Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Vaccines, Evolution, Trust and Progress. Speaker Bryson Brown

Histories of vaccination often begin in the late 18th century, with Dr. Edward Jenner and a milkmaid.  But there was an earlier practice (variolation) in which samples of smallpox from (what were believed to be) less deadly outbreaks were used to protect patients against more severe versions of the disease.  It involved either scratching material from smallpox ‘pustules’ onto the skin or inhaling it.  The speaker will talk about the history of vaccination, the history of resistance to vaccination and the emergence of biological/ biochemical knowledge that has built powerful new tools for building vaccines. 

Dr. Brown is particularly interested in the ebb and flow of vaccine mandates and quarantine laws often strengthened during outbreaks only to be overturned when the danger of the disease seems to have passed—and argues this history reveals a lot about human psychology, and especially the power of fear and the limits of rationality and trust.

Speaker: Bryson Brown

(Martin) Bryson Brown began life as a rolling stone: born in Niagara Falls, his family soon moved to Montreal, then New Jersey, Louisiana, Halifax, New Jersey again, and then Mississauga Ontario. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Trent University before entering a PhD program in philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. He taught as a visiting professor at Rice in 1983-4, followed by two years as a research associate (and part-time teacher) at Dalhousie, completing his PhD in 1985. He joined the philosophy department at the University of Lethbridge in 1986. Brown’s research work includes work on a formal theory of social rules, inconsistency-tolerant logics and applying them to model cases of inconsistency in science. Other interests (and concerns) include work on science denial, including evolution and climate change.

“The Dirty Old Indian” MY CANADIAN HERO with Tom Sindlinger

A tribute to a World War I Warrior. The presentation will provide an example of racism that was wrong then and continues to be wrong today …… high and unequivocal praise for Mike Mountain Horse, an inspiring and courageous Warrior who was buried for four days and wounded three times in World War I. After his service, he was elected a minor chief of his tribal Nation and elected a president of a Lethbridge railway union.

Speaker: Tom Sindlinger

Moderator: Bob Campbell

Tom Sindlinger spent twenty-three years with his sociological grandfather Mike Mountain Horse, and his biological grandmother Mary Mountain Horse, in the displaced persons’ neighborhood of Lethbridge, to teepees just inside the Calgary Stampede main gate, to the Sun Dance at Belly Flats. He served as a Select Committee Member of the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund and was the only Member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly to vocally support the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He is an International Economic Analyst with a focus on marketing and transportation of natural resources, and governance.

The City of Lethbridge Spring 2023 Update. Speaker Mayor Hyggen

In January 2023, I presented the State of The City at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast. At the upcoming SACPA meeting I would like to provide you updates on many of the key topics we identified. There have been great strides forward in some areas, work to be done in others.

Topics highlighted will range from homelessness to green bins. We will touch on issues like community safety, the electoral system, third bridge, physician recruitment, taxes, addictions, the intergovernmental health table and much more.

Speaker: Mayor Blaine Hyggen

Moderator: Violet Meekma

Blaine Hyggen was first elected to City Council in 2013 and was elected Mayor in 2021. He has owned and operated various businesses throughout the community for the past 28 years. He studied Business Law and Accounting at Lethbridge Community College.

Some of Blaine’s past and current volunteer experience includes: School Councils, Lethbridge Figure Skating Club, Lethbridge Volleyball Association, Lethbridge Oldtimers Sports Association and The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club, to name a few.

Blaine’s family is his number one priority. His wife Jennifer is a Registered Nurse and they have two daughters: Jayden and Jelayna. Blaine enjoys attending local theatre and staying active by running, biking and playing hockey.

As a proud parent and successful business owner, Blaine loves Lethbridge and wants to see it remain the best city for families while ensuring it is a great place to do business.

Where will Progressive Conservative Albertans find Refuge? With Drs. Yale Belanger and Richard Mueller

Following the 2019 provincial election win by the United Conservative Party (UCP), leader Jason Kenney, became Premier of Alberta. Since then, the province has arguably been in some kind of crisis mode ranging from financial woes to COVID 19 controversy (“Best Summer Ever”) to fights with doctors, nurses and Ottawa to name a few. Adding fuel to the fire, Alberta went through a leadership change in October 2022, when Danielle Smith won the race to replace Kenney as Premier.

Alberta is now on the verge of yet another very important election featuring an even more to the right-populist UCP led by Premier Danielle Smith, versus Rachel Notley’s New Democratic Party (NDP). The speakers will relate to the book they helped write, Anger and Angst: Jason Kenney’s Legacy and Alberta’s Right, which examines the chaos of the current UCP Alberta government leading up to the likely May 29, 2023 election date. This talk should leave the audience with a better understanding of current politics, ideology, and the “Take Back Alberta” movement.

