Events

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Dr. Verna Yiu is known as one of Canada’s most respected academic and healthcare leaders and has
advised health care systems across the country as well as across the globe. Dr. Yiu is currently Provost
and Vice President Academic at the University of Alberta. Her past leadership roles included being the
first female dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, Vice Dean in
Faculty Affairs and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. She then shifted leadership into the healthcare
system in 2012 being appointed as the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Quality in Alberta
Health Services (AHS). In 2016, she took over the role of President and CEO of AHS, the largest
integrated province wide healthcare system in Canada and remains as the longest serving leader in that
role for over 6 years.

Dr. Yiu has spent more than 2 decades in leadership, spanning academia to the healthcare system. In Dr.
Yiu’s 6 year tenure as President/CEO, AHS was named as one of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 4
consecutive years along with other employer awards including Best Diversity Employer, Best Employer
for Young People, and Alberta’s Top 70 Employer. Other accomplishments include optimizing integration
of care within the province, so much so as to receive acknowledgement from the International Society
of Integrated Care that AHS was in the top 5 most integrated systems in the world in 2018. Other
included: improving efficiencies for a sustainable healthcare system, implementation of a province wide
electronic medical record system and led AHS in 2019-2022 in its response to one of the worse public
health crisis we will ever know in our lifetime, COVID19.

As Provost and VPA for University of Alberta since 2022, she led the creation of the 10 year university
strategic plan called SHAPE (launched in 2023) followed by 3 year action plans. She co-led the
development of the People Strategy, institutional values and oversaw the creation of a new activity
based budget model for the university. A professor of Pediatrics in the division of pediatric nephrology,
Dr. Yiu is an alumni of both University of Alberta and Harvard University. Her research is focused on
health systems and most recently, she is part of a team of researchers looking at creating smartwear for
those requiring additional strength supports. She continues to work on the front lines, providing care to
young patients and their families at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.

Dr. Yiu has won numerous awards including: Global Woman of Vision in 2019, second on the Medical
Post’s 2021 Power list of physicians in Canada, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (in recognition of
significant contributions to Alberta 2022), Physician of the Year award (from the Edmonton Zone
Medical Staff Association 2022) and most recently the Graduate Student Association Citation Award in
2023. She has also received recognition through multiple lectureships including Convocation Speaker for
the University of Calgary (2022), the Garner King Memorial Lecture (2023) and the Cy Frank Memorial
Lecture (2025). She is currently the Board Chair for the Canadian Institute of Healthcare Information and
Vice Board Chair for Health Workforce Canada, both national organizations that aims to improve health
data for better health outcomes for Canadians. She is also sits as on the board of directors of EPCOR, an
unique governance board where the unanimous shareholder is the City of Edmonton..

2026 marks 100 years since the Yellowhead Highway Association was created and with it came the advocacy and collaboration with governments to build what we now know as the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway #16, traversing Western Canada from Winnipeg to Masset BC, and BC Yellowhead Highway #5, from Tête Jaune BC to Hope BC.
An important part of the economic growth of Western Canada, this over 3,400km long Yellowhead Corridor has a unique history dating back to the early 1800’s.

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Jared Wesley is Associate Dean (Education), Co-Director of the Peter Lougheed School of Politics and Democracy, a professor of political science and member of the Black Faculty Collective at the University of Alberta.  

Jared specializes in the comparative analysis of provincial politics, with a particular focus on political culture and public opinion.   

He leads the Common Ground initiative -- a long-term research project aimed at examining the gap between who Western Canadians are and who they see themselves to be.  His team uses Viewpoint Alberta surveys to analyze public opinion, and focus groups to compare those individual attitudes to the norms and values that underpin politics in the region.  

Jared has co-authored the award-winning No I in Team: Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics (University of Toronto Press) and two practical accounts of Canadian politics: Inside Canadian Politics (published by Oxford University Press) and The Public Servant’s Guide to Government in Canada (University of Toronto Press).  These top-selling books blend practitioner and academic perspectives, offering students and the general public an accessible view of Canadian democracy and government.  

