Thank you to everyone who attended the 2020 LGLA Leadership Forum "Inclusive Leadership".
Material and Highlights from the Program,are now posted
Day One Highlights
Day One was an action packed, dynamic start to LGLA Forum 2020! Opening Ceremonies began with Musqueam Nations drummer/performer, Alec Dan leading the Lieutenant Governor’s procession into the main ballroom where the delegates were gathered. Musqueam Nations Chief Wayne Sparrow’s greetings, were followed by an address by Her Honour, Janet Austin, the Lieutenant Governor of BC, and an official welcome to the City of Richmond, from Host-Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
Keynote Chris Fields entertained the audience with an engaging, colourful presentation on innovative ways to create inclusive and extraordinary communities. Weaving the theme of Inclusive Leadership into his presentation, Chris presented real life examples on how to overcome the mundane and “Create the Exceptional” in community building and in every day life.
Todd Stone, Municipal Affairs Critic delivered his opening address, bringing experiences from his personal life to illustrate how he handled the challenges of Inclusive Leadership.
UBCM President and Sooke Mayor Maja Tait conveyed special greetings on behalf of the Union of BC Municipalities, before moving into the Plenary Workshop on “What It Means To Be An Inclusive Leader In Your Community”.
The Plenary Workshop, lead by LGLA President Laurey-Ann Rodenburg and Co-Hosted by ACRD Chair John Jack, sparked exciting feedback as panellists Maja Tait, Sarrah Storey, Sharmarke Dubow and Ned Taylor reflected on their roles and experiences as inclusive leaders in their communities.
The day wrapped up with the traditional Networking reception with great ambiance, trading stories, making new connections…
Day Two Highlights
Day two began with the traditional hot breakfast, as delegates listened to Peter Urbanc, CEO of the Municipal Finance Authority talk about “Prudent Investment Practices for BC Municipalities”.
The morning included three (repeated) break out sessions:
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in conjunction with the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, hosted panel discussions on Indigenous Reconciliation, with the leadership of Jim Kew, member of the Indigenous Business and Investment Council.
Mayor Josie Osborne lead animated discussion at the “Women In Leadership” sessions, with some memorable accounts of real life experiences from panellists Lori Pratt, Arzeena Hamir, Wendy Booth, Sally Watson and Bonita Zarillo.
Engaging the audience with some hands on scenarios, Christina Benty and Ron Mattiussi delivered exciting sessions, created by the Local Government Management Association, on the popular topic of “Working Together – Making the Most of Collaborating with Staff”.
During lunch, delegates were treated to a scenic production of “Beautiful BC” by Peter Harrison, Director, Industry Partnerships and Visitor Services of Destination British Columbia.
Lunch was followed by further break out sessions, where delegates were able to choose between a total of four session offerings:
Engaging delegates in great discussion, Jan Enns, presented two very different afternoon sessions on “Communicating for Inclusion”, giving concrete take-home tips on how to engage diverse audiences.
In her thought provoking sessions on “Candour, Conflict and Creativity”, Tracey Lorenson presented examples of tough decision making processes, where decisions need to be made in an environment of ambiguity, often in a climate of competing interests.
City of Richmond Staff, represented by Inclusion Coordinator Dorothy Jo, and Planner Cody Spencer, gave a thorough account of the City of Richmond’s very current Inclusion and Affordable Housing projects which included some audience-engaging animated discussion on modular housing.
Delegates were treated to animated discussion on a timely topic presented by Reece Harding of Young Anderson Barristers & Solicitors, exploring “Responsible Conduct”, and where our municipalities are heading in view of recent, publicly reported examples of concerning behaviour. There was lots of lively discussion around “How We Got Here, Where We Are, and Where We Might Be Going”.
Delegates convened in the Grand Ballroom at 4:30 to hear an address built around the theme of Inclusion and Leadership, from Green Party Leader, Adam Olsen.
After dinner break, delegates returned to the Radisson for the Evening Plenary Workshop, hosted by Arjun Singh, and Peter Urbanc, who set a special tone and atmosphere for a free flowing creative discussion on local governance issues related to being an inclusive leader, and creating inclusive communities.
Day Three Highlights
Once again delegates started the day with the traditional hot breakfast. The Municipal Insurance Association and BC Assessment split the early morning session during the breakfast hour.
Tom Barnes, CEO of the Municipal Insurance Association described the successful MIA business model that provides 90% of liability insurance for local governments in BC; a model that hundreds of insurance pods now follow all over North America to insure local government. The MIA with over 30 years of experience in insuring local government is best positioned to provide insurance to municipalities facing the challenges of climate change adaptation, asset management, and emergency planning – and addressing these risks through a collaborative approach.
Michael Spatharakis, Manager of Local Government Relations for BC Assessment followed with an impressive presentation on just how BC Assessment approaches the challenge of communications, making sure that everyone has an understanding of the relationship between Property Assessment and Property Taxation.
