Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Canada has a long and sometimes forgotten history of accepting refugees dating back to its founding. This history connects with present-day refugee approaches and challenges that are in contrast with the emerging policies and attitudes south of our border and in many other countries. It is not only Canada’s reliance on a provision in the 1976 Immigration Act that allows for groups of individuals to privately sponsor refugees that makes Canada a possible model for other countries, but our distinction as an accepting and supportive home for refugees. Refugees to Canada indeed come from war-torn, discriminatory and poor countries throughout the world. Canada resettled 60,000 refugees from places like Vietnam and Cambodia between 1979 and 1980, for example, including about 34,000 who were privately sponsored. Nearly 300,000 refugees have resettled in Canada since the late 1970s.That extraordinary effort helped Canada win the 1986 UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award in recognition of the collective work of the government and residents. But, refugees from other places have also enriched Canada for a very long time. It is those streams that will be discussed here as forming a fundamental part of our country and communities. Speaker: Dr. Susan McDaniel Dr. Susan McDaniel is Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Global Population and Life Course, Prentice Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, Director of the Prentice Institute and Professor of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. Dr. McDaniel relocated to Lethbridge in the summer of 2009 from the University of Utah where for two years she was Professor and Senior Investigator in the Institute for Public & International Affairs. She had previously taught at the Universities of Alberta and Waterloo. An internationally known sociologist/social demographer, Dr. McDaniel is the author of many books and research articles. She has been the recipient of many awards and honours: She has long been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and last year was awarded the Ingrid Speaker Medal by the U of L for Outstanding Research. She is a frequent advisor on social and science policies both in Canada and around the World. Dr. McDaniel serves as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Canadian Council of Academies (CCA). Recently, the CCA has been asked by the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice to do assessments related to Medical Assistance in Dying. Moderator: TBA Date: Thursday, June 8, 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

As police services struggle to address addictions and spin-off crime, it has become clear the days of a law and order-only approach are over. Crime and disorder are the effect, not the cause and while the concept of harm reduction may seem contrary to the fundamental principles of law enforcement, the reality is we cannot arrest our way out of this situation. There will always be a need for traditional proactive and reactive policing, but it’s important for the public to understand that only about 20 per cent of the incidents police deal with are actually criminal in nature. The vast majority of calls for service – roughly 80 per cent – are non-criminal matters that arise from social issues such as addictions, substance abuse and mental illness, and an endless cycle of arrest, detention and release does little to address these root causes or change the behaviour. Over the past two years, the significant increase in fatal overdoses as a result of the abuse of fentanyl and other street drugs has been declared a public health crisis. Police have also seen a sharp increase in the volume of drug-related crime as addicts commit offences to fuel their habit or pay off drug debts. To reduce drug-related deaths and curb crime and social disorder, the need for sustainable harm reduction strategies has never been greater. The Lethbridge Police Service is part of a broad-based coalition of leaders, including health, EMS, justice, post-secondary and municipal, public and social service sectors working to advance harm reduction initiatives that will not only support individuals struggling with addictions and other social issues, but help protect the rest of society from their actions. Speaker: Rob Davis, Lethbridge Police Chief Rob Davis has served as a police officer for 26 years and was sworn in as Chief of the Lethbridge Police Service in 2015. Davis began his career with the Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Police Service as a Special Constable while he was completing a sociology degree from McMaster University. Over the years he rose through the ranks while serving with various agencies in Ontario, including the Nishawbe Aski Police, Six Nations Police Service and Dryden Police Service. He was also seconded to the RCMP where he served at the Canadian Police College contributing to the creation and delivery of courses designed to combat the impacts of gangs and organized crime on Aboriginal populations. Davis is a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and the only Aboriginal to serve as Chief of Police for non-Aboriginal Police Services in Ontario and Alberta. Moderator: Chelsea Sherbut Date: Thursday, June 1, 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

