Agenda

Continental breakfast provided to Communications Forum participants.

This jam-packed day will feature panelists who will share practical approaches, best practices, lessons learned and wins in their role as local government communicators. Topics will include communicating under pressure, public engagement innovations, integrating communications into council orientation, AI in communications and more. 

Take this opportunity to learn from peers, increase the effectiveness of your organization’s communications efforts, and expand your professional network.

Please note: Forum registration is separate from general conference registration. Find out more about the Forum and register online.

Lunch provided to participants of the pre-conference workshop "Beyond the Code" and the Communications Forum.

Facilitated by Christina Benty, Strategic Leadership Solutions and Reece Harding, Young Anderson

With the Province considering advancing responsible conduct initiatives and local governments navigating rising tension, the pressure is real: councils and boards need clear expectations, fair processes, and practical ways to repair trust when things go sideways. Having a code of conduct is one thing, operationalizing responsible conduct is another.

This skills-and-systems workshop is designed to help local government professionals translate conduct principles into everyday practice - before the new framework is even in place. Participants will receive a high-level overview of what’s emerging (and what local governments can do now), then move into practical application through scenario labs and “in-the-room” tools grounded in real dynamics: meeting conflict, role confusion, escalating behaviour, social media and confidentiality challenges, and the risk of weaponizing process. 

This is not a legal lecture. It’s a skills-and-systems session. Through scenario labs, guided dialogue, and practical tools, participants will learn how to:

• prevent conduct issues through clear norms and governance culture-building 

• respond in-the-moment with respectful, confidence-building moves that elevate rather than intimidate 

• have supportive, accountability-oriented conversations that reduce defensiveness and increase learning 

The workshop focuses on three practical moves local governments can build immediately:

• Humanize: strengthen relational currency by helping staff and elected officials see the person behind the role (and the complexity behind the work). 

• Normalize: treat tension and conflict as predictable features of governance and then build the skills to navigate them without freezing, escalating, or avoiding. 

• Un-sanitize: loosen the grip of overly stiff, performative processes by using practical thinking tools (polarity thinking, problem identification, intentional questions) that help elected officials stay relevant and staff stay confident.

Participants will:

• Understand the evolving responsible conduct context and what it may mean in practice for local governments. 

• Strengthen confidence with in-the-moment meeting interventions and repair-oriented conversations that reduce defensiveness and increase learning.

• Translate aspirational conduct principles into observable behaviours, shared norms, and practical staff supports using values-based tools. 

Please note: Workshop registration is separate from general conference registration. Register online.

Decades ago, the rivers in Penticton were channelized for flood mitigation, leading to major environmental impacts. This tour will visit Penticton Creek, which is in the process of being naturalized to support the environmental, riparian, and fish habitat values, and Penticton Dam, where a fish ladder project was recently completed. Working with partners including the Okanagan Nation Alliance and snPink'tn Indian Band allows for a blend of traditional and western perspectives when working to undo past decisions.

Join city and Nation staff for this interactive tour to visit two different examples of environmental reclamation projects and hear about their successful collaboration, future steps to continue relationships on similar projects and lessons learned on persevering on complex municipal projects.

Please note: Field trip registration is separate from general conference registration. Register online.

First time attending the conference? Cultivate some connections in a casual setting. Warm up your networking muscles and meet the LGMA Board and perhaps a new friend or two.

*Open to first-time attendees only.

Sponsored by Lidstone & Company

Join LGMA President Keri-Ann Austin to kick off LGMA2026! Reacquaint with old friends and connect with new colleagues. Meet knowledgeable exhibitors who supply the goods and services that make our work possible.

Engage with sector partners, mingle on the trade show floor, and meet knowledgeable exhibitors who supply the goods and services that make local government work possible.

Sponsored by Civic Legal LLP

Are you in need of a professional headshot for your local government or LinkedIn page? Do you have an outdated headshot or don’t have one at all and you’d like to refresh your professional image with a professional photograph? If you said yes, then sign up for a 15-minute photo shoot at LGMA’s Annual Conference. There will be 50 appointments available. 

Photos will be taken onsite on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11.

