Shelter Society in Taber, and a dedicated community activist. They graduated with a degree in Sociology from the University of Lethbridge, with a minor in Women and Gender studies. In the past, Jaisie was a coordinator for the Campus Women's Centre, a SACPA publication editor, and an LPIRG Board member.  Moderator: Kristin Krein Date: Thursday, January 11, 2018 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (below The Keg restaurant) 1715 Mayor Magrath Drive South Cost: $11.00 (includes soup and bun) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Recognition and discussion around violence and abuse has recently been prominent in social media campaigns, particularly with the #metoo campaign. Why are these age-old topics still today so easily being brushed under the rug? What ideas and systems maintain this silence? Join us for an intersectional analysis of the barriers and myths that continue the injustices of violence and abuse, with stories and statistics from frontline crisis and educational work at Safe Haven.  Speaker: Jaisie Walker Jaisie Walker is the Awareness & Public Education Coordinator at Safe Haven Women's Shelter Society in Taber, and a dedicated community activist. They graduated with a degree in Sociology from the University of Lethbridge, with a minor in Women and Gender studies. In the past, Jaisie was a coordinator for the Campus Women's Centre, a SACPA publication editor, and an LPIRG Board member.  Moderator: Kristin Krein Date: Thursday, January 11, 2018 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (below The Keg restaurant) 1715 Mayor Magrath Drive South Cost: $11.00 (includes soup and bun) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Controversy over new parks in the Castle area has been as intense and divisive as ongoing debates over development in Banff and Waterton. Is park protection an outdated approach to biodiversity conservation? Are there better ways to protect nature or are we just thinking about parks in the wrong ways? The speaker will illustrate this thought-provoking talk with excerpts from his recently released book Our Place: Changing the Nature of Alberta, a collection of writings spanning a third of a century that chronicle the ecology, conservation history, missed opportunities and emerging possibilities of a place that should have been about so much more than resource exploitation. Speaker: Kevin Van Tighem Kevin Van Tighem is a landscape ecologist, author and retired park superintendent whose family roots in southern Alberta go back to 1875. He currently chairs the Science and Stewardship Committee for the Nature Conservancy of Canada and serves on the boards of the Livingstone Landowners Group and Alberta Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Van Tighem is an outspoken advocate for the preservation of Alberta’s wilderness areas, headwaters landscapes, rivers and native prairies. ?Kevin Van Tighem has written dozens of articles, stories and essays on conservation and wildlife which have garnered many awards, including Western Magazine Awards, Outdoor Writers of Canada book and magazine awards, Banff Mountain Book Festival awards and the Journey Award for Fiction. His most recent books include Bears: Without Fear (2013), The Homeward Wolf (2013), Heart Waters (2015) and Our Place: Changing the Nature of Alberta (2017) Moderator: Heather Oxman Date: Thursday, January 4, 2018 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (below the Keg restaurant) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Controversy over new parks in the Castle area has been as intense and divisive as ongoing debates over development in Banff and Waterton. Is park protection an outdated approach to biodiversity conservation? Are there better ways to protect nature or are we just thinking about parks in the wrong ways? The speaker will illustrate this thought-provoking talk with excerpts from his recently released book Our Place: Changing the Nature of Alberta, a collection of writings spanning a third of a century that chronicle the ecology, conservation history, missed opportunities and emerging possibilities of a place that should have been about so much more than resource exploitation. Speaker: Kevin Van Tighem Kevin Van Tighem is a landscape ecologist, author and retired park superintendent whose family roots in southern Alberta go back to 1875. He currently chairs the Science and Stewardship Committee for the Nature Conservancy of Canada and serves on the boards of the Livingstone Landowners Group and Alberta Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Van Tighem is an outspoken advocate for the preservation of Alberta’s wilderness areas, headwaters landscapes, rivers and native prairies. ?Kevin Van Tighem has written dozens of articles, stories and essays on conservation and wildlife which have garnered many awards, including Western Magazine Awards, Outdoor Writers of Canada book and magazine awards, Banff Mountain Book Festival awards and the Journey Award for Fiction. His most recent books include Bears: Without Fear (2013), The Homeward Wolf (2013), Heart Waters (2015) and Our Place: Changing the Nature of Alberta (2017) Moderator: Heather Oxman Date: Thursday, January 4, 2018 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (below the Keg restaurant) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Since 1986, National Philanthropy Day has been celebrated on November 15 in the US following the signing of a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan. In 2013, the Canadian government signed into law a similar proclamation to celebrate November 15 as National Philanthropy Day in Canada. Donating and volunteering of course does not begin nor stop on that day, but it does serve the purpose of drawing attention to the importance of “giving back” to the many causes that increasingly rely on philanthropic assistance. Almost half of Canada’s population over 15 years of age volunteer an average of 150 hours per year or nearly 2 billion hours in total donated. Yearly monetary donations to Canadian charitable and non-profit organizations amount to approx. $15 billion. Of that total, two-thirds of the donations were made by the most generous 10 percent of the donors. Around 40 percent of all financial donations went to religious organizations while health and social service groups received nearly 25 percent of the total. How was National Philanthropy Day celebrated in Lethbridge and how does this community generally stack up in terms of giving and volunteering? The speaker will shed light on that question and contend that showing love for humanity is more than wealthy individuals and companies donating millions of dollars to charities and institutions. It is the numerous acts of charity and volunteerism, however small, that make a huge impact on people’s lives …….. including your own. Speaker: Brandie Lea You may wonder how in the world a person with a Graduate Degree in Kinesiology ends up as a “Recruiter for Noble Causes” (i.e. Fundraiser). Brandie graduated from the University of Lethbridge with an MSc in Kinesiology, yet has been involved in the non-for-profit world for almost 10 years. She began her path at Covenant Health working as the Foundation Coordinator for the St. Michael’s Health Centre, and recently graduated from that role into a position as Faculty Development Officer for the University of Lethbridge. Brandie is an eye-witness to many of the big hearts and brilliant people that are found in our city. