|
PANELISTS
ARTS & CULTURE
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy”
 Keith Roulston (Moderator)
Keith Roulston grew up on a farm north of Lucknow. He studied journalism at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto, where he met his wife Jill. They returned to the area in late 1969 where he became editor of the Clinton News-Record. In 1971 they bought the Blyth Standard and operated it until 1977. In 1972 they created a lifestyle magazine for the are called The Village Squire. In 1975 they began The Rural Voice, a farm magazine of which they are again publishers 41 years later. Having discovered the wonderful theatre in Blyth Memorial Hall on his first week in Blyth, Keith dreamed of making it home for a professional summer theatre. Through Paul Thompson who had come to the area to research The Farm Show in 1972, Keith was connected with James Roy and Anne Chislett in the spring of 1975 and within weeks the Blyth Festival was born, producing a hit play based on the writings Harry J. Boyle about his life growing up on a Huron County farm in the 1920s and 1930s. The Festival is still telling rural and local stories 42 seasons, with more than 125 world premieres. Keith sold their publications to become the first general manager of the Blyth Festival from 1979 to 1983. He has also written or co-written eight plays for the Festival stage. In 1985 Keith and Jill started The Citizen, a community-owned newspaper with serving Blyth, Brussels and surrounding area which they have continued ever since.
 Paul Thompson
Paul has been an artistic maverick for his entire professional life. From The Farm Show to heading the National Theatre School, from his work in Theatre Collectives to his outdoor theatrical adventures, he remains a strong practitioner in the Canadian theatre movement creating unique theatre all over the world.
 James Roy
James has extensive experience in arts programming and management gained during a number of years in the professional arts and at CBC Radio. In 1975 he founded the Blyth Festival and subsequently served as Artistic Director of the Belfry Theatre in Victoria and Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg. In broadcasting, following fifteen years guiding Radio Drama, he led the team that created CBC Radio One on SiriusXM Radio and steered it to become its premier Canadian channel. James is currently President of the Digital Reno Agency, a new content marketing company.
 Anne Duke Judd
With a background in bookselling and freelance writing, Anne Duke Judd founded The Brucedale Press 1994 to bring words from Bruce-Grey-Huron to readers anywhere. Now, the flexibility of part-time, home-based work allows her to present books at farmers' markets, literary festivals and craft shows. A mentor of several independently publishing authors, Anne is a member emeritus of Editors Canada. She and her partner live in a managed forest, where their home/garden/workshop are works-in-progress.
ARTS & CULTURE
From Fibre to Fabulous
 Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston (moderator)
Over her career Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston (Fashion Educator | Program Director – FACTS) has worked as a costume designer, curator, small fashion business owner and part-time faculty at several university program. Currently Jennifer is involved with the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity as the program director for FACTS, working towards creating a Fashion Arts and Creative Textiles Studio that will support the creative needs of the community and local production. Projects include developing workshops and classes for the program, researching the natural dye palette of Blyth with a community dye garden and creating a network for communication and support for local artisans and producers while forging relationships with the Upper Canada Fibreshed movement. In her spare time Jennifer is continuing her own design work with upcycling clothing through redesign and natural dyes.
 Peggy Sue Deaven-Smiltnieks
Peggy Sue Deaven-Smiltnieks graduated with a B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She founded Peggy Sue Collection Inc. with the mission of taking steps towards revitalizing the North American Farm and Fiber Industry. In a time where a garment's maker and its fiber source are anonymous, Peggy Sue seeks to affect change in the industry by producing an exclusively North American Collection that honors the Farmer, the Maker and the Creator. For without their time-honored skills, knowledge and hard work there would be no fiber, no fabric, no fashion.
 Thea Haines
Thea Haines is a textile designer, artist, and educator living and working in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Currently an instructor in textile design at Sheridan College, she was previously an artist-in-residence of the Craft Studio at Harbourfront Centre, and a member of the Contemporary Textile Studio Co-operative, Toronto. Her research, practice and consultancy is focused on the use of natural colourants in surface design, printing and small-scale production, including the cultivation and harvest of colour-producing plants. Current projects include a study of colours produced from food waste, and a regional survey of dye plants in Hamilton. She received her MA in Textile Design from Chelsea College of Art and Design, in London, UK.
 Jennifer Osborn
Jennifer is a permaculture and fibre artist, designer and teacher who is learning by observing, trying, listening, and doing. She applys what has been learned to a working farm to feed, cloth, and nourish our selves, others, and benefit the land we live on. She resides on her farm – All Sorts Acres – just outside of Guelph.