Speakers: Drs. Yale Belanger and Richard Mueller

Dr. Yale D. Belanger (Ph.D.) is Professor of Political Science and a Member of the Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. He taught at the University of Saskatchewan before joining the University of Lethbridge in 2004.

Dr. Richard Mueller is professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Lethbridge and academic director of the Lethbridge Branch of the Prairie Regional Research Data Centre. Dr. Mueller holds a BA (Honors) and an MA from the University of Calgary, and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. He taught at the University of Maine before joining the University of Lethbridge in the year 2000.

Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) - Track 2: A Daughter’s Perspective with Tania Stilson

In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Carter v. Canada that parts of the Criminal Code would need to change to satisfy the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The parts that prohibited medical assistance in dying would no longer be valid. The Supreme Court gave the government until June 6, 2016, to create a new law. In June 2016, the Parliament of Canada passed federal legislation, known as Bill C-14, that allows eligible Canadian adults to request medical assistance in dying.

On March 17, 2021, changes to Canada’s MAiD law came into force with Bill C-7. The new law responds to feedback from over 300,000 Canadians, experts, practitioners, stakeholders, indigenous groups and provinces and territories. These changes to the criminal code now allow MAID for eligible persons who wish to pursue a medically assisted death whether their natural death is foreseeable or not. It also introduced a new two-track approach to procedural safeguards based on whether or not a person’s natural death is reasonably foreseeable. The new law will reduce unnecessary suffering in Canada. The new law provided the speaker’s father the choice of a dignified, compassionate, and empowering death.

The speaker will be sharing a daughter’s perspective of her family’s journey through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). She will offer a unique viewpoint as her father, John Warren, was deemed ‘Track 2’ and his natural death was not reasonably foreseeable, but all other eligibility criteria were met. She will share the story of her Dad’s long history of pain, his important involvement with the organization that helped to pass Bill C-14, the profile of who is utilizing MAID, the process from application onwards, as well as share the challenging and rewarding parts of their journey.

John Warren was a past speaker at SACPA in 2015 and 2016. He spoke regarding Medical Assistance in Dying.

Speaker: Tania Stilson

Tania Stilson is a long-time entrepreneur in southern Alberta. She is neither a lawyer nor physician, but she shares the view of her father that people can plan for a ‘good death’. She hopes that by sharing her personal story, it will provide people with information on choices that are available in Canada.

 

The Blackfoot Perspective of the 153-year-old Battle of the Belly River. with speakers Camina Weasel Moccasin and Kris Hodgson-Bright

The Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa, in partnership with Lethbridge College, Reconciliation Lethbridge, Lethbridge Historical Society and the City of Lethbridge Indigenous Relations Office, are embarking on a project that will focus on and highlight Niitsitapi knowledge and perspectives of the event. We believe this project will continue efforts toward reconciliation and relationship building by informing residents of the impact the battle had on the development of the Lethbridge. In order to focus on the Niitsitapi voices that have been ignored in the past, the Galt has engaged with Elders and Knowledge Keepers from the Blackfoot communities about this specific event.

Speaker: Camina Weasel Moccasin and Kris Hodgson-Bright

Moderator: Marni Hope

Camina Weasel Moccasin is a member of the Kainai nation and part of the Many Children clan. She is currently one of the curators at the Galt Museum and Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa and has been in her role for the past year. In addition to her museum work, Camina is also pursuing a master’s degree in anthropology at the University of Lethbridge while also raising her two small children, 5 and 3 years old. For the past decade Camina has worked tirelessly at redeveloping institutional policies to better support Niitsitapii traditional and ceremonial practices.

Kris Hodgson-Bright is an instructor in the Digital Communications and Media program and Multimedia Production diploma program and has been a writer and photographer for various publications across western Canada for the last 16 years. The completion of work on his master’s degree in Virtual Reality/360-degree journalism (2017) from the University of Alberta in the Communication and Technology program (MACT) kick-started applied research opportunities at Lethbridge College surrounding the ever-evolving world of journalism and immersive storytelling.

Who is Minding Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife? With speaker Lorne Fitch

Concerns have been raised about the fragmentation of the management of Alberta’s fish and wildlife resources to separate departments and non-government agencies. Questions will be raised on how effective fish and wildlife management and conservation will happen, in such a fractured way. Risks to an important resource, a provincial treasure, will be explored.

What is happening, how might these changes influence a public resource like fish and wildlife, and why should you care?

Speaker: Lorne Fitch, P. Biol.

