Food security and sustainable agriculture are top of mind given the challenges of climate change.  The speaker will talk about a new aquaponics project happening in southern Alberta to tackle food security and climate change. He will discuss the challenges with food security in southern Alberta and why sustainable agriculture is important, and provide an overview of aquaponics and how it is a sustainable growing method. And finally, he will discuss the collaboration of the aquaponics project with schools and community stakeholders, and how it will enhance food security in schools and promote environmental leadership.  Speaker: Michael Lavorato              Michael Lavorato has been passionate about environmental sustainability all his life. He started working in aquaponics over the last five years to promote and enhance sustainable food systems. He has built over 40 aquaponics systems across Alberta in schools, libraries, and continuing care facilities. 

Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Aquaponics with Michael Lavorato

The past two years have been exceptionally challenging for all Alberta Post-Secondary students, and the Student body at the University of Lethbridge has been no exception.  Budget cuts by the Alberta government, with more anticipated, increasing tuition and education costs, housing issues, racism, Covid-19, online learning and transitioning back to on campus learning and employment uncertainty are but a few of the challenges experienced by Students. In addition to these issues, Affordability and Food Scarcity challenges are an ever-present reality for far too many post-secondary Students.  The “Feed or Famine Food Drive” is one of the critical projects the University of Lethbridge Students Union (ULSU) sponsors to meet the nutritional needs of students.   The Speaker will discuss the Feed or Famine Food Drive project and share some insights as to how students are faring, along with other supports the ULSU Student Affairs undertakes to assist students to have a successful academic year.     Speaker:     Amy Mendenhall – Vice President Student Affairs              Amy Mendenhall is the Vice President of Student Affairs for the University of Lethbridge Student Union.  As a fourth-year student in the Indigenous Studies and History programs, Amy serves the student body as a mature student, bringing a wealth of experience and history of community service and volunteerism beginning from the young age of thirteen.  A mother of three, Amy is originally from Red Deer, and began volunteering with the Red Deer Regional Hospital, Boys and Girls Club and Students & Teachers opposing Prejudice, Red Deer Food Bank, International Students Club, and a member of the first official Gay Straight Alliance Club in Alberta.  Amy was awarded the Premiers Award of Excellence for her work with the successful passing of an Anti-Bullying Bylaw in Red Deer; and was also awarded the Young Citizen of the Year for Red Deer in 2006 for volunteer work.  Amy graduated from the Red Deer College with an Educational Assistant certification in 2013, and the New York Institute of Photography in 2017.    Through her continued activism, Amy strives to support U of L Students in their challenges at the University of Lethbridge.

Student Affordability and Feed or Famine Food Drive with Amy Mendenhall

Sustaining medical services in smaller communities is challenging at the best of times. Doctors have been working without an agreement for almost two years, and the unstable relationship with our government has made it nearly impossible to recruit and retain physicians to rural areas. The gaps in services are widening provincially, and instead of addressing the worsening underlying issues, government and AHS have dismissed the numerous closures as pandemic or vacation related. Dr. Myhr questions whether maintaining services for rural populations is a priority- especially in light of the February 2020 review of AHS that suggested reductions or closures would save the system money. Dr. Myhr will give an overview of the current crisis and why it should matter to everyone. Speaker: Sam Myhr, Rural Medicine President for the Alberta Medical Association           Sam Myhr is a family physician in Pincher Creek, where she and her colleagues are true generalists - a now endangered species in medicine. Together they run the clinic, hospital, emergency room, and surgical/obstetrical services for the surrounding area - all while training a constant complement of six medical students/residents. What started as a fight to maintain the broad services her group is proud to deliver has led to multiple regional and provincial advocacy roles. Sam is Vice President of Pincher Creek’s Attraction and Retention Committee, advises government on rural sustainability through various channels, and is the current President of the Section of Rural Medicine for the AMA.

Government’s plan for rural medicine: Do Not Resuscitate? With Sam Myhr Rural Medicine President with the AMA

The Liberal Party retained power in a close-run 2019 federal election where the Liberals won 157 seats and 33% of the popular vote, enough to form a minority government. The opposition Conservative Party won more votes, but far fewer seats. This was the first time since 1979 that the winner of the most seats wasn’t also the winner of the most votes. The NDP and separatist Bloc Quebecois parties both ended up holding the balance of power. The speaker will unpack the results of the September 20, 2021 federal election and outline some of the main issues including why the Liberals called the election in the middle of this current 4th COVID pandemic wave.  Speaker: Dr. Melanee Thomas                 Melanee Thomas is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of gender-based political inequality in Canada and other post-industrial democracies. She has published research in journals such as Politics & Gender, Electoral Studies, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science. Dr. Thomas earned her first degree at the University of Lethbridge and served as U of L Students’ Union President.

