KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University (TRU) continues vital conversations on building more resilient and sustainable communities at the second Livable Cities, Collaborative Communities conference.
Expanding on the successful dialogue on sustainability and resiliency that began at the Livable Cities conference in 2024, this year’s participants will continue to work together toward building more livable cities and collaborative communities for all. Delegates from industry, local and provincial government, and community and Indigenous organizations will join TRU faculty and students on the university’s Kamloops campus on the traditional lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc for the event on Feb. 20 and 21.
“One of the goals of this gathering will be to identify where progress has been made in the realm of sustainability and where obstacles remain for communities in the BC Interior,” said Professor Doug Booth, chair of the conference steering committee, which is working with TRU faculty and students and the Sustainability Office to bring this year’s convention together. “Our communities are feeling the impacts of numerous extreme events in recent years and building resilience is a high priority.”
Livable Cities, Collaborative Communities II will focus on three key sustainability themes: food systems and food security, local policy initiatives and Indigenous initiatives. One goal is to build a bank of resources upon which other groups and organizations can draw in the future. As part of the three-year project launched with the 2024 conference, the Livable Cities website will share resources and highlight undergraduate and graduate student contributions to provide the widest possible range of voices and perspectives.
The event opens with an inspiring keynote address by TRU distinguished alum and honorary doctor Kevin Loring. Loring is an accomplished playwright, actor and director from Nlaka’pamux (Lytton) First Nation, and currently the inaugural artistic director of Indigenous theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre.
In-depth roundtable discussions and hands-on workshops will encourage participants to dive deeper into the core themes and explore practical solutions. Livable Cities aims to produce community resources that highlight the potential for building sustainable and resilient communities in the face of interrelated social, geographical and climatic changes in central British Columbia.
“As we look ahead to 2030 — when TRU aims to be carbon neutral — Livable Cities will also reaffirm and realign community and university efforts around the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” said James Gordon, manager of sustainability programs at TRU.
Against a confluence of global and local crises, including climate change, TRU aims to identify solutions for building a better future for all people and the planet by bringing people together for this vital discussion. Anyone interested in attending the conference please visit the Livable Cities website.
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Contact:
Michele Young, Manager, Communications Content
University Relations, Thompson Rivers University
250-828-5361 | micyoung@tru.ca
