Gord Hume

Gord Hume is well known for his passionate and compelling speeches and presentations. Gord has spoken at conferences in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United States and in 12 of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.  He has become recognized as one of Canada’s leading authorities and commentators on building and designing strong, prosperous and sustainable communities, and is a regular media commentator.

He is a leading spokesman for the dramatic rise of the importance of municipal government in our rapidly evolving society, why we need to change the way we fund and govern municipalities, and the relationships between various orders of government.  He is a premier voice for Creative Cities, Cultural Planning, the Local Food Revolution and creating healthier, smarter and more prosperous and sustainable towns and cities.

Gord has spoken to many Municipal Councils across Canada, as well as major government conferences and conventions. He has been the keynote speaker at such significant international conferences as the UNESCO Creative Cities Congress in South Korea, and the Greater Vancouver Financial Summit; the Northwest Territories “Good Governance conference”; the Maine (USA) Municipal Association; Western Canadian CUPE Conference; Auckland City Hall; Region of Peel “Growth Management conference”; Alberta Professional Planners Institute; Rotterdam City Hall on Planning Issues; Western Canadian Heavy Construction Association; Municipal Finance Officers of Ontario; the National Infrastructure Summit, the Hamilton PED Talk, the Laborers International Union of North America national conference; JLT Summit; Thunder Bay District Municipal League; and many more conventions and conferences.

He has been a featured speaker at conferences and seminars on topics ranging from changing the way municipalities are financed to regional planning and development challenges, and from Cultural Planning for towns and cities to how local food issues are changing communities. He has been a guest lecturer at universities and colleges across Canada and the United States. Gord also has been the keynote speaker at a wide variety of business conferences and national conventions for industries ranging from Chambers of Commerce to food producers, and from insurance corporations to heavy construction—because they all have critical relationships with their local governments.

And after all of these presentations, the reactions are similar: “You hit a home run, Gord!” according to a conference organizer in Alberta. “Your presentation was exactly what we had hoped and had the impact we were looking for,” according to a Nova Scotia municipal leader. “Your presentation was perfect. You could have heard a pin drop in the room, and then the questions were non-stop,” said an Ontario conference organizer. “Thanks for your inspiring message,” wrote a Canadian executive for a national business organization. “Your presentation on planning and cultural opportunities was magnificent—thank you so much,” stated an Alberta elected official.

And on it goes. Gord is a dynamic speaker who engages his audience with his passionate and compelling presentations.  “What an inspirational speech,” said a conference delegate after one of Gord’s presentations.  And because Gord doesn’t do a ‘canned pitch’ but instead writes a new speech for each presentation, his speeches are always particularly relevant to that audience or conference.

“I’ve been coming to conventions for 30 years,” said one civil servant attending a convention where Gord spoke, “and this was the best presentation I’ve ever heard.”

The following is a segment of Gord Hume’s speech at the Region of Peel’s Growth Management Workshop from March 2014

See below for Part I of Gord Hume’s speech at CUPE’s Western Municipal Workers and Skilled Trades conference in Victoria, June 19-21, 2013.