Municipal Symposium 2026

Partners in Progress

May 7, 2026
to
May 9, 2026
in
Gander
at
Quality Hotel & Suites
May 7, 2026
to
May 9, 2026
Gander
Quality Hotel & Suites

Agenda

Wednesday, May 6

7:00 pm

-

9:00 pm
Registration

Thursday, May 7

8:30 am

-

9:00 am
Salon C/D
Sponsor Showcase and Networking with Coffee and Tea Service
9:00 am

-

10:00 am
Salon A
Opening Plenary with Keynote Address from Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones
10:00 am

-

10:30 am
Salon C/D
Sponsor Showcase / Networking / Nutrition Break
10:30 am

-

11:25 am
Theatre
Tax Year 2027 Valuation Results
Join Municipal Assessment Agency CEO Don Hearn as he presents on the 2027 valuation and other key MAA updates. Delegates will also have an opportunity to engage in a Q and A session. Outcomes: Member...
Presented by
Sponsored by
11:30 am

-

12:25 pm
Salon A
Canada Community-Building Fund
A discussion of the Canada Community‑Building Fund (CCBF) and its subcomponent, the Provincial Targeted Infrastructure Fund (PTIF), outlining how they work, their eligibility criteria, and recent prog...
Sponsored by
12:30 pm

-

2:00 pm
Luncheon
3:00 pm

-

3:55 pm
Salon A
Social Media Best Practices for Municipalities: Your Questions Answered
Jointly presented by MNL and PMA, this panel discussion and Q&A session aims to provide clarity, guidance and inspiration on social media use for municipalities. Bring your questions to have them ...
Presented by
4:30 pm

-

5:00 pm
Theatre
Connect, Engage, Collaborate, and Create Meaningful Impact: Memorial University’s Renewed Approach to Public Engagement
What if your municipality could regularly and easily tap directly into the knowledge, research, experience, and resources of Memorial University? What if you could work directly with the Office of Engagement and other Memorial partners on real initiatives that are important to you and NL, and which exemplify best practice in engagement?
This session introduces Memorial University’s renewed Office of Engagement which will: pragmatically work with partners across our province to build awareness of the importance of quality engagement; strengthen our shared capacity to design and deliver it; and co-convene, co-create, and co-lead strategic initiatives with partners like MNL and individual municipalities which address important community needs while modelling ‘best-practice’ public engagement.
The new Office of Engagement can help municipalities connect with the right people at Memorial and navigate the university. It can work with you to develop capacity building opportunities that ‘raise the bar’ on engagement practice across our province. It can work with you to convene the people and groups needed to solve complex problems, accelerate positive change, and make a difference. If you’re looking for new ways to address local challenges, build capacity, and collaborate with Memorial, this session is for you.
7:30 pm

-

9:30 pm
Welcome Reception | Sponsor Showcase

Friday, May 8

8:00 am

-

8:30 am
Sponsor Showcase, Networking, Coffee and Tea Service
10:00 am

-

10:30 am
Sponsor Showcase / Networking / Nutrition Break
10:30 am

-

10:55 am
Salon A
Welcoming Communities for Recruited Healthcare Professionals and Families
In this session we will introduce Work in Health NL and Healthcare Infusions – sharing tools and information on how municipalities can get involved and make a difference in this important work. Work i...
Presented by
10:30 am

-

11:25 am
Theatre
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
Sponsored by
11:00 am

-

11:25 am
Salon A
Where Will Your Town Be in 10 Years?
What will your town look like a decade from now, and what choices will shape that future? Led by Rudy Norman, MNL Program Coordinator for the Tomorrow’s Towns program, this interactive session invites...
Presented by
11:30 am

-

12:25 pm
Theatre
Tourism Accommodation Tax
This session will provide municipalities with an overview of the Tourism Accommodation Tax, outlining the legislative authority, decision points, and best practices for implementation and governance. ...
Presented by
12:30 pm

-

2:00 pm
Luncheon
4:00 pm

-

4:30 pm
Prize Draws
7:30 pm

-

9:30 pm
Gander International Airport
Connections: A Trip Through the Ages with MNL
Join us for a special evening at the iconic Gander International Airport as we celebrate 75 years of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador with a networking event like no other. Step back in time ...

Saturday, May 9

9:00 am

-

10:30 am
Small Towns Caucus
9:00 am

-

10:30 am
Urban Municipalities Caucus
11:30 am

-

12:00 pm
Closing Remarks
©2026, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, All Rights Reserved.

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