ARTS & CULTURE
The Rural Voice
Gil Garratt (moderator)
Gil Garratt is a director, playwright, dramaturge, dora award-winning actor, and theatre administrator who has worked across Canada and internationally. His career has been dedicated primarily to the development of new Canadian plays. He was appointed Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival in the fall 2015.
 Simon Brothers
Simon Brothers is an artist/filmmaker working in documentary, and installation. Simon previously worked at both the CBC and TVO in producer roles. After finishing his studies Simon founded Powerline Films and teamed up with business partner Luke Mistruzzi, and after a number of years getting the company off the ground in Toronto, moved back to his hometown in Stratford Ontario.
Powerline Films has undertaken a wide range of work. Maturing as a filmmaker at the same time as short format online documentary work became viable, Simon has created and managed a number of rural social-issue based provincial documentary projects with multiple stakeholders including government, charities, not-for-profits, and private business.
Simon is also co-founder of the Common Collective, which is an arts collective creating video installation work for public art galleries. We have had our shows tour across Canada. Most recently Simon directed a Canada Council funded short documentary featuring Ed Burtynsky, to celebrate his Governor General’s Award. This video remains installed at the National Gallery in Ottawa through 2016.
 Bojan Fürst
Bojan Fürst is a knowledge mobilization manager with the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University of Newfoundland. It’s a complicated way of saying that his job is to match community needs with university resources. His favourite tool to do that is Yaffle.ca – an online connecting tool. Bojan will tell you a story about the yaffle, a fisherman, and a power cable.
 Shawn Loughlin
Born just east of Toronto, Shawn Loughlin has been a Huron County resident for the last 10 years and a Blyth homeowner, alongside his partner Jess, for the last 12 months. After years of writing short stories about his friends in public school and pretending to be a reporter in home movies as a child, he earned his journalism diploma at Humber College. He began work as a real-life reporter at The Citizen in Blyth in 2006 and was promoted to editor six years ago. During that time, The Citizen has been honoured both provincially and nationally in categories such as general excellence, best front page, best editorial page and best website. This year, The Citizen was named the best all-round newspaper in Canada in its circulation class. Shawn is a voracious reader, rabid baseball fan and avid cyclist.
ARTS & CULTURE
Going Forward
 Mark Crawford, Canadian Playwright/Actor, Moderator
Mark's newest play, The Birds and the Bees, premiered at the Blyth Festival in June, 2016. Subsequent productions are lined up at Port Stanley Festival Theatre this fall and Prairie Theatre Exchange in spring 2017. His first play, Stag and Doe, premiered at the Blyth Festival in the summer of 2014. The play has gone on to receive seven other professional productions in the past two years.
As an actor, Mark has performed at theatres across the country. He grew up on his family's beef farm near Glencoe, Ontario. Mark is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Sheridan College and he lives in Toronto.
 Jerry McGrath
Based in Toronto, Jerrold's practice focuses on designing interactions that leverage diverse perspectives and expertise to generate unexpected insights and commitment. Recently, he has been preoccupied with how we can describe and animate leadership that exists in a shared space. He is also interested in how we make that shared space more accessible to those that don’t traditionally have a voice in issues that affect all of us. He is the President of Intervene Design Incorporated and and Adjunct Faculty with the Banff Centre.
 Peter Smith
Peter is an award-winning writer who has been involved in the arts for over thirty years as an actor, director, writer/producer and story editor. His work in theatre, television and film has taken him from coast to coast to coast in Canada. He was Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival on two different occasions and was Artistic Director of Playwrights Workshop Montreal, and Associate AD for the Canadian Stage Company. He is the Project Director for Blyth Arts & Cultural Initiative 14/19 Inc.
 Savannah Barrett
Savannah Barrett is the Director of Programs for Art of the Rural. She serves the boards of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice and the Robert E. Gard Foundation, has served as a reviewer for the Citizen’s Institute on Rural Design program and on the Innovation Team for EmcArts’ Community Innovation Lab program, and has widely published essays and interviews. In 2014, she co-founded the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange with Josh May from Appalshop. She holds a Masters of Arts Management from the University of Oregon, and is an alumnus of the Muhammad Ali Scholars for Peace and Justice at the University of Louisville and from the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts. Savannah was raised on a seventh-generation homeplace in Grayson Springs, Kentucky, where she co-founded a local arts agency in high school.
FOOD & FARM
Seizing the Day, Seizing New Opportunities
 Claire Carter, Moderator, Business Manager at Huron County Museum & Gaol
Business Development Manager, Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol
Claire Carter brings over a decade of experience in the tourism industry to her role as Business Development Manager; most recently in the arts and culture sector. Claire loves planning dynamic events and working with community partners to achieve joint success. Her responsibilities at the Huron County Museum include developing web and social media content, liaising with the media, managing gift shops, organizing rentals, and fostering community partnerships. Claire has a BA (Hons.) in Communications Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations.
