2021 Heritage BC Conference: Panellists
Sarah Behn, Soniyaw Consulting
Sarah Behn is the owner of Soniyaw Consulting, based in Northeastern British Columbia. As an independent Indigenous business owner, she focuses on the mutual success of partners and capacity building. Ms. Behn was a founding member of the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark’s Indigenous Advisory Council as a representative from West Moberly First Nations, and sits on the Canadian Geoparks Network board of directors to bring Indigenous perspectives to the national level. She is proud of her Dunne-za and Neyihaw culture and promotes cross-cultural understanding and respect through her work.
Robert (YELḰATŦE) Clifford, Assistant Professor, Peter A Allard School of Law, UBC
Robert is WSÁNEĆ and a member of the Tsawout First Nation, his home community; he carries the name YELKATŦE, which was passed to him by his late grandfather, Earl Claxton Sr. His PhD research uses community participation methodologies to explore the ways WSÁNEĆ laws are generated by and reflect the values, philosophies, lands, and worldviews of the WSÁNEĆ people. The research is equally important in terms of practical application for the WSÁNEĆ community and as a contribution to theoretical understandings of what it means to responsibly engage WSÁNEĆ law, and Indigenous law more generally, within complex contemporary power structures and dynamics.
Robert is actively involved in the academic and broader community. He has presented his work widely across academic and professional settings, speaking at community events as well. His publications cover a range of aspects relating to Indigenous law and Indigenous legal theory, including on legal pluralism, Indigenous language revitalization, and Indigenous spirituality. He has also taught in the JD program at the University of Victoria, most recently a field course in WSÁNEĆ law. At Allard Law, he will be teaching Law 358: Topics in First Nations Law (Indigenous Law and Climate Change), Law 291: Aboriginal & Treaty Rights, as well as a semester-long intensive land and community-based field course in W̱SÁNEĆ law.
Colleen Dilenschneider, Chief Market Engagement Officer, IMPACTS Research
Colleen Dilenschneider is the Chief Market Engagement Officer for IMPACTS, a global leader in predictive market intelligence and related technologies. Widely regarded as a leader of the next generation of nonprofit executive management, Colleen oversees multiple audience engagement initiatives on behalf of clients in the nonprofit and cultural sectors. Colleen uses data to both identify and predict emerging market opportunities and helps nonprofit organizations maintain their relevance and secure their long-term financial futures by building affinity with their onsite and virtual audiences. Colleen has worked with many of the most admired and successful clients in the nonprofit realm, including projects concerning the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, Carnegie Museums, Stanford University, Exploratorium, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Tennessee Aquarium, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), San Diego Zoo, and Wildlife Conservation Society. Colleen currently serves on the Board of Directors at the National Aquarium.
Colleen is the author and publisher of the popular website Know Your Own Bone, a data-informed, strategic resource for cultural organizations. Colleen has been a featured expert in sources ranging from NPR’s Marketplace to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She has been prominently featured in many national museum publications, and as required reading for museum studies and professional development programs at Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, University of Washington, University of Texas, Michigan State University, University of Iowa, George Mason University, Tufts University, United Nations Institute for Training and Research, American Library Association, Bank Street College of Education, Seminar for Historical Administration, University of Glasgow, and San Diego State University.
Marsha Ḵwa’x̱i’latł Dufresne, Director, Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark
Marsha Dufresne is Kawakiutl from T’sakis on Vancouver Island. She moved to Tumbler Ridge in the early stages of the town’s development in the 1980’s.
Marsha works in the school system as an Aboriginal Education Support Worker where she maintains a space for indigenous students to gather, explore and learn. She is a member of many volunteer groups in the community, a founding director of both the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark and the Geopark’s Indigenous Advisory Council, and the Tumbler Ridge Community Forest.
