2023 Speakers

01.

Keynote: Dr. Steve Kokelj

Dr. Steve Kokelj is the Senior Permafrost Scientist at the Northwest Territories Geological Survey, Government of the Northwest Territories. For over two decades, he has led northern-based research and monitoring projects which have brought together scientists from abroad, regulators, project planners, and Indigenous partners to investigate permafrost conditions and the impacts of environmental change on northern landscapes and infrastructure. Steve leads a growing team of northern-based permafrost scientists who work with research partners to address the needs of northern stakeholders. His research highlights some of the world’s most rapidly changing permafrost landscapes. Steve has been recognized for his scientific contributions and his communication of results to northerners.

02.

Aileen Ling

Aileen Ling is the Executive Director of Makerspace YK, a non-profit that offers digital fabrication, woodworking and creative arts programming and services. She has a background in design, architecture and community development and has always been interested in achieving social change by helping others develop their playful and inventive capacities. Before her role with Makerspace YK, she organized with the Circular Economy Clubs chapters in Calgary and Toronto. She is still a new resident in the North, but loves the culture of re-use and creativity in the Yellowknife community.

03.

Amy Smith

Amy is Lead Community Pathfinder with the First Nations Waste Minimization Program at Green Action Centre where she has worked for five years. Her passion for waste minimization began in her childhood home in Pinawa, where she helped her parents with the backyard compost and worked a couple of summers at the town recycling depot as a teenager. She has a Masters of Natural Resource Management from the University of Manitoba. Her thesis studied ways to improve end-of-life vehicle recycling in northern Manitoba. In her free time, Amy enjoys cooking, spending time with family and being outdoors camping, canoeing or cross country skiing.

04. # Angela Bidinosti

Bio coming soon

05.

Angela Bigg

Angela was appointed the President & Chief Operating Officer for Diavik Diamond Mine in December 2021 – the first female President based at a Diamond mine in NWT – after spending two years as General Manager Operations, and two years as Vice President, Finance. Since joining Rio Tinto in 2005, Angela has had a variety of Finance, Project and Operational Roles across nine countries and 13 mine sites. Angela is a qualified CPA with a degree from Charles Darwin University (Darwin Australia).

06. # Arnold McKinnon

Bio coming soon

07.

Carla Bitz

Environmental Coordinator, Environment & Sustainability, Town of Banff

Carla coordinates the Town of Banff’s zero waste and circular economy initiatives, which support the Town’s goal to divert 70% of waste by 2028 and ultimately send zero waste to landfill. As a municipality uniquely situated within a National Park and UNESCO world heritage site, Banff faces both unique challenges and opportunities in striving to become a model environmental community. Carla is an amateur gardener, food enthusiast, and policy nerd. Growing up in Calgary, Carla has always had the privilege of enjoying Banff as her backyard and outdoor playground. Her deep connection to the mountains is what drives her work in ensuring that Banff’s pristine beauty remains to be enjoyed by generations to come.

08.

Casey Frantik

Casey Frantik is a professional biologist who worked in the Oil and Gas industry for 9 years completing various environmental compliance and monitoring roles before joining the Government of Saskatchewan in the Environmental Protection Branch in October 2020. Casey currently works within the Northern Region regulating Mining, Industrial and Solid Waste Management facilities. She is passionate about protecting the environment and believes in building relationships and providing education to achieve compliance with various stakeholders. As a Not Myself Today Ambassador, Casey is passionate about mental health and finds creative ways to encourage everyone to participate in developing a positive work environment. Casey is located in Prince Albert and has three daughters who keep her busy outside of the office.

09. # Che-Wei Chung

Bio coming soon

10.

Chris Vaughn

Chris Vaughn is currently the Manager, Sustainability and Waste Management for the City of Yellowknife. He has been with the City for seven years and is originally from Montreal, Quebec where he studied Bioresource Engineering at McGill University. He has been involved in varying degrees with northern waste issues and has helped guide the City towards a more long-term approach to waste management. He is currently on parental leave in Melfort, Saskatchewan.

11.

Christina Seidel

Christina holds a PhD in Engineering Management, a Masters degree in Environmental Design (Environmental Science), as well as a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering. She operates sonnevera international corp., a waste reduction consulting firm, and is the current Executive Director of the Recycling Council of Alberta. Christina loves rural life, choosing to live on a farm near Bluffton, Alberta, where her and her family raise Warmblood horses, and enjoy many other outdoor activities.

12.

