On the occasion of the centenary of Alberta and Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy and the Canada West Foundation are organizing a conference entitled “Alberta and Saskatchewan at 100: Two Paths to the Same Destination?” This conference will explore:
- the history of the development of the economy, society, and politics of the prairie region;
- underlying causes of their development paths;
- the similarities and differences in the political culture of the provinces and the relationship between political cultures and development decisions; and
- the potential courses of economic, social, and political development of the provinces in the future.
Through this exploration, the conference will seek to answer such questions as, “Have Alberta and Saskatchewan broken two distinct paths to development over the last century?” “Are the prairies fundamentally a single political entity, with a common political culture?” “Have the provinces arrived at the same destination (or will they in the future)?” and “Was it ever their intention to arrive at the same destination?” Other themes of interest include:
- Approaches to Managing Aboriginal-Non-Aboriginal Relations;
- Strategies for Economic Development and Diversification;
- The West in Confederation; and,
- The West and Social Policy Innovation.
In keeping with the idea of investigating the histories, politics, and economies of the two provinces together, the conference will take place in both Regina and Calgary on September 21 - 23, 2005. This unique format will allow the participants (of which we anticipate 150–200) to sample the culture of both provinces and maybe even see if cultural differences can affect their views.
SIPP and Canada West look forward to bringing together academics from a variety of disciplines, current and former public officials, business and community leaders, and members of the public for what promises to be a wide-ranging and vibrant discussion of the past and future of two provinces that have played a major, if under-appreciated, role in defining modern Canada.
Please send paper abstracts of 500 to 1000 words, a 1-page curriculum vitae, and your anticipated audio/visual technology needs by May 31, 2005 to Andrea Geisbauer, Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy at andrea.geisbauer@uregina.ca
For further details, see our website at the web address provided below.
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