Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs

Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) was founded in 1967. It is an independent forum, moderated by volunteers, meeting Thursdays at noon some 40 weeks a year and at occasional special sessions, to debate local, provincial, national, and international issues of concern to the residents of Lethbridge and Southern Alberta.

SACPA sessions are at the LSCO (Lethbridge Senior Citizen Organization) at 500 11 St. S. Lethbridge, lunch at 11:30 am, speaker 12:00 to 1:00 and made available on our YouTube channel for viewing and you are invited to explore them on our YouTube channel.

The rationale of the Council is that the strength of a political democracy is lodged in the freedom of citizens to assemble and freely discuss ideas and issues. SACPA seeks to promote a sense of community and citizenship amongst the public. It is strictly non-partisan in its political outlook and encourages the expression of divergent viewpoints. SACPA does not take sides on the issues debated at its sessions. The opinions expressed by speakers are their own and are not necessarily shared by the Board of Directors.

Upcoming Sessions

Why have drug poisoning deaths decreased in Lethbridge and Alberta, despite the closure of supervised drug injection sites?

Speaker: Morgan Magnuson
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Recorded fatal drug poisonings and overdose deaths in Lethbridge dropped significantly leading up to the final closure of the city’s remaining supervised consumption/overdose prevention site in June 2026. Lethbridge recorded 17 fatal drug overdoses in 2025, a dramatic decrease from the peak of 122 deaths reported in 2023 and the 2025 death toll marked the lowest annual count in the city since 2016. Across Alberta, overall drug-related deaths fell by roughly 35% between 2023 and 2025.

Alberta at a Crossroads: Will we choose Single-Payer or Two-Tier American-Style Health Care?

Speaker: Chris Gallaway, Executive Director Friends of Medicare
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Canadian Medicare is supposed to be a universal system where you access care based on need using your health card. Yet, Albertans are seeing the provincial government implement an aggressive systematic overhaul, arguably designed to slowly put an end to single-payer, universal public Medicare to benefit the profits of private health corporations and insurance companies. The speaker will contend that we still have a choice of which path we take but only if we act now.

Should K-12 students be taught ethics in argumentation?

Speaker: Dr. Katharina Stevens and Dr. Luis Andrade
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Critical Thinking is officially a Competency Progression in the new curriculum for Alberta’s K-12 schools. This means that teaching critical thinking is a cornerstone in our children’s education. But what should children learn when it comes to critical thinking? Research in argumentation theory suggests that critical thinking should also include competency in the ethics of exchanging reasons: We argue with others, and we should do so respectfully and inclusively. After all, we can hardly make good decisions about what to believe and do if we do not take everyone’s reasons into account equally!

Inside the Mind of a Hacker: How are Trust, AI and Our Digital Identities Being Exploited?

Speaker: Chris Plumb
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

How does a criminal turn publicly available information into a believable deception? This presentation follows a fictional attack from the attacker’s perspective, revealing how everyday details, familiar relationships and pressure can influence our decisions. The speaker will explore how artificial intelligence is changing social engineering through automated information gathering, personalized scam messages and synthetic media. A live face-altering demonstration will challenge the assumption that seeing someone on a screen is enough to verify their identity.

What are the implications of online misinformation for Alberta’s indigenous populations?

Speaker: Kris Hodgson-Bright, MA, and Dr. Kirsten Fantazir, PhD
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

The Ihtsitomaniista’po’tako’p (Working Together) project is a partnership between Ninastako Cultural Centre and Lethbridge Polytechnic. We are studying Indigenous-specific misinformation, which is false, misleading, or inaccurate information about Indigenous Peoples, cultures, histories, and communities. We want to better understand how this misinformation spreads, how it affects people and communities, and how Indigenous knowledge, stories, language, and digital media can help address it. Community members, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, educators, content creators, and members of the public all have important perspectives to share.

Recent Sessions

How are tariffs and trade issues with the US affecting Lethbridge?

Speaker: Cyndi Crane
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Lethbridge ranks as the 10th most vulnerable Census Metropolitan Area in Canada to U.S. tariffs, driven by a heavy reliance on cross-border agricultural and manufactured exports. Over 91% of Lethbridge’s $2.2 billion in annual local exports go directly to the United States. U.S. exports account for roughly 19.4% of the city’s total gross domestic product with agribusiness, food processing (beef, canola, wheat, and potatoes), and specialized farm/ranch equipment manufacturing facing the highest direct exposure.

Why is Alberta holding a referendum on provincial-federal relations, citizens' & non-citizens' rights, and election security?

Speaker: Shannon Phillips
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

The October 19 provincial referendum will ask Albertan voters 10 questions, nine of them concern policy issues. Voters are asked five questions to indicate their stances on increasing provincial control over immigration to prioritize economic migration; limiting provincial social services to citizens, permanent residents, and Alberta-approved immigrants; requiring non-permanent residents to stay in Alberta for more than 12 months before accessing provincial social services; charging non-permanent residents a premium for using provincial social services; and new rules regarding requirements to vote in a provincial election.

Got a Gripe? Tell the World. How to air your grievances to the public.

Speaker: Ken Moore
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026 12:00 PM
Venue: Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

The speaker will discuss writing for public papers like the Lethbridge Herald, the difference between venting and advocating, restrictions on newspapers vs other outlets, and the anatomy of a good column. He will then explain why he started on Substack, what other outlets are available for free, and the golden rule for griping responsibly. Speaker: Ken Moore Ken Moore is a former News Director at CFAC Lethbridge Television. He worked in both radio and television as a news reporter covering both municipal and provincial politics.