Keynotes

Storytelling is power: Using stories for change - June 9

Join Tanya Talaga on June 9 for a keynote exploring the power of storytelling to deepen public understanding and confront injustice.

Featuring

Tanya Talaga Tanya Talaga is a proud member of Fort William First Nation, part of the Robinson-Superior Treaty. An award-winning journalist and author, she is an acclaimed storyteller and the first Anishinaabe woman to deliver the CBC Massey Lectures.

What Could Canada Learn from its Minority Francophone Communities - June 9

Given the social challenges it faces, could Canada draw inspiration from the experience of its minority francophone communities in order to build a more resilient and inclusive society, a society better equipped to chart a course into the future?  In this bilingual roundtable, francophone panelists from Western Canada will identify certain tried and tested approaches to francophone community development that Canada could well adapt and adopt to better ensure its social cohesion.

Featuring

Amy Vachon Chabot Amy Vachon-Chabot is a manager and leader dedicated to the development of the Francophone community in Alberta and Canada; for more than ten years, she has devoted her time and expertise to promoting the growth and vitality of Francophone minority communities.	Anne-José Villeneuve Anne-José Villeneuve is Associate Professor at Campus Saint-Jean and Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Alberta, where she is director of Espace LiFT, a linguistic space for a francophonie in transformation. She is a member of the editorial board of Francophonies d’Amérique and served on the Government of Alberta's inaugural advisory council on Francophonie from 2018 to 2021.	Ibrahima Diallo Professor Ibrahima Diallo has dedicated more than forty years to teaching, research, and community service, embodying the values of excellence and academic leadership. His contributions extend far beyond the academic realm: he has served as president of the Société franco-manitobaine and the Manitoba Immigration Council, and as vice-president of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada.
Moderated by Peter Dorrington Peter Dorrington is an associate professor of Francophone/French studies at the University of Saint Boniface (Winnipeg). Peter has been a leader in the development of education and research in Francophone minority communities for some 20 years. In 2004, he was recruited to the Institut français, the Francophone academic unit that the University of Regina had just created in partnership with the Fransaskois community.

Democratic resilience - June 10

Join this keynote panel on June 10 from 10:30 to 11:45 to explore how the humanities and social sciences help us better understand and strengthen democratic resilience amid global uncertainty.

Featuring

Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey (Nii Laryea Osabu I, Atrékor Wé Nòyaa Mantsè) is a Dorothy Killam Fellow and William Dawson Associate Professor of post-Reconstruction U.S. and African Diaspora history at McGill University. His research examines the social, cultural, intellectual, political, and military histories of transnational Black freedom struggles that connected North America to the broader Atlantic World.

Michael Wernick Michael Wernick is one of the most experienced leaders in Canada’s public sector. From 2016 to 2019, he served as the 23rd Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. Appointed to the Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management at the University of Ottawa in 2022, he is recognized for his expertise in Indigenous issues, intergovernmental relations, governance, and public sector management.

Moderated by Shari Graydon Shari Graydon is a broadcast columnist, best-selling author, and award-winning women's advocate. She started her career in public relations, became the President of the national women’s organization MediaWatch, wrote a weekly newspaper column, produced a TV series and then taught communications at Simon Fraser University. She subsequently served as the press secretary to a BC premier and wrote speeches for the Governor General and the federal minister of public health.

Inclusive AI futures - June 11

Join this keynote panel on June 11 from 10:30 to 11:45 to explore the social, ethical, and governance implications of emerging systems. Bringing perspectives from the humanities and social sciences, this conversation will examine how we can shape more just and inclusive technological futures.

Featuring

Dr. Kem-Laurin Lubin Kem-Laurin Lubin, PhD, is a researcher in computational rhetoric and AI governance at the University of Waterloo, where her teaching spans surveillance studies, gender and social justice, popular culture, and the ethics of emerging technologies.	Bobbie Racette Bobbie Racette is a Cree-Métis and queer entrepreneur, speaker, advocate, and ecosystem leader focused on creating opportunity for underserved founders. She is the founder of Virtual Gurus and Tapwi, a platform supporting founders through access, community, and truth-driven entrepreneurship.	Dr. Geoffrey Martin Rockwell Dr. Geoffrey Martin Rockwell is a Professor of Philosophy and Digital Humanities at the University of Alberta and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. A Fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, he is a leading researcher in AI ethics and digital tools.
Moderated by Dr. Jerome Cranston Dr. Jerome Cranston is a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan whose work focuses on systemic racism, racial inequality, and equity in education. He is a speaker and educator on social inequity and led an equity and racial justice learning program with the Canadian School Boards Association.