The Canada Strong and Free Network (CSFN) Regional Conference will be taking place at the Red Deer Resort and Casino from Friday to Saturday. CSFN President Adam Bolek said the conservative movement came out of Alberta. “It all goes back to when Alberta first came to be as a province, and there’s no doubt it has always been the beating heart of conservatism and the right in Canada,” said Bolek in a Thursday interview. “And so I think it’s right every year we do a conference there to reflect on the origins and also look at the future of the movement and specifically for this conference this year in Red Deer, we’re trying to look at ways Alberta’s paving the way on a number of different issues that are important to the movement.” This year’s theme is Alberta Leading the Way. Bolek said the CSFN chose this theme because conservatism is changing around the world, and Alberta has played a role in that. The CSFN Regional Conference will begin with the Best Practices Forum on Friday from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. with a speech from Leadership Institute Senior Vice President Steven Sutton about activism. Other speeches Sutton will give include one about messaging and issues on Friday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and another about fundraising and donor development from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Conservative volunteer Matthew Gelinas will deliver a speech about opportunities for conservative activists from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Former Montreal Economic Institute president Michel Kelly-Gagnon will give remarks about the ideological roots of conservatism from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday will start off with opening remarks from CSFN Chair Michael Binnion and Bolek from 9:00 to 9:15 a.m. Binnion and Bolek will outline what it will focus on. The first panel will be about Canadian federalism with University of Calgary political science professor Barry Cooper, former U of C political science professor Ted Morton, and Canadian Constitution Foundation counsel Josh Dehaas as speakers and RichCrooks Enterprises President Andy Crooks as the moderator from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Bolek said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been pushing for better deals for all provinces, and this panel will speak about her approach. With Smith, he said she has tried to find the right balance. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said this balance was tested and should be examined more. While other panels will be held Saturday morning, Smith will give the keynote address from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. Her opening remarks will be followed by a moderated question and answer session with Binnion. He said she will touch on all of the issues being spoken about at the CSFN Regional Conference. Additionally, he predicted she will offer an assessment on where she sees the conservative movement now. Smith said at the CSFN Regional Conference in November it is “a rallying point for all of us who believe in a strong and free and prosperous Canada.” .Smith says conservatives have to maintain momentum .“This past year, our conservative movement has shown remarkable strength, and we need to keep that momentum going,” she said. “We’ve grown faster than ever before, proving that our ideas and our values and our vision resonate deeply with people.”.American conservative activist Chris Rufo has been recognized as the keynote speaker and will speak from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Bolek said he is excited for Rufo’s speech. While the CSFN has faced backlash for having Rufo speak, he said it believes in freedom of speech and wants to give him a platform to offer his perspective. He acknowledged he has been successful at exposing universities for the hypocrisy with their diversity, inclusion, and equity policies. The CSFN has recorded 160 attendees so far. Bolek said he feels positive it will be successful. He concluded by saying it is “important to come and learn from the best in the movement and get trained up and learn about the latest and greatest tactics in conservative activism and conservative politics.” More importantly, he said it is important to learn about it in central Alberta, as it is the beating heart of conservatism. “That’s where the Reform movement came out, which changed Canadian conservatism decades ago, and I think it’s important to come home and hear from folks at the core and centre of the movement in Western Canada,” he said.
