Thursday, June 15 | 7:00 am - 8:00 am (Meet in the hotel lobby)

Kick the conference off with an early morning walk or run with other delegates. and a stop at Novel Tea

Everyone is welcome.

Thursday, June 15 | Lower Lobby| 8:30 am - 8:45 am

Grab a cup of Joe and a refreshment to get you moving before the conference sessions start. If you’re lucky, your name may be called to win some donated prizes!

Refreshments sponsored by 

Thursday, June 15| Elm and Oak Room | 8:45 am - 9:10 am

Join us at the opening ceremonies for greetings from Mayor Bill Mills, Town of Truro; Mayor Christine Blair, Municipality of the County of Colchester; Chief Robert Gloade, Millbrook First Nations. Regrets sent from Warden Eleanor Roulston from the Municipality of East Hants.

Thursday, June 15| Elm and Oak Room | 9:10 am - 10:10 am

Presented by: 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. 

Thursday, June 15 | Lower Lobby | 10:10 am - 10:30 am

A short break before the first concurrent session block. Enjoy a coffee, visit the exhibitor booths, and catch-up with some friends.

Sponsored by 

Thursday, June 15 | Concurrent Session: Elm and Oak | 10:30 am - 11:30 pm

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.

Thursday, June 15 | Concurrent Session: Birch Room | 10:30 am - 11:30 pm

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.

Sponsored by: 

Thursday, June 15 | Concurrent Session: Maple Room | 10:30 am - 11:30 pm

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

Come ready to practice and have fun! 

Wednesday, September 21 | Elm and Oak | 11:35 am - 12:15 pm

Presented by: Jeff Bishop, Executive Director, AMANS

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

Thursday, June 15 | Elm and Oak | 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm

Sponsored by:

Thursday, June 15 | Birch Room | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Presented by Mary Morris, Executive Director, Employer Advisor Nova Scotia Society; Krista Heslop, Section Manager, Desjardins Insurance and Moderated by Janine McInnis, Associate Vice President, HUB International  Ontario Limited

Understanding and navigating the system from an employer perspective. How do employers work with the Workers Compensation Board, especially municipalities without designated Human Resources support systems? In this session, Desjardins will discuss the importance of intervening early to reduce the disability impact and duration of absence.

Thursday, June 15 | Elm and Oak Room | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Presented by: Mark MacDonald, Vice President, Account Executive, Aon Risk Solutions; Joey D. Palov; Partner, Cox & Palmer; Joel Plater, Chief Risk Officer and Manager of Risk and Insurance Services, Halifax Regional Municipality

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.

Thursday, June 15 | Maple Room | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Presented by: Kim Ramsay, CAO, Municipality 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.

Thursday, June 15 | Lower Lobby | 2:00 pm – 2:15 pm

This break is sponsored by: 

Thursday, June 15| Elm and Oak Room | 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

Presenter: Heather Stevens, Manager, Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre

What's working and next steps, a reflection on how Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action can help your municipality and the Indigenous communities you serve.

Thursday, June 15

View the Networking page for a list and description of the off-site activities

Thursday, June 15 | Rath East Link Community Centre | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Ticketed Event: Registration in advance is required. The cost to attend is $35.

Join your municipal colleagues for a buffet meal,  entertainment by Jackie Putnam and a tour of the RECC Facility. Transportation will be provided

Sponsored by 

Thursday, June 15 | Maple/Aspen/Birch Rooms | 8:30 pm

Following the Rath Eastlink Community Centre Dinner, there will be a hospitality suite. Enjoy some live music by the Island Boys, a beverage, and reconnect with some colleagues and enjoy a beverage.