Parksville
x = independently organized TED event

Theme: Sustainability and Innovation

This event occurred on
May 13, 2017
9:00am - 4:00pm PDT
(UTC -7hrs)
Parksville, British Columbia
Canada

Drawing upon researchers, tech companies and innovators from Vancouver Island we will be presenting dynamic speakers that address the question of how we can live a sustainable life while embracing innovation.

Ballenas Secondary School Auditorium
135 Nth. Pym Rd.
Parksville, British Columbia, V9P 2H4
Canada
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Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.

Amie Armet

Public Education Lead Deep Bay Marine Station
Amie Armet is the Public Education Lead at Deep Bay Marine Field Station. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology Degree as well as a Bachelor of Education. She received the Don Galbraith Preservice Teacher Award of Excellence from Western University in 2011. Her previous work included work as a Science Educator with Nanaimo Science and Sustainability as well as a Research Assistant at VIU. She has previous volunteer experience with Science World and Genome BC with their education programs.

Clarke Gourlay

Sustainable Farmer - Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
Cheese works has been working consistently on blending innovation with heritage skills and traditional methods. Equally true in primary agriculture (grazing cows together with robotic milking), food processing (multi-type artisan cheese making with a single elevator cheese vat/pasteurizer, unique in Canada) and sales (our latest thing-beginning this spring is to sell cream top, low temperature-pasteurized milk from a container less bulk vending machine (think of a water dispenser in a grocery store). First time it’s done in Canada that we have been able to find. This spring we are launching a “calfe”, where they prepare cheese-related (and fruit wine?) menus.

Howard Story

Founder CEO Permaculture Institute of Thailand
Howard Story is the founder and CEO of Permaculture Institute Thailand , Wwoof Thailand, (a volunteer organic farm organization) and on the board of other Sustainable living organizations. Permaculture Institute Asia, (Sustainable Communities Thailand, Bamboo Forum of Thailand, Organic Market Gardening Thailand , Issan Permaculture and more) Howard is also a member the UN food organization FAO, IFOAM Organic organization, Stockholm Resilience Centre , Permaculture International. Howard teaches urban and rural community sustainability, resilient village design, food sovereignty.

Jacob Stevenson

Tiny House Consultant
After graduating from Ballenas Secondary School in 2004, I pursued some studies in computer science and then moved on to the electrical trade. A few years ago, my partner Kiva and I made a decision that would lead us down an unexpected and largely unexplored path… designing and building a tiny house from scratch. In addition to the physical project, the Tiny Nest YouTube series was born, followed by a website, an educational product, and some unlikely connections with people around the world. We are growing an online business rooted in the tiny house movement that we hope will compliment our desire to step aside from the traditional lifestyle and live more simply.

Jake West

Entertainer
Jake West – Performer, Teacher, and Entrepreneur. In my professional life, I am highly passionate about 3 areas: Learning, Entrepreneurship, and Performing. “I am a revolutionary teacher (Chief Learner) who is committed to change and evolution. I am also an entrepreneur. I have unlimited energy. I cannot be bound by conventional rules. I go insane. Instead, I need to be pushing my limits daily. I have found that entrepreneurship is my path. I love playing the markets, doing research, analysis, and trading. It is the best game on Earth. Lastly, I am a performing artist. I have to do it. I just have to. I love it with my heart and soul. It makes me happy. I will always adapt myself to perform, because as an artist, why would I ever retire? I have practiced creativity in a professional setting for decades. You can see me doing my solo show in the inner harbour of Victoria (top 5 busker pitch in the world). When there are 3 cruise ships in town, it is quite a show!”

Jeff Hopkins

Principal of Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry
Jeff Hopkins – Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry – PSII is often misrepresented, probably because we are so different and difficult to pigeonhole. PSII is not an alternative school or a “special ed” school, or a correspondence school, or a vocational school. We serve learners of all kinds, but we specialize in serving those who love learning, and those who are looking for a different structure for their learning. In a nutshell, we help our learners to develop unique inquiry pathways that act as the umbrella for projects and other learning activities. These activities comprise a learner’s personalized, interdisciplinary curriculum. Because of this authentic personalization, our school does work for those who prefer to learn differently from the mainstream. We have so far attracted learners who are looking for bigger challenges, more authentic learning opportunities, and a chance to take part in co-designing their own learning path. http://learningstorm.org/

Julie Pisani

Drinking Water Protection Program Coordinator
Julie coordinates the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection program at the RDN where she leads water-related outreach, awareness and education activities; water data collection, research & monitoring efforts; and water planning & policy advocacy. She is an experienced public speaker and facilitator, with a background in nature interpretation, environmental communication and loal government water initiatives. She graduated from the Environmental Studies Program at UVIC in 2010, earned a certificate in Watershed Management from UBC in 2016, and has been working with the RDN since 2011.

Kevin Flesher

Poet Lauerate
Poet Laureate Comox Valley. “My mission is to create more opportunities for more people to experience more poetry,” “Old and young, folks all sorts, in all the nooks and crannies of our valley. I will stir the pot and stoke the fire, bang the tune and strum the lyre. I will be available to write and perform poems for special occasions, perhaps your next funeral or court case could be tweaked with a fresh Limerick. I look forward to serving the Valley in a new and tasty way. With fresh and zesty verse and rhymes served in a lush bouquet.”

Leia Swanberg

Fertility Consultant
-Leia Swanberg is the Founder and CEO of Canadian Fertility Consultants, Canada’s largest surrogacy and fertility consulting company. Canadian Fertility Consultants was founded in 2007 and has grown from a one woman operation into a $5,000,000+ per year business that employs 37 people full-time, with 15 people employed full time in Parksville. Canadian Fertility Consultants is recognized around the world as one of the most innovative and ethical business within the Industry. Leia founded a second business Sacred Surrogacy in 2014, Sacred Surrogacy offers weekend retreats and online courses for both Surrogates and Intended Parents. Sacred Surrogacy is unique in the surrogacy industry, providing meaningful support to both the Surrogate, and the Intended Parents as they go through the remarkable journey of Surrogacy together. Leia’s passion for alternative family building began at age sixteen, when she was a birth mother to a daughter placed in an open adoption. Since then, she has had f

Marjorie Driscoll

Vancouver Island Workability Program
Marjorie Driscoll – Vancouver Island Workability Program – The Pie Factory http://work-ability.ca/the-pie-factory/ The Pie Factory is our second Employment Training Program. It is the creation of Norm Cling who has been in the food creation, catering and restaurant business for over 40 years. The Pie Factory offers a full line of superb meat, vegetarian and fruit pies. All of our pies are made from scratch with only the finest ingredients and new pie creations are constantly being developed. Our program participants who participate in The Pie Factory gain real world work experience in the food preparation, catering and restaurant fields.

Philip Perry

Business Owner
the story of coffee. Philip and Nancy, co-founders of Coyote’s, are privileged to be able to access some of the best organic coffees in the world and even more so to be able to serve those who seek an extraordinary coffee experience. Our mission is to continuously improve the quality of life for our customers as well as the farmers who bring coffee into our world. Coyote’s is not only successful in locally roasting and producing high quality Fair Trade Organic beans to the general public, it also aims for fair pay and compensation for the farmers and co-ops they work with. The mission of Coyote’s is to work closely with small family-owned and -operated farms to promote the highest possible quality attainable given the eco-climate, the resources and the available skills. By travelling to these farms and engaging the farmers directly during harvest season work, Coyote’s is able obtain very high quality coffee resulting in farm to cup excellence.

Sarah Ramsden

Personal Coach
”Sarah Ramsden is a Personal Coach who helps people make conscious and sustainable choices rather than simply drifting into them. In teaching them how to step away from “what’s done”, what they’re “supposed” to do, or what’s expected, they’re able to build lives they can actually enjoy. Sarah helps her clients discover what they truly stand for outside of a lifetime of unwritten rules, and then prioritize what’s most important to them in simple and practical ways.”

Organizing team

Graeme
Nailor

Organizer