The 2026 SWANA Northern Lights Chapter Conference in Calgary is officially in the books, and what a week it was. This year’s conference was completely sold out and marked the largest SWANA Northern Lights Chapter conference to date, with 320+ participants joining us at the Fairmont Palliser for three packed days of learning, networking, tours, and conversations shaping the future of the industry.
Waste and resource management professionals from across Western Canada came together for collaboration, connection, and yes, a little bit of every type of Calgary weather imaginable. From sponsors and speakers to volunteers, exhibitors, moderators, and attendees, thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s conference such a success.
The 2026 Conference Proceedings can be found here.
The Community Continues to Be the Best Part
One thing that stands out every year is the people.
Whether it was reconnecting at the opening reception, conversations on the tradeshow floor, the Young Professionals networking event, or the banquet, the week was packed with the kind of connection and collaboration that reminds us what makes the waste industry so special: the people.
Keynotes That Left a Mark
The conference opened with Wayne Hubbard, President and CEO of ReLondon, who joined all the way from London, United Kingdom, and closed with a keynote from Sergeant Katherine Strong, a Search and Rescue Technician with the Canadian Armed Forces, that was one people continued talking about long after the session ended.
Sessions That Delivered
This year’s program covered a wide range of timely topics across the sector, including disaster debris management, landfill operations and landfill gas, EPR, circular economy initiatives, waste and recycling collections, landfill construction and risk management, food waste, communications, landfill search and recovery, composting, and workplace safety.
The conversations were practical, honest, and grounded in real-world experience. A huge thank you to all the speakers, moderators, and panelists who shared their expertise and perspectives throughout the week.
Tours, Tours, Tours
This year’s tours gave attendees the chance to see innovation in action across Calgary. From landfill gas-to-energy systems and household hazardous waste operations to asphalt shingle recycling, tire recycling, material recovery, and reuse initiatives at the Goodwill Impact Centre.
Earth Day & Young Professionals Events = Packed House
The Earth Day and Young Professionals networking events brought together students and emerging professionals from across the industry for an evening of networking, conversation, bowling, and connections before the opening reception.
Seeing so many people in the room was a great reminder of the momentum building in the sector and the importance of continuing to create space for the next generation of industry leaders.
Tradeshow Conversations > Inbox Conversations
The tradeshow floor stayed busy throughout the conference, with exhibitors, municipalities, consultants, suppliers, and organizations connecting between sessions and networking breaks. A sincere thank you to all the sponsors and exhibitors whose support helped make this conference possible.
Thank You, Calgary
The SWANA Northern Lights Chapter conference continues to grow because of the people who show up and contribute their time, knowledge, experience, and energy to the community. Thank you again to everyone who attended, presented, volunteered, sponsored, exhibited, or helped behind the scenes.
Next stop: Regina in 2027.
The 2027 SWANA Northern Lights Chapter Conference will be taking place from May 26 – 28 at The Hotel Saskatchewan Marriott in Regina.
