Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

The speaker will offer a glimpse behind the curtains, into the world of your investments as well as public money entrusted to governments, pension funds and institutions. We will hear how millions of dollars can be diverted from your pockets and your governments, into the hands of others and how self regulation can lead to decriminalization. Do investment regulators work for the public, or against? What about the police? Your Government? The speaker will look at conditions that come together to allow perfect financial crimes to occur with you as the unknowing victim. Are you as safe in Canada as you are told? Is there an intentional focus on criminal enforcement for the poor and the middle class, while deliberately ignoring crimes of the rich? What if your governments were aiding the criminally rich and privileged, by focusing 99.9% of crime effort on the rest? Are there any provisions in the recent Omnibus Crime Bill dealing with financial and White Collar crime? Speaker: Larry Elford, retired CFP, CIM, FCSI, Associate Portfolio Manager Larry worked inside the largest financial institutions in Canada for twenty years until his retirement in 2004. He works today writing, speaking and coaching Canadians on how to create safe and honest treatment for investors. He produced a documentary film to benefit investors, legislators and those who investigate financial crime. Larry is the founder and executive director of a web forum dedicated to revealing predatory practices and has appeared in two CTV W5 investigative reports on investment malpractice. He has also participated on CBC news programs, and as a witness in Ottawa to the Standing Committee on Finance on the ABCP sub prime mortgage crisis, April 10, 2008, and the Standing Committee On Justice and Human Rights hearings on Enhanced Criminal Charges for Financial Fraud, (Bill C52, C21) December 9, 2009.

Although Santa Claus was originally viewed as the Christian figure of Saint Nicholas, a patron saint of children, Santa Claus is arguable wholly secular in today’s world. Some Christians object to him because he is secular rather than Christian; some non-Christians object to him because of his Christian roots. He is a powerful cultural symbol which is nearly impossible to ignore, but does this mean that he should simply be accepted without question? The Santa Claus myth is based on the idea of children getting gifts. There’s nothing wrong with getting gifts, but Santa Claus seems to make it the focus of the entire holiday. Children are encouraged to behave according to parental expectation in order to receive ever more presents. In order to make their Christmas wish lists, kids pay close attention to what advertisers tell them they need and should want, effectively encouraging unbridled consumerism and economic activity. Some might think that because Santa Claus is such an old tradition, this alone is sufficient reason to continue it. They were taught to believe in Santa as children, so why not pass this along to their own? But arguments from tradition are rarely sufficient to establish a point and in any case the role of Santa Claus in Christmas celebration is actually quite recent — the mid to late 19th century. The speakers will speculate on how or if the Santa Claus culture benefits society overall. Speakers: Trudy Govier and Rossitsa Yalamova Trudy Govier is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lethbridge. Her interests are in the areas of critical thinking and social philosophy. She is the author of a widely used textbook A Practical Study of Argument (7th Edition 2010), and ten other works including Dilemmas of Trust (1998), and Forgiveness and Revenge (2002). In the Lethbridge community, Trudy has helped to organize public lecture series and Philosophy Cafes, and worked with Amnesty International. Rossitsa M. Yalamova is an Associate professor of Finance at the University of Lethbridge. She holds a Ph.D. in finance from Kent State University. Her research has been published in Fractals, International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, The Journal of Behavioral Finance, etc. She is interested in risk measurement, analysis of market crashes, phase transition and chaos. In 2009-10, Rossitsa was a visiting professor at the Facoltà di Scienze Economiche, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.

Although Santa Claus was originally viewed as the Christian figure of Saint Nicholas, a patron saint of children, Santa Claus is arguable wholly secular in today’s world. Some Christians object to him because he is secular rather than Christian; some non-Christians object to him because of his Christian roots. He is a powerful cultural symbol which is nearly impossible to ignore, but does this mean that he should simply be accepted without question? The Santa Claus myth is based on the idea of children getting gifts. There’s nothing wrong with getting gifts, but Santa Claus seems to make it the focus of the entire holiday. Children are encouraged to behave according to parental expectation in order to receive ever more presents. In order to make their Christmas wish lists, kids pay close attention to what advertisers tell them they need and should want, effectively encouraging unbridled consumerism and economic activity. Some might think that because Santa Claus is such an old tradition, this alone is sufficient reason to continue it. They were taught to believe in Santa as children, so why not pass this along to their own? But arguments from tradition are rarely sufficient to establish a point and in any case the role of Santa Claus in Christmas celebration is actually quite recent — the mid to late 19th century. The speakers will speculate on how or if the Santa Claus culture benefits society overall. Speakers: Trudy Govier and Rossitsa Yalamova Trudy Govier is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lethbridge. Her interests are in the areas of critical thinking and social philosophy. She is the author of a widely used textbook A Practical Study of Argument (7th Edition 2010), and ten other works including Dilemmas of Trust (1998), and Forgiveness and Revenge (2002). In the Lethbridge community, Trudy has helped to organize public lecture series and Philosophy Cafes, and worked with Amnesty International. Rossitsa M. Yalamova is an Associate professor of Finance at the University of Lethbridge. She holds a Ph.D. in finance from Kent State University. Her research has been published in Fractals, International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, The Journal of Behavioral Finance, etc. She is interested in risk measurement, analysis of market crashes, phase transition and chaos. In 2009-10, Rossitsa was a visiting professor at the Facoltà di Scienze Economiche, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.

“Somebody should do something to protect historic buildings.” There are many passionate, hard-working individuals, municipalities and organizations working to preserve our built heritage. Much is being done in Lethbridge and across Alberta. However, as the reality of the Chinese National League Building shows us, sometimes it’s just not enough. What sort of systemic changes must be made to help protect historic buildings? What can be done to help owners protect built heritage on behalf of all Albertans? Be your community’s somebody. Learn what is being done and what you can do to help protect Alberta’s historic buildings for today and for the future. Speakers: Belinda Crowson and Jean Johnstone Belinda Crowson is the President of the Historical Society of Alberta, a volunteer organization founded in 1907 to preserve and share Alberta’s history. She also serves as the Lethbridge Historical Society representative on the City of Lethbridge Heart of Our City Revitalization Committee. In addition to her volunteer work, Belinda is the Museum Educator at the Galt Museum & Archives Jean Johnstone was the first City of Lethbridge Archivist and the first female City Clerk and is now retired. She is Past President of the Lethbridge Historical Society; Past Second Vice-President of the Historical Society of Alberta; Co-Chairman of the Lethbridge Historical Society Plaques & Monuments Committee and Chairman of the newly formed Heritage Advisory Committee for the City of Lethbridge. This committee has been set up to evaluate and make recommendations to City Council regarding the potential designation of Historical properties. Jean is the recipient of the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal presented to her by the Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable Norman Kwong, the LHS “Alex Johnston Award of Merit”, and the Historical Society of Alberta’s “Annual Award”.

“Somebody should do something to protect historic buildings.” There are many passionate, hard-working individuals, municipalities and organizations working to preserve our built heritage. Much is being done in Lethbridge and across Alberta. However, as the reality of the Chinese National League Building shows us, sometimes it’s just not enough. What sort of systemic changes must be made to help protect historic buildings? What can be done to help owners protect built heritage on behalf of all Albertans? Be your community’s somebody. Learn what is being done and what you can do to help protect Alberta’s historic buildings for today and for the future. Speakers: Belinda Crowson and Jean Johnstone Belinda Crowson is the President of the Historical Society of Alberta, a volunteer organization founded in 1907 to preserve and share Alberta’s history. She also serves as the Lethbridge Historical Society representative on the City of Lethbridge Heart of Our City Revitalization Committee. In addition to her volunteer work, Belinda is the Museum Educator at the Galt Museum & Archives Jean Johnstone was the first City of Lethbridge Archivist and the first female City Clerk and is now retired. She is Past President of the Lethbridge Historical Society; Past Second Vice-President of the Historical Society of Alberta; Co-Chairman of the Lethbridge Historical Society Plaques & Monuments Committee and Chairman of the newly formed Heritage Advisory Committee for the City of Lethbridge. This committee has been set up to evaluate and make recommendations to City Council regarding the potential designation of Historical properties. Jean is the recipient of the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal presented to her by the Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable Norman Kwong, the LHS “Alex Johnston Award of Merit”, and the Historical Society of Alberta’s “Annual Award”.

