Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Low income is at the root of more than three decades of food bank use in Canada. Though the circumstances that send someone through the doors of a food bank are diverse – the loss of a job, family breakup, sudden health problems, barriers related to race, disability, or mental illness, among others – it is the widespread lack of income to cushion hard times that is the key factor making Canadian food banks so necessary, particularly for low income families with children. Since the 1990s, federal and provincial governments have focused more and more on economic growth, getting more people working, and increasing “workforce flexibility” – in other words, the ability of employers to hire and fire, the ability of workers to perform the jobs that are available, and the likelihood that workers will go where the jobs are. Policy decisions related to this priority have included a decrease in support for people who are unable to work or find a job. For example, it is now more difficult to qualify for Employment Insurance, and social assistance benefits continue to be appallingly low, which contributes to millions of yearly food bank visit by Canadians. In theory, this makes it more likely that people will work rather than collect public benefits. The reality, however, is that well-paying jobs are out of reach for too many, and this “flexibility” is contributing to poverty, food insecurity, and the need to resort to food banks. The speakers will elaborate on trends the Lethbridge food banks are experiencing and what the future may hold. Speakers: Kelsey Janzen and Dr. John Usher A Coaldale native, Kelsey Janzen recently resettled there after completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Intercultural Studies at Columbia Bible College in December of 2011, following a nine month internship with a children’s home in Bolivia. She has been a part of the Interfaith team since February of 2012 as the Volunteer Coordinator and Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director and feels blessed to be able to work for a non-profit organization that offers such relevant community services. John Usher is Professor of Organization Theory and President of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA). He was Dean of the Faculty of Management from July 2002 until February 2004. Dr. Usher has extensive expertise in the business world as a strategic planning specialist, production supervisor, senior factory accountant and quality control supervisor at General Motors of Canada. Currently, Dr. Usher also serves on the Board of Directors of the Lethbridge Food Bank Society as President. Moderator: Austin Fennell Date: Thursday, December 19, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Low income is at the root of more than three decades of food bank use in Canada. Though the circumstances that send someone through the doors of a food bank are diverse – the loss of a job, family breakup, sudden health problems, barriers related to race, disability, or mental illness, among others – it is the widespread lack of income to cushion hard times that is the key factor making Canadian food banks so necessary, particularly for low income families with children. Since the 1990s, federal and provincial governments have focused more and more on economic growth, getting more people working, and increasing “workforce flexibility” – in other words, the ability of employers to hire and fire, the ability of workers to perform the jobs that are available, and the likelihood that workers will go where the jobs are. Policy decisions related to this priority have included a decrease in support for people who are unable to work or find a job. For example, it is now more difficult to qualify for Employment Insurance, and social assistance benefits continue to be appallingly low, which contributes to millions of yearly food bank visit by Canadians. In theory, this makes it more likely that people will work rather than collect public benefits. The reality, however, is that well-paying jobs are out of reach for too many, and this “flexibility” is contributing to poverty, food insecurity, and the need to resort to food banks. The speakers will elaborate on trends the Lethbridge food banks are experiencing and what the future may hold. Speakers: Kelsey Janzen and Dr. John Usher A Coaldale native, Kelsey Janzen recently resettled there after completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Intercultural Studies at Columbia Bible College in December of 2011, following a nine month internship with a children’s home in Bolivia. She has been a part of the Interfaith team since February of 2012 as the Volunteer Coordinator and Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director and feels blessed to be able to work for a non-profit organization that offers such relevant community services. John Usher is Professor of Organization Theory and President of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA). He was Dean of the Faculty of Management from July 2002 until February 2004. Dr. Usher has extensive expertise in the business world as a strategic planning specialist, production supervisor, senior factory accountant and quality control supervisor at General Motors of Canada. Currently, Dr. Usher also serves on the Board of Directors of the Lethbridge Food Bank Society as President. Moderator: Austin Fennell Date: Thursday, December 19, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Alberta’s March 7 provincial budget featured a seven percent cut to basic operational grants for post-secondary institutions, compounded by revocation of an earlier promise of a 2% increase. The Ministry of Enterprise and Advanced Education has also sent “letters of expectation” to each of the 26 post-secondary institutions in the province, requiring universities and colleges to work more closely with each other. The University of Lethbridge faced an almost $12 million operating grant cut and combined with heavy cuts at Lethbridge College also, they have had wide-ranging effects on students, faculty, support staff and the Lethbridge economy. What are the bigger questions raised by this “revolution from above”? Our speaker will discuss these questions in relation to what role post-secondary education and scientific research should have generally and at universities in particular. Should applied commercial research be prioritized over basic scientific research? Are they mutually exclusive and what happens if research results are counter to Government policy? Speaker: Dr. Robert Sutherland Rob Sutherland received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He moved to the Department of Psychology at University of Lethbridge