The 2021 Canadian Federal Election: Did the Results Justify Calling It? With Melanee Thomas

Lethbridge’s 2021 Municipal Elections has the potential to be very interesting.  For sure, the City will have a new Mayor and several fresh faces on Council.  Many issues are up for debate and there are questions on the ballot: Is there a need for a third Bridge and should Lethbridge adopt a ward system?  Additionally, the Province is asking Albertans for their opinion on equalization and daylight-saving time.  The speaker will give an overview of these and other pressing issues such as homelessness and the overdose crisis.  She will also supply information on what it takes to be a public servant and as well, provide a brief comparison between Bill 29: Local Authorities Election Amendment Act 2020, Bill 45: Local Authorities election Amendment Act 2020 (no. 2) and the previous Bill 23: An Act to Renew Local Democracy in Alberta from 2018.  What impact might these changes have on the current and future municipal elections?    Speaker: Maria Fitzpatrick                  Maria was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland.  She attended Memorial University of Newfoundland studying Education and Physical Education and taught with the Catholic School Board. She attended St. Francis Xavier University graduating with a diploma in Train the Trainer.  Maria worked with both the Federal Government & the Territorial Government working in the field of Corrections as a Recreation Supervisor, Teacher & Education Coordinator, Parole Officer (both in the institution & community) finishing that career working at National Headquarters in policy development & project management. Maria was elected Regional Vice President in the National Capital Region with the Union of Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), & was a member of the Board of Directors & the Alliance Executive Committee for PSAC. Maria served as a member of the Board of Directors United Way Ottawa. Returning to Alberta in October 2012, Maria continued her career in Corrections retiring in 2015, and was elected as NDP MLA for Lethbridge East, serving her constituency & Alberta from 2015 to 2019. During that tenure she chaired the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, was a member of the Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future, & was appointed to the Ministerial Panel on Child Intervention from 2017–2019, speaking out in the Legislature about her personal experience with Domestic Violence in support of Bill 204 (2015 Residential Tenancies-Safer Spaces for Victims of Domestic Violence Amendment Act 2015-Assented to 2015.)  Since 2019, Maria has remained an active constituent of Lethbridge working with various organizations and local & provincial initiatives.

Municipal Elections 2021: What Will Determine the Outcome? With Maria Fitzpatrick

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a historic public health crisis that has had drastic and long-lasting effects on global health and the economy. This has also been the first pandemic where updates have been provided on a nearly instantaneous basis to both biomedical researchers, healthcare workers and the public. Over 20 plus months, research from across the globe has allowed us to understand SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in details normally taking years to decades. However, many questions remain. Namely, how did this happen? When will it end? How do we navigate this new frontier between these points? The Speaker will provide some background context to describe our current state of knowledge of the virus, the illness and the vaccines and interventions being implemented to get the pandemic under control. Speaker: Dr. Jason Kindrachuk PhD            Dr. Kindrachuk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Canada, and holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses. His research expertise and experiences have focused on emerging virus pathogenesis and outbreak preparedness with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, including outreach activities in Sierra Leone, Gabon and Kenya. His research investigations focus on the circulation, transmission and pathogenesis of emerging viruses that pose the greatest threat to global human and animal health. These have included ebolaviruses, coronaviruses and influenza viruses. Past and present findings from his investigations will help inform therapeutic treatment and development strategies, outbreak prediction and preparedness efforts. He is also active in international outbreak response efforts, including the West African Ebola virus disease epidemic and, most recently, Covid-19. He actively participates in training young investigators for careers in infectious disease research and in public outreach activities locally, nationally and internationally.

