Innovate Rural 2026

Regina Airport Shuttle Bus

New in 2026, we are offering a low-cost return shuttle bus service between Regina's Airport and Estevan’s hotels and conference venue. For more details and to book your seat, please go here: Regina Airport Shuttle Service. If you want to travel on your own, its a easy, straight drive to Estevan. You can sit back, listen to a great podcast and enjoy the living sky without the urban traffic. For more details on how to get here: Location.

Zita Cobb is a Canadian business leader and social entrepreneur who helped transformed her birthplace into a model for community-driven economic development. Born on Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador in 1958, her family was forced to leave when the cod fishery collapsed. After studying business in Ottawa, she became CFO of JDS Uniphase, a global leader in fiber optics technology. More details...

Theo Argitis is Senior Vice President, Policy, leading national economic and public policy analysis at the Council. With 30 years at the centre of global and Canadian power dynamics, he’s covered everything from post-Cold War Eastern Europe to Canada’s biggest economic stories. From launching Bloomberg’s Athens bureau to reporting from Ottawa since 2005, Theo has built a reputation for understanding where money, policy, and influence collide. More details...

Canada’s Rural Innovation Festival & Forum

Innovate Rural (Formerly ICED Rural) is Canada’s leading rural innovation gathering — building Canada’s future from the ground up by turning regional strengths into national outcomes.

2026 is our most ambitious year yet. We’re welcoming new co-hosts including the Institute for Research on Public Policy, Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance, and Southeast College, alongside our founding partner Southeast Techhub.

This year introduces three integrated streams — Technology, Academia, and Arts — bringing together research, innovation, talent, and creativity to show how rural innovation and place-based economic development are driving Canada’s success.

2026 Presentations

Our schedule is designed to be flexible, practical, and worth your time. Across multiple days, you’ll experience keynotes, panels, workshops, and curated sessions spanning technology, research, policy, and the creative economy, with built-in space for networking and real conversations. While registration provides full access to the event, the program is intentionally structured so you can move between sessions and themes, shaping your own experience as you explore what’s driving rural innovation in Canada
Click for 2026's Schedule