Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

A controversy is raging in Lethbridge. The provincial health authorities, Chinook Health, have announced a shift in its approach to long-term care for the elderly. It plans to close down long-term care beds at Extendicare next year, but to add more Designated Assisted Living (DAL) beds in the city. They may have roofs over their heads and arrangements for meals, but what about the 24-hour on-call medical help that many of them need? Citizens are outraged by the cavalier fashion in which the transition is being orchestrated. How will appropriate care be assured for their loved ones? Will they be able to afford it?

And at a time when we stand on the brink of an economic recession, does it make sense to be moving further towards private healthcare?

These issues have been raised with the Minister of Health and Wellness at the Legislative Assembly in Edmonton. Political parties have been mobilized. Signatures on petitions are being collected.

What is happening to health care in our province?

Speaker: David Eggen

Since June 2008, David Eggen has been the Executive Director of the Friends of Medicare, Alberta, a non-profit group that advocates public healthcare. He was educated at the University of Alberta where he received a Bachelor of Education degree in 1984. He then went to Zimbabwe where he taught school for three years. After returning to Edmonton, he taught at local high schools from 1990 to 2004.

Mr. Eggen was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, as a New Democrat, in the general election of 2004, He served one term and was the NDP''s critic for Agriculture and Food, Environment, K-12 Education, Sustainable Resource Development, and Tourism and Culture.

Many economists believe we are presently living through the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression. Why has this crisis taken place and what lessons should be learned to avoid a repetition in the future?

U.S. President George W. Bush has invited the leaders of the countries comprising the “Group of 20” to discuss these questions in a set of summits. This is an unprecedented initiative, signaling not just the seriousness of the crisis, but also the widespread desire of policymakers around the world to reform the global financial system.

What kinds of reforms are being discussed and what is likely to be achieved? To what extent are the reforms being proposed likely to prevent future global financial crises?

Speaker: Eric Helleiner

Professor Helleiner is CIGI Chair in International Governance at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Political Science. He received his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics.

Helleiner is author of several books, including The Politics and History of Canada''s Exchange Rate Regime. He has also co-edited two other books and published dozens of articles and book chapters on topics relating to international political economy, monetary and financial issues. He has won the Marvin Gelber Essay Prize in International Relations (awarded by the Canadian Institute for International Affairs), and his most recent book received the 2007 Donner Prize

Presently, Eric Helleiner is co-editor of the book series “Cornell Studies in Money”. He is also working on a SSHRC-funded research project exploring the origins of international development and North-South monetary relations in the postwar period. Other current research interests include: regulatory responses to the current financial crisis and the growing financial influence of China.

Professor Eric Helleiner was nominated a Trudeau Fellow in 2007.

Moderator: Ray Speaker

Mr. Speaker is a former Member of Parliament for Lethbridge and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

SACPA IS GRATEFUL TO THE PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU FOUNDATION FOR MAKING THIS PRESENTATION POSSIBLE

Many economists believe we are presently living through the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression. Why has this crisis taken place and what lessons should be learned to avoid a repetition in the future?

U.S. President George W. Bush has invited the leaders of the countries comprising the “Group of 20” to discuss these questions in a set of summits. This is an unprecedented initiative, signaling not just the seriousness of the crisis, but also the widespread desire of policymakers around the world to reform the global financial system.

What kinds of reforms are being discussed and what is likely to be achieved? To what extent are the reforms being proposed likely to prevent future global financial crises?

Speaker: Eric Helleiner

Professor Helleiner is CIGI Chair in International Governance at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Political Science. He received his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics.

Helleiner is author of several books, including The Politics and History of Canada''s Exchange Rate Regime. He has also co-edited two other books and published dozens of articles and book chapters on topics relating to international political economy, monetary and financial issues. He has won the Marvin Gelber Essay Prize in International Relations (awarded by the Canadian Institute for International Affairs), and his most recent book received the 2007 Donner Prize

Presently, Eric Helleiner is co-editor of the book series “Cornell Studies in Money”. He is also working on a SSHRC-funded research project exploring the origins of international development and North-South monetary relations in the postwar period. Other current research interests include: regulatory responses to the current financial crisis and the growing financial influence of China.

Professor Eric Helleiner was nominated a Trudeau Fellow in 2007.

Moderator: Ray Speaker

Mr. Speaker is a former Member of Parliament for Lethbridge and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

SACPA IS GRATEFUL TO THE PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU FOUNDATION FOR MAKING THIS PRESENTATION POSSIBLE

Direct action is a form of resistance that aims to derail offensive practices to create more favorable ones using immediately available means. Such actions include boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, letter-writing campaigns, protests and sabotage. Direct action sometimes involves civil disobedience.

The uprising against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, Washington, in November 1999 was the most visible and dramatic protest in the United States since the Vietnam War. It catapulted the concept of direct action and resistance into the North American mainstream psyche, although direct actions and their participants have been around since societies were developed. The historically innovative tactics of environmentalists, abolitionists, suffragettes, and nuclear-freeze advocates have resulted in a present-day thriving culture of creative forms of resistance.

Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace, Canada will discuss the role of direct action in bringing about social change. He will take us through decades of experience working in Alberta and make the case that direct action is often necessary for progressive change.

Mike Hudema has been a longtime dedicated and creative activist in Edmonton, Alberta. He has participated in countless direct actions, the most high-profile of which have included actions in the streets of Quebec City for the FTAA protests, sleeping on the steps of the Alberta legislature to protest rising tuition rates, and occupying Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan’s office to defeat Canada’s anti-terrorism legislation. Hudema gained his bachelor of education, majoring in drama, and most recently his law degree, specializing in labour and environmental law. He co-hosts CJSR’s alternative news program Rise Up: Radio Free Edmonton, and is the author of “An Action a Day Keeps Global Capitalism Away” published by Between the Lines Press.

Mike currently works for Greenpeace, Canada fighting to stop the Athabasca tar sands. He is also a climb trainer with the Ruckus Society and has held activist training camps which teach aspiring activists skills ranging from climbing to blockades.

Free designated parking will be available in a marked area at the Far West lot

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Venue: Galileo’s Gallery, SU building, University of Lethbridge

Cost: Free. Coffee and snacks provided

Direct action is a form of resistance that aims to derail offensive practices to create more favorable ones using immediately available means. Such actions include boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, letter-writing campaigns, protests and sabotage. Direct action sometimes involves civil disobedience.

The uprising against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, Washington, in November 1999 was the most visible and dramatic protest in the United States since the Vietnam War. It catapulted the concept of direct action and resistance into the North American mainstream psyche, although direct actions and their participants have been around since societies were developed. The historically innovative tactics of environmentalists, abolitionists, suffragettes, and nuclear-freeze advocates have resulted in a present-day thriving culture of creative forms of resistance.

Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace, Canada will discuss the role of direct action in bringing about social change. He will take us through decades of experience working in Alberta and make the case that direct action is often necessary for progressive change.

Mike Hudema has been a longtime dedicated and creative activist in Edmonton, Alberta. He has participated in countless direct actions, the most high-profile of which have included actions in the streets of Quebec City for the FTAA protests, sleeping on the steps of the Alberta legislature to protest rising tuition rates, and occupying Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan’s office to defeat Canada’s anti-terrorism legislation. Hudema gained his bachelor of education, majoring in drama, and most recently his law degree, specializing in labour and environmental law. He co-hosts CJSR’s alternative news program Rise Up: Radio Free Edmonton, and is the author of “An Action a Day Keeps Global Capitalism Away” published by Between the Lines Press.

Mike currently works for Greenpeace, Canada fighting to stop the Athabasca tar sands. He is also a climb trainer with the Ruckus Society and has held activist training camps which teach aspiring activists skills ranging from climbing to blockades.

Free designated parking will be available in a marked area at the Far West lot

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Venue: Galileo’s Gallery, SU building, University of Lethbridge

Cost: Free. Coffee and snacks provided

The wheels have been set in motion to build western Canada’s first nuclear power plant. Bruce Power Alberta bought the assets of Energy Alberta Corporation and filed an application with the federal government to build a nuclear power plant earlier this year. On the same day, Bruce Power Alberta also filed an application with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to prepare a site for the construction of this nuclear power plant. The proposed plant would be built on private land next to Lac Cardinal Lake, about 30 kilometres west of Peace River and about 480 kilometres northwest of Edmonton

Bruce Power Alberta is planning to build up to four reactors that could produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity. Proponents say this could generate enough “carbon-free” electricity to supply up to two million homes with power.

Opponents point to a severe risk of radioactive contamination of the Grimshaw Aquifer, the Peace River water system, and rich agricultural land of the region. Residents have serious concerns about human and animal health, and foresee problems with long term storage of nuclear waste.

Speaker: Adele Boucher Rymhs

Adele Boucher Rymhs is a former teacher and businesswoman, and was a partner in farming and bison ranching for many years. She served on the Executive of the Peace River Board of Trade, was President of Peace Country Bison Association, and on the local Museum Board.

Boucher Rymhs ran for election as the NDP candidate in Peace River in the recent federal election. Her platform strongly supported concerns for the environment and sustainable alternatives to nuclear power. Adele was also a candidate in the March 2008 provincial election, carrying the Nuclear Free banner.

Adele Boucher Rymhs serves as Secretary of “Citizens Against Nuclear Development” (CAND), a group of over 250 residents near the proposed nuclear site at Grimshaw, AB. She is also V.P. of “Nuclear Free Alberta” and a member of the Peace River Environmental Society.

N.B. IF YOU CAN''T MAKE SACPA AT NOON ON NOV 13, THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL SACPA-ON-CAMPUS SESSION FEATURING ADELE BOUCHER RYHMS AT 7:00 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, NOV 12 AT THE U OF L''S ANDERSON HALL, ROOM AH 116.

FREE ADMISSION, COFFEE AND SNACKS.