As police services struggle to address addictions and spin-off crime, it has become clear the days of a law and order-only approach are over. Crime and disorder are the effect, not the cause and while the concept of harm reduction may seem contrary to the fundamental principles of law enforcement, the reality is we cannot arrest our way out of this situation. There will always be a need for traditional proactive and reactive policing, but it’s important for the public to understand that only about 20 per cent of the incidents police deal with are actually criminal in nature. The vast majority of calls for service – roughly 80 per cent – are non-criminal matters that arise from social issues such as addictions, substance abuse and mental illness, and an endless cycle of arrest, detention and release does little to address these root causes or change the behaviour. Over the past two years, the significant increase in fatal overdoses as a result of the abuse of fentanyl and other street drugs has been declared a public health crisis. Police have also seen a sharp increase in the volume of drug-related crime as addicts commit offences to fuel their habit or pay off drug debts. To reduce drug-related deaths and curb crime and social disorder, the need for sustainable harm reduction strategies has never been greater. The Lethbridge Police Service is part of a broad-based coalition of leaders, including health, EMS, justice, post-secondary and municipal, public and social service sectors working to advance harm reduction initiatives that will not only support individuals struggling with addictions and other social issues, but help protect the rest of society from their actions. Speaker: Rob Davis, Lethbridge Police Chief Rob Davis has served as a police officer for 26 years and was sworn in as Chief of the Lethbridge Police Service in 2015. Davis began his career with the Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Police Service as a Special Constable while he was completing a sociology degree from McMaster University. Over the years he rose through the ranks while serving with various agencies in Ontario, including the Nishawbe Aski Police, Six Nations Police Service and Dryden Police Service. He was also seconded to the RCMP where he served at the Canadian Police College contributing to the creation and delivery of courses designed to combat the impacts of gangs and organized crime on Aboriginal populations. Davis is a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and the only Aboriginal to serve as Chief of Police for non-Aboriginal Police Services in Ontario and Alberta. Moderator: Chelsea Sherbut Date: Thursday, June 1, 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

A number of factors contributed to the creation of Canada’s first public community college here in Lethbridge. A growing population, the prosperity of post-war southern Alberta with the size and wealth of the City, and the lack of post-secondary educational opportunities in the southern part of the province all factored into the formation of Lethbridge Junior College as it opened in 1957 with 38 students enrolled for classes in space leased at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute high school. When the first classes got underway, the College Board began searching for a permanent campus site and in the end settled on 80 acres of land south of the City with the first buildings ready in 1962. Unique in many ways, the College campus offered and housed both university and non-university courses in the same place in those early years. When the University of Lethbridge was established in 1967, it was initially housed at the College, but moved to their newly built west Lethbridge campus in 1972. Lethbridge Junior College changed its name to Lethbridge Community College in 1969 and to Lethbridge College in 2007 following its steady growth in both educational facilities, students and instructors. Numerous programs have been added over the years and students now number 6500 plus. Much have changed since its humble beginning and the speaker will explain the many factors at play before decisions on adding programs are made. She will also speculate on what the future may hold for Lethbridge College in our fast changing world of high tech, automation and robots. Speaker: Dr. Paula Burns Dr. Paula Burns, the 8th president and CEO of Lethbridge College, is a collaborative leader who invests her commitment, passion and energy to advance education and to support and create a safe and respectful learning environment for all students and staff. Dr. Burns is a life-long learner and appreciates the many opportunities she has to interact with students at the college. Before coming to Lethbridge College in February 2013, Dr. Burns had served as NAIT’s Provost and Vice President Academic. She started on her educational path as a college student at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo in 1996. Later, she attended Central Michigan University, where she earned a Master of Arts in Education in 1999 and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, where she earned her PhD in 2005. She earned her MBA with a specialization in leadership at Royal Roads University in 2010. Moderator:   TBA Date: Thursday, May 25, 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

A number of factors contributed to the creation of Canada’s first public community college here in Lethbridge. A growing population, the prosperity of post-war southern Alberta with the size and wealth of the City, and the lack of post-secondary educational opportunities in the southern part of the province all factored into the formation of Lethbridge Junior College as it opened in 1957 with 38 students enrolled for classes in space leased at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute high school. When the first classes got underway, the College Board began searching for a permanent campus site and in the end settled on 80 acres of land south of the City with the first buildings ready in 1962. Unique in many ways, the College campus offered and housed both university and non-university courses in the same place in those early years. When the University of Lethbridge was established in 1967, it was initially housed at the College, but moved to their newly built west Lethbridge campus in 1972. Lethbridge Junior College changed its name to Lethbridge Community College in 1969 and to Lethbridge College in 2007 following its steady growth in both educational facilities, students and instructors. Numerous programs have been added over the years and students now number 6500 plus. Much have changed since its humble beginning and the speaker will explain the many factors at play before decisions on adding programs are made. She will also speculate on what the future may hold for Lethbridge College in our fast changing world of high tech, automation and robots. Speaker: Dr. Paula Burns Dr. Paula Burns, the 8th president and CEO of Lethbridge College, is a collaborative leader who invests her commitment, passion and energy to advance education and to support and create a safe and respectful learning environment for all students and staff. Dr. Burns is a life-long learner and appreciates the many opportunities she has to interact with students at the college. Before coming to Lethbridge College in February 2013, Dr. Burns had served as NAIT’s Provost and Vice President Academic. She started on her educational path as a college student at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo in 1996. Later, she attended Central Michigan University, where she earned a Master of Arts in Education in 1999 and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, where she earned her PhD in 2005. She earned her MBA with a specialization in leadership at Royal Roads University in 2010. Moderator:   TBA Date: Thursday, May 25, 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

From its humble beginning at Lethbridge College in 1967 with 825 undergraduate students, the University of Lethbridge is now home to over 8400 students, including graduate students, at its campuses in Lethbridge and Calgary. The growth has been fairly steady – almost 4300 students at its 25th anniversary – but heavily driven by students from afar, particularly Calgary. Founded on the principals of a liberal education, U of L still aspires to that ideal and recently just approved a new School of Liberal Education. However, it may be a delicate balance to increasingly demonstrate research power while remaining committed to the undergraduate student. It can be said that U of L is now a global institution, with students from more than 80 countries and U of L students furthering their studies at institutions in all corners of the world. 50 years in the life of an institution arguably represents adolescence and preparing for the next generations will mean providing students at all levels with high quality research experiences through enhanced community outreach, industry engagement and knowledge mobilization. The speaker will outline how some key project decisions made in the past has affected U of L and also speculate on what the future holds in the context of shrinking operational funding notwithstanding the Alberta Government’s $260 million investment in U of L’s new science building. Speaker: Dr. Mike Mahon Dr. Mike Mahon was installed as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge in 2010 and reappointed for a second term beginning July 1, 2015. As the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, Dr. Mahon is committed to building a comprehensive, Destination University in western Canada.  During his first term, Dr. Mahon introduced the university’s first Academic and Strategic Research Plan followed closely by Destination 2020, the University of Lethbridge Strategic Plan.  Under these plans, Dr. Mahon initiated the “Destination Project”, a monumental construction project to develop a new science and academic building and was successful in obtaining a $260 million investment from the Government of Alberta to fund the $280 million project. A former two sport university athlete, Dr. Mahon serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (USports). Dr. Mahon is also on the Board of Directors of Universities Canada where he serves as Chair of the Governance Committee and is the current Chair of the Council of Western Canadian University Presidents. Moderator:   Hailey Babb, U of L Student Union President Date: Thursday, May 18, 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)

From its humble beginning at Lethbridge College in 1967 with 825 undergraduate students, the University of Lethbridge is now home to over 8400 students, including graduate students, at its campuses in Lethbridge and Calgary. The growth has been fairly steady – almost 4300 students at its 25th anniversary – but heavily driven by students from afar, particularly Calgary. Founded on the principals of a liberal education, U of L still aspires to that ideal and recently just approved a new School of Liberal Education. However, it may be a delicate balance to increasingly demonstrate research power while remaining committed to the undergraduate student. It can be said that U of L is now a global institution, with students from more than 80 countries and U of L students furthering their studies at institutions in all corners of the world. 50 years in the life of an institution arguably represents adolescence and preparing for the next generations will mean providing students at all levels with high quality research experiences through enhanced community outreach, industry engagement and knowledge mobilization. The speaker will outline how some key project decisions made in the past has affected U of L and also speculate on what the future holds in the context of shrinking operational funding notwithstanding the Alberta Government’s $260 million investment in U of L’s new science building. Speaker: Dr. Mike Mahon Dr. Mike Mahon was installed as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge in 2010 and reappointed for a second term beginning July 1, 2015. As the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, Dr. Mahon is committed to building a comprehensive, Destination University in western Canada.  During his first term, Dr. Mahon introduced the university’s first Academic and Strategic Research Plan followed closely by Destination 2020, the University of Lethbridge Strategic Plan.  Under these plans, Dr. Mahon initiated the “Destination Project”, a monumental construction project to develop a new science and academic building and was successful in obtaining a $260 million investment from the Government of Alberta to fund the $280 million project. A former two sport university athlete, Dr. Mahon serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (USports). Dr. Mahon is also on the Board of Directors of Universities Canada where he serves as Chair of the Governance Committee and is the current Chair of the Council of Western Canadian University Presidents. Moderator:   Hailey Babb, U of L Student Union President Date: Thursday, May 18, 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)