The morning continued with break out sessions where delegates had the option to choose between a total of five very unique presentations.
Don Lidstone of Lidstone & Company Law Corporation drew an impressive number of delegates interested in Land Use Negotiations. Don highlighted the importance of inclusivity in land use negotiations from a legal perspective, bringing concrete examples from his long years of experience.
The popular Union of BC Municipalities presentation, delivered by Glen Brown, UBCM’s General Manager of Victoria Operations, gave a detailed account UBCM’s wide scale funding programs.
Forum delegates were fortunate to experience two very unique and personal accounts of what inclusivity means from a human perspective. Celebrity guest, Wil Fundal, a popular host of CBC North, described his personal journey, initiating a diversity and inclusion discussion with the audience on the word “They”, and why such a simple word can mean so much. Form a totally different perspective on inclusion, Marco Pasqua, speaker on behalf of the Rick Hansen foundation, gave an account of his challenging journey, and how there was a distinctive difference between accessibility vs meaningful access, and how the Rick Hansen Foundations’s “Gold Standard in Accessibility” is sweeping the globe, redefining the meaning of accessibility
“Almost 50% of Canadian adults have or have experienced a temporary or permanent disability or live with someone who has. Imagine a Canada where everyone can participate and contribute to their community. It’s time to rethink how people of all abilities access and use our public spaces.
Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) is a rating system that measures the accessibility of buildings, sites, and final design plans and promotes increased access through the adoption of Universal Design principles. Whether you are a property owner, building or facilities manager, architect or engineer, RHFAC will give you a real snapshot of your building’s current level of access and a roadmap on where and how to improve.”
Learn more at RickHansen.com/RHFAC
As the last session of Forum 2020, the Simon Fraser Mortis J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue presented their research project: Set of Eight Principles to Guide Inclusion and Equity in Public Engagement. The dynamic presentation by Grace Lee, Nicole Armos and Elodie Jacquet outlined principles for collaborative public engagement through actual concrete engagement examples, leaving behind a beautiful publication entitled “Public Engagement Toolkit”.
It was a great pleasure and honour to have Minister Selina Robinson address the delegation before the final forum closing remarks by Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, President of LGLA, and the presentation of the Cathy Watson Memorial Award to Tim Peterson, Lasqueti Island Local Trustee.
2020 LGLA Leadership Forum Presentations-Downloads
What does it mean to be a truly inclusive leader, and what are the tools of respectful, collaborative, engaged communication and action? The 2020 LGLA Leadership Forum explored the theme of Inclusive Leadership, through practical examples; helping people build skills with the idea of inclusivity.
Powerpoint Presentations, Handouts and Audio Material Available to Download – from the 2020 Leadership Forum:
Chris Fields Creating the Exceptional, Rynic.org: Chris Fields Presentation – LGLA Feb 2020 Final Annotated PPT
Peter Urbanc Powerpoint Presentation: Prudent Investing For BC Municipalities
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Powerpoint Presentation:Indigenous Reconciliation_MAH Presentation_Feb 6, 2020.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Indigenous Reconciliation Session -Audio File: Local Government Indigenous Reconciliation
Local Government Management Association Handout: Working Together Making The Most of Collaborating With Your Staff
Local Government Management Association Audio File, “Working Together, Making The Most of Collaborating With Your Staff” with Christina Benty and Ron Mattiussi: Working Together – Christina Benty & Ron Mattiussi
Destination BC Powerpoint Presentation: Beautiful BC
Jan Enns Powerpoint Presentation: Communicating for Inclusion
Jan Enns Presentation Audio File: Communicating for Inclusion – Jan Enns
Reece Harding Powerpoint Presentation: Young Anderson Barristers and Solicitors: Opportunites for Civil Discourse
Don Lidstone: Lidstone & Company Law Corporation Presentation: Inclusivity in Land Use Negotiations
Michael Spatharakis BC Assessment Powerpoint Presentation: BC Assessment – The Importance of Understanding the Relationship Between Property Assessments and Property Taxation
BC Assessment Presentation Audio File: BC Assesment Presentation – Michael Spatharakis
Municipal Insurance Association Presentation, Tom Barnes, CEO of the MIA, Audio File: MIA Tom Barnes
Glen Brown: UBCM-Funding-Programs
UBCM Funding Programs Audio File: UBCM Presentation Understanding UBCM’s Funding Programs – Glen Brown
Simon Fraser, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue: Principles to Guide Inclusion and Equity in Public Engagement
Simon Fraser Presentation Audio File: Morris J. Wosk Centre Presents Set of Eight Principles to Guide Inclusion & Equity in Public Engagement – Grace Lee, Nicole Armos, Elodie Jacquet
LGLA Thanks the Sponsors of the 2020 Leadership Forum
LGLA Thanks Our Founding Partners
