SACPA acknowledges that our events takes place on the lands of the Blackfoot People and Metis Nation of Alberta, Region lll and we pay respect to their past, present and future cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship to the land. SACPA commits to assist reconciliation efforts by raising awareness of the ways past and present injustices can be reconciled.

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

Upcoming Sessions

Tour of Nokoowaayi “My Home” supportive housing complex

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 2:30 PM

461 Stafford Drive North

Special SACPA program and Tour of “My Home” Nokoowaayi Supported Housing, 416 Stafford Drive North Date: Tuesday January 13, 2026 Time: 2:30 to 3:30 pm Program and Tour guide, Kayla Podrasky of the Lethbridge Housing Authority Presentation in the dining room, Q & A with coffee and snacks by Miro. Tour on the main floor for those interested Privacy of Residents: Residents will be told that guests are coming so they can avoid the dining room if they wish.

Bill 12: What can vulnerable Albertans expect?

Thursday, January 15, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Rene Plaizier

Bill 12 introduces the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) to replace Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). Many vulnerable Albertans face significant benefit cuts (around $200/month less than AISH), reduced income exemptions, removal of cost-of-living adjustments, and limited appeal rights. The Bill has sparked major concern about increased poverty and vulnerability despite government claims that these changes modernize support. The speakers elaborate on the impacts of Bill 12 and will address concerns about these issues.

Fear and loathing in Alberta - how do we overcome it to save the Prairie Rattlesnake?

Thursday, January 22, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Sheri Monk, owner of Snakes on a Plain

The prairie rattlesnake is one of the three species which still remain in Canada, and they are facing unprecedented pressures through road mortality and habitat loss. There is no question that if this iconic species is to persist in Canada’s Wild West, it will require humans to sanction their survival. Join Sheri to unravel how perception and myth can lead to persecution and fear and how we can fight back with truth, compassion and empathy.

South Campus: How can we Plan for Tomorrow, Together?

Thursday, January 29, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Trevor Lewington

Communities everywhere are grappling with how best to grow. How to balance opportunity with responsibility, and how to create spaces that support people, businesses, and future generations. The South Campus project sits at the heart of that conversation in Lethbridge. Located west of the Oldman River and south of the University of Lethbridge, these lands offer a rare, once-in-a-generation chance to shape a new kind of neighbourhood. A neighbourhood that reflects community needs, local values, and long-term potential.

Why study bird brains?

Thursday, February 5, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Dr Andrew Iwaniuk, Professor of Neuroscience

Why would anyone bother studying bird brains? This is a question that I frequently get from many people. As I will discuss, studying bird brains led to the discovery that adults can add new cells to the brain: this has informed current treatments and experiments in human brains. Birds also provided some of the first evidence that hormones can affect human brain anatomy and function. A lot can also be learned about bird behaviour from studying their brains, which I will illustrate from our own studies of hummingbirds, vultures, and the Dodo.

Whatever Happened to Good Old-Fashioned Manifest Destiny? Imperialism and Colonialism in our Modernity

Thursday, February 12, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Don McIntyre, Professor of Indigenous Governance and Business Management

Whatever Happened to Good Old-Fashioned Manifest Destiny? Imperialism and Colonialism in Our Modernity asks why ideas we claim to have outgrown continue to surface in today’s political, economic, and business decisions. Drawing on current events—from resource extraction and land disputes to assertions of sovereignty and inevitability—I explore how colonial and imperial logics persist, often unnamed. As a professor of business specializing in Indigenous business and governance and in the structures of colonialism, I approach Manifest Destiny not as history but as a lingering framework.

Should Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) be Available to People with Mental Illnesses?

Thursday, February 19, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Dr. Nicholas Dunn, Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Since the legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in 2016 and its subsequent expansion in 2021, Canada has been at the forefront of global debates about assisted dying. The most contentious issue at present is the pending inclusion of mental illness as the sole underlying medical condition (MI-SUMC). Now postponed twice, it is set to take effect in March 2027. The decision to delay the expansion of MAID MI-SUMC was framed as a matter of readiness, allowing further consultation and the development of proper safeguards.

Recent Sessions

Recent Sessions

What is the role of a community newspaper in the digital age?

Thursday, January 8, 2026 12:00 PM

Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization

Scott Sakatch

This presentation will focus on the changes that have taken place in new media in general and community newspapers specifically over the past 20 years, and what strategies might best help this medium thrive in the future. Speaker: Scott Sakatch Scott Sakatch recently retired after a year as editor of the Lethbridge Herald. Prior to that, he was an editor and reporter at the Herald from 1997-2006. In the interim years, he worked for former Lethbridge West MLA Greg Weadick and ran a communications consulting business.
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