Colin McKean

Colin McKean is a freshwater biologist by trade and has been working in the field of environmental management for 45 years. Colin specializes in the development and implementation of environmental programs for industry and their products and Pollution Prevention Programs for industry and industrial sectors. Currently, Colin is the Executive Director of the Canadian Battery Association and is responsible for providing CBA Members with regulatory support and developing a national product stewardship program for lead batteries within regulatory frameworks.

13.

Dawn Tremblay

Dawn Tremblay is the Executive Director of Ecology North, an environmental Non-Profit Organization with Charity Status. Dawn spent several years working with the City of Yellowknife on the Centralized Compost Program, where she witnessed the challenges of managing waste in the North. Dawn has also completed public policy research on Northern Waste Management Systems. Dawn enjoys food, and equally likes compost, especially because compost helps food grow.

14.

Denise Burgess

Ms. Burgess is licensed to practice professional engineering in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador and received her Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo. She has been practicing in the environmental field for over 20 years and has been involved in over 30 landfill gas related projects in Canada. Ms. Burgess has been employed by Comcor Environmental Limited since 2001, most recently as Director of Engineering. In this role, Ms. Burgess has experience in design, permitting, construction, monitoring and on-going operations and maintenance of landfill gas facilities.

15.

Drew Lent

Drew Lent is the Northeast Solar Services lead for Tetra Tech based in Rochester, New York. Drew is a professional geologist with more than 30 years of environmental experience in both the public and private sectors. Over the past nine years, Drew has focused his technical expertise to develop renewable energy projects on landfills and other brownfields. Drew has worked on more than 40 solar and/or battery energy storage (BESS) projects on brownfields in the United States and Canada. He has spoken at several conferences, including the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and SWANA, encouraging renewable energy projects as potential end uses for landfills and brownfields.

16.

Eldon Wallman

  • SWANA Northern Lights Chapter member since 2006. Currently a member of the faculty as an instructor.

  • Solid Waste Dept Head for the City of Steinbach Class 1 regional landfill facility since 2005.

  • 31 years in the retail grocery business for Penner Foods/Sobeys as a produce buyer, merchandiser and store manager.

EDUCATION - Graduated 1976 from Steinbach Regional Secondary School with an Electronics major.

  • EMT Level 1 ambulance trauma attendant, 1991 – 1995.

INTERESTS - Avid snowmobiler, motorcycle and mountain biker.

  • 20 years of organized hockey in Manitoba and Scandinavia.

  • 15 years of wedding photography.

  • Rock concerts and the Winnipeg Symphony.

17.

Eric Nielsen

Eric Nielsen is the Regional Sales Manager for QED Environmental Systems. Eric has over 17 years of experience working in the solid waste industry. As a sub-contractor, he was responsible for the LFG and leachate management systems at WM landfills across Ontario and Quebec. After graduation, Eric moved to Vancouver to assume the role of LFG Well field and Flare station Operator for the City of Vancouver landfill, where he managed the City’s 400+ LFG well field and flare station. In 2014, Eric moved back East and took over the role of Director of Sales for ATZ applied technologies. ATZ was a Canadian family-run design and manufacturing firm focused on LFG and leachate management product solutions. ATZ sold to QED in 2016, and Eric has been in the role of QED’s Regional Sales Manager for Western Canada ever since.

18.

Evan James

My name is Evan James. I am 29. I work alongside with IZWTAG (Indigenous Zero Waste Technical Advisory Group) as one of the Zero Waste Circuit Riders. It is our job and mission to help the first nations with the garbage and recycling, alongside working with the EPR programs in British Columbia.

19.

Faith Green-Mykituk

I am a born and raised Yukon resident who has a lifelong passion for environmental science and protection. I am a mother of two who completed her degree late in life and has been with the City of Whitehorse for 2 years now. I hope my enthusiasm and creative thought process can help create a change in the minds of Whitehorse residents to see waste and compost in a new light.

20.

Garret Gillespie

Garret Gillespie, an agricultural engineer, has been on the Yukon composting scene for more than 20 years. During his time operating the Whitehorse Compost Facility in its early years, Garret began researching and developing technologies that remove contaminants such as plastic from compost. A lot of work later, a very effective separation system was successfully proven and patented, and licensed to Vermeer Corporation. In 2018 BCE began working on an affordable “cleaner-screener” for smaller-scale operations but got shelved due to the pandemic. This work has recently resumed with field testing and proof of concept work at some smaller sites in BC.