Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

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

Our city and communities continue to welcome newcomer youth from around the world. These young people embody unique barriers and strengths, and bring their experiences to the systems that operate in our community. To support the healthy development and active participation of newcomer youth, we must listen to the stories of youth’s experiences and hopes for their new lives and examine our work and actions as a community. Newcomer youth bring with them a variety of strengths including incredible resilience, unique skills and interests, as well as being emergent multilinguals. They often correspondingly face barriers and challenges including racism, limited education or employment opportunities, and working with service providers who are not sufficiently educated or responsive to newcomer youth’s needs. The speakers will highlight the lived experience of newcomer youth, and the action and development of community services which aims to meet their needs. Speakers: Douhouk Dabbas & Kristina Larkin Douhouk Dabbas is from Syria and has been in Canada for one year and three months. She lives with her family and is studying in LCI High School. Kristina Larkin is a Canadian born daughter of an Irish immigrant, and the manager of Youth Settlement Services at Lethbridge Family Services, and has 10 years of youth work experience in Lethbridge. She and her team support newcomer children and youth ages 3 to 25 with in-school and community based programs, and work to structure their programs to truly meet the needs of young people. Moderator:   Mary Shillington Date: Thursday, April 27, 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)

Our city and communities continue to welcome newcomer youth from around the world. These young people embody unique barriers and strengths, and bring their experiences to the systems that operate in our community. To support the healthy development and active participation of newcomer youth, we must listen to the stories of youth’s experiences and hopes for their new lives and examine our work and actions as a community. Newcomer youth bring with them a variety of strengths including incredible resilience, unique skills and interests, as well as being emergent multilinguals. They often correspondingly face barriers and challenges including racism, limited education or employment opportunities, and working with service providers who are not sufficiently educated or responsive to newcomer youth’s needs. The speakers will highlight the lived experience of newcomer youth, and the action and development of community services which aims to meet their needs. Speakers: Douhouk Dabbas & Kristina Larkin Douhouk Dabbas is from Syria and has been in Canada for one year and three months. She lives with her family and is studying in LCI High School. Kristina Larkin is a Canadian born daughter of an Irish immigrant, and the manager of Youth Settlement Services at Lethbridge Family Services, and has 10 years of youth work experience in Lethbridge. She and her team support newcomer children and youth ages 3 to 25 with in-school and community based programs, and work to structure their programs to truly meet the needs of young people. Moderator:   Mary Shillington Date: Thursday, April 27, 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)

In the ever-changing landscape of Canadian agriculture, efficiency is the new buzzword. If cattle feeding efficiency can be increased by about five per cent, Alberta livestock producers can save approx. $100 million a year, even if only one-third of them adopt those efficiency improvements. With about three billion people moving into the middle class in emerging economies like China and India, the demand for meat is likely to increase substantially over the next decades. Canada is one of five or six countries that have the ability to provide this food in a safe, affordable, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable manner. Canadian producers have always done quite well increasing efficiency in their production practices. From 1977 to 2007 for example, producing the same amount of beef required 70% of the animals, 81% of the feed, 88% of the water and 67% of the land. For those who want to count carbon, that resulted in a 16 per cent decrease in the carbon footprint of beef animals. Through genomics and “big date”, scientists are able to select the more efficient animals with heritability of about 40 per cent for those traits. Once low residual feed intake bulls are selected, the process of passing on those genes to their offspring’s can start. The speaker will explain the details of how genomics and “big data” works and speculate on the future of Canadian beef production. Speaker: Dr. Erasmus Okine Dr. Erasmus Okine commenced his term as Vice-President (Research) July 1, 2015, joining the University of Lethbridge from the University of Alberta, where he served in a dual capacity as the Associate Vice-President (Research) and Associate Vice-President (Academic). Dr. Okine’s research interests focus on topics relevant to Canadian agriculture, including: elucidating the roles of the key enzymes involved in marbling and synthesis of sub-cutaneous adipose tissue in beef cattle; providing insights into mechanisms controlling glucose and starch utilization for increased animal productivity; and residual feed intake (RFI), methane emission and mitigation in the ruminant animal, especially in beef cattle. A native of Ghana, Dr. Okine completed his Bachelor of Science (1978) and Master of Science (1981) in Animal Science at the University of Ghana in Legon, followed by his PhD (1990) at the University of Alberta. He served as a lecturer at the University of Ghana from 1983 to 1985, prior to the completion of his PhD in Animal Nutrition and Digestive Physiology. Moderator:   Bobbi Cullum Date: Thursday, April 20, 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)