Navigating the Fourth Wave of Covid-19 and Beyond with Dr. Jason Kindrachuk

Alberta Health Services (AHS) (the Alberta Government) are demanding across-the-board pay cuts of 3 percent, plus additional monetary cuts that would raise the cost of the rollbacks to an average 5 percent in their negotiations with United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) members who have already endured six years of zero percent increases. All this arguably amounts to a relatively large reduction in nurses pay under the guise that Alberta nurses are being paid more than their provincial counter-parts.   The government claims it respects the sacrifice and dedication of Alberta’s nurses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which is continuing. Under these circumstances, with pay cuts and major rollbacks still on the table, this appears to compound the disrespect shown by AHS during these negotiations. The speaker will clarify where negotiations are at between AHS and UNA. She will also dig deeper into the current healthcare staffing crisis, challenges of COVID, and the UCP privatization agenda attacking health care in Alberta.  Speaker: Danielle Larivee               Danielle Larivee has been a registered nurse for over 24 years, and has worked in a variety of settings, from frontline public health, to First Nation homecare, to teaching nursing, and is currently the First Vice-President of UNA, the union representing over 30,000 RNs, RPNs, and other frontline healthcare workers. She proudly served as president of her UNA local 315 until she was elected to the Alberta Legislature on May 5, 2015 and went on to fill multiple Cabinet posts, including Minister of Municipal Affairs, Service Alberta, Children’s Services and Status of Women. During her time in office, she managed many complicated and sensitive files, such as being Alberta’s lead for the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires, developing and implementing a plan to improve Alberta's child intervention system, and co-chairing a review of the province’s mental health system. Ms. Larivee feels strongly that advocating at the political level is part of a nurse’s responsibility and is thankful for the opportunity in her newest role to advocate for both Alberta’s nurses and for our publicly funded, publicly delivered healthcare system.

Is the Contract Dispute between AHS and Alberta Nurses strictly about Money?

Educators know all curricula need timely revision and many are concerned about the most recent draft K-6 curriculum proposed by the government of Alberta. The wheels began turning over a decade ago for a comprehensive K-12 curriculum review and rewrite, beginning with the “Inspiring Education” framework of 2009 under PC Premier Stelmach and Education Minister Hancock, followed by a 2013 Ministerial Order under PC Premier Redford and Education Minister Johnson. Prior to these directives, curriculum in Alberta was updated for individual subject areas at various times. The comprehensive K-12 approach came to fruition in 2016 under NDP Premier Notley and Education Minister Eggen with a planned 6-year curriculum writing project involving hundreds of educators meeting in expert working groups.  A K-4 draft curriculum was completed and presented in draft form for piloting in 2018 but was cancelled following the Provincial election by the UCP, and was replaced by a 12-member advisory committee charged with developing a new K-6 draft proposal.   That proposed curriculum has received much criticism from teachers, administrators, school divisions, and education professors. Our two speakers, both worked on the previously proposed, now rejected, curriculum revision and have an insider’s view of the 2016-2019 process.  They will take us inside the controversy, sharing the process used, and outline what many points of debate and conflict are about.   Speakers:     Ken Rogers and Kelly Frewin   Ken Rogers retired in 2018 from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute after a 32-year career in music teaching. He taught band, choir, guitar and general music courses at middle, junior and high school levels, as well as some elementary school music.  He has taught at the post-secondary level including music studio performance, choir, and music curriculum and instruction courses at the U of L.  He has had a keen interest in music curriculum through his teaching career.  In 2016 he was appointed as a member of the Alberta Education Arts Curriculum Working Group focusing on grades 9-12 music and served until the group’s suspension in July 2019.  Ken has been involved in many community music programs – McKillop United Church, the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, Lethbridge Community band, Lethbridge Big Band, Vox Musica Chorus, and various musical theatre groups.  He holds a B. Music and a B. Ed. from the U of L and a graduate diploma in Fine Arts from the U of C. A Lethbridge educator for 20 years, Kelly Frewin received a B of Fine Arts 1996 & a B of Ed 2001 & received the Gold Medal from the U of L.  He taught grades 5/6 multi-age classroom for 2 years, then transferred to Wilson Middle School, where he taught drama plus academic classes. In 2007 Kelly moved to Lethbridge Collegiate Institute to teach the drama program. In 2010 Kelly took a yearlong secondment position in the U of L faculty of Education teaching practicum students and future drama instructors. He returned to Lethbridge Collegiate Institute and continues to lead the drama program. Kelly joined the Provincial Curriculum Working Group in 2016, consulting with Alberta Education on the new curriculum. This work ended in 2019 when the curriculum was rejected. Currently he is working on his Master of Education thesis, focusing on using drama as a tool to address social issues in the school and community.

