Alberta CFs, it's time to celebrate!
September 20-22, 2023 | St. Paul, Alberta
Board Members and Staff, join us this September in the rich cultural community of St. Paul, Alberta, for the Community Futures annual celebration and training event – Symposium. This year’s Symposium is kindly hosted by Community Futures St. Paul-Smoky Lake.
Tickets: $375 per person including Gala and Awards evening
Pre-Symposium Activities
September 19, 2023
On your way to St. Paul, stop at Métis Crossing to learn the story of the Métis people. Finish off your visit with warm bannock and homemade jam! Tours are at 1.30 and 3 pm – tickets: $40 per person
Or, sign up for the 18-hole golf course at St. Paul and compete for fantastic prizes! Tee times start at 1 pm with 9 hole, 18 hole, and ride-along options. Prices from $11 to $60.
Click the logos to visit websites then book your activities at the same time as your tickets here.
Symposium
September 20-21, 2023
This year the 2 day Symposium takes place in St. Paul, Alberta at the Landing Conference Centre.
The Landing Hotel is now home to St. Paul’s newest Conference Centre. Flexible room options accommodate large and small groups easily and state of the art audio and video options should keep us connected.
This year, we have 2 Keynote Speakers, 6 further guest speakers, 2 roundtables, along with opportunities for networking and training for Board Members, Staff, and Managers (see full schedule below).
Tickets: $375 per person including Gala and Awards evening.
Click the logo above to learn more about this year’s venue, then book your tickets here.
Symposium Schedule
(Schedule and speakers are subject to change.)
Wednesday September 20, 2023
8 – 8.30 am
Lobby
Buffet Breakfast
8.30 – 10 am
Iron Horse
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
With CFNA, PD Committee and Guests
Keynote
“Building Strong Relationships: The Art of Setting Boundaries” with Jon Rokochy, Assure Occupational Testing Inc.
10 – 10.30 am
Lobby
Break and Refreshments
10.30 am – 12 pm
Iron Horse – For Board Members
“CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance 1” with Brad Kotowich
Beaver Hills – For Managers
Managers’ Meeting
Robert Saunders – For Staff
“EconoMusee – Artisans at Work” with Carl-Éric Guertin, ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society & Suzanne Prévost, CDÉA
10.30 am – 12 pm
Iron Horse
Beaver Hills
Robert Saunders
For Board Members
“CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance 1 ” with Brad Kotowich
For Managers
Managers’ Meeting
For Staff
“EconoMusee – Artisans at Work” with Carl-Éric Guertin, ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society & Suzanne Prévost, CDÉA
12 – 1 pm
Lobby
Buffet Lunch
1 – 2.30 pm
Iron Horse – For Board Members
“CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance 2” with Brad Kotowich
Beaver Hills – For Managers
“Staff Recruitment & Retention” with Sara Hurtubise, HR Solutions
Robert Saunders – For Staff
“PanWest Competencies & Training” with Colette, PanWest
1 – 2.30 pm
Iron Horse
Beaver Hills
Robert Saunders
For Board Members
“CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance 2” with Brad Kotowich
For Managers
“Staff Recruitment & Retention” with Sara Hurtubise, HR Solutions
For Staff
“PanWest Competencies & Training” with Colette, PanWest
2.30 – 3 pm
Lobby
Break and Refreshments
3 – 4 pm
Iron Horse – For Board Members
“CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance 3” with Brad Kotowich
Beaver Hills – For Managers and Staff
“2023 Emergencies Roundtable & Disaster Recovery” with NW Managers, CF BC
3 – 4 pm
Iron Horse
Beaver Hills
For Board Members
“CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance 3” with Brad Kotowich
For Managers and Staff
“2023 Emergencies Roundtable & Disaster Recovery” with NW Managers, CF BC
Thursday September 21, 2023
8 – 9 am
Lobby
Buffet Breakfast
9 – 9.45 am
Iron Horse
Keynote
“Opportunities Abound: Finding Home in Rural Alberta” with Billi J. Miller, Author
9.45 – 10.30 am
Iron Horse
Entrepreneurs’ Panel
With: Jeff Gaye, Respect Newspaper; Billi J. Miller, Author; Debra Poulin, Twisted Fork; Jaquie Fenske, Fifendekel Restaurant.
10.30 – 11 am
Lobby
Break and Refreshments
11 am – 12 pm
Iron Horse – NW Regional Meeting
Atrium – NE Regional Meeting
Beaver Hills – S Regional Meeting
Robert Saunders – Staff Session
“Agritourism: A new way of ‘growing’ across rural Alberta”, with Keleigh and Pierre Cormier, ClearThink™ Group
11 am – 12 pm
Iron Horse
Atrium
Beaver Hills
Robert Saunders
NW Regional Meeting
NE Regional Meeting
S Regional Meeting
Staff Session
“Agritourism: A new way of ‘growing’ across rural Alberta”, with Keleigh and Pierre Cormier, ClearThink™ Group
12 – 1 pm
Lobby
Buffet Lunch
1 – 4 pm
1 – 2 pm Iron Horse – For Board Chairs
Board Chairs’ Meeting
Meet in the Lobby – Local Business Tours
Download the tour guide here.
1 – 4 pm
Iron Horse
1 – 2 pm
Meet in the lobby
For Board Chairs
Board Chairs’ Meeting
Local Business Tours
Download the tour guide here.
Symposium Speakers
Meet Our Speakers
Jon Rokochy, Assure Occupational Testing Inc.