Grégoire Gagnon, Executive Director, Cultural Human Resources Council
Dr. Grégoire Gagnon’s career in the arts is best summed up in three terms: performance, pedagogy and management. With a career spanning 20 years of independent artistic work, 15 years of teaching and over 10 years of management experience, this seasoned professional has dealt with the complexities of the cultural sector in every possible way. Fostering culture and promoting arts from the stage to the classroom to the boardroom, this lifelong academic and real-world problem solver currently serves as the Executive Director of the Cultural Human Resources Council. Other responsibilities include being the President of the Ottawa Guitar Society and a Respectful Workplaces in the Arts workshop leader. In all of his roles, he strives to make others thrive.
CHRC’s Mission is to strengthen the Canadian cultural workforce by providing leadership and innovative solutions to human resource issues and to better the HR environment within the cultural sector.
Sarah Gamble, Co-Owner at Moose & Muskwa Consulting Ltd.; formed ED of Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark
Sarah Gamble is a heritage professional and partner in the firm Moose & Muskwa Consulting Inc. Her professional career began with 17 years in consulting archaeology and cultural anthropology before she took on the role of first Executive Director for the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark for five years. Ms. Gamble is passionate about creating connections and understanding of holistic world views which weave past and current human knowledge with the biological, geological and geographical characteristics of our earth. She is the Vice Chair of the Canadian Geoparks Network and an official UNESCO Global Geopark evaluator. Her current work focuses on project development, fundraising and heritage projects in the non-profit, charitable and Indigenous community sectors. Ms. Gamble shares her time between the communities of Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, and Tumbler Ridge in northeastern BC.
Cody Groat, Instructor, Simon Fraser University; Assistant Professor, Western University
Cody Groat is a Kanyen’kehaka citizen and band member of Six Nations of the Grand River in southwestern Ontario. Cody’s research in public history covers themes of commemoration, preservation, stewardship, and revitalization of Indigenous cultural heritage by provincial, federal, and international bodies. He is a PhD Candidate in History and has an MA in World Heritage Studies from the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage at the University of Birmingham, UK. He is an instructor in Canadian and Indigenous History at Simon Fraser and an incoming Assistant Professor in History and Indigenous Studies at Western University. Cody serves as the President of the Indigenous Heritage Circle (indigenousheritage.ca).
Jim Hekkers, Chief Strategy Officer, IMPACTS Research & Development
Jim Hekkers specializes in leveraging his extensive experience in the world of visitor-serving organizations as a consultant with leadership at nonprofit organizations with a focus on strategic planning, management, and market research. Chief Strategy Officer with IMPACTS Research, he works with prestigious clients nationwide ranging from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Tennessee Aquarium, the South Carolina Aquarium, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Avenidas (a provider of aging services and programs in Palo Alto), and Stanford Live, among others.
Hekkers built up more than 25 years of non-profit leadership experience by also becoming the president and chief executive officer of the Colorado’s Ocean Journey aquarium in Denver, and the marketing director for the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Hekkers expertise with and fascination for robust market research helps him facilitate strategic plans for IMPACTS’ clients by leveraging incredible data-driven insights into charting more data-informed futures.
With a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Colorado State University, and a master’s of nonprofit management degree from Regis University, Hekkers taught collaboration, leadership, and planning classes at California State University Monterey Bay for many years. A popular speaker, he has presented at dozens of zoo, aquarium, and museum conferences in the United States and abroad. His passion for excellent communication stems from his early years as a journalist, magazine editor, and free-lance writer in Colorado. He has published more than 20 major articles, book chapters, and professional papers to date.
Jennifer Iredale, CAHP
Jennifer Iredale, CAHP is a heritage professional, curator and the former Director of the BC Heritage Branch, who has been involved in provincial and national heritage initiatives for over 40 years. Currently a Board Director for Heritage BC, Jennifer now pursues research and writing projects and engages in heritage and cultural initiatives in Victoria, Mayne Island, and the Fraser Canyon. Her many honors include a BC Museums Association Distinguished Service award.
