Spring 2015 - Canada-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce
Transcription
Spring 2015 - Canada-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce
Est. 1921 CANADA - UNITED KINGDOM Chamber of Commerce Over 94 YEARS OF NETWORKING Spring 2015 Québec Premier Philippe Couillard at the Chamber Pgs 10-11 Inside this issue: Chamber News Events 1-4 5-19 Economics 20-25 Provinces 26-29 Energy 30-31 Member News 32-37 New Members 37-39 Events Planner 40 Event Review Since our last newsletter the Chamber has hosted 12 events Pgs 10-19 Stephen S. Poloz Governor of the Bank of Canada to address the Chamber in March Pg 5 Desjardins Group’s Monique Leroux at the Chamber Pg 6 Busy event programme for the Chamber Pgs 10-19 The Tables Have Turned: Provincial Outlook 2015 Budget season is upon us, and for Canada’s provinces, it will be a very different game than the one played out only a year earlier. A dramatic drop in oil prices, juxtaposed against a still-healthy US economy, has turned the tables on relative provincial growth with Alberta at risk of a recession, but central Canada’s prospects brightening… Pgs 26-27 BC Entrepreneurs Bring New Wireless Tech To the UK Christos Sirros (Québec Government) & Angelo Fasulo (BlackBerry) join the Chamber Board Pg 4 Spring 2015 Leading entrepreneurs from British Columbia, one of the world’s fastestgrowing wireless and ICT clusters, Newsletter Sponsors visited London in February on their way to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Pg 28 Canada House Trafalgar Square London SW1Y 5BJ T: +44 (0) 20 7930 4553 info@canada-uk.org www.canada-uk.org Charter Members Alberta UK Office Air Canada Astrazeneca plc BlackBerry BMO Financial Group Canadian High Commission Canary Wharf Group plc CGI CIBC Dadco Group European Trade & Investment Office for British Columbia EY Fasken Martineau Gowlings (UK) LLP HSBC Bank plc Kinnear Financial Madano Partnership McCarthy Tétrault Ontario International Marketing Centre Nexen Inc Pharos Security Québec Government Office Royal Bank of Canada Scotiabank Shell International Ltd Stikeman Elliott TD Securities New members: Babcock International Group Bruce Power Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Credit Limits International Export Development Canada Keurig UK Kingsley Napley LLP Hanover Communications PRCA Productivity Media Total APS Dates for your diary: March 12 Tech Forum on customer feedback March 26 Lunch with the Governor of the Bank of Canada April 29 CETA Reception with former Premier Jean Charest May 15 Annual Golf Day May 22 AGM & lunch with Lord Gus O’Donnell June 12 6th Annual Canadian Chief Economists debate & lunch Page 1 Page 2 Spring 2015 President’s Remarks In this edition CIBC’s Chief Economist Avery Shenfeld reminds us (Pgs 26-27) that Budget season is upon us, and for Canada’s provinces, it will be a very different game than the one played out only 12 months earlier. With a ‘dramatic drop in oil prices, juxtaposed against a still-healthy US economy…’ the tables have turned on relative provincial growth ‘with Alberta at risk of a recession, but central Canada’s prospects brightening’. Provinces with higher debt loads such as Québec and Ontario, will ‘actually see a modest economic and fiscal benefit from weaker oil prices’. In the UK as Scotiabank’s UK & Eurozone Economist Alan Clarke observes (Pg 20), lower oil prices have pushed inflation down to within a whisker of 0% y/y. It may be that the drop in -Rob Brant energy costs boosts household real take-home pay which in turn boosts growth and core inflation. As a Chamber we continue to see an increase in member organisations from Canada inwardly investing here, and key personnel visiting these shores promoting bilateral trade and investment opportunities. At the end of 2014 just as we were preparing to move to the magnificent new High Commission premises at Canada House, we hosted Bruce Power’s President and CEO Duncan Hawthorne (Pg 17), Ontario’s Minister of Northern Mines Michael Gravelle (Pg 18) and in January Québec Premier Couillard (Pgs 10-11). Over the next 4 months our event programme includes high profile networking events with the Governor of the Bank of Canada, and the President and CEO of Desjardins Group as well as former Québec Premier Jean Charest (Pgs 5-8). Our Forums are also planning sector specialist events and if you are looking for B2B opportunities, then once again I advise you to talk