2026 AALA AGM Symposium - Presented by Park N Play Design
Currents: At the Intersection of Water, Movement, and Treaty This year's theme emerged through a convergence of reflection, responsibility, and change. In the 150th anniversary year of Treaty 6, the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects has been considering the relationships that connect people, places, and landscapes across time. The theme also builds on recent Terrain magazine explorations of Water (2025) and Movement (2026), bringing these ideas together through the lens of Treaty relationships and interconnected systems. At the same time, as the profession prepares for its transition to the Professional Governance Act, the AALA is engaged in a period of review, reflection, and forward movement. Together, this intersection of water, relationships, and change informs this year's symposium theme, Currents. A current is a relationship between two places: at once a flow, a moment, and a connection. It may be the steady movement of water across a watershed, the migration of people and wildlife, or the transmission of ideas, culture, and responsibility across generations. Currents shape landscapes, both physical and social. In turn, they influence how we inhabit, understand, and care for the places we call home. Treaties, too, are founded on relationships. Across Alberta, Treaty territories are connected by rivers, lakes, travel routes, and watersheds that have long supported the movement of peoples, goods, knowledge, and cultural practices. These interconnected systems continue to shape communities and our collective responsibilities as Treaty People, “for as long as the sun shines and the rivers flow.” For landscape architects, the tension between the enduring nature of Treaties and the ever-changing nature of currents invites a deeper question: What does it mean to be responsible to a changing landscape?
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Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26, 2026 Host Venue: Edmonton Valley Zoo (Saturday)
Awards Social: Campio Brewing Co. (Friday Evening)
AALA Symposium Title Sponsor
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