Lanark Basic Income Network to host public discussion in Smiths Falls on future of basic income
Advocates, community leaders and policymakers will gather later this month in Smiths Falls for a public discussion focused on the future of basic income in Canada and its potential impact on communities facing economic insecurity.
For the third year, Lanark Basic Income Network (LBIN) will host Basic Income – Perspectives from the Front Lines on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at Hanley Hall in Smiths Falls.
The evening event will include what organizers describe as a “fireside chat” exploring timely issues related to poverty, housing insecurity, food access and economic justice.
The panel includes Kim Pate, a longtime advocate for basic income and social justice initiatives, alongside Sheila Regehr, former chair of the Basic Income Canada Network.
“We decided to organize the May 21 event to take advantage of Senator Kim Pate’s close physical proximity and her leadership on Parliament Hill in favour of basic income,” explained Rob Rainer, Chair of the Steering Committee for LBIN. He also noted Pate’s “of the relative close proximity and national leadership of Sheila Regehr, the long-time Chair of Basic Income Canada Network and one of Canada’s foremost experts on basic income and related matters.”
According to Rainer, Smiths Falls has the lowest per household income of any municipality in Lanark County, making it a place where basic income could be “truly transformational.”
Also participating are Mayor Shawn Pankow, who has publicly supported basic income initiatives, Elle Halladay of Cornerstone Landing Youth Services, and Ashley Saunders from The Falls Food Hub, a program operated by The Table Community Food Centre.
The discussion will be moderated by Victoria Gibb-Carsley of the Perth and District Community Foundation.
In an interview with Lanarkist, Rainer noted that the panel was intentionally designed to combine national policy perspectives with local frontline experience.
“Senator Pate and Sheila Regehr are in excellent positions to speak to the national context around basic income,” Rainer said, while local representatives including Pankow, Halladay and Saunders can speak directly to how guaranteed income programs could affect housing stability, youth wellbeing and food insecurity within the local community.
Rainer said he hopes attendees leave with a stronger understanding of what a basic income system could mean for both individuals and communities alike.
“We hope attendees will come away from the event with a broader and deeper understanding of basic income and the difference it could make for individuals, families, households, and communities,” he told Lanarkist.
The event will take place at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., at Hanley Hall at 30 McGill Street N in Smiths Falls.