Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Carding is the police practice of arbitrarily stopping people in public for identification and questioning. The practice has come under fire as discriminatory and a violation of civil rights. And while some jurisdictions are working to reduce or eliminate this practice, it is arguable still commonplace in Lethbridge and Alberta. Data shows black people may be nine times more likely and Indigenous people five times more likely to be stopped and asked by police to provide identification and other personal information in Lethbridge. Should police be able to stop people and ask for information without being advised that they can refuse to answer without consequence? Is carding part of an ongoing systemic racist practice and an example of discrimination in our system? Will consultations by the Alberta Government result in tighter regulations? Generally, there are questions whether carding is in fact a legal process and there are court challenges ongoing in Ontario asking if carding is consistent with Canadian law. The speaker will argue that it should stop, but if any form of carding is to continue, protection to prevent random or arbitrary stops should be in place by providing clear reasons why people are being questioned. Receipts by the investigating officer should also be provided to individuals indicating reasons for such stops. Speaker: Miranda Hlady Miranda was likely Canada’s youngest lawyer at the time of her Yukon Territory bar call in May 2012. She completed a rotation for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada during her articles and has worked for her entire career almost exclusively in the area of criminal defense. Miranda is active in her community as a volunteer. She was the 2013 recipient of a Volunteer Excellence Award from Volunteer Lethbridge and a 2014 YWCA Young Woman of Promise. As a law school student she was the recipient of the Maritime Law Book Award in Ethics and Professional Responsibility. She volunteers regularly for Lethbridge Legal Guidance and has also volunteered for Law Day, the Lethbridge Bar Association, Pro Bono Law Alberta and the Public Legal Education of Alberta Program Moderator: Michelle Day Date: Thursday, October 19, 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

Carding is the police practice of arbitrarily stopping people in public for identification and questioning. The practice has come under fire as discriminatory and a violation of civil rights. And while some jurisdictions are working to reduce or eliminate this practice, it is arguable still commonplace in Lethbridge and Alberta. Data shows black people may be nine times more likely and Indigenous people five times more likely to be stopped and asked by police to provide identification and other personal information in Lethbridge. Should police be able to stop people and ask for information without being advised that they can refuse to answer without consequence? Is carding part of an ongoing systemic racist practice and an example of discrimination in our system? Will consultations by the Alberta Government result in tighter regulations? Generally, there are questions whether carding is in fact a legal process and there are court challenges ongoing in Ontario asking if carding is consistent with Canadian law. The speaker will argue that it should stop, but if any form of carding is to continue, protection to prevent random or arbitrary stops should be in place by providing clear reasons why people are being questioned. Receipts by the investigating officer should also be provided to individuals indicating reasons for such stops. Speaker: Miranda Hlady Miranda was likely Canada’s youngest lawyer at the time of her Yukon Territory bar call in May 2012. She completed a rotation for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada during her articles and has worked for her entire career almost exclusively in the area of criminal defense. Miranda is active in her community as a volunteer. She was the 2013 recipient of a Volunteer Excellence Award from Volunteer Lethbridge and a 2014 YWCA Young Woman of Promise. As a law school student she was the recipient of the Maritime Law Book Award in Ethics and Professional Responsibility. She volunteers regularly for Lethbridge Legal Guidance and has also volunteered for Law Day, the Lethbridge Bar Association, Pro Bono Law Alberta and the Public Legal Education of Alberta Program Moderator: Michelle Day Date: Thursday, October 19, 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

The Senate is going through a period of remarkable change as the institution aims to become more independent, transparent, and accountable and less partisan. A significant part of this modernization process has involved the establishment of a new, non-partisan, merit-based process to advise on Senate appointments. Furthermore, the Government has created a Representative Team in the Senate, consisting of three Independent Senators, to ensure Senate business can be effectively coordinated in Parliament.  