Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

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, prov

Canada’s economy and energy independence relies heavily on the fossil fuels we extract within our own national borders. However, our global environmental reputation has allegedly taken a hit over the past few decades as CO2 emissions per capita have the singular focus for environmentalists. As a result, we have been labeled everything from “corrupt petro state” to “colossal fossil” for our perceived inaction on climate change. Now, the governments of Canada and Alberta have opted for carbon taxation in order to fight climate change embarrassment. They believe that Canada should lead by example, forcing Canadian industries and consumers to adopt a “green future” without a clear plan for what that entails, let alone how it will affect the environment or our economy. Former provincial and federal official Larry Martin will examine how ideology may have buried science in the current policy, where we went wrong, and who stands to win and lose from this arguably misguided approach. Speaker:     F. Larry Mart

Canada’s economy and energy independence relies heavily on the fossil fuels we extract within our own national borders. However, our global environmental reputation has allegedly taken a hit over the past few decades as CO2 emissions per capita have the singular focus for environmentalists. As a result, we have been labeled everything from “corrupt petro state” to “colossal fossil” for our perceived inaction on climate change. Now, the governments of Canada and Alberta have opted for carbon taxation in order to fight climate change embarrassment. They believe that Canada should lead by example, forcing Canadian industries and consumers to adopt a “green future” without a clear plan for what that entails, let alone how it will affect the environment or our economy. Former provincial and federal official Larry Martin will examine how ideology may have buried science in the current policy, where we went wrong, and who stands to win and lose from this arguably misguided approach. Speaker:     F. Larry Mart

Virtual reality (VR) typically refers to computer technologies that use software to generate the realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate a real environment, and simulate a user's physical presence in this environment. VR can be defined as a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body or as an immersive, interactive experience generated by a computer. Virtual reality will arguably be the future of gaming and that is a concern for some people. But there’s no denying the incredible opportunities businesses will have to adopt the technology in several industries including healthcare, advertising, journalism and more. However, a generational gap seems to be forming between older and younger folks over what this new medium will do. Concerns have already been discussed in the past about rock and roll music, comic books, movies, video games, and virtual reality syst

Virtual reality (VR) typically refers to computer technologies that use software to generate the realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate a real environment, and simulate a user's physical presence in this environment. VR can be defined as a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body or as an immersive, interactive experience generated by a computer. Virtual reality will arguably be the future of gaming and that is a concern for some people. But there’s no denying the incredible opportunities businesses will have to adopt the technology in several industries including healthcare, advertising, journalism and more. However, a generational gap seems to be forming between older and younger folks over what this new medium will do. Concerns have already been discussed in the past about rock and roll music, comic books, movies, video games, and virtual reality syst

The first International Women’s Day (IWD) was observed on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than one million women and men showed their support of women by participating in public events. In 1977, following the long-standing movements for women to participate equally in society, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a day for women’s rights and international peace. Following the United Nations’ lead, Canada chose March 8 as IWD and it has grown to become a global day of recognition, celebration and action. In many countries it is an official holiday. In Canada, more than 40 events will be held this year. Last year, organizations and individuals around the world supported the Pledge for Parity campaign and committed to help women and girls achieve their ambitions; challenge conscious and unconscious bias, particularly against indigenous people and people of colour; call for gender-balanced leadership; value women and men's contributions equally; and create inclusive cu

The first International Women’s Day (IWD) was observed on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than one million women and men showed their support of women by participating in public events. In 1977, following the long-standing movements for women to participate equally in society, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a day for women’s rights and international peace. Following the United Nations’ lead, Canada chose March 8 as IWD and it has grown to become a global day of recognition, celebration and action. In many countries it is an official holiday. In Canada, more than 40 events will be held this year. Last year, organizations and individuals around the world supported the Pledge for Parity campaign and committed to help women and girls achieve their ambitions; challenge conscious and unconscious bias, particularly against indigenous people and people of colour; call for gender-balanced leadership; value women and men's contributions equally; and create inclusive cu

Many Albertans identify with wild landscapes and in southwestern Alberta, the Castle region is iconic. The struggle for protection dates back more than a century, when the young government of Canada set aside much of the Eastern Slopes in Alberta as a forest reserve to protect water sources and to benefit future generations on the Prairies. For several decades in earlier times, the Castle was part of Waterton Lakes National Park. Fast forward to January 20, 2017, the Alberta Government announced the establishment of the Castle and Wildland Provincial Parks. That all came about after years of advocacy and lobbying by many individual and groups, among them the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) and Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y). The widely applauded protected area covers 105,500 hectares. However, there are concerns and voices about what a protected area should look like. The speakers will present science-based research and area-focused surveys that suggest legally protecting the area is in the best long-

Many Albertans identify with wild landscapes and in southwestern Alberta, the Castle region is iconic. The struggle for protection dates back more than a century, when the young government of Canada set aside much of the Eastern Slopes in Alberta as a forest reserve to protect water sources and to benefit future generations on the Prairies. For several decades in earlier times, the Castle was part of Waterton Lakes National Park. Fast forward to January 20, 2017, the Alberta Government announced the establishment of the Castle and Wildland Provincial Parks. That all came about after years of advocacy and lobbying by many individual and groups, among them the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) and Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y). The widely applauded protected area covers 105,500 hectares. However, there are concerns and voices about what a protected area should look like. The speakers will present science-based research and area-focused surveys that suggest legally protecting the area is in the best long-

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 upsid

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 upsid

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 Statistic

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 Statistic

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

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

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 au

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 au

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

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

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