Livable Cities Report
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Thanks to Marg Archibald for attending and reporting back from the TRU 2025 Livable Cities Collaborative Communities Conference.
Please find Marg's report below.
Cheers!
Report on Livable Ci0es Conference 2025
Thompson Rivers University
Overview:
An excellent conference. It is a lot to give up two days of your life and this one was totally worth
doing. For me the main benefit was the other people there. A wonderful cross secBon of people
I know and those I don’t who care about their city.
Breakfast and lunch buffets were beyond excellent.
Gwynne Dyer:
Gwynne Dyer spoke the evening before on the growing climate crisis:
Updated facts on where we stand now, what it means and the extent to which he believes in
2025 we will exceed the 2 degree mark. He reported on discussions with scienBsts all over the
work and their pros and cons on geoengineering and why using those methods short term will
buy us some Bme while we implement permanent soluBons – lowering emissions. He closed
with the sentence: “We are not doomed.”
Conference Day One:
Keynote: Kevin Loring, playwright, producer and actor as well as CreaBve Head of NaBonal
Theatre in OVawa: All my Rela)ons: How the Global Climate Catastrophe Affects Everyone and
How Indigenous Ways of Being Can Save Us All.
A lyrical weaving together of climate change, poliBcal upheaval with Indigenous value of the
Earth. Raised in LyVon, Loring spoke from personal experience on the impact of climate change.
It was a brilliant and beauBful speech that garnered a standing ovaBon.
Roundtable 1: Local policy iniBaBves on sustainability and resilience.
Gwynne Dyer was part of the panel along with City Councillor Nancy Bepple (note: the only city
councillor at the conference). City TransportaBon Manager Purvez Irani was also on panel.
RepresentaBves of Wildfire research, Community Energy and Kamloops City Social and
Community Development were also part of the panel.
None of them alluded to the fact that Kamloops city council has dragged their feet on any
progressive innovaBon in alternaBve transportaBon.
PM: Roundtable 2. Food Systems and Food Security: Tom Dickenson, and representaBves from
Grasslands ConservaBon Council, TRU Sustainable CommuniBes, TRU green roof, The SBr (Jesse
Ritcey), Farmers’ Market (Greg Unger) and TRU horBcultural program. Candid discussion on
whether Kamloops could survive on its own food supply. Most of the panelists indicated so-so,
TRU prof indicated, nowhere near being able to provide the requisite calories for our populaBon
for anything longer than a few says.
Day 2
AM. Roundtable 3: Healthy land/Healing from the land. Three TRU Knowledge Makers and a
representaBve of Natural Resources Sciences, TRU. Content did not sBck with me.
Workshop 1: Community Recovery: Indigenous and Community-centred approaches to disaster
recovery – did not aVend.
Workshop 2. Living Roofs and creaBng Resilient green spaces – a TRU project. Details on how it
was designed, built and now being rejuvenated. The challenges and benefits. A thorough
analysis that resulted in informaBon applicable to growing any garden in our semi-arid
increasingly water challenged community.
Workshop 3: Decolonizing outdoor recreaBon and nature-based tourism – Indigenous pathways
to wellbeing. Did not aVend.
Workshop 4: Training in construcBon of high performing and climate resilient buildings. Did not
aVend.
Spotlight Showcase: In the Shadow of the Hills: Socioeconomic struggles in Kamloops. Professor
Peter Tsigaris presented the projects of his students who explored Kamloops:- Elementary schools
– public transportaBons system - policing models
- accommodaBon challenges faced by internaBonal students
– homelessness - inequality,
- economic cost of healthcare wait Bmes
- unemployment rates
Best part of the conference:
The other aVendees. People with admirable values of social responsibility, progressive
communiBes. But also socially friendly, helpful, kind.
ConversaBon was interesBng, challenging, fascinaBng and fun.
I hope to be able to go again.
- Elementary schools