Practicing Perseverance: How to Maintain Momentum in the Face of Ongoing Disruption

As we emerge from the pandemic and face a world and workplace of constant change, challenge and disruption, we take a "time out" in this authentic and inspiring session by learning how harnessing a deliberate practice of perseverance can enhance resiliency and create positive momentum. Participants connect meaningfully in this powerful session that provides practical tools and relatable personal stories to motivate and re-energize.

Kate Tavender

Strategic, insightful and high-energy, Kate Tavender is a leadership coach and organizational effectiveness consultant with over 20+ years of corporate leadership and consulting experience. She is also the creator of powerful, effective and uplifting resiliency-building content specifically targeted to address the realities faced by professionals of today.

An Overview of Alberta's Petroleum and Natural Gas Tenure

Speaker Fiona Salkie will discuss topics of interest related to Alberta's PNG business including continuation and validation, agreement management, geothermal and disposal.

Fiona Salkie

She is the Director of Crown Agreement Management in PNG Tenure with Alberta Energy where she is responsible for continuation, validation and agreement administration. Fiona has over 20 years of experience working on natural resource and economic development issues for provincial and federal governments. She has extensive experience working with stakeholders across governments, academia and industry to successfully develop and implement policy and programs. Fiona has an MSc in resource economics from the University of Alberta.

Government of Saskatchewan, Director of Liability Management 

Brad Wagner

Brad Wagner is the Director of Liability Management in the Energy Regulation Division with the Ministry of Energy and Resources in Saskatchewan. Brad has been with the ministry for the past 23 years and holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering. Prior to moving to government Brad worked for a private engineering firm mostly doing environmental site assessment and remediation work.

Economic Reconciliation through an Indigenous Lens with Chris Sankey

Chris Sankey

He is the principal owner and president at Blackfish Enterprises, a company that provides strategic advice, direction and planning to Indigenous Communities and Industry Stakeholders, both domestically and internationally in the energy sector. He is a senior fellow at the MacDonald Laurier Institute, where he provides advice on Indigenous affairs, research and policy work. He also sits on the board of the C2C2C Unity Corridor Foundation, an organization that collaborates and brings capacity expertise to indigenous communities when evaluating corridor opportunities. He organized, implemented and co-facilitated the all-Tsimshian leadership table in Prince Rupert where he collaborated with indigenous leadership to look at traditional knowledge, political risk, common interest and a path forward through economic reconciliation.

Yahey v British Columbia and Duncan's First Nation v Alberta: Cumulative Effects and Treaty Obligations 

Jack Powles

Jack graduated from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law in 2022 and returned to BD&P this year as an articling student after summering with the firm in 2021.

In law school, Jack volunteered with the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council at Welcome Place, was a member of the faculty's Mental Health Group, and organized a student event as part of the Professional Development Committee. He also participated in the Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System Seminar course and the Robson Hall Negotiation Competition. In his final year of school, Jack was the Senior Editor of the Canadian Journal of Human Rights, and helped start-ups, small businesses, and other organizations in Manitoba with various needs as a Student Case Manager with the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic.

Aboriginal Consultation Office Overview

In this session, you will learn about the Duty to Consult, Alberta's Consultation Policies and Guidelines, Delegated Procedural Aspects of Consultation (Proponent Guide), Pre-consultation Assessments and Consultation Adequacy Assessments. In addition, we will be provided with updates on the Aboriginal Consultation Office's (ACO) Bulletin, the new ACO Digital Service, Indigenous Consultation Guide, and ACO contacts.

Cohen McLeod

He previously worked under the Canadian Research Chair in Digital Disruption as a researcher and subject matter expert in AI, automation, digital finance, energy systems, and cryptocurrencies. He has also been involved with the Alberta business community as a policy coordinator for Saint Albert and Alberta Chambers of Commerce. Cohen joined the Aboriginal Consultation Office (ACO) in early 2022 as a Business Optimization Specialist before quickly moving into the Product Owner role for the ACO Digital Service (ACO DS). One of Cohen's most notable recent accomplishments includes the ACO DS launch in April 2022, as well as the Indigenous Relations Red Tape Reduction Champion Award (2022), as part of the Indigenous Consultation Guide team. Cohen's current position includes leading the ACO Digital Service product team, internal and external stakeholder engagement, and developing new digital processes.

Magdalena Jordan

She has previous work experience in Forestry, Wildlife Conservation as well as Research and Evaluation. Currently, she is working as an Engagement Specialist with the Aboriginal Consultation Office in the Ministry of Indigenous Relations with the Government of Alberta. One of her most notable recent accomplishments includes leading the development of the newly released Indigenous Consultation Guide (2022). Magdalena has also recently been awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022), the Red Tape Reduction Champion Award (2022) as part of the Indigenous Consultation Guide Team, and the Red Tape Reduction Champion Award (2021), as well the Premier's Public Service Award (2020) as part of the ACO team. Magdalena's current position includes providing internal and external training on Alberta's consultation process, developing processes/directives and leading project teams on the development of new initiatives.