Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

There are two stories from Alberta that illustrate the unintended consequences of utilities trying to beat the returns available from full regulation. One is the story of the phase-out of coal-fired generation. The other is the story of the treatment of regulatory assets that are not used and useful. In both cases, utilities have sought to get better than normal returns but are now paying the price for the chain of events they set in motion. Starting with the story of the coal-fired generators, the previously fully integrated electricity companies in Alberta were about 50/50 on deregulation when it was being rolled out as a policy. A compromise was reached that would allow the previously regulated plants to continue to be paid as if they were fully regulated through Power Purchase Agreements established by the Government. Since that timid beginning, all the companies have come around wanting to make more out of their assets than the previous regulatory model would allow. Arguable, they are big on the upside, but they sure don't seem to like the downside of being outside of the regulatory system. The speaker will articulate what may have motivated this complicated web of electricity (de) regulation and what can be done about it going forward. Speaker: David Gray David Gray is a dedicated consumer advocate, and has been for many years prior to starting Gray Energy Economics Inc. David has had experience as the senior economist for a utility company, as a senior analyst for the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board and as the senior executive of the Alberta Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate. David's experience as an executive was continued as President of an innovative company developing energy recapture technology for oilfield applications and his passion for understanding every aspect of regulated and deregulated energy markets has led him to the forefront of the energy industry. David aims to give his customers more control over their energy usage and costs than most realize. The mission of his current company is to ensure that neither a dollar nor a kilowatt hour is wasted by its customers. Moderator:   Larry Elford Date: Thursday, February 23, 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)

Disappearing jobs have become a major political issue in recent years, and clearly a factor in the election of Donald Trump in the recent US presidential election. As automation and globalization continue to wipe out many conventional jobs, politicians, voters and the general public wonder where the jobs of the future will come from.  The speaker will weigh in on what strategies governments and businesses could adopt to tackle these issues from the perspective of current economic realities. Speaker: Dr. Richard Mueller Richard E. Mueller is Professor and Chair in the Department of Economics and a Research Affiliate at the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, both at the University of Lethbridge, where he has been since 2000. He is also Associate Director of the Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI) at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Mueller has a wide range of interests and has taught and given presentations in Europe, Asia, the US and Latin America. He was seconded to Statistics Canada in Ottawa from 2009 to 2011. His research has been published in various economics and higher education journals, a number of edited volumes and reports, and highlighted by various media outlets. He holds a B.A. (Hons) and an M.A. from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Moderator:   Graeme Greenlee Date:Thursday, February 16, 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)

Disappearing jobs have become a major political issue in recent years, and clearly a factor in the election of Donald Trump in the recent US presidential election. As automation and globalization continue to wipe out many conventional jobs, politicians, voters and the general public wonder where the jobs of the future will come from.  The speaker will weigh in on what strategies governments and businesses could adopt to tackle these issues from the perspective of current economic realities. Speaker: Dr. Richard Mueller Richard E. Mueller is Professor and Chair in the Department of Economics and a Research Affiliate at the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, both at the University of Lethbridge, where he has been since 2000. He is also Associate Director of the Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI) at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Mueller has a wide range of interests and has taught and given presentations in Europe, Asia, the US and Latin America. He was seconded to Statistics Canada in Ottawa from 2009 to 2011. His research has been published in various economics and higher education journals, a number of edited volumes and reports, and highlighted by various media outlets. He holds a B.A. (Hons) and an M.A. from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Moderator:   Graeme Greenlee Date:Thursday, February 16, 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)

Lethbridge faces many challenges in regards to its airport. At one time, when governments owned and operated airports, and regulated air service levels, a small city could count on being served under all circumstances. In the deregulated world however, lower prices tend to prevail. This also means carriers must pay very close attention to their revenues and expenses while the same hold true for the airports they fly into. Much has been made of the availability of cheap flights from Great Falls and the frequency of flights from Calgary. Previous attempts to attract new services to Lethbridge have not been successful. The response has been numerous expensive studies commissioned by the Airports Committee which, by and large, have been gathering dust as unimplemented recommendations. Arguably, Lethbridge County, who manages the airport, and the City are unable or reluctant to invest the funds necessary before needed improvements can be made to Lethbridge Airport. Funding, is only one of the barriers to making improvements. Most other airports across Southern Alberta and Northern Montana have a proper governance model. The Canadian Airports Council, the main body to which many of Lethbridge Airport’s peers belong, advocates for an Independent Airport Authority to oversee operations. The speaker will argue that if the airport becomes a self-funded entity with powers to borrow, set fees and planning for improvements, Lethbridge Airport will be liberated to focus on the needs of people and airport operation rather than power struggles among local governmental entities. Speaker: Dale Leier Dale Leier is a Lethbridge-born business person with interests in a range of projects, including sustainable cleaning products, shellfish hatchery, renewable energy and regional business development. In addition to a successful career as an Air Traffic Controller, Dale is a Domino’s Pizza Franchisee award winner, an Investor’s Group Financial Planner, mobile app developer and inventor. For the sheer experience, he ran as the Libertarian Party candidate in the 2008 Federal Election for Saanich-Gulf Islands. Moderator: Austin Fennell Date: Thursday, February 9, 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