These measures have catalyzed changes that will have an historic impact on how the Senate functions, improve its capacity to serve Canadians, and help restore public confidence. The speaker will share his perspective on the changing dynamics in the Senate of Canada and outline his role as Government Liaison. Speaker: Senator Grant Mitchell Senator Grant Mitchell is proud to represent Alberta as an Independent Senator. He has had careers in the public service, business, and politics in Alberta, and was called to the Senate in 2005. He received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science from the University of Alberta in 1973, a Master of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University in 1976 and a Chartered Financial Analyst title in 1983. He worked for the Government of Alberta from 1976 until 1979 and then became an executive for the Principal Group until 1986. From 1994 until 1998, Senator Mitchell was leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and leader of Alberta’s official opposition. He was a member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly for the riding of Edmonton McClung and served his constituents with dedication and diligence from 1986 to 1998. Senator Mitchell later worked as an investment advisor and taught graduate level courses at the University of Calgary and Edmonton.  Senator Mitchell was appointed to the position of Government Liaison in the Senate in May 2016. As Government Liaison he is one of 3 members of the Government Representative Team in the Senate, responsible for helping guide government legislation through the Upper Chamber whilst advocating for a transparent and accountable Senate that works for Canadians. He is an advocate for Senate modernization, and takes a proactive role in contributing to Senate reform. Moderator: Heather Oxman Date: Thursday, Oct 12, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) 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

The Senate is going through a period of remarkable change as the institution aims to become more independent, transparent, and accountable and less partisan. A significant part of this modernization process has involved the establishment of a new, non-partisan, merit-based process to advise on Senate appointments. Furthermore, the Government has created a Representative Team in the Senate, consisting of three Independent Senators, to ensure Senate business can be effectively coordinated in Parliament.  These measures have catalyzed changes that will have an historic impact on how the Senate functions, improve its capacity to serve Canadians, and help restore public confidence. The speaker will share his perspective on the changing dynamics in the Senate of Canada and outline his role as Government Liaison. Speaker: Senator Grant Mitchell Senator Grant Mitchell is proud to represent Alberta as an Independent Senator. He has had careers in the public service, business, and politics in Alberta, and was called to the Senate in 2005. He received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science from the University of Alberta in 1973, a Master of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University in 1976 and a Chartered Financial Analyst title in 1983. He worked for the Government of Alberta from 1976 until 1979 and then became an executive for the Principal Group until 1986. From 1994 until 1998, Senator Mitchell was leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and leader of Alberta’s official opposition. He was a member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly for the riding of Edmonton McClung and served his constituents with dedication and diligence from 1986 to 1998. Senator Mitchell later worked as an investment advisor and taught graduate level courses at the University of Calgary and Edmonton.  Senator Mitchell was appointed to the position of Government Liaison in the Senate in May 2016. As Government Liaison he is one of 3 members of the Government Representative Team in the Senate, responsible for helping guide government legislation through the Upper Chamber whilst advocating for a transparent and accountable Senate that works for Canadians. He is an advocate for Senate modernization, and takes a proactive role in contributing to Senate reform. Moderator: Heather Oxman Date: Thursday, Oct 12, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) 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

Liberal education and its role in the 21st century do not appear to be widely understood or valued in society as a whole. Many parents and prospective students are attracted to professional programs or applied studies perceiving that they are the best routes for gainful employment. The University of Lethbridge is committed to a strong liberal education program at the undergraduate level but needs to modernize and remodel the program and communicate the uniqueness of its approach and the positive outcomes of such an education. Many University of Lethbride graduates only understand the value of their liberal education degree years after the fact. This observation underscores their degree’s true worth as a pathway to meaningful employment and engaged living, but also how challenging it might be to build a tangible case for liberal education in today’s crowded market. The speaker will give perspective to U of L’s long standing commitment of supporting liberal education and offer insight into U of L’s decision to recently establish a dedicated School of Liberal Education. Speaker: Dr Andrew Hakin Andrew Hakin became the Vice President (Academic) & Provost at University of Lethbridge in July of 2007 after serving for approximately 2 years as the Associate Vice President (Academic). After obtaining a BSc and a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Leicester in England, Andrew joined the University of Alberta as a post-doctoral fellow in 1987.  In 1989 Andrew joined the Chemistry Department at the University of Lethbridge as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Professor in 2003. Andrew served as Chair of his department and was active in the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association where he served as President in 2001.  