Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

The book by Yves Engler, Canada in Africa — 300 Years of Aid and Exploitation describing Canadian foreign policy in Africa will be analyzed in this presentation as well as the Canadian involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, “scramble for Africa”, missionary movement and European colonialism. The book also reveals Ottawa’s opposition to anticolonial struggles, support for apartheid South Africa, Idi Amin’s coup in Uganda and this country’s role in ousting independence leaders Patrice Lumumba of Congo and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. Based on an exhaustive look at the public record as well as on-the-ground research, Canada in Africa shows how the federal government pressed African countries to follow neoliberal economic prescriptions, which have benefited numerous Canadian corporations, including mining companies that have bought up much of the continent’s mineral resources, but are often bitterly resisted by local communities. The book also sheds light on Canada’s role in the violence that has engulfed So

Over the past decade, Canadians have witnessed an erosion of our national capacity for evidence-based decision-making. Apparent in communications restrictions on government scientists, funding cuts focused on public interest research, and a diminished role for evidence in policy decisions, this erosion threatens both our well-being as citizens and the health of our democracy. Evidence for Democracy, a national non-partisan, non-profit organization, has emerged as part of efforts to make the case for evidence-based decision-making. This presentation will lay out what’s happened in Canada and explain why we should be concerned. It will explain how Evidence for Democracy is responding and suggest ways we can all work to restore evidence-based decision-making in Canada. Speaker: Dr. Shannon Stunden Bower Shannon Stunden Bower is an assistant professor in the Department of History and Classics at the University of Alberta. She is a board member with Evidence for Demo

Over the past decade, Canadians have witnessed an erosion of our national capacity for evidence-based decision-making. Apparent in communications restrictions on government scientists, funding cuts focused on public interest research, and a diminished role for evidence in policy decisions, this erosion threatens both our well-being as citizens and the health of our democracy. Evidence for Democracy, a national non-partisan, non-profit organization, has emerged as part of efforts to make the case for evidence-based decision-making. This presentation will lay out what’s happened in Canada and explain why we should be concerned. It will explain how Evidence for Democracy is responding and suggest ways we can all work to restore evidence-based decision-making in Canada. Speaker: Dr. Shannon Stunden Bower Shannon Stunden Bower is an assistant professor in the Department of History and Classics at the University of Alberta. She is a board member with Evidence for Demo

To quote from our new governments election platform, “we’ll reduce our province’s over-dependence on raw bitumen exports and create more jobs with more upgrading and processing here, rather than in Texas.” Previous Alberta governments have had experience with refining and upgrading projects. Professor Ted Morton points out in an article in Alberta Oil Magazine that the “path to hell is paved with good intentions. What started off as a low-cost, low-risk initiative to incentivize more upgrading of bitumen in Alberta has turned into the multibillion-dollar North West Sturgeon upgrader, a project that will leave Alberta taxpayers holding the bag if it doesn’t fly.” Professor Morton will discuss the risks and benefits for Albertans of in province bitumen processing. Speaker: Dr. Ted Morton Dr. Morton is currently an Executive-in-Residence at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and Senior Fellow, Energy and Environment, at the Manning Foundation. In 2013, he was appointed by the Feder

To quote from our new governments election platform, “we’ll reduce our province’s over-dependence on raw bitumen exports and create more jobs with more upgrading and processing here, rather than in Texas.” Previous Alberta governments have had experience with refining and upgrading projects. Professor Ted Morton points out in an article in Alberta Oil Magazine that the “path to hell is paved with good intentions. What started off as a low-cost, low-risk initiative to incentivize more upgrading of bitumen in Alberta has turned into the multibillion-dollar North West Sturgeon upgrader, a project that will leave Alberta taxpayers holding the bag if it doesn’t fly.” Professor Morton will discuss the risks and benefits for Albertans of in province bitumen processing. Speaker: Dr. Ted Morton Dr. Morton is currently an Executive-in-Residence at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and Senior Fellow, Energy and Environment, at the Manning Foundation. In 2013, he was appointed by the Feder

The October 19, 2015 Federal Election promises to be an interesting contest. The SACPA forum will be conducted using both formulated and audience questions. Voice your concerns and help frame the issues you consider important, by asking the candidates to explain their views and party policies on those topics. Please plan to attend this forum and please also exercise you democratic right and duty by voting in the advance polls or on October 19, 2015. Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Time: 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Venue: Fritz Sick Senior Centre Gymnasium 420-11 Street South

The October 19, 2015 Federal Election promises to be an interesting contest. The SACPA forum will be conducted using both formulated and audience questions. Voice your concerns and help frame the issues you consider important, by asking the candidates to explain their views and party policies on those topics. Please plan to attend this forum and please also exercise you democratic right and duty by voting in the advance polls or on October 19, 2015. Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Time: 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Venue: Fritz Sick Senior Centre Gymnasium 420-11 Street South

