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
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 …
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
Jaigris Hodson is the Canada Research Chair in Digital Misinformation, Polarization, and Anti-Social Media. Their research takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how the technologies we use to communicate heighten our vulnerabilities to misinformation, polarization, and other on- and offline anti-social behaviors. Hodson uses novel, field-building approaches to map the relationships between polarization, misinformation, and online harassment, and to facilitate …
What happens when the people closest to a problem are the furthest from the decisions meant to solve it? In 2020, four Alberta ranching families launched Flokk Systems to tackle a critical gap in Canada’s livestock traceability system—one that regulators knew existed, but rural producers were expected to fix without the right tools. What followed was six years of effort, …
Laurie Wall’s journey isn’t just about food—it’s about evolution. From cooking on wood stoves to building a digitally connected culinary brand, Laurie has redefined what it means to be a rural entrepreneur in a modern world. In this session, Laurie shares how she leveraged technology to scale her business, amplify her voice, and create deeper connections with her audience—without losing …
Learn how the film industry is a powerful economic driver for Saskatchewan. Join Creative Saskatchewan and ScreenSask for an engaging session that explores the film industry’s structure and how the new incentive program provides revenue-generating opportunities for Saskatchewan’s rural and urban communities. Speakers Erin Dean: CEO, Creative Saskatchewan Remi Dufour: Director of Film Finance, Creative Saskatchewan Robert Hardy: Executive Director, …
The IRPP will lead a discussion of some of the challenges and opportunities communities might face when a significant employer closes or transforms, or when a major new project is developed. The session will focus on understanding who needs support and how governments, local institutions and community leaders can help.
Marsha Schuld will be talking about how living and working in an isolated area affects her practice. Diverse ideas such as marketing, access to materials, inspiration, isolation and increased production costs will be discussed. What does an artist living in an isolated area need to consider in order to have a professional practice? How can isolation be both a positive …
