Our third webinar for local electeds from across British Columbia looked at how we can address the ongoing housing crisis and provide good, affordable homes for all. It was co-hosted by the Vancouver and District and New Westminster and District Labour Councils.
The panel was chaired by Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart and included Michael Andersen of Sightline Institute, Jill Atkey of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), Paul Finch of the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU), and Summerland Mayor Toni Boot.
VENUE Zoom
WHEN Friday, November 13, 1:00 to 2:00pm PST / Post-webinar conversation until 2:30 PST
Another Covid 19 Webinar: Mobilizing municipalities for climate action – a conversation with Seth Klein
Our second webinar for local electeds from across British Columbia and Canada featured a conversation with Seth Klein about the recently released A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency. Amy Lubik, a city councilor in Port Moody, facilitated the conversation.
In his book, Seth makes a new and significant contribution to the struggle for bold and transformative climate action in Canada by proposing a new approach to tackling the crisis. In doing so, he shares what Canada can learn from the urgency and ingenuity displayed during the Second World War — and, most recently, the response to the Covid 19 pandemic. He also had some valuable insights on the key issues local electeds should be highlighting at this time.
As most of you already know, Seth was the founding director of CCPA-BC (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives) and has been a long-time advisor to us on all things High Ground (our annual civic governance forum).
VENUE Zoom
WHEN Thursday, October 1 from 3:00 to 4:00pm PST / Post-webinar conversation until 4:30
PRICE Free
CONTACT Aidan Shirley at ashirley@columbiainstitute.eco
ANOTHER COVID 19 WEBINAR? THIS IS THE CONVERSATION YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.
In our first 2020 webinar, moderator Rhiannon Bennett led a conversation with elected leaders and educators from across BC on what inclusive, equitable, and sustainable communities could look like both during and after COVID-19. Please join us.
VENUE Zoom
WHEN Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 10 to 11am PST
PRICE Free (thanks to our sponsors!)
CONTACT Aidan Shirley at ashirley@columbiainstitute.ca
PLUS We’ll have closed captioning available during the webinar.
Rhiannon Bennett, Co-Founder, Hummingbirds Rising (moderator) Rhiannon (she/her) is Musqueam and a much-sought-after speaker who is well known for asking tough questions in a manner that encourages engagement and dialogue. She is actively working to create a more equitable world for all and has been working with children, youth, and families for over 20 years in a variety of roles. Professionally, she has worked with Indigenous youth and families, with overarching themes of her work being Decolonization and Reconciliation. In 2014, she was the first Indigenous person elected to the Delta Board of Education. While not successfully re-elected, she was inspired to launch a consulting firm with her running-mate, Andrea Hilder, to continue to do the important work.
Teresa Downs, Superintendent of Schools for the Gold Trail School District Teresa joined us at High Ground 2018, when she shared the story of the “White Privilege Campaign” in School District 7, which covers many communities in BC’s interior. She returned in 2019 to give us an update. Teresa completed her practicum in Gold Trail and has stayed in the district since then. She has been a classroom teacher, Learner Support Teacher, Principal, Director of Instruction and now Superintendent. She is dedicated to improving the quality of the educational experience for each student with a focus on Indigenous learners.
Sharmarke Dubow, Councillor, City of Victoria Sharmarke cast his first vote in an election on October 20, 2018. In that same election he ran for office and was elected a City Councillor in Victoria, BC — the first Somali-Canadian elected to City Council in Canada and the first Black City Councillor to be elected in Victoria in 152 years. Sharmarke fled his country when he was 8 years old. He was a refugee for more than two decades before he resettled in Canada and worked with migrants in North Africa as a dedicated human rights defender.
These are just some of the experiences that convinced Sharmarke to dedicate his life to racial, social and environmental justice. He is tireless in his efforts to build relationships, collaborate, and bring people together to improve the wellbeing of communities. In less than two years on City Council, Sharmarke, has taken great steps to make life more equitable, inclusive, and affordable for people in Victoria. He’s passed motions to make public transit free, started a renters advisory committee to give tenants a voice, worked to bring an equity lens to decision-making at the City, fought for the addition of affordable housing in Victoria, police accountability, and more.
Nadine Nakagawa, Councillor, City of New Westminster Nadine is a community organizer and local activist, and was elected to New Westminster City council in 2018. Here, she serves on the mayor’s task forces on affordable housing and childcare, climate change and the environment, and reconciliation, inclusion, and public engagement. Nadine chairs the Environment Advisory Committee and is the council rep on the Youth Advisory Committee. She co-owns a consulting business called Ablaze Services and has a Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Jennifer Reddy, Trustee, Board of Education, School District 39, Vancouver Jennifer is working towards an inclusive community where people are engaged as valuable and deserving individuals, who can use their agency to lead the changes they wish to see. Jennifer holds a Masters in Social Policy and Development, a Bachelors in Development Studies, and a Certificate in Curriculum Development and Instructional Design. From SFU, EdMeCo, and the VSB to Kuru Kuru Training Centre in Guyana, Jennifer has been inspired by global leadership in education and social change.
With an introduction from Sussanne Skidmore, who chairs our Board of Directors and is the Secretary Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour.
Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this event possible.
High Ground 2020, our annual civic governance forum, was scheduled to be held at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel in Vancouver, BC from 1pm on Friday, March 27 to 4:30pm on Saturday, March 28. The theme for the 2020 forum was “Committed to Action,” and featured plenaries on UNDRIP, Public Education and Privatization, and the Climate Emergency.
The event was postponed on March 12 due to conditions around the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hope was to reschedule the event in the fall or early winter. Given the outlook provided by public health officials, as well as the state of uncertainty around public gatherings of 50 or more, we decided to cancel the 2020 event.
On Tuesday, October 29, we held our third fundraising dinner – a celebration of the invaluable contribution of Charley Beresford, our former Executive Director for twelve years – for her commitment to nurturing leadership of sustainable, equitable, and inclusive communities across Canada.
Held at Heritage Hall in Vancouver, the event included a delicious buffet dinner, cash bar, silent auction, raffle, and mingling with friends who care about the communities we live in. Photos from the event can be found here.
The Columbia Institute will hold its annual Centre for Civic Governance Forum at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel in Vancouver, BC from Friday, March 27 to Saturday, March 28. Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, take a look at last year’s program here
We held our 2019 civic governance forum in Harrison Hot Springs from March 29-30. To view presentation slide decks from the event, please email us at info@columbiainstitute.eco.
On the occasion of High Ground 2018, we presented the first public screening of the documentary Women Bending the Curve on Climate Change in Vancouver on Thursday, March 22. Set in the context of the Paris climate change agreements, the new film tells the stories of climate change leaders from Canada’s West Coast working in renewable energy, city government, energy conservation, community engagement, sustainable food, finance and indigenous land stewardship. Their inspiring stories explore how climate science, meaningful action and women’s collaborative leadership intersect to bend the curve on climate change.
The sold out screening was followed by a discussion with the filmmaker Dr. Joanna Ashworth, Tzeporah Bergman and Tessica Truong, as well as Irene Lanzinger. Charley Beresford facilitated the discussion.
We held our 2018 civic governance forum — High Ground 2018: Communities for All — from March 23-24 at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. To view presentation slide decks from the event, please email us at info@columbiainstitute.eco.
We held our second Columbia Cafe on its latest report "Canada Infrastructure Bank and The Public's Right to Know!" on October 17, 2017 at the People's Law School in Vancouver. Report author Keith Reynolds presented highlights of the report, which are captured below.
