Pathways 2 Sustainability

Food, Fuel, Finance – Creating Resilient Local Economies – a Conference hosted in Red Deer February 23-25

www.pathways2sustainability.ca

Keynotes – amazing line up of 5 Keynote Speakers:

Mark Anielski, Chris Turner, and Bob Mills are all Albertans who are dedicated to the outcomes of community sustainability in Alberta. They are published experts and widely regarded by governments from around the world.

Did you know that Chris’ book the Geography of Hope was referred to repeatedly by President Obama and is mentioned in Obama’s latest book The Audacity of Hope?

Mark Anielski is an economic advisor to the province of Alberta and his Genuine Wealth Model is being used by five cities in Canada (three in Alberta) and he has contributed to the development of thought on the subject of Genuine Progress Indicators for several globally connected nations. Mark Anielski will be hanging out with us for all three days of the conference!

We will have 12 panelists from across the disciplines of finance, food security and alternative fuels who will be leading discussions with over 200 conference attendees that will transform the way we imagine our communities growing.

The Pathways Network has over 600 members from over 100 communities across Alberta with interests in sustainability, renewable energy, local and community supported food systems. These folks are helping to shape the agenda of the conference through Crowd Sourcing. They will be asked to contribute solutions and ideas to the dialogue of moving Alberta toward a system of resilient local economies, and select 20 Showcase Presentations that they would like to see presented on Day 2 (February 24).

A Community Café is being coordinated by ReThink Red Deer for the evening of February 24, which will include Pecha Kucha style presentations from several groups and initiatives across the region on topics such as Permaculture, Organic Food Systems, Transition Towns, Green Building, Ecological Goods and Services, and Beekeeping!

This is a free event for locals and open to all conference participants. Showcase Exhibitors are being invited to stay for the evening and participate and will be served local wine and local cheeses and appetizers as a social event prior to the event (For exhibitors and conference participants only).

Day 3 of the conference will be a “facilitated discovery” of the elements of resilient local economies. This day will include keynote presentations by Woody Tacsh author and leading thinker on Slow Food/Slow Money systems for community resilience, with a wrap up and conference synthesis by our Conference Ambassador Mark Anielski.

P2S will be hosted in a LEED Gold Technology Innovation Center at Red Deer College! We will be offering tours of the Technology Innovation Center and providing an opportunity for emerging industries to build relationships with several institutions and investment brokers who will be attending – this is a great opportunity for industry seeking to advance innovation.

P2S is a “Green EVENT” and will be showcasing elements of sustainability throughout the event: composting, minimizing paper and waste, local food & wine, recycling, LEED elements for passive solar and air quality and green power through Bullfrog Power.

WHO? Progressively minded experts, professionals, industry and community leaders from across Alberta who are interested in advancing sustainability in the province. Faculty from three post-secondary institutions, industry associations, municipal and provincial government staff and elected officials, federal support agencies for agriculture and energy, representatives from non-government associations and organizations advancing energy efficiency, community renewal, rural economic development, and many many more!

The event will be broadcasted live and and there will be an opportunity for live interaction through social media during the event. Much of the conference will be covered by media representatives from local and provincial media outlets.
Conference sponsorship ($2-5k) includes corporate membership in the Leadership Lab where members will be able to crowd source policy, product, service, and market-based solutions through the Pathways Network of over 600 members throughout 2011 (and this membership is growing everyday).

P2S 2011 is hosting a Sustainable Gourmet Banquet Dinner with Keynote Wayne Roberts, author of the No-Nonsense Guide to World Food. Wayne will be speaking to the transformative systems that are necessary to ensure food security for Alberta and our urban communities. The food (and wine!) for the conference is being sourced locally from local farms, dairies, meaderies, breweries and vinyards.

P2S 2011 and Red Deer College are host to the Swiss Climate Display which is currently making a world tour to promote Adaptation to Climate Change. This 18 panel presentation will be onsite all 3 days of Pathways.

P2S is being hosted in Red Deer in partnership with Red Deer College and the City of Red Deer. Our conference organizing team is all VOLUNTEERS who have come together to design and host Alberta in a dialogue of how to move our communities forward with resilient local economies. Our Co-Chairs, Mayor Morris Flewwelling and President of RDC Joel Ward are excited to have the opportunity demonstrate to Albertans the possiblities that arise when partnerships are developed between industry, community, academia, and community organizations.

This conference is a Legacy conference of Pathways 2009 where over 35 communities came together with the support of AUMA to identify pathways to sustainability through planning. Pathways 2011 is about TOOLS needed on the pathway to sustainability – participants will leave P2S 2011 with strong relationships with community leaders, innovators and market-based investors.