The speaker will illustrate the different types of stigma experienced by people with mental illness and examine whether living in a rural or urban community makes life easier for them. A large percentage of homeless people have mental illness and are found in bigger cities, however research indicate that per capita, mental illness occur equally in rural settings where very little homelessness appear. Do people with mental illness gravitate to large population centers? Speaker: Dr. Austin Mardon Austin Mardon was born in Edmonton but raised in Lethbridge where he finished his degree at the University of Lethbridge. While an undergraduate geography student, he was accepted as a field scientist on the ASMET NSF/NASA sponsored Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition. His descent into mental illness slowly started after he returned from Antarctica suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was able to complete two additional graduate degrees in the USA before suffering a complete breakdown, and was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia. The first thing Austin was told after being diagnosed was that his life was over. However it was not, as he continued on to finish a distance PhD and then established Prosper Place Clubhouse in Edmonton, a place where adults with mental illness can safely learn to live with their illness. He has also served on numerous committees and boards. Currently he serves on the Premier’s Council on the status of persons with disabilities and the Alberta College of social workers. Dr. Mardon received the order of Canada in 2007 and has received high awards from SSC and CMHA. This year he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta and the Medal of Honor, highest award for a non physician, from the CMA. Austin Mardon and his father Ernest have collaborated writing several books on Alberta's history. He lives in Edmonton with his wife Catherine and his Bassett hound Gandy.

The speaker will illustrate the different types of stigma experienced by people with mental illness and examine whether living in a rural or urban community makes life easier for them. A large percentage of homeless people have mental illness and are found in bigger cities, however research indicate that per capita, mental illness occur equally in rural settings where very little homelessness appear. Do people with mental illness gravitate to large population centers? Speaker: Dr. Austin Mardon Austin Mardon was born in Edmonton but raised in Lethbridge where he finished his degree at the University of Lethbridge. While an undergraduate geography student, he was accepted as a field scientist on the ASMET NSF/NASA sponsored Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition. His descent into mental illness slowly started after he returned from Antarctica suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was able to complete two additional graduate degrees in the USA before suffering a complete breakdown, and was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia. The first thing Austin was told after being diagnosed was that his life was over. However it was not, as he continued on to finish a distance PhD and then established Prosper Place Clubhouse in Edmonton, a place where adults with mental illness can safely learn to live with their illness. He has also served on numerous committees and boards. Currently he serves on the Premier’s Council on the status of persons with disabilities and the Alberta College of social workers. Dr. Mardon received the order of Canada in 2007 and has received high awards from SSC and CMHA. This year he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta and the Medal of Honor, highest award for a non physician, from the CMA. Austin Mardon and his father Ernest have collaborated writing several books on Alberta's history. He lives in Edmonton with his wife Catherine and his Bassett hound Gandy.