 Martin Vanderloo, Owner/Operator Huron Commodities
Martin Vanderloo is the founder and President of Huron Commodities Inc., of Clinton, Ontario, Canada. Martin & his wife Ellen have grown the company from start-up to what it is today. Since 1988, Huron Commodities has been active in the export of grain and oilseeds from Canada and the United States to overseas markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas. From the time the first container of food grade soybeans was shipped in 1995, Huron Commodities has been driven to adapt to the ever-evolving needs of our customers through innovation. From building state-of-the-art food grade soybean processing facilities to investing in the company's own dedicated research and development program for new soybean varieties. It is this dedication and commitment to the agriculture and food marketplace that has led to the company's continued growth and success.
 Dr. Gordon Surgeoner
During his 30-year career, Dr. Surgeoner has been a dedicated leader who works tirelessly to promote initiatives and champion causes that he believes are important to the well-being of the province of Ontario and its citizens. He has become a leader for the agri-food industry, an avid proponent for education and a distinguished ambassador for the University of Guelph.
 Kathryn Forrest, StartUp Canada
Kathryn is an impassioned champion of entrepreneurship as an economic, social, and cultural empowerment tool. Motivated by experiences growing up in small-town Southwestern Ontario and spending two years as a journalist reporting on her community, Kathryn is driven to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of every Canadian, no matter where they live. Because a more innovative, entrepreneurial and creative Canada will grow our economy and our communities, Kathryn works daily to raise the profile of Canadian entrepreneurs in the media and through online networks, connects entrepreneurs to their local Startup Community, and works with government to ensure an entrepreneurial lens is applied to decision making and policy levers.
FOOD & FARM
The road less travelled
Keith Roulston, The Rural Voice/North Huron Citizen (Moderator)
Keith Roulston grew up on a farm north of Lucknow. He studied journalism at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto, where he met his wife Jill. They returned to the area in late 1969 where he became editor of the Clinton News-Record. In 1971 they bought the Blyth Standard and operated it until 1977. In 1972 they created a lifestyle magazine for the are called The Village Squire. In 1975 they began The Rural Voice, a farm magazine of which they are again publishers 41 years later. Having discovered the wonderful theatre in Blyth Memorial Hall on his first week in Blyth, Keith dreamed of making it home for a professional summer theatre. Through Paul Thompson who had come to the area to research The Farm Show in 1972, Keith was connected with James Roy and Anne Chislett in the spring of 1975 and within weeks the Blyth Festival was born, producing a hit play based on the writings Harry J. Boyle about his life growing up on a Huron County farm in the 1920s and 1930s. The Festival is still telling rural and local stories 42 seasons, with more than 125 world premieres. Keith sold their publications to become the first general manager of the Blyth Festival from 1979 to 1983. He has also written or co-written eight plays for the Festival stage. In 1985 Keith and Jill started The Citizen, a community-owned newspaper with serving Blyth, Brussels and surrounding area which they have continued ever since.
 Warren Ham, Autumn's Harvest (Garlic Farm)
August's Harvest sits on 100 acres of farmland just north of Stratford, Ontario and has been growing garlic commercially for 30 years; supplying grocery stores, food services, CSA food boxes and clean seeds for gardeners and farmers, as well as garlic feed supplements for race horses and livestock farmers across North America.
 Don Nott, Nott Farms
Switch Energy and Nott Farms are both owned by Don Nott.
Don has 500 acres of switch grass under permanent cultivation. Unlike other crops, switch grass is planted and allowed to grow on the same field for many years. Switch grass is native to North America. Fields of switch grass, under managed cultivation, exist that are over 25 years old.
Harvested switch grass can be pelleted and used as a renewable heating fuel. Pelleted switch grass is available in bulk or 50lb bags.
 Fred deMartines, Heritage Pork
At Perth Pork Products the deMartines grow and sell specialty Pork Products from rare and heritage breed pigs for butcher shops, restaurants, and consumers across Ontario. Fred and Ingrid de Martines, from the Netherlands, bought the farm in 1979. Fred is a certified Swine Specialist with European training and experience.
FOOD & FARM
Creating jobs through processing local food and farm products
 Rick Sickinger, Cultural Development Officer (Moderator)
Rick has been working with the County of Huron as the Cultural Development Officer since 2011. In that time he has coordinated the County’s Cultural Mapping Project (2011/12) and the development of a new Huron County Cultural Plan (2013/14). Rick was the project coordinator for the first Taste of Huron event in 2009 which won a Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. In 2015, Rick received his Certificate in Cultural Planning from the University of British Columbia.
