December 5-6, 2024 | Ottawa
Summit Agenda
Dec. 5 2024
On December 5, join the Canadian Urban Institute and partners for a full day of education, inspiration, provocation, and collaboration. Explore the agenda below, updated regularly.
53
Skilled Speakers
10
Critical Themes
3
Networking Sessions
12
Panels & Keynotes
2
Keynote Addresses
7:45 am
Mental Health
Mental Health Matters: Building Supportive Main Streets & Downtowns
Speakers
Andre Corbould
Mental Health Fellow, Canadian Urban Institute &
Senior Advisor, Integrated Strategic Partners
Edmonton, AB
Eileen de Villa
Medical Officer of Health
Toronto Public Health
Toronto, ON
Sarah Kennell
National Director, Public Policy
Canadian Mental Health Association
Toronto, ON
Mark Garner
Executive Director
Calgary Downtown Association
Calgary, AB
Moderator
Paul Johnson
City Manager
City of Toronto
Toronto, ON
9:00 am
Opening
Welcome and Indigenous Context Setting
Speakers
Verna McGregor
Public Speaker
Algonquin Culture Institute
Ottawa, ON
Cynthia Dorrington
Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Urban Institute &
President, Vale & Associates
Halifax, NS
Moderator
Mary W. Rowe
President & CEO
Canadian Urban Institute
Toronto, ON
9:20 am
Canada's Advantage
A Continental Perspective: Making Canada Matter More from the Ground Up
Speakers
Pedro Antunes
Chief Economist
Conference Board of Canada
Ottawa, ON
Frances Donald
Senior Vice President & Chief Economist
RBC
Drew Fagan
Professor
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Toronto, ON
Janice Stein
Founding Director
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Toronto, ON
Moderator
Andrea Barrack
Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Impact
RBC
Toronto, ON
10:05 am
Keynote
The View from America's Urban Institute
Speakers
Sarah Rosen Wartell
President
Urban Institute
Washington, DC
Mark Sutcliffe
Mayor
City of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON
Mary W. Rowe
President & CEO
Canadian Urban Institute
Toronto, ON
10:35 am
Keynote
Closing the Gap: Canada’s Infrastructure Deficit
Speakers
Karen Chapple
Director
School of Cities, University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
10:55 am
Economic Strength
Infrastructure for Growth: Fueling Local Economies
Speakers
Steve Robins
Head of Strategy
Canada Infrastructure Bank
Toronto, ON
Matti Siemiatycki
Director, Infrastructure Institute &
Professor, University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Zita Cobb
Founder & CEO
Shorefast Foundation
Fogo Island, NL
Carol Belanger
City Architect
City of Edmonton
Edmonton, AB
Moderator
Diane Therrien-Hale
Senior Research Officer
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Peterborough, ON
11:40 am
New Technologies
Harnessing AI, Data & New Technologies for Canada’s Future
Speakers
Myrna Bittner
CEO & Founder
RUNWITHIT Synthetics
Sherwood Park, AB
Ariana Seferiades
Responsible AI Program Manager
Mila
Montréal, QC
Rupen Seoni
Chief Client Officer
Environics Analytics
Toronto, ON
Carol McClellan
Canada Discipline Lead, Digital & Geospatial
Arup
Toronto, ON
Moderator
Benjamin de la Peña
CEO
Shared-Use Mobility Centre
Chicago, IL
12:15 pm
Mid-Day Break
Lunch
12:55 pm
Afternoon Welcome
Speakers
Judy Farvolden
Board Member
Canadian Urban Institute
Toronto, ON
1:00 pm
Canada's Assets
Housing Solutions: Real Estate and Land for Thriving Communities
Speakers
Deana Grinnell
Executive Vice President, Real Estate
Canada Lands Company
Vancouver, BC
Arianne Reza
Deputy Minister
Public Services and Procurement Canada
Ottawa, ON
Nadine Leblanc
Senior Vice President
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Ottawa, ON
Ana Bailão
Head of Affordable Housing & Public Affairs
Dream Unlimited Corp.