For months, politicians, media pundits, and ordinary citizens have watched the Occupy Wall Street protesters grow in numbers throughout the United States and elsewhere, including Canada. In this part of the country, Occupy protesters have made camp in several cities, including Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary, eliciting both support and condemnation from public officials and citizens. But how might we understand the Occupy phenomenon? Is it a genuine movement, in the sense of past movements, or just a passing phase? What are its roots? While the Occupy protesters have targeted Wall Street (and capitalism in general), are there other, broader currents at work? Is there a connection, for example, between the alleged “Arab Spring” protests that began a year ago in the Middle East and the Occupy protesters? Who are the occupiers? Do its members have a coherent message, or is the group made up of largely individualized grievances? What has been the response of authorities? And what is its future? (Does it have a future?) These are not easy questions to answer – nor will the speaker provide them. Instead, the speaker will provide observations in the context of previous protest movements, while also looking at the factors that will influence the trajectory and impact of the Occupy movement in the days to come. Speaker: Trevor W. Harrison Trevor W. Harrison is a Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economics at the University of Lethbridge. Recently, he also took on the role as co-director of Parkland Institute, a province-wide think tank that he co-founded in 1996 that is dedicated to studies of public policy. A frequent presenter at SACPA talks, he is best known for his studies in political sociology and political economy. He is the author, co-author, or co-editor of eight books, numerous journal articles and book chapters, and a regular contributor to radio, television, and the print media.

For months, politicians, media pundits, and ordinary citizens have watched the Occupy Wall Street protesters grow in numbers throughout the United States and elsewhere, including Canada. In this part of the country, Occupy protesters have made camp in several cities, including Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary, eliciting both support and condemnation from public officials and citizens. But how might we understand the Occupy phenomenon? Is it a genuine movement, in the sense of past movements, or just a passing phase? What are its roots? While the Occupy protesters have targeted Wall Street (and capitalism in general), are there other, broader currents at work? Is there a connection, for example, between the alleged “Arab Spring” protests that began a year ago in the Middle East and the Occupy protesters? Who are the occupiers? Do its members have a coherent message, or is the group made up of largely individualized grievances? What has been the response of authorities? And what is its future? (Does it have a future?) These are not easy questions to answer – nor will the speaker provide them. Instead, the speaker will provide observations in the context of previous protest movements, while also looking at the factors that will influence the trajectory and impact of the Occupy movement in the days to come. Speaker: Trevor W. Harrison Trevor W. Harrison is a Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economics at the University of Lethbridge. Recently, he also took on the role as co-director of Parkland Institute, a province-wide think tank that he co-founded in 1996 that is dedicated to studies of public policy. A frequent presenter at SACPA talks, he is best known for his studies in political sociology and political economy. He is the author, co-author, or co-editor of eight books, numerous journal articles and book chapters, and a regular contributor to radio, television, and the print media.

A new report challenges Albertans to consider recommendations that focus on the province’s long-term prosperity by realizing the full potential of Alberta’s energy resources and broadening its economic base. “Shaping Alberta’s Future”, the report from the 12-member Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy, also calls on all Albertans to consider their role to ensure future success. “My goal for this council was to ‘think big’ on how we can best position Alberta, looking 30 years into the future. This type of long-term planning has been done on behalf of all Albertans, and their children and grandchildren,” said former Premier Ed Stelmach. “Now it’s time for all Albertans to contemplate this report and provide comment on their role in creating the future they want to see and how to contribute to positive change.” Our speaker, a member of the Council, will introduce the report and discuss its role in engaging Albertans to contribute to establishing the long term outlook and financing strategy needed to transition to the future. Speaker: Lorne Taylor, Ph.D. Dr. Taylor is a consultant and businessman based in Medicine Hat, Alberta. He is currently Special Advisor to Alberta Water Smart, a not for profit organization committed to developing and improving the management of Alberta’s water resources. As the Member for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Cypress-Medicine Hat from 1993 to 2004, he served as Alberta's Minister of Science, Research and Information Technology, Minister of Innovation and Science and Minister of the Environment. While in government, Dr. Taylor was instrumental in the creation of the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, and Alberta SuperNet, a multi-million dollar high-speed, broadband network to every community in Alberta as well as Alberta’s Electronic Recycling program. He also envisioned and led the creation of Alberta's Water for Life Strategy and Climate Change Action Plan and was the founding Chair of the Alberta Water Research Institute. Dr. Taylor holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Calgary and has held tenured positions at several universities, among them the University of Saskatchewan from where he eventually returned to his family’s grain and cattle business. He currently lives in Medicine Hat with his wife Lois. They have four married daughters.