 Paul Van Dorp, Blyth Farm Cheese
Paul operates an on-farm family business near the village of Blyth. He believes in the goodness of cheese, made in small batches, handcrafted with passion to bring out rich flavours. They do not use colouring or any other additives. Blyth Farm cheese is made from 100% goat's milk, fresh from the farm. You can find it at participating stores and restaurants or visit the farm.
 Liz Ihrig, Hesseland Country Inn
Liz Ihrig and her husband Frank operate Hessenland Country Inn, a twenty room inn and destination wedding venue on the shores of Lake Huron in St. Josephs, Ontario. Frank is a chef and Elizabeth has previous hospitality experience with Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
 Katherine, a Member of the Landsborough Clan, Maelstrom Winery
Maelstrom Winery was Huron County's first winery. The Landsborough family roots are well established in Huron County, tracing back to the Scottish delegation which originally settled in the Eastern part of the County back in 1834. They were drawn to the area by the agricultural richness of the region The Landsborough Clan invite you to taste the difference artisanal winemaking and unique terroir bring.
 Shep Ysselstein, Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese
The owner and operator of Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese is Shep Ysselstein. Shep's journey to becoming a skilled cheese maker began on the family dairy farm where he not only loved dairy farming, but all the delicious products that come from dairy. After he completed university, where he received a degree in business, Shep had numerous opportunities studying and making cheese in the United States, British Columbia and most recently Switzerland. It was during these ventures that he developed his passion and skill set for cheese making.
Although each experience offered infinite learning opportunities, it was during the time when he was making cheese in the Swiss Alps that he truly fell in love with the art and mastered his technique. Thus, Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese will be producing three unique, hand crafted Swiss style cheeses. The traditionally crafted cheeses will be made with milk produced at Ysselstein's family dairy farm, Friesvale Farms. The farm was started by his grandfather who immigrated to the area in the 1950's from Holland. He passed his love and skills for dairy farming down two generations. His father and brother now run the farm and are pleased that Shep will be receiving milk produced from the dairy farm to make his cheese.
Shep is very excited to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with visitors. He looks forward to educating people on local agriculture and the art of cheese making.
 Steven Sparling, Cowbell Brewing Company
CEO of Cowbell Brewery, former CEO of Sparling’s
Propane. Steven served as Founding Chair of each the Ontario Propane Association, the Propane Industry Advisory Council and the Canadian Propane Association. He is actively involved in several rural economic development and leadership initiatives.
FOOD & FARM
Getting 'er done
 Linda Best
Linda grew up on a farm in the Annapolis Valley, graduated from Acadia University, has been involved with the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax as a Medical Microbiologist, Gastroenterology Researcher, author and presenter, and Director of the Capital District Health Authority. She operated an apple orchard on weekends while working at the hospital and founded Frame Plus Art which grew to three stores, a production facility and 10 employees. Awareness of food-related health issues led to research into potential solutions for the decreasing production of food in Nova Scotia. She helped establish Friends of Agriculture and is a Founding Director of FarmWorks Investment Co-operative.
 Simon Berge PhD, MBA
Business Chair of Co-operative Enterprises
As part of the Business and Administration Department in the Faculty of Business and Economics Dr. Berge holds the Business Chair of Co-operative Enterprises. The mandate for the Business Chair is to increase the awareness of the co-operative business model by introducing new courses focused on co-operative business practice. A specialization in co-operative business practices will be offered as part of the Bachelors of Business Administration Degree at the University of Winnipeg.
Dr. Berge completed his Doctorate at the University of Guelph studying co-operatives as an alternative distribution system for local food and community development. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from McMaster University.
 Chris Lee
Born in England, He has been a resident of Huron County living just outside Walton Ontario since 1965. He has been a self employed businessman since 1970. He has enjoyed the pursuit of enterprise as a dairy farmer, agricultural service provider, equipment manufacturer, waste management systems integrator, business management consultant, a tourism destination developer and event manager. Over the span of years and vocations he and his wife have raised two sons and are currently learning the joys of grand-parenting.
