Plan to attend one of three Columbia Basin Trust Symposia in Cranbrook, Trail or Golden.

Columbia Basin Trust is inviting Basin residents to celebrate the region together and discuss the future at three symposia taking place in Cranbrook (May 26 and 27, College of the Rockies), Trail (June 9 and 10, Trail Memorial Centre) and Golden (June 23 and 24, Golden Civic Centre). Attendees will enjoy local food, music and stories—and hear from keynote speaker, noted Canadian comic and television personality Rick Mercer.

“The last few years have reaffirmed how very fortunate we are to live in the Basin, and how important our connections with each other are,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “For the first time ever, I am so pleased to announce that we are hosting three symposia in a single year so that as many Basin residents as possible can join these celebrations and conversations.”

The Trust symposia is an opportunity for residents to gather and celebrate the region, as well as consider the future.

Free and open to people who live in the Basin, each symposium runs from 3 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday. The core content and schedule will be the same at each event. Residents can register for one event that works best for their schedule. Registration opens here on April 3 at 1:00 pm PT.

Rick Mercer will be the keynote speaker at all three Trust symposia.

Not to be missed is the keynote speaker Rick Mercer, one of Canada’s funniest satirists. Mercer will tell the story of his road to stardom, bringing his bestselling memoir Talking to Canadians to life on stage and sharing unforgettable stories from his youth, his days as an aspiring actor and his years as a true national treasure.

The symposia will also include festive food, art and entertainment, including music by Maritime Kitchen Party and Doggone Brothers. View the agenda here.

High-energy Revelstoke band Maritime Kitchen Party will follow the keynote speaker at all three symposia.

Meals, snacks and beverages during the event are provided free of charge. Participants are required to arrange for and pay for their own accommodations and travel, if required. The Trust strives to make these events low barrier; email future@ourtrust.org if you have questions, comments or accessibility considerations.

These symposia are part of the Trust’s Basin-wide public engagement process called Our Trust, Our Future, with community meetings for that process starting April 3 in Invermere. At the symposia, attendees will have the opportunity to hear themes that emerge from the Trust’s public engagement this spring and contribute further to the conversation that will help the Trust develop its next Columbia Basin Management Plan.

Fernie’s Doggone Brothers will provide music for a food truck dinner on Friday night at all three symposia.

Learn more about the 2023 Columbia Basin Trust Symposia and Our Trust, Our Future at future.ourtrust.org.

Columbia Basin Trust supports the ideas and efforts of the people in the Columbia Basin. To learn more about the Trust’s programs and initiatives, and how it helps deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Basin, visit ourtrust.org.