8:15 – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Getting Clued In — Keynote Speaker
Coproducing circularity: Making sense of chaotic change
Investigate the Speaker: Saurabh Biswas
Saurabh Biswas is a researcher, educator, and collaborator with a focus on crafting meaningful change in society facing multidimensional challenges. He specializes in demystifying the social, economic, environmental, and technological complexities of sustainability challenges, and formulating transformative solutions. Just energy transitions, pollution mitigation and waste disposal, inclusive public transportation, and sustainable development in Indigenous communities are some of his interest areas.
Saurabh works with a range of partners including remote and Indigenous communities, non-profits and local government entities in Northern Canada, United States, Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. He is the co-founder of the Let Communities Lead initiative and a board member of the International Sustainable Development Society.
Saurabh holds a PhD in Sustainability from Arizona State University, and a Masters in Energy Systems Engineering. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Energy and Climate Change at Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. He is also an affiliated researcher with the Community Appropriate Sustainable Energy Security (CASES) initiative at University of Saskatchewan and was previously a staff scientist at US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Saurabh is an avid traveler and takes a keen interest in exploring traditional arts and crafts of the places he travels to.
10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The Usual Suspects — Findings from around the province
Sponsored by Electronic Products Recycling Association
Real-world examples from communities implementing diversion initiatives, alongside recent government policy changes affecting how materials are managed. We’ll cover what’s new, what’s changing, and what it means for local programs.
- Saskatoon Public Space and Event Waste Diversion pilot – Lori McGillvary Moroz
Lori McGillivray Moroz is a LEED certified architect and project manager whose expertise lies in sustainable design and project management. Lori is currently leading the Public Space and Event Waste Diversion project in the department of Sustainability with the City of Saskatoon.
It’s is a two-year research project that will support the City’s larger initiative of public space waste diversion. Lori will provide a summary of project research, public engagement and pilot results, introduces guiding principles that will be used to develop future initiatives.
- Reducing Textile Waste Through Community Sharing – Willow Iorga
Willow Iorga is the Coordinator of Education and Outreach for the City of Regina’s Water, Waste, and Environment Department. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Regina and has over 10 years of experience teaching children and adults in various educational settings. She later transitioned into program supervision, leading community initiatives that promote sustainability and waste reduction. With a strong background in research, community engagement, and program development, Willow is passionate about fostering environmental awareness and empowering residents to take action for a greener Regina.
- Empowering Communities Through Waste Education & Engagement – Kori Wuttunee
Kori Jean Wuttunee is a proud Cree woman from Red Pheasant, Saskatchewan, who has strong family ties to Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan. She works as a Specialist in Solid Waste, Recycling, and Public Education with the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians. Kori’s primary passion is advocating for sustainable practices and raising awareness in First Nation communities.
- Testing New Ideas in Maple Creek – Len Barkman
Len Barkman has served on the Town of Maple Creek Council since November 2020. With a strong commitment to his community and a passion for service, Len brings decades of experience and leadership to his role.
More about Len
Len graduated high school in 1975 and earned a Bachelor of Religious Education (B.R.E.) in 1981. His dedication to youth and community is evident in his 40+ years of work with youth groups in camps, churches, and schools. He has also coached and refereed junior and senior high basketball, volunteered as a firefighter, and participated in numerous mission trips to Mexico.
A skilled handyman and business owner, Len also works as a full-time bus driver for the Chinook School Division. His love for hands-on projects extends to woodworking, which is one of his favorite pastimes, along with fishing, big game hunting, and enjoying spy, murder, and mystery novels.
Family is central to Len’s life. Married to his wife Jan for 45 years, they’ve lived in six different locations (three in Alberta and three in Saskatchewan), resided in 13 homes, and driven 16 vehicles together. They are proud parents of five married children and doting grandparents to 16 grandchildren, ranging from 1.5 to 20 years old.
Len is a fan of historical war movies, withBattle of the Pacific(Midway) being one of his favorites. He looks forward to continuing his service on Council, contributing to the growth and well-being of Maple Creek.
- Policy to Practice: Residential Recycling in Saskatchewan – Brendan McShane
Brendan McShane is the VP of Operations with SK Recycles and Recycle BC. Brendan’s foray into waste reduction started with his initial career path as a carpenter, attempting to sway the wastefulness of the industry from within. Disgruntled with the culture of waste inherent to trades, Brendan pursued new tools for his toolbox, obtaining an undergrad in International Development followed by a Masters degree in Leadership and Sustainability. Having a career spanning not-for-profit and private industry in Canada and abroad, Brendan moved back to Victoria in 2014 and has been working with Recycle BC ever since.
Brendan lives in North Saanich with his young family, enjoying everything coastal.
- Unlocking CRD Diversion in Saskatoon – Gil Yaron
Gil Yaron is the Managing Director of Circular Innovation at Light House focused on advancing regenerative design and circular economic policy and practice it the built environment. Gil brings more than three decades of experience in solid waste policy, extended producer responsibility, circular economics with a focus on construction, renovation and demolition materials.
more about Gil
Gil leads initiatives that drive systemic change toward more sustainable resource use and waste reduction in the built environment. Known for his strategic vision and collaborative approach, Gil works closely with governments, businesses, and non-profits to design and implement practical, high-impact solutions that close material loops and stimulate green economic development while also leading some of the most innovative CBE projects in Canada, including the Building Material Exchange (BMEx), Construction Plastics Initiative and Circular Construction Accelerator.
Most recently, Gil led a detailed market assessment for the City of Saskatoon investigating current and future capacity for diverting CRD materials. He is also leading an initiative with Ecowaste – BC’s largest private landfill – to establish a Circular Construction Campus, bringing together companies to operate symbiotically in diverting, processing and remanufacturing building materials destined for landfill into new building products.
Gil holds a Master of Laws and most recently co-authored A Blueprint for Change: Preventing Demolition Waste Through Home Relocation & Deconstruction and the Construction Plastics Initiative Benchmarking Study.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
The Butler Did It — Lunch
1:00 p.m.
The Long Goodbye — Conference End