in 1980, completing postdoctoral training in Neuropsychology on a NSERC Fellowship and then moving through the faculty ranks. In 1991, Dr. Sutherland accepted a position at the University of New Mexico where he was Professor of Psychology, Physiology, & Neuroscience and Head of the Behavioural Neuroscience Area. He returned to Lethbridge in 2001 with an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scientist award. He is now Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience in CCBN. His current research investigates the neurobiology of learning, memory, and amnesia in rodents and humans. Dr. Sutherland is also the president of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations. Date: Thursday, December 12, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Alberta’s March 7 provincial budget featured a seven percent cut to basic operational grants for post-secondary institutions, compounded by revocation of an earlier promise of a 2% increase. The Ministry of Enterprise and Advanced Education has also sent “letters of expectation” to each of the 26 post-secondary institutions in the province, requiring universities and colleges to work more closely with each other. The University of Lethbridge faced an almost $12 million operating grant cut and combined with heavy cuts at Lethbridge College also, they have had wide-ranging effects on students, faculty, support staff and the Lethbridge economy. What are the bigger questions raised by this “revolution from above”? Our speaker will discuss these questions in relation to what role post-secondary education and scientific research should have generally and at universities in particular. Should applied commercial research be prioritized over basic scientific research? Are they mutually exclusive and what happens if research results are counter to Government policy? Speaker: Dr. Robert Sutherland Rob Sutherland received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He moved to the Department of Psychology at University of Lethbridge in 1980, completing postdoctoral training in Neuropsychology on a NSERC Fellowship and then moving through the faculty ranks. In 1991, Dr. Sutherland accepted a position at the University of New Mexico where he was Professor of Psychology, Physiology, & Neuroscience and Head of the Behavioural Neuroscience Area. He returned to Lethbridge in 2001 with an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scientist award. He is now Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience in CCBN. His current research investigates the neurobiology of learning, memory, and amnesia in rodents and humans. Dr. Sutherland is also the president of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations. Date: Thursday, December 12, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Many First Nations people are reacting with anger and disappointment to the Federal Government’s proposed education legislation for First Nations that recently was released by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Bernard Valcourt. Under the draft legislation, band councils would be allowed to operate schools directly, as some already do, but also to purchase services from provincial or regional school boards or from the private sector. First Nations could also form education authorities that would oversee one or more schools in a region, but the Federal Government would set and enforce standards for schools on reserves. As well, the minister would retain power to take over a school or school authority if issues arise. The speaker will argue that in addition to wanting more control over their education, First Nations need fair and predictable funding and that should be part of the package. Schools on reserves presently do not receive the same level of funding as other provincial schools. Speaker: Sheena Jackson Sheena Jackson has worked with the Treaty 7 Management Corporation for seven years. In her time there she has successfully negotiated a MOU for First Nations Education in Alberta on behalf of Treaty 7. This mandate is aimed at improving educational services and increasing the number of student graduates in First Nations communities. Moderator: Martin Heavy Head Date: Thursday, December 5, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Many First Nations people are reacting with anger and disappointment to the Federal Government’s proposed education legislation for First Nations that recently was released by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Bernard Valcourt. Under the draft legislation, band councils would be allowed to operate schools directly, as some already do, but also to purchase services from provincial or regional school boards or from the private sector. First Nations could also form education authorities that would oversee one or more schools in a region, but the Federal Government would set and enforce standards for schools on reserves. As well, the minister would retain power to take over a school or school authority if issues arise. The speaker will argue that in addition to wanting more control over their education, First Nations need fair and predictable funding and that should be part of the package. Schools on reserves presently do not receive the same level of funding as other provincial schools. Speaker: Sheena Jackson Sheena Jackson has worked with the Treaty 7 Management Corporation for seven years. In her time there she has successfully negotiated a MOU for First Nations Education in Alberta on behalf of Treaty 7. This mandate is aimed at improving educational services and increasing the number of student graduates in First Nations communities. Moderator: Martin Heavy Head Date: Thursday, December 5, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Since the dawn of time, people have complained about how ‘young people’ speak. Look in the comments section of any website, especially on an article dealing with language or grammar, and you’ll find ‘purist-and-proud-of-it’ commenters who insist that proper language is necessary for proper comprehension and communication, that the English language as we know it is in a serious state of endangerment. Texting and a lack of grammar instruction in schools are often claimed to be the root of the problem. For some reason grammar, or the perceived lack thereof, incurs the wrath of so many English speakers. Linguists have a very different view of ‘grammar’, and an even more different view of what is deemed ‘ungrammatical’. This presentation will contrast prescriptive views of language held by most people who have gone through the school system with descriptive views of language held by most linguists. The inevitablity of language change, as well as examples of differing social, geographical