Registration info coming soon.

New this year. More information coming soon!

Eligibility requirements: LGMA members who are at least 50 years old and have held membership for at least the past five years.

If you’re contemplating retirement in the near future, sign up for a personalized, 45-minute session with pension specialist Jerry Woytack. This service is complimentary for current LGMA members who are at least 50 years old and have held membership for at least the past five years. Bring your most recent Pension Corporation member benefit statement.

Appointments will take place onsite on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11.

Registration info coming soon.

Anona Kampe

Anona will welcome delegates to SnPink’tn (Penticton) with a blessing, singing of the Okanagan song, and a special keynote about her life-long learning journey and the power of knowledge. She will share how she came to do the important work that she does within her nation, pepper in some of their traditional stories that have teachings and lessons embedded, and touch how she personally has worked towards healing by reconnecting with her culture and learning her Indigenous language.

Grab a coffee, wander the trade show floor to connect with knowledgeable exhibitors, and mingle with old friends and new colleagues.

Troy DeSouza, Dominion GovLaw and Avtar Sundher, Agricultural Land Commission

Discover how local governments working with the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) can collaborate effectively through a Joint Task Force (JTF) for property compliance. This presentation will offer a detailed exploration of the statutory framework and practical implementation of the ALC, as well as local government authority and shared jurisdiction. 

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the legal powers and responsibilities of the ALC and local governments, how to evaluate the advantages and potential challenges of forming a Joint Task Force, and learn the procedural steps to initiating one effectively.

Nikki Caulfield and Graham Stuart, City of Coquitlam

In today's competitive landscape, organizations face unprecedented challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. A strategic approach to talent management can directly impact key business outcomes, helping reduce turnover and build internal capacity.

This session will provide a compelling case for why a proactive, well-defined strategy is no longer a "nice-to-have," but is critical for long-term organizational success.

Attendees will learn the who, what, why and how of a comprehensive talent acquisition and retention strategy.

Ned Taylor, W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council

Join the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (W̱LC) for a deep dive into their Local Government Program, which includes government-to-government agreements, as well as ongoing joint projects and collaboration between Tsartlip & Tseycum First Nations and the eight separate local governments that operate in and make decisions over W̱SÁNEĆ Territory. This session will share lessons learned on building relationships and a system of collaboration between First Nations and local governments, including establishing structures and processes for joint working groups. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss with the presenter.

Sponsored by Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark

Paul McLean and Kaelyn Burns, Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark

As artificial intelligence continues to become embedded in nearly every aspect of contemporary life, its presence in the workplace is becoming more common. Yet, as it reshapes the modern workplace, the use of AI can raise complex legal questions. 

In this session, we will examine the expanding integration of AI in the workplace, what advantages it offers, and where the pitfalls lie, ranging from privacy and confidentiality risks to misinformation and bias. We will discuss how the use of AI in employment contexts may challenge existing Canadian legal principles, such as human rights and privacy rights.

Bring your questions!

Julie Rogers, Julie Rogers Consulting

Community engagement can be tough when the public conversation feels more like a battleground than a dialogue. In this session designed for local government staff, we’ll zero in on strategies to foster respectful, meaningful engagement—even when critics dominate the conversation. You’ll learn practical ways to set the tone for constructive dialogue, respond effectively when discussions get heated, and support your own resilience while leading community conversations. The focus is on turning engagement from a flashpoint into a trust-building opportunity, ensuring that even in an era of incivility, your efforts strengthen connections rather than erode them.

Ryan Bortolin, SMS Law

Join Ryan Bortolin for an annual attendee favourite! This engaging and insightful session will explore significant court decisions from the past year that affect local governments.

It will examine major rulings and discuss what they mean for your communities, helping you stay up to date and ready to respond. Recent legislative developments relevant to local governments will also be covered. Bring your questions!

Donald Lidstone K.C., Ale Henao, and Mary Nguyen, Lidstone & Company

Local government officers and employees are often uncertain how to respond effectively to rudeness, bullying, harassment, defamation or problematic behaviour of elected officials and the public. Bullying, harassment, and code of conduct processes are expensive, delayed, and often inconclusive or ineffective, or worse, result in retaliation.

The panelists will introduce and explain new, proactive tools of tort law, criminal law, Worksafe BC, SLAPP laws, the new Defamation Advocacy Foundation, and more, as well as highlight best practices from different jurisdictions for financial and other support.

The session will engage attendees in a two-way conversation to identify relevant examples and offer recommendations.

Sponsored by Municipal Finance Authority

Daphne Thomson, Catch the Beat

AI is no longer just a tool. It is becoming a workplace partner. This session dives into Copilot agent creation, custom GPTs, and the real differences between Copilot and ChatGPT, including what paid versus free actually means for your organization. We will explore practical use inside Microsoft 365, from Word and Excel to Outlook and PowerPoint. We will also tackle job impact head on. What is likely to be automated, what will be augmented, and how can AI strengthen critical thinking and decision-making? Bring your laptop. This session is practical, honest, and hands-on.

Sponsored by BC Assessment

Nicole Barker & Celina Deneault, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and Michelle Amaral & Sarah Candido, City of Kamloops

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops co-hosted Rethinking Community: Diverse Community Voices, a gathering that brought together community leaders, public servants, private sector professionals, and representatives from the charitable sector. Each participant entered the space with a shared commitment to respect, openness, and collaboration.

This session explores how the conference fostered meaningful dialogue, built stronger relationships, and highlighted the power of working together rather than in silos. Through reflection and shared learning, this panel will discuss how honouring diverse voices and perspectives strengthens our collective capacity to support inclusive, resilient communities.

Attendees will be invited to consider new ways to collaborate across sectors, listen deeply, and co-create solutions that reflect our shared values. Together, we celebrate the power of community, where connection, understanding, and mutual respect lead the way toward lasting change.

Time for an afternoon pick-me-up! Wander the trade show floor to meet knowledgeable exhibitors and connect with old friends and new colleagues over coffee.

District of Saanich and members of the regional Indigenous Engagement Working Group - panelists to be confirmed

Building resilient communities requires collaboration, respect and shared understanding. This panel will share insight into initiatives bringing together emergency managers and Indigenous partners working collectively to meet engagement requirements under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA). Panelists will share how local governments across the region are coordinating their efforts to strengthen relationships, align priorities and reduce engagement fatigue for Indigenous partners. Through shared stories and practical examples, participants will gain insights and tools to advance meaningful, effective collaboration that supports all communities in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies.

James Ridge, James Ridge Consulting Inc. and Kevin Ramsay, Innova Strategy Group

Elections always have an effect on your organization. Sometimes new elected officials bring great energy and work collaboratively to make your community a great place. Sometimes new elected officials want to shake up the world. It is your responsibility to ensure that your elected officials have the information and understanding required to be successful. And you’ll need to address strategic planning, organizational reviews, and all of the other changes that can come with a new council/board.

This session will provide tactics and tips for staff at all levels.

Ja'-elle Leite, Ultralogix Inc.

Across local governments, the overwhelming backlog of paper records and fragmented digital systems has become a major obstacle to efficient service delivery and informed decision-making.

This session will highlight practical strategies for digitizing legacy records, managing information assets, and unlocking the value of data for smarter, faster decisions. By moving beyond compliance-based recordkeeping to a dynamic governance approach, local governments can reduce administrative burdens, improve transparency, and make data a true strategic resource.

Participants will gain insights into how modern data governance connects people, processes, and technology – turning yesterday’s paperwork into tomorrow’s insights.

Sponsored by Municipal Insurance Association

Sponsored by Civic Legal LLP

Are you in need of a professional headshot for your local government or LinkedIn page? Do you have an outdated headshot or don’t have one at all and you’d like to refresh your professional image with a professional photograph? If you said yes, then sign up for a 15-minute photo shoot at LGMA’s Annual Conference. There will be 50 appointments available.

Photos will be taken onsite on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11.

Registration info coming soon.

Eligibility requirements: LGMA members who are at least 50 years old and have held membership for at least the past five years.

