The South East Summit is about celebrating success, inspiring and showcasing trends, networking and growing connections in the Southeast. This one-day conference platforms the best of what’s happening in communities locally, provincially, and beyond while sowing seeds for future cultural development. We are building stronger communities by planting cultural seeds.
Join us! Break bread, fill your cup with inspiration and ingenuity, make new acquaintances, and connect with provincial cultural agencies. Let’s celebrate every facet of culture together.
This year, we are partnering with the Town of Moosomin and the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre to bring The Summit to Moosomin. Come for the conference, stay for the Apps and Mini Market after the conference at the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre.
Event Agenda:
- 9:00 – 9:30 AM: Registration and snacks.
- 9:30 – 9:45 AM: Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, purpose, and itinerary.
- 9:45 – 10:45 AM: Hour-long breakout sessions, there will be three options to select from.
- 10:45 – 11:00 AM: BREAK
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Animateur Spotlight – Artists on site to highlight the themes of the conference.
- 12:00 – 12:45 PM: Lunch provided
- 12: 45 – 1:45 PM: Provincial Table Talk Session.
- 1:45 – 2:00 PM: BREAK
- 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Hour-long breakout sessions, there will be three options to select from.
- 3:00 – 4:00 PM: Mini Power Hour – A one-hour session in the main space where you will hear from two Southeast Communities introducing living heritage into our communities in unique ways.
HOUR-LONG SESSIONS: BREAKOUT SESSIONS
MORNING SESSION (Select one of the three)
Bringing History Back to the Diamond: The Indian Head Rockets Tribute Game
Robyn Jensen, Indian Head Museum Board member and the new curator at the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, shares the story behind the 2025 Indian Head Rockets Tribute Game, an initiative that brought a forgotten prairie baseball story back to life.
Through archival research, oral histories, and community collaboration, Jensen uncovered the legacy of a 1950s all-African descent baseball team that once played in small towns and across the prairies. This work culminated in a tribute game at Regina’s Currie Field between the Regina Red Sox and the Swift Current 57s, marking the team’s 75th anniversary and reconnecting past and present through sport. Joining her will be Saskatchewan African-Canadian Heritage Museum Executive Director Carol LaFayette-Boyd, one of the organizations Jensen collaborated with.
Blending museums and sports organizations with community engagement, this presentation highlights how history can move beyond the archive to create meaningful, place-based experiences that strengthen identity, spark dialogue, and build community.
This session will provide you with info on:
- How history plays an integral role in building community and tourism
- How to build impactful relationships to enliven history
- How you can bring history to life
About the Presenters:
Robyn Jensen is a Saskatchewan baseball historian and curator at the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Jensen has also been involved with the Indian Head Museum since 2019. She holds a Master of Arts in Media and Artistic Research and spends most of her free time chasing prairie box scores, forgotten players, and the stories hiding between them. Through her Home Runs & Dirt Roads project (homerunsdirtroads.ca), she shares the history of local teams and the people who made the game matter in small-town diamonds across the prairies.
Carol LaFayette-Boyd was born on a farm west of Saskatoon in 1942. She lived in small towns until 1956. Carol and her siblings were the only children of African descent wherever they lived until 1959, when people of African ancestry began moving to Regina,
Carol has been active with the following - Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum (SACHM), Bob Adams Foundation (BAF) and the For The Love Of Matthew (FTLOM). She attends Gateway Christian Fellowship church.
She has lived and worked in the United States and Canada as a clerk, nurse and social worker. Carol trained as a psychiatric nurse (Registered Psychiatric Nurse) and was a registered social worker. Carol retired in 2005 after 33 years with the Saskatchewan Government in Social Services, Corrections and Public Safety. Carol joined the Masters track and field at age 50 in 1992.
Wičahpi Film Productions: Ocean Man First Nation Youth Making it Happen
Part of Justin Holness’ campaign platform, when he was campaigning for Council at Ocean Man First Nation, was to establish a youth committee. The intention was to involve the youth in community development while supporting their personal and professional development. On October 02, 2025, they held our very first Youth Committee Meeting. By their third meeting, they had already created a short film, launched their own Media Production Company, and released their short film as a fundraiser.
Wičahpi Film Productions, which means “star” in Nakota, was also a way to integrate language into everything they do.
All the proceeds from this event helped support the Youth Committee with their own economic resources as they continue to make plans for the future.
This session is for you if:
- You are looking at ways to empower youth in your community
- Looking to find unique ways to engage youth
- How leaders can have an intrinsic role in making their communities safer for youth
About the Presenter:
Justin’s father is from Kingston, Jamaica, and his mother is Nakota, Assiniboine member of the Ocean Man First Nation, part of the Treaty 4 territory. His grandmother was the first Nakota language teacher at the First Nation University of Canada. He was born and raised in Winnipeg and now lives full-time in the Očeti Šagowin territory (Saskatchewan).
Justin, aka Jahkota, made history for being the first Indigenous hip-hop artist to drop a verse in the Senate of Canada. He has reached number one on the Indigenous music countdown for his album WOKE which also was nominated for best rap hip hop album for the Indigenous Music Awards. He was nominated in the “Social Voice” category at the 2021 Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards and his track “Welcome to the Matriarch” was nominated for a 2022 Native American Music Award.
Jahkota strives to help empower the welfare of people and the planet. As an elected representative/band councillor, he brings his passion to the position to uplift and bring opportunities to youth in his community.
Communities in Bloom: An Initiative to Enhance Community Spirit and Tourism
Communities in Bloom (CiB) is an economic initiative designed to enhance community spirit, foster civic pride, and boost tourism-if you actively promote your efforts! While many perceive it as merely planting flowers, it encompasses so much more.
The various categories in which you are evaluated open numerous doors for implementing environmental practices. They also allow you to plan for the community's future in terms of parks, green spaces, trees, and municipal projects. Additionally, it encourages the discovery of your town's rich heritage-every place has a story, and it's essential to share it alongside beautification efforts. Central to these initiatives are the people, often volunteers! Identifying passionate individuals who can lead projects is crucial. Seek out those with innovative ideas who are eager to collaborate in achieving your goals, as their enthusiasm is key to a successful endeavour.
In this session, we will also discuss securing funding, grant writing, fundraising and the all-important presentation to judges. Get an inside scoop on how Communities in Bloom can build your community and make it grow.
This would be a great one to attend if you are interested in:
- Enhancing your community engagement and civic pride
- Recruiting volunteers, keeping them fulfilled and succession planning
- Grant writing, funding approaches and how to put together CiB applications at different stages
About the Presenter:
Angela Thorn is the Assistant Park & Recreation Director and has been employed by the Town of Moosomin for 2.5 years, following over 25 years as a hairstylist and salon owner. Having
Having grown up in Moosomin, she left for 18 years but returned to raise her family. Volunteerism is a value instilled in her by her parents, and she is passionate about revitalising this spirit in small towns. Since starting her career, she has actively participated in Communities in Bloom and enjoys the challenge of encouraging her community to collaborate on projects.
Some of her primary goals include fostering greater community pride by increasing involvement, promoting Moosomin as an attractive destination through our Heritage Conservation efforts, developing a succession plan for her current volunteers, and aiming to place in the top three at this year's Communities in Bloom National Competition.
ANIMATEUR SPOTLIGHT
What is an animateur? What will happen during the Animateur Spotlight?
An animateur is someone who brings you into their practice. It includes many forms of expression, from visual arts to dance to theatre. They are often used to breathe life into a conference and provide tangible expressions that relate to the conference theme.
Artists will be on-site to provide insight into their practices. Watch them work and learn more about them through presentations on their bodies of work.
Weiming Zhao will be on-site in Moosomin during the day, near the MCC Centre, painting en plein air (meaning to paint in the open air). Take the opportunity to check out his practice as it happens.
Check out Krista’s artworks at the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre – we encourage you to go while in Moosomin. While there, check out their Mini Market after the conference.
What to expect from this Session: Both artists will speak to their artistic practices to provide an in-depth look at how their artworks and art practices have contributed to their communities.
From Creative Practice to Community Leadership
Join Krista Crellin as she shares her journey from a small-town prairie artist to a national leader in the photographic community. Through storytelling and reflection, she explores how a deep connection to art and community shaped both her creative path and her leadership. Grounded in the belief that meaningful work leaves a lasting impact, Krista offers an inspiring perspective on building a life and career rooted in purpose, place, and legacy.