Andrew is a recipient of the University of Lethbridge Distinguished Teacher Award (2000) and the Stig Sunner Award for outstanding contributions to the field of thermo chemistry (2003). More recently he helped to create the Centre for the Advancement of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CAETL) at the University to further promote the importance of teaching within the academy. Moderator:   Chelsea Sherbut Date: Thursday, Oct 5, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Liberal education and its role in the 21st century do not appear to be widely understood or valued in society as a whole. Many parents and prospective students are attracted to professional programs or applied studies perceiving that they are the best routes for gainful employment. The University of Lethbridge is committed to a strong liberal education program at the undergraduate level but needs to modernize and remodel the program and communicate the uniqueness of its approach and the positive outcomes of such an education. Many University of Lethbride graduates only understand the value of their liberal education degree years after the fact. This observation underscores their degree’s true worth as a pathway to meaningful employment and engaged living, but also how challenging it might be to build a tangible case for liberal education in today’s crowded market. The speaker will give perspective to U of L’s long standing commitment of supporting liberal education and offer insight into U of L’s decision to recently establish a dedicated School of Liberal Education. Speaker: Dr Andrew Hakin Andrew Hakin became the Vice President (Academic) & Provost at University of Lethbridge in July of 2007 after serving for approximately 2 years as the Associate Vice President (Academic). After obtaining a BSc and a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Leicester in England, Andrew joined the University of Alberta as a post-doctoral fellow in 1987.  In 1989 Andrew joined the Chemistry Department at the University of Lethbridge as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Professor in 2003. Andrew served as Chair of his department and was active in the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association where he served as President in 2001.  Andrew is a recipient of the University of Lethbridge Distinguished Teacher Award (2000) and the Stig Sunner Award for outstanding contributions to the field of thermo chemistry (2003). More recently he helped to create the Centre for the Advancement of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CAETL) at the University to further promote the importance of teaching within the academy. Moderator:   Chelsea Sherbut Date: Thursday, Oct 5, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Hurricanes, typhoons, killer heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires — these things seem to be getting worse all the time. Are these events caused by global warming? Or are they just bad weather? Climate scientists are careful to explain that one cannot attribute any particular storm or wildfire to climate change alone. But there is strong evidence that global warming is steadily increasing the chance that the intensity and sometimes the frequency of such disasters will occur. Climate is complex, but the simple fact is that there is more heat than there used to be in the atmosphere and oceans and all that heat has to go somewhere. And go it will, whether or not there are people with their vulnerable infrastructures in the way. Is the human species doomed? The speaker will say that reports of our imminent extinction are greatly exaggerated. But there is no hope of getting through our present ecological bottleneck without acknowledging the reality and the seriousness of the self-induced survival challenges our species faces today. The speaker will sketch some of the reasons why he think we still have a good chance of seeing our way out of this jam, with special reference to priorities here in Alberta. Speaker: Dr. Kent Peacock Dr. Peacock attained his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1991. In 1996 he joined the University of Lethbridge. His special interests are professional ethics, environmental issues, logic, and foundations of physics. These interests impelled his inquiry into issues related to acquiring and applying energy to the needs of modern global society. Moderator:   Tad Mitsui Date: Thursday, Sep 28, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Hurricanes, typhoons, killer heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires — these things seem to be getting worse all the time. Are these events caused by global warming? Or are they just bad weather? Climate scientists are careful to explain that one cannot attribute any particular storm or wildfire to climate change alone. But there is strong evidence that global warming is steadily increasing the chance that the intensity and sometimes the frequency of such disasters will occur. Climate is complex, but the simple fact is that there is more heat than there used to be in the atmosphere and oceans and all that heat has to go somewhere. And go it will, whether or not there are people with their vulnerable infrastructures in the way. Is the human species doomed? The speaker will say that reports of our imminent extinction are greatly exaggerated. But there is no hope of getting through our present ecological bottleneck without acknowledging the reality and the seriousness of the self-induced survival challenges our species faces today. The speaker will sketch some of the reasons why he think we still have a good chance of seeing our way out of this jam, with special reference to priorities here in Alberta. Speaker: Dr. Kent Peacock Dr. Peacock attained his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1991. In 1996 he joined the University of Lethbridge. His special interests are professional ethics, environmental issues, logic, and foundations of physics. These interests impelled his inquiry into issues related to acquiring and applying energy to the needs of modern global society. Moderator:   Tad Mitsui Date: Thursday, Sep 28, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