Lethbridge faces many challenges in regards to its airport. At one time, when governments owned and operated airports, and regulated air service levels, a small city could count on being served under all circumstances. In the deregulated world however, lower prices tend to prevail. This also means carriers must pay very close attention to their revenues and expenses while the same hold true for the airports they fly into. Much has been made of the availability of cheap flights from Great Falls and the frequency of flights from Calgary. Previous attempts to attract new services to Lethbridge have not been successful. The response has been numerous expensive studies commissioned by the Airports Committee which, by and large, have been gathering dust as unimplemented recommendations. Arguably, Lethbridge County, who manages the airport, and the City are unable or reluctant to invest the funds necessary before needed improvements can be made to Lethbridge Airport. Funding, is only one of the barriers to making improvements. Most other airports across Southern Alberta and Northern Montana have a proper governance model. The Canadian Airports Council, the main body to which many of Lethbridge Airport’s peers belong, advocates for an Independent Airport Authority to oversee operations. The speaker will argue that if the airport becomes a self-funded entity with powers to borrow, set fees and planning for improvements, Lethbridge Airport will be liberated to focus on the needs of people and airport operation rather than power struggles among local governmental entities. Speaker: Dale Leier Dale Leier is a Lethbridge-born business person with interests in a range of projects, including sustainable cleaning products, shellfish hatchery, renewable energy and regional business development. In addition to a successful career as an Air Traffic Controller, Dale is a Domino’s Pizza Franchisee award winner, an Investor’s Group Financial Planner, mobile app developer and inventor. For the sheer experience, he ran as the Libertarian Party candidate in the 2008 Federal Election for Saanich-Gulf Islands. Moderator: Austin Fennell Date: Thursday, February 9, 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

The recent US election, following on the heels of the UK’s referendum on Brexit and the rise of right-wing movements throughout Europe, has been widely attributed to a rise in populism. This talk examines the concept of populism in its various historic manifestations, while also situating its recent reemergence within the theoretical tradition of Karl Polanyi’s work on the politically destabilizing nature of self-regulating markets, a.k.a., the thirty year experiment known as neo-liberal globalization. Speaker: Dr. Trevor Harrison Dr. Trevor Harrison is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge and Director of Parkland Institute. He was born and raised in Edmonton. He holds a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg, an M.A. from the University of Calgary, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Alberta. His broad areas of specialty include political sociology, political economy, and public policy. In addition to numerous journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Harrison is the author, co-author, or co-editor of nine books. His op-ed columns frequently appear in both local and national newspapers Moderator: Terry Shillington Date: Thursday, February 2, 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

The recent US election, following on the heels of the UK’s referendum on Brexit and the rise of right-wing movements throughout Europe, has been widely attributed to a rise in populism. This talk examines the concept of populism in its various historic manifestations, while also situating its recent reemergence within the theoretical tradition of Karl Polanyi’s work on the politically destabilizing nature of self-regulating markets, a.k.a., the thirty year experiment known as neo-liberal globalization. Speaker: Dr. Trevor Harrison Dr. Trevor Harrison is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge and Director of Parkland Institute. He was born and raised in Edmonton. He holds a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg, an M.A. from the University of Calgary, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Alberta. His broad areas of specialty include political sociology, political economy, and public policy. In addition to numerous journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Harrison is the author, co-author, or co-editor of nine books. His op-ed columns frequently appear in both local and national newspapers Moderator: Terry Shillington Date: Thursday, February 2, 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