"Building Strong Relationships: The Art of Setting Boundaries"
Jon Rokochy is the Founder of Assure Occupational Testing and coaching company, Brilliant Strategies. With a Master’s in Counselling and certs in health and safety, he is committed to ensuring workplaces are safe and workers are fit-for-duty. He trains on substance use concerns, coaches people for recovery and leadership, and has recently returned from a week training leaders in India.
Carl-Éric Guertin, ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society & Suzanne Prévost, CDÉA
"EconoMusee - Artisans at Work"
With 25 years of management experience, Carl-Éric Guertin has been the Executive Director of the ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society (ENS) since 2013, a not-for-profit promoting the ÉCONOMUSÉE® concept to protect and promote traditional trades and know-how in the craft and agri-food sectors and working in partnership in Alberta with the CDÉA. Suzanne Prévost is the Director of Rural Development and Entrepreneurship, CDÉA which is committed to the mission of leading the support of Francophone economic development in Alberta.
Billi J. Miller, billijmiller.com
"Opportunities Abound: Finding home in Rural Alberta"
Billi J Miller is a successful author, photographer, speaker, and writer from Alberta, Canada who left her city life to live on a 100-year old prairie farm, and has since published four books exploring life on Canadian family farms. She has been recognized on CBC, Global TV, City TV, and multiple newspapers and magazines in Canada and the US.
Sara Hurtubise, Lakeland HR Solutions
"Staff Recruitment & Retention"
Sara, the founder of Lakeland HR Solutions, brings over 15 years of professional HR experience and provides professional HR support to local organizations of different sizes and industries, while being passionate about building engaged workplace cultures and fostering humanity in the workplace.
Keleigh and Pierre Cormier, ClearThink™ Group
"Agritourism: A new way of “growing” across rural Alberta"
ClearThink™ Group is a management consultancy based in Ardrossan, Alberta, with over three decades of experience in empowering entrepreneurs and enhancing the success of their businesses. Keleigh and Pierre are dynamic individuals who specialize in agritourism and have dedicated over 8 years to researching and creating strategies to support farms in this field. They are excited to share their wealth of knowledge and experiences from their recent work in Alberta’s Lakeland region.
Brad Kotowich, Focused Leadership Group Ltd.
"CF Sustainability & Simplified Governance"
Having founded Focused Leadership Group Ltd. in 2004, Brad is now a highly sought after, and uniquely engaging speaker, coach and facilitator who has a passion and appreciation for the power of people.
Colette Close, PanWest
"PanWest Competencies & Training"
Meet Colette, a dedicated leader in the Community Futures Program since 1989. With over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, project manager, and trainer, Colette brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as the Executive Director of Community Futures Pan West Network. Her passion for the future of the program and its positive impact on rural communities is truly contagious.
Gala
Thursday September 21, 2023 (Evening)
This year’s Gala and Awards takes place at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in St. Paul. It is an important part of the All Saints identity in St. Paul and is a popular venue for community events.
We have a cash bar, silent auction, dinner, awards, cultural entertainment, and our very own CF Alberta talent show (see the full schedule below). This is a black-tie event, so come dressed to impress!
Tickets: $65 per person if attending Gala only.
Click the image above to learn more about this year’s venue, then book your tickets here.
Join us for Gala at the Ukrainian Centre in St. Paul. We kick off at 5 pm with a Cash Bar and Networking.
Silent Auction starts at 5 pm and completes at 6.30 pm (winners announced at dinner). All proceeds go to Ukrainian support charities.
Awards start at 6 pm and complete at 7.30. Awards nomination form 
Dinner is at 6.30 pm.
Entertainment begins at 7.30 pm with a series of vignettes celebrating the many cultural communities in and around St. Paul.
The night ends with CFs’ Got Talent: 2, a return of the popular talent show. Entrance fee of $25 per act (entire pot to the winner!) Learn More
PrairiesCan Meeting and CFNA AGM
Friday, September 22, 2023 at the Landing Conference Centre, Iron Horse
All are welcome to stay until Friday to attend Community Futures of Alberta’s annual meetings:
9 – 10 am PrairiesCan Meeting
10 – 10.30 CFNA AGM Registration
10.30 – 11.30 am CFNA AGM
11.30 am Closing Ceremonies
Accommodation
Stay at St. Paul’s finest hotels. Local points of interest include World’s First UFO Landing Pad, St. Paul Historical Museum, and St. Paul Golf Club.
To book your Symposium accommodation, call the hotel of your choice directly and ask for the Community Futures Network of Alberta room block to receive the negotiated rate.
The Canalta, St. Paul, Alberta.
Spacious rooms with enjoyable amenities. Swimming pool, hot tub, and waterslide as well as a games room. This hotel also features complimentary hot breakfast, high speed internet, fitness facility, guest laundry and meeting rooms. Enjoy the convenience of easy access to local restaurants and shops.
Canalta St. Paul: $143.10+ taxes per night. To book: 1.855.933.1933
FULLY BOOKED The Landing Hotel & Conference Centre, St. Paul, Alberta.
Guest rooms featuring refrigerators and flatscreen tv’s. Complimentary high-speed Internet. In-room mini-fridge and coffee/tea makers. Indoor pool and water-slide, and state of the art fitness centre. A complimentary hot breakfast is served daily. Free parking is available.
The Landing Hotel : $143.10 + taxes per night. To book: 1.855.909.1300 FULLY BOOKED
Sponsors
With sincere thanks to our Sponsors for the 2023 Community Futures Alberta Symposium.
Our Host
With sincere thanks to the host of the 2023 Symposium, CF St. Paul-Smoky Lake.