to our Secretariat team. Finally, a warm welcome to new Board Directors Christos Sirros and Angelo Fasulo, representing the Québec Government and BlackBerry respectively. Happy networking. Director’s Comments We have now successfully relocated to Canada House along with the rest of the Canadian High Commission. Details of our new phone numbers and address have been circulated to members and appear on the front page. At the end of 2014 we bade farewell, thanks and good luck to Ekaterina for her time with us as Business Development Assistant, and welcomed Archana Prasad as our new intern. Thanks are due this edition to our newsletter sponsors CIBC, BC Government and Dadco, and our advertisers and contributors especially BlackBerry, CGI, Gowlings, Should you wish to advertise or raise your profile in the next edition please contact Nancy Spring 2015 -Nigel Bacon Fasken Martineau, Scotiabank, Ontario Government, Ridgeford Properties, and TD Securities. Since our last newsletter we have once again been event busy hosting and co-hosting a further dozen events including four Energy and Tech Forum events, four high profile lunches, a seminar and a conference. of the Civil Service in the UK, Lord Gus O’Donnell, joining us at the House of Lords (Pg 7) and sharing his thoughts on the make-up of the new Parliament at Westminster post-UK elections. Our Winter and Spring event programmes are very busy with events including a Technology Forum event focusing on the Customer Experience (Pg 6), March lunches with Desjardins Group (Pg 6) and the Bank of Canada (Pg 5), and in April a CETA focused reception. We do hope you can join us over the coming months. In May we have the former Head Secretariat News We are currently completing the latest editions of our Corporate lists and Members’ Directories. The Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Council for Foreign Chambers in the UK which includes over 35 bilateral chambers. Apcar at: nancy.apcar@canada-uk.org Please contact the Secretariat for information on how to create a login for your company for the Members’ Area of the website. -Jen, Nancy & Archana Our networking quote this edition comes from Robert Louis Stevenson: ‘Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.’ Editor, advertising, design & distribution: Nigel Bacon Executive Director T: +44 20 7930 4553 info@canada-uk.org Page 3 NEW CHAMBER BOARD DIRECTORS APPOINTED Christos Sirros Agent-General Québec Government Office The Québec Government Office is pleased to announce that Mr Christos Sirros has now taken up his new post of Agent-General for the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries. His first official engagement in London was at the lunch organised by the Chamber in January to mark the official visit to London and Cardiff of Québec’s Premier, Mr Philippe Couillard. Mr Sirros has long been active in Québec politics and was first elected to government in 1981 as Liberal party Member for the Laurier constituency. Various high-ranking positions followed over the years, including Assistant Minister for Health in 1989-90 and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs from 1990 to 1994, culminating with his nomination as Minister of Natural Resources and Aboriginal Affairs in 1994. Mr Sirros was subsequently First Vice-President of the National Assembly from 2003 until 2004. London is in fact not his first EU posting: Mr Sirros was Québec’s Agent-General in Brussels from 2004 until 2012 and was closely involved in the negotiations between Canada and the EU which culminated in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Prior to his posting to London, Mr Sirros was active in the media field, providing political commentary and analysis on a TV show entitled “Le Club des Ex” which brought together three former members of parliament from different party perspectives to discuss issues of the day. A business graduate of McGill University, Mr Sirros has a keen interest in further developing Québec’s strong trading relationship with the UK, Ireland and the Nordic region. The UK is one of Québec’s strategic trading partners and a priority for Québec public diplomacy. There is much to be done both in terms of promoting trade in view of CETA and developing ties between business and policy makers in the UK. Angelo Fasulo Vice President Global Emerging Channels BlackBerry As VP, Global Emerging Channels, Angelo Fasulo is responsible for