News Releases

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2013) -

On Friday, May 24^th, media are invited to a briefing on At the 4Front of Change: An Action Plan for Atlantic Canada, a plan that is part of a critical discussion on how Atlantic Canadians can succeed in a challenging global economy. The paper will be a focal point for discussion at the 4Front Atlantic conference, taking place on May 30^th in Halifax. Conference participants will be asked to review and discuss the plan, and commit to concrete actions and strategies. The plan will be made public for review and feedback at www.4FrontAtlantic.com on Friday afternoon.

The strategies outlined in the plan have been drafted by five working groups that were established after the 2012 conference to develop action items aimed at leveraging Atlantic Canada's competitive advantages, developing new markets, and enhancing the value of the products and services that regional companies sell abroad. Each group had a specific area of focus, and was chaired by a regional thought leader representing a variety of regional perspectives and sectors from small, medium and large enterprises.

Discussion around the action plan will be led by Kevin Lynch, Vice-Chair, BMO Financial Group and George Cooper, Counsel, McInnes Cooper and President of the University of King's College. The conversation will be joined by leaders of the five working groups, who will provide an overview of their focus areas, including:

• Access to Capital: Gerry Pond, Chairman, Mariner Partners Inc.
• Going Global: Ian Smith, CEO Clearwater Seafoods Ltd.
• Talent: Kevin Lynch, Vice Chair, BMO Financial Group
• Innovation & Productivity: Stephen Hartlen, Assistant Vice President (Industry Relations) and executive director of the Industry Liaison and Innovation Office
• Government: Cathy Bennett, President of Bennett Group of Companies.

To attend, please RSVP at efarlow@national.ca. or take part by logging on at: https://meet.mcinnescooper.com/pamela.harris/91V5WNDW, and calling 1 (855) 558-5155 (conference ID: 5255672).