Agenda

The 2023 MNL Conference, Trade Show, and AGM happens October 25-28 at the St. John’s Convention Centre. A full agenda will be sent to registered delegates the week of the conference.

Please note: this is not a complete agenda; this page is subject to changes and updates. 

Register for the conference here.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Conference Registration

Check-in and pick up your kit bag, name badge, and other essential information at the registration desk, located in the main lobby off New Gower St. Below is a map of the conference space.

Didn’t register yet? you can do so by going to this page and filling out the form at the bottom of that page to gain admission to the conference (pending your payment, of course).

4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Leadership Summit for women and gender-diverse individuals

Please note, the Leadership Summit requires a separate registration.

MNL is proud to present the Leadership Summit on October 25 at the 2023 Conference, Trade Show and AGM in St. John’s, N.L.

This year’s Leadership Summit celebrates women and gender-diverse individuals through an awards ceremony and will include a panel discussion on advancing allyship within the sector.

7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gerry Rogers presents Come Home Queer

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
MUN Alumni Social
Networking Reception

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
CNA Alumni Social
Networking Reception

Thursday, Oct. 26

8:35 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Opening Plenary

Join us, as we all come together for a municipal sector immersion experience. Join hundreds of your colleagues in this first session of the conference, before we split into smaller rooms for the morning.

2024 is the Year of the Arts. Culture is a vital thread in the fabric of a community, and an essential part of a sustainable future. We are thrilled to welcome Noreen Golfman to the stage to hear her perspective on arts, culture, and community.

“How can art — the experience of art, public art, arts-based festivals and exhibitions, art and design — inform and enhance the social and economic well-being of our communities? Because of our spectacular landscapes and our deep creative talent pool, our province has enormous potential to strengthen and transform us. We require imagination and the will to do so to compete successfully with the most appealing cities and towns on the planet.” – Noreen Golfman

9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Continuing the conversation about the municipal role in housing in NL

MNL has been leading conversations about the role of municipalities in addressing housing shortages across the province. This panel features stakeholders, partners and leaders in a conversation on the housing work done to date, including research and solutions involving municipalities.

9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Municipal Funding Programs
Presented by the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs

9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Green Municipal Fund, Presented by Federation of Canadian Municipalities

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) will present information about their Green Municipal Fund, specifically highlighting projects done by small municipalities with low capacity. It will focus on how these could be replicable by NL municipalities, and also ways in which municipalities have minimized barriers and resources needed to access funding, and how FCM’s new funding opportunities align with the very serious weather events NL is experiencing.

11:05 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Municipal Assessment Agency’s 2023 Operational Report

The Municipal Assessment Agency offers ethical and equitable property assessment services within Newfoundland and Labrador. They are responsible for both residential and commercial property assessments within the province, with the exception of the City of St. John’s. Come join CEO Don Hearn as he delivers the Agency’s Operational Report, followed by a Q&A session.

11:05 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Physician Recruitment and Retention: Next Steps

11:05 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
River, Forest, Slope and Shore: Addressing Our Climate Risks

This latest installment in our climate change action series is a panel addressing a few of the prominent climate risks affecting Newfoundland and Labrador and the solutions being researched here.  Join Dr. Carissa Brown and Marina Cuselli (both of Memorial University) and Marla Desat (National Research Council) for a discussion of the national, provincial and local work underway to address everything from marine storm surge mitigation to enhancing our resilience to boreal forest fire risks. 

12:05 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Luncheon

1:33 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
TRIO Benefits: Update to Member

1:35 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Newfoundland Power: Building a Sustainable Future

1:35 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Municipal Asset Management Program, presented by Federation of Canadian Municipalities

1:35 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
ATIPPA: Ask me Anything, with Rod Hynes, Municipal Access and Privacy Analyst, ATIPP Office

Since the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2015 came into force for municipal government, we have been hearing about the challenges you face with its implementation. We know you have questions! How DO we reconcile privacy and access to information? Why ARE municipalities treated the same way as other levels of government? Are there changes coming? 

Join Rod Hynes, Municipal Access and Privacy Analyst for a fast-paced update and Q&A. He’s looking forward to hearing your stories, questions and concerns. 

3:05 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Land Use Planning, Presented by the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs

3:05 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Navigating Support for Municipalities at Memorial University

3:05 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Mental Health Task Force

3:05 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Telus Business

3:35 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The role of administrators and council, presented by Professional Municipal Administrators

3:35 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Transforming Business Processes through GIS Technology

Presented by Kelly Smith, Director, Corporate Services, MAA and Dylan Sweetland, GIS Coordinator, MAA

In this interactive presentation and discussion, see how the Municipal Assessment Agency (MAA) implemented innovative methods to achieve its goals through GIS technology. MAA has been using aerial imagery since 2019 to enhance property assessment procedures and ensure the accuracy of property data for municipalities. To date, we have reviewed 629 sq. kilometers of aerial imagery resulting in the evaluations of 71,988 residential and commercial properties throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. This success is in collaboration with participating municipalities and the discovery of more than $210,000,000 in new property value increasing revenue for municipalities.

4:05 p.m to 5:00 p.m.
Regional Roundtables

Regional cooperation – working together for mutual benefit – is one of the keys to a sustainable future. How we get there begins with coming together to talk. Join your regional colleagues and MNL Board members in this roundtable-style group discussion.

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Youth Caucus

6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Trade Show Opening Reception | Cash Bar

7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies

Friday, Oct. 27

7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Ministerial Meet and Greet

During this informal networking session, delegates will have the opportunity to meet with provincial and federal Ministers while enjoying a continental breakfast.

11:05 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Local Governance and Gateway Infrastructure Projects in Canada: a panel discussion, moderated by MNL CEO Rob Nolan

Based on observations from a comparative study of Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver as well as the remote gateways of Northwest BC to identify and contrast the distinct local governance configurations in connecting local infrastructure assets to development priorities, as well as to highlight key lessons for municipal councils and administrators involved in such projects.

11:05 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
How to Make Inclusion Work for Your Municipality

Presented by Sean Wiltshire
Join International Award-winning speaker and disability advocate Sean Wiltshire for an insightful and entertaining session on how to fill your Human Resources need by building a diverse workforce within your municipality. This session is for both rural and urban centers and will leave delegates with concrete strategies and avenues to address their ongoing labour market challenges. Learn about how you play a role in making your workplace and communities more inclusive and economically successful.

11:05 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Living Healthier Through Recreation – A Community Perspective

Presented by TA Loeffler
This session will explore the potential to engage and empower our communities in enhancing the well-being of individuals and communities through recreation. The focus will be on identifying the role of recreation within your municipality and the opportunities to motivate and support your residents to participate in recreational pursuits to enhance their quality of life. Join us for an engaging, informative and inspiring exploration of the power of recreation.

11:35 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Enabling Agriculture: What We Need Here

Presented by Nic Fairbridge
Food security challenges are growing and increasingly, people are resurrecting gardens and raising domestic livestock in response. But our planning legislation is getting in the way. “The way it’s written in that kind of legalese jargon, it ends up blocking every fruit tree, every raised bed and everyone,” says researcher and farming advocate Dr. Nic Fairbridge. Join Nic for a discussion of how outdated legislation is at the root of so many current complaints for communities, gardeners and farmers alike throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. 

12:35 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Luncheon, sponsored by the City of St. John’s

3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
World Cafe

5:35 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Indigenous Meet-Up

7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gala Banquet and Presentation of Long Service Awards

9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Evening Social with live music

Saturday, Oct. 28

8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Caucus for Women and Gender Diverse Individuals

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Annual General Meeting