Scroll down for current highlights on the range of work and interests of featured faculty and students at UNBC School of Planning and Sustainability. For more information about UNBC, its planning program, students & faculty, visit www.unbc.ca/school-planning-and-sustainability.
What makes you passionate about planning?
Since the mid-1990s, aside from my role as Adjunct Faculty at UNBC, I have worked exclusively for First Nations in western Canada in various capacities related to governance, land management and economic reconciliation. For many years, the challenge Indigenous peoples faced in dealing with the impacts of colonial expansion, failed social policies and economic dispossession was simply the struggle to be heard. However, beginning in the early 1990s, changes to Canada’s constitution enabled First Nations to deal with government and industry on a more equal basis. Now that First Nations are “at the table” the approach has changed from social advocacy to active participation in governance and the creation of wealth. The role of planning in this time of economic reconciliation is fundamental.
Tell us about a project you are working on and why it excites you.
It’s an initiative, rather than a specific project, but since 2000 I have worked with First Nations who are party to a Framework Agreement on First Nations Land Management which establishes a process through which they can take back authority to manage lands and natural resources on Indian reserves. In effect, the First Nations take over virtually all the powers of the federal government which they then exercise through full legislative authority. Over 120 First Nations in Canada have completed the process and I have been involved in 25 of these, with more underway. Assisting communities to achieve the power to plan and govern their land uses on the same basis as other governments in Canada is truly rewarding.
What do you think the most important challenge will be for planners in the future?
Complexity. In the near term, political and economic uncertainty makes meaningful longer-term planning very difficult. The absence of a comprehensive policy regime for energy and climate adaptation provides little encouragement. Finally, urbanization is increasing polarization and altering the perception of environmental and social issues. Against this backdrop, consensus-based planning processes will be very difficult.
What are you most excited about at your planning school?
The major in First Nations Planning in the School of Planning and Sustainability at UNBC. Although the specialty has yet to receive full uptake, the need and the opportunities are immense. For example, one small community I work with in Northern BC has received over 60 invitations to participate in various government and public planning processes in the last three years, many of which have significant implications to land and resource interests and community well-being. Acquiring the capacity to participate meaningfully in these processes is essential.
Please tell us about a place or plan that has been influential to you.
The place that has most influenced me in the last twenty years has been Smithfield, my great grandparents’ stone farmhouse located in southeastern Saskatchewan. It was built in 1903 and vacated in 1988, after which it suffered serious vandalism and deterioration. In 2005 I started working to preserve it and in 2015 moved to the area to work on restoration. The project has gained considerable attention and brought me into the provincial and national heritage community where history, heritage, planning, architecture, conservation, climate change adaptation and reconciliation converge. I anticipate that as I retire from professional work, this new and exciting field will keep me active in the coming years.
What makes you passionate about planning?
I’ve always been interested in using planning as a way to create significant change within community, and because of this, I can easily identify my greatest passion in planning as working with rural communities. Being able to work “boots-on-the-ground” within a community sparks something in me that’s hard to describe. I want to be able to empower the voices of those who don’t feel heard, and have found that a significant portion of rural community groups often feel brushed to the side when it comes to participating in planning engagements. Integrating yourself into the community and getting to understand the various niche inner workings and relationships seen within smaller communities is a vital part of working in community. As a planner, the importance of this cannot be understated, and I look forward to transferring this passion into my professional career upon graduation.
Tell us about a project you are working on and why it excites you
In ENPL-415 with Dr. Mark Groulx, our class worked with the Buckhorn Rec Commission to assist with creating a design for the Buckhorn Community Park. We worked with the community members of Buckhorn and were able to collect great insights for the project from using effective community engagement practices. Being able to work with the community to create our final presentation of the site plan was amazing, and really inspired me to want to work with rural communities more in my planning career. Although the project is now over, I’ve been checking the Buckhorn Rec Commission’s Facebook group to see any changes/updates regarding the project. As a whole it was just an absolutely incredible learning experience, and is easily the school project I’m most proud of.
What do you think the most important challenge will be for planners in the future?
While it’s hard to identify just one singular challenge planners will face in the future, I believe that currently there is a growing challenge in getting the general public involved, educated, and interested in the planning process. Whether it be climate action, truth and reconciliation, or walkable cities, there will always be contention among public groups, and today, I believe this is only becoming more frequent in any developmental conversation. Lack of education on a given topic can lead to negative interactions in the planning process, and if we, as a profession, can take a step back and focus more on involving the public through more engaging practices, these negative interactions can be negated. This gap between planners and the public will only continue to grow, however, planners have the opportunity to close this gap by continually improving upon current public engagement practices, in-turn creating a healthier relationship between planner and public.
What are you most excited about at your planning school?
As I approach the final months of my degree, I believe that what excites me the most about planning at UNBC is the increased frequency in studio classes in the program. Each year my classes became much more interactive through various forms of studio learning, which grants the future planners in the classroom a better sense of what it truly means to plan for a community. This “hands-on” approach of teaching and learning is much less restrictive than what I had experienced in classes outside of ENPL, and made me excited to come to class each day, not knowing what activity I’d be taking part in for the day. While this wouldn’t work for every program, it’s absolutely perfect for environmental planning, leaving me hopeful that future planners studying at UNBC will have even better access to this inspiring form of learning.
Please tell us about a place or plan that has been influential to you.
I have to say that the most influential place to me as a planner has been the campus of UNBC, in particular room 8-365, the planning studio. This room, while not perfect, has enabled my learning as a planner to truly be the best it can be, granting its users so many tools to do the best work they can. Some of my best work was done here outside of class hours, meeting with group members to work on projects and furthering the bonds we made together. Room 8-365 is a wonderful small community on campus, and I take great pride in it. I’ll always remember my experiences there fondly, hosting some of my favourite memories with my favourite people on campus.