 Catherine Lang
Catherine has worked in management and consulting with social economy organizations for over 30 years. Through her consulting practice, C. Lang Consulting, she engages funders, NGO’s, academics, networks, local governments and emerging community groups in partnership development, evaluation, program design, knowledge creation and social entrepreneurship. As a seasoned facilitator, presenter, and adult educator, Catherine has delivered webinars and coauthored papers, tools and guides on collaboration, community development and social enterprise, including: Innovation Pathways: Tools for Rural & Northern Community Innovation, 2006; Strengthening Collaboration in the Not-for-Profit Sector (Ontario Trillium Foundation); and an online platform for nonprofit collaboration called Collaboration Coach. Catherine is a seasoned social enterprise coach and an editor of the Canadian Social Enterprise Guide. She co-founded the Rural Social Enterprise Constellation (RSEC) and recently completed two papers on RSEC’s learning focused on rural social enterprise development and policy in Ontario: Rural Social Enterprise and Community Ecosystem Development: Policy Leverage Points, and Reflections on Rural Social Enterprise in Ontario. Catherine holds a Masters degree in Adult Education as well as a BA in Sociology and Philosophy and a Bachelor of Social Work.
 Mary Ferguson
Over 25 years, Mary has been involved with hundreds of projects focused on social, environmental and economic development, working as a principal of Eko Nomos since 1995. Throughout Canada, in northern, remote, rural, and urban communities Mary has brought her skills to bear on project of many sizes and with many different organizations. In addition to working with individual organizations she provides services to private companies, funders and intermediaries investing in corporate responsibility and social enterprise development. Mary has developed a specific group of strategies for application to development, research and evaluation projects according to specific local needs. Using refined research techniques, proprietary tools and directed policy initiatives, she excels at guiding groups through complex situations to find cost-effective solutions. In her work, Mary continues to mentor a new generation of social entrepreneurs and community/environmental economic developers. Mary holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and a Masters of Environmental Studies, York University, and is currently pursuing PhD studies in Social Enterprise, while also finding the time to enjoy her grandchildren and get outdoors with her partner and dog.
COMMUNITY REVIVAL/DEVELOPMENT
Reimagining tourism assets
 David Peacock (Moderator)
David Peacock is a business development specialist with a well-documented career as senior executive at both the President and CEO level in international television and electronic media. He’s worked extensively in the UK, France, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Finland and the U.S.A. In 2011 he came out of retirement and returned to the Canadian tourism industry to head up one of the Province’s newly formed Regional Tourism Organizations; his previous work in tourism goes all the way back to 1992 when he was the Director of Marketing for Canada’s preeminent Canadian playhouse “the Blyth Festival” and founding member of the Huron Tourism Association.
He brings a results-oriented strategic approach to regional tourism based on leveraging existing demand generators and brands with a particular emphasis on direct consumer conversion and economic output measurement. David jokes that he runs the “unbranded” Ontario RTO…
 Zac Gribble
Zac Gribble is an entrepreneur at heart with several business ventures brought to fruition since graduating from business school in 1996. His current mission as Director of Media Technology with RTO4 is to help build an entrepreneurial mindset within the world of destination marketing and management that focuses on experimentation, agility and adaptability. As the tourism industry continues to navigate the massive technological disruption from the web, social media, mobile, wearables and proximity awareness, Zac envisions a brave new world ripe with opportunity for tourism destinations willing to shift towards a culture of innovation.
 Heather Mair
Heather Mair earned a PhD in Rural Planning and Development at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests include critical approaches to the study of leisure, sport, and tourism. Heather is also interested in investigations of the roles tourism can play in community development, empowerment, and well-being. Her leisure includes watching curling and playing with her daughter, dog, and two cats.
 Anej Štrucl
Anej is member of Bikenomad & Ekohotel team in Slovenia. Ever since 1995, when they established MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK, the first mountain bike centre in Slovenia, they have been discovering other parts of the country on bike and have developed into a world class eco tourism business with clients coming from every corner of earth. Today they have an active travel company called BIKE NOMAD, which offers distinctive mountain biking holidays in Slovenia.
COMMUNITY REVIVAL/DEVELOPMENT
Promoting Rural Well-being
Peter Smith, Blyth 14/19 (Moderator)Peter is an award-winning writer who has been involved in the arts for over thirty years as an actor, director, writer/producer and story editor. His work in theatre, television and film has taken him from coast to coast to coast in Canada. He was Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival on two different occasions and was Artistic Director of Playwrights Workshop Montreal, and Associate AD for the Canadian Stage Company. He is the Project Director for Blyth Arts & Cultural Initiative 14/19 Inc.
 Karen Davis, Hospital Administrator
Karen Davis is a passionate and transformational leader with more than forty years of experience and expertise in the health, social service and government sectors. She holds degrees in healthcare leadership and business administration, and is a member of the Canadian College of Healthcare Executives. Most recently, Karen was President and CEO of the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich which is the largest rural healthcare organization in Huron County. Prior to assuming this role in 2011, she spent twelve years in British Columbia as a consultant and senior healthcare executive in three of the six Health Authorities and provided leadership to innovate, structure, and transition rural and tertiary organizations and communities into a transformed regional integrated system of healthcare. Karen has held Director positions in economic health, non profit service organizations and planning councils, and is a strong advocate for the vitality, viability, and sustainability of 'all things rural'.