Zlatan Jankovic
Zlatan Jankovic is a Senior Heritage Planner with the City of Vancouver (COV). With an academic background in architecture and urban design, he was involved with the heritage planning in Vancouver since 2004. Zlatan was instrumental in national historic site designation of Chinatown and Gastown, implementation of the awarded COV Heritage Building Rehabilitation Program and facilitation of numerous heritage conservation projects throughout the city. Most recently, he led the team that developed the Vancouver Heritage Program with its new vision and directions, updated COV Heritage Polices, and currently is working on the Vancouver Heritage Register upgrade – the last component of the Vancouver’s Heritage Action Plan. He volunteered with Heritage BC for number of years as a Board Director, currently acting as City’s liaison with the Vancouver Heritage Foundation and Vancouver Heritage Commission. Zlatan’s particular professional interest is integration of heritage planning with citywide urban planning and development processes while expanding the meaning of heritage based on principles of diversity, equity and inclusivity.
Sherri Kajiwara, Director|Curator, Nikkei National Museum
Sherri Kajiwara, Director|Curator of the Nikkei National Museum at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre in Burnaby, has been a fine arts professional since 1992 as a gallerist, gallery director, gallery owner, writer, editor, publisher, and curator. She is a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at UBC and of the Board of Trade’s Leadership Vancouver program where she was the recipient of the Multi-cultural Television Network’s bursary in 2006. After co-owning the Bjornson Kajiwara Gallery, a contemporary art space, from 2004 – 2008, she launched an online arts communications company Vantage Art Projects to bridge the gap between artists, institutions, galleries, and art fans by creating parallel opportunities for creativity through satellite exhibitions and on-demand publication of prints and books. Sherri remains passionate about the importance of communication and collaboration to support creativity. At the Nikkei National Museum, she is dedicated to the mission of honouring, preserving, and sharing Japanese culture and Japanese Canadian history and heritage for a better Canada.
In addition to her professional commitments, Sherri is active in the volunteer sector on the Council of the BC Museums Association, public art committee member for Heritage Vancouver, Past President of the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver, and is a teacher and Past President of Three Jewels Vancouver (a yoga/meditation/dharma centre).
Anna Lee-Carswell
Anna Lee-Carswell works as the Climate Change Advisor in the Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist at Parks Canada. Focusing on policy, engagement and communications, Anna works with internal and external partners and stakeholders across Canada to integrate climate change considerations across various Parks Canada program areas. With a background in environmental science, Anna has also worked in Species at Risk policy and implementation, partner and stakeholder relations, and ecological integrity communications and outreach over the past 14 years at Parks Canada. Prior to joining Parks Canada, she also worked in a variety of conservation not-for-profit organisations in the areas of program development, education and outreach.
Dr. Imogene Lim, Department of Anthropology and Global Studies Program, Vancouver Island University
A descendant of Cumberland and Vancouver’s Chinatowns, Dr. Lim is an anthropologist at Vancouver Island University (Department of Anthropology, and Global Studies Program). For the past two decades she has focused her research interests on Vancouver Island—primarily, ethnicity in Canada and Asian Canadian history, including food and culture. She co-developed the exhibit, 150 Years and Counting: Fighting for Justice on the Coast (2017). She actively serves her community, which includes, in part, the Coal Creek Historic Park Advisory Committee (Cumberland, Vancouver Island), and Chinese Canadian Museum Society of BC. Currently, she is collaborating with Nanaimo Museum on a virtual exhibit.
Richard Linzey
Richard is a Victoria BC-based architect and heritage conservation specialist who has looked after nationally significant heritage property for more than 30 years, in Britain, the United States and Canada. He is an accomplished educator and writer and currently manages the Province’s Heritage Branch.
