Presented by:
Where
Virtual/Online
When
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Prelude 7:30 a.m.
Program 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Our Host
Dave Kelly is an award-winning host, writer, and interviewer who creates intelligent and deeply human moments for events and keynote conversations around the world. He is the host of Dave Kelly Live – Canada’s own talk-variety show. Ellen Degeneres selected Dave as the moderator and interviewer for
her multi-city tour across Canada. He recently hosted a conversation with President Barack Obama in Calgary and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Montreal. Dave is the co-founder of Kelly Brothers Productions, an award-winning video and entertainment company.
2021 Trail Blazer Ambassadors
Jeff Boyd
Regional President, Alberta & Territories,
RBC Royal Bank
Karen Gosbee
Co-Chair, Community Action on Mental Health and Addiction Stewardship Group
Rachel Herbert
Rancher, Trail’s End Beef
Tim Logel
President & Co-Founder, Logel Homes and Cardel Lifestyles
Ellen Parker
CEO, Owner Parker PR
Grit McCreath
Chancellor, University of Saskatchewan
Matt Mura
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Mike Shaikh
Businessman
Curtis Stange
President & CEO, ATB
Melanie Timmons
Executive Director, War Stories Society
Join us Wednesday, May 12, 2021 online as we connect thought-leaders, innovators, philanthropists, influencers and entrepreneurs in Calgary — people who aren’t afraid to blaze new trails to leverage joint resources and expertise to address the complex social issues of poverty and homelessness as a collective community.
We are pleased to present Lieutenant-General (Ret) The Honourable Roméo Dallaire as our keynote speaker.
Whether as military commander, humanitarian, senator or author, Roméo Dallaire has penetrated our national consciousness, often in supremely uncomfortable ways. Setting aside his natural reserve, he has felt compelled to bring national and international attention to situations too-often ignored, whether the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide, the struggle that he and many other military veterans face with post-traumatic stress disorder, or the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Come listen to a true force of transformative action as he walks us through a world post-crisis, changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We will learn from his experience in seeing how other countries, in other times, have recovered from unspeakable crises and experienced an extraordinary resurgence. How will our nation live with this experience—not only its physical impact, but psychological as well. How will we handle our future, without guilt, and press on?
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to take in these lessons of leadership and the need for continued trailblazing in Canada.
Our Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to present Lieutenant-General (ret) The Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire, as our keynote speaker this year.
Lieutenant-General (ret) The Honorable Roméo A. Dallaire
General Roméo Dallaire is the founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, a global partnership with the mission to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. A celebrated advocate for human rights, General Dallaire is also a respected author, government and UN advisor, and former Canadian Senator.
Throughout his distinguished military career, General Dallaire served most notably as Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda prior to and during the 1994 genocide. General Dallaire provided the United Nations with information about the planned massacre, which ultimately took more than 800,000 lives in less than 100 days; yet, permission to intervene was denied and the UN withdrew its peacekeeping forces. General Dallaire, along with a small contingent of Ghanaian and Tunisian soldiers and military observers, disobeyed the command to withdraw and remained in Rwanda to fulfill their ethical obligation to protect those who sought refuge with the UN forces.
Whether as military commander, humanitarian, senator or author, Roméo Dallaire has elevated our national consciousness. He continues to work tirelessly to bring national and international attention to situations too-often ignored, whether the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide, the struggle that he and many other military veterans face with post-traumatic stress disorder, or the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Why Are We Hosting?
The Trail Blazer breakfast is a unique opportunity for you to be inspired by a true humanitarian trailblazer; military commander, humanitarian, senator and author, Roméo Dallaire and honour our Trail Blazer Legacy Award recipient, Tim J. Hearn. Join these humanitarians and other CHF supporters and stakeholders in celebrating the successes of the sector and the results of our collective community impact.
2020 Highlights:
- In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, CHF, in partnership with community, led the implementation of an Assisted Self-Isolation Site (ASIS).
- Since April 6, 2020, the ASIS has provided isolation spaces to more than 300 homeless Calgarians who have experienced symptoms or been diagnosed with COVID-19. In addition, over 55 people have transitioned from ASIS into long-term Housing First programs, while more than 35 have been reunited with their families or moved into independent housing.
- Since March 19, as a result of our ongoing efforts with community partners, more than 235 adults, 85 families and 30 youth have been accepted into a CHF-funded Housing First program or have moved into permanent housing with supports.
Our Collective Impact
- Thanks to our collective work within Calgary’s Homeless-Serving System of Care, we’ve achieved an over +90% housing retention rate in our programs.
- We’ve implemented the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) – Canada’s most comprehensive database on homelessness.
- We’ve housed over 10,000 people since 2008.
- Over 580 housing units have been built specifically for individuals who need them.