At a time when The House of Commons, The Senate and all institutions generally are facing criticism, it can be argued that the long awaited reform of the Canadian Senate couldn’t come at a better time. Indeed, a group of Senators are working on reforms to make the institution less partisan and more effective. The initiative is still being defined and obviously not everyone agrees with recommended changes. However, in the face of public disillusionment with the Senate, bold and decisive reform seems appropriate. Nevertheless, such changes cannot be made without careful consideration by the 36 Conservatives, 35 Independents, 18 Liberals and 7 Non-affiliated Senators currently making up Canada’s Senate. The speaker will relate her views on Senate reform and describe how partisanship sometimes can be beneficial and other times not, while debating legislation and considering amendments to such.   Speaker: The Honourable Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M The Honourable Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M. was appointed to the Senate of Canada on December 22, 2008. She sits as an Independent Senator from Saskatchewan. Pamela is an Officer of the Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honour (2007) and a member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (1999). She has fourteen Honourary Doctorates and was named to the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame.  She is also a former Chancellor of the University of Guelph.   Pamela served as Canada’s Consul General in New York from 2002-2006, in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11.  She was then named to the Special Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan who successfully recommended support and airlift for our service personnel. She is committed to building and enhancing the military/civilian understanding and continues to work with veterans.  She is an active volunteer, and has been recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for her public service and numerous achievements. She is the author of three best-selling books. The wide-ranging career of the journalist, diplomat, entrepreneur and Senator has spanned more than 40 years, several continents, and always with a focus on politics and foreign policy. Moderator: Trevor Page Date: Thursday, Sep 21, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

At a time when The House of Commons, The Senate and all institutions generally are facing criticism, it can be argued that the long awaited reform of the Canadian Senate couldn’t come at a better time. Indeed, a group of Senators are working on reforms to make the institution less partisan and more effective. The initiative is still being defined and obviously not everyone agrees with recommended changes. However, in the face of public disillusionment with the Senate, bold and decisive reform seems appropriate. Nevertheless, such changes cannot be made without careful consideration by the 36 Conservatives, 35 Independents, 18 Liberals and 7 Non-affiliated Senators currently making up Canada’s Senate. The speaker will relate her views on Senate reform and describe how partisanship sometimes can be beneficial and other times not, while debating legislation and considering amendments to such.   Speaker: The Honourable Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M The Honourable Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M. was appointed to the Senate of Canada on December 22, 2008. She sits as an Independent Senator from Saskatchewan. Pamela is an Officer of the Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honour (2007) and a member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (1999). She has fourteen Honourary Doctorates and was named to the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame.  She is also a former Chancellor of the University of Guelph.   Pamela served as Canada’s Consul General in New York from 2002-2006, in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11.  She was then named to the Special Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan who successfully recommended support and airlift for our service personnel. She is committed to building and enhancing the military/civilian understanding and continues to work with veterans.  She is an active volunteer, and has been recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for her public service and numerous achievements. She is the author of three best-selling books. The wide-ranging career of the journalist, diplomat, entrepreneur and Senator has spanned more than 40 years, several continents, and always with a focus on politics and foreign policy. Moderator: Trevor Page Date: Thursday, Sep 21, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary