Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Learning to harness fusion in a controlled way – recreating the sun on earth, as a clean source of energy – is the holy grail of international energy programs. According to Dr. Allan Offenberger “A sustained fusion burn is no longer an academic dream but will be realized in the near future.” Dr. Offenberger will outline several quite promising options and update us on their progress and status. Dr. Offenberger is particularly interested in getting Alberta researchers and industry involved in fusion development. He led an assessment team on behalf of the Alberta Council of Technologies Society (ABCtech) on visits to the major fusion programs around the world last year. He believes Alberta could be a strong contender for the location of the world’s first fusion power demonstration plant and subsequent use for “greener” oil sands applications. Speaker: Dr. Allan Offenberger Allan Offenberger is Professor Emeritus of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta. He received his B

From a trans point of view, what are the structural oppressions and barriers cissexism put before trans lives? How can we change structures so that they become more accepting and welcoming of trans and gender non-conforming individuals? How do we make environments safer for trans and gender non-conforming youth? How can we define trans history? What are its roots in civil rights movements? Is the T still relevant in LGBT? What kind of discussion between LGB movements and trans communities do we wish for? Speaker: Sophie Labelle Sophie Labelle was raised in rural Quebec and is an author and cartoonist exploring themes like gender expression and gender identity. She is also an elementary school teacher as well as an activist. In 2014, she was the first openly trans person to run during Quebec's provincial elections. She has published many children's books abou

From a trans point of view, what are the structural oppressions and barriers cissexism put before trans lives? How can we change structures so that they become more accepting and welcoming of trans and gender non-conforming individuals? How do we make environments safer for trans and gender non-conforming youth? How can we define trans history? What are its roots in civil rights movements? Is the T still relevant in LGBT? What kind of discussion between LGB movements and trans communities do we wish for? Speaker: Sophie Labelle Sophie Labelle was raised in rural Quebec and is an author and cartoonist exploring themes like gender expression and gender identity. She is also an elementary school teacher as well as an activist. In 2014, she was the first openly trans person to run during Quebec's provincial elections. She has published many children's books abou

In announcing the severing of Canada’s formal diplomatic relations with the government of Iran in 2012, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird described the Persian country of about 80 million people at the crossroads of Eurasia as "the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world". Iranian diplomats in Ottawa were declared “personae non gratae” and compelled to vacate their ambassadorial seat. The University of Lethbridge Professor of Globalization Studies, Dr. Anthony Hall, was recently invited to attend as a delegate to an international conference of Independent Thinkers and Film Makers in Iran’s capital city, Tehran. For several days the conference was a main focus of national news in the host country even as it was the subject of a rather vicious smear campaign mounted by the Anti-Defamation League in the United States and throughout an echo chamber of US news agencies including the Washington Post. While in Tehran, Professor Hall was interviewed with Farsi-language translation on o

In announcing the severing of Canada’s formal diplomatic relations with the government of Iran in 2012, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird described the Persian country of about 80 million people at the crossroads of Eurasia as "the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world". Iranian diplomats in Ottawa were declared “personae non gratae” and compelled to vacate their ambassadorial seat. The University of Lethbridge Professor of Globalization Studies, Dr. Anthony Hall, was recently invited to attend as a delegate to an international conference of Independent Thinkers and Film Makers in Iran’s capital city, Tehran. For several days the conference was a main focus of national news in the host country even as it was the subject of a rather vicious smear campaign mounted by the Anti-Defamation League in the United States and throughout an echo chamber of US news agencies including the Washington Post. While in Tehran, Professor Hall was interviewed with Farsi-language translation on o

Imagine spending years in prison without being charged with a crime or knowing exactly what you're accused of. This presentation is a sobering examination of the Canadian government’s use of security certificates, a Kafkaesque tool that allows for indefinite detention without charges, based on evidence not revealed to the accused or their lawyers. Since 1999, this rare and highly controversial device has been used to detain at least five men for nearly 30 years combined. To date, none has been charged with a crime or seen the evidence against them. Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a security certificate in 2002. He spent 43 months in jail (one year in solitary confinement) before being released under strict house arrest conditions in 2006. Mr. Harkat was the center of the second Supreme Court challenge against security certificates, a challenge that was lost late last year. He presently lives under restrictions in Ottawa with his wife Sophie Harkat. Sophie Harkat a graduate student in Public & Media.