If you’re contemplating retirement in the near future, sign up for a personalized, 45-minute session with pension specialist Jerry Woytack. This service is complimentary for current LGMA members who are at least 50 years old and have held membership for at least the past five years. Bring your most recent Pension Corporation member benefit statement.

Appointments will take place onsite on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11.

Registration info coming soon.

New this year. More information coming soon!

Take this opportunity to learn first-hand what’s going on with the Association. 

Members in good standing will be able to vote in the election of the 2026-27 Board of Directors. 

JoAnne Kleb and Jim Bauer, City of Delta

This session shares the City of Delta’s experience of weaving meaningful community engagement into a major recreation centre project to deliver it on track, on time, and rooted in community trust. Instead of slowing the process, engagement strengthened governance, built trust, and helped shape a facility that reflects the community’s needs and aspirations.

The presenters will walk through the journey from early approvals to co-designing amenities with residents and balancing the priorities of diverse user groups for both the facility and surrounding park space. Expect practical insights, real challenges, and the strategies used to keep the project on track while staying transparent and responsive. 

Attendees will leave with actionable takeaways for integrating engagement into capital project planning without losing time or momentum, plus a chance to share their own experiences navigating community voices in complex builds.

Pam Jefcoat, Civic Legal

Local governments hold significant land assets — parks, civic facilities, rights-of-way, roads, surplus lands, and development sites — that represent both opportunities and liabilities. How these real property assets are managed, leased, developed, or disposed of can have long-term implications for financial sustainability, community development, and environmental stewardship.

This session is designed to support local governments in strategically managing their real property assets, ensuring they meet policy objectives (including the provision of housing) while minimizing legal, financial, and environmental risks.

Representatives from snpink'tn Indian Band and City of Penticton - speakers to be confirmed

As local governments and First Nations navigate new pressures and evolving governance expectations, strong relationships matter more than ever.

This fireside chat brings together representatives from Penticton Indian Band and the City of Penticton to discuss the renewal of their relationship agreement and what it reflects about a more mature, respectful approach to reconciliation.

The conversation will highlight how the agreement was developed, how it supports collaboration, shared priorities and demonstrated respect, and why investing in the relationship first leads to stronger, more sustainable outcomes for both communities.

Reece Harding and Nick Falzon, Young Anderson

This session will walk participants through the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada and its implications for local governments in British Columbia. This case, in significant part relating to the Quw'utsun mustimuhw former village site of Tl'uqtinus, has garnered substantial media attention since it was produced, much of which is highly political. Given the length of the case, it can be difficult to understand the implications regarding fee simple interests without taking a deep dive into the specific circumstances that were present there.

This session will, on the one hand, explain what happened in the case from a legal perspective and, on the other hand, will set out potential implications of the decision for local governments and for broader reconciliation efforts.

Marcy Boyd, BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

When it coms to employee mental health, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. This session takes a closer look at who’s actually providing care in BC — from clinical counsellors and psychologists to social workers — and why understanding these designations matters. 

We’ll explore how BC’s landscape of mental health supports differs from other provinces, and how even the most well-intentioned (and expensive) extended health plans can sometimes leave employees without the help they need.

Together, we’ll unpack what happens when plan design limits access and how that can disrupt someone’s path to recovery. Using real data and practical examples, we’ll talk about how local governments can build benefit plans that truly support their people — plans that offer real choice, timely access, and care that meets employees where they are, no matter where they live or work in BC.

Peter Cohen, District of North Vancouver

On October 19-20, 2024, a Category 4 atmospheric river unleashed over 300mm of rain to parts of the North Shore, surpassing the intensity of a 1-in-200-year storm. For the District of North Vancouver, the deluge triggered widespread flooding, infrastructure failures, debris flows, and sewer backups, with emergency calls peaking at one every 15 seconds. Multiple local emergency declarations and evacuations were issued as the District grappled with the scale of the event.

This session offers a local government’s first-hand account of the events unfolding, its impact on urban systems and residents, and the important lessons learned. With climate change driving more frequent severe weather, this storm - once considered rare - is projected to reoccur every few decades. 

Attendees will gain insight into the District’s evolving strategies for flood resilience, inter-agency coordination, and emergency preparedness in the face of escalating climate risks.