 Gwen Devereaux, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Gwen Devereaux is a passionate advocate for rural health in Huron County and beyond. A nurse and a former medical clinic administrator, Gwen now works with Alexandra Marine & General Hospital in Goderich as Business Innovation & Recruitment Leader. For several years Gwen has focused on recruiting physicians into rural communities. She was instrumental in developing one of the first community-driven Family Health Teams in Ontario and, as a community volunteer, conceived and initiated HealthKick – a program to entice local youth to consider healthcare careers. Gwen is a founding director and executive board member of the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health. She also sits on the steering committee of Engage Huron, an initiative to attract and retain youth in Huron County.
 Lars Hallstrom, Director, Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities
Dr. Hallstrom is an award-winning Professor in two departments at the University of Alberta – Social Science at the Augustana Faculty, and Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology in ALES. He has extensive experience in the fields of environmental, public health and social policy, both as a researcher, and as a knowledge broker for knowledge translation. As a centre director, he has overseen the implementation of over 40 different research, outreach and knowledge transfer projects related to rural development and sustainability since 2006, and has established strong connections to practitioners and decision-makers working in public health, community development, rural development, environmental policy and watershed management in Alberta, across Canada, and internationally.
COMMUNITY REVIVAL/DEVELOPMENT
Getting Connected: Broadband & Economic Development
 Leanne Perreault, Administrator (moderator)
Leanne Perreault is the Administrative Officer of the University of Waterloo’s Digital Media Campus in Stratford. As an acclaimed strategic communicator and connector with extensive background in issues and reputation management, she manages a strategic partnership between the City of Stratford and the University to bring students, leading researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs together to create, examine and commercialize opportunities in the digital media space. She is a trusted business advisor and mentor and is well known as an Effective Community Advocate.
 Dan Mathieson, Mayor, City of Stratford
Dan Mathieson is in his fourth term as Mayor and sits on numerous Boards and Committees in healthcare, municipal affairs, law enforcement, athletics, not-for-profits, universities and colleges.
Stratford has earned its place in the Top 7 Intelligent Community of the Year rankings for 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the Intelligent Community Forum. Mathieson feels we all need to understand how technology is going to play a major part in the planning, transportation, education as well as economic and social development of our communities. He'll talk about the relationship between municipal collaboration and digital infrastructure such as broadband connectivity and WiFi.
 Brian Beaton – KORI
Brian Beaton is a Research Associate with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (KORI) and a Doctoral Candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick. Growing up on a multi-generation dairy farm in the Ottawa Valley helped frame his strong connection to the land and social justice. He has been developing and working on innovative ICT projects with First Nations since 1983. From 1994 to 2013 he was the Coordinator of KO-KNET with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak (Northern Chiefs) First Nations Council in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Working with his team and collaborating First Nations he worked to support the development of local First Nation broadband infrastructure, regional backbone networks, a First Nations social media service and email service, the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network and the innovative Keewaytinook Mobile cellular service. Brian has a BMath (Mathematics / Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo and an MEd (Critical Studies in Education) from the University of New Brunswick.
 Rob Van Aaken, Tuckersmith Communications
Rob Van Aaken has been employed by Tuckersmith Communications since 1989.During this time he has served in different roles of the company most recently as General Manager. He is President of the Canadian Independent Telecommuinations Association, serves on committees for the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association and is a director on several interrelated corporate board.
 Geoff Hogan – SWIFT
Geoff Hogan has extensive experience in using technology to transform business operations during his career as a private sector consultant and a public servant. Since 1999 Geoff has also worked to facilitate expansion of broadband in Grey County and South West Ontario and is the staff technical lead for the SWIFT network project (www.swiftnetwork.ca). Formerly the president of the Ontario chapter of the Municipal Information Systems Association he has been a leader facilitating collaboration between municipal IT departments.
Geoff is currently the Director of Information Technology and a member of the senior management team for the County of Grey located in Owen Sound Ontario. Geoff leads a staff of 12 and is responsible for the County’s Strategic Direction for the use of Information Technology including infrastructure, the County’s corporate GIS and business applications. Geoff also leads the County’s Intelligent (Smart) Community project (www.grey.ca/smart).
Geoff resides in rural Grey County near Thornbury with his wife, 2 daughters and Golden Retriever Alfie.