Moderator: Mark Goettel

Lorne has been a biologist for over 50 years and is a certified professional biologist, a retired provincial Fish and Wildlife biologist, was one of the co-founders of the stewardship initiative Cows and Fish, and a former Adjunct Professor with the University of Calgary. Lethbridge is home, where he pens articles and essays on issues related to Alberta’s landscape and critters. This includes a recent book, Streams of Consequence- Dispatches from the Conservation World.

Can Social Prescribing help improve our health and well-being challenges? With Heather Bursaw and Rob Miyashiro

Social prescribing is a means for health-care providers to connect patients to a range of non-clinical services in the community, in order to improve their health and well-being. As opposed to simply treating symptoms, social prescribing may help to address the underlying causes of patients’ health and well-being challenges. Ideally, social prescribing is a more holistic approach to health care, which promotes community-based integrated care, and helps to de-medicalize health service provision.

Seniors Community Services Partnership (SCSP) is a partnership between four local service organizations that support seniors 60+ to navigate health care and social resources, access financial benefits and housing, and provide emotional support for those with various psychosocial needs. The needs of older adults are assessed by an intake worker, who then assigns individuals to a Senior System Navigator (SSN) who builds a trust-based relationship and creates a collaborative service plan targeting improved outcomes inclusive of building connections with other community partners or seniors’ specific services delivered out of the LSCO. The speakers will explain the SCSP program and highlight how this kind of ongoing support is a key component of improving Canada's health care.

Speakers: Heather Bursaw and Rob Miyashiro

Heather Bursaw is a registered social worker, with over 20 years of experience specializing in the delivery of psychosocial support to older adults. Heather earned a Master of Social Work degree in 2007 with a specialty in Geriatrics. She joined the team at LSCO after a lengthy career working with seniors within Alberta Health Services, excited to build capacity within the community to support older adults to remain happy and healthy in the homes in which they live.

Rob Miyashiro was a Lethbridge City Councilor for many years and has been involved in developing and implementing programs in children’s services, disabilities, employment, and seniors’ sectors. He has worked with people of southwestern Alberta and also developed an adolescent treatment Centre for Kainaiwa Children’s Services on the Blood Tribe First Nation. When Rob left Kainaiwa Children’s Services, he was given the Blackfoot name Aakaoko’si (Protector of Children) in honour of his years of service to children and families. Currently, Rob is the Executive Director of the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization.

Climate, Energy, Sustainability. Where are we? Where do we go? With speaker James Byrne

Most of the global population recognizes we are in an accelerating transition to sustainable societies and environments. But what will that look like? Will life be more challenging; more comfortable; perhaps a combination? Dr. Byrne will discuss the society of the future. What do we have to do with energy and sustainability to achieve reasonably stable regional and global environments.

Speaker: James Byrne

James Byrne is Professor Emeritus, University of Lethbridge. He continues an active research program in climate, change solutions, renewable energy, transitions, and society scale sustainability.

Challenges of First Nation Policing with speakers Grant Buckskin and Rayan Najjar

An on-reserve police service presents with many challenges, including funding, staffing, and retention. The First Nation members themselves face particular challenges as well as non-challenges. Non-First Nation officers have their own unique challenges, as well as the “culture shock” that accompanies policing a First Nation area. Our presenters will touch on all of these issues based on their own policing experience.

Speakers: Police Chief Grant Buckskin and Inspector Rayan Najjar

Grant Buckskin is Interim Chief of Police with the Blood Tribe Police Service, a position he has held since September, 2022. He is a member of the Blood Tribe and started his career with the Police Service in 1990. After 7 1/2 years, he left to serve with other police services in Central and Northern Alberta as well as Manitoba, before returning to the Blood Reserve in 2007 where he has since remained.
Over the course of this extensive policing career, Chief Buckskin has served in many positions in the Community Policing Division and Crime Reduction Units. He is proud today to be leading the sworn members of the Blood Tribe Police Service.

Rayan was born in Lebanon and immigrated to Canada in 1991 with his family at the age of six. He and his family lived in Olds and Milk River before settling in Lethbridge in 1997. Rayan graduated from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI) in 2002 and from the Lethbridge College Criminal Justice - Policing program in 2007. Rayan started his policing career with Blood Tribe Police Service (BTPS) shortly after graduation and has been with BTPS for 16 years. Rayan was in General Patrols, Criminal Investigation Unit, and General Investigation Unit. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2017 and to Acting Inspector in 2021. Rayan is currently the Inspector in charge of the Administration Support Division which oversees policy/procedure, training, recruiting, human resources, and professional standards.