Over 360 Chief Administrative Officers and senior staff members from municipalities across Canada gathered for an unforgettable experience at the 49th Annual CAMA Conference at the breathtaking Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel from June 3-5, 2024.

With the theme "CAMA-RADERIE - Embracing Change", the Conference was a whirlwind of inspiration and excitement! Delegates enjoyed dynamic keynote speakers, fantastic networking opportunities, a lively Tradeshow featuring the coolest municipal products and services, and exciting Study Tours. Check out the highlights below and watch for an e-mail with some of the recordings of the sessions later this week!

A big shoutout to our incredible host, CAO Kelly Gibson from the Town of Banff, and his amazing team for making this Conference a smashing success!

CONFERENCE DAY 1 - MONDAY, JUNE 3

The first day of the Conference was packed with excitement! We kicked off with the fan-favourite CAMA Golf Tournament at the stunning Silvertip Golf Resort. Thrill-seekers enjoyed Kananaskis Surf Rafting, and others took in the soaring gondola rides, and visits to the breathtaking Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. We wrapped up the day with a lively Opening Reception in the Tradeshow area, showcasing 56 awesome companies from across Canada. Don't miss out - visit our Conference website to see our amazing sponsors and exhibitors!

Golf Tournament Winners

Dean Kabbani, Mike Primeau, Don MacLeod, Steve Kruska

Other Winners Include:

Kealy Dedman (Longest Drive - Women)

Cory Thomas (Longest Drive - Men)

Mohamed Bhamani (Closest to the Pin - Men)

Kayleena Spiess (Closest to the Pin - Women)

Surfing the Rapids on the Kananaskis River!

Fun on the Discover Banff, It's Wildlife & Gondola Escapade

The Minnewanka Magic: Lake Adventure Extravaganza!

Lakeside Bliss: Afternoon Extravaganza at Lake Louise & Moraine Lake

CAMA-RADERIE at the Welcome Reception & Exhibitor Tradeshow

CONFERENCE DAY 2 - TUESDAY, JUNE 4

The morning kicked off bright and early with President Tony Kulbisky leading the Annual General Meeting, where we bid farewell to five retiring Board members, celebrated Bev Hendry's fantastic year as President, and welcomed six new Board members. After an official welcome to Banff by Mayor Di Manno, and greetings from ICMA President-Elect Tanya Ange, and representatives from the Alberta Administrator Associations SLGM (Jesse Sopko), LGAA (Melanie Samson), and ARMAA (Jeff Holmes), we held a heartfelt Memorial Ceremony in honour of the late Rodney Cumby, our esteemed CAMA Board Member from Newfoundland & Labrador, by retiring his CAMA hockey jersey.

Tina Varughese's captivating Opening Keynote presentation on the "Human Side of Unconscious Bias" was a wonderful way to begin our leadership journey. We also heard from engaging speakers on topics crucial to our members, like navigating the first 100 days on the job, mastering key relationships in local government, fostering Municipal-Indigenous partnerships for sustainable communities, cultivating a positive culture, promoting psychological safety in the workplace, and conducting successful organizational reviews.

We mingled with our amazing exhibitors and Conference sponsors, and celebrated our colleagues' dedication to municipal administration with the Long Service Awards.

The day wrapped up with a laid-back evening at Mount View BBQ—a rustic paradise in the heart of the mountains. We enjoyed great food, fantastic music, and danced the night away. What a way to end a spectacular day!

Forever in Our Hearts: Honouring the Legacy of the Late Rodney Cumby

Opening Ceremonies

Tina Varughese

Navigating the First 100 Days & Key Relationships

20 Year Long Service Recipients

25 Year Long Service Recipients

30 Year Long Service Recipients

35 Year Long Service Recipients

Municipal-Indigenous Partnerships

Developing a Positive Culture

Fostering Psychological Safety in the Workplace

Organizational Reviews

Casual Night Out

Serge Arsenault, our Incredible Harmonica Player from New Brunswick, rocked Casual Night Out with the Kickstart Band Western Duo! What a show!

CONFERENCE DAY 3 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

The third day of the Conference was packed with excitement and inspiration! We kicked things off with two engaging plenary sessions: "Crack the Code: 3D Communication Strategies for Difficult Conversations" by Pamela Barnum and "Charting the Course of Good Governance" with Tracey Lorenson. The morning hit a high note with our amazing closing keynote speaker, Eric Termuende, who shared a blueprint for the future and insights on leading in the new world of work. As we closed out the Conference, we tenderly honoured the memory of our beloved colleague and friend, Rodney Cumby, once again, by gently lowering his jersey.

At the Luncheon, we celebrated excellence with the CAMA Awards of Excellence, honouring eight outstanding municipalities. Check out our website and the Local Gov Cafés interview for all the details on the winners.

After the Closing Ceremonies with our Tradeshow Exhibitors, we had a fantastic workshop led by Suzanne Gibson on leading through change. Attendees also enjoyed three fascinating study tours, exploring Banff's cutting-edge infrastructure, touring the Roam Transit Operations and Training Centre, and participating in the Wapakwanis Plant Walk with Matricia Brown.

The Conference wrapped up with a bang at the President's Dinner Mountain Garden Gala, featuring an Indigenous drumming ceremony, a fun photo booth and ending with the Two Bit Bandits Band. We also had the honour of presenting Jack Ramsden, CAO for the Town of Eckville, with his 45-Year Long Service Award. What an unforgettable way to end the event along with the theme song of our members "I Will Survive"!

Pamela Barnum

Tracey Lorenson

Eric Termuende

Honouring the late Rodney Cumby: A poignant moment of respect and remembrance with Mike Dolter and Dawn Chaplin, and the Newfoundland & Labrador Honour Guard

Congratulations to the 2024 CAMA Award of Excellence Winners

Closing Ceremonies

Town of Banff Infrastructure Tour

Banff Roam Transit & Operations

and Training Centre Tour

Wapakwanis Plant Walk

Honouring Jack Ramsden for 45 Years

Dancing to the Two Bit Bandits Band

THANK YOU TO THE 2024 CAMA CONFERENCE TEAM

Victoria Bowering (Nanaimo), Carolina Correa (Fredericton), Julia McDevitt (Fredericton), Alycia Bartlett (Fredericton), Jennifer Goodine (Fredericton), Alisha Bainbridge-Trites (Fredericton), Denise Habibovic (Mississauga), Beth Readman (Napanee), Doreen Nakhle (Fredericton)

A huge shoutout to this year's incredible CAMA rockstar team for their exceptional skills, shining personalities, and unbeatable teamwork. This pan-Canadian team, hailing from municipalities coast to coast to coast, came together in the middle to deliver another epic CAMA-RADERIE event.

Can't wait to see everyone at the 51st Annual Conference at the stunning Fairmont Mont Tremblant from May 25-28, 2025. Keep an eye out for the hotel room block opening in September 2024!