Sustainability Event

11 am: Screening of Geographies of Solitude
1 pm: Light snacks served/ lunch break
2 pm: Short Films Screened: Hell and Highwater & American Scar (including a Q&A)
3 pm: Sustainability Panel

Short Films

American Scar

USA
Directed by Daniel Lombroso
In English
13 minutes

“At the US–Mexico border, a ragtag group of environmental activists uncover the devastating effects wall-building has had on the local fauna, who have no concept of national borders. What these creatures need to survive and thrive is a unified and accessible ecosystem. Needless destruction to fragile ecologies is not acceptable. The time to act is now!”

Hell and Highwater

Canada
Directed by Jeremy Williams
In English
23 minutes

“Hell and Highwater follows two Indigenous families as they deal with the trauma of fires and flooding in Canada. The town of Lytton was completely destroyed by a fire some say was started by a passing train after record 49˚C temperatures. A few months later flooding devastated the area. Often, Indigenous people live in ‘reservations’ in Canada and have nowhere to go after these catastrophes.”

Sustainability Panel Discussion

To close off the Sustainability Event at the 2023 KFF, we will feature the return of the Sustainability Panel. Once again moderated by BCLC’s Peter ter Weeme, the panel will feature Dr. Lael Parrott, photographer John Kurc (from American Scar), and other experts as they discuss sustainability within the framework of the devastating natural events that BC has faced in recent years.

Moderator

Peter ter Weeme
Chief Social Purpose Officer and Vice President, Player Experience at BCLC

In his role, Peter is responsible for BCLC’s social purpose commitment, overall reputation management and end-to-end player experience, and marketing strategies. A 25-year veteran of the values-driven marketing, sustainability and social purpose movement, his mandate is to transition BCLC to a purpose-driven organization that offers lottery, casino, and online players an exceptional and responsible entertainment experience.

Prior to joining BCLC in February 2020, Peter was the EVP, Purpose and Brand Citizenship for Elevator Strategy, now PS&Co, a Vancouver-based marketing and communications firm. With an MBA specializing in environmental management, he has founded and grown two successful consultancies and previously led the marketing and communications at Mountain Equipment Company, Canada’s national retail leader in social and environmental responsibility. Peter’s professional experience spans the world of corporate, government and non-profit clients in North America, Europe, and Asia. He has lived and worked in Canada, the Netherlands, and India where he has advised companies and organizations on a range of values-based issues. He has also developed various campaigns and initiatives focused around issues such as climate action, conservation, public health, and diversity and inclusion.

A recipient of Business in Vancouver’s “40 under 40″ award, Peter is an active member of various
progressive business and community initiatives. He is a Director of Western Canada Theatre and
a Director of the Cape Cod Center for Sustainability while also acting as an advisor to a variety of
mission-based enterprises.

Panelists

Dr. Lael Parrott

Lael Parrott (PhD, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, McGill University) is a Professor in Sustainability and Associate Dean for Faculty & Research at the I.K. Barber Faculty of Science and Director of the Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience and Ecosystem Services (BRAES) at The University of British Columbia. She is cross-appointed in the Departments of Earth, Environmental and Geographic  Sciences and Biology on UBC’s Okanagan Campus. Prior to joining UBC, she was an Associate Professor in Environmental Geography and Director of the Complex Systems Laboratory at Université de Montréal (2001-2012).

Dr. Parrott leads an internationally recognized research program in modelling and characterizing contemporary regional landscapes and ecosystems as complex human-environment systems. She promotes a holistic, complex systems vision of managing land and water resources at the landscape scale. She has extensive experience in leading multipartite groups to share this vision to find sustainable management solutions that reconcile ecological, societal and economic objectives. Her innovative, complex systems approach to studying the environment earned her the honour of being named one of 25 “movers and shakers” of Quebec society with bright ideas for the future (Canadian National News Magazine, Actualité, Sept. 2009).

Dr. Parrott grew up in Vancouver, BC and maintains a close connection to BC’s landscapes. Dr. Parrott operates within a value system in which she acknowledges an ethical responsibility to protect other species and to nurture respectful human inter-relationships with those species. Her research program is influenced and informed by these values, and by her connection to place. She is currently Vice-President for Access and Environment on the National Board of Directors of the Alpine Club of Canada. She divides her time between work, family, and the mountains.

John Kurc
Subject of American Scar

John Kurc is a photographer with a love for the art form that began in his teens. With a background in concert photography and fine art portraiture, John has honed his skills to create stunning and memorable images. His travels through the United States and Europe have allowed him to experiment with different formats and capture memories in motion. John’s passion for photography is evident in the quality of his work and his commitment to capturing life’s fleeting moments.

John ended up on the US/MX border because of his interest in documenting the ecocide, human rights violations and the militarization that is happening. His two week trip is now in it’s third year.

Some examples of John’s work are at www.kurc.com