Duncan Malkinson, Village of Pouce Coupe and Jessica Bagnall, Muniworth

Local governments are exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance governance, streamline workflows, and strengthen trust in decision-making. The Village of Pouce Coupé is one of the BC partners in a pilot between local governments and solution partner Muniworth that explores how these collaborations can build readiness and confidence for innovation. The pilot aims to demonstrate practical examples of AI-enabled innovation in key local government functions while maintaining a strong focus on privacy, transparency, and accountability. 

This session will share early lessons, challenges, and strategies emerging from these pilots, along with a discussion of the regulatory requirements necessary to ensure responsible, safe, and ethical AI adoption.

Dyra Pridham, Crossroads Consulting

Local governments often invest significant effort into developing strategic plans, yet many of these strategies struggle to stay active after leadership turnover, election cycles, shifting mandates, and changing organizational pressures. These strategies lose momentum, even when no formal leadership change occurs. The challenge is not creating strategy; it’s keeping strategy alive.

This session explores real tools and practical ways to design resilient initiatives that can adapt through transition, maintain relevance, and continue gaining support as circumstances evolve. Drawing on experience supporting change initiatives in public-sector and local-government environments, particularly during leadership transition, the session highlights where momentum typically weakens and how leaders can respond.

Dan Olivieri, System 2 Consulting and Karyn Zuidinga, NextWAVE Innovation

Local governments face intractable problems, from affordable housing to climate adaptation, without sufficient capital (financial, human, social, built) to solve them alone. Community resources exist but remain disorganized and fragmented, preventing effective collaboration despite stakeholder goodwill. Through facilitated ecosystem mapping, local government leaders can re-orient scattered community assets around shared challenges, creating coordinated action where isolated efforts once prevailed. 

Participants will map their own ecosystem, identify leverage points for intervention, and develop a robust theory of change that mobilizes diverse stakeholders through clearer value exchanges and enhanced partnerships.

This hands-on workshop applies the Ecosystem Project toolkit as a structured method for sensing system dynamics, illuminating opportunities, co-creating future designs, and sustaining momentum.

Sophie Knowles, Town of Gibsons

Traditional performance evaluations often focus on assessment rather than growth, leaving employees disengaged and leaders frustrated. What if we flipped the script?

In this knowledge café-style session, we’ll explore how shifting from performance evaluation to performance conversation can elevate trust, engagement, and accountability across teams. By reframing feedback as an ongoing, two-way dialogue — rooted in curiosity, recognition, and shared ownership — leaders can create a culture where employees feel valued, heard, and motivated to reach new heights.

Participants will leave with actionable strategies to replace check-the-box evaluations with meaningful conversations that inspire growth, increasing employee and leadership buy-in and building a culture of continuous improvement and connection.

Dr. Clint Abbott, MNP LLP

This session will explore how policy, planning and program development benefit from meaningful relationships with a variety of actors, including community members, non-profit associations, business, academia and other levels of government, including First Nations.

Techniques for creating psychologically and culturally safe spaces, including trauma informed practices, will be discussed to provide delegates with tools on how to promote meaningful engagement with diverse audiences. Case studies will be shared to provide current, relevant and engaging illustrative examples, and delegates will be encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and learnings.

Sponsored by the Municipal Finance Authority of BC

Dr. Roslyn Kunin

Whether you’re running a company, a government organization, a town or city, or just trying to survive in today’s economy, Roslyn Kunin can give you answers:

When will the economy get better?

What’s happening in the housing market?

How will treaties with First Nations affect us?

How is “my town” doing compared to others? What’s happening to our industries and our workers?

How can we benefit from the rapid rate of change?

What kind of opportunities will there be for my children and how can they prepare?

What kind of opportunities will there be for me?

Sponsored by Young Anderson

Get excited for the grand finale of LGMA2026! Enjoy the bounty of the Okanagan with locally-inspired cuisine. Celebrate LGMA members who have made significant contributions to local government service this past year at the Awards Ceremony. Cap things off by dancing the night away to the songs you know and love brought to you by multi award-winning DJ Tim Tweed.