
SHAPING THE FUTURE
OTTAWA ONTARIO
The Progress Summit is the largest annual progressive politics conference in Canada - dubbed as one of the “most important events on the Ottawa calendar" by iPolitics
Leading thinkers, policy experts and organizers brought together at Progress Summit 2016: Shaping the Future.
Program Schedule
Thursday, March 31
7:00 am - 9:00 pm
Registration
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Main Ballroom
Organizing 101 featuring Sara El-Amine
Sara El-Amine
Executive Director, Organizing for Action, President Barack Obama’s grassroots organizing movement
Open to all Summit registrants but limited seating; separate sign-up required at no additional cost.
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Lift Lounge
Welcome Reception
Hosted by the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC) and Music Canada
8:30 pm
After Parties
Hosted by: Progress Alberta and Vision Vancouver
8:30 pm | Penthouse
FPTP, RCV, PR, MMP, STV, WTF?
Dave Meslin
Creative Director, Unlock Democracy
Friday, April 1
7:00 am - 9:00 pm
Registration
7:30 am - 8:45 am
Coffee & Continental Breakfast
8:45 am - 9:15 am
Welcome Remarks
Welcome and Opening Ceremony from First Nations’ Chiefs Kirby Whiteduck and Jean-Guy Whiteduck
A welcome from Ed Broadbent: Shaping the future
9:15 am - 10:15 am | Main Ballroom
Keynote
Bridging movements: feminism, anti-racism and the intergenerational fight for equality
Gloria Steinem
Feminist author and activist
Q&A with Desmond Cole, Toronto Star columnist
Closing reflections by Michele Landsberg, journalist and feminist
Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
10:15 am - 10:30 am
Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:45 am | Main Ballroom
Morning Sessions
Old Stock: Xenophobia and the Future of Canadian Pluralism
Remarks by:
Jeet Heer
Senior Editor, The New Republic, and 2016 Scotiabank Giller Juror
Response Panel:
Jeet Heer
Haroun Bouazzi
Co-president, Association des Musulmans et des Arabes pour la Laïcité au Québec
Monia Mazigh
National Coordinator, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
Moderator: Francine Pelletier, columnist, Le Devoir
(Bilingual)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
10:30 am - 11:45 pm | Grand Salon
Morning Sessions
From Campaigner to Legislator: Can You be an Activist on the Inside?
Matthew Green
Hamilton City Councillor
Javier Valdés
Co-Executive Director, Make the Road New York
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet
NDP Housing Critic and MP, Hochelaga
Catherine McKenney
Ottawa city councillor
Moderator: Avi Lewis, filmmaker and journalist
(English)10:30 am - 11:30 am | Penthouse
NationBuilder Master Class - Lead your supporters to action
Peter Wrinch
Director of politics and advocacy for Canada and the Pacific, NationBuilder
Victoria Cross
Community Strategist, NationBuilder
(English)11:45 am - 1:15 pm
Lunch
Speakers' Lunch (ticketed): Penthouse
Summit Lounge: Electoral lego with Dave Meslin, founder, Unlock Democracy
1:15 pm - 2:30 pm | Main Ballroom
Afternoon Sessions
Increasing Privatization and the Future of Medicare
Remarks by
Dr. Alain Vadeboncoeur
Chief, Emergency Department, Montreal Heath Institute
Response Panel:
Dr. Alain Vadeboncoeur
Ryan Meili
Founder, Upstream
Line Larocque
First vice president, Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec
Moderator: Antonia Maioni, Professor, Department of Political Science and the Institute of Health and Social Policy, McGill University
(French)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
1:15 pm - 2:30 pm | Grand Salon
Afternoon Sessions
Shovel-ready vs Shovel-worthy: Getting Infrastructure Right
Brock Carlton
Chief Executive Officer, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Geoff Meggs
Vancouver City Councillor
Colette Murphy
Executive Director, Atkinson Foundation
Robert Blakely
Canadian Operating Officer, Canada’s Building Trades Unions
Adam Vaughan
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Intergovernmental Affairs) and MP, Spadina - Fort York
Moderator: Corey Hogan, Chief Strategy Officer, Northweather
(English)2:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Coffee Break
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm | Main Ballroom
Afternoon Sessions
Turning the Corner on Climate For Real?
Catherine McKenna
Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Shannon Phillips
Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks
Andrea Reimer
Vancouver City Councillor
Moderator: David Akin, Parliamentary Bureau Chief, Sun Media
(English)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm | Penthouse
Up Close and Personal Series
How to Make Persuasive Political Ads with Barack Obama's Ad Maker John Del Cecato
One of the best progressive ad makers in the world, in conversation with Marie Della Mattia, president and CEO of The Now Group
(English)4:00 pm - 4:15 pm
Coffee Break
4:15 pm - 5:15 pm | Main Ballroom
Keynote
Hope and the Fate of the Left in Europe
Owen Jones
Guardian columnist and best-selling author of The Establishment
Q&A with Elizabeth Renzetti, Globe and Mail columnist
Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
4:15 pm - 5:15 pm | Penthouse
Up Close and Personal Series
The left’s Diversity Failure: Using Brain Science to Understand and Fix the Problem with Shakil Choudhury
In conversation with social justice activist and writer Judy Rebick
(English)5:15 pm– 5:30 pm | Main Ballroom
Remarks by Andrea Horwath, Leader, Ontario NDP
Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | Main Ballroom
Beer and Politics
What the Bernie-Hillary race means for progressive politics
Doors and bar opens at 7pm
Mitch Stewart
Founding Partner, 270 Strategies, and senior strategist, Ready for Hillary Super PAC
Rafael Navar
National Political Director, Communications Workers of America, the largest union in the United States to endorse Bernie Sanders
Sally Kohn
CNN Political Commentator
Moderator: Tim Harper, national affairs columnist and former Washingtion correspondent, Toronto Star
(English)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
9:00 pm
After Parties
Hosted by: Urban Workers Project and Broadbent Institute Quebec
Saturday, April 2
7:00 am - 1:00 pm
Registration
7:30 am - 9:00 am
Coffee & Continental Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:25 am | Main Ballroom
Bringing Justice to Indigenous Communities
Cindy Blackstock
Executive Director, First Nations Child Family Caring Society of Canada
(English)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
9:25 am - 9:40 am
Awards Ceremony
Charles Taylor and Olivia Chow announce winners of the Jack Layton Progress Prize and the Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research.
Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.9:45 am - 10:45 am
Keynote
The Responsibility of the Left and Giving the Last Word to Ethics and the Law
Christiane Taubira
Former minister of justice, France
Q&A with Michel Désautels, host, Désautels le dimanche, Radio-Canada
(French)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
9:45 am - 10:45 am | Penthouse
Partner Programming
Urgent Delivery: How Canada Post could catalyze economic and energy transition
Friends of Public Services
10:45 am- 11:00 am
Coffee Break
11:00 am - 12:15 pm | Main Ballroom
The TPP Free-Trade Charade
Michael Geist
Professor of Law, University of Ottawa, and Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law
Ianik Marcil
columnist, Journal de Montreal
Pia Eberhardt
researcher, Corporate Europe Observatory
Angella MacEwen
Senior Economist, Canadian Labour Congress
Moderator: Andrew Jackson, Senior Policy Advisor, Broadbent Institute
(Bilingual)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
11:00 am - 12:15 pm | Grand Salon
Being green: Can Canada really deliver on clean technology?
Curtis Probst
Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute
Celine Bak
CEO, Analytica Advisors
Leah Lawrence
President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Moderator: Tyler Hamilton, journalist
(English)11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Penthouse
Partner Programming
Highlighting the Disability Rights Agenda
Council of Canadians with Disabilities
12:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Lunch
Lunch with Facebook (Main Ballroom)
Let's Talk Food Policy: Lunch with Food Secure Canada (Penthouse)
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm | Main Ballroom
The Great Debate
Be it Resolved, Canada needs Proportional Representation
Yes
Andrew Coyne
columnist, Postmedia News
Alex Himelfarb
former Clerk of the Privy Council
No
Michelle Rempel
Official Opposition Critic, Immigration, and MP, Calgary Nose Hill
Tasha Kheiriddin
columnist, National Post and iPolitics
Moderator: Evan Solomon, broadcaster and journalist
(English)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm | Penthouse
Partner Programming
Universal child care: What will it take to make it a reality?
National childcare groups
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Coffee Break
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm | Main Ballroom
Afternoon Sessions
Progressive Economics in the Age of Inequality and Slow Growth
Remarks by
James Galbraith
Economist, University of Texas
Response Panel:
James Galbraith
Chi Onwurah
UK Labour MP and Shadow Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy
John Horgan
Leader, BC NDP
Moderator: Peter Bleyer, Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
(English)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm | Grand Salon
Afternoon Sessions
Securing the Next Generation of Social Programs
Aurélie Lanctôt
Author and journalist
Patrick Turmel
Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Laval
Jane Jenson
Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Montreal
Moderator: Miriam Fahmy, columnist, Journal Métro
(French)3:15 pm - 4:15 pm | Penthouse
Partner Programming
Social Progress and Health: Tools for working across movements
Upstream
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm | Main Ballroom
Lightning Talks
Shaping the Future: Priorities for a Progressive Agenda
Hosted by Opreet Kang, Manager, Global Connections, Immigrant Employment Council of BC
Sukanya Pillay
Executive Dirctor, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Tzeporah Berman
Environmental activist
Jagmeet Singh
Deputy Leader, Ontario NDP
Ghislain Picard
Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Eve-Lyne Couturier
Researcher, Institut de recherche et d’informations socio-économiques
(Bilingual)Session will be webcast. Sign up for notifications.
5:00 pm
Closing remarks
Rick Smith
Executive Director, Broadbent Institute

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