and situational norms will be discussed. In other words, don’t bother correcting your kids’ and grandkids’ grammar and pronunciation. You can’t beat ‘em, but you might be able to join ‘em. Speaker: Dr. Nicole Rosen Nicole Rosen’s research interests center around effects of language interactions and specifically, languages and dialects spoken in the Canadian Prairies. Her doctoral thesis was a study of Michif, a Cree-French mixed language spoken primarily in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. She is also very interested in minority French as spoken in Western Canada, for example comparing Métis and non-Métis varieties of French in the region. Most recently, Dr. Rosen has turned to studying dialect differences in Southern Alberta. She has built a Southern Alberta Corpus of English to begin the investigation of social and linguistic factors involved in language variation between rural and urban speakers as well as variation between speakers of different religious and ethnic backgrounds. Moderator: Tad Mitsui Date: Thursday, November 28, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

Since the dawn of time, people have complained about how ‘young people’ speak. Look in the comments section of any website, especially on an article dealing with language or grammar, and you’ll find ‘purist-and-proud-of-it’ commenters who insist that proper language is necessary for proper comprehension and communication, that the English language as we know it is in a serious state of endangerment. Texting and a lack of grammar instruction in schools are often claimed to be the root of the problem. For some reason grammar, or the perceived lack thereof, incurs the wrath of so many English speakers. Linguists have a very different view of ‘grammar’, and an even more different view of what is deemed ‘ungrammatical’. This presentation will contrast prescriptive views of language held by most people who have gone through the school system with descriptive views of language held by most linguists. The inevitablity of language change, as well as examples of differing social, geographical and situational norms will be discussed. In other words, don’t bother correcting your kids’ and grandkids’ grammar and pronunciation. You can’t beat ‘em, but you might be able to join ‘em. Speaker: Dr. Nicole Rosen Nicole Rosen’s research interests center around effects of language interactions and specifically, languages and dialects spoken in the Canadian Prairies. Her doctoral thesis was a study of Michif, a Cree-French mixed language spoken primarily in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. She is also very interested in minority French as spoken in Western Canada, for example comparing Métis and non-Métis varieties of French in the region. Most recently, Dr. Rosen has turned to studying dialect differences in Southern Alberta. She has built a Southern Alberta Corpus of English to begin the investigation of social and linguistic factors involved in language variation between rural and urban speakers as well as variation between speakers of different religious and ethnic backgrounds. Moderator: Tad Mitsui Date: Thursday, November 28, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)

There have been drastic changes to science in Canada in recent years. These changes have happened in three distinct ways: reduction in the ability of government scientists to communicate their research to the public, the erosion of our science capacity - especially with respect to fundamental research and environmental monitoring, and a reduction in the role of evidence in policy decisions. The impacts of these changes go far beyond science. Science and evidence are essential elements for a functioning democracy. Democracy requires citizens who are well informed and transparency and accountability, the twin pillars of democracy, demand that government decisions, and their justification, be made explicit. These concerned have led to a more vocal scientific community as well as the formation of Evidence for Democracy - a new science-led, national, non-partisan, non-profit organization advocating for science and evidence-based decision-making in Canada. Speaker: Katie Gibbs Dr. Katie Gibbs is a scientist, communicator, and organizer who is passionate about the intersection of science and policy. Katie recently finished her PhD in Biology at the University of Ottawa studying broad scale threats to endangered species and the effectiveness of conservation measures. In the summer of 2012 she was one of the lead organizers of the Death of Evidence rally that was one of the largest science demonstrations in Canadian history. After graduating, she combined her science knowledge with her diverse background organizing and managing various causes and campaigns to become the co-founder and Executive Director of Evidence for Democracy—a new organization that advocates for the use of evidence in government decision making and public policy development. Moderator: Dave McCaffrey Date: Monday, November 25, 2013 Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm Location: Room PE261, First Choice Saving Centre, University of Lethbridge Free event, free parking, everyone welcome

In the last municipal election in Lethbridge fewer than 30% of the population bothered to vote despite a staggering 29 candidates vying for the 8 council positions. How is it that a robust campaign with so many candidates did not generate a stronger voter interest? Some candidates argued for a ward system to be brought to Lethbridge to make it easier for voters to make their choices but others argued that Lethbridge should remain an at-large system. Red Deer actually had a referendum on the matter during this election but declined to move to a ward system. In Calgary and Edmonton the role of developers and the influence of political financing proved to be central election questions, questions that did not escape the Lethbridge election either. What is the role of money, financing rules, and special interest groups in the democratic process? Do we need more regulations or are the current rules about post-election disclosure sufficient? The speaker will consider these questions as he reviews the 2013 Municipal elections in Alberta. Speaker: Paul Fairie Dr. Paul Fairie graduated with his PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary on November 12, 2013 so this marks his first public speech post-doctorate. He has taught a municipal politics course at the University of Calgary for a number of years and was a favorite commentator on all forms of media for the Municipal elections of 2013 in Calgary. He is currently setting up a consulting firm in Calgary. Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)