Plenary and Concurrent Session Speakers

For session descriptions and times, see Program at a Glance.

State of the Basin Address (February 19)

Fraser Basin Council Chair, Dr. Charles Jago, will open the with Conference with a thought-provoking State of the Basin Address, delivering highlights from Sustainabilty Snapshot 4 -- the Fraser Basin Council's report on sustainability indicators and trends, to be released at the Conference. This is your chance to find out what's going well (and what's not) on social, economic and environmental fronts in communities across the Basin, and ideas on next steps we can take together.

Keynote: Harnessing the Power of Social Innovation (February 19)

Dr. Frances Westley, author of Getting to Maybe and the JW McConnell Chair in Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo, will show how change -- including great social change -- often comes from the least likely places. Whether the issue is the prevention of AIDS or the alleviation of poverty, great leaders harness the forces around them, rather than single-handedly trying to set the forces in motion. If you are looking for new ways to foster change for sustainability where you live and work, you won’t want to miss this session!

Hear also from Al Etmanski, President and founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network, a leading advocate for people with disabilities and their families. Al is known for his success in fostering social enterprise within the civic sector, converting social capital to economic capital and developing innovative partnerships among the private, public and citizen sectors.

Plenary Panel (February 20):
Redefining Wealth and Sustainability Leadership
in Turbulent Economic Times

Pierre Gratton is President and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) and has previously served as Vice President, Sustainable Development and Public Affairs for the Mining Association of Canada (MAC). He comes to this Conference to speak to exciting new opportunities for BC through sustainability.

Virginia Greene, President and CEO of the Business Council of BC, will offer insights on why corporate social responsibility is so important in current economic times and how it will shape the future of BC's economy.

Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancity, will speak to the inspiration behind Vancity’s vision and how redefining wealth can contribute to a more resilient community – in good times and bad.

Plenary Panel (February 20)
Innovation, Motivation: Inspirational Voices for the Future

Assembly of First Nations BC Chief Shawn Atleo will share his vision on how people can be empowered and how communities can embrace self-determination and build hope for the future.

John Furlong is the Chief Executive Officer of the Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). A resolute believer in teamwork, he credits his leadership style to the lessons he learned as a young athlete: "Leadership is about finding a way to contribute to the success of your teammates and face the challenges together. While sport and the Games can advance the Olympic ideals of tolerance, equality, and fair play; the third pillar of the Olympic Movement, Sustainability, has been woven into the culture of our organization and it has become part of everything that we do." Hear Mr. Furlong share his ideas and inspiration about the important role the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games can play in fostering sustainability awareness and action.   

Emily Jubenvill was recently voted "Canada's Greenest Person" in an international contest sponsored by 3rd Whale. Hear her views on the next wave of sustainability, including how social media will mobilize change.

 Concurrent Sessions (February 19)
Stories of Individual, Organizational and Community Transformation
For session descriptions and times, see Program at a Glance.

As Executive Director of Climate Change Policy, in the Climate Action Secretariat of the Province of BC, Warren Bell is helping take aim on some aggressive targets: to cut provincial greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020, and to make the BC government carbon neutral by 2010. Hear how a world-class team of professionals from business, government and the environmental movement have come together to help meet these ambitious goals, and what transformations he sees today.

Food writer, trained chef and executive director of the Green Table Network, André LaRivière, will reveal how he turned cutting-edge sustainability practices into a profitable business that meets the needs of today’s most discerning restaurateurs.

Art Dick is a hereditary chief from Namgis First Nation. Find out how "My Big Fat Diet" helped him and others in his community rediscover their traditional foods, incorporate these into their diet, and transform personal health challenges into triumphs.

Dr. Jay Wortman joins with Art Dick in showing why it takes a village to sustain a movement. A senior manager and physician with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada, Dr. Wortman recently completed a research sabbatical through UBC, during which he studied the effect of a traditional-style diet on obesity and diabetes in the Namis First Nations at Alert Bay, BC. His research was the subject of "My Big Fat Diet" a documentary film shown on CBC Newsworld.

Jon Sigurdson of Bison Transport will describe his company's journey on the road to sound environmental practices and a healthy workplace. By introducing sustainability programs across the company, engaging in fleet fuel efficiency programs, training drivers on fuel economy practices, and signing on to initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions from ground freight transport, Bison is a standout in the transportation industry.

Chief Fred Sampson will share some of Siska First Nation's inspired successes involving traditional fish and forest management. Partnering with the Kamloops (Tk'emlups) Band to increase economic enterprise, the First Nation invested in traditional fish processing. It then analyzed the different nutritional (and contaminant) values of fish caught at key locations along the Fraser, as well as the nutritional values delivered by old and new processing methods. As well, training was provided to forestry workers in harvesting techniques based on traditional methods, which has led to new certification processes and job creation within the community.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what stands in the way of a much-needed change in behaviour, you’ll want to join Headlines Theatre Director David Diamond as he leads an engaging and interactive exercise of self-discovery. This is a chance to probe your own personal barriers to sustainability, and those faced by other people. Gain fresh insights on how each of us can change course and find a new way forward.

Join Nancy Knight as she acquaints you with University Town, an integrated community that supports UBC's academic mission and is transforming the Vancouver campus at Point Grey from a commuter campus to a more sustainable, work-live community. Nancy will share how, by putting sustainability first, UBC created new residential and mixed-use neighbourhoods that are more pedestrian friendly, energy efficient and culturally transformative.  

Emanuel Machado tells how creation of an energy plan led the City of Dawson Creek to a much deeper understanding of sustainability, and ways to measure it. His community now has a process and reporting system covering the social, environmental and economic implications of all its decisions and actions.

Murray Simser, Director of Global Incubation Practices for Microsoft, highlights how a more connected world requires companies of every size to transform their thinking about people, the environment and the way we do business today.