Toronto, ON
Alain Resplandy-Bernard
CEO
Direction de l’immobilier de l’État
Paris, France
Moderator
Carolyn Whitzman
Adjunct Professor & Housing Researcher
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
1:45 pm
Climate Change
Climate Ready Infrastructure: Future-Proofing Community Assets
Speakers
Jeb Brugmann
Founding Principal, Resilient Cities Catalyst &
Climate Lead, Climate Ready Infrastructure Service, Canadian Urban Institute
Toronto, ON
Jen Angel
CEO
Evergreen
Toronto, ON
Sadhu Johnston
Climate Lead
Climate Ready Infrastructure Service, Canadian Urban Institute
Mansons Landing, BC
Irving Leblanc
Chair of the Board
Community Circle
Ottawa, ON
Ewa Jackson
Managing Director
ICLEI Canada
Toronto, ON
Moderator
Chris Chen
Manager, Environment & Infrastructure Policy Directorate
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Toronto, ON
2:30 pm
Placemaking & Culture
Culture Is Infrastructure: The Role of People, Identity, and Our Social Fabric
Speakers
Isabelle Mondou
Deputy Minister
Heritage Canada
Ottawa ON
Monique Simard
Chair of the Board
Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles
Montréal, QC
Kelly Langgard
Director & CEO
Toronto Arts Council & Toronto Arts Foundation
Toronto, ON
Brian McBay
Executive Director
221A
Vancouver, BC
Moderator
Jamie Bennett
Thought Leader
Lord Cultural Resources
New York, NY
3:15 pm
Equity & Inclusion
Equitable Opportunities for Prosperity: How Infrastructure Builds Inclusive Communities
Speakers
Tracy Hadden Loh
Fellow
Brookings Metro, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking
Washington, DC
Robert Barnard
Founder
Toboggan Flats & Youthful Cities
Toronto, ON
Prentiss Dantzler
Associate Professor & Director
Housing Justice Lab, School of Cities, University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Adam Mongrain
Director, Housing
Vivre en Ville
Montréal, QC
Moderator
Cathie O'Toole
Chief Administrative Officer
Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax, NS
4:00 pm
Beauty & Place
Building Better Lives: How Infrastructure Shapes Our Wellbeing
Speakers
Tobi Nussbaum
CEO
National Capital Commission
Ottawa, ON
Dorian Moore
Vice President
Archive Design Studio
Detroit, MI & Toronto, ON
Pino Di Mascio
Partner
SvN
Toronto, ON
Leila Ghaffari
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Planning & Environment
Concordia University
Montréal, QC
Moderator
Alex Bozikovic
Columnist, Architecture Critic
The Globe and Mail
Toronto, ON
4:45 pm
Governance & Leadership
Leading the Way: Orienting Investments Around Place
Speakers
Fanny Tremblay-Racicot
Associate Professor
École nationale d'administration publique
Québec, QC
Alexandra Flynn
Associate Professor
Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
Don Iveson
Principal
Civic Good
Edmonton, AB
Andre Corbould
Mental Health Fellow, Canadian Urban Institute &
Senior Advisor, Integrated Strategic Partners
Edmonton, AB
Moderator
Mary W. Rowe
President & CEO
Canadian Urban Institute
Toronto, ON
5:25 pm
Wrap-Up
Closing Remarks & Thank You
Speakers
Mary W. Rowe
President & CEO
Canadian Urban Institute
Toronto, ON
5:30 pm
Cocktails & Music
Reception
9:00 pm
Walking Tour (FULL)
Ottawa's Nightlife
Tour by new Nightlife Commissioner Mathieu Grondin of Ottawa's legacy and burgeoning nightlife scene and his vision for the city in this newly-created role
Moderator
Mathieu Grondin
Nightlife Commissioner
City of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON