Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Because the Royal Proclamation of 1763 stated that the Crown must negotiate and sign treaties with the indigenous people before land could be ceded to a colony, the Numbered Treaties were negotiated in most parts of the Prairie Provinces. The Government of the Colony of British Columbia however, largely failed to negotiate treaties and as a result, most of the province's land is not covered by treaties. The Numbered Treaties (or Post-Confederation Treaties) are a series of eleven treaties signed between the Aboriginal peoples in Canada (or First Nations) and the reigning monarch of Canada from 1871 to 1921. Today, these agreements are managed by the Government of Canada, administered by Canadian Aboriginal law and overseen by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. What are the myriad of issues related to the upholding of these treaties and how are non-treaties being viewed in the context of Canadian law? The speaker will paint a picture of the historical and current negotiation process and how First Nations P

The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College are now partners in a project designed to further cooperation between the institutions in the delivery of agriculture-related programming. The agreement is a commitment between the university and college to collectively advance learning, research and innovation opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness, including the development of the Centre for Agricultural Research and Agribusiness Innovation (CARAI) and the implementation of the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program. It also calls for the formalization of initiatives that will bring together the mandates of other agencies and organizations in the region, such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry as well as relevant producer and agriculture industry companies and organizations. How will new programs benefit learners and the future of the agricultural industry? What will be the main focus of such research and innovation? Will the emphasis be mainly on l

The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College are now partners in a project designed to further cooperation between the institutions in the delivery of agriculture-related programming. The agreement is a commitment between the university and college to collectively advance learning, research and innovation opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness, including the development of the Centre for Agricultural Research and Agribusiness Innovation (CARAI) and the implementation of the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program. It also calls for the formalization of initiatives that will bring together the mandates of other agencies and organizations in the region, such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry as well as relevant producer and agriculture industry companies and organizations. How will new programs benefit learners and the future of the agricultural industry? What will be the main focus of such research and innovation? Will the emphasis be mainly on l

At some point in the life of every Albertan they are touched by mental illness and addiction. Released in February 2016, an Alberta report (co-authored by Dr. David Swann) on addictions and mental health, highlights the system changes which are critically needed to reduce wait times, improve quality care, and reduce the cost of our current systems of care. Psychiatrists do play a vital role dealing with severe mental illness along with teams of supporting professionals. However, it’s clear that the great majority of mental health and addictions issues could and should be handled by other professionals, including psychologists, family physicians, and their teams. Furthermore, to improve patient outcomes, there must be a shift of resources upstream into prevention efforts with individuals, families, and communities at risk. Without a dramatic shift in the planning and allocation of resources to identify and reduce risk factors earlier and prevent breakdown, the human and financial toll will continue to rise in

At some point in the life of every Albertan they are touched by mental illness and addiction. Released in February 2016, an Alberta report (co-authored by Dr. David Swann) on addictions and mental health, highlights the system changes which are critically needed to reduce wait times, improve quality care, and reduce the cost of our current systems of care. Psychiatrists do play a vital role dealing with severe mental illness along with teams of supporting professionals. However, it’s clear that the great majority of mental health and addictions issues could and should be handled by other professionals, including psychologists, family physicians, and their teams. Furthermore, to improve patient outcomes, there must be a shift of resources upstream into prevention efforts with individuals, families, and communities at risk. Without a dramatic shift in the planning and allocation of resources to identify and reduce risk factors earlier and prevent breakdown, the human and financial toll will continue to rise in

It is conventional wisdom in Alberta that bringing in a sales tax would be political suicide, but there is nothing unusual about sales taxes. They are part of the fiscal fabric everywhere else in Canada, many U.S. states, and throughout Europe. A provincial sales tax of five percent could net Alberta $5 billion yearly and still be one of the lowest taxed provinces. The Alberta Taxpayer Protection Act, introduced by Premier Ralph Klein in 1995, states that a referendum must be held before a Provincial Sales Tax can be introduced. However, previous governments have shown that they have no problem sweeping away old laws like this one. In 2009, the PC government amended their much touted Fiscal Responsibility Act which prohibited deficit budgets in order to pass a deficit budget. What are the sources of opposition in Alberta and what impact would a sales tax have on the politics and finances of the province? The speaker will analyze these questions and assert that relying on a boom-bust economy with a real la

It is conventional wisdom in Alberta that bringing in a sales tax would be political suicide, but there is nothing unusual about sales taxes. They are part of the fiscal fabric everywhere else in Canada, many U.S. states, and throughout Europe. A provincial sales tax of five percent could net Alberta $5 billion yearly and still be one of the lowest taxed provinces. The Alberta Taxpayer Protection Act, introduced by Premier Ralph Klein in 1995, states that a referendum must be held before a Provincial Sales Tax can be introduced. However, previous governments have shown that they have no problem sweeping away old laws like this one. In 2009, the PC government amended their much touted Fiscal Responsibility Act which prohibited deficit budgets in order to pass a deficit budget. What are the sources of opposition in Alberta and what impact would a sales tax have on the politics and finances of the province? The speaker will analyze these questions and assert that relying on a boom-bust economy with a real la