About the Presenter:
Krista Crellin is a portrait artist based in her hometown of Moosomin, Saskatchewan. She is known for her heartfelt imagery, blending expansive prairie skies, organic posing, and genuine human connection. A Master of Photographic Arts, her work has been recognized on the international stage, including as a three-time member of Team Canada in the World Photographic Cup. Alongside her creative practice, Krista is an active arts leader and the founding Chair of the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre, where she champions community-driven arts programming. She also currently serves as Executive Director of the Professional Photographers of Canada, supporting and advancing the national photographic community.
Chasing a Moment, Leaving a Communal Legacy
Over the past two decades, Zhao has produced thousands of paintings depicting the ever-changing landscapes of Southwestern Manitoba. His works emphasise direct observation, natural light, and the fleeting atmosphere of a particular moment. It captures daily life in both urban and rural locations, preserving history through his hand.
Recently bestowed an honorary Doctorate in Literature in 2024, Brandon University stated: From these daily observations over the past two decades, Weiming has produced an absolutely unparalleled chronicle of Brandon — perhaps the only community anywhere in the world to have been painted so often, for so long, by one person.
Learn what inspired Weiming to this specific practice and what it has meant to him and his community.
About the Presenter:
Weiming Zhao is a Chinese-Canadian landscape painter based in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Known for his dedication to plein-air painting, Zhao has maintained a remarkable practice of painting outdoors almost every day since 2003, regardless of weather conditions.
Born in China, Zhao moved to Canada in 1991 and studied at Brandon University. He later settled permanently in Brandon, where the vast prairie landscape became the central inspiration for his work.
Zhao’s paintings have been exhibited widely in Canada and are collected internationally in Canada, the United States, China, and Europe. In recognition of his artistic achievement and cultural contribution to the community, Brandon University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Literature in 2024.
TABLE TALKS
Attendees can select a table to attend a mini presentation from different provincial cultural organizations of their choice. Each organization will present for ten minutes, followed by a five-minute question and answer period. Attendees will then be asked to switch tables (provided five minutes to find a new session). Provincial Organizations will be introduced at the beginning of this session, so attendees know who is where. There will be an opportunity to speak to 3 different organizations in this hour-long session.
Provincial Organizations:
- Maha Abbas - Heritage Saskatchewan
- Robyn Jensen - Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
- Chancz Perry - SK Arts
- Andrew Exelby - Saskatchewan Parks & Recreation Association
- Tara-Leigh Heslip - SaskCulture
- Cindy Green – Métis Nation – Saskatchewan. Local 44 Moosomin
- Carol Lafayette-Boyd – Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum
AFTERNOON SESSION (Select one of the three)
Maha Abba, Research Assistant, Heritage Saskatchewan
This presentation explores how heritage sites in Saskatchewan are deeply embedded in the everyday economic and social life of their communities. Too often, heritage is understood and talked about through the lens of preservation or cultural value, leaving its ongoing economic role under-recognized. This research responds to that gap by examining how heritage sites operate and how each of these activities contributes to real, measurable economic outcomes.
Using four case studies – the Margo Fournier Arts Centre in Prince Albert, the Qu’Appelle Valley Centre for the Arts in Fort Qu’Appelle, The Signal Hill Collective in Weyburn, and Honeywood Heritage Nursery near Parkside – this research maps each site’s day -to-day operations to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), a framework used by Statistics Canada to classify and generate their economic data. By applying a standardized economic framework to heritage sites, this research offers a different way of understanding heritage and its role within communities – not as static cultural assets, but as active participants in their local economies.
What can you expect to take away from this session?
- Highlighting the importance of recognizing heritage as part of the broader economic and social fabric of our communities.
- Recognizing this broader role helps change how heritage is understood, supported and planned for.
- Shifting heritage from being an afterthought in conversations surrounding economic investment, community revitalisation, and long-term sustainability, to heritage being recognized as an active and crucial part of these conversations.
Moosomin Visual Arts Centre: From Dream to Reality
The Moosomin Visual Arts Centre (MVAC) opened in 2023. Currently, it occupies part of an old stone church, specifically the St. Alban’s Anglican church built in 1893. More than just a place to show your work, it is a communal organisation geared to providing space and opportunities to learn and create, whether in visual arts, craft, baking or more. This is a place where creatives can come together. But how did this kind of space come together? How did the community advocate, fundraise and approach the council to make this dream come to fruition? Come to this breakout session to find out!