As the Syrian conflict enters its seventh year, almost half a million Syrians have been killed in the fighting, more than a million injured and nearly half the country's prewar population of 25 million have been displaced from their homes. What became known as the “Arab Spring” in 2011, toppled presidents of Tunisian, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and is ongoing. Peaceful protests also erupted in Syria, but the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more. In July 2011, defectors from the military announced the formation of the “Free Syrian Army”, a rebel group aiming to overthrow the government, and Syria began to slide into civil war. Since the Free Syrian Army formed, many new rebel groups have joined the fighting in Syria, including ISIL, Jabhat Fateh al Sham, Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) dominated by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Arguable, foreign involvement has played a very large role in the Syrian hostilities and the speaker will give perspective to the many factors that have been at play in the Middle East over the past several decades and eventually contributing to the carnage in Syria, Palestine and Iraq specifically, and the region in general. Speaker: Mohammad Abushaban Mohammed Abushaban is a Palestinian Canadian who immigrated to Ottawa to pursue higher education and opportunity. He is a Computer Science graduate with many years of global experience in the Information Technology and Telecommunication field; most recently, having founded his own company in the UAE, before deciding to return to Canada in 2015. Through personal experience, Mr. Abushaban is intimately familiar with life under occupation and war, as well as the refugee and immigration experience from the Middle East region. It is these experiences which have lent themselves to his heavy involvement with the current Syrian refugees. In supporting and facilitating the entry of these soon-to-be Canadians into a new, bright, but sometimes challenging experience, Mr. Abushaban believes he is giving back to Canada a little of all which it continues to give him and his family. Moderator:   Martin Heavy Head Date: Thursday, May 11, 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)

As the Syrian conflict enters its seventh year, almost half a million Syrians have been killed in the fighting, more than a million injured and nearly half the country's prewar population of 25 million have been displaced from their homes. What became known as the “Arab Spring” in 2011, toppled presidents of Tunisian, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and is ongoing. Peaceful protests also erupted in Syria, but the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more. In July 2011, defectors from the military announced the formation of the “Free Syrian Army”, a rebel group aiming to overthrow the government, and Syria began to slide into civil war. Since the Free Syrian Army formed, many new rebel groups have joined the fighting in Syria, including ISIL, Jabhat Fateh al Sham, Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) dominated by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Arguable, foreign involvement has played a very large role in the Syrian hostilities and the speaker will give perspective to the many factors that have been at play in the Middle East over the past several decades and eventually contributing to the carnage in Syria, Palestine and Iraq specifically, and the region in general. Speaker: Mohammad Abushaban Mohammed Abushaban is a Palestinian Canadian who immigrated to Ottawa to pursue higher education and opportunity. He is a Computer Science graduate with many years of global experience in the Information Technology and Telecommunication field; most recently, having founded his own company in the UAE, before deciding to return to Canada in 2015. Through personal experience, Mr. Abushaban is intimately familiar with life under occupation and war, as well as the refugee and immigration experience from the Middle East region. It is these experiences which have lent themselves to his heavy involvement with the current Syrian refugees. In supporting and facilitating the entry of these soon-to-be Canadians into a new, bright, but sometimes challenging experience, Mr. Abushaban believes he is giving back to Canada a little of all which it continues to give him and his family. Moderator:   Martin Heavy Head Date: Thursday, May 11, 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)

Former MP and federal Conservative cabinet minister Jason Kenney became the new leader of Alberta's Progressive Conservative (PC) Party on March 18, 2017. Kenney ran on a platform to unite Alberta conservatives by dissolving the PC Party and creating a single right-wing party under a new constitution combining with the Wildrose Party of Alberta. Wildrose Leader Brian Jean has roughly the same goal as Kenney but may differ on how to get there. Jean envisions his party being the foundation of a united conservative movement. The Wildrose Party has even registered the name it alone can use to rebrand itself. The Conservative Party of Alberta. Several of the PC Party leadership candidates running against Kenney became disenchanted with the process during the race and withdrew. Recently, Alberta’s PC party president Katherine O'Neill resigned her post, further fueling apparent discontent within that party. The speaker will untangle the intricate web of the politics surrounding this possible right-wing merger in Alberta and speculate on the possibility of such party having their ducks in a row by the next provincial election in 2019. 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. Moderator: Dylan Purcell Date: Thursday, May 4, 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) Visit the SACPA website: http://www.sacpa.ca