Donald Luxton, FRAIC, CAHP, Senior Cultural Heritage Advisor, Donald Luxton & Associates
Born and raised in Vancouver, Donald Luxton has a passionate interest in local history and heritage. Involved in the field of heritage and cultural resource management since 1983, he is a well-known preservation consultant, advocate, educator and author, and has worked on numerous projects throughout western Canada, including municipal planning projects, heritage inventories and evaluations, and the restoration of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. His interest in the preservation of architecture has led to his continuing involvement with a number of heritage societies, including his role as a founding Director and former President of Heritage Vancouver, Director of the Arthur Erickson Foundation, founding Director of the Victoria Heritage Foundation and former Director of the Vancouver Heritage Conservation Foundation. His publications include Lions Gate (Talonbooks, 1999), which has received numerous literary and heritage awards, including the City of Vancouver Book Award, 2000 and the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing, 2000. Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia (Talonbooks, 2003), was awarded the Heritage Canada Achievement Award in 2003 and a BC Book Prize in 2004. In 2006 he received an honourary membership in the B.C. Society of Landscape Architects, and in 2007 was elected to the College of Fellows of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Exeter.
Gord Macdonald, Partner, Heritageworks
Gord Macdonald is a designer, builder and building conservator with more than 30 years’ experience working with wooden buildings and historic structures. He has led teams on six continents, creating a range of interesting and award-winning projects from the restoration of medieval castles in Europe to the re-creation of a 30-ton Roman ballista for BBC Television. Gord has worked at many diverse locations including the equatorial jungles of Suriname and the Ross Sea area of Antarctica where he has spent nine seasons and more than a year ‘on the ice’.
Gord is an instructor with the International Course on Wood Conservation Technology at Riksantikvaren, Norway. He is the Canadian representative (voting member) to the International Wood Council, and the International Polar Heritage Committee, both are Special Scientific Committees to the International Council on Sites and Monuments (ICOMOS). Gord is also a founding member of the Wooden Places of Faith, ICOMOS Sub-Committee, the Past-president of Heritage BC, the founder of the specialist carpentry company Macdonald & Lawrence (M&L) and a partner with Heritageworks Ltd., an international heritage conservation company based on Vancouver Island, BC. Gord is a Professional Member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals.
Gord is currently undertaking doctoral research with the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at University of Leicester; his thesis relates to the impacts of global climate change on polar heritage and examines the ways that technology and citizen science might play a role in creating a new methodological approach to imperiled heritage sites.
George Nicholas
George Nicholas is Professor of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University (SFU). He has worked with and for Indigenous peoples in North America and elsewhere for over thirty years, and he developed and directed the premier Indigenous archaeology program in Canada at SFU’s former Kamloops campus (1991–2005). His research interests and publications include a focus on Indigenous archaeology, heritage as a human right, cultural appropriation, and archaeology in pursuit of social justice. Nicholas directed the Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH) Project (2008–2016), a major international research initiative that systematically explored ethical archaeological and heritage research worldwide (www.sfu.ca/ipinch). Through this and other initiatives, he has made significant contributions to cross-cultural understandings of heritage. He is former editor of the Canadian Journal of Archaeology and former series co-editor for the World Archaeological Congress’s Handbooks in Archaeology series. His books include Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists (2010), and he has published widely on Indigenous archaeology, intangible heritage, Traditional Knowledge, and many other topics.
Krystal Paraboo, Project Manager/ Curator, Vancouver Mural Festival
Krystal Paraboo is an Art Historian, Curator, Writer, and Community Builder who places tremendous value on artistic expression and cultural development based on the foundation of fostering authentic human connection and inclusive practices. She graduated with a Bachelor of Honour’s Degree from Queen’s University in 2013, with a double major in Art History & History. She also attended the Bader International Study Centre in the United Kingdom, with extensive study in Art History and Curatorial Studies on-site at the Courtauld Institute, National Gallery London, and the British Museum.
Krystal has a substantial footprint in Vancouver’s art community. She has curated a record-breaking number of murals by local Black Artists with Vancouver Mural Festival, and numerous additional local art exhibitions including “The Great Big Vancouver Paradox” in 2018 for Capture Photography Festival. Krystal has written reviews for various local publications, and volunteers regularly with Hogan’s Alley Society. Her work has spanned within both public and private art institutions over the years, including the Vancouver Art Gallery and Rennie Museum, working directly with both established and emerging artists. Krystal specializes in: curatorial projects, public programming, art education, research, policy, events, communications, community building, art consulting, non-profit management, and Diversity & Inclusion training.
