Join us for this daylong celebration of Durham Region’s creative economy, showcasing our rich culture and history, dynamic attractions, and innovative business community. Members of the public from Durham Region and beyond are invited to discover all Durham has to offer through an interactive marketplace of tradeshow booths, culinary samplings, arts, culture and heritage displays, presentations and more. The day kicks off with a special presentation and book signing with Robin Sharma. Don’t miss the Tourism Industry Speaker Series and Artisan’s Alley. The day will wrap up with the presentation of the inaugural Art of Transition Creative Awards. Find out more information »

Creative leaders from all facets of Durham Region’s economy gathered for a Garden Party at the historic Parkwood Estate in Oshawa for the announcement of the Tourism Summit and Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards. The day-long event will be held at the Durham College/ UOIT Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre at 2000 Simcoe St. N. in Oshawa.

“The Durham Tourism Summit and Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards will engage our tourism industry while also inviting the public to get involved, and discover all Durham has to offer,” said Anderson. “This unique celebration of Durham Region’s creative economy will showcase our rich history, dynamic attractions, and innovative business community.”

The Durham Tourism Summit will showcase Durham Region’s vibrant and creative tourism industry. Up to 80 exhibitors will represent Durham’s three top tourism industry sectors: sport; agri-business; and arts, culture and heritage. The marketplace floor will be free for members of the public to attend. Visitors will discover all Durham has to offer through tradeshow booths, culinary samplings, arts, culture and heritage displays, and more! In addition, guest speakers, panel discussions and a networking breakfast will also be offered throughout the day to tourism industry stakeholders.

To find out more information about exhibitor opportunities and how to get involved with the Durham Tourism Summit, please call Durham Tourism at 1-800-413-0017 or email Sita Gardner.

The Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards is the follow-up initiative to the Art of Transition symposium held on Nov. 12, 2009. The symposium—in which keynote speaker Dr. Richard Florida explored how Durham Region can achieve long-term economic prosperity by embracing and engaging the creative class—has inspired public engagement in the community, including social media buzz, the creation of Transitions ‘zine (a quarterly publication about Durham Region’s creative economy), and now, the Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards.

The awards ceremony will take place following the Durham Tourism Summit. Nominations are set to open in mid-July and are open to all members of the community.

“The Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards are a new expression of corporate and civil citizenship in Durham Region, designed to engage creativity, innovation and collaboration in Durham Region’s business community,” says Kerri King, Manager of Tourism. “By building on the momentum from the 2009 Art of Transition Symposium, the awards will continue to grow Durham Region’s economy—including large corporations, small- and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organizations, and government—by celebrating and promoting creativity and innovation.”

The five award categories are:

1. Best collaboration among business, the arts and the community.
2. Best story about Durham Region in ANY medium.
3. Best entertainment in ANY medium.
4. Best integration of art and culture in the workplace.
5. Best use of art and artists to advance social and environmental sustainability.

To find out more about the awards, including sponsorship, nomination and judging information, please call Durham Tourism at 1-800-413-0017 or email Sita Gardner.

Media Inquiries:
THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM
Melissa Bies – Communications Co-ordinator
905-668-7711 ext. 2607

Please click image above to see full Mind Map (please be patient, it may take several minutes to load). Full report to follow.

We need to promote a regular winter event.

Recognize the manufacturing based foundation / culture in our communities and build on this.

Branding our region: How can we promote the region to people passing through our region?

Continual re-training of staff and workers – Business Advisory Centre of Durham Region needs to be expanded to support the entire region.

Youth retention – opportunities exist at College / Universities / apprenticeships.

Communications:

-Social integration of Durham as a community. -Promote the region through social marketing. -Promote the region at community centres, rinks, -Monthly event calendars for festivals and events to be distributed across the Region.

