News Releases

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 14, 2011) -

Media are invited to join Atlantic Canadian business and academic thought leaders in a critical discussion on how Atlantic Canadians can win in a changing global economy or join the conversation online at www.4frontatlantic.com.

The 4Front Atlantic Conference is a forward-looking, business sector led conference, focused on leveraging our competitive advantages, developing new markets, and enhancing the value of products and services businesses in Atlantic Canada sell abroad. In short, the conference is about mobilizing for change and competing differently in order to be at the forefront of success in the new global economy.

The world economy is at a pivotal point: Globalization, the economic gravity shift to Asia and other emerging markets, and the demographics of aging in advanced economies are both impending realities and serious opportunities. Atlantic Canada has the most challenging demographics of any region of Canada; our trade is most concentrated in countries and regions that are not beneficiaries of the global economic gravity shift, and we lag a Canadian innovation and productivity performance that itself is lagging OECD countries. We need to proactively reshape ourselves to expand our potential, or risk being reactively reshaped by global trends.

The 4Front Atlantic Conference, hosted by BMO Financial Group and McInnes Cooper, will seek to develop strategies to help us seize the best opportunities for Atlantic Canadians in this changing world order.

Among the Speakers

• His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada
• The Honourable David Emerson, P.C., former Minister of International Trade and thought leader on Asia and globalization
• The Honourable Kevin G. Lynch, P.C., Vice-Chair, BMO Financial Group
• Ed Greenspon, Vice-President, Torstar/Toronto Star
• Stewart Beck, High Commissioner to the Republic of India
• John Sloan, Canadian Ambassador to Russia
• Jamal Khokhar, Canadian Ambassador to Brazil
• Dr. Nancy Mathis, Executive Director, Wallace McCain Institute, UNB
• Guill Rishchynski, Canadian Ambassador to Mexico
• Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman, OpenText
• Dr. Tom Traves, President, Dalhousie University
• Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President, University of Prince Edward Island
• Yvon Fontaine, President, Université de Moncton
• Nancy Tower, CEO, Emera Newfoundland & Labrador
• Stephen Poloz, President, Export Development Corporation
• Andrea Feunekes, Co-CEO, Remsoft Inc.
• Yuen Pau Woo, President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
• Jo Mark Zurel, President, Stonebridge Capital; Chair, St. John's Board of Trade
• Mike Ashar, CEO, Irving Oil
• Gordon Pitts, Senior Writer, Report on Business, Globe and Mail
• J.P. Deveau, President, Acadian Seaplants
• Sherry Huang, Chief Executive Officer, Study Abroad Canada Inc.
• Ian Smith, CEO, Clearwater Seafoods Ltd.

Media can register for the conference by contacting aboudreau@mtlpr.ca to receive conference materials and updates.