BlackBerry’s distribution, e-commerce, and retail, with focus on Europe and North America as well as B2B value add reseller channels in Europe. Responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of the business between BlackBerry and Partners. While living in Windsor UK for the past 3.5 years, Angelo’s most recent positions included Global Distribution and European Telecom Operator Groups (Telefonica). Prior to that, Angelo spent 4 years in Canada managing BlackBerry’s business with Rogers Canada and ATT. Previous to his work in North America, Angelo lived and worked in Asia-Pacific for BlackBerry for 3 years. He was responsible for RIM’s relationships with leading telecom operators, including Hutchison in Hong Kong, SingTel in Singapore, Globe Telecom in the Philippines, Optus in Australia and Bharti in India. Angelo was one of the founding team members to build RIM’s operation in Asia Pacific. He established the Hong Kong office and successfully launched BlackBerry for the first time in Asia in 2002. Angelo holds an Honours Degree in Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University. CHAMBER FORUMS The Chamber currently has three forums: Energy Forum; SME Forum and Technology Forum. The Forums organise 3-4 events per annum specifically targeting their sectors and members/potential members with a view to showcasing sector talent and expertise from Canada and the UK, and a view to providing and contributing to sector debate. Members currently on the Forum organising committees are listed below: Energy Forum Mark Ledwell (Chair) (Gowlings) Steve Schofield (Shell) Chris Morritt (Nexen) Michael Padua (Alberta UK Office) Graham Hilton (BC Government) Michael Evans (Madano Partnership) SME Forum Richie Clark (Chair) (Fox Williams) Wayne Bewick (Trowbridge) Jenny Hogan (The Relocation Consultancy) Technology Forum Matthew Grisoni (Chair) (CGI) Angelo Fasulo (BlackBerry) Aaron Rosland (Ontario International Marketing Centre) Richie Santosdiaz (BC Government) Terry Irwin (TCii) Adrian McMahon (Halo Financial) Steve Ord (Sarum Colourview Printers) Susanne Rutishauser (HSBC) Colin Williams (Crosshands Group) Members wishing to participate in our Chamber Forums should contact the Chamber Secretariat team: info@canada-uk.org Page 4 T: +44 (0)20 7930 4553 Spring 2015 Chamber lunch with guest speaker Stephen S. Poloz Governor of the Bank of Canada 26 March 2015 Grange St Paul's Hotel 10 Godliman Street London EC4V 5AJ Registration: 12.00 - 12.30 Members Individual Places: £100+VAT Member Tables of 10: £950+VAT Lunch: 12.30 - 14.15 Non Members Individual Places: £120+VAT Non Member Tables of 10: £1,100+VAT Sponsored by Contact the Chamber for further event details including attendance fees: events@canada-uk.org Spring 2015 T: +44 (0)20 7930 4553 Page 5 Technology Forum: Breakfast Panel Debate ‘Listen First, Act Fast: The Customer Experience’ Panel: Richard Ashley Head of Marketing Northern Europe, BlackBerry Mark Hill Managing Director UK & EMEA, Responsetek Robert Markworth Senior Manager, Digital Transformation, CGI Doug Pidduck VP Sales, International, Magor Communications Richard Sinclair Founder & Managing Director, Sno Ltd Thursday 12 March 2015 Pewterers’ Hall Oat Lane, London EC2V 7DE 08.30 - 09.00 Registration & breakfast 09:00 - 10.00 Panel debate & Q&A Members: FREE 10:00 - 10:30 Networking Non Members: £25 inc VAT Sponsors Chamber lunch With Guest Speaker Monique F. Leroux Chair of the Board, President & CEO Desjardins Group ‘Desjardins: The largest co-operative financial group in Canada’ $212bn in total assets Thursday 5 March 2015 The Law Society 113 Chancery Lane London WC2A 1PL Registration: 12.00 - 12.30 Lunch: 12.30 - 14.15 Members: £85 + VAT Member tables of 10: £800 + VAT Dress code: Business Attire Non Members: £100 + VAT Non Member tables of 10: £900 + VAT Event partner Gold Sponsors Sponsors Page 6 Spring 2015 SAVE THE DATE 93rd AGM & Lunch Friday 22 May 2015 The House of Lords Lunch Guest of Honour Lord Gus O’Donnell GCB Former Cabinet Secretary & Head of the Civil Service; Adviser to the CEO, TD Bank Non-Executive Director, Brookfield Asset Management & Chairman, Frontier Economics AGM 11.30 – 12.15 Lunch 12.30 – 14.30 House of Lords* (Black Rod’s Garden Entrance), London SW1 *Members and their guests welcome at the lunch. SAVE THE DATE Annual Chamber Golf Day Friday 15 May 2015 Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club Old Deer