Future Cities Canada welcomes Wyandot Elder Catherine Tàmmaro and photographer Edward Burtynsky to The Summit

Plus, conversations on broadband equity and how art and design can help catalyze change in cities - free one-day virtual gathering on July 21, 2021

TORONTO, June 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Future Cities Canada, the national cross-sector initiative designed to accelerate innovation to transform cities, presents its next series of discussions on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 focusing on smart cities and the power of design and education to spur social change in cities. The one-day free virtual event is part of Future Cities Canada: The Summit, a monthly program led by Evergreen and hosted by Future Cities Canada, that brings together urban thought leaders, private- and public-sector innovators, mayors and community leaders to showcase the what’s-next in creating more resilient communities of the future. July’s Summit kicks off with a powerful conversation with Wyandot Elder Catherine Tàmmaro, photographer Edward Burtynsky and artistic producer Umbereen Inayet who share personal experiences that have motivated their work and perspectives on the future of public art.

“People must be at the centre of the solutions when designing cities that benefit all residents,” said Orit Sarfaty, Chief Program Officer, Evergreen, one of the founding partners of Future Cities Canada. “This month we explore the role of art in driving social change, as well as the investment in equitable access to technology and infrastructure required for smart, connected cities – both key ingredients to the health and wellness of future generations.”

For more details and to register, visit https://thesummit.futurecitiescanada.ca/ 

The Summit line-up for Wednesday, July 21, 2021 

• Creative Disruption – 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EDT 
  
  Disruption and internal process may be critical to making art more accessible, potentially eradicating outdated systems and supporting social change. In this session, Wyandot Elder and multidisciplinary artist Catherine Tàmmaro, photographer Edward Burtynsky and artistic producer Umbereen Inayet will share their stories and experiences with art as catharsis and will discuss the future of public art. Investigating the spiritual, social and emotional narratives motivating their work, they will explore how art can depict the impact of our actions - and potentially stimulate a process of deep healing.
  

• Changing Tides: Design Solutions and Art as a Catalyst – 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT
  
  Climate change is having a resounding impact on our waterways across the globe. Rising sea levels, flooding, erosion and drought are but a few examples of impact felt across the planet. How can art and design help catalyze change and offer creative solutions to these global shifts?
  
  A conversation with Matthew Hickey from Two Row Architects, artist and filmmaker Jason van Bruggen, and Netami Stuart from Waterfront Toronto explores local and international examples of naturalized and engineered landscapes and the ways in which they can protect our water systems. This conversation will be moderated by Evergreen Curator Charlene K. Lau.        

• Connecting Canada: Missing Pieces in Broadband Equity – 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT 
  
  High speed internet is essential across all sectors and increasingly crucial for quality of life, yet Canada’s geography shows clear gaps in equitable access. From remote, northern and Indigenous communities to small towns and rural areas, many areas of Canada face challenges related to connectivity that have been exacerbated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  Broadband experts and community leaders Ken Sanderson, Executive Director, Teach for Canada and Gerald Thunderbird-Sky, IT Manager Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and DakotaNET and Joe Moses, CEO, Biigtigong Dbenjagan are joined by moderator by Amedeo Bernardi, Founder, Canada’s Rural and Remote Broadband Community come together to explore how awareness, capacity, and partnerships can be built around launching and financing broadband networks in rural areas. What barriers do smaller communities face in contrast to urban centres and established providers?
  
  The session includes opportunities for communities to ask questions, share stories, and discuss solutions.

PLUS:  

About Future Cities Canada: The Summit 
From May through to October, The Summit provides an important meeting place to spark partnerships and create opportunities from across the country and around the world on topics ranging from Housing & Infrastructure, Placemaking and Placekeeping, Data & Technology, Climate Change Adaptation, Education and the Future of Work. The monthly Summit began in May and June and continues on July 21, August 18, September 22, followed by the final gathering in October 2021. 

More sessions and speakers to be announced shortly.  

Led by Evergreen, this is the fourth national gathering by Future Cities Canada, a collaborative platform founded in 2018 by Evergreen, McConnell Foundation, TD Bank Group, Maison de l'innovation sociale and Community Foundations of Canada.  

To be the first to learn about new speakers and sessions, sign up for the Future Cities Canada newsletter and join the conversation at @FutureCitiesCA   

Future Cities Canada: The Summit 

Lead Funder: Infrastructure Canada  

Lead Sponsors: TD Bank Group, McConnell Foundation, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation  

Lead Media Partner: The Globe and Mail  

Convened by: Evergreen  

Media contact:  
Renee Tratch, Sr. Manager, Public Relations & Content, Evergreen  
416-596-1495 Ext. 273, rtratch@evergreen.ca 

Future Cities Canada is a national cross-sector initiative with the mission to accelerate innovation to transform cities for the benefit of all. Drawing on the expertise of its founding organizations - The McConnell Foundation, TD Bank Group, Evergreen, Maison de l’innovation sociale and Community Foundations of Canada - and together with a diverse and growing network of partners, Future Cities Canada collectively strives to address the challenges facing cities and city-dwellers to reimagine cities that are equitable, regenerative and prosperous. www.futurecitiescanada.ca  

Evergreen is dedicated to making cities more livable, green and prosperous. For 30 years, we’ve been facilitating change in communities through connection, innovation and sustainable actions. We work with community builders across sectors to solve some of the most pressing issues cities face: climate change, housing affordability, and access to nature and public spaces. Through our award-winning programs and collaborative initiatives across the country and at Evergreen Brick Works, our headquarters in Toronto, and through national partnerships with Future Cities Canada, we are building resilience in schools, public spaces, housing and communities as a whole.  
www.evergreen.ca