An Educator’s Perspective on Alberta’s Proposed Draft Curriculum with Ken Rogers and Kelly Frewin

At least 150,000 Indigenous youths were forced into Indian Residential Schools (IRS) between the 1870s and 1990s. They were run by Canadian/Provincial governments and religious authorities. The aim was to strip the young of their language/culture and force them to adopt to the colonizer's way of life. In other words, cultural genocide, but with the recent discovery of 215 indigenous children at a Kamloops IRS in unmarked graves, with many more to be found all over Canada, it can be argued that it’s more than cultural genocide.   Out of the 139 IRS in Canada, 26 were in Alberta. Among those, six were in Southern Alberta. It is known that thousands of Indigenous children died needlessly while attending IRS. The speakers will describe their experiences with IRS and relate to how the generational trauma have affected large portions of Indigenous Peoples and their communities. Healing remedies and the importance of teaching all kids about the horror of IRS in K-6 and beyond, will also be discussed.     Speakers: Dr. Terri-Lynn Fox and Elder Keith Chief Moon                Oki, Niistoo’akoka Aapiihkwi’komotakii, my English name is Terri-Lynn Fox. I am a member of the Kainai Nation, which is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. My academic credentials include a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Sociology, and a Ph.D. in Education. I am the Director of the Kainai Wellness Centre, which is one branch of the Blood Tribe Department of Health, located on the Kainai Nation. I practice our Siksikaitsitapi ways and envision this to be at the forefront of our healing methods, in addition to an avenue for our way forward, as we think about, participate in, and actively change the Canadian landscape for the betterment of all – to justly reach reconciliation.   Onistaya Kopi, Keith Chief Moon. I am a Survivor of the Indian Residential Schools on the Blood Reserve. I was subjected to discrimination and bigotry, yet I obtained a high school diploma from Cardston. I have achieved a B.A. and B.Ed. in Native American Studies; and an M.A. in Education. I have overcome addictions; and I am currently free from alcohol, drugs and other forms of hallucinatory drugs. I am a sacred pipe carrier, a ceremonialist, and I practice the teachings of Napbii Na’tosi, that all human beings have a responsibility to live a good life, to prosper, to share, to respect and take each day as a new day.

The Deadly Effects of Residential Schools in Canada: How is that Remediable?

In October 2020, the Federal Government announced its 2021-2022 Immigration Level Plan. The government is hoping to bring a targeted 1.2 million immigrants into the country to help the Canadian economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and drive future growth.   Canada is often referred to as a land of immigrants because of the millions of newcomers who have settled there since the first colonies were built by the English and the French on Indigenous territories. However, despite this history of immigration, many immigrants encounter discrimination and social exclusion upon their arrival.   Much of the discrimination and difficulty encountered originate in common myths and beliefs held by those already living in Canada. In this presentation we will visit the new Immigration Level Plan introduced by the Federal government to shed light on the different immigration categories and discuss the reasons for this increase to immigration targets. Along the way we will try to bust common myths about newcomers to Canada. We will also explore some of the challenge’s newcomers face during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Speaker:    Najib Mangal               Najib Mangal is manager of Community Connections and Employment programs at Immigrant Services of Lethbridge Family Services. He is an accredited settlement practitioner with 15 years of experience in settlement and integration of newcomers into Lethbridge. He graduated with a degree in Information Technology in 2006 from the Lethbridge College and recently completed his Immigration Consultancy program through the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultancy.

