On November 27-28, the City of Kamloops hosted a first-of-its kind Municipal IDEA Conference inviting staff from municipalities and related organizations to consider how we can do better in the areas of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility as well as reconciliation. Over 100 participants from BC organizations (with representation from Alberta and the Yukon as well) registered for the event and took part in some rich and enlightening discussions.
We want to send a big thank you to our extraordinary keynote speakers who were the undeniable highlights for all who attended:
- Jesse Lipscombe, actor and film producer, author, entrepreneur, Make It Awkward Campaign
- Garry Gottfriedson, Secwépemc poet and residential school survivor
- Gurdeep Pandher, author, teacher, bhangra dancer, performer
Thanks are also extended to the organizing committee for all their hard work, to the MCs Dr. Michael Caveney and Jessica Vliegenthart, and to the presenters showcasing some of the innovative work being done in our community and in others.
There were many takeaways for the City of Kamloops both on things we can do to improve inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and reconciliation in our community, and ways to improve a future conference. The feedback from conference participants was incredibly constructive and revealed the need and desire for this type of collective learning to continue with deeper dives into key topics and more interactive sessions.