Financial mismanagement by financial institutions and brokers is affecting individuals, municipalities, universities, retirement plans and pension funds in Canada. Seniors have been hardest hit since low interest rates have reduced their retirement investment income, forcing them into potentially risky investments. Arguably, there are systemic methods by which Provincial Securities Commissions violate or “exempt” Provincial Securities Act laws for the benefit of investment firms and brokers. This costs Canadians billions of dollars each year and has gone on for years without notice to the investing public. It is doing irreversible harm to our economy and to society. It also illustrates where government agencies and Provincial Securities Commissions are forgetting their mandate to protect Canadians. The speaker will show how regulators are willfully blind to thousands of industry registrants who are legally registered in the capacity of “dealing representatives”. (Salespersons) Thousands of such product s

Financial mismanagement by financial institutions and brokers is affecting individuals, municipalities, universities, retirement plans and pension funds in Canada. Seniors have been hardest hit since low interest rates have reduced their retirement investment income, forcing them into potentially risky investments. Arguably, there are systemic methods by which Provincial Securities Commissions violate or “exempt” Provincial Securities Act laws for the benefit of investment firms and brokers. This costs Canadians billions of dollars each year and has gone on for years without notice to the investing public. It is doing irreversible harm to our economy and to society. It also illustrates where government agencies and Provincial Securities Commissions are forgetting their mandate to protect Canadians. The speaker will show how regulators are willfully blind to thousands of industry registrants who are legally registered in the capacity of “dealing representatives”. (Salespersons) Thousands of such product s

How many times have you answered the phone only to hear a voice telling you that you have won something fabulous. You know it is a scam and you hang up. Fraudsters know that people are getting smarter, so they are becoming craftier and are fine tuning their methods to get our money. Constable Dan Shurtz will alert us to a variety of scams aimed to separate us from our hard earned money: Some of the things he will cover in his talk are: Phishing, Overpayment scams, the CRA scam, the Grandparent scam, the Microsoft scam and Lottery schemes. He will also talk about what to do if you have been a victim of fraud. Speaker: Constable Dan Shurtz Dan Shurtz is a university graduate with a degree in Japanese and Economics from the University of Alberta and also spent a year of post-graduate work in linguistics at Northern Arizona University. He has worked as an English teacher, computer technician and interpreter. Constable Shurtz began his law enforcement profession as a police officer in 2003 in Edmonton, w

How many times have you answered the phone only to hear a voice telling you that you have won something fabulous. You know it is a scam and you hang up. Fraudsters know that people are getting smarter, so they are becoming craftier and are fine tuning their methods to get our money. Constable Dan Shurtz will alert us to a variety of scams aimed to separate us from our hard earned money: Some of the things he will cover in his talk are: Phishing, Overpayment scams, the CRA scam, the Grandparent scam, the Microsoft scam and Lottery schemes. He will also talk about what to do if you have been a victim of fraud. Speaker: Constable Dan Shurtz Dan Shurtz is a university graduate with a degree in Japanese and Economics from the University of Alberta and also spent a year of post-graduate work in linguistics at Northern Arizona University. He has worked as an English teacher, computer technician and interpreter. Constable Shurtz began his law enforcement profession as a police officer in 2003 in Edmonton, w

The movement away from task-oriented care toward person-centered care (i.e., care based on residents’ individualized care needs and preferences) is considered by many to be essential to both the quality of care and quality of life of people residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities, especially of those who have Alzheimer disease or a related dementia. The consistent provision of person-centered care is widely recognized as the goal of the residential care culture change movement. This talk will be explain why the attainment of this goal has remained elusive for the majority of LTC facilities, despite significant effort to alter practice. Intervention factors and organizational systems that support the uptake of practice and culture change initiatives will be described. Evidence for this discussion is derived from both quantitative and qualitative studies conducted across multiple long-term care settings.  Speaker: Dr. Sienna Caspar Sienna Caspar has worked in long-term care facilities in both Can

The movement away from task-oriented care toward person-centered care (i.e., care based on residents’ individualized care needs and preferences) is considered by many to be essential to both the quality of care and quality of life of people residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities, especially of those who have Alzheimer disease or a related dementia. The consistent provision of person-centered care is widely recognized as the goal of the residential care culture change movement. This talk will be explain why the attainment of this goal has remained elusive for the majority of LTC facilities, despite significant effort to alter practice. Intervention factors and organizational systems that support the uptake of practice and culture change initiatives will be described. Evidence for this discussion is derived from both quantitative and qualitative studies conducted across multiple long-term care settings.  Speaker: Dr. Sienna Caspar Sienna Caspar has worked in long-term care facilities in both Can