Park, Twickenham Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2SB Registration & Breakfast: 07:45 Drinks & Lunch: from 14:30 Members and their guests welcome at the Golf Day. Contact the Chamber for further event details including attendance fees: events@canada-uk.org Spring 2015 T: +44 (0)20 7930 4553 Page 7 EVENT NOTIFICATION Chief Economists Panel Debate & Lunch With Guest Speakers Warren Jestin, Senior VP & Chief Economist, Scotiabank Richard Kelly, Head of Global Strategy, Rates & FX Research, TD Securities Stéfane Marion, VP, Chief Economist & Strategist, National Bank Douglas Porter, MD & Chief Economist, Bank of Montreal Avery Shenfeld, MD & Chief Economist, CIBC Craig Wright, Senior VP & Chief Economist, RBC Friday 12 June 2015 Reception: 12.00 - 12.30 Panel Debate & Lunch : 12.30 - 14.15 Topics include: Currencies, interest rates, equity markets, commodities, GDP growth, inflation & austerity The Grange City Hotel 8-14 Coopers Row London EC3N 2BQ Sponsorship available Contact the Chamber for further event details including attendance fees: events@canada-uk.org Page 8 T: +44 (0)20 7930 4553 Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Page 9 Québec Premier Philippe Couillard at the Chamber On 15 January Québec Premier Philippe Couillard addressed over 200 chamber members and their guests at the magnificent Drapers’ Hall in London. Premier Couillard’s address was entitled: ‘Québec-UK: Accelerating Trade Relations Between Established Partners’. Premier Couillard was undertaking a mission in Europe which took him to the UK and Belgium, as well as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Laying out Québec’s economic priorities, and the province’s attractiveness to business, the Premier referred to key components such as the Plan Nord and Québec’s Maritime Strategy. Page 10 The event was kindly sponsored by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, National Bank, Rio Tinto, ArcelorMittal, Bombardier, CGI, Genome Québec and Keurig. The Premier was introduced by new Agent-General to the UK Christos Sirros (photo above left). High Commissioner H.E. Gordon Campbell delivered the Vote of Thanks and Chamber President Rob Brant acted as MC. We are very grateful to Caroline Normandin and colleagues at the Québec Government Office in the UK for their assistance with this event. Thanks are also due to our event sponsors. For a copy of the presentation, kindly contact the Chamber Secretariat. Spring 2015 Québec Premier Couillard lunch cont. Spring 2015 Page 11 Québec Energy & Natural Resources Minister Arcand at the Chamber Québec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for Le Plan Nord Pierre Arcand addressed the Chamber in November at the Sofitel London St. James with over 80 members and guests in attendance. The Minister’s speech entitled ‘Le Plan Nord: An Exemplary Sustainable Development Project’ was warmly received. ‘Le Plan Nord is designed to ensure the coherent and integrated development of an immense territory that covers 1.2m sq kms Page 12 and accounts for 72% of Québec’s geographic area.’ Québec, Rio Tinto, ArcelorMittal and Gowlings, The territory is home to ‘four Aboriginal nations in thirty-one communities, and is immensely rich in natural resources. Business and investment opportunities abound in sectors ranging from mining to energy, including construction, logistics, transportation, bio-food and tourism’. The Chamber is once again grateful to our event sponsors, and Caroline Normandin and Québec Government colleagues for their assistance with this event. Chamber Board Director and outgoing Québec Agent-General to the UK Stéphane Paquet introduced the Minister. We would like to thank Stéphane Paquet for his time as a Chamber Board Director, and wish him all the best in his future posting and hope to see him once more in the UK. The event was sponsored by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Spring 2015 Tech Forum: ‘Commercialising Technology Innovation’ The Chamber’s Tech Forum hosted a breakfast panel debate in February on ‘Commercialising Technology Innovation’ with over 90 members attending. The event introduced the latest quantitative research on the best ways to invest in new technology to enable sustainable and profitable returns. The panel of senior business people was drawn from a variety of sectors and included: Mike Johnson Divisional Director, Corporate Spring 2015 Partnerships, MRC Technology; Sam