SUSTAINING/GROWING OUR POPULATION
Engaging Millennials
 Katrina McQuail
Born and raised in Huron County on the farm; Katrina took a round about way back to becoming a farmer. Spending over 10 years away, Katrina completed a degree in Business and Not For Profit Management and a minor in French at Earlham College in Indiana before going on to work in the culinary industry, traveling through Central America, working for government and corporate agencies before running a wonderful social change not-for-profit in Guelph for 4 years. Katrina does extensive volunteer work for a couple different organizations, mostly focused on youth and young adults as well as the environment. She is a PADI Open Water Scuba instructor as well as the conference organizer for Pendle Hill’s annual young adult Friend conference. Passionate about all things farmy – but especially pigs, Katrina is excited to be back, taking over the farm business. In 2017 Katrina will be co-clerking FGC’s annual summer Gathering.
 Jason Smith
Jason is a results-oriented executive with years of progressive leadership experience; as well as driven, passionate, innovative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative. Passionate about providing opportunities for young people and engaging them in their community, Jason sits on a number of local and provincial committees representing the voice of youth in Oxford County and abroad. His entrepreneurial spirit, years of experience, dedication and the incredibly talented team he has assembled helped move the Fusion Youth Centre concept into the international limelight. He is a great communicator and policy advisory for municipal council.
 Emily Morrison
Raised on a strawberry farm in Huron County, summers were consumed mastering the perfect strawberry pie. At our farm, you can pick your own strawberries, buy them already picked and of course, purchase strawberry pie. I attended Trent University in Peterborough studying biology and business administration as an undergrad and continuing with a Masters of Arts in Sustainability researching green technology start-up companies. From learnings at school and utilizing the Summer Company Program, I had no fears opening my own ice cream store during the summer when I was twenty-one. Through ice cream, I was able to translate what I had learned in school to reality. That experience, offered me the opportunity to work in a rural community developing a culture of youth entrepreneurship. With the opportunity to create that program, ice cream reappeared as an entrepreneurial training centre. We built an ice cream store and here youth learn how to be small business owners by having all the responsibility for the ice cream store, while we as project coordinators, act as mentors. Huron County has the honour to host the 100th International Plowing Match in September 2017. After being away for many years I am happy to have returned back home to Huron County, coordinating marketing and promotions for IPM 2017, bringing home all the knowledge I have learned, and happy to be baking strawberry pies again.
 Thian Carman
Thian Carman is a grade twelve honours student from Digby, Nova Scotia. At the age of 14 he became the youngest registered farmer in NS (2013) when he started Meadow's Brothers' Farm. He also became the youngest registered Maple Producer in the province. He raises meat sheep, laying hens, pork, meat birds, hay and maple syrup. He is actively involved in reclaiming unused farming land and nurturing it back to sustainable, agricultural soil.
 Grant Sparling
Grant Sparling is V.P. and General Manager of Cowbell Brewing Company, the new Destination Brewery in Blyth. He graduated from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in 2015 and 10 days later started the program at BrewLab in Sunderland, England, where he learned about the industry, from ingredients and pairing beer with food to the business aspects of running a craft brewery. Grant completed this intensive brewer’s program in September, graduating as a Brewer.
SUSTAINING/GROWING OUR POPULATION
Welcoming new Canadians
 Gemma Mendez-Smith, Moderator
Gemma Mendez-Smith is the Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board (Planning Board), serving Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties. She has been working in the area of labour market development for 15 years. Joining the Planning Board in 2001 opened her eyes to the dynamics of rural Ontario. The importance of labour market planning for a community that expects to participate in the global economy is key to our rural success.
The organization regularly publishes research that sheds light on sectors, industries, occupations and the skills needs of our labour pool. These all have very dynamic ecosystems and understanding how and where they intersect is key to developing labour market strategies.
Gemma arrived in Canada in 1987 and, after learning that things are different here than her small island of Trinidad and Tobago, she focused on being successful in her new home. Married with four children, her goal is to share the idea that Workforce Planning is a ‘thing’ and doing it well will help businesses and people realize the success they envision.
 Shetha Roomi
Shetha Roomi is a Settlement Councillor from London, ON. Originally from Iraq, she moved to Canada in 2007, 10 years and 3 children after she first applied. Her settlement process in Canada was very much like walking in the dark, the new language and new culture were difficult to grasp in the beginning and felt nearly impossible. It is because of her personal experience that Shetha has come to dedicate her life to easing newcomers into Canadian society, and to ensuring that their journey is as painless as possible. Shetha believes that the resettlement process cannot be a one-sided effort, it is the responsibility of the community to assist newcomers with their integration. It is therefore her aim to help different communities learn how to best aid newcomers by participating in events like R2R and by continuing her work as a Settlement Councillor.