Imagine spending years in prison without being charged with a crime or knowing exactly what you're accused of. This presentation is a sobering examination of the Canadian government’s use of security certificates, a Kafkaesque tool that allows for indefinite detention without charges, based on evidence not revealed to the accused or their lawyers. Since 1999, this rare and highly controversial device has been used to detain at least five men for nearly 30 years combined. To date, none has been charged with a crime or seen the evidence against them. Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a security certificate in 2002. He spent 43 months in jail (one year in solitary confinement) before being released under strict house arrest conditions in 2006. Mr. Harkat was the center of the second Supreme Court challenge against security certificates, a challenge that was lost late last year. He presently lives under restrictions in Ottawa with his wife Sophie Harkat. Sophie Harkat a graduate student in Public & Media.

Democracy is for all intentional purposes based on mutual respect, which means free and fair elections, human rights, and ethical government. How well are we doing with current standards of ethics in politics and the public service, how successfully are they enforced, and how could they be improved? These standards involve conflicts of interest, lobbying, election financing, whistleblowing, expense claims, and public sector accountability. This presentation will contextualize some of the past and present scandals involving both Canadian public servants and elected politicians. Is there a trend towards less accountability and are ethics being compromised as part of a larger problem within society? The speaker will offer hope and suggestions for the future and argue that democracy is not a spectator sport.….. Voter apathy makes it very fragile. Speaker:

Democracy is for all intentional purposes based on mutual respect, which means free and fair elections, human rights, and ethical government. How well are we doing with current standards of ethics in politics and the public service, how successfully are they enforced, and how could they be improved? These standards involve conflicts of interest, lobbying, election financing, whistleblowing, expense claims, and public sector accountability. This presentation will contextualize some of the past and present scandals involving both Canadian public servants and elected politicians. Is there a trend towards less accountability and are ethics being compromised as part of a larger problem within society? The speaker will offer hope and suggestions for the future and argue that democracy is not a spectator sport.….. Voter apathy makes it very fragile. Speaker:

CKXU began as CKUL in 1972, when a public address system was set up in Section A of University Hall at the University of Lethbridge to broadcast musical content inside the building during the day. The station was managed by the University of Lethbridge Students' Union. The CKUL Radio Society was incorporated in Oct. 1977, to govern the affairs of the station, and a year later the CRTC granted the society a license to broadcast on 530 AM In 2003, the CRTC approved the application to operate a new English language community based campus FM radio station in Lethbridge. CKUL’s call letters were changed to CKXU, and on April 8, 2004, the station began to broadcast at 88.3 FM to the city of Lethbridge and the surrounding area from a 125W transmitter located on top of the Students’ Union Building at the University of Lethbridge. CKXU 88.3 FM now broadcasts for more than 168 hours per week, year-round, with a volunteer core of over 100 members. The importance of community radio and independent media will be discuss

CKXU began as CKUL in 1972, when a public address system was set up in Section A of University Hall at the University of Lethbridge to broadcast musical content inside the building during the day. The station was managed by the University of Lethbridge Students' Union. The CKUL Radio Society was incorporated in Oct. 1977, to govern the affairs of the station, and a year later the CRTC granted the society a license to broadcast on 530 AM In 2003, the CRTC approved the application to operate a new English language community based campus FM radio station in Lethbridge. CKUL’s call letters were changed to CKXU, and on April 8, 2004, the station began to broadcast at 88.3 FM to the city of Lethbridge and the surrounding area from a 125W transmitter located on top of the Students’ Union Building at the University of Lethbridge. CKXU 88.3 FM now broadcasts for more than 168 hours per week, year-round, with a volunteer core of over 100 members. The importance of community radio and independent media will be discuss

What is meant by civil liberties? According to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil liberties are protecting those freedoms that are considered fundamental in a democratic society. These fundamental freedoms include freedom of opinion, thought, belief and expression, freedom of the press, freedom of conscience and religion, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly. It is almost impossible to imagine how a democracy would work without protection for these most basic rights and freedoms, and yet they continue to be under attack in many ways. The speakers qualified as finalists in the recently held University of Lethbridge Student Speaker Challenge, beating out six other talented competitors. Sponsored by SACPA, LPIRG and ULSU, each year’s competition addresses a different topic and this year, civil liberties or the lack thereof was the topic. The presenters will address civil liberties from different perspectives and give a glimpse of how post-secondary students view the importance of fre

What is meant by civil liberties? According to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil liberties are protecting those freedoms that are considered fundamental in a democratic society. These fundamental freedoms include freedom of opinion, thought, belief and expression, freedom of the press, freedom of conscience and religion, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly. It is almost impossible to imagine how a democracy would work without protection for these most basic rights and freedoms, and yet they continue to be under attack in many ways. The speakers qualified as finalists in the recently held University of Lethbridge Student Speaker Challenge, beating out six other talented competitors. Sponsored by SACPA, LPIRG and ULSU, each year’s competition addresses a different topic and this year, civil liberties or the lack thereof was the topic. The presenters will address civil liberties from different perspectives and give a glimpse of how post-secondary students view the importance of fre