Goldenberg Director of Sales and Business Development ME, Africa, APAC, IMW Industries; Elena Cinquegrana Associate Director, Global Energy & Oil & Gas Practice, Navigant; and Adam Tacey Chief Innovation Officer, Shell Global BU, CGI. The Moderator for the debate was Dr Uday Phadke Chief Executive, Cartezia and Entrepreneur in Residence, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. The breakfast was kindly sponsored by the Government of British Columbia, Navigant and CGI with Chamber Board Directors Matthew Grisoni acting as MC and Susan Haird CB representing the Government of BC. The Chamber is very grateful to Matthew Grisoni and BC Government’s Richie Santosdiaz for their help with this event, as well as the sponsors, panellists and Moderator. Page 13 Chamber Xmas lunch with Poppy Trowbridge from Sky News The Chamber’s Xmas lunch with guest of honour Poppy Trowbridge from Sky News, was once again held at Painters’ Hall in London in early December with over 120 attending. Ontarian Poppy Trowbridge is a special correspondent covering Consumer Affairs and also presents business bulletins, and personal finance reports for Yahoo! Poppy joined the Sky News specialist team in November 2012 as its Business and Economics Page 14 Correspondent. Prior to joining Sky, she was the London-based finance and investing correspondent for Bloomberg Television. Poppy has a master's degree in media and communication from the London School of Economics and an honour's degree in linguistics from the University of Ottawa/Université Stendhal. Head table guests included Lord Giddens and Canadian psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos. Event sponsors included Scotiabank, Togeva, TD Securities, McCarthy Tétrault, Validis and Pharos Security. The event featured live jazz performances by Butchers’ Brew and Tammy Weis. The Chamber’s annual Xmas raffle in aid of Rugby Canada raised over £1,000. The Chamber is very grateful to Poppy Trowbridge, Jennifer Sheridan, raffle prize donors, our event sponsors, Butchers’ Brew and Tammy Weis. Spring 2015 Chamber Xmas lunch cont. Spring 2015 Page 15 Page 16 Spring 2015 Nuclear briefing with Bruce Power’s CEO Duncan Hawthorne The Chamber’s Energy Forum was delighted to host Duncan Hawthorne, President & CEO of Bruce Power in early December at TD Securities in London. Mr Hawthorne is also Chair of the Canadian Nuclear Association and President of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). Spring 2015 Over 75 attendees listened to Mr Hawthorne deliver his thoughts on lessons the UK Nuclear Industry could learn from Canada. The breakfast briefing was sponsored by TD Securities, Bruce Power and Gowlings. MC for this event was Michael Taylor (Gowlings –photo above right) with Chamber Board Director Brian Smith (TD Securities) welcoming attendees. The Introduction and Vote of Thanks were delivered by David McFadden QC (Gowlings –photo above left). The Chamber is very grateful to Mr Hawthorne and our event sponsors for making this event such a success. Page 17 Energy Forum: Ontario Minister of Northern Mines at the Chamber The Hon. Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines in Ontario addressed the Chamber’s Energy Forum in early December at Pewterers’ Hall in London. The Minister outlined opportunities in Ontario’s Mineral Sector. Ontario is Canada’s top jurisdiction for the exploration and production of minerals. In 2013, the value of Ontario’s mineral production reached almost $10bn. Page 18 Chamber Board Director Aaron Rosland (Ontario Government –photo above right) introduced the Minister with Chamber Board Director Derek Linfield (Stikeman Elliot – photo immediately above) acting as MC for the breakfast briefing. The Chamber is very grateful to Aaron Rosland for his assistance in organising this event and the Government of Ontario for their breakfast sponsorship. Spring 2015 Event Report: Martin Donnelly on UK Industrial Strategy Madano Partnership kindly sponsored a Charter member lunch in February with guest speaker Martin Donnelly, Permanent Secretary for the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The main address at the lunch was entitled: ‘Developing a national industrial strategy for a global economy’. Spring 2015 Mr. Donnelly has been intimately involved in the creation of the UK’s industrial strategy and the number of questions from the floor demonstrated the interest in his remarks. Prior