Agnieszka Pawlowska-Mainville, Associate Professor, First Nations Studies, University of Northern British Columbia
Agnieszka Pawlowska-Mainville is an Associate Professor in First Nations Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia. She examines customary governance, sustainable livelihoods, land-based practices, and folklore through intangible cultural heritage. She works with numerous Indigenous communities across Canada and researches traditional land-based practices in Poland. Her work aims to support the process of cultural heritage transmission to future generations. She completed her M.A & Ph.D. at the University of Manitoba and earned her B.A. from McGill University. Dr. Pawlowska-Mainville’s most recent articles discuss weaving Dakelh and academic pedagogies through moose-hide tanning (2020), as well as a chapter on the Anishinaabeg boreal forest food system (2020). She is currently a Lead Author on the IPBES Values Assessment, an Expert Member on UNESCO’s International Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Eric Pelkey, Community Engagement Coordinator, W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council
Eric Pelkey brings 25 years experience working in First Nations administration. During his career, he has held the roles of Band Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Director of Operations as well as Lands Manager.
Additionally, Eric was Coordinator for the SENĆOŦEN Alliance, representing Tsawout, Tsartlip, Pauquachin and Semiahmoo Nations on common Aboriginal and Douglas Treaty Rights and Title issues, a position he held for four years.
In addition to his administrative roles, he holds certification from AANDC for First Nations Lands Manager, a lifetime appointment for Commissioner of Oaths and Affidavits for First Nations, and a Degree in Indigenous Language Revitalization from the University of Victoria.
Inga Petri, CAIP, Founder & Principal, Strategic Moves
Inga Petri has been putting digital conversations in the arts on the agenda since 2011, when she lead the seminal Value of Presenting: A Study of Performing Arts Presentation in Canada (© 2013, CAPACOA). She has a long record of collaboration with our sector including working with arts, heritage and culture organization in every province and territory. She also co-write Digitizing the Performing Arts: An Assessment of Issues, Opportunities and Challenges (© 2017, CAPACOA) and in 2020 formed the Digital Innovation Council for Arts and Culture. Inga crosses the arts and technology divide easily: since 1997, she has managed the development of web site applications, conceived online marketing campaigns, and helped organizations forge closer connections with their audiences in the digital and physical realms. She has worked with national and regional museums, most recently on a digital business plan with the Yukon Transportation Museum. She also led Heritage BC/BC Museum’s Association’s recent Future Perfect initiative. Inga has become a sought-after speaker at national and regional conferences focused on performing arts and regularly gives talks on the evolving marketing practice and actionable research to a variety of conferences, professional meetings and in post-secondary institutions.
Inga founded Strategic Moves in 2007 in Ottawa. Since 2015 Inga lives and works in Whitehorse, Yukon where she maintains a vibrant, diverse national practice.
Lucas dos Santos Roque, intangible cultural heritage specialist; UNESCO ICH global network of facilitators
Lucas integrates the Facilitator Network for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Global Capacity-building Strategy. He has contributed with 2003 Convention state parties through capacity building to reinforce their capability to create and implement ICH policies. Lucas has elaborated policy advice and programs recommendation and developed community-based inventories with community practitioners, civil society and government representatives in Africa and Latin America. He has also worked with Indigenous and Traditional communities and Governments of 15 countries in Latin America through the Regional Centre of intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguard in Latina America (CRESPIAL). Roque has authored books, course material, cultural guides, guidelines and manuals, and in-depth reports and recommendations and have spoken on international ICH events in the last ten years.
Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, Coordinator, South Asian Studies Institute, University of the Fraser Valley
Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at UBC and a sessional faculty in the Department of History at UFV. She’s interested in looking at the affective experiences of museum visitors through a critical race theory lens and has a great passion for activist work and engagement in the community through academia and museum exhibits. Sharn also works as the Coordinator at the South Asian Studies Institute at UFV, and co-curates exhibits at the Sikh Heritage Museum located in the National Historic Site Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford, BC.
David Scarlett, OAQ, MRAIC
David Scarlett is Chief Architect (Built Heritage) at Parks Canada, the federal agency responsible protecting and presenting nationally-significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage (including notably 171 national historic sites in vastly different geographic settings and climatic zones.across the country).
Since 2015, David has been at the heart of Parks Canada’s work to understand and respond to the effects of climate change at its heritage places.
In his work advising and supporting Parks Canada’s heritage conservation projects and programmes, David deals with climate change matters on a near-daily basis.
David Schimpky, Director of Secretariat, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
David Schimpky, Director of Secretariat with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, is a passionate advocate for multilateral approaches to global issues. He has played leadership roles in cultural institutions such as the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage, and was educated at Simon Fraser University and Brock University. He hails from the Niagara Peninsula, where he developed an early love for history and heritage.
Michael Schwartz, Director of Community Engagement, Jewish Museum and Archives of BC
Michael Schwartz is Director of Community Engagement at the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC and vice-President of the Heritage Vancouver Society. He is co-creator of the award winning Cross-Cultural Strathcona Walking Tour, The Kitchen Stories podcast series, and numerous exhibits and programs showcasing the intangible heritage of communities living in our region.
Amanda Shatzko, Vice-Chair, Electoral Area “C”, Director, Regional District of the North Okanagan, BC
Amanda Shatzko is a champion for creativity, cultural diplomacy, and community development. An award-winning Canadian artist, advisor, and elected public official, her work involves creating sustainable and equitable projects while reforming policy and leadership. She is a director on multiple boards such as the BC Alliance for Arts & Culture, United Nations Association in Canada, Regional District of the North Okanagan, Okanagan Regional Library, Senator for the University of British Columbia and a representative on the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives.
Shatzko has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Top Forty Under 40 in British Columbia, bestowed the International World of Difference Award for her work in gender equity and is an RSA Fellow. Amanda has a B.F.A. and an M.A. in Intercultural and International Communication and is currently undertaking her Ph.D. at UBC.
Adrian Sinclair, Director of Engagement, Vancouver Mural Festival
As a free, accessible public event featuring hundreds of new pieces of artwork in public spaces, Adrian has his work cut out for him in hearing and supporting the needs of our community partners, neighbours and local businesses. Adrian Sinclair was born on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional home of the Anishinaabe peoples (Winnipeg Manitoba). He is Northern Scottish on his father’s side and Ukrainian Mennonite on his mothers side. He is co-founder and Director of Engagement at the Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF) where he leads community-engaged public art and culture projects that aim to build a more equitable, just and inclusive city. Adrian is driven to support the production of public art and programming that weave together artistic expression, community-empowerment, criticality and celebration. At VMF, he has supported and co-created programming and public art with organizations like Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation, Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, Overdose Precention Society, Culture Saves Lives, ECUAD, MOV, MOA, The Indian Summer Festival, and Sun Yat-Sen Traditional Chinese Garden. He is on the board of directors of The BC Mobile Sauna Society and Vancouver Art House Society. Adrian completed his MA in Philosophy, specializing in Queer Theory and Phenomenology at The University of Western Ontario.
Janna Swales, Executive Director, Yukon Transportation Museum
“Exploring the past is a personal voyage – one which helps us understand and connect with others and care about where we live. Yukon transportation history is revealing in the context of energy and shifting transportation networks, immigration, social attitudes of how we see the world and how we each perceive the moral compass. The Yukon, in the context of transportation, is a place of connections, disruptions and massive change from time immemorial to today. It is exciting to lead an institution readily exploring new technologies for outreach via digital tourism and streaming services. We are actively working to share Yukon transportation history, and meaning making, on a global scale. This work encompasses awareness building, revenue stream development, and learning opportunity creation.”
