Optional Pre-Summit Day — Monday, October 26
Ahead of the main Summit, Monday, October 26 offers three concurrent full-day options: the Connecting the Dots: Community Safety & Well-Being forum, the SPRA Meeting (by invitation), and an Economic Development Fundamentals workshop for elected officials and administrative staff — plus early registration in the evening. This is a separate, optional day ahead of the Summit.
View Pre-Summit Agenda →2026 Provincial Summit
Preliminary Agenda (subject to change)
| Tuesday, October 27 — Agenda (Subject to Change) | |||
| 7:00 – 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 7:30 am | Early Riser Learning Session: SEDA Paths to Prosperity Playbook Jackie Wall, SEDA Jackie Wall will share the new Investment Readiness Guidebook and Asset Mapping Roadmap. Discover how to connect all the dots between industry and community and provide a foundation for opportunity identification and strategy development. | ||
| 8:30 am East/Centre | Opening Remarks & Plenary Session: Connecting the Dots — How to Find Ideas that Matter Bill Stainton, Emmy Award-Winning Innovator Bill Stainton will launch the summit by showing how to uncover game-changing ideas simply by making unexpected connections between challenges, trends, observations, and overlooked opportunities. Participants will leave knowing how to tap into creative problem-solving skills and spot the patterns, possibilities, and ideas that others miss. | ||
| 9:45 am | Network Break | ||
| 10:00 am | Concurrent Sessions | ||
| Shared Value: Creating Rural & Urban Tourism Opportunities Leanne Schinkel, Discover Saskatoon ‘Discover Saskatoon’ is working to extend the visitor experience beyond city limits by collaborating with rural communities to create compelling itineraries and experiences. This session explores how regional collaboration and curated itineraries can strengthen both urban and rural tourism, creating shared value across the visitor economy. | Urban Reserves: Creating Shared Prosperity Through Indigenous Economic DevelopmentJoseph Tootoosis, Kihew Consulting, Charlie Clark, Office of the Treaty Commissioner, Tyson McShane, City of SaskatoonLearn how urban reserves are helping reshape Saskatchewan’s economic future and discover practical approaches for building partnerships that deliver lasting benefits for Indigenous communities, municipalities, businesses, and residents alike. | Funding Pathways for Parks, Recreation & Community Spaces Kacie Loshka and Regan Beck, SPRA A practical overview of funding programs that support parks, recreation, and community infrastructure across Saskatchewan. Learn how communities can align recreation investments with broader economic and social development goals, while leveraging funding to create vibrant, inclusive spaces that enhance quality of life. | |
| 11:00 am | Concurrent Sessions | ||
| From Conversations to Community Growth: The Power of Business Walks & BR+E City of Lloydminster & Partners What happens when communities step out of the office and walk alongside their local businesses? This session explores how annual business walks and Business Retention & Expansion (BR+E) programs are transforming local economies — one conversation at a time. Structured, face-to-face engagement uncovers real-time insights, strengthens relationships, and leads to actionable strategies that support business growth and resilience. | Social Procurement in Action James Dixon, City of Saskatoon The City of Saskatoon is turning procurement into a practical tool for inclusion, local economic growth, and stronger communities. James Dixon will share lessons learned that other municipalities and organizations can apply. | From Talent to Innovation: Unlocking Community Potential with Mitacs Zsuzsu Papp This session will showcase how municipalities, economic development organizations, and local industries can leverage Mitacs programs to access skilled interns, advance innovation projects, and address real-world challenges. Learn how strategic partnerships with post-secondary institutions can strengthen workforce development, support business growth, and drive long-term economic resilience. | |
| 12:00 pm East/Centre | Lunch & Awards Presentation | ||
| 1:30 pm | Plenary: From Silos to Systems — Connecting the Dots to Local & Provincial Prosperity Brenda Herchmer, Grassroots Enterprises Brenda Herchmer invites delegates to move beyond siloed efforts and strengthen their work within a living economic ecosystem. Municipal administrators and elected officials, Indigenous governments, economic developers, parks and recreation providers, community builders, innovation networks, funders, and private-sector partners each play a critical role in the strategies required to grow local and provincial economic, social, cultural, and environmental well-being and prosperity. | ||
| 2:30 pm | Concurrent Sessions | ||
| Short-line Rail: What is Coming Down the Track Rachel Mackenzie, Western Canadian Short-line Rail Association Short line railways are a critical link in Saskatchewan’s supply chain. This session explores the evolving role of short line rail in Saskatchewan, highlights where growth and innovation are taking shape, and looks ahead at what developments could mean for economic development and regional competitiveness. | “We Want to Partner – Now What?” Practical Next Steps for Communities & Indigenous Businesses Terry Bird, George Gordon Developments Terry Bird will discuss how to turn goodwill into bankable partnerships for municipalities and Indigenous businesses. | Economic Nutrition Speaker TBA | |
| 3:20 pm | Network Break | ||
| 3:40 pm | Concurrent Sessions | ||