]]> http://www.artoftransition.ca/nancy-rutherford-of-the-region-of-durham-at-the-aot-think-tank/feed/ 0 http://www.artoftransition.ca/donna-raetson-kemp/ http://www.artoftransition.ca/donna-raetson-kemp/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:37:01 +0000 Kerri King http://www.artoftransition.ca/?p=2076 Ideas that came out of the group included:

Authentic communications / experiential content.

Culture: we need a Regional Cultural Plan for the Region.

How can we let people express themselves in an inclusive / accessible way?

Local flavour, but regional identity.

Awareness, pride, and community spirit

The need for a regional, cultural hub.

Break down barriers.

-Celebrate Durham in a one week event – create a destination for people to gather / visit.

We need a strong brand, connect urban and rural communities.

Eliminate red tape: create more networking opportunities.

Build on what we have – grassroots / and build strong regional networks.

Packaging and partnering is important.

Provide an incubator / farmer’s market / hub.

We need a champion to lead this.

Re: SMEs (Small and Medium Sized businesses)

1-Education 2- Money: financial support 3 -Services: need resource support.

How can we create “open doors”?

Gap: how do we engage the youth?

What does engagement look like? Take the fine arts to the plowing match! Mix it up.

Remove competition – and make it community.

Culture: AOT needs to continue. It needs to transition and be a part of the artistic communities – keep the story going – keep it alive!

The group discussed the need for a major piece of public art in each access route to the region such as the 401 entrances.

Re: Small / Medium Sized Businesses

The group created STAN: and the idea that we need ongoing gatherings for the creative community / also recorded live to be broadcast via internet.

]]> http://www.artoftransition.ca/marion-meyers-presents-at-aot-think-tank/feed/ 3 http://www.artoftransition.ca/szanne-mcnutt-of-uoit-presenting-group-findings-at-aot-think-tank/ http://www.artoftransition.ca/szanne-mcnutt-of-uoit-presenting-group-findings-at-aot-think-tank/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:10:09 +0000 Kerri King http://www.artoftransition.ca/?p=2065 Szanne says the group wants one portal for communication in Durham Region.

The group supported the idea of one major community event – including all sectors.

Could we use existing spaces / and festivals and tie them in to one time frame?

Need to support the idea of incubator for the arts.

]]> http://www.artoftransition.ca/szanne-mcnutt-of-uoit-presenting-group-findings-at-aot-think-tank/feed/ 0 http://www.artoftransition.ca/chris-gillis-of-durham-college-presents-his-aot-think-tank-group-findings/ http://www.artoftransition.ca/chris-gillis-of-durham-college-presents-his-aot-think-tank-group-findings/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:06:12 +0000 Kerri King http://www.artoftransition.ca/?p=2063 Culture: the group indicated tha Durham needs a cultural plan and an organization to implement the plan.

They also identified a need for a venue / hub for culture, funding, and a regional festival in the region.

The group discussed regional transportation – how do we build hubs / remove barriers.

Cultural diversity was an important aspect of the groups discussion as well.

Re: Culture: What is our culture? Define our brand – build a brand.

]]> http://www.artoftransition.ca/jason-atkins-presents-aot-think-tank-findings-from-his-group/feed/ 0 http://www.artoftransition.ca/creative-think-tank-wraps-up/ http://www.artoftransition.ca/creative-think-tank-wraps-up/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:44:54 +0000 Kerri King http://www.artoftransition.ca/?p=2058 Emcee Dan Carter and Commissioner Garth Johns wrap up the AoT Think Tank at the University – lots of great ideas!!

http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/index.html?releasePID=46YuPWYjWpXHvTYHHIc8v23ja0NVnEF_

Congratulations all on a job well done!

As part of the Durham Region Accessibility Expo, The Regional Municipality of Durham, Economic Development and Tourism Department, will be hosting a breakfast session to educate local business owners on accessibility compliance requirements.

