AKBLG Preconvention Education Workshop focusing on Infrastructure

AKBLG is proud to present a day long education session focused on Infrastructure! This workshop will be held in-person on Thursday, April 24^th, 2025 at the Kimberley Convention Centre (prior to the 2025 AKBLG Convention).

9:30 – 9:45am
Introductions (Linda Tynan, Executive Director and a member of the Education Workshop Committee tbd)

9:45 – 11:00am
Mike Matejka – Infrastructure Services and Sustainability

11:00 – 11:15am  Stretch break

11:15am – 12:45pm
Kim Fowler – Effect of Climate Change on Stewardship of Infrastructure (Kim will continue informally through lunch if the interest/desire is there)

12:45 – 1:30pm
Lunch with informal discussion with Kim Fowler continuing

1:30-4:00pm
Jan Enns – “From Plan and Pipes to Public Trust: Communicating Infrastructure Investments with Clarity and Confidence”

Our exciting lineup of presenters for the workshop include:

Mike Matejka (City of Cranbrook) presenting Infrastructure Services and Sustainability.

At a time when the cost of infrastructure has increased dramatically, how do elected leaders make informed decisions that balance service delivery needs alongside budget pressures and inflation facing their taxpayers? No matter what financial situation your community is in, or what capacity is available to tackle infrastructure challenges, there are key common principles in place and a host of readily available resources to bring more clarity and certainty to this difficult topic.

Kim Fowler presenting on the Effect of Climate Change on Stewardship of Infrastructure

Kim is the principal of Sustainability Makes Cents Consulting, and a full member of the Canadian Institute of Planners with over 35 years’ experience working with local governments across Canada. She is best known for project managing the redevelopment of the Victoria Dockside lands, which were awarded the highest LEED™ Platinum point total in the world for the first two development phases by the successful land sale developers. She has authored a book on Dockside Green’s 18-year innovative project history from vision, land sale, development and operation. The Planning Institute of BC awarded Kim the Individual Outstanding Achievement Award for Innovation and Advocacy in 2022.  Kim will be leading a session focused on Climate Change and how the costs of mitigating climate change affects stewardship of our infrastructure (floodplain management, dykes, parks, natural resources, etc).

 Jan Enns presenting on “From Plans and Pipes to Public Trust: Communicating Infrastructure Investments with Clarity and Confidence”

Effective service delivery isn’t just about building infrastructure—it’s about building trust. This interactive session will equip elected officials and staff with practical tools to communicate complex and contentious projects in ways that are clear, proactive, and responsive to public concerns. Through real-world scenarios and hands-on exercises, participants will learn the secret to crafting concise messages, practice responding to tough questions, and explore strategies to build confidence in the long-term investments necessary for sustainable service delivery. Walk away with ready-to-use techniques to help make these much-needed conversations smoother, more transparent, and more engaging for your community.

The cost for this educational workshop is only $75.00. 

Register through the same link as the convention registration. If you are only interested in attending the workshop (i.e. no convention) – just select “Pre convention workshop only. Otherwise, be sure to check off both pre-convention workshop AND convention registration to attend both! If you already registered for the convention and want to add the pre-convention workshop – contact Linda at admin@akblg.ca