It was an honour and a privilege for me to have recently participated in the Governor General's Canadian Study Conference (GGCSC) 2000. A sincere thank you to my local union as well as to Suncor for giving me the privilege to experience this unique leadership opportunity.

The theme of the conference was " Building Stronger Communities - Developing Tomorrow's Leaders".

Just a quick recap of what the GGCSC is all about. Under the auspices of the Governor General of Canada, it is a conference held every five years which aims to increase leadership across Canada and in every sector of the economy. It is attended by representatives from labour, government and business who should have a common objective to help sustain Canada's social and economic ideals. As well, its purpose is to instill people skills, better reasoning and decision-making, flexibility and adaptability and helps future leaders make sense of complex issues.

Study groups and tours are held throughout Canada, allowing participants to discuss significant socio-eocnomic issues with national, regional and community leaders in order to foster broader understanding of the consequences our decisions and actions have on the community at large.

We started out in Banff on May 17^th, 2000. There we were met by the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson.

For three days, we participated in group workshops, listened to some of Canada's leading opinion makers as well as team building exercises with our tour groups.

It was a grueling schedule lasting 14 to 15 hours per day but little did we know that it was just the tip of the iceberg. That would be the schedule for the next 14 days. I remember calling my wife from Ontario and saying that management must have set the schedule (work, work, work).

On day four, all groups (15 of them with 15 of us in each group) set out for our assigned destinations.

My group was assigned to southeastern Ontario. Our mission had everything to do with community. What is its meaning? What are the challenges facing communities? How do communities form, develop and change, and in some cases, cease to exist.

We had to re-examine our understanding of leadership and how to cultivate it to meet the needs of the communities. What are the causes of mounting pressure on our communities? What impact does technology have at the community level? We were to examine the issues of competitiveness, availability of resources, corporate responsibility and changing expectations.

Canadian Society is undergoing dramatic transformation brought about both by global forces and by changes within Canada. These changes are having a profound impact at all levels of society, but nowhere is the impact felt more then in the communities where we live and work. We are witnessing changing roles and responsibilities of labour, government, business, voluntary organizations, and community based institutions in working together to build stronger communities.

We had to visit workplaces, meet with various groups and organizations in order to understand the links between local communities, the national perspective and Canada's place in the Global Community. All the while, we were trying to measure the impact (as I had mentioned earlier) that resulted from the decisions made by leaders at the national, regional and community level.

Immersed with 14 other participants, from diverse backgrounds created an intense group - dynamic where on more than one occasion preconceived ideas were challenged.

Our assignment took us to the nation's capital - Ottawa. For the next 10 days, we made our way through Cornwall, Kingston, Oshawa and into Toronto. Despite the geographic and economic differences, common trends began to emerge throughout our visits. Here is what we've learned.

Building Stronger Communities

A little self-interest goes a long way.

Many projects are started because someone has a vested interest in the outcome, Despite this the project can have value for the community as a whole.

People are most successful when they start with what they know, what they care about and what they feel they can change.

For example, The Old Cotton Mill in Cornwall. This former manufacturing plant had been left vacant for many years. The owners of the building have been gradually renovating the site for use as commercial and recreational space. This has given the community a cultural gathering place, as well as employment opportunities within this historic site.

Communication is a key to success.

We have indeed observed that the most successful partnerships rely on open, frank and honest community feeling among all concerned.

In Kingston, for example, the group "Advantage Kingston" is developing a reputation as a centre of excellence in technology training thanks to the collaboration of the union and business sector. They came together around the same table, took off their respective hats and got down to brass tacks. They thus managed to diversify the employment prospects within their region and lift the spirits of the whole community.

It thus seems obvious to us that good communication allows people to find a common ground on which to build goals.

Complacency drags you down, innovation builds you up.

Taking risks, facing the unknown and having a healthy disrespect for the conventional can lead to unexpected and fruitful results.

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, or SNO, is exploring the fundamentals of our universe. On the surface, the research into neutrinos seems purely academic. Upon closer examination however, we find that visionary research, buoyed by natural curiosity is a vital contributor to our communities.

Although there are pitfalls, advanced technology can be of great benefit to our communities, in areas such as health, employment and education. The World Heart Corporation is currently testing a long-term heart assist device for people suffering from heart failure. Technology can also enhance learning opportunities. Distance education, multimedia materials and custom curricula are being developed and tested in the secondary and post-secondary classrooms in the Toronto area. These tools cannot replace the traditional classroom, but rather enhance individual learning opportunities and capitalize on individual learning styles.

A health community depends on the compassion of its citizens.

We all felt a certain pang of despair over the deplorable conditions in which some of our citizens live. This despair is perhaps nourished by the realization that there are no miracle solutions to these problems.

We did, however, come to the conclusion that we are far from powerless. The simplest actions can have an impact. We can play our part by doing something as simple as giving a few hours of our time, talking to or listening to people, treating them with the same respect and dignity as we would expect ourselves to be treated.

We had the opportunity to volunteer at the popular Berger de l'espoir soup kitchen in Ottawa. There, one of our participants got into a conversation with a 50 year old man who talked to her about his life, how he spends his days and what he does to improve the community in which he lives. Listening is more than an ordinary power. For a few moments, someone considered marginal has become a citizen.

Developing Tomorrow's Leadership

Leadership requires many attributes and skills. Honor, humor and humility are three fundamentals. We must learn to treat everyone, including ourselves, with dignity and respect as individuals and partners at the table.

A sense of humour can help to enlighten our spirits and can lead to a playfulness that nurtures creativity.

Humility means understanding that we do not have all the answers and sometimes are powerless. It also requires consciously removing our egos from the equation. As leaders, we have responsibility and power, but these are privileges not inherent rights. We must also keep a balanced perspective when making plans and decisions, both in our professional and personal lives.

These are some of the values we must strive to find within ourselves, and also instill in our children and youth, tomorrow's leaders.

Conclusion

Everything and everybody is interconnected. Imagine if you will a pebble tossed into a still pond. The impact causes many, many circular ripples. Notice that each circle has an impact on the others. From the smallest to the greatest, each gesture counts.

Successes are built on strong leadership that invites participation and stimulates lively debate in the search for creative solutions.

It is important to note that we learned not only from the people we encountered on the study tour, but also from each other. We learned to listen, to share control and to trust in the wisdom and experiences of others. Each of us had something to share for the benefit of all.

As for myself, it was an experience I shall never forget. The location of the tour study was not as important as the unique opportunity to have worked with a diverse group of individuals of various backgrounds and colourful opinions.

However, by the end of the assignment, it was plain to see that each of us seemed to possess leadership quality that was characterized by patience, vision, passion, tenacity, sensitivity and honesty.

Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Yours in solidarity,

Walter Manning

President