Before WW II, Japanese people had long suffered the sting of racism in Canada. Ever since the first Japanese person, a man named Manzo Nagano, stepped ashore in 1877 at New Westminster, white settlers in British Columbia tried to exclude people whom they considered to be “undesirables.” In so doing, they passed laws to keep Japanese people from working in the mines, to prevent them from voting and to prohibit them from working on provincially funded projects. On the heels of Japan’s attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, Canadian fears of a Japanese invasion were sparked and their flames fanned by a sensationalist press. Distrust of Japanese Canadians spread along the Pacific Coast. The RCMP moved quickly to arrest suspected Japanese operatives, while the Royal Canadian Navy began to impound 1,200 Japanese-owned fishing boats. On the recommendation of the RCMP and in order to avoid racist backlash, Japanese newspapers and schools were voluntarily shut down. Beginning in early 1942, the Canadian government detained and dispossessed the vast majority of over 22,000 people of Japanese descent living in British Columbia. Most were interned in ghost town camps in the West Kootenays and others as farm workers in Southern Alberta and Manitoba etc. for the rest of the Second World War. During this time, their homes and businesses were sold by the government in order to pay for their detention. The speaker will reflect on the issues leading up to, as well as the results, of this dark chapter in Canadian history. Speaker: George Takashima Dr. George Takashima, B.A., M.Ed., D.D. is a retired educator, hospital chaplain, and pastor (United Church of Canada). He spent 34 years in public education as classroom teacher, elementary & high school principal, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of Schools, Language Consultant, in the provinces of ON, MB, and SK. He also served as a Field Services officer, Manitoba Department of Education. George has been sharing the story of the Japanese Canadians and their wartime and post-war experiences in Canada. To this end he has been conducting bus tours of the internment camp ghost towns in the West Kootenays. Moderator: Michelle Day Date: Thursday, January 26, 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)

Before WW II, Japanese people had long suffered the sting of racism in Canada. Ever since the first Japanese person, a man named Manzo Nagano, stepped ashore in 1877 at New Westminster, white settlers in British Columbia tried to exclude people whom they considered to be “undesirables.” In so doing, they passed laws to keep Japanese people from working in the mines, to prevent them from voting and to prohibit them from working on provincially funded projects. On the heels of Japan’s attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, Canadian fears of a Japanese invasion were sparked and their flames fanned by a sensationalist press. Distrust of Japanese Canadians spread along the Pacific Coast. The RCMP moved quickly to arrest suspected Japanese operatives, while the Royal Canadian Navy began to impound 1,200 Japanese-owned fishing boats. On the recommendation of the RCMP and in order to avoid racist backlash, Japanese newspapers and schools were voluntarily shut down. Beginning in early 1942, the Canadian government detained and dispossessed the vast majority of over 22,000 people of Japanese descent living in British Columbia. Most were interned in ghost town camps in the West Kootenays and others as farm workers in Southern Alberta and Manitoba etc. for the rest of the Second World War. During this time, their homes and businesses were sold by the government in order to pay for their detention. The speaker will reflect on the issues leading up to, as well as the results, of this dark chapter in Canadian history. Speaker: George Takashima Dr. George Takashima, B.A., M.Ed., D.D. is a retired educator, hospital chaplain, and pastor (United Church of Canada). He spent 34 years in public education as classroom teacher, elementary & high school principal, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of Schools, Language Consultant, in the provinces of ON, MB, and SK. He also served as a Field Services officer, Manitoba Department of Education. George has been sharing the story of the Japanese Canadians and their wartime and post-war experiences in Canada. To this end he has been conducting bus tours of the internment camp ghost towns in the West Kootenays. Moderator: Michelle Day Date: Thursday, January 26, 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 City of Lethbridge Capital Improvement Program, or CIP, is a plan that identifies required capital projects and provides a planning schedule and financing plan. The City of Lethbridge is currently in the process of planning for its next CIP (2018-2027) and has identified there is only $5.5 million available for community projects. The Performing Arts Centre Advocacy Group (PACAG) is working to ensure the Performing Arts Centre remains on the next CIP. Since Lethbridge’s beginnings there has been a need to build a suitable performance venue for both performers and audiences alike. The 488-seat Genevieve E. Yates Memorial Centre, while not a theatre but an auditorium, was built in 1966 when the population was 37,000. It is the only major community performance venue in Lethbridge. The Sterndale Bennett Theatre is a 180-seat black box theatre. The University of Lethbridge has two theatres and a recital hall which are used primarily for student productions. Lethbridge currently has less than 1000 traditional theatre seats for a populations nearing 100,000. We are slated to lose half of those seats once the Yates closes for renovations. A Performing Arts Centre will increase the number of seats available for events, providing access to existing community groups and touring acts to book in Lethbridge. Lethbridge would be viewed as a regional hub for cultural experiences, attracting visitors from southeast British Columbia, northern Montana and southwestern Saskatchewan. And, as the community continues to grow, this project would provide community space to a myriad of events. The speaker will discuss the rich history of performing arts in Lethbridge, the vibrancy of our arts community, future growth and economic benefits a Performing Arts Centre would bring to Lethbridge. Speaker: Dawn Leite Dawn Leite is a member of the PACAG and the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director at the Allied Arts Council. Dawn has worked in arts administration in Lethbridge for nearly 15 years, and is an active and passionate member of the performing arts community. Dawn is committed to the development of our community, being a member of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge, Heart of Our City, and Vice-President of the newly established Lethbridge & District Music & Speech Arts Festival Society. She is also a member of the Lethbridge Community Band Society. Moderator: Christina Cuthbertson Date: Thursday, January 19, 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)