Jared has served in various academic and non-partisan public service roles throughout his career. Most recently, he served as director of intergovernmental relations, senior manager of cabinet coordination, and director of learning and development with the Government of Alberta.

A sought after speaker, Jared has delivered hundreds presentations as a panelist, roundtable presenter, and keynote speaker on topics related to his research, academic and public sector career and professional development, negotiation, policy-development, and academic-public sector collaboration.

Mayor Andrew Knack will provide a review of Council Priorities, addressing current planned initiatives and ongoing undertakings of City of Edmonton Council along with a look at what the future may hold for Edmonton citizens and the region.

Andrew Knack was born in Edmonton, raised in Spruce Grove, and has lived in the west end since 2002. A proud graduate of the University of Alberta, he earned his Bachelor of Commerce in 2006. Before running for City Council, Andrew managed a retail business in West Edmonton Mall and served on both the Meadowlark and Jasper Park Community League boards. These experiences shaped his approach to leadership: ambitious, collaborative and community-focused. Guided by dedication to public service and inspired by his community, he continued learning and connecting with Edmontonians — a path that led him to City Council in 2013. Since then, he’s developed a reputation for listening deeply, engaging honestly and standing up for the everyday needs of residents.

For three terms, Mayor Knack represented the west end in Wards 1 and Nakota Isga on City Council. Known for his bright blue suits and equally bright outlook, Andrew brings a spirit of openness and optimism to his work. As a councillor, Andrew led many key initiatives including NextGen, Seniors, Public Engagement and Transportation Innovation. He has also served as the Council representative on the Accessibility Advisory Committee, the City of Edmonton Youth Council, the Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board, Edmonton Public Library Board and the Alberta Municipalities' Executive Committee.

Mayor Knack is particularly proud of championing the Lewis Farms Recreation Centre and Library and pushing for more accessible transit for seniors and youth. Edmonton is a remarkable city with its best days ahead. Andrew is honoured to have the opportunity to serve Edmontonians as Mayor and to build a stronger city together.

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Camp Yowochas is a year round outdoor education centre and summer camp. From September to June we offer both day and overnight bookings for field trips, corporate events, holiday parties, etc.   Camp Yowochas has many areas throughout our property that they use during the course of the year: The campfire circle, Picnic Shelter, Arts & Crafts Hall, Fireside Lounge, Dry Sauna, Natural Sauna, Challenge Course Area and the Retreat Cabin.  The camp is located on the north shore of Wabamun Lake.

This meeting will involve car pooling from West Edmonton and traveling to Camp Yowochas for approximately an one hour drive.  YWCA will provide camp food for lunch.  After the tour we will return to Edmonton.   Yowochas Map

More details of the meeting to be provided later including the meeting place for car pooling.....

Access details:

• Take Highway 16 to Range Road 52 (west of Wabamun – East of Entwistle)
• Turn south on Range Road 52
• Follow the green and white signs through the Hamlet of Fallis to their parking lot
• Speed limit through Fallis is 30 km/hr and is enforced throughout the year by RCMP

John Wojcicki is the chair of the day

Join Karen McDonald, former Executive Director, plus Christie Lavan, current Executive Director of SAGE Seniors Association to hear an update of their organization.

Sage | Seniors Association

located at 15 Sir Winston Churchill Square | Edmonton 

www.mysage.ca 

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/cities-institute/index.html

Ralph Young is the chair of the day

Last year's president Anurag Shourie with help from the Finance Committee will review the year 2025-2026 including financial statements.

The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski https://www.canada.ca/en/government/ministers/eleanor-olszewski.html

Eleanor has represented the riding of Edmonton Centre since April 2025.

In May of 2025, Minister Olszewski was named Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.

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