WHEN: Thursday, June 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

WHERE: Durham College/ UOIT Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, 2000 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

WHY: The Business Breakfast event is open to business owners who want to learn more about the requirements contained in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Under this legislation, all businesses within the Province of Ontario must take measures to provide accessible customer service to those with disabilities by Jan. 1, 2012.

NOTE: Limited seating is available. Two representatives from each business will be accommodated Kerri King Tourism Manager The Regional Municipality of Durham Economic Development and Tourism 605 Rossland Road East Level 5 PO Box 623 Whitby, ON L1N 6A3

Direct Line: 905.668.4113 ext. 2606 Fax: 905.666.6228 Toll Free: 800.413.0017

www.durhamtourism.ca www.region.durham.on.ca

<p><a href="http://www.durham.ca/default.asp?nr=/corpoverview/accessibility/expo/expo.htm&amp;setFooter=/includes/corpFooter.inc" target="_new"><img src="http://www.durham.ca/images/corp/accessibility/expo/CelebratingAbilities.jpg" alt="Accessibility Logo - Celebrating Abilities. Celebrating Life." hspace="10" width="159" height="158" align="left" /></a><strong>Learn about the new law in Ontario  called <em>Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005  (AODA).</em></strong></p>

<p>The Accessibility Expo is the first of its kind in Durham where the Regional  and local municipal Accessibility Advisory Committees have partnered with the  Region of Durham Economic Development &amp; Tourism Department to bring our  community an important event on new legislation, accessibility and  abilities.</p>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>•</td>
<td>An Accessibility Marketplace will feature over 100 exhibitors showcasing  products and services.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>•</td>
<td>An exciting lineup of extraordinary speakers and performers including:</td>

</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Robert Pio Hajjar</strong>, a charismatic, motivational speaker, who  travels widely as living proof of what is possible when you include and  encourage people with intellectual disabilities.</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Mark Nagler’s</strong> ambition and perseverance is told with  humour that<br />
will motivate.</p>
<p>Speaking from experience, <strong>Paul Rosen</strong>, Paralympic Gold  Medalist &amp; Sledge Hockey Goaltender, joins us to inspire through his story  of courage.</p>

<p>Special performance and speaking engagement by <strong>Justin  Hines</strong>&#8230; his words and music will move you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.durham.ca/default.asp?nr=/corpoverview/accessibility/expo/expo.htm&amp;setFooter=/includes/corpFooter.inc" target="_new">Click here for more information</a></p>

Learn about the new law in Ontario called Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

The Accessibility Expo is the first of its kind in Durham where the Regional and local municipal Accessibility Advisory Committees have partnered with the Region of Durham Economic Development & Tourism Department to bring our community an important event on new legislation, accessibility and abilities.

Click here for registration form. For more information, or if you require the registration form in another format, please contact Tracey Tyner Cavanagh at 1-800-372-1102 ext. 2103.

On June 22, The Regional Municipality of Durham, Economic Development and Tourism Department, together with The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Durham College, will be hosting the Think Durham-Creative Think Tank Session.

The intention of the event is to bring together members of the business community, key stakeholders, politicians, students, academics and government for an inclusive Creative Think Tank Session to explore ideas and establish action groups based on feedback that has evolved from the original Art of Transition (AOT) held event last November.

Since that event, a Creative Think Tank Advisory Group, made up of AOT partners, was formed and tasked with developing three key areas to further develop action items. These three topics include the advancement of small-and medium-sized enterprises; culture; and marketing.

From this event, The Economic Development and Tourism Department will compile findings, identify linkages to the Durham Region Strategic Plan 2009-2014 and integrate strategies with current and future Economic Development and Tourism plans.

We look forward to collaborating with you-and hope to see you on June 22. Please RSVP to tourism@durham.ca by Tuesday, June 15 at 9 AM if you are interested in joining us!

RSVPs will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as space is limited.

Agenda and meeting logistics will follow once you have registered with us.

Many thanks for your interest and support!

Have a great day,

Kerri King Tourism Manager The Regional Municipality of Durham Economic Development and Tourism 605 Rossland Road East Level 5 PO Box 623 Whitby, ON L1N 6A3

Direct Line: 905.668.4113 ext. 2606 Fax: 905.666.6228 Toll Free: 800.413.0017

www.durhamtourism.ca www.region.durham.on.ca

The Great Reset: How new ways of living and working drive the post-crash prosperity.

Dr. Florida says in order to re-set the economy, we need to increase efficiencies, make cost of housing and cars more affordable, and focus on the new economy.

Question:

Do we need these giant houses? Would we have a better quality of life if we weren’t spending all of our disposable income on cars, houses? Florida says that we have to reset the cost of housing in order to make the cost of living more realistic and sustainable.

Florida says that we need to look at:

-rental housing -transit commuting -walkable communities

Is the mindset in Durham Region to Reset?

What do you think?

Click here to read the article.

Click here to read the article.

Here are the pictures I took last night at The Art Of Transition cocktail party at Karma Night Club, a new and spectacular nightclub on Simcoe Street South in Oshawa.

Many thanks to Geordie Lishman who displayed his sculptures using a laptop, which drove his awesome ‘fire/dancing goo’ display – which moved with the tunes and Karma Night Club and Cointreau for sponsoring this event.

Click here for all posts about tonight’s party.

Today is the RSVP deadline. Register online at www.artoftransition.ca/?page_id=4 or CALL Natasa Balazic-Bonnevie: 905.404.2009.

THE ART OF TRANSITION – COCKTAIL PARTY
FEATURING: Art presentation by Geordie Lishman
@ Karma Night Club, Oshawa, Ontario
Thursday December 17, 2009 ~ 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free thanks to sponsorship by Cointreau and Karma Night Club, but guests are asked to bring donations for the Simcoe Settlement House.

Remember, our hostess, Natasa has asked us to dress creatively which should be interesting!

Hope to see you at Karma on December 17!

Sue

PS~Thanks for agreeing to share the pictures Natasa – awesome photography!

Karma Night Club, Oshawa, Ontario
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suesutcliffe/sets/72157622846530667/show/

About the set
7 items | 5 views

Karma Night Club, Oshawa, Ontario
www.KarmaNightClub.ca

A selection of things from the set

(By the way, if the set link doesn’t work, try copying and pasting it from this email into your browser’s address bar.)

The Simcoe Hall is requesting infant and toddler toys, toys for boys 7-11 , baby formula and of course non-perishable food items. This year, 40% of the registrations to Simcoe Hall are new, and many of them young families. For more information regarding these needs, please visit www.simcoehall.com.

Click here for more information about this event and to register.

Thank you so much for your help.

Happy Holidays!
Kerri King

Richard Florida is one of the world’s leading public intellectuals. Esquire Magazine recently named him one of the “Best and Brightest”. He is author of the national and international best-selling book, The Rise of the Creative Class, which received the Washington Monthly’s Political Book Award and was cited as a major breakthrough idea by the Harvard Business Review. His ideas have been featured in major ad campaigns, such as BMW, and are being used globally to change the way regions, nations and companies compete.

He is founder of the Creative Class Group, an advisory services firm, charting new trends in business and community.

Richard is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and a regular columnist with The Globe and Mail newspaper. He has written numerous articles for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe and the Financial Times. His new book, Who’s Your City? has been hailed a National Best-Seller, an International Best-Seller and Amazon Book of the Month.

Richard has also been recently named European Ambassador for Creativity and Innovation.

He is Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute and Professor of Business and Creativity at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Previously, Florida held professorships at Carnegie Mellon University, a visiting professor at Harvard and MIT, and a visiting fellow of the Brookings Institution. Florida earned his bachelor of arts degree from Rutgers College and his PhD from Columbia University.

It has been said that once you know you are going to live you must decide how to live. That’s what Dan Carter has done for the past 18 years. Audiences have been inspired not only by Dan’s tragic life, but his ability to overcome adversity. He has a gift to motivate people to take control of their own lives. When you hear Dan Carter speak, you truly understand that life is a journey that can take many paths.

With a personal goal to inspire hope and encourage leadership, Dan truly lives what he believes.

As a committed leader, Dan has founded several community projects that include:

• The Isobel Carter Youth Award, a foundation that awards educational grants to disadvantaged children under the age of 15.
• The funding of the Hope Centre of Learning.
• The Day of Hope & Leadership Professional Development Day.

Sue Sutcliffe has been using the Internet since 1993, and started building websites before most people even knew what they were.

Sue is always a step ahead of the game, using her discoveries to give clients cutting-edge performance on the Internet. When search engines and Google rankings first hit the market, Sue mastered search engine optimization. When Facebook became the craze, Sue showed savvy business people how to leverage social media to extend their networks. Noted speaker, web coach and social media strategist, Sue surfs the waves and explores the frontiers of cyberspace.

Sue believes it’s not what you’ve got but what you do with it that matters. Witty, passionate and clever, this dynamic entrepreneur shares her expertise with the GTA business community and her ever-broadening online network.

Dan Taylor is a self-confessed Creative Economy Geek.

After becoming the Economic Development Officer for Prince Edward County in 2001, Dan realized that he was working in a Creative (Rural) Economy, before he was aware of the language or the concept.

Since learning about the language, tools and theory, Dan became a practical researcher, student, disciple and teacher of the practice of Creative Economy Development. As a result, Prince Edward County’s economy has grown at a greater rate than that of Ontario and Canada.

Dan’s passion on the subject has driven him to collaborate with and lead a three-region Creative Economy Data Analysis and Economic Development Action Plan for Eastern Ontario, Durham Region and Southwestern Ontario.

As a result of this collaboration, Dan is expecting to be part of the formation of a new Ontario-based Creative Economy Alliance.

Greg Baeker is a Senior Consultant with AuthentiCity and a nationally recognized leader in integrated cultural plans for cities. The company has led in the introduction of systematic cultural mapping approaches and frameworks in Ontario. The cultural mapping work implemented in Durham Region is being considered as a model for a provincial cultural mapping system. Recent work also includes work on local and regional creative economy strategies.

Prior to joining AuthentiCity, Greg served in senior leadership positions in Canada for 25 years as a policy maker, cultural planner and academic. Greg speaks frequently at academic and professional conferences and publishes regularly for journals such as Municipal World, the journal of Canadian municipalities. Municipal World will publish a book by Dr. Baeker on Municipal Cultural Planning in 2010.

Greg holds a master’s degree in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo.

In December 2008, Don Lovisa became Durham College’s fifth President. With a distinguished 22-year career in post-secondary education, he has a master’s degree in International Management, a bachelor of arts degree in Sociology and a diploma in Adult Education.

Lovisa has worked internationally where he consulted and provided training and teaching in the area of globalization, market-driven economic transition, international trade and entrepreneurship and business development. He also has an extensive track record of community involvement and development, including working with chambers of commerce, school boards and the larger community.

Lovisa joined Durham College in July 2007 as vice-president, Academic, and immediately provided leadership for a number of academic initiatives focused on quality assurance, academic policy development and academic restructuring.

As President, he remains committed to the vision that the “student experience comes first at Durham College,” and the development of new strategies to support our students, people and business now and in the future.

Barb Shopland is the founder and principal of 2gener8 Solutions Inc., a results-based consultancy company developing and generating strategic breakthrough results with clients in the public and private sectors.

Barb has championed large-scale systems change projects and innovative strategic growth initiatives that have helped shape government policy and create new business opportunities.

With years of experience in the food industry, Barb led the creation and delivery of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy and Action Plan, supported the implementation of the strategic growth plan for the George Brown Chef School, supported entrepreneurs in proof of concept and strategic business planning, and worked with regional economic development organizations in North America.

Barb is President of the Toronto Food Business Incubator (TFBI), Chair of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA), and sits on the Board of the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA AAC). In 2009, Barb was inducted as a Fellow in the Ontario Hostelry Institute.

Dan Mathieson has been the Mayor of Stratford since 2003 and has served on Council since 1995 as both a Councillor and Deputy Mayor. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Guelph and a Masters of Public Administration Degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Mayor Mathieson has represented the City of Stratford as a Board Member of the Stratford General Hospital, the Stratford-Perth Housing Authority, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Organization of Small Urban Municipalities. He is also a founding Co-Chair of the Stratford Economic Opportunities Commission and a member of the Board of Directors of Festival Hydro, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, King’s University College and the Stratford Hockey Club. Mayor Mathieson is also Chair of the South West Economic Alliance and Co-Chair of the Perth County Task Force on Methamphetamine. Currently, he’s involved in making a university campus a reality in Stratford.

As the National Manager for Federal and State Government, Education and Healthcare verticals for Research in Motion (RIM), David is responsible for the business development and marketing strategies of RIM’s mobile solutions with some of its largest partners.

In working with some of the world’s top universities and graduate schools, David has partnered to integrate new communication and education approaches into their teaching methods, building depth into the learning process and differentiating these institutions from their competitive counterparts.

With almost 15 years of experience in the field, David has worked with some of the world’s top communications companies including AT&T, Sprint and Nextel, helping them drive their go-to-market mobility strategies. Further, David has worked with many Fortune 500 organizations, helping them to grow their mobile content delivery and communication strategies. David also helped to develop various mobile content delivery platforms within the financial services industry.

David, a long-time resident of Durham Region, has travelled extensively in the United States, speaking to government and academic audiences about leveraging communication to increase resource and talent effectiveness.

John G. Jung joined Canada’s Technology Triangle (CTT) Inc. as Chief Executive Officer in September 2008. He came to CTT Inc. from his role as President and COO at the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA). Previously, John served as President and CEO of the Calgary Economic Development Authority.

John is an award-winning registered urban planner, urban designer, economic developer and global speaker on planning, development, urban design and economic development related issues, including “intelligent communities.” He is a graduate of the University of Waterloo in Urban and Regional Planning and holds a masters degree in Urban Design from the School of Architecture, University of Manchester in the UK.

John is Co-Founder and Chairman of the global think-tank called the “Intelligent Community Forum” (ICF) headquartered in New York City. He is also the president of a foundation and created several other Canadian and global initiatives, including work on Cyberport in Hong Kong and the Ontario Tech Corridor.

Peter is a Principal at BioDimensions Inc., a company dedicated to facilitating the creation of the new bioeconomy. BioDimensions is involved in a wide spectrum of opportunities including regional strategic planning, crop diversity research, new relationships with farmers and the deployment of green technology with industrial partners. A major focus is promoting the dynamic opportunity for new synergies between rural and urban development that will generate new green jobs, while simultaneously addressing global environmental issues.

Peter earned a degree in creative writing from the University of Memphis and regularly writes articles on topics related to technology, sustainability and community development. His diverse speaking engagements range from the Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking in Memphis to the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Montreal.

Peter’s career in agricultural-based technology began in 1996, and he has been active in farm policy and the development of regional initiatives since that time.

Wayne Conrad, Chief Scientist, is responsible for Scientific and Technical Management of Omachron Family of Companies and has founded the Planet Earth Initiative.

His fascination with technology was first sparked in 1974 when, at age 11, he helped his father restore a 1929 glider, in which he subsequently logged many hours of flight. That same year, he began to design and build a solar-powered car, with advanced features such as energy-recovery braking and solar tracking, which won him an Environmental Design Award at the Canada Wide Science Fair (among many other prizes).

At the age of 12 he became a protégé of Prof. A.D. Moore of the University of Michigan Electrical Engineering Department, one of the world’s leading authorities in electrostatics, electromagnetics, and spheromagnetics. Wayne founded his R&D company in 1979 and has consulted for various companies, including Teledyne Inc, Tyco International Ltd, General Electric Company, and various government agencies. Wayne currently holds or has pending over 300 patents in such diverse areas as air and water purification, ozone generation, heat transfer, cyclonic particle separation, electrostatic precipitation, vortex mixers, venturi, clean metal spray technology, super alloy manufacturing, electronic control systems, electrohydrodynamic and magenetohydrodynamic systems, pulse power systems, alternative energy technologies, and advanced turbine engine designs.

Dr. William Smith is the founding dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and currently serves as the associate provost, Research. He holds a Master of Applied Science and PhD degrees from the University of Waterloo, both of which are in Applied Mathematics. In addition, he obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Science and Master of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering degrees from the University of Toronto.

With more than 28 years experience as a professor of mathematics and statistics, physics, biophysics and engineering at Canadian universities, Dr. Smith has been honoured with a teaching award for his contributions to the incorporation of computer technology in education. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 journal articles, book chapters and conference presentations and co-authored and edited two textbooks.

His research interests are in high-performance computing, molecular physics and educational applications of computer technology. He has received more than $1.5 million in research funding, and has held visiting appointments at universities in Germany, the Czech Republic, England, New Zealand and at the IBM Research Laboratory in San Jose, California. He has also served as a consultant to a number of science and technology-oriented companies worldwide.

Direct Line: 905.668.4113 ext. 2606
Fax: 905.666.6228
Toll Free: 800.413.0017

www.durhamtourism.ca
www.region.durham.on.ca

Principal, BioDimensions Inc.

Peter is a Principal at BioDimensions Inc., a company dedicated to facilitating the creation of the new bioeconomy. BioDimensions is involved in a wide spectrum of opportunities including regional strategic planning, crop diversity research, new relationships with farmers and the deployment of green technology with industrial partners. A major focus is promoting the dynamic opportunity for new synergies between rural and urban development that will generate new green jobs while simultaneously addressing global environmental issues.

Among current projects, BioDimensions is partnering with Memphis Bioworks Foundation, a Memphis-based nonprofit, to develop a regional strategic plan for the bioeconomy, which encompasses 98 counties in five states. BioDimensions is also helping to develop new supply chains of renewable ingredients for a Fortune 500 chemical company,  and is serving as an advisor to Arkansas-based Infinite Enzymes and Ontario-based Stemergy.

Peter earned a degree in creative writing from the University of Memphis and regularly writes articles on topics related to technology, sustainability and community development. He is frequently featured in articles and interviews including recently on Smart City Radio, Delta Farm Press and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. His diverse speaking engagements range from the Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking in Memphis to the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Montreal.

Peter’s career in agricultural-based technology began in 1996, and he has been active in farm policy and the development of regional initiatives since that time. He frequently collaborates with Tennessee State University, an 1890 land grant university, is active in community development projects, and has completed two short-term assignments in Khartoum, Sudan, where he assisted a small newspaper and taught English and agriculture.

Culinary Expert 

Barb Shopland is the founder and principal of 2gener8 Solutions Inc., a results-based consultancy company developing and generating strategic breakthrough results with clients in the public and private sectors.

Barb has championed large-scale systems change projects and innovative strategic growth initiatives that have helped shape government policy and create new business opportunities. 

With years of experience in the food industry, Barb led the creation and delivery of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy and Action Plan, supported the implementation of the strategic growth plan for the George Brown Chef School, supported entrepreneurs in proof of concept and strategic business planning, and worked with regional economic development organizations in North America.  

Barb is President of the Toronto Food Business Incubator (TFBI), Chair of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA), and sits on the Board of the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA AAC). In 2009, Barb was inducted as a Fellow in the Ontario Hostelry Institute.

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Thank you to Sue Sutcliffe and her wonderful team at aWEBthatWORKS for bringing us into Web 2.0 and all things social media!

Economic Development Officer, Prince Edward County

Dan Taylor is a self-confessed Creative Economy Geek.

After becoming the Economic Development Officer for Prince Edward County in 2001, Dan realized that he was working in a Creative (Rural) Economy, before he was aware of the language or the concept.

Since learning about the language, tools and theory, Dan became a practical researcher, student, disciple and teacher of the practice of Creative Economy Development. As a result, Prince Edward County’s economy has grown at a greater rate than that of Ontario and Canada.

Dan’s passion on the subject has driven him to collaborate with and lead a three-region Creative Economy Data Analysis and Economic Development Action Plan for Eastern Ontario, Durham Region and Southwestern Ontario.

As a result of this collaboration, Dan is expecting to be part of the formation of a new Ontario-based Creative Economy Alliance.

Thank you to Ontario Power Generation for joining The Art of Transition as an Event Sponsor.

As part of the Art of Transition poster campaign, we invited entrepreneurs, educators, elected officials and more to join us for a photo shoot to tell (and show) us what creativity meant to them.

The result? A fantastic turnout, tonnes of energy and infinite creative ideas!

This photo shoot was an excellent opportunity to showcase the breadth of our creative community, and the faces behind The Art of Transition.

What’s more, this was a true collaborative effort–exactly what The Art of Transition is all about.

A huge THANK YOU to all who participated. Stay tuned for the poster campaign and a special showcase of some of the best shots!

The Art of Transition is simply a shift in how we look at the world. Everyone contributing to a new philosophy that will reshape how we look at life, in terms of the accepted, traditional way of doing business/working/building a career.

Can’t wait for Nov. 12!

Alright, we all know life is about choices. You choose your friends, your career, that special someone. But there’s an even bigger choice – where to live. At least, that’s what this guy says, Richard Florida. Richard is an economist, an urban theorist, A prof at the University of Toronto, and a best selling author. In the past five years, he’s written two best sellers. The first was called ‘The Rise of the Creative Class. Basically, Richard argued there is a new ‘creative class.’ We don’t just ‘work’ for a living anymore. Millions of people ‘create’ for a living, like scientists and artists always have. And Richard says that’s changed everything. Our values, our relationships, our tastes and our sense of time. After that book, he had another best seller, ‘The Flight of the Creative Class.’ And now, he has a new book, it’s called ‘Who’s Your City?’ And the title says a lot. Basically, Richard says the most important choice in your life, is where to live.. Especially, for overall happiness. Richard looks at the personalities of different cities, the best places for young families, and the best places for single guys and gals.

Investigating better ways to merge the creative forces of BOTH the artistic and business community could not be more timely. We need to work together to create the solutions that will identify Durham Region as a unique go-to place to create art and new, innovative businesses.

Count us in!

Submit your ideas on video and upload to
Durham Tourism’s YouTube Channel…

www.youtube.com/durhamtourism

You will be automatically entered
to win a Blackberry Bold…

Thank you to Rick Lea and his team at the Durham Local Training board for their sponsorship support for the Art of Transition Symposium.

Map & Directions

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• Mayor Marilyn Pearce, Township of Scugog
• Mayor Steve Parish, Town of Ajax
• Kerri King, Manager of Tourism, The Regional Municipality of Durham

• Dr. Greg Baeker, AuthentiCity
• Dan Taylor, Prince Edward County
• Don Lovisa, Durham College
• Wayne Conrad, Omachron Science Inc.

• Barb Shopland, culinary expert

• Mayor Dan Mathieson, City of Stratford
• Dave Prusinski, Research in Motion
• John Jung, Canada’s Technology Triangle
• Peter Nelson, BioDimensions Inc.

• Erik Lockhart, Queens University

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Kerri King, Tourism Manager, Durham Tourism
Phone: 905-668-4113 ext. 2606