Several hundred people have died from fentanyl overdoses in the past few years and critics have charged that more need to be done to curb that trend. Fentanyl, an opioid painkiller prescribed to relieve chronic, intense pain—like that experienced with cancer—is increasingly being used illegally. Both the prescribed and illegally-manufactured form of the drug are being sold, and sometimes mixed with other illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine.  Fentanyl is killing users, at increasingly high rates. The 272 deaths in Alberta in 2015 represent a significant increase from the previous year, when it was tied to a total of 120 deaths. In 2011, fentanyl was implicated in just six deaths in the province. Opioid abuse has been rising in general across Canada for some years, due in part to a spike in the prescription of OxyContin and related painkillers. But the increasing availability and use of fentanyl represents a dangerous new direction because of the drug’s potency— fentanyl is up to 100 times more toxic than m

Several hundred people have died from fentanyl overdoses in the past few years and critics have charged that more need to be done to curb that trend. Fentanyl, an opioid painkiller prescribed to relieve chronic, intense pain—like that experienced with cancer—is increasingly being used illegally. Both the prescribed and illegally-manufactured form of the drug are being sold, and sometimes mixed with other illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine.  Fentanyl is killing users, at increasingly high rates. The 272 deaths in Alberta in 2015 represent a significant increase from the previous year, when it was tied to a total of 120 deaths. In 2011, fentanyl was implicated in just six deaths in the province. Opioid abuse has been rising in general across Canada for some years, due in part to a spike in the prescription of OxyContin and related painkillers. But the increasing availability and use of fentanyl represents a dangerous new direction because of the drug’s potency— fentanyl is up to 100 times more toxic than m

The recent influx of refugees, mainly from Syria, has kept Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) and their Immigrant Services department plenty busy since before New Year. LFS is expecting up to 240 Government-sponsored Syrian refugees by the end of 2016 in addition to the 40 or so that is privately-sponsored. About half of the expected refugees are in Lethbridge now. A steering committee of community partners including immigration services, education, health, social services, law enforcement and others, including many volunteers, are set up to help transition refugees into the city. Most of the refugees come from refugee camps in Jordan and all have passed Canada’s five-stage screening process. Questions about housing and when children can start attending school, are legitimate concerns as are, whether adults generally have the skills necessary to enter the job market and how soon. The speakers will address these questions and also outline the many cultural, economic and educational issues involved with reset

The recent influx of refugees, mainly from Syria, has kept Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) and their Immigrant Services department plenty busy since before New Year. LFS is expecting up to 240 Government-sponsored Syrian refugees by the end of 2016 in addition to the 40 or so that is privately-sponsored. About half of the expected refugees are in Lethbridge now. A steering committee of community partners including immigration services, education, health, social services, law enforcement and others, including many volunteers, are set up to help transition refugees into the city. Most of the refugees come from refugee camps in Jordan and all have passed Canada’s five-stage screening process. Questions about housing and when children can start attending school, are legitimate concerns as are, whether adults generally have the skills necessary to enter the job market and how soon. The speakers will address these questions and also outline the many cultural, economic and educational issues involved with reset

Harassment occurs when a person is subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical conduct. This can include threats and intimidation, one time or over an extended period. When the harassment is based on a protected ground of discrimination, it is contrary to the Alberta Human Rights Act or the Canadian Human Rights Act. In Alberta, protected grounds include race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, family status, source of income, and sexual orientation. Employers are responsible for providing a workplace that is free of harassment. How is harassment defined? How often does it occur in workplaces and boardrooms? What options do victims of harassment have? The speaker will discuss these questions and relate to the benefits of having harassment-free workplaces and boardrooms? Speaker: Raj Hari Bio: Raj worked as an officer for Citizenship and Immigration Canada for 17 years and for the

Harassment occurs when a person is subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical conduct. This can include threats and intimidation, one time or over an extended period. When the harassment is based on a protected ground of discrimination, it is contrary to the Alberta Human Rights Act or the Canadian Human Rights Act. In Alberta, protected grounds include race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, family status, source of income, and sexual orientation. Employers are responsible for providing a workplace that is free of harassment. How is harassment defined? How often does it occur in workplaces and boardrooms? What options do victims of harassment have? The speaker will discuss these questions and relate to the benefits of having harassment-free workplaces and boardrooms? Speaker: Raj Hari Bio: Raj worked as an officer for Citizenship and Immigration Canada for 17 years and for the

On June 1, 2015, Alberta’s Bill 10 became law. The content of this bill has twofold implications for policy within school districts. The first impact is that Gay Straight Alliances (GSA’s) must be allowed in any school where students request to have them. The second is that “gender identity” and “gender expression” are now included in Alberta’s Bill of Rights. In December, 2015, those rights were also added to Alberta’s Human Rights Act through Bill 7. In the fall of 2015, Alberta’s Minister of Education released Guidelines for Best Practices: Creating Learning Environments that Respect Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression for all publicly funded schools and gave each Alberta school board until March 31, 2016 to come up with their own policy to accommodate the provincial guidelines. However, the question has been asked: Why not draft the same LGBTQ policy for all school boards? The speaker will elaborate on that question and explain more details of Bill 7 and 10. Speaker: Mar