Overview

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2023 SWANA Northern Lights Conference in Yellowknife, NT.

SAVE THE DATE: The 2024 NLC Conference will be a joint event with the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council’s ReForum, to be held May 29-31, 2024 in Saskatoon, SK.

2023 Proceedings

Below are copies of the available proceedings from the conference. Click on the speaker’s name to download their slide deck (PDF format).

Workshop: Lessons from and for the ground: EPR and the changing solid waste management landscape in the North

Evan James
Randy Webber

Keynote: “Permafrost Dynamics in a Changing Climate”
Steve Kokelj, PhD. Senior Permafrost Scientist, Northwest Territories Geological Survey, Government of the Northwest Territories

Small and Remote Communities – Past to Present – Session 1A

“Clean Up Clean Start: NWT Regional Solid Waste Improvement Projects”, Gerald Enns, GNWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
“Converting Dump Sites into Resource Management Centres”, Stan Lozecznik, KGS Group (presentation not available for proceedings)
“Illegal Dumping – Addressing an Ugly Eye Sore One Site at a Time”, Roschell Clarke & Constable Arnold MacKinnon, Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Composting Processing? What’s changing in the compost game? – Session 1B

“Curbside Organics Collection in Smaller Communities: Best Practices & Some Lessons Learned”, Jeff Ainge, Jeff Ainge & Associates Inc
“Small-scale Composting in Rural and Remote Regions”, Amy Smith, Green Action Centre
“What’s Changed in the Alberta Compost Game”, Steve Johnson, AECOM

Mine Waste Stories – Session 1C

“Rayrock Mine Remediation”, Joël Nolin & Rob McCollough, AECOM
Angela Bigg, Diavik Diamond Mine
“Waste Management at Giant Mine: A Tale of Many Streams”, Patrick Schmidt and Natalie Plato, Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

The Burning Question – Session 2A

“It’s not IF… it’s WHEN – Landfill Fires”, Eldon Wallman, City of Steinbach
“Youngstown Regional Landfill Fire”, Jim Lapp, Tetra Tech
“Learnings from the Jasper Chetamon Wildfire”, John Greathead, Municipality of Jasper

Building Engagement and Education for Today’s World – Session 2B

“Smart Trucks & A.I. – Finding the Education Strategy that Works for You”, Stevan Mikha, Prairie Robotics
“Community Engagement for Solid Waste Management Projects – from remote communities to entire municipalities”, Meaghan Pauls, Scatliff+Miller+Murray
“TikTok, Instagram & Beyond – Talking Trash on Social Media”, Jessica Shrout, Circle Three Branding
“SortnGo – ACRD West Coast Organics Implementation – Yuulu?it?ath Government and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations”, Jodie Frank, ACRD and William Severinson, TFN

Creating a Circular Economy for Organics in our Communities – Stories of Success – Session 2C

“Tulita 365 Gardening”, Tim Tomczynski, Economic Development Officer, Hamlet of Tulita (Northwest Territories)
“Banff’s Zero Waste Trail & Why Municipal Policy Works”, Carla Bitz, Environmental Coordinator, Resource Recovery, Town of Banff (Alberta)
“Food Waste Recycling Options for Smaller and Northern Communities”, Dr. John Paul, President, Transform Compost Systems (British Columbia)
“Developing contaminant removal and screening options for small-scale compost facilities”, Garret Gillespie, Owner, Boreal Compost Enterprises (Yukon)
“Organics Recycling: Moving to Action”, Susan Antler, Executive Director, Compost Council of Canada

Small and Remote Communities – Opportunities to Optimize – Session 3A

“Yellowknife’s Transition from a Balefill to Conventional Landfill”, Chris Vaughn, City of Yellowknife
“Environmental Monitoring: Asking Why and Reviewing Program Findings”, Sarina Loots & Jackie Kaiser, Associated Environmental Consultants
“Optimizing Waste Management Through Regionalization”, Casey Frantik, Saskatchewan Environment (presentation not available for proceedings)

EPR in Canada – Session 3B

“On the Road to EPR in the Yukon”, Natalia Baranova, Government of Yukon
“Considerations for EPR in the NWT”, Giselle Beaudry, Government of the Northwest Territories
“Collaborations with First Nations”, Will Burrows, Interchange Recycling (formerly BC Used Oil Management Association) -> view video at https://youtu.be/GHnMt0KRK6s
“Transportation Challenges for Recycling in the Northern Territories”, Peter Houweling, Kavanaugh Waste Removal Services

Climate Change – Climate-friendly innovations – Session 3C

“Solar on Landfills”, Drew Lent & Michel Lefebvre, Tetra Tech
- Feasibility study on a closed landfill outside of Halifax
“Landfill Gas to Renewable Natural Gas in Niagara – Preparing the Wellfield”, Denise Burgess & Shannan McGarr, Comcor Environmental Limited

Small and Remote Communities – Opportunities for Technology at a Small Scale – Session 4A

“Incineration as a feasible SWM solution in a remote northern community”, Mario Poveda, KGS Group
“Autonomous micro-grids: a climate solution for small-medium landfill methane emissions”, Jamaal Montasser, Perdico Energy (presentation not available for proceedings, please visit www.perdico.com instead)
“Achieving Circular Economy Through Composting”, Faith Green-Mykituk, City of Whitehorse

Landfill Closure Options and Ideas – Session 4B

“Spyhill Waste Management Facility (WMF) Stage 1 Evapotranspiration (ET) Cover”, John MacKenzie, AECOM
“Long-Term Strategic Planning to Modernize the Design and Operational Practices of a Mature Landfill Facility”, Jeff Chan, Associated Engineering Alberta
“Leachate Quantity Analysis as a Budget Planning and Final Landfill Cover Performance Assessment Method for Closed Landfill Cells”, Jeroen Pieterse, City of Calgary

Attracting the future of the industry – young professional development panel – Session 5A

Eric Nielsen – Regional Sales Manager, QED Environmental Systems
Lytasha Bastine – Shepard Waste Management Facility Operations Superintendent, City of Calgary
Michelle Tomasiewicz – Environmental Engineer-In-Training, AECOM
Sonya Adams – Landfill Manager, Drumheller & District Solid Waste Management Association

Safety – How can we improve our safety systems? – Session 5B

“The long and Winding Road to Building a Safety Culture – Lesson learned the hard way”, Patrick Peck, South Central Solid Waste Authority (Las Cruces, New Mexico)
“Beyond Size: Exploring Safety Challenges and Solutions in Small Landfills”, Sarah Keith, Tetra Tech

Closing Plenary

Gerri Whiteford & Elsie De Roose, Food Rescue
Matthew Grogono, Old Town Glassworks
Mark Heyck, Arctic Energy Alliance
Aileen Ling, Makerspace
Dawn Tremblay, Ecology North
Lise Picard, Yellowknife Farmers Market