About Us

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Professional Development Sessions

Municipal Finance Officer Session (MFO)

Facilitator: TBD
A detailed MFO session will be released closer to the date.

IT Session: Introduction to Microsoft InTune

Facilitator:Jay Redmond, IT Manager, Town of Truro
A brief overview of the features of Microsoft InTune being used by the Town of Truro. We will cover conditional access, device management, BitLocker drive encryption, Windows update control, and Defender antivirus.

Municipal Government 101

Facilitator: Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing (DMAH)
This session will provide an overview of Municipal Government within the Province of Nova Scotia, the types of municipal units, and highlight their extensive responsibilities. We will explore issues such as governance, legal frameworks and spend time addressing the questions you have always wanted to ask.

Accessibility Foundations Training (Developed by the Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate)

Facilitators: Laura Beth MacPherson (she/her), Senior Policy Analyst, Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate; Holly MacLellan (she/her), Municipal Accessibility Support Coordinator, AMANS.

By participating in this 2-hour interactive workshop, participants will be able to:

• Define disability, types of disabilities, accessibility, and the prevalence of disability in Nova Scotia
• Explain the importance of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act
• Understand the impact of the Accessibility Act on Prescribed Public Sector Bodies (PPSBs)
• Provide examples of barriers and ableism and their impacts on persons with disabilities
• Outline practices to support persons with disabilities to meaningfully participate in community, work, and play

CAO Session

This session is an opportunity for CAOs, Clerks, and Treasurers of each municipality to get together and have candid conversations about issues impacting them, their municipality, or their region. Light snacks will be provided.

 Opening Reception

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Early Riser's Club: Guided Walk/Run

Kick off the conference with an early morning walk or run with other delegates.

Trade Show, Early Bird Draws, and Registration

Welcome Remarks and Conference Opening

Keynote: Breaking Through Adversity with the Resilience Roadmap

Speaker: Mark Black, Heart and Double-Lung Transplant Recipient – turned – 4-Time Marathon Runner, Author, Coach and Speaker

Mark will provide a framework for success despite the odds and provides a powerful dose of inspiration and excuse-eliminating motivation. Using his life story of battling a life-threatening disease, surviving a Heart & Double-Lung Transplant, and recovering to run 4 marathons. Mark will show you that you are limited more by perceptions than circumstances. But it goes far beyond emotions or attitude. This keynote will provide a powerful experience and leave you with practical takeaways they can implement in your municipality the following day

Networking Break and Meet the Exhibitors

Concurrent A Sessions

A1: Legal Updates and Developments

Speaker: Noella Martin, KC | Partner, Burchell, Wickwire, Bryson Lawyers

The legal trends for municipalities are inevitably changing. In this session, we are joined by Noella Martin from Burchell, Wickwire, Bryson Lawyers, who will share some insight on the emerging legal issues in Municipal Government – including what we have learned through collective bargaining, legislation addressing medical notes and the impact on attendance management, as well as other significant developments.

A2: Public Procurement 101

Speaker: Edwina Renaux, Purchasing Officer/Finance, Town of Truro

No matter the size of your municipality, public procurement rules and regulations must be followed. Whether or not your municipality has a designated procurement specialist, understanding the basics of public procurement is important. Join the Town of Truro in an interactive session that will highlight some best practices and basic processes around procurement, followed by a question and answer period. You will also leave this session with templates you can work with.

A3: Using Planing Language in Municipal Communications

Speaker: Erin Casey (she/they), Professional Communicator, Writer, and Editor

Come learn the basics of plain language in this hands-on workshop, including:

• what clear and accessible language is, and why it's an issue of equity and inclusion
• who benefits from plain language
• the key principles of plain language
• how you can start incorporating plain language into your everyday communication

AMANS Power Session

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn what's going on with your Association. Come and hear the latest project updates and learn about the new initiatives AMANS is taking on this year.

Luncheon | Sponsored by Hub International and TELUS Health

Concurrent B Sessions

B1: HR Stream: Navigating Employee Support Systems

Panelist: Mary Morris, Executive Director, Employer Advisor Nova Scotia Society; Krista Heslop, Section Manager, Desjardins Insurance

Understanding and navigating the system from an employer perspective. How do employers work with the WCB Board, especially municipalities that do not have designated Human Resources support systems. Desjardins will discuss the opportunities available with the Group Insurance's early assistance program and how to prevent disabilities.

B2: Assurance for your Insurance

Panelists: TBD

Not every municipality has an insurance specialist on staff. This leaves Municipalities to rely on advice from brokers and legal advisors; but in discussions on insurance coverage, sometimes your broker says, "ask legal" and legal says "ask our broker". How do we know when we have the ‘right’ coverage from a risk management perspective? On this panel, we'll hear from municipal staff, broker/insurer, and legal advisor perspectives on how to weigh the risks when assessing your municipal insurance coverage.

B3: Succession Planning: Advice on Transition to a Senior Leadership Role

Speaker: Kim Ramsay, CAO, Municipality of the District of East Hants

This session will focus on preparing employees for career advancement in municipal government. Kim will discuss how to have a forward-thinking planning lens and how to make informed, intentional decisions to prepare yourself for a leadership role.

Networking Break

What Does Truth and Reconciliation Mean for Your Municipality?

Speaker: TBD

What is working and what are the next steps: a reflection on how Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action can help your municipality and the Indigenous communities you serve.

Off-Site Activities (optional)

Option 1: Tour of the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre ($15.00)
Option 2: Visit to the Truro Brewing Company (own expense)
Option 3: Bike or Walk the "Railyard" in Victoria Park (Free, BYOBike!)

Thursday Evening Casual Night Out at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre (Optional)

Join your municipal colleagues for a buffet meal, drinks, live entertainment, and a tour of the facility ($ 35.00 + HST).

Hospitality Suite and Live Music - Inn on Prince

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Session Details

Early Riser's Club: Guided Walk/Run

Networking and Early Bird Draw

Provincial Update

Come join the conversation with the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing (DMAH). This session will feature updates by DMAH on current issues as well as information from Education and Early Childhood Development and Environment and Climate Change on matters impacting municipalities.

Networking Break

Municipal Success Stories: Innovation in Employee Retention and Attraction

Panelist: Kim Ramsay, CAO, Municipality of East Hants; Rob Frost, Deputy CAO, Municipality of the County of Kings.

Real-life stories from municipalities on how they manage their employees through modern-day retention and attraction practices:

• Municipality of East Hants: Employee Satisfaction and Culture  
• Municipality of the County of Kings: Diversity and Employee Wellness Practices

11:15 - 12:15 pm

Closing Keynote: Courageous Conversations

Speaker: Ann Divine, CEO and founder of Ashanti Leadership and Development Services Inc. and co-founder of Ashanti Leadership Academy

Our people are our most valued resource. It is where the individuals we employ, are encouraged to bring their authentic and best self and to feel they are welcome and belong. Their opinions are values, and they are recognized for their unique perspectives. As a result, our business is thriving, productive, progressive, and successful. This is our ultimate goal. Yet, in today’s ever changing and unprecedented times, both employers and employees are being challenged. Studies have shown that many employees are not happy, and they struggle with being fully engaged in the workplace for a variety of reasons, these can be defined by their race, gender, sexual orientation, cultural and religious values, persons with disabilities and most recently mental health challenges because of the impact of the pandemic.

Courageous Conversations may be new to some, but some communities would argue that they have always had such conversations but were dismissed, avoided. To have such conversations and win over those who have felt dismissed, individuals must be prepared to face challenges to the privileged and powerful. They are encouraged to build meaningful and trusting relationships.

Wrap-Up and Grand Prize Draw