RCE Saskatchewan
The proposal for RCE Saskatchewan was developed over a two-year period and involved two workshops and extensive work by the RCE steering team and subcommittees. The final version of the proposal was submitted to the United Nations University on 15th October, 2006. After formal review by the Ubuntu Committee of Peers in Paris in December, 2006, RCE Saskatchewan was informed that it had been formally recognised by the United Nations University on 10th January, 2007. Celebrations for the acknowledgment of RCE Saskatchewan took place in the city of Regina and the town of Craik on 1st March, 2007, and in Saskatoon on 2nd March, 2007.
RCE Saskatchewan’s boundaries are located within the Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregion and the Aspen Parkland ecoregion in Saskatchewan, Canada. Regional livelihoods include agricultural livelihoods tied to the prairie ecosystem, resource extraction (minerals, oil and gas, potash), hunting and fishing, and technological innovation. Key participating communities include Craik, Nipawin, Melfort, Moose Jaw, Fort Qu'Appelle, Regina (the provincial capital city), and Saskatoon. The region faces extreme temperature variations, loss of wetlands and other habitat, precipitation variability and significant challenges due to changing climate on this northern prairie.
Geographic map of RCE Saskatchewan (prepared by Garth Pickard)
The goal of RCE Saskatchewan is transformative education that promotes sustainable lifestyles and livelihoods in the region while sharing knowledge and insights with other RCEs around the world. Education for Sustainable Development programs are designed to be locally relevant and culturally appropriate.
The objectives of RCE Saskatchewan include:
- Literacy and access to quality basic education for all within the region
- Identification of key issues of sustainability and sustainability projects in the region
- Open networks for knowledge sharing
- Public awareness about sustainability in the region
- Ongoing opportunities for collaborative work on ESD projects
- Integration of sustainability into formal education curricula
- Formal linkages (agreements) promoting ESD between organisations
- Identification of current research in ESD and coordination of new ESD research projects
- Development and incorporation of science and technology for ESD
- Acknowledgment and celebration of success
- Ongoing advocacy for ESD outcomes
- Ongoing documentation of RCE activities
- Ongoing measurement and evaluation of RCE initiatives
The nine priority issues identified by the region include:
- climate change
- health and healthy lifestyles
- farming and local food production, consumption, and waste minimisation
- reconnecting to natural prairie ecosystems
- adapting and bridging cultures for sustainability
- sustainable infrastructure including water and energy
- building sustainable communities
- K-12 education for sustainable development
- youth
Name of organisation: University of Regina
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Jocelyn Crivea
Contact email: jocelyn.crivea@uregina.ca
Name of organisation: University of Saskatchewan
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Matt Wolsfeld
Contact email: matt.wolsfeld@usask.ca
Name of organisation: Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Curt Schroeder
Contact email: schroederc@saskpolytech.ca
Name of organisation: First Nations University of Canada
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Arzu Sardarli
Contact email: asardarli@firstnationsuniversity.ca
Name of organisation: Campion College at the University of Regina
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Carla Ballman
Contact email: Carla.Ballman@uregina.ca
Name of organisation: Luther College at the University of Regina
Role: Founding Partner and Host Organization
Contact name: Roger Petry
Contact email: roger.petry@uregina.ca
Name of organisation: City of Regina
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Peter Hagar
Contact email: PHAGAR@regina.ca
Name of organisation: City of Saskatoon
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Shannon Dyck
Contact email: Shannon.Dyck@Saskatoon.ca
Name of organisation: Calling Lakes Ecomuseum
Role: RCE Flagship Project
Contact name: Aura Lee MacPherson
Contact email: a.macpherson@mac-eng.ca
Name of organisation: Craik Sustainable Living Project
Role: Founding Partner
Contact name: Paul Stinson
Contact email: paul.stinson@sunwestsd.ca
- Regular monthly "check-in" meetings of RCE Saskatchewan partners and members where individual RCE partners are profiled, timely topics are discussed, action items of the RCE are agreed upon, reports are received from RCE flagship projects and working groups, and upcoming events on sustainable development in Saskatchewan are shared.
- Annual Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Event: Virtual recognition of 15 to 25 ESD projects each year in person and now also live streamed with key presentations from UN related individuals in Saskatchewan and local dignitaries including Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, RCE Saskatchewan Honourary Patron (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvBVypkIlyg)
- Periodic correspondence to various levels of government from RCE Saskatchewan around sustainable development issues in the province often leading to changes in policies and/or development practices.
- Saskatchewan Ecomuseum Initiative and activities of individual Ecomuseums: Calling Lakes Ecomuseum working with cottagers to advance sustainable practices, promotion of sustainability at annual Treaty Four Pow Wow, promotion of lake water quality with elected officials
- Community engagement with potash mine development (see Chapter 1 "Community Knowledge Mobilisation for Sustainable Development in Saskatchewan", in Academia and Communities: Engaging for Change (UNU-IAS, 2018) and postings of community of Havelock Special Projects Committee: https://www.facebook.com/pg/HavelockSpecialProjectsCommittee and Twitter: @HSPCommittee
- Activities of RCE Saskatchewan Flagship Projects: Sustainability and Education Policy Network at the University of Saskatchewan; leading cluster in International Association of Universities (IAU) Cluster on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) Sustainable/Responsible Consumption and Production (Sustainable Development Goal #12; http://iau-hesd.net/en/contenu/4648-iau-hesd-cluster.html; https://www.luthercollege.edu/university/alumni-friends/events/iau-sustainable-development-goal-12-inaugural-conference (see additional projects in UNU projects portal)
- Networking at sustainability conferences and other sustainability activities of partner organisations (see above partners) (e.g., see Saskatchewan Polytechnic's strategic plan, the University of Regina’s strategic plan, the University of Saskatchewan’s strategic plan and links to other partners (above))
- Participation in partner organisation sustainability committees (e.g. University of Regina Presidents Advisory Committee on Sustainability)
2019 RCE Saskatchewan Recognition Event (Photo credit: Jill Forrester)
- Participation in RCE Americas Network (RCEAN) Steering Committee meetings and RCE Americas Regional Meetings (most recently the 11th Americas RCE Regional Meeting in Salisbury, Maryland (USA), October 3-5, 2022
- RCE Saskatchewan 15th ESD Recognition Event hosted by the Prince Albert Historical Society, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, May 3, 2023.
- "SDG Summit" in Regina, Saskatchewan, organized by the Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Studies Network (NVSSN), June 19, 2023.
Specific projects of the RCE include (see UN University Project Database):
- Annual ESD Recognition Events (15th celebration to occur in 2023)
- Songs of Nature Project
- Blanket of Warmth Project
- Saskatchewan Ecomuseums Initiative (SEI)
- The Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN): Leading Through Multi-Sector Learning
- Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Studies Network (NVSSN) at Luther College (Regina)
- Community Collaboration for Potash Mine Engagement
- Empowering for Conservation: Water Drainage and Wetlands Protection on the Canadian Prairies
roger.petry@uregina.ca
msasmuss@sasktel.net
RCE Saskatchewan
c/o Dr. Roger Petry
Luther College at the University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, Saskatchewan
Canada S4S 0A2
E-mail: roger.petry@uregina.ca