Breakout Session One
Presenters
- Kaylee Gillespie, Human Resource Advisor, City of Kamloops
- Bonnie Van Hatten, Consultant, Sk'elep Reconciliation
Description
The presenters will share how Indigenous-specific training was created and delivered to employees at the City of Kamloops. Bonnie and Kaylee will share considerations for organizations as they embark on the journey of relationship building with Indigenous Peoples. If your organization is looking to train your staff and move towards reconciliation sign up for this breakout session!
Location
Visual Lounge, Upstairs
Presenters
- Chetan Kaur, Privacy Supervisor, District of Squamish
- Ellen Tian, General Manager of Regional and Community Utilities, Regional District of Nanaimo
- John Thomas, CAO, Tahltan Central Government
Description
This breakout session is an interactive learning experience centered on diversity and inclusion. The participants will collectively explore and address the challenges around inclusion through an assessment of relevant case studies and real-life examples. The session will provide a safe and respectful space for open dialogue and shared insights, empowering participants to take away ideas that they can incorporate into their organization to create a more inclusive workplace.
Location
Kia Lounge, Main Floor Plenary Room
Presenters
- Andrew Smeaton, Aquatics Supervisor, City of Kamloops
- Deirdre Ashenhurst, Community Facilitator – Diversity and Inclusion, City of Red Deer
Description
The City of Kamloops is working with Kamloops Pride to host an inclusive swim for the queer community in 2023. Learn how the swim was created and what considerations were made. The City of Red Deer recently updated their Aquatics Facilities Use Guidelines to better align with Human Rights. Learn about their update to swim attire requirements in City operated aquatics spaces.
Location
Player’s Lounge, Downstairs
Breakout Session Two
Presenters
- Tymmarah Mackie, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, City of Kamloops
- Cpl. Dana Napier, Community Policing, Kamloops RCMP
Description
Participants will learn about racism, discrimination and allyship as well as the concepts of power and privilege as they relate to addressing racism. They will also learn about related legislation (Criminal Code, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, BC Human Rights Code), and when and how to report to police. The session includes interactivity activities to explore power and privilege as it relates to addressing racism – systemic barriers and inequities, and finishes up discussing anti-racism policies.
Location
Kia Lounge, Main Floor Plenary Room
Presenters
- Elliot Lange, Senior UX Designer, Upanup Studios, Inc.
- Charlotte O’Reilly, Marketing Director, Upanup Studios Inc.
Description
Explore the essential strategies and best practices for making your digital presence welcoming and accessible to all. Learn how to navigate the complex landscape of web accessibility compliance and create an online space that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and seamless user experiences for everyone.
Location
Player’s Lounge, Downstairs
Presenters
- Kathleen Darby, Executive Director, Creative City Network of Canada
- Nicole Cantley, Grants and Special Projects Coordinator, City of Kelowna
Description
The presenters will share the year-long project that the Creative City Network of Canada has been developing - a toolkit for municipal culture professionals that will help illustrate the pathways towards key policy considerations in granting, community place-making, event management, data-gathering, program development and delivery and more.
Location
Visual Lounge, Upstairs
Breakout Session Three
Presenters
- Denise Anderson, Corporate Assistant – Information and Privacy and Accessibility Working Group Member, City of Kamloops
- Tymmarah Mackie, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, City of Kamloops
Description
The City of Kamloops is working on removing barriers and providing accommodations for our internal and external meetings to allow everyone to fully participate. Participants will learn about how to make their meetings and spaces more inclusive to all by looking at accessibility, catering, cultural differences, gender identity and more. We will present our Inclusive Meetings and Spaces Guide which includes a checklist.
Location
Kia Lounge, Main Floor Plenary Room
Presenter
- Meghan Stewart, Museum Educator, Kamloops Museum & Archives
Note: this session is off-site at the Kamloops Museum and Archives (207 Seymour Street). It is a 2–3-minute walk from the Sandman Centre.
Description
LEN is an exhibition on popular Kamloops-based political leader, Leonard Marchand Sr. (November 16, 1933 – June 3, 2016, Syilx Nation); Canada’s first person of First Nations status elected to Canadian parliament and Canada’s first Indigenous federal cabinet minister. The exhibition focuses on family photographs and objects generously donated by the Marchand family. Along with historical information and family anecdotes, the show highlights Marchand's forthright and humble character, as well as the conditions that gave rise to his achievements and approach to creating social change. Attendees will be guided through the exhibit by Museum staff.
Location
Offsite: Kamloops Museum & Archives, 207 Seymour Street
Presenters
- Ben Chobater, Community Development Coordinator and Co-Chair of Accessibility Working Group, City of Kamloops
- Todd Harding, Chair, City of Kamloops Accessibility Engagement Group
- Keely Kidner, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, District of Squamish
Description
In this collaborative presentation two municipalities will present their Accessibility Plans. Attendees will learn the steps taken to create these municipalities’’ Accessibility Plans including community engagement sessions, survey, establishment of external and internal advisory groups.
Location
Visual Lounge, Upstairs
Breakout Session Four
Presenter
- Deirdre Ashenhurst, Community Facilitator – Diversity and Inclusion, City of Red Deer
Description
There are so many examples and toolkits for developing an organizational or municipal reconciliation, equity, accessibility, diversity and inclusion plan, and yet getting change started can be incredibly challenging. This is a case study look at Red Deer and the process for developing a community informed Diversity and Inclusion Plan that includes themes, priorities, and recommendations, while acknowledging the need for shared accountability.
Over the past year the City of Red Deer has been partnering with community members, organizations, and invested community groups to develop the Diversity and Inclusion Plan. This plan is a starting point for establishing an understanding of the current challenges, prioritizing issues and developing recommendations. This presentation will create an understanding of the intention, the engagement process (Key Stakeholder Interviews, Environmental Scan, Municipal Interviews, Perspectives on Inclusion Presentations, Design Labs, Literature Review), the 9 priorities identified, the recommendations, and the next steps in the process. Time will be given for questions, and connections will be established for any questions that arise after the time has ended.
Location
Visual Lounge, Upstairs
Presenter
- Kristen Gardner, Kamloops Art Gallery
Note: this session is off-site at the Kamloops Art Gallery (207 Seymour Street). It is a 2 – 3-minute walk from the Sandman Centre.
Description
From Kamloops Art Gallery: “Originally produced by the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in 2020, Black Drones in the Hive unfolds in a series of visual chapters to reveal the strategic erasures which have enabled Canadian canons (such as those extended by the Group of Seven) to exist without question or complication. The exhibition draws its title from a racist assessment of William Robinson, a Black journeyman described as “a black drone in the hive,” as written by a city official in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario in the records of the Waterloo County House of Industry and Refuge (1869‒1950). This sentiment echoes the centuries-long project of devaluing Black labour and the promise of autonomy. Combing historical texts, petitions, and archives ranging from the local to the international, Bowen weaves together narrative threads of migration, power networks, and hierarchies of remembrance.” Attendees will be guided through the exhibit by Art Gallery staff.
Location
Offsite: Kamloops Museum & Archives, 207 Seymour Street
Presenters
- Kristina Rios, Human Resources Supervisor, City of Kamloops
- Kaylee Gillespie, Human Resources Advisor, City of Kamloops
Description
The presenters will walk you through the how the City of Kamloops mapped out their recruitment process to identify barriers. Once barriers were identified, an action plan was developed to implement meaningful change and create a more inclusive hiring process. Learn and discuss how to make your hiring process more inclusive.
Location
Player’s Lounge, Downstairs