ECMap was an Alberta Government funded 5-year project that worked to raise community awareness of the results of an intensive study on the readiness of Alberta’s children for kindergarten. The Government invested 26 million dollars to gather Early Development Instrument (EDI) data, interpret it, and share the results with communities province-wide. We learned that Alberta’s kindergarten children are behind the Canadian average in their performance, with children in Lethbridge behind the Provincial average. Why is it so when we know that the preschool years are the most important time for brain development? We also know that skills that support a child’s success in school and in life are trainable and can be developed through simple play activities that stimulate thinking, problem solving and self-regulation. Our speakers will share some of the work currently underway that aims to address these issues.

ECMap was an Alberta Government funded 5-year project that worked to raise community awareness of the results of an intensive study on the readiness of Alberta’s children for kindergarten. The Government invested 26 million dollars to gather Early Development Instrument (EDI) data, interpret it, and share the results with communities province-wide. We learned that Alberta’s kindergarten children are behind the Canadian average in their performance, with children in Lethbridge behind the Provincial average. Why is it so when we know that the preschool years are the most important time for brain development? We also know that skills that support a child’s success in school and in life are trainable and can be developed through simple play activities that stimulate thinking, problem solving and self-regulation. Our speakers will share some of the work currently underway that aims to address these issues.

A motion to mandate that Alberta schools support the creation of student-led gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in schools where students have requested it, was defeated in the Alberta Legislature early last year. In late 2014 two Bills dealing with the same student-led gay-straight alliances were brought before the legislature. The first, Bill 202, was a private members Bill, which prompted the Government to draft its own, Bill 10. By the time the dust settled and amendments were attempted, neither Bill was passed as Premier Prentice stepped in and put the Bills on hold pending further studies. Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently released the results of an extensive study showing that GSAs reduce the risk of suicide for all students, LGBTQ and straight. The speaker will present further background information on this controversial topic and discuss what is known about the effects GSAs can have for all students in the schools where they are established.

A motion to mandate that Alberta schools support the creation of student-led gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in schools where students have requested it, was defeated in the Alberta Legislature early last year. In late 2014 two Bills dealing with the same student-led gay-straight alliances were brought before the legislature. The first, Bill 202, was a private members Bill, which prompted the Government to draft its own, Bill 10. By the time the dust settled and amendments were attempted, neither Bill was passed as Premier Prentice stepped in and put the Bills on hold pending further studies. Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently released the results of an extensive study showing that GSAs reduce the risk of suicide for all students, LGBTQ and straight. The speaker will present further background information on this controversial topic and discuss what is known about the effects GSAs can have for all students in the schools where they are established.

Lethbridge residents could send a lot less garbage to the landfill if a city-wide curbside organics recycling program were to be implemented. Diverting residential food and yard waste from the landfill could save not only valuable landfill space, it could also eliminate much of the methane that organics generate in a landfill. It is well known that recycling organics is better for the environment in many ways as it turns waste material into new and friendly products of value, with the possibility of also creating biogas capable of generating power. The speaker will explain the challenges Lethbridge residents are likely to face, including costs, while describing the experience she had helping implement Airdrie’s curbside organics recycling program recently. Speaker: Kathleen Muretti Kathleen Muretti is Manager of Fleet, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Wa

Lethbridge residents could send a lot less garbage to the landfill if a city-wide curbside organics recycling program were to be implemented. Diverting residential food and yard waste from the landfill could save not only valuable landfill space, it could also eliminate much of the methane that organics generate in a landfill. It is well known that recycling organics is better for the environment in many ways as it turns waste material into new and friendly products of value, with the possibility of also creating biogas capable of generating power. The speaker will explain the challenges Lethbridge residents are likely to face, including costs, while describing the experience she had helping implement Airdrie’s curbside organics recycling program recently. Speaker: Kathleen Muretti Kathleen Muretti is Manager of Fleet, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Wa

On March 16, 2009, the Alberta Government announced an ambitious plan to end homelessness in this province, the first to make such declaration in Canada. This plan saw a shift from relying on emergency shelters to manage the problem and instead use Housing First principles to create not only housing stability but diversion from future homelessness. From a financial perspective, simply managing homelessness was projected to cost the Alberta Government more than six billion dollars over 10 years. This figure does not include the indirect costs of homelessness that tax payers absorb through the health, corrections and justice systems which conservatively is estimated at 100,000 dollars per homeless person per year. This is a far cry from the projected 3.16 Billion dollars that the implementation of the plan to end homelessness will cost over the same 10 year period. From a human stand point, healthier Canadians mean healthier homes and children which means a brighter future for Canada. The speaker will argue th