Respectful Municipal Spaces/milieux municipaux respectueux
Symposium for Municipal Elected Officials / Symposium destiné aux élus municipaux
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About
Welcome
The Harassment & Intimidation Symposium is a unique opportunity for municipal elected officials and administrators to explore practical strategies for fostering safe, respectful, and inclusive municipal workplaces. Through open dialogue, expert-led sessions, and peer learning, participants will gain insights to strengthen civility and leadership within their councils and communities.
This symposium is part of the UMNB/AFMNB Civility and Harassment Prevention Strategy, a joint initiative aimed at promoting mutual respect and well-being within New Brunswick’s municipal governments.
Agenda
Day One: Scoping the issue
1PM - 5PM , Friday, November 14, 2025 | Harassment and Intimidation Symposium for Municipal Elected Officials
Welcome and Introductions
Opening Keynote
Setting the stage for two days of learning and collaboration, the keynote explores the importance of civility and respectful governance in local government.
Jurisdictional Scan Report
An overview of national and local trends in harassment and intimidation affecting municipal officials.
Scope and Scale in New Brunswick
A presentation outlining the growth and pervasiveness of incivility in New Brunswick’s municipal sector, including findings from a pre-symposium anonymous survey of participants.
Ground Truthing
An interactive session where we test the info provided above and establish some benchmarks for the scope of the issue in New Brunswick.
Day Two: Moving Toward Solutions
8AM - 12PM, Saturday, November 15, 2025 | Harassment and Intimidation Symposium for Municipal Elected Officials
Immediate Ideas
What kinds of approaches are already in use in terms of 1) Policy and Legislation, 2) Communications strategies and tools, and 3) practical tools local governments can use in chambers, offices, and other venues.
Brainstorming on Solutions
Table discussions with the room divided into sections based on Solutions Categories (Policy and Legislation, Communications, Practical Tools). We’ll have timed, facilitated discussion, a quick report back, then move to a different topic table.
Wrap-Up & Next Steps
A closing reflection on issues identified, followed by next steps including interviews, strategy development, and evaluation.
AGENDA: Harassment and Intimidation Symposium for Municipal Elected Officials
Presenters
Tyler has a wealth of experience in both the political and non-profit sectors, with a solid background in physical sciences, mathematics, education, IT, and programming. His expertise lies in government relations, scientific and political communication, and not-for-profit administration.
Nathalie Dubois is President of Accent Strategies Inc., a Fredericton-based consultancy specializing in strategic public affairs, government relations, stakeholder engagement, and crisis management. In her prior role with the New Brunswick government, as Senior Director of Regional Collaboration and Planning under the Local Governments and Local Governance Reform initiative, she led efforts to support stronger municipal governance frameworks across the province.
Craig is a highly effective government relations and advocacy strategist known for creating clarity out of chaos. Drawing on a successful career in municipal public policy, Craig provides training, counsel and strategic guidance on governance and public policy.
Craig spearheaded advocacy campaigns that saw unprecedented results during his twenty-five-year tenure at Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL). His work significantly increased municipal funding, autonomy, and capital investment support and provided a more supportive regulatory environment. For example, in 2020, he successfully lobbied to change federal wastewater system effluent regulations to reduce the regulatory burden on local governments. In addition, he successfully championed the provincial government to implement a province-wide ban on single-use plastic bags. Respected as one of Newfoundland and Labrador's leading public policy voices, Craig is a regular on-air media panellist and conference speaker on economic development and governance issues.
Resources
Files coming soon.
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