The wheels have been set in motion to build western Canada’s first nuclear power plant. Bruce Power Alberta bought the assets of Energy Alberta Corporation and filed an application with the federal government to build a nuclear power plant earlier this year. On the same day, Bruce Power Alberta also filed an application with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to prepare a site for the construction of this nuclear power plant. The proposed plant would be built on private land next to Lac Cardinal Lake, about 30 kilometres west of Peace River and about 480 kilometres northwest of Edmonton

Bruce Power Alberta is planning to build up to four reactors that could produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity. Proponents say this could generate enough “carbon-free” electricity to supply up to two million homes with power.

Opponents point to a severe risk of radioactive contamination of the Grimshaw Aquifer, the Peace River water system, and rich agricultural land of the region. Residents have serious concerns about human and animal health, and foresee problems with long term storage of nuclear waste.

Speaker: Adele Boucher Rymhs

Adele Boucher Rymhs is a former teacher and businesswoman, and was a partner in farming and bison ranching for many years. She served on the Executive of the Peace River Board of Trade, was President of Peace Country Bison Association, and on the local Museum Board.

Boucher Rymhs ran for election as the NDP candidate in Peace River in the recent federal election. Her platform strongly supported concerns for the environment and sustainable alternatives to nuclear power. Adele was also a candidate in the March 2008 provincial election, carrying the Nuclear Free banner.

Adele Boucher Rymhs serves as Secretary of “Citizens Against Nuclear Development” (CAND), a group of over 250 residents near the proposed nuclear site at Grimshaw, AB. She is also V.P. of “Nuclear Free Alberta” and a member of the Peace River Environmental Society.

N.B. IF YOU CAN''T MAKE SACPA AT NOON ON NOV 13, THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL SACPA-ON-CAMPUS SESSION FEATURING ADELE BOUCHER RYHMS AT 7:00 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, NOV 12 AT THE U OF L''S ANDERSON HALL, ROOM AH 116.

FREE ADMISSION, COFFEE AND SNACKS.

Shrinking reserves of oil and gas, shifts in the geopolitical landscape, and mounting environmental concerns all test our ability to meet the growing demand for energy. At the same time, there are huge opportunities to develop new, cleaner and more efficient ways to tap large conventional and alternative energy sources in Canada.

Dr. Layzell will begin his presentation by talking about the nature of the energy and environmental challenges in Canada today, and summarize the scope of the initiatives that he is working to develop. His presentation will end with a Canadian perspective on “The Future of Biofuels”, a critique of recent biofuel policies and an analysis of the optimal role for biofuels if they are to address the challenges of climate change and energy security.

Speaker: Dr. David Layzell, Ph.D., FRSC

David Layzell joined the University of Calgary in July 2008 as the Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy. He has also served as Founding President and CEO of BIOCAP Canada, a national university research foundation that worked with researchers in 38 universities across Canada to develop biology-based solutions to climate change and energy security. From 1981 to 2008 he was a professor of Plant Science at Queen’s University, a role that was recognized by a University Research Fellowship, an NSERC Steacie Fellowship and election as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.

Shrinking reserves of oil and gas, shifts in the geopolitical landscape, and mounting environmental concerns all test our ability to meet the growing demand for energy. At the same time, there are huge opportunities to develop new, cleaner and more efficient ways to tap large conventional and alternative energy sources in Canada.

Dr. Layzell will begin his presentation by talking about the nature of the energy and environmental challenges in Canada today, and summarize the scope of the initiatives that he is working to develop. His presentation will end with a Canadian perspective on “The Future of Biofuels”, a critique of recent biofuel policies and an analysis of the optimal role for biofuels if they are to address the challenges of climate change and energy security.

Speaker: Dr. David Layzell, Ph.D., FRSC

David Layzell joined the University of Calgary in July 2008 as the Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy. He has also served as Founding President and CEO of BIOCAP Canada, a national university research foundation that worked with researchers in 38 universities across Canada to develop biology-based solutions to climate change and energy security. From 1981 to 2008 he was a professor of Plant Science at Queen’s University, a role that was recognized by a University Research Fellowship, an NSERC Steacie Fellowship and election as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.

For many years, local residents have benefited from critical comments on the City of Lethbridge’s management of public finances by retired lawyer, Robert Babki.

According to Babki, by year-end Dec. 31, 2007, City of Lethbridge officials have stated that the City has invested funds on hand of approximately $150 million, holdings that have increased dramatically over the decade. The City derives its funds from various levels of government, but most of it comes from City residents through property taxes and various fees and charges. Many citizens feel that the take by the City is excessive.

Robert Babki will present some analysis and review of the records from the perspective of citizens. He is a critic of what he believes is an unhealthy failure of City Council to keep citizens informed, and to temper an insatiable demand for revenue from an expanding City administration.

Speaker: Robert Babki

Robert Babki was born and raised in Lethbridge, earning his law degree from the University of Saskatchewan and practiced law in Lethbridge (including Supreme Court of Canada appearances) from 1969 to his retirement in 1994. Active with several athletic and community organizations, he was Chairman of the Board of the Lethbridge Community College and politically involved by serving as the Southern Alberta Regional Director of the Alberta PC Association Executive in the 1970’s.