U of S to host conference on contemporary democracy

SASKATOON - Academics from across Canada will gather at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) this week to discuss the challenges to contemporary democracy, at a conference honouring the memory of Allan Blakeney.

Blakeney was premier of Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982 and spent the later part of his career as a scholar in the College of Law at the U of S.

"As a politician, public administrator, lawyer and professor, Allan Blakeney cared passionately about all aspects of democratic practice. I am sure that he would be proud to have a conference in his honour debating and discussing the future of democracy in Canada," said Roy Romanow, former premier of Saskatchewan and one of the organizers of the event.

The conference brings together thinkers from across the political spectrum to discuss the health of Canadian democracy following the recent federal election and going into the 2016 Saskatchewan provincial election. The topics to be covered include protecting the integrity of voting; creating legal structures that guarantee strong human rights; the role of experts in public discourse; the pursuit of economic and social equality; the inclusion of minority political communities; and encouraging excellence in public administration.

"Allan Blakeney was a great believer in dialogue. In that spirit, we are bringing in top-notch academics from around the country to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of democracy in Canada and to propose solutions for its improvement," said conference organizer David McGrane, a U of S political studies professor at St. Thomas More College.

The conference will be held in Room 150 of the Law Building at the U of S on Friday, Nov. 6 from 1:30-5 pm and Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 am-5 pm. Admission is free. Papers from the conference will be submitted as an edited collection to be published by the University of Regina Press. A full conference program is available at www.canadiansocialdemocracy.ca/blakeney_conference.

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Roy Romanow and David McGrane are available to media for commentary on the conference. Roy Romanow can be reached at roy.romanow@usask.ca and 306-966-5174. David McGrane can be reached at david.mcgrane@usask.ca and 306-966-8924.

For more information, contact:
James Shewaga
Media Relations Specialist
University of Saskatchewan
306-966-1851
james.shewaga@usask.ca
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