In the ever-changing landscape of Canadian agriculture, efficiency is the new buzzword. If cattle feeding efficiency can be increased by about five per cent, Alberta livestock producers can save approx. $100 million a year, even if only one-third of them adopt those efficiency improvements. With about three billion people moving into the middle class in emerging economies like China and India, the demand for meat is likely to increase substantially over the next decades. Canada is one of five or six countries that have the ability to provide this food in a safe, affordable, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable manner. Canadian producers have always done quite well increasing efficiency in their production practices. From 1977 to 2007 for example, producing the same amount of beef required 70% of the animals, 81% of the feed, 88% of the water and 67% of the land. For those who want to count carbon, that resulted in a 16 per cent decrease in the carbon footprint of beef animals. Through genomics and “big date”, scientists are able to select the more efficient animals with heritability of about 40 per cent for those traits. Once low residual feed intake bulls are selected, the process of passing on those genes to their offspring’s can start. The speaker will explain the details of how genomics and “big data” works and speculate on the future of Canadian beef production. Speaker: Dr. Erasmus Okine Dr. Erasmus Okine commenced his term as Vice-President (Research) July 1, 2015, joining the University of Lethbridge from the University of Alberta, where he served in a dual capacity as the Associate Vice-President (Research) and Associate Vice-President (Academic). Dr. Okine’s research interests focus on topics relevant to Canadian agriculture, including: elucidating the roles of the key enzymes involved in marbling and synthesis of sub-cutaneous adipose tissue in beef cattle; providing insights into mechanisms controlling glucose and starch utilization for increased animal productivity; and residual feed intake (RFI), methane emission and mitigation in the ruminant animal, especially in beef cattle. A native of Ghana, Dr. Okine completed his Bachelor of Science (1978) and Master of Science (1981) in Animal Science at the University of Ghana in Legon, followed by his PhD (1990) at the University of Alberta. He served as a lecturer at the University of Ghana from 1983 to 1985, prior to the completion of his PhD in Animal Nutrition and Digestive Physiology. Moderator:   Bobbi Cullum Date: Thursday, April 20, 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)

The Alberta NDP government’s 2017 budget was presented on March 16 and projects a $10.3 billion deficit this year on revenue of $45 billion. While the budget will see Alberta go further into the red, despite its implementation of a carbon levy, it also promises hospital spending, new schools and other infrastructure along with more money for seniors and social services. Opposition leaders have loudly been calling for the government to curb pending, saying that the cost of a growing debt load will handicap future generations unfairly. However, Alberta's population is still growing despite the economic downturn caused by low oil/gas prices. Cutting services and deferring capital projects could hurt the economy short term and may jeopardize future prosperity. The budget sets aside $4.5 billion over four years for infrastructure project and $100 million to help First Nations reserves get reliable access to clean drinking water Education spending is on the rise and cutting school fees for parents to the tune of $54 million was announced earlier. Plans to build 10 new schools and upgrade or replace 16 more are in the works as is a freeze on post-secondary tuition fees. The province is investing heavily in tax credits and other financial incentives to diversify the economy and get off what it calls the "oil and gas roller-coaster." The speaker will put Alberta’s current economic difficulties into perspective and look to his “crystal ball” for answers on how Alberta can overcome the plague of boom and bust cycles. Speaker: Dr. Chris Nicol Dr. Christopher Nicol arrived on the U of L campus in 2001 and assumed his duties as a professor in economics while also serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. Nicol, took on the role of Acting University Librarian in Sept. 1, 2012 and was appointed to a three-year term as University Librarian July 1, 2013 and he will continue in that role for a five-year term effective July 1, 2016. Nicol will also continue on as a professor of economics in the Department of Economics while serving as the University Librarian. An esteemed researcher, Nicol's interests are in econometrics, applied econometrics and the theory of consumer behaviour. He has been awarded numerous grants from national funding agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and was recently honoured with a Lethbridge Family Services Immigrant Achievement Award as a distinguished professional. Moderator:   Bob Campbell Date: Thursday, April 13, 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)