Janna is on the board of the Yukon Historical Museum Association, Tourism Industry Association Yukon and the Alaska Highway Heritage Society Yukon. She is the Executive Director of the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse, Yukon which is a signatory of the History Relevance Campaign. She studied history and museums at the University of Northern British Columbia, University of Victoria,Yukon College and Universitetet i Tromsø.
Mark Thompson Brandt, OAA, RAIC, FAPT-RP, LEED AP, CAHP
Founding Principal, Senior Conservation Architect & Urbanist, MTBA Associates Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Since 1982, Mark has developed advanced expertise in the enhancement of existing and historic places and the opportunity that occurs when new meets old. Brandt is a former Director of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) and former Co-Chair of APT Technical Committee on Sustainable Preservation (TCSP). He is a member of the International Steering Committees for the Climate Heritage Network (CHN – ICOMOS) and for the EcoDistricts Institute. He is founding Co-Chair of the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing & Historic Buildings (ZNCC). Brandt is also a former Director of Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP) and of Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).
MTBA specializes in natural and cultural conservation for architecture and urban design. Parliament Hill projects include the Master Plan Update, the $90M East Block Rehabilitation and $100M Sir John A. Macdonald Building Adaptive Reuse, which received 10 National/International awards and a 5-Green Globes rating (~LEED Platinum). Brandt is co-author of the national reference “Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Sustainable Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada”, and currently working on the 2nd Edition, covering decarbonization.
Katharine Turvey, Program Officer, CCUNESCO
Katharine has been working with UNESCO for several years, including three years with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) as the Programme Officer for Culture. With CCUNESCO, she has coordinated activities for the International Year of Indigenous Languages, convened conversations on climate action in the cultural sector, and prioritized key themes in Indigenous cultural heritage. Katharine is also a pun master and music lover who holds degrees in art history and Indigenous policy.
Wilco van Bemmel, CEO, Dunefield
Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams Professor Emerita, Indigenous Education, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Victoria
Lil’wat Nation, British Columbia
Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams is Professor Emerita of Indigenous Education, Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Victoria and Canada Research Chair in Education and Linguistics. She has been living and breathing the Calls to Action on education and language since before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was ever imagined. She built her career on the principle that quality education for Indigenous children must be characterized by strong cultural teachings alongside a Euro-Western education.
At the University of Victoria, Dr. Williams initiated and led the development of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Indigenous Language Revitalization, and a Master’s in Counseling in Indigenous Communities. She also initiated, designed, and implemented a mandatory course in Indigenous Education for all teacher education students, leading to the requirement that all teacher education programs in British Columbia include an Indigenous Education course. She coedited with Gloria Snively a two book resource called Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science. (2016).
She served as past Chair of First Peoples Cultural Council, currently serves as Chair of First Peoples Cultural Foundation. Throughout her career Dr Williams has held a number of senior positions in Education such as the director of the Indigenous Enhancements Branch of the Ministry of Education and Indigenous Education specialist for the Vancouver School Board. Lorna was part of the team in that designed the writing system for Lil’wat and co-authored the first curriculum and learning resources for teachers to teach the language in school. These materials continue to be used to teach today. She currently serves as the Elder/member of the Ministers Advisory Council on Indigenous Women, Member of the Indigenous Circle for SSHRC. She was inducted into the Order of BC in 1993; the Order of Canada, Officer in 2019; Indspire Award 2017 all for her work in Indigenous Education and languages.
Bill Yuen, Executive Director, Heritage Vancouver Society
Bill is the Executive Director of Heritage Vancouver Society. He is especially interested in understanding and practicing heritage through a cultural landscape perspective. Current work he is involved in looks at how diverse public memories, social histories and meanings of place can be better understood, experienced and appreciated through the environment around us. Bill is involved in all aspects of the society from planning, program development and delivery, to administration and research.