Alastair MacFadden, M.A., B.Sc. – Assistant Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Region, Prairies Economic Development Canada Alastair MacFadden is an Assistant Deputy Minister at Prairies Economic Development Canada, the federal agency that ensures businesses and workers are equipped for a durable inclusive and diversified economy. Previously, he was Director of Executive Education, interim Director of the University of Saskatchewan campus, and Executive-in-Residence …
Councillor – City of Humboldt Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Sarah pursued a career in neuroscience before discovering her passion for higher education. She worked at the University of Winnipeg and later at the University of Prince Edward Island, where she co-founded Young Voters, a non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing political literacy and youth engagement. In her time on Prince …
This session explores how Southeast College partnered with Turning Sun Solar to develop a solar installation data dashboard that serves as a platform for project-based learning and regional innovation. Tania Andrist will demonstrate how industry investment in rural innovation projects within a regional college context can support economic development and create tangible outcomes for students, employers, and communities. Attendees will …
Rural communities are innovating every day—not always through technology, but through new ways of owning assets, delivering services, and building resilient local economies. This session explores social enterprise as a practical, place‑based vehicle for rural innovation, particularly in communities facing market gaps, service loss, workforce constraints, and limited access to capital. Presented by: Verona Thibault
Verona Thibault is the Chief Executive Officer of the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance (SEDA), where she leads provincial efforts to strengthen community and regional economic resilience across Saskatchewan. In her role, she oversees strategic initiatives that support municipalities, Indigenous communities, regional alliances, and economic development practitioners through capacity building, investment readiness, and systems‑level collaboration. With deep experience in community economic …
Les Perreaux is the editor-in-chief of Policy Options, the commentary site of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Policy Options is a non-partisan, digital publication based in Montreal that brings together leading voices from academia, government, journalism, civil society and industry to analyze pressing public policy issues in Canada. It publishes timely, accessible commentary that connects research to real-world …
Dr. Merelda Fiddler-Potter is a Cree and Métis scholar, journalist, and Associate Professor at the First Nations University of Canada. She teaches in Indigenous Journalism & Communication Arts and Indigenous Business & Public Administration. With nearly 20 years in media, including a career with CBC as a reporter, producer, and documentary filmmaker, she brings strong real-world storytelling into her academic …
Canada’s economic future will not be built in its largest cities—it will be built in rural regions and in partnership with First Nations. This session explores how rural Canada already drives a disproportionate share of GDP, exports, and resource production, and why that role is becoming even more critical. It also highlights a major shift: First Nations are increasingly acting …
As Senior Vice President, Policy, Theo leads the Council’s policy team and provides analysis and insights on a wide range of issues related to the economy and public policy. Theo has studied and written on global economic and political affairs for three decades. His journalism career began in the mid-1990s, where he reported on the developing economies of Eastern Europe …
From farm to facility, to destination, our advanced proprietary Artificial Intelligence delivers consistent, real-time automated grain grading and quality insights at each stage of the supply chain. Eliminate subjectivity to drive productivity and profitability with ease. Presented by: Kyle Folk