What are some of the ideas that will be discussed in this talk?
- Finding out how to mobilise and make a business case for artistic institutions in your community
- How to approach your city/town/municipal council
- Fundraising and advocating for the arts in rural Saskatchewan
About the Presenter:
J’aime Payne is a business leader, creative entrepreneur, and community builder who brings together corporate expertise, artistic experience, and a strong understanding of rural community life in her work with the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre (MVAC).
Her career began in Toronto’s music industry as a professional songwriter before she moved into arts advocacy as Director of Member Services at the Canadian Recording Artists’ Association. In 2018, she founded The Snow Lake Initiative, a social enterprise that supported artists through microgrants and mentorship.
J’aime later founded and grew Breeze Business Management, a virtual bookkeeping firm serving clients across Canada, building expertise in operations, financial strategy, and sustainable growth. After relocating from Ontario to Saskatchewan in 2022 and now calling Moosomin home, she has spent the past two years deeply involved in the local community, bringing a valuable mix of big-city experience and small-town perspective.
As Treasurer of MVAC, she contributes strategic leadership, financial stewardship, and a strong vision for accessible, sustainable arts programming. She is also involved in local cultural initiatives, including starting the Little Film Fest on the Prairies, and works to make arts and culture more visible and connected in Moosomin.
In February 2026, J’aime launched Moosospin Studio, a dark boutique indoor cycling studio that reflects her passion for building thoughtful, community-centred experiences. Across every project, she is guided by the belief that creativity thrives when supported by strong infrastructure, practical systems, and inclusive opportunities.
Where Tradition Meets Technology: A Beading Journey
This presentation shares Jill Ruep’s personal journey of seeking reconnection to her Métis culture through beading and how that journey unexpectedly grew into a successful business and innovative app. What began as a way to reclaim tradition, storytelling, and identity evolved into an entrepreneurial path where cultural knowledge and modern technology intersect.
Jill reflects on her lived experiences building a beading business, developing a digital app rooted in Indigenous teachings, and navigating the realities of entrepreneurship along the way. Attendees will hear an honest story of growth, learning, and resilience, explore how tradition can thrive in digital spaces, and gain insight into what’s next as Jill continues to expand her vision.
What can you expect if you attend this session:
- How to make the pitch! Making dreams a reality in the entrepreneurial sector
- How to harness your stories and learning and put them into practice
- Learn about Métis bead culture and make your own keychain!
About the Presenter:
Jill Ruep is the founder and creator of Ma Fii Lii Rasaad (“My Daughter’s Beads” in Michif), an Indigenous‑led beading app and creative business based in Saskatchewan. She is a registered Métis citizen of Saskatchewan and a passionate advocate for preserving Indigenous teachings, storytelling, and cultural creativity through both traditional beadwork and modern technology.
Jill is set to be the first Indigenous person in North America to develop a beading app specializing in Indigenous content. Through Ma Fii Lii Rasaad, she bridges ancestral knowledge with digital innovation, empowering Indigenous artists, learners, and communities to design custom beading patterns while honouring the cultural significance behind each piece.
Jill has facilitated beading workshops across Saskatchewan, collaborated with post‑secondary institutions, and partnered with computer science students to bring her vision to life. Her work has been showcased at community events, powwows, and cultural gatherings, and her beading kits and workshops have reached learners of all ages.
Alongside her entrepreneurial work, Jill is a Student Advisor and an emerging leader in Indigenous innovation. Her presentations focus on Indigenous‑led entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, and how technology can be used respectfully to strengthen, not replace, traditional knowledge.
POWER HOUR
What is the Power Hour? We are ending our event on a high note with two half-hour presentations that celebrate South East District communities and their way of celebrating heritage important to their communities.
Mining Meets Museums: Building a Virtual Reality Tour in Estevan
In partnership with Westmoreland Mining and Southeast College – Centre of Sustainable Innovation, Souris Valley Museum developed the Virtual Coal Mine Tour, a virtual reality tour, in response to the suspension of in‑person mine tours during the Covid‑19 pandemic. Using high‑resolution 8K, 360‑degree video, they were able to capture an active mine site. The immersive experience allows visitors to safely explore mining operations as if they were physically present, including equipment and environments normally inaccessible to the public.
