This is just a sample of the many speakers and enterainers we had during the Rural Matters! symposium. For a more complete listing, please download our Rural Matters! handbook. Thank you to everyone who participated.
Rex Murphy, Social Commentator and Editorialist
 Rex Murphy was born and raised in Newfoundland, where he graduated from Memorial University. A Rhodes scholar, he attended Oxford University (along with U.S. President Bill Clinton). When he returned to Newfoundland he was soon established as a quick-witted and accomplished writer, broadcaster and teacher.
Murphy's primary interest is in language and English literature, but he also has a strong link with politics. Murphy gained an insider's view of the political world when he worked as executive assistant to the Newfoundland Liberal Party leader. To get an even closer taste of politics, Murphy ran twice as a Liberal candidate in the provincial elections.
Murphy contributes extensively to CBC on many current affairs issues. He contributes a regular televised essay to CBC’s The National Magazine, dealing with topics as diverse as the Royal Family, smoking, and Quebec politics. He has also created a number of documentaries from Newfoundland, including the highly acclaimed "Unpeopled Shores," about the collapse of the Newfoundland fisheries. Additional documentary work has included pieces on the Second World War, scientist Hubert Reeves, business tycoon Conrad Black, and William Shakespeare.
Rex Murphy writes a weekly column for the Globe and Mail and is the author of the book, Points of View, a collection of his columns and commentaries.
Murphy also hosts Canada's only national open-line radio program, CBC Radio’s Cross Country Checkup, with close to half-a-million listeners tuning in every Sunday afternoon. The program is broadcast live across Canada on CBC Radio One, on Sirius satellite radio, and around the world on the Internet.
Rex Murphy has won several national and provincial broadcasting awards and has been awarded honorary doctorates in letters by Memorial University, St. Thomas University, and Nipissing University.
Much in demand as a speaker, his oratory -- a volatile mix of insight, humour and biting political commentary, powered by an extraordinary vocabulary -- brings audiences to their feet at events from coast to coast.
Asani
Asani  ("rock" in the Cree language), a contemporary Aboriginal women's a cappella trio from Edmonton, has been captivating audiences with their breathtaking harmonies, their dynamic vocal artistry and their powerful rhythmic style. Carrying with them the traditional influences of First Nations and Metis music accompanied by drums and rattles, their songs resonate with their own blend of traditional vocals infused with the sounds of jazz, folk and blues.
Asani performs frequently in Canada as well as around the world, and has composed and performed musical soundtracks for documentaries, film and television. Having performed at both Carnegie Hall, New York and the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., Asani is currently garnering national acclaim for their unique arrangement of "O Canada".
Asani's debut CD "Rattle and Drum" (2005) has been nominated for 16 music awards throughout North America, including a 2006 Juno Award for ‘Aboriginal Recording of the Year'. Asani received a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award in 2005 for Best Female Traditional/Cultural Roots Album.
Dale Nikkel
Born a preacher's son in the small northern Manitoba town of The Pas, Dale watched his father care for the poor while his mother cared for four boys in a humble house on the side of town. The family soon headed for Winnipeg, but those small-town northern influences were packed deep in Dale's mind and heart.
Dale developed a love for music in his teenage years and soon discovered the profound legacy of the Winnipeg music scene. Like most teenagers trying to survive a Winnipeg winter, he picked up the guitar and started a band. He fronted several rock and pop bands while attending classes at the University of Winnipeg. At the end of five years, he had a stack of recordings and two degrees - a B.A. in sociology and a B.Ed. in history.
Dale began to record, tour and perform his songs across the country sharing concert stages with major national artists like The Barenaked Ladies' Steven Page, Murray McLaughlin and The Wailin' Jennys to name only a few. He also played Folk Festivals across Canada - including the prestigious Edmonton Folk Festival, and garnered three Prairie Music Awards for his fine CDs including SOCAN's Outstanding Songwriter, a category he shared with industry giants Nickelback and Remy Shand.
But follow the professional thread of wellness and you'll find out Dale began his career in the healthcare field and eventually went on to teach middle school for five years in Alberta and Manitoba. It was during this time that Dale developed his passion for wellness.
In his first year as a teacher in Alberta, Dale was awarded the divisional "New Teacher of The Year" Award. He spent his year inspiring children in creative ways, but he also observed teachers on the brink of burnout. Dale began to understand what teachers and all people really needed - some appreciation, a feeling of value and a voice to express themselves. Dale then began to write songs about the journey of wellness.
People instantly connected with Dale's songs and stories. Dale began receiving invitations to present his innovative keynote at major education, wellness and health care conferences. The music took the message of wellness further than words ever could. Some conferences, inspired by his songs, commissioned Dale to write conference theme songs including the National Emergency Nurses Conference, The World Congress of Psychiatric Nursing and the National Health Work and Wellness Conference to name only a few.
For Dale, his passion for wellness is simple: "It's time we learn to smile again. I dream of motivating people to regain their passion for work, their passion for life and most importantly their sense of humour. This is real wellness."
|
