Over 550 legislators, business leaders, academics, and policymakers gathered in Calgary, Alberta last week for PNWER's 31st Annual Summit!
PNWER delegates came together for an informative conference with expert speakers, a Clean Tech Showcase, relationship-building, and fun!
Check out Summit highlights below, and see what is next for PNWER.
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Every one of PNWER's ten jurisdictions was represented in Calgary! |
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551 total delegates
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410 Canadians
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141 Americans
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52 Provincial/State/ Territorial Legislators
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17 Members of Parliament & Federal Senators
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93 C-Suites and VPs
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34 University & College Presidents & Academics
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Land Acknowledgement & Indigenous Welcome |
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek welcomed PNWER delegates to Calgary and asked delegates to "embrace the place where we have gathered."
(Pictured left with MLA Gotfried and Hal Eagletail)
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PNWER delegates were honored to hear a story of Indigenous history from Hal Eagletail and witness the powerful performances of the dancers from Tsuu T'ina.
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Ambassador Kirsten Hillman and Ambassador David Cohen started the Summit off with a discussion that touched on the Canada-U.S. relationship, energy infrastructure and security, supply chains, critical minerals, pandemic recovery and more. The session was moderated by Scotty Greenwood, CEO of the Canadian American Business Council, and covered on her podcast with Dr. Chris Sands-Canusa Street Podcast. |
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Photo Credit: Zechariah Edens Photography |
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On Sunday, July 24, the PNWER Delegate Council met and elected Idaho State Senator Chuck Winder to the role of PNWER President. Senator Winder was elected to serve as vice president during the PNWER Annual Summit in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2019 and currently serves as co-chair of the Transportation Working Group.
Congratulations, Senator Winder! We look forward to what the next year brings under your leadership.
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Photo Credit: Zechariah Edens Photography
We also want to thank Alberta MLA Richard Gotfried for his exceptional leadership and for being such a dedicated advocate for building strong regional and bi-national relationships.
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Welcoming New PNWER Officers |
Washington State Representative Cindy Ryu and Saskatchewan MLA Ken Francis were elected as PNWER's new U.S. and Canadian vice presidents, respectively. They join British Columbia MLA Rick Glumac and Alaska Senator Mia Costello as members of PNWER's leadership. |
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Photo credit: @RichardGotfried on Twitter |
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Pictured above: MLA Ken Francis
Photo Credit: Zechariah Edens Photography
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Pictured above: Rep. Cindy Ryu with Washington Lt. Governor Denny Heck
Photo Credit: Zechariah Edens Photography
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Recognizing Regional Leadership |
During the Summit, PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison recognized two PNWER delegates for outstanding regional leadership and work on behalf of Canada-U.S. relations.
Jim Horsman, co-founder of PNWER, received the PNWER Hot Potato Award.
(Pictured right with MLA Gotfried)
Photo credit: Zechariah Edens Photography
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Idaho State Senator Michelle Stennett received the PNWER Founder's Award.
(Pictured left with MLA Gotfried)
Photo credit: Zechariah Edens Photography
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The Decorum Forum: A Discussion on Civil Discourse for Legislators |
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Federal, provincial, and state legislators from Canada and the U.S. participated in a special session on the responsibility of elected officials to model civility and ways to promote greater understanding within legislative bodies to build trusting, collaborative relationships for the benefit of all constituents.
Participants learned about some of the structural differences between Canadian provincial legislative assemblies and U.S. state legislatures, including how they communicate internally with their fellow legislative members. Speakers from the National Institute for Civil Discourse's Next Generation program helped participants brainstorm ways to break down internal and external barriers within their legislatures to foster civil discourse and collaboration to achieve better public policy.
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Carbon Innovation Station- Alberta's Pathway to Net Carbon Neutral:
A Clean Tech Energy Showcase
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Hosted by Capitol Power, the Clean Tech Showcase was an opportunity to discover some of the innovative companies within Alberta working to reduce GHG Emissions and move toward Net Zero solutions. |
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PNWER Economic Leadership Forum
December 2022
Portland, Oregon
Registration and agenda coming soon!
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32nd PNWER Annual Summit
July 16-19, 2023
Boise, Idaho
Stay tuned for details!
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Canusa Street Podcast-Intersecting the Canada U.S. Relationship ft. current Ambassadors on stage at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region's annual summit - August 1, 2022
Swineweb - August 1, 2022
Yukon News - July 29, 2022
Whitehorse Star - July 28, 2022
Calgary Sun - July 26, 2022
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Calgary Herald - July 26, 2022
Government of Northwest Territories - July 26, 2022
Global News - July 25, 2022
High River Online - July 25, 2022
Politico - July 25, 2022
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Thank you to our Sponsors!
Interested in partnering with PNWER?
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