 Lena Gahwi
Lena Gahwi (Student, activist) is a second year International Relations and Women Studies student at Western University. She immigrated to Canada at the age of ten, in 2007. Given her difficult immigration experience Lena has become a passionate advocate for immigrant and refugee rights, and is dedicated to combating their oppression in every way possible. With this, Lena wishes to eventually pursue a career as a human rights lawyer as this will give her a stronger platform for her activism.
 Oliver Pryce
Oliver Pryce is an Ontario certified teacher, who immigrated from Jamaica in 2009, where he was a college professor for more than 15 years. He is currently the Training and Development Coordinator for the Rural Employment Initiative project which is offered by Newcomer Centre of Peel in Mississauga. Oliver have spent the last six years providing mentoring and employment support to Internationally Trained Professionals He understands the barriers faced by newcomers and is very passionate about implementing strategies to assi them overcome hurdles to reaching their career goals.
 Naomi Finseth
Naomi Finseth grew up on cattle farm in rural Alberta and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus. Currently, Naomi has completed her first year of a Master's program in Rural Development at Brandon University. Naomi is interested in everything rural but her specific research areas include municipal governance, regionalism, and amalgamation. Naomi also works for the Rural Development Institute (RDI) and is currently conducting research
on innovation and commercialization in Manitoba's agri-food sector.
SUSTAINING/GROWING OUR POPULATION
Crickets, Birch Syrup & Ice Cream
 Wayne Caldwell (Moderator)
Wayne Caldwell is Interim Dean with the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph and a Professor in Rural Planning. His interests include planning for agriculture and community-based approaches to economic and environmental issues. His most recent books include: Planning for Rural Resilience and Building Decisions, Together: A Facilitation Guide for Community Engagement. His next book will focus on immigration and rural communities.
He has served as Chair or President of a number of local, provincial and national organizations.
Wayne was raised on a farm just outside of Blyth
 Naomi Finseth
Naomi Finseth grew up on cattle farm in rural Alberta and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus. Currently, Naomi has completed her first year of a Master's program in Rural Development at Brandon University. Naomi is interested in everything rural but her specific research areas include municipal governance, regionalism, and amalgamation. Naomi also works for the Rural Development Institute (RDI) and is currently conducting research on innovation and commercialization in Manitoba's agri-food sector.
Heather Campbell
Heather Campbell is the program manager of small, an initiative of ERA Architects that partners with rural communities in Canada to facilitate their transition from primarily natural resource-based economies to cultural resource-based ones. This work is rooted in consultation with community members and stakeholders to understand the region's cultural heritage, articulate key values and assets, and imagine possible opportunities to help support livable communities. These opportunities are often in the form of Cultural Economic Drivers: small-scale businesses and community initiatives that draw on this cultural heritage to leverage new markets and new uses for existing resources.
SUSTAINING/GROWING OUR POPULATION
Re-imaging rural assets
 Al Lauzon – Al is a professor in the School of Environmental Design and rural Development where he teaches in the Capacity Development and Extension and the PhD in Rural Studies programs. In addition, he is the current president of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, a nonprofit that strives to work with rural stakeholders to ensure rural Canada remains vibrant. His research focuses in the human dimension of rural development and he is currently engaged in a 3 year study focused in precarious rural employment.
 Ron Gaudet – Ron has worked in Economic Development in Urban and Rural settings more than 25 years and has developed organizations and structures of economic development best practices leading to significant community growth economically, socially and culturally. He is currently the Director of Economic Development for the County of Huron.
 Shauna Janssen – Shauna is a Montreal based urban curator with a background in professional theatre, performance studies, and interdisciplinary practices. In her curatorial practice she works with artists to create site responsive performances, interventions, installations, and collaborative community art projects that engage with the social and spatial histories of place.
 Kate Procter – Kate Procter holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (OAC '93) and a Masters of Science in Planning (OAC '12), both from the University of Guelph. Kate currently farms in Huron County, works as a consultant, editor, and author, and has worked as a freelance journalist for over 20 years. She has contributed to a variety of projects of interest to rural communities including the Huron County Active Transportation Plan, and Huron County Rural Lens. She has co-written "Better Decisions Together, a Facilitation Guide for Community Engagement", with Dr. Wayne Caldwell and Dr. Jennifer Ball. She has covered agricultural topics for Ontario Farmer, Better Farming, National Hog Farmer, and the Stratford Beacon Herald and currently writes a regular column in the Rural Voice. Kate volunteers as Crew Chief for the Celtic Roots Festival, and as Chair of the Maitland Conservation Foundation. Her past volunteer involvement includes Wingham Minor Soccer, Scouts Canada, Ontario Swine Health Advisory Board, the Blyth Theatre, and as a board member and treasurer with the Maitland Trail Association.
|