The fossil fuel industry tout hydraulic fracturing, “fracking”, as a win-win, with slick promises of energy independence, greenhouse gas reduction, and benefits to local communities. Yet the questionable technology, which blasts massive volumes of water, sand, and chemicals into rock and coal formations, has sparked a huge public outcry. The speaker will describe why fracking is, at best, controversial and tell the inspiring story of one woman’s stand to hold government and industry accountable for the damage fracking can leave in its wake. After energy giant Encana fracked numerous gas wells around her home and her well water turned to a flammable broth, Jessica Ernst started asking questions. When she put forward evidence that Encana had violated policies by fracturing her community's drinking water aquifer, Ernst was falsely tagged as a terrorist and visited by the government’s anti-terrorism squad. Frightened but undaunted, she uncovered an apparent history of liability, fraud, and intimidation, along wi

The fossil fuel industry tout hydraulic fracturing, “fracking”, as a win-win, with slick promises of energy independence, greenhouse gas reduction, and benefits to local communities. Yet the questionable technology, which blasts massive volumes of water, sand, and chemicals into rock and coal formations, has sparked a huge public outcry. The speaker will describe why fracking is, at best, controversial and tell the inspiring story of one woman’s stand to hold government and industry accountable for the damage fracking can leave in its wake. After energy giant Encana fracked numerous gas wells around her home and her well water turned to a flammable broth, Jessica Ernst started asking questions. When she put forward evidence that Encana had violated policies by fracturing her community's drinking water aquifer, Ernst was falsely tagged as a terrorist and visited by the government’s anti-terrorism squad. Frightened but undaunted, she uncovered an apparent history of liability, fraud, and intimidation, along wi

In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada sent a powerful message heard around the world. In a unanimous decision, the justices of the high court struck down the federal prohibition on physician assisted dying and decided the old law violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In keeping with Canadian values of compassion and individual freedom, the decision could reshape how we experience death and dying in the future. In July 2015, the Federal Government announced the launching of a national public consultation process to engage Canadians about their views on choice in dying. A three-member expert panel was appointed to review the findings and report back to Parliament. The speaker will review the legal and political steps that lead to the Supreme Court’s decision and will examine the steps Canadians can take to ensure that the spirit and the wording in the Carter case is implemented in new legislation so, in the future, we can choose how and when we die.

In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada sent a powerful message heard around the world. In a unanimous decision, the justices of the high court struck down the federal prohibition on physician assisted dying and decided the old law violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In keeping with Canadian values of compassion and individual freedom, the decision could reshape how we experience death and dying in the future. In July 2015, the Federal Government announced the launching of a national public consultation process to engage Canadians about their views on choice in dying. A three-member expert panel was appointed to review the findings and report back to Parliament. The speaker will review the legal and political steps that lead to the Supreme Court’s decision and will examine the steps Canadians can take to ensure that the spirit and the wording in the Carter case is implemented in new legislation so, in the future, we can choose how and when we die.

Among many promises, one of the first items on Premier Rachel Notley’s agenda, besides a revised budget, may be campaign finance reform. Currently, individuals, corporations, and unions have a $15,000 limit on campaign donations to political parties in non-election years, and $30,000 in election years. Removal of corporate and union donations and lowering the limits, could see a ceiling of $1,500 per person, per year thereby putting an end to Alberta’s slanted election finances while closely resembling laws at the federal level and in many provinces. Such rule changes may help prevent any future political dynasty in Alberta. These democratic reform measures would mean that any future governments will not be able to use the tools and levers of government to promote and sustain their political party like the PCs, and before them, the Social Credit party, have done. Alberta’s political system could possibly grow into a mature mix of parties with competitive elections and regular rotation of governments. The spe

Among many promises, one of the first items on Premier Rachel Notley’s agenda, besides a revised budget, may be campaign finance reform. Currently, individuals, corporations, and unions have a $15,000 limit on campaign donations to political parties in non-election years, and $30,000 in election years. Removal of corporate and union donations and lowering the limits, could see a ceiling of $1,500 per person, per year thereby putting an end to Alberta’s slanted election finances while closely resembling laws at the federal level and in many provinces. Such rule changes may help prevent any future political dynasty in Alberta. These democratic reform measures would mean that any future governments will not be able to use the tools and levers of government to promote and sustain their political party like the PCs, and before them, the Social Credit party, have done. Alberta’s political system could possibly grow into a mature mix of parties with competitive elections and regular rotation of governments. The spe

Lethbridge homeowners may be facing an unexpected future tax hike. Cancellation of provincial grants linked to social housing will cost Lethbridge residents over $870,000 unless Alberta’s recently elected NDP government decide to reverse this shortfall. The Alberta government’s decision to download those costs on to city taxpayers came at the same time they cancelled increased funding to school boards in the province, including Lethbridge, despite increased student enrolments. The speaker will outline the many tax incentives provided to large industrial property owners that are hidden in the Province’s regulated assessment process and explain how this affects you as a taxpayer. Speaker: Stan Dilworth Stan Dilworth is currently the Manager of the Assessment and Taxation Department for the City of Lethbridge. He moved to Lethbridge in 2009 from Edmonton, his home for 35 years. He is responsible for the annual valuation of the City’s assessment base of 13.8 billion

Lethbridge homeowners may be facing an unexpected future tax hike. Cancellation of provincial grants linked to social housing will cost Lethbridge residents over $870,000 unless Alberta’s recently elected NDP government decide to reverse this shortfall. The Alberta government’s decision to download those costs on to city taxpayers came at the same time they cancelled increased funding to school boards in the province, including Lethbridge, despite increased student enrolments. The speaker will outline the many tax incentives provided to large industrial property owners that are hidden in the Province’s regulated assessment process and explain how this affects you as a taxpayer. Speaker: Stan Dilworth Stan Dilworth is currently the Manager of the Assessment and Taxation Department for the City of Lethbridge. He moved to Lethbridge in 2009 from Edmonton, his home for 35 years. He is responsible for the annual valuation of the City’s assessment base of 13.8 billion

SACPA in Partnership with the Lethbridge Public Library presents: To Pray or Not to Pray: What are the Ramifications of the Recent SCC Ruling on Prayers at Municipal Council Meetings? Ideally, Canada does not discriminate on grounds of religion although many people complain that it falls short in practice. In ruling against the Saguenay city council’s recitation of prayer before its meetings the Supreme Court of Canada recently declared that a religiously neutral state may not "favour or hinder any particular belief or non-belief under the guise of cultural or historical reality or heritage." Following that ruling, many municipalities have discontinued similar practices with some deciding instead to sing the national anthem or observe a moment of silence. Others continue with prayer traditions or are waiting for further reviews. The speaker will weigh in on the implications of the SCC ruling putting it in a broader context of views on the role of religion and religious tradition in Canadian society and def

The generational gap presents the idea that understanding between different age groups is limited due to differences in experience and language. This concept has given rise to stereotypes at both ends of the spectrum: Youth are seen as “lazy” and “unpredictable”, whereas older generations are perceived as “stubborn”, “authoritative”, and “strict”. These perceptions are counteractive to building a healthy community: They build mistrust, limit dialogue, and hinder the ability to build powerful alliances between those with experience and those with fresh ideas. Deconstructing these stereotypes would foster trusting and empowering relationships between youth and their elders; the kind of relationships which encourage sense of community, empathy, and a passion for knowledge. The speakers will discuss the disconnect between youth and the older generations, the kinds of issues this disconnect creates and the ways in which youth-focused programs, such as those at Lethbridge’s Boys & Girls Club and 5th on 5th, can

The generational gap presents the idea that understanding between different age groups is limited due to differences in experience and language. This concept has given rise to stereotypes at both ends of the spectrum: Youth are seen as “lazy” and “unpredictable”, whereas older generations are perceived as “stubborn”, “authoritative”, and “strict”. These perceptions are counteractive to building a healthy community: They build mistrust, limit dialogue, and hinder the ability to build powerful alliances between those with experience and those with fresh ideas. Deconstructing these stereotypes would foster trusting and empowering relationships between youth and their elders; the kind of relationships which encourage sense of community, empathy, and a passion for knowledge. The speakers will discuss the disconnect between youth and the older generations, the kinds of issues this disconnect creates and the ways in which youth-focused programs, such as those at Lethbridge’s Boys & Girls Club and 5th on 5th, can

Since the 1960s, religion in Canada has been viewed by most observers as in a state of decline, as seen in attendance drop-offs and organizational retrenchment. It has been widely assumed that the secularization patterns found in Western Europe and other advanced settings have taken root here, the apparent price of a country coming of age. We now know that such an interpretation has been a misreading of religious trends. A new comprehensive national survey carried out in March of this year by Angus Reid in partnership with Reginald Bibby has found that the religious situation is characterized not by relentless secularization but by polarization. A solid core of Canadians continue to embrace faith, a growing core reject it, and a sizable segment of the population locate themselves between the two inclinations. What’s more, immigration from Asian countries in particular is having a revitalizing impact on religion. By 2050, demographers tell us, the market for religion in Canada will remain significant. The g

Since the 1960s, religion in Canada has been viewed by most observers as in a state of decline, as seen in attendance drop-offs and organizational retrenchment. It has been widely assumed that the secularization patterns found in Western Europe and other advanced settings have taken root here, the apparent price of a country coming of age. We now know that such an interpretation has been a misreading of religious trends. A new comprehensive national survey carried out in March of this year by Angus Reid in partnership with Reginald Bibby has found that the religious situation is characterized not by relentless secularization but by polarization. A solid core of Canadians continue to embrace faith, a growing core reject it, and a sizable segment of the population locate themselves between the two inclinations. What’s more, immigration from Asian countries in particular is having a revitalizing impact on religion. By 2050, demographers tell us, the market for religion in Canada will remain significant. The g