“Immigration Matters” Why Canada supports immigration

While painkilling medicine has been around for a very long time, Fentanyl is a powerful addictive opioid painkiller, the use of which has caused an increasing public health threat in Canada and elsewhere. Fentanyl was initially approved in 1960 and used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, especially cancer pain. However, recent years have seen a growing use of fentanyl and its analogs that are widely synthesized in laboratories and adulterated with illicit supplies of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and counterfeit pills, contributing to addiction and the exponential growth in the number of drug-related overdose deaths.   The southern Alberta community of Kainai First Nation has been hit very hard by the Fentanyl overdose crises and since 2014 in particular, hundreds in the community have died tragically. The speaker will describe the early circumstances of the crises and as well, more recent measures taken to mitigate the loss, which includes a harm reduction strategy, since conventional abstinence-based treatment has proved ineffective for saving lives. The strategy includes supervised consumption and the Blackfoot practice known as "kimmapiiyipitssini" – pronounced "GEE-maa-bee-bit-sin" meaning "giving kindness to each other”.     Speaker:  Dr. Esther Tailfeathers   Dr. Esther Tailfeathers was born and raised on the Blood Tribe Kainai First Nation in southern Alberta. She graduated from the University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency at the University of Alberta.   Esther has worked with many First Nations, among them, the Emergency Department on the Blackfeet Reservation (in Montana), the Blood Tribe Reserve for almost 20 years, and in the Northern Alberta community of Fort Chipewyan. She is most proud of organizing a relief mission to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010, leading a team made up of Blood Tribe paramedics, nurses and health care workers who took care of more than 2,000 patients during their relief efforts.   Most recently, Dr. Tailfeathers has focused on the Blood Tribe’s response to the opioid crisis including harm reduction and treatment, and addressing the upstream determinants of health. Dr. Tailfeathers is currently the Senior Medical Director, Provincial Indigenous Wellness Core, at Alberta Health Services.

Is Harm Reduction and Empathy the Main Pillars when Battling Drug Dependency? With Dr Esther Tailfeathers

Public participation is widely considered to be an essential component of any legitimate exercise of state power over resource development and environmental decision-making. A clear illustration of what can happen when public participation is excluded from the decision-making process is the public uproar concerning the abrupt rescission by the Alberta government of the 1976 Coal Policy in May 2020.  The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is Alberta's regulator of energy development throughout the full lifecycle of an oil, gas, or coal project - from initial application to final closure and reclamation. The AER is responsible for assessing and monitoring the environmental impacts of these energy projects, and the AER implements a compliance program to enforce the applicable legal rules. This session will be a critical examination of the opportunities provided by the AER for the public to participate in its decision-making processes. While the discussion will canvass the topic broadly in relation to various components of the AER's regulatory functions, specific focus will be given to the AER's statement of concern procedures - the process used by the AER to invite persons who are concerned with a proposed energy development to express those concerns. Speaker: Shaun Fluker Shaun Fluker is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary. His research includes examining legal frameworks governing public participation and transparency in resources and environmental decision-making. He has written extensively on procedural and substantive rules governing access to legal process, judicial review and access to information. His article "The Right to Public Participation in Resources and Environmental Decision-Making in Alberta" (2015) provides a critical assessment of these issues specifically in relation to the AER and its predecessors, and he writes frequently on current developments in public participation at the Faculty of Law's blog. Shaun also serves as legal counsel in public interest environmental litigation with the Faculty’s Public Interest Law Clinic. His most recent case with the Clinic resulted in a victory for enhanced public participation in environmental decision-making in Normtek Radiation Services Ltd v Alberta Environmental Appeal Board, 2020.

Alberta allows for Public Participation in Resource Development, but what are the Parameters and who are deemed Stakeholders?

After Jason Kenney became Premier of Alberta on April 30, 2019, he followed through on his campaign promise and set in motion the “energy war room” or the Canadian Energy Centre CEC) as it was named when launched in Dec 2019. The purpose of the $30 million per year CEC was to fight back campaigns against Alberta’s Oil Sands etc. that, according to some sources, were funded by foreign interest money supporting several Environmental Non-government Organizations (ENGOs) Tar Sands Campaign.   Steve Allan was commissioned in July 2019 at the cost of $2.5 million to lead a provincial/public inquiry into "foreign-funded special interests" and their campaigns to stop oil sands development. Later, and when it became clear that the July 2, 2020 final report deadline would be missed, Alberta's energy minister added $1 million to the inquiry's budget and pushed back the deadline for Allan's final report, first to Oct 30, then to Jan 30 and finally to May 31, 2021.   As Alberta poured more time and resources into this inquiry, several amendments to its scope and scale was made, which may limit what info the inquiry is expected to yield. The speaker, who has followed this inquiry closely, will narrate the nuanced details and, barring another delay, comment on the final report.     Speaker:                  Markham Hislop   Markham Hislop is an energy journalist and publisher of Energi News (formerly North American Energy News). Hislop uses a technology adoption model of his own design to analyze and report upon all the facets of the energy industry, from oil and gas to EVs and renewables. Over the past 5 years, Hislop has probably reported about the Energy Transition more than any other North American journalist. His work has been published in Canadian Business, Alberta Oil Magazine, Hart Energy Publications, World Oil, Vancouver Magazine, and other publications. Hislop’s most recent book is The New Alberta Advantage: Technology, Policy, and the Future of the Oil Sands.