Designed as an engaging educational tool for museums, schools, and community events, the tour highlights Estevan’s identity as an energy city while preserving an important part of the region’s industrial heritage through innovative storytelling and technology. The Virtual Tour co-exists with the Souris Valley Museum’s Heritage Mining Equipment display, which includes 4 pieces of mining equipment that were previously used in the Costello mine at Bienfait, Saskatchewan. Together, the exhibit and tour tell Estevan’s mining story, both past and present
Building a Virtual Reality Tour in Estevan explores how the Souris Valley Museum used modern virtual reality technology to preserve and share the story of lignite coal strip mining in southeast Saskatchewan. Does your community have a unique history? How can you use technology to highlight that history? In this session, you will learn about:
- Providing enhanced museum visitor engagement
- Updating displays that go beyond labels and provide a unique experience
- Attracting new audiences while digitally preserving historic sites or practices that may not be openly available to the public
About the Presenter:
Melanie has been the Director/Curator at the Souris Valley Museum since 2022, but began working in 2016 as a part-time administrator. Melanie is a dedicated museum specialist with experience in collections management, exhibition planning, cultural heritage preservation, and grant writing.
The Souris Valley Museum’s collection includes over 3500 artefacts, and under Melanie’s care, each piece is being preserved for future generations. For her, history isn’t just about artefacts — it’s about the stories they tell future audiences.
Melanie previously worked in the Credit Union system for 20 years and holds a Business Certificate from Dalhousie University with a background in finance and accounting. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Community Museum Studies through the Museums Association of Saskatchewan and the Association of Manitoba Museums. When she’s not in the museum, Melanie enjoys visiting other small-town museums and learning their stories.
The Great Pumpkin Calcutta! Growing funds and Community
Amanda Cairns and her team have breathed new life into Fairlight’s Pumpkin Growing Contest and made it their own. By using the successful playbook from their neighbouring town, they have rekindled this heritage event. Whether through canvassing for pumpkin growers or educating people about this event, they created an annual fundraiser for their entire community. One that community members want to be involved in and support. The Maryfield Pumpkin Calcutta provides our community with two separate opportunities to fundraise and get everyone involved.
Maryfield, Saskatchewan, is a village surrounded by farmland. It’s an agrarian basin, which only makes sense that they would use this in their identity to secure funding to provide opportunities for their community. What is your community's identity? Could you use that to spark a unique fundraiser that everyone wants to get involved in? In this session, you will learn about:
- Partnering and working with neighbouring communities
- Fundraising ideas that pair with community identity
- Explore how communities are using living heritage in their communities
About the Presenter:
Rural prairie living is a lifestyle! Born and raised in a small town in Saskatchewan, Amanda Cairns, after living in Australia for a year, returned home to live in Saskatchewan, her preferred geographical place to call home. An avid barrel racer and outdoor enthusiast, she spends many hours on the road with her kids’ rodeo events as well as her own.
After running her own successful business in Maryfield, Saskatchewan, for 20 years, Amanda decided to take on a new role - Maryfield Recreation Director in 2025. In this role, she has discovered a new passion. She loves the opportunity to engage her community and provide activities and events for everyone to enjoy. Devoted to her small town, she is a member of several local committees. Never afraid of hard work, she believes in investing time and energy into her community to help it thrive, grow and be a better place to call home.
MOOSOMIN VISUAL ARTS CENTRE
After the conference, stick around for a mini market, finger foods, and check out the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre - meet and greet some of the MANY talented artists and artisans from the area.
- Time: 4:30 – 7:00 PM
- Location: Moosomin Visual Arts Centre, 701 Ellice St.
- Website: https://www.moosominvac.com
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Registration Information:
- Event Registration Fee: $40
- Final Deadline to Register: Thursday, May 14, 2026.
- Payment: Payment can be made by e-transfer or mailed cheque. Your confirmation email will provide further details.
- Register Here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/9uat2sk/lp/cf7a2962-8bd7-41b4-8a8a-df2517a81661
- Questions: For any questions regarding the South East Summit, email cdc@southeastdistrict.ca.