| Rural Innovation: Building Start-up Ecosystems Gordon More, S.E.T.H & Gwen Machnee, Suncrest College Suncrest College and Southeast College are helping reshape rural entrepreneurship by launching startup ecosystems designed for small communities and regional businesses. Learn how to activate a start-up ecosystem and strengthen your rural economy through education-driven entrepreneurship. | Building Community-Driven Housing: The Northeast Inter-municipal Co-op Project D. James Leir, Terry Tremblay & Candice Minott Community-driven housing projects are gaining momentum — but many stall when grassroots vision meets institutional funding criteria. This session explores how communities can move from local need and engagement to fundable, scalable housing projects, and what strategies — such as phased development, regional collaboration, or bundled projects — can help meet eligibility requirements. | Leveraging Communities in Bloom to support socio-economic development Andrew Exelby, SPRA
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| 5:00 pm | Burger Bar & Trivia at the Capitol Music Club Bussed. Busses depart at 5:00 pm and return to hotel at 8 pm. Delegates can find their own way if pre-registered. | ||
| 7:30 pm | Pick up a ‘Flavours on Foot’ Flyer & Continue Networking | ||
| Wednesday, October 28 — Agenda (Subject to Change) | |||
| 7:00 – 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 7:30 am South Room | Growing Opportunities: Disability Inclusion & Accessibility as Drivers of Economic Growth Sarah Birch, Disability Employment Awareness & Partnerships Specialist
Nearly 30% of Saskatchewan residents aged 15 and older have a disability, representing significant talent, purchasing power and economic opportunity. This session explores the business case for disability inclusion and accessibility and how inclusive practices can strengthen workforce participation, attract customers and contribute to stronger communities. Participants will also discover how disability inclusion connects to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and leave with practical strategies they can put into action. | ||
| 8:30 am East/Centre | Plenary Session: Building the Missing Middle — Unlocking Small and Medium Food Processing in Saskatchewan Dr. Sylvain Charlebois — Canada’s ‘Food Professor’ Canada’s food system is missing a critical middle: small and medium processors that connect farms to markets, reduce supply-chain risk, and drive local economic growth. Dr. Charlebois examines why this gap exists in Saskatchewan, where opportunities are emerging, and how communities can play a strategic role in closing it. The session will highlight investment trends and practical community-level actions that support processing innovation and long-term resilience. | ||
| 9:40 am | Concurrent Sessions | ||
| Building Destination Brands that Compete Ryan Townend, CEO, William Joseph A clear call to action for leaders across tourism, economic development, and community organizations — to define your authentic truth, align your story, and build a brand that inspires people not only to visit, but to belong, invest, and believe. | How-to’s For Moving From Silos to Systems Brenda Herchmer As a follow-up to her keynote, Brenda Herchmer will explore frameworks and resources for applying essential strategies to motivate, mobilize, and maximize communities as ecosystems. | Across the Spectrum: Defense Sector Opportunities Speaker TBA Canada’s defense and security sector is expanding, creating new opportunities for Saskatchewan businesses to enter and grow within national and global supply chains. This session explores where current and emerging defense opportunities exist. TBC. | |
| 10:30 am | Network Break | ||
| 10:45 am | Concurrent Sessions | ||
| Shared Purpose for Long Term Growth Barry Morishita & Jenelle Saskiw, Municipal Empowerment Strategies Discover how seven rural communities have assessed their joint viability in the context of ratepayer services and operations, and the next steps in their journey to ensure resources are available for future investments in the region. | Reimagining Community Recreation and Parks Dr. Jackie Oncescu and Todd Shafer This session will outline how recreation and parks can function as relational infrastructure that foster connection and belonging, strengthen intersectional collaboration, and support long-term sustainability. Through interactive dialogue, participants will explore distinctions between relational and transactional practices and identify opportunities for reimagining recreation and parks as essential drivers of well-being and prosperity. | Unlocking Federal Funding: Opportunities for Community & Economic Development Speaker TBA Explore the range of funding programs offered by the Government of Canada to support community infrastructure, economic development, and innovation. This session will provide an overview of key federal streams, eligibility requirements, and practical tips for navigating the application process. | |
| 11:35 am East Centre | Plenary Session: “North Star — Not Silver Bullet” David Hughes, President & CEO, Generate Canada Empowering people with purpose underlines the work of David Hughes, who leads a national organization that brings together problem-solvers to collaboratively generate, test, and scale solutions to the most complex challenges of our time. Learn about Generate Canada’s ‘Solution Spaces’ that move ideas through small experiments and nudges that build momentum over time. | ||
| 12:15 pm East/Centre | Lunch | ||
| 1:00 pm East/Centre | Closing Plenary: The Power of Together — Building What We Can’t Do Alone Jada Yee Centred on unity and interdependence, Saskatchewan’s Jada Yee explores how stronger connections between communities, sectors, and people unlock greater impact. The session highlights how trust, relationships, and shared purpose drive long-term prosperity — and how every participant plays a role in strengthening those ties. | ||
| 2026 Paths to Prosperity Provincial Summit | Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance | Agenda subject to change | |||