“Alberta’s War Room” and the “Steve Allan Inquiry”: Worth the Money or Millions Wasted?

Over the past two years, tenths of millions of public education dollars have been cut from Lethbridge’s two post-secondary institutions budgets, resulting initially in hundreds of directly lost jobs and as well, hefty increases in tuition for students. Arguably, there are also many indirect economic and knowledge losses to consider in the longer term. The speaker will make clear that the myriad of issues related to these severe government cuts (more are promised in 2022) are not only about short-term economics, but also connected to the importance of great quality and affordable post-secondary education that will keep Lethbridge an attractive community for individuals, families and businesses to be located. Speaker: Cyndi Vos, CEO of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce Cyndi Vos is a double alumnus of the University of Lethbridge. She holds a Bachelor of Music, Master of Education, Post Graduate Certification in Executive Coaching and has completed Leadership Certification through the Napoleon Hill Foundation at Purdue University. Her professional business career began under the direction of her entrepreneurial parents. Cyndi focused in healthcare with the company We Care Health Services, specializing in palliative care, for 20 years, serving as the CEO for 10 years. In early 2019, she became the CEO of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce where she has recently led policy on such topics as The Economics of Addiction, Digital Broadband as the Key to Economic Prosperity and Creating an Effective Workforce for the Changing Economy which all received Federal recognition. Cyndi has had the opportunity to perform as a solo concert pianist in Canada, England, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the United States. She is also very active in the fitness community and competes nationally. Cyndi has a passion for sharing stories and has been a contributing author with the titles of The Fine Art of Parenting After Separation: The Power of a Positive Mental Attitude, The Girl in the Red Bikini, Johnny B and Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok: Lessons from the Big Four. All four of these publications reached best seller status. Cyndi believes in giving back to her community and has received national recognition for her philanthropic efforts. She currently sits on the University of Lethbridge Senate, the Board of Directors for Economic Development Lethbridge, the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee and the Community Wellbeing & Safety Strategy Advisory Committee.

Are severe Funding Cuts to U of L and Lethbridge College likely to have both Short and Long-Term Consequences for the Lethbridge Economy?

The Grassy Mountain Open-Pit Coal Mine proposed by Benga Mining Ltd., (Riversdale) in the Crowsnest Pass has raised questions and concerns about the regulatory process in Alberta, such as the transparency, independent decision-making, and enforcement capacity of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). What is AER’s history and track record with regards to Coal Mining regulations in Alberta?     This presentation will provide a summary of a case study of the regulatory process for coal mining in Alberta through the application phase to operational monitoring and finally closure and reclamation using examples from regulatory documents published by and submitted to the Alberta Energy Regulator for the Cheviot (Cardinal River and Luskar) Mine operated by Teck Resources Ltd in West Central Alberta. The speaker will provide examples of predicted risks to human and environmental health from coal development and how these are monitored, mitigated or managed through regulatory oversight with supporting data from industrial and environmental monitoring reports.   Speaker:     Mandy L. Olsgard M.Sc., P. Bio. Principal, Sr. Toxicologist/ Risk Assessor               Mandy Olsgard is currently the owner and Senior Toxicologist at Integrated Toxicology Solutions. Over the past 15 years Mandy has worked as a toxicologist and risk assessor in research, consulting and regulatory environments to develop coordinated and effective risk management plans for energy and non-energy resources by collaboratively addressing industry, regulatory, First Nations, Metis, and public stakeholders’ concerns.   The focus of Mandy’s career to date has been on researching and developing methods to understand the toxicity of environmental contaminants released from conventional and non-conventional oil and gas, mining and municipal sectors and impacts to environmental and human health. She has done this through provision of technical expertise on regulatory application reviews, regulatory hearing proceedings, multi-stakeholder technical working groups and independent research.

What does an Independent Case Study of the Alberta Energy Regulator’s Coal Mining Regulations tell us? With Mandy Olsgard

SACPA seeks to promote a sense of community and citizenship amongst the public. It is strictly non-partisan in its political outlook and encourages the expression of divergent viewpoints. SACPA does not take sides on the issues debated at its sessions. The opinions expressed by speakers are their own and are not necessarily shared by the Board of Directors.

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Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

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