April 9 & 10, 2026 – Victoria, BC

Join PEA members from across the province for two days of education. The 2026 Education Conference will be held on in person, in Victoria, at the Inn at the Laurel Point.

Delegates are determined according to PEA and chapter constitution and bylaws. Registration for the conference, travel expenses and union leave will be covered by the PEA for final delegates.

Expressions of interest for the conference are now closed.

Program

The Conference Program has announced the sessions with expert presenters including:

Kerry Palmer
Integrative Mediation Services

Kerry Palmer is a Metis Citizen who has worked in the area of Dispute Resolution for the past 22 years. He has certificates from the Justice Institute of British Columbia in Conflict Resolution, Restorative Practices specialization and Family Mediation. As well, Kerry is a certified trainer with the International Institute of Restorative Practices in Family Group Conferencing.

Kerry is the principal at Integrative Mediation Services and his work outside of the Justice Institute of BC is supporting organizations both within and outside the province of BC. This work is in the form of delivering Conflict Resolution training, mediation, facilitation services, coaching and workplace assessments. Along with this Kerry has worked extensively with Indigenous communities and organizations. Here he has supported Chief and council, Band offices and community members.

Kerry Palmer is presenting the workshop Effectively Addressing Hostile Behaviour. The session will explore working with individuals who behave in a hostile manner requires emotional and physiological awareness to successfully incorporate personal strategies for grounding and effective responding. Participants will learn alternatives for constructively addressing hostile behaviour while maintaining personal integrity through respectful self-advocacy. Participants will address defusing and de-escalation approaches, applying empathy and curiosity as effective responses to hostility. The session includes practicing de-escalation techniques to increase confidence across various settings, including in-person, phone, and video interactions

Len Pierre (he/him)
Owner & CEO, Len Pierre Consulting

Len Pierre is Coast Salish from Katzie (kate-zee) First Nation. Len is an award winning entrepreneur, professor, consultant, TEDx Speaker, social activist, change agent, & traditional knowledge sharer. He specializes in the development of educational programs and services with decolonization and reconciliation as its core values. Len holds a Masters degree in Education from Simon Fraser University focusing on Indigenous curriculum and instructional design. His experience includes Indigenous education and program leadership from various organizations across colonial Canada. He comes to us with an open heart and open mind, and hopes to be received in the same way.

Len Pierre will be dealing the Transformative Leadership Workshop. Transformative Leadership is the umbrella framework, designed to help leaders navigate complexity, dismantle harmful patterns, and embody courage, equity, and cultural safety.

Alicia Massie and Joleen Badger, Facilitators

Alicia Massie is the Director of Campaigns and Political Action at the BC Federation of Labour. She has been teaching labour education for over 10 years and is a life-long organizer. She got her start in the labour movement organizing her own workplace, negotiating the first collective agreement, and serving as shop steward. She obtained her PhD from Simon Fraser University, where her research focuses on labour economics and immigration in Canada.

Alicia and Joleen will be presenting the workshop Facing Management Effectively Workshop. This course will look at economic, political, and social forces at play between union and management. It will examine the roles and rights of each group and the different types of union/management relationships and styles.

Sussanne Skidmore
BCFED President

Sussanne Skidmore was elected BCFED president in 2022 after being elected as the federation’s secretary-treasurer in 2018 and 2020. A well-known human rights, social justice and queer rights activist, she served as executive vice-president of BCGEU for 5 years. She has co-chaired the BCFED’s Human Rights Committee and is active in the federation’s Women and Gender Rights Committee.

Nash Park 

Nash Park is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and born in a small town in northern BC. Now based out of Western Canada Nash regularly performs his high-energy, hard-hitting stand-up, and crowdwork to audiences all across BC. Nash has taken part in the Just For Laughs Vancouver Comedy Festival as well as opened for the likes of Jon Dore, Dino Archie, and up and coming comedian Malik Elessel.

Agenda

April 9, 2026 

7:30 – 8:45 a.m.

9:00 a.m.: Territory Acknowledgement

9:00 a.m.: Opening Remarks

9:45 a.m. – p.m.: Workshop Sessions

3:45 p.m. Closing Speaker

4:30 p.m. Day I Sessions Close

4:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Casual Reception & Dinner | PEA Service Awards

April 10, 2026 

7:30 – 8:45 a.m.: Networking Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Workshop Sessions

2:30 p.m. PEA Success Stories Panel Session

3:30  – 4:00 p.m. Day II Conference Close

See highlights from the 2023 Conference