President Chris started the meeting by welcoming everyone including our guest speaker, Bryce Starlight and Isabelle, guest of Jenny.
Member Honours
Chris presented a Paul Harris Fellow 7 to Des DeFreitas and Paul Harris Fellow 8 to Steve Strang.
Congratulations to both members for their extraordinary contributions to the Rotary Foundation.
Guest Speaker
After the singing of O Canada, Dan Doherty introduced our guest speaker by reflecting on his own youth of growing up in the adjacent area and is grateful that we've had the opportunity to occupy these lands and have incredible lives because of the stewardship that's been done by the nation.
Bryce Starlight is a community builder and the current Business Development Representative for Taza Developmentson the Tsuut'ina Nation. He has extensive experience building partnerships and creating dialogue between industry and Indigenous nations, specifically regarding pipeline projects across Alberta and British Columbia. His work focuses on promoting cultural awareness, guiding industry practices with Indigenous communities, and preserving Tsuut'ina culture.
Bryce shared his personal journey navigating the tension between career growth and staying connected to his community — a challenge he said many Indigenous practitioners face. He argued that the most meaningful progress happens when professional advancement and community connection can be aligned.
Economic development vs. building an economy. Bryce drew a key distinction: project-focused "economic development" targets solutions, while "building an economy" opens up governance so solutions can emerge organically. Taza is designed around the latter.
Partnerships as the balancing mechanism. Rather than one group trying to be "everything to everyone," strategic partnerships let the nation preserve tradition while partners drive change — with both sides in constant communication to find the center.
On the federal government: Bryce noted that field-level federal staff tend to be more solution-oriented than those in Ottawa. Taza's breakthrough came from eliminating federal liability for internally governed decisions, allowing the nation to move at the speed of business while still honouring the spirit of legislation.
"It's better to do something and possibly get it wrong than to do nothing and get it right. If you don't evolve, you run the risk of becoming irrelevant — not just to your community, but to society."
Key themes
Legacy and change as a moving target
Balancing tradition with modernization
Partnerships leveraging mutual strengths
Clear governance and documented agreements
Cultural values embedded in design
6–7 projects per year vs. 1 every 5 years
Announcements & upcoming events
Mohkinstsis Urban Indigenous Rotary Club — Charter Ceremony
July 3 at 2:00 PM · Royal Canadian Legion, Haddon Road · The first Indigenous Rotary Club in North America, chartered by Rotary International Director Marty Helman. All members warmly invited. Dan is asking that we make this part of our schedule following the parade breakfast as we are the sponsoring club.
Rotary Friendship Exchange — Southern New Zealand
June 29 – July 12, 2027 · Organized by Lethbridge. Hosting 3–4 nights needed. Rod and Farid have volunteered. Two more hosts sought — speak to Darren and see email from Felipe Guerra sent on June 4th.
This Friday at 2:00 PM · Please register by Wednesday so numbers can be confirmed. Meeting at the Meals on Wheels location (no Blue Flame coffee chat this week).
Casino fundraiser — volunteers needed.
August 23–24 · Elbow River Casino · ~26 volunteers required. A chairperson is also needed as Bill Lawless steps down. Contact Garfield or the president if interested.
June 29th, we're going to celebrate… President Chris’s last formal meeting. Chris announced “we're going to have two amazing speakers coming, but we're not going to tell you who they are, because you have to come and listen to them, and they're going to tell us about Canada and how important Canada is to them.
And they're, I'll just say … “one of them is an immigrant, and one of them is a foreign Canadian, and you're going to hear from two perspectives, I believe.”
Incoming President Inauguration
July 6 · Don Edie receives his red hat and is inaugurated as president-elect. Please join in celebrating!
July meeting location change
June 29 – July 20 (4 weeks) · Meetings will be held at the Delta South while the Grey Eagle is unavailable. Returning to the Grey Eagle on July 27.
No joke from Chris today but a fun fact….You know what? If you invested a dollar, one dollar in the American stock market, when it opened in 1790 …you know what -today you'd be dead!
The entertainer and philanthropist Dolly Parton died 25 August 2026. This Q&A was originally published in the March 2010 issue of The Rotarian (now Rotary) magazine. Later that year, she spoke at the Rotary International Convention in Montreal, Canada.
