Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at 6:45 - 8:30 AM PST
Powering Forward: B.C.'s Energy Evolution and Economic Growth
Speaker: Honourable Adrian Dix,
Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, Province of B.C.
Adrian was appointed Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs in November 2024. He is a fierce defender of public healthcare and previously served as Minister of Health from July 2017 to November 2024. During his time as Minister of Health, he helped lead the province through the worst public health crisis in modern history, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adrian served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 2011 to 2014.
Adrian was raised in Vancouver and is a UBC graduate. He is married to award-winning poet and writer Renée Sarojini Saklikar.
Speaker: Bryan Cox,
General Manager, External Affairs, PETRONAS Canada
Bryan is General Manager, External Affairs at PETRONAS Canada, where he leads the team activating the company’s external advocacy strategies, collaborating directly with governments and external and community partners regarding the continued responsible development of natural gas and LNG in Canada.
Prior to his current role he was the President and CEO of the Canadian LNG Alliance, where his team worked with governments and partners across Canada to realize the opportunity to build a world-leading LNG industry for the benefit of all Canadians. Prior to joining the Alliance, Bryan was the President and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC), leading the Association’s efforts to position the BC industry as a global leader in responsible development and critical contributor to society's transition to a lower carbon economy.
Bryan also spent seven years in the brewing industry in progressively senior roles for Canada’s largest brewers across the four western provinces. Before joining the private sector, Bryan spent several years in senior political advisory roles with the Government of British Columbia.
Speaker: Colleen Giroux-Schmidt,
Senior Vice President - Development Western Canada and Federal Government Affairs, Innergex
Colleen Giroux-Schmidt joined Innergex in 2011. As Senior Vice President – Development Western Canada and Federal Government Affairs, she leads the engagement and relationship activities with all levels of government, communities, strategic partners and other stakeholders, and she oversees Innergex’s environmental obligations and risks across all phases of the corporation’s renewable electricity projects. She continues to participate in government working groups and task forces, both provincially and federally. She is Co-Chair of BC’s Climate Solutions Council since 2020 and was appointed to the federal government’s Generation Energy Council. She is also responsible for the management of Innergex’s Vancouver office.
Prior to joining Innergex, Ms. Giroux-Schmidt was Director, Environment and Manager, Major Projects at Plutonic Power Corporation and worked many years for the Association of Mineral Exploration BC. She served as the first female Chair of the Board of Directors for Clean Energy BC from 2014 through 2017 and assumed the position once again in 2024.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History and English from Simon Fraser University.
Moderator: Sarah Weber,
President & CEO, C3 Alliance
Sarah brings over 20 years of experience in Canada’s natural resource sector, specializing in strategic advisory and partnership development among Indigenous Peoples, government, and industry. She is known for fostering collaborative solutions to complex resource development challenges and is respected for her work in community engagement, communications, and stakeholder relations. Her background includes executive management, policy development, and advancing permitting for natural resource industry projects.
Sarah advises Indigenous communities and industry partners through pragmatic approaches to engagement, governance, and environmental stewardship. She convenes dialogue among government, First Nations, industry, and NGOs to build lasting relationships and drive shared strategic initiatives. Sarah holds a B.Sc. in Geological Sciences from the University of British Columbia and an Executive MBA from Simon Fraser University.
Sarah contributes her expertise as Independent Chair of Relevant Gold Corp and as a director for Snowline Gold Corp and Happy Creek Minerals. Through C3 Alliance, she leads initiatives including the BC Natural Resources Forum and the BC Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference, supporting responsible resource development and amplifying Indigenous voices in the sector.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 6:45 - 8:30 AM PST
Securing a Sustainable Legacy: The Next Chapter in B.C. Mining
Speaker: Honourable Jagrup Brar,
Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, Province of B.C.
Jagrup Brar was first elected as the MLA for Surrey-Panorama Ridge in 2004, and served until 2013 and then served as the MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood from 2017 to the present.
Jagrup was appointed the Minister for Mining and Critical Minerals in November 2024. He previously served as Minister of State for Trade.
Born in India, Jagrup was a member of the Indian National Basketball team and earned a master’s degree in Philosophy. He then moved to Canada to study Public Administration and received an MPA.
For over a decade, Jagrup worked in the public and non-profit sectors. As the Executive Director of the Surrey Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS), Jagrup trained new entrepreneurs to develop and launch successful small business ventures.
Jagrup previously served as the Official Opposition Spokesperson for a variety of files, including Small Business, Healthy Living and Sport, Employment and Income Assistance, as well Solicitor General and Public Safety.
Jagrup has been active in the Surrey community for years. He is a dedicated local volunteer and has worked with a variety of local organizations providing services to young people, seniors, the homeless, and new Canadians. Jagrup is an advocate for the most vulnerable and has undertaken the Welfare Challenge to tell a story about living in poverty in British Columbia.
Jagrup lives in Surrey with his wife Rajwant and their two children, Noor and Fateh.
Speaker: Karina Briño,
Vice President External Affairs, Centerra Gold Inc
Karina Briño, Vice President External Affairs, British Columbia joined Centerra Gold Inc. in November 2024. Karina has extensive experience in natural resources, sustainability, corporate affairs, government and Indigenous relations, policy development, and strategic communications spanning over 20 years.
Karina is a solid collaborator, the key in building Centerra's relationships in the local communities, working closely with all business partners maintaining aligned objectives. Most recently, she was
Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mosaic Forest Management in British Columbia (BC). She has previously held key senior positions in the BC Government, including Assistant Deputy Minister of Mining, President and CEO of the Mining Association of BC, General Manager of Administration and Director of Corporate and External Affairs at the Candelaria Mine with Lundin Mining Corp. in Chile. Karina's leadership as a woman in business has been widely recognized in Canada and Chile as a testament to her leadership and contributions.
Karina has degrees in Psychology, and Spanish and Latin American Literature from the University of British Columbia.
Speaker: Candice Alderson,
Chief ESG Officer, Artemis Gold Inc.
Candice Alderson has a broad legal and finance background with extensive infrastructure development experience. As part of the executive team at Artemis Gold, she oversees a large team of professionals responsible for Indigenous and Community Relations, Environment, Communications and Public Affairs, and Legal and has overall oversight for ESG matters.
Prior to joining Artemis Gold, Ms. Alderson served as Senior Vice President, Infrastructure Investments for the Ledcor Group of Companies where she worked with business units including, Commercial Construction, Property, Industrial, Mining, Pipeline, Resource, Transportation and Telecommunication, while also overseeing general corporate matters, and acquisitions. In addition, she was a member of Ledcor’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee.
Ms. Alderson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University and a LLB from the University of Victoria. Ms. Alderson was a member of the Canadian Infrastructure Law Forum Organizing Committee and has been active on various Canadian Bar Association Committees (BC and National) during her legal career. She has participated in the CBABC’s Women’s Lawyers Forum mentorship program for many years. She is an alumnus of the Governor General’s Leadership Conference (2004), BC Regional Chair for the Governor General’s 2020 Leadership Conference, and BC Vice Chair of the “Next-Gen. Now.” Campaign for Concordia. Ms. Alderson was awarded L’Expert’s Top 40 Under 40 Rising Star Award.
Moderator: Tim McEwan,
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Mining Association of British Columbia
Tim McEwan is Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs with the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC).
Tim’s professional career spans more than 25 years in senior executive and advisory roles focussed on public policy and economic development.
During his time with the BC public service, Tim served as Deputy Minister of Small Business, Red Tape Reduction, and Minister Responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) and as Associate Deputy Minister of the BC Major Investments Office. Tim also served as founding Executive Director of the BC Progress Board which was mandated to benchmark BC’s economic, environmental, and social performance and to provide strategic advice to the Premier of British Columbia.
As President and CEO of Initiatives Prince George Development Corporation – the economic development authority for Prince George, BC – Tim led efforts to advance the city’s critical role as the centre of northern BC’s globally-connected, knowledge-based, resource economy.
Prior to his current role with MABC, Tim was Senior Vice President, Policy & Stakeholder Engagement with the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association. Early in his career, he served as Director, Programs & Policy with the Business Council of BC, and had a key leadership role in the landmark multi-association BC Business Summit initiative.
Tim has served as a member of the Deputy Ministers Council of BC and the Board of Governors of the Business Council of BC, along with numerous other government and non-profit organizations.
Tim holds a B.A and an M.P.A. from the University of Victoria, and lives with his wife Cynthia McEwan in Tsawwassen, BC.
Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 6:45 - 8:30 AM PST
Collaborative Stewardship for B.C.'s Natural Legacy
Speaker: Honourable Ravi Parmar,
Minister of Forests, Province of B.C.
Ravi Parmar was first elected as the MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca in a by-election in 2023 and re-elected as the MLA for Langford-Highlands in 2024.
In November 2024, Ravi was appointed British Columbia’s Minister of Forests and also serves as Deputy Government House Leader. Previously, he held the role of Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials, where he led the implementation of the International Credentials Recognition Act.
Before his election as MLA, Ravi served for nearly a decade as Chair of the Sooke School District Board of Education. In this role, he worked alongside former Premier John Horgan to deliver the largest expansion of public education in the district’s history, including the construction of several new schools and a first-of-its-kind post-secondary campus in downtown Langford.
Raised in Langford by parents who immigrated to Canada in the 1990s, Ravi has been a lifelong champion for his community. He has a strong record of standing up for people and delivering results.
Speaker: Honourable Randene Neill,
Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Province of B.C.
Randene Neill was elected as the MLA for Powell River – Sunshine Coast in 2024. Randene is the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
Before being elected to the Legislative Assembly, Randene spent almost 20 years as a reporter and news anchor at Global B.C. Most recently, she worked with the B.C. Parks Foundation and prior to that, she worked on the new St. Paul’s Hospital.
Randene has volunteered with many organizations, including the Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society, PODS, and the B.C. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Randene lives with her family in the community of Kalpilin/Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast.
Speaker: Lennard (Suxʷsxʷwels) Joe,
Chief Executive Officer, BC First Nations Forestry Council
Lennard Joe, (Traditional name of Suxwsxwwels, meaning Grizzly Man) brings over 30 years of natural resources and business experience into his current roles. He is a Registered Professional Forester and a member of the Nlaka’pamux First Nation. Lennard is actively involved in developing new businesses and opportunities in the resource sector within his territory as well as throughout Canada and the world.
Living in balance Lennard carries the corporate knowledge of his nation and continues to practice its protocols and traditions. His role as an Indigenous Professional Forester has opened doors in Indigenous Governance, Provincial and Federal government, Industry, Academia, and Forest Certification.