"Navigating the Geopolitical Landscape - The Challenges and Opportunities for Canada"
The geopolitical challenges today are seemingly endless. From Washington to Moscow, Beijing, Kyiv and beyond, the world is facing turbulent times. Over the past 18 months, our speaker, Dr. Chris Kilford, travelled to Turkiye, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Bhutan on official and semi-official visits, where he had a chance to sit down with numerous senior officials. Earlier this year, Chris also spent two weeks in Poland and Latvia, meeting officials from both countries and visiting members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are training Ukrainian military personnel and leading NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia. During his talk, Chris will speak about his various visits, what he learned while on the ground, what are the key geopolitical issues right now and to come, and what it all means for Canada and Canadians.
Our speaker:
Chris is a member of the national board of the Canadian International Council, the editor of CIC’s online foreign policy magazine Open Canada, president of the CIC Victoria branch and a sessional professor with the Canadian Forces College where he teaches courses focused on Canadian foreign and defence policy. He also holds a PhD in history from Queen’s University with a focus on civil-military relations in the developing world. Chris also enjoyed a 36-year career in the Canadian Army. From July 2009 until July 2010, Chris deployed to Canada’s Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan as the Deputy Military Attaché. On his return to Canada, he commenced Turkish language training, after which he was sent to Canada’s Embassy in Ankara as the Canadian Defence Attaché with cross accreditation to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan. He was in this post from July 2011 until July 2014. Chris retired from the military in September 2014 in the rank of Colonel.
SCHEDULE: Thursday September 25, 2025
· 11:30am Sports View Lounge - Oak Bay Rec Centre.
· 12:15pm Buffet Lunch
· 1:00pm AGM and Presentation
· 2:30pm End
LOCATION: Please note that the lunch venue has recently changed. Lunch will be at the Sports View Lounge on the 2nd floor of the Oak Bay Recreation Centre, 1975 Bee Street, near the intersection of Fort St and Foul Bay Road. Doors will open at 1130.
PARKING: There is substantial free parking at the Rec Centre. Overflow could consider parking in the Save On Foods shopping center or on Goldsmith.
COST: $40 per person, maximum 150 seats. Cutoff for buying tickets is September 21, 4:00 pm.
TICKETS:
· Only pre-paid, there will be no payment at door.
· Click on the blue button below to go to the Event in our Calendar where you can purchase your ticket using a Credit Card OR your PayPal account.
· After payment you will receive two emails, first from our software with your ticket, second a payment receipt from PayPal.
· Please print and bring your ticket, we will have a check-off list at the door.
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS: If you have dietary restrictions please inform the Coordinators below by email.
|
