News Releases

WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 16, 2011) - Innovation Nation, the half-day symposium on what it takes to have a more innovative Canada, will be available for viewing live on both the TVO and Policy Options Magazine websites. Interested viewers can use the following links:

- http://tvo.org/worldofwonder

- http://www.irpp.org/po/webcast_po.php

BMO Financial Group, the Institute for Research on Public Policy / Policy Options Magazine and Perimeter Institute are sponsoring Innovation Nation, which takes place later today at Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, ON. The symposium will feature presentations and panels on more innovative business, universities and government, and how to build bridges between them.

WHAT:	Innovation Nation Symposium
WHEN:	Friday, September 16, 2011, noon ET to 5:30 p.m. ET
WHERE:	Perimeter Institute, 31 Caroline St. North, Waterloo, ON

Key agenda items are as follows:

• 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. – Innovative Government:
  • Speech by Hon. Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance
  • Q&A moderated by L. Ian MacDonald, Editor-in-Chief, Policy Options Magazine

• 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Innovative Universities:
  • Elizabeth Cannon, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary
  • Feridun Hamdullahpur, President, University of Waterloo
  • Sheldon Levy, President, Ryerson University
  • Gary Polonsky, President Emeritus, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  • Harvey Weingarten, President and CEO of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) and former President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calgary
  • Moderated by L. Ian MacDonald

• 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Innovative Companies:
  • John Weigelt, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Canada Co.
  • Suzanne Fortier, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
  • Iain Klugman, President and CEO, Communitech
  • Ali Asaria, CEO Well.ca, inventor of Brickbreaker
  • Bill Currie, Vice-Chair Deloitte
  • Moderated by Hon. Kevin Lynch, Vice Chair, BMO Financial Group

• 4:50 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. – An Innovative Nation:
  • Speech by Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Open Text

After the conclusion of Innovation Nation, a full weekend of activities will follow to celebrate the grand opening of the new Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute – with Sunday events viewable online and on television in partnership with TVO, Presenting Media Partner.