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and is currently involved at the board level. She has also been part of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and volunteered as a member of their Board of Directors. Most recently Brandie was instrumental in initiating a Chamber committee known as the Corporate Philanthropy Taskforce. Her engagement with this Taskforce, as well as her role with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, gave her a flash of inspiration that led to a city-wide message of thanks to our local citizens. #ThanksYQL was a phenomenal week of appreciation that she hopes touched nearly everyone. Moderator: Knud Petersen Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (below the Keg restaurant) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Since 1986, National Philanthropy Day has been celebrated on November 15 in the US following the signing of a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan. In 2013, the Canadian government signed into law a similar proclamation to celebrate November 15 as National Philanthropy Day in Canada. Donating and volunteering of course does not begin nor stop on that day, but it does serve the purpose of drawing attention to the importance of “giving back” to the many causes that increasingly rely on philanthropic assistance. Almost half of Canada’s population over 15 years of age volunteer an average of 150 hours per year or nearly 2 billion hours in total donated. Yearly monetary donations to Canadian charitable and non-profit organizations amount to approx. $15 billion. Of that total, two-thirds of the donations were made by the most generous 10 percent of the donors. Around 40 percent of all financial donations went to religious organizations while health and social service groups received nearly 25 percent of the total. How was National Philanthropy Day celebrated in Lethbridge and how does this community generally stack up in terms of giving and volunteering? The speaker will shed light on that question and contend that showing love for humanity is more than wealthy individuals and companies donating millions of dollars to charities and institutions. It is the numerous acts of charity and volunteerism, however small, that make a huge impact on people’s lives …….. including your own. Speaker: Brandie Lea You may wonder how in the world a person with a Graduate Degree in Kinesiology ends up as a “Recruiter for Noble Causes” (i.e. Fundraiser). Brandie graduated from the University of Lethbridge with an MSc in Kinesiology, yet has been involved in the non-for-profit world for almost 10 years. She began her path at Covenant Health working as the Foundation Coordinator for the St. Michael’s Health Centre, and recently graduated from that role into a position as Faculty Development Officer for the University of Lethbridge. Brandie is an eye-witness to many of the big hearts and brilliant people that are found in our city. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and is currently involved at the board level. She has also been part of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and volunteered as a member of their Board of Directors. Most recently Brandie was instrumental in initiating a Chamber committee known as the Corporate Philanthropy Taskforce. Her engagement with this Taskforce, as well as her role with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, gave her a flash of inspiration that led to a city-wide message of thanks to our local citizens. #ThanksYQL was a phenomenal week of appreciation that she hopes touched nearly everyone. Moderator: Knud Petersen Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (below the Keg restaurant) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Many Canadians are now sitting 9 hours or more per day whether they are part of the work force or retired. There may be health risks associated with “too much sitting”, and this has given birth to the catch phrase, ‘sitting is the new smoking’. A large percentage of today’s jobs require people to work sitting in front of a computer and although increasing numbers now have the option to stand, there is little doubt that a sedentary lifestyle can affect your well-being, especially in your “golden” years. For the majority of the speaker’s research life, the focus was directed towards studies of physical activity across the lifespan and healthy aging. Now she is interested in also studying the opposite end of the movement spectrum – sedentary behaviour. There has been a shift away from looking at physical activity in isolation, because we now know that all daily movement behaviours interact to influence your health. The speaker will talk about her latest research into how sedentary time affects our overall health. She will also offer some creative suggestions on ways to sit less and move more every day! Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Copeland Jennifer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. She completed a B.Sc. in Biology at Mount Allison University and attended graduate school at the University of New Brunswick where she earned a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology. Jennifer’s main research interests are the effect of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on health across the lifespan, with a particular focus on healthy ageing. Jennifer is passionate about translating research into knowledge with the hope that her work can ultimately contribute to improving population health. To achieve that goal she regularly collaborates with community partners and stakeholders, and also takes every opportunity to present and explain the evidence of why people of all ages should move more and sit less. Moderator: Knud Petersen Date: Thursday, December 7, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Many Canadians are now sitting 9 hours or more per day whether they are part of the work force or retired. There may be health risks associated with “too much sitting”, and this has given birth to the catch phrase, ‘sitting is the new smoking’. A large percentage of today’s jobs require people to work sitting in front of a computer and although increasing numbers now have the option to stand, there is little doubt that a sedentary lifestyle can affect your well-being, especially in your “golden” years. For the majority of the speaker’s research life, the focus was directed towards studies of physical activity across the lifespan and healthy aging. Now she is interested in also studying the opposite end of the movement spectrum – sedentary behaviour. There has been a shift away from looking at physical activity in isolation, because we now know that all daily movement behaviours interact to influence your health. The speaker will talk about her latest research into how sedentary time affects our overall health. She will also offer some creative suggestions on ways to sit less and move more every day! Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Copeland Jennifer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. She completed a B.Sc. in Biology at Mount Allison University and attended graduate school at the University of New Brunswick where she earned a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology. Jennifer’s main research interests are the effect of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on health across the lifespan, with a particular focus on healthy ageing. Jennifer is passionate about translating research into knowledge with the hope that her work can ultimately contribute to improving population health. To achieve that goal she regularly collaborates with community partners and stakeholders, and also takes every opportunity to present and explain the evidence of why people of all ages should move more and sit less. Moderator: Knud Petersen Date: Thursday, December 7, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Alberta’s minimum wage increased to $13.60 on Oct 1, 2017 and is scheduled for a further hike to $15 on Oct 1, 2018. As well, thanks to recent changes to the provincial Labour Code, it will now be a little easier for workers to exercise their constitutional right to join a union and bargain collectively with their employers. What will that mean for Alberta businesses and workers? Arguably, the people who light their hair on fire about unions are the same ones who said tax cuts for the rich would bring prosperity for everyone (instead, they brought rising inequality); that budget cuts could end recessions (instead, they ended up making them worse); and that de-regulation would strengthen the economy (instead, it brought us things like the global financial crisis of 2008). It can be said too that the process of collective bargaining between workers and employers is good for both workers and the economy. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the OECD have all concluded that jurisdictions who support and facilitate collective bargaining have stronger economies than those that do not, mainly because of increased consumer purchasing power. The speaker will contend that even though Alberta’s average wages are nearly 20 per cent higher than the national average, the province is likely to lead the country in investments and economic growth this coming year. Speaker: Gil McGowan Gil McGowan is serving his third term as the elected president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, Alberta’s largest union advocacy organization representing more than 170,000 workers from unions in both the public and private sectors. He also serves as a board member for Friends of Medicare and the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute.??Under McGowan’s leadership, the AFL has been successful in moving a number of work-related issues to the centre of public debate in Alberta, including: workplace health and safety; the use (and abuse) of temporary foreign workers; and the increasing loss of oil sands jobs as the result of raw bitumen exports. As well, McGowan played an important role in campaigns to increase the provincial minimum wage and to stop the introduction of former Premier Ralph Klein’s controversial Third Way plan for health care. Moderator: Bev Muendel-Atherstone Date: Thursday, November 30, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Alberta’s minimum wage increased to $13.60 on Oct 1, 2017 and is scheduled for a further hike to $15 on Oct 1, 2018. As well, thanks to recent changes to the provincial Labour Code, it will now be a little easier for workers to exercise their constitutional right to join a union and bargain collectively with their employers. What will that mean for Alberta businesses and workers? Arguably, the people who light their hair on fire about unions are the same ones who said tax cuts for the rich would bring prosperity for everyone (instead, they brought rising inequality); that budget cuts could end recessions (instead, they ended up making them worse); and that de-regulation would strengthen the economy (instead, it brought us things like the global financial crisis of 2008). It can be said too that the process of collective bargaining between workers and employers is good for both workers and the economy. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the OECD have all concluded that jurisdictions who support and facilitate collective bargaining have stronger economies than those that do not, mainly because of increased consumer purchasing power. The speaker will contend that even though Alberta’s average wages are nearly 20 per cent higher than the national average, the province is likely to lead the country in investments and economic growth this coming year. Speaker: Gil McGowan Gil McGowan is serving his third term as the elected president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, Alberta’s largest union advocacy organization representing more than 170,000 workers from unions in both the public and private sectors. He also serves as a board member for Friends of Medicare and the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute.??Under McGowan’s leadership, the AFL has been successful in moving a number of work-related issues to the centre of public debate in Alberta, including: workplace health and safety; the use (and abuse) of temporary foreign workers; and the increasing loss of oil sands jobs as the result of raw bitumen exports. As well, McGowan played an important role in campaigns to increase the provincial minimum wage and to stop the introduction of former Premier Ralph Klein’s controversial Third Way plan for health care. Moderator: Bev Muendel-Atherstone Date: Thursday, November 30, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $14.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary