That’s a Wrap on the 2025 SWANA Northern Lights Chapter Conference

The 2025 SWANA Northern Lights Chapter Conference in Winnipeg is officially in the books. Over the course of three packed days, our “Waste Management All-Stars” came together to connect, learn, and tackle the big challenges in our field. From the sponsors, speakers, and volunteers to every attendee who showed up ready to participate, we are truly grateful.

Conference proceedings will be posted online in July. We will send an email when they are available.

A Strong and Supportive Community

We are proud of the amazing community that shows up to our events. From the opening reception and jersey night to the tradeshow and Young Professionals meetup, the atmosphere was energizing and welcoming. The networking is always a highlight, deepening the sense of connection and shared purpose that brings this community together.

Opening and Closing Keynotes That Left a Mark

We opened the conference with Tej Gidda, who challenged us with the question: Where is the Babe Ruth of the Energy Transition? He reminded us how little time remains to change the way we manage energy and waste.

We closed with an unforgettable keynote from Michelle Sawatzky-Koop, a former Canadian Olympian. Her talk was heartfelt, energizing, and uplifting. One attendee described it perfectly:

“She brought many of us to tears… an inspiring storyteller with a big Canadian heart and a stand-up comedian style. The full package.”

Michelle left us with clear, simple messages: be proud of being brave, tune out the word “never,” and keep doing life-changing work. We couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring end to the conference.

EPR Workshop: Strong Lineup of Cross-Canada Perspectives

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Workshop featured an outstanding lineup of speakers from across the Northern Lights region and beyond. Together, they helped us better understand the current landscape of EPR in our provinces and territories. Thank you to all the speakers for sharing your insights and making this workshop such a success!

Top Notch Tours

This year’s tours gave participants a chance to see local innovation firsthand. Sites included Brady Road Resource Management Facility, Gerdau Metal Recycling, The Forks Zero Waste Tour, a recycling tour featuring mattresses, electronics, and tires, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

A special thank you to the volunteers and board members who kept things running smoothly. Many helped guide the tours while sporting referee jerseys in the spirit of our conference’s sports theme.

Sessions That Delivered

Thank you to all of the speakers and moderators who shared their insights and expertise. Every session added value, with something to be learned from every corner of the sector.

Speaker Gifts That Gave Back

In recognition of the ongoing emergency and in lieu of speaker gifts this year, SWANA NLC made a donation to the Canadian Red Cross in support of wildfire response efforts, on behalf of all our conference speakers.

Donations to the Canadian Red Cross will be used for assisting those impacted by the wildfires in Manitoba with immediate and ongoing relief including financial assistance, support to evacuees and the communities hosting them,recovery and resilience efforts in response to the wildfires, as well as supporting community preparedness and risk reduction for future all-hazard disaster events within Manitoba.

Between May 28 and June 27, 2025, donations will be matched by both the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba, meaning every $1 donated becomes $3 to support wildfire-affected families and communities.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are especially thankful to the sponsors who helped make this event possible. Their support allows us to offer high-quality training, bring people together, and advance the conversation across the region.

• MVP Sponsor: Government of Manitoba
  
• All-Star Sponsor: KGS Group
  
• Gold Sponsors: City of Calgary, Tetra Tech
  
• Silver Sponsors: Dillon Consulting Limited, AECOM
  
• Bronze Sponsors: Afitex-Texel Geosynthetics, Manitoba Environmental Industries Association, Reliable Tire Recycling
  
• Fan-Favourite Sponsors: Product Care Recycling, Lethbridge BioGas, Omni-McCann Inc., Crumb Rubber Manufacturers
  
• Team Contributor: Emterra Group
  

Help Us Improve

We would appreciate your feedback as we plan for next year’s conference in Calgary. You can share your thoughts and upload any photos you captured during the week using the links below:

• Conference Feedback Survey
• Upload Your Conference Photos
  

Thank you again for being part of the SWANA Northern Lights Chapter community. We look forward to seeing you in Calgary in April 2026.