The Alberta NDP government’s 2017 budget was presented on March 16 and projects a $10.3 billion deficit this year on revenue of $45 billion. While the budget will see Alberta go further into the red, despite its implementation of a carbon levy, it also promises hospital spending, new schools and other infrastructure along with more money for seniors and social services. Opposition leaders have loudly been calling for the government to curb pending, saying that the cost of a growing debt load will handicap future generations unfairly. However, Alberta's population is still growing despite the economic downturn caused by low oil/gas prices. Cutting services and deferring capital projects could hurt the economy short term and may jeopardize future prosperity. The budget sets aside $4.5 billion over four years for infrastructure project and $100 million to help First Nations reserves get reliable access to clean drinking water Education spending is on the rise and cutting school fees for parents to the tune of $54 million was announced earlier. Plans to build 10 new schools and upgrade or replace 16 more are in the works as is a freeze on post-secondary tuition fees. The province is investing heavily in tax credits and other financial incentives to diversify the economy and get off what it calls the "oil and gas roller-coaster." The speaker will put Alberta’s current economic difficulties into perspective and look to his “crystal ball” for answers on how Alberta can overcome the plague of boom and bust cycles. Speaker: Dr. Chris Nicol Dr. Christopher Nicol arrived on the U of L campus in 2001 and assumed his duties as a professor in economics while also serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. Nicol, took on the role of Acting University Librarian in Sept. 1, 2012 and was appointed to a three-year term as University Librarian July 1, 2013 and he will continue in that role for a five-year term effective July 1, 2016. Nicol will also continue on as a professor of economics in the Department of Economics while serving as the University Librarian. An esteemed researcher, Nicol's interests are in econometrics, applied econometrics and the theory of consumer behaviour. He has been awarded numerous grants from national funding agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and was recently honoured with a Lethbridge Family Services Immigrant Achievement Award as a distinguished professional. Moderator:   Bob Campbell Date: Thursday, April 13, 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)

Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act: How’s it Working? On December 10, 2015, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act. Bill 6, much of it implemented on Jan 1, 2016, has generated considerable controversy in the Province.  Bill 6 repeals the exemptions for farm and ranch workers that are found in a range of legislation. Generally speaking, Bill 6 affects four aspects of the employment relationship: general working conditions, the right to organize, worker safety, and WCB coverage for non-family workers by repealing earlier exemptions. As a result of the controversy generated by Bill 6, the Government of Alberta amended Bill 6 to allow owners, family members and neighbours to work on farms and ranches without being subject to all of the rules and restrictions as other workers. Specifically, the parts of Bill 6 pertaining to OHS regulations and workers compensation were amended to exclude paid farm and ranch owners and their family members, as well as friends and neighbours who do not work for wages as defined by the Employment Standards Code. The speaker will present information from an Occupational Health and Safety perspective.  What changes came about as a result of the new legislation? How was the legislation changed? What is the definition of a worker or employer reportable incident? What does OHS jurisdiction look like? What are the trends we are seeing after the first year and, what is still to come?    Speaker: Mike Rappel, CRSP, EMT-P (ret), OHS Officer Born and raised in Grande Prairie, AB, Mike began his career working as a paramedic for 10 years in Northern Alberta stationed in Hinton, Spirit River and Grande Prairie. He worked rural EMS in Alberta for almost 10 years. In 2001, he moved over to Alberta Occupational Health and Safety as an OHS Officer. Over his 15 years with that department, Mike has conducted inspections and investigations into just about every industry in Alberta.   In Sept 2015, he was asked to be a part of organizing the farm and ranch team responsible for investigating and inspecting farm, ranch, and agricultural work sites in the province as related to the expected changes to legislation in January 2016. Mike has strong ties to the farming community.  Much of his family still reside on the family farms in Spirit River, Fahler, Manning and Camrose areas, growing wheat & canola, and raising cattle. The original homestead in the Spirit River area is still owned by his family to this day more than 90 years after it was first homesteaded. Moderator:   Heather Oxman Date: Thursday, April 6, 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)

Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act: How’s it Working? On December 10, 2015, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act. Bill 6, much of it implemented on Jan 1, 2016, has generated considerable controversy in the Province.  Bill 6 repeals the exemptions for farm and ranch workers that are found in a range of legislation. Generally speaking, Bill 6 affects four aspects of the employment relationship: general working conditions, the right to organize, worker safety, and WCB coverage for non-family workers by repealing earlier exemptions. As a result of the controversy generated by Bill 6, the Government of Alberta amended Bill 6 to allow owners, family members and neighbours to work on farms and ranches without being subject to all of the rules and restrictions as other workers. Specifically, the parts of Bill 6 pertaining to OHS regulations and workers compensation were amended to exclude paid farm and ranch owners and their family members, as well as friends and neighbours who do not work for wages as defined by the Employment Standards Code. The speaker will present information from an Occupational Health and Safety perspective.  What changes came about as a result of the new legislation? How was the legislation changed? What is the definition of a worker or employer reportable incident? What does OHS jurisdiction look like? What are the trends we are seeing after the first year and, what is still to come?    Speaker: Mike Rappel, CRSP, EMT-P (ret), OHS Officer Born and raised in Grande Prairie, AB, Mike began his career working as a paramedic for 10 years in Northern Alberta stationed in Hinton, Spirit River and Grande Prairie. He worked rural EMS in Alberta for almost 10 years. In 2001, he moved over to Alberta Occupational Health and Safety as an OHS Officer. Over his 15 years with that department, Mike has conducted inspections and investigations into just about every industry in Alberta.   In Sept 2015, he was asked to be a part of organizing the farm and ranch team responsible for investigating and inspecting farm, ranch, and agricultural work sites in the province as related to the expected changes to legislation in January 2016. Mike has strong ties to the farming community.  Much of his family still reside on the family farms in Spirit River, Fahler, Manning and Camrose areas, growing wheat & canola, and raising cattle. The original homestead in the Spirit River area is still owned by his family to this day more than 90 years after it was first homesteaded. Moderator:   Heather Oxman Date: Thursday, April 6, 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)

In many cultures, worldwide, more than two genders are recognized. In such places, individuals exist that are perceived as being neither men, nor women. Instead, such individuals are recognized as “third” genders. The speaker works in two such cultures. Since 2003, he has conducted research in the south Pacific island nation of Samoa, where feminine same-sex attracted males are recognized as a third gender, known locally as fa’afafine. Since 2015, he has worked in the Istmo region of Oaxaca, Mexico, where feminine same-sex attracted males are recognized as a third gender, known locally by the indigenous Zapotec as muxes. The speaker will describe his research in both these cultures that illuminate the role third gender males play within the family. Speaker: Dr. Paul Vasey Dr. Vasey is a Professor and a Board of Governors Research Chair at the University of Lethbridge. His research has been funded by all three of the Canadian tri-council agencies (NSERC, SSHRC & CIHR) in addition to local, provincial and international agencies. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles on sexuality and gender and co-editor of two books. His is an Associate Editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior. Vasey’s work has been the subject of various television documentaries (National Geographic, Discovery Channel, The Nature of Things) and has been reported on in hundreds of newspapers and magazines worldwide including Globe & Mail, New York Times, The Economist, National Geographic, and Oprah Magazine. He has been interviewed on U.S National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Radio Netherlands. Moderator:   Tad Mitsui Date: Thursday, March 30, 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