to his 2010 appointment to his current role, Mr Donnelly was acting Permanent Secretary at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from May to August 2010, guiding the department through the first months of the new government. At the end of 2009 he led the Cabinet Office review which produced the Smarter Government Report, and in 2008-09 was on secondment to Ofcom as Senior International Partner. The Chamber is very grateful to Mr. Donnelly for addressing our Charter members, to Chamber Board Director Matthew Moth for his assistance with this event, and Madano’s lunch sponsorship. Page 19 Page 20 Spring 2015 Seconds out - Round 2 The slump in the price of oil at the tail end of last year is likely to be the most significant influence on the economy this year. In particular, it has pushed inflation down to within a whisker of 0% y/y in the UK. However, it is unclear whether the second round effects of lower oil prices are positive or negative for underlying inflation. Positive second round effects are possible if the drop in energy costs boosts household real takehome pay; this boosts growth and hence core inflation. Meanwhile, negative second round effects would be likely if the drop in oil prices pushes core inflation down via a reduction in associated products such as plastics, distribution, chemicals, etc. In the near term, the effects are likely to be negative as quasi-second round effects kick in. These would include the follow-through of lower fuel costs into the airfares component of the CPI and domestic energy bills. The big six energy providers have all announced cuts in their tariffs, but these will not take effect until March and even May. Similarly, since airfares are sampled up to 6 months ahead of time, the effect of lower fuel costs on fares is likely to take until H2 to feed into the CPI. In terms of pure second round effects, correlation analysis between headline and core inflation over the last several decades and individual subperiods suggests a high contemporaneous correlation for the most part (i.e. no lead or lag between headline and core inflation). In one case core leads headline inflation, which implies that oil price swings have no information for future core inflation. That approach is an oversimplification - blurring periods of expansion and contraction, when the behaviour of headline and core inflation varies. If instead we look at the gap between headline and core inflation during swings in oil prices, we get a more targeted gauge of second round effects when oil has moved sharply. Life is never simple and the distortions from VAT hikes as well as utility bill hikes have polluted the data since 2008. Nonetheless, there is tentative evidence of positive second round effects, but only with a lead time of 6 months. Similarly, over the period leading up to 2008 there is a similar lead time between headline and core inflation. That could simply be capturing the quasi-second round effects described above (airfares etc). Moreover, past sharp swings have typically reversed pretty quickly. Hence, before full-blown second round effects have had a chance to kick in, the trend has reversed. Essentially this shows that it is hard to gauge whether second round effects will be positive or negative. It seems more likely than not that we will see quasisecond round effects bearing down on core inflation over the next 3-6 months. Thereafter, the base effects scheduled for the end of 2015 are huge – close to 100bp in the UK. That should help to push headline inflation back towards the 2% target. Picking out pure second round effects from both of these influences is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. Author: ‘...it is unclear whether the second round effects of lower oil prices are positive or negative Alan Clarke Director, UK & Eurozone Economist Scotiabank alan.clarke@scotiabank.com www.gbm.scotiabank.com Contact: William Swords (Photo below) Managing Director & Deputy Head Corporate Banking Europe Scotiabank Global Banking & Markets 201 Bishopsgate, 6th Floor London EC2M 3NS T: +44 (0) 20 7826 5795 william.swords@scotiabank.com www.gbm.scotiabank.com for underlying inflation. Positive second round effects are possible if the drop in energy costs boosts household real take-home pay; this boosts growth and hence core inflation.’ Scotiabank Members Business Update 1 Air Canada reported Feb 17 that it has been advised by UNITE, the union representing the airline's UKbased employees, that its members have ratified a new collective agreement reached Jan 30. BlackBerry announced Feb 10 that David Kleidermacher has joined the Company as Chief Security Officer. Mr. Kleidermacher assumes responsibility for the global Product Security organization. Bombardier said Feb 12 it would issue about $600m of new equity Spring 2015 and as much as $1.5bn in long-term debt, depending on market conditions, to shore up its balance sheet. Bombardier also halted the dividend on its Class A and B shares, and named Alain Bellemare as CEO, replacing Pierre Beaudoin. 12 innovative startups have been selected as finalists for Canary Wharf Group’s Cognicity Challenge. These companies will work alongside 4 other streams of finalists to develop an interoperable suite of smart city technologies, which will be piloted on the Canary Wharf estate. CGI announced Feb 16 that DB Schenker - part of part of Deutsche Bahn Group - have renewed an outsourcing agreement for the overall IT management of the company’s operations in Sweden and other regions in Europe. CAE is to acquire Bombardier’s Military Aviation Training unit for approximately C$19.8m to expand its training systems integration offering. Page 21 Page 22 Spring 2015 Greece Cannot Be Allowed to Leave the Euro Feb 10 Political brinkmanship over the terms of Greece’s financial bailout program is an increasing risk to the economic and financial outlook for Europe, with potential implications to the broader world economy and financial markets. We should not be surprised that this is happening. From the perspective of Greece, current economic conditions are unacceptable. Although the economy is growing, the level of economic activity has fallen a shocking 26% in real terms since early 2008. The unemployment rate is 25.8%, with youth unemployment at 51%. Although private sector debt holders took a massive haircut on their holdings of Greek debt in 2012, the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio has gone from 148% at the start of the fiscal crisis in 2010 to 175% today. It is clear that Greece cannot meet its financial obligations over the long term. The only reason that the financial commitments are not crushing the economy at the moment is that interest payments have been trimmed, while the maturity of principal payments have been extended into the future. It should be noted that Greece has made considerable fiscal progress, with the country running a large primary budget surplus (i.e. a surplus excluding interest payments), but the resulting fiscal austerity is deeply constraining economic growth. The sustained dire economic and financial conditions led to the election in January of a new government dominated by the Syriza party on a platform of renegotiating the terms of the Greek financial bailout program funded by the Troika – the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Given the Spring 2015 plight of Greek citizens, it should not be surprising that an anti-austerity party did well at the ballot box. The incoming government is faced with a very tight deadline in negotiating with the Troika, as the financial support program expires on February 28. Since the government wants to renegotiate the terms of the financial aid – they have stated that they do not want to exit the euro currency – the new government launched talks with the major governments in the European Union and the ECB. The talks have not gone well. The request for a bridge loan to allow time to renegotiate the terms of the financial aid has so far been declined, and the appetite for significantly changing the terms appears close to nonexistent. Push back against demands There are two reasons for push back against the Greek demands. First, in order to be a member of the common currency regime, it is essential that Greece have a competitive economy. Greece fudged their fiscal numbers when they applied to join the euro area. Then, the financial dividend earned by joining the common currency, such as the financial savings created by the lowering of interest rates required on Greek government debt, was not invested profitably. The Greek economy became more uncompetitive over time, with unit labour costs higher than other countries in the common currency. Following the financial crisis, two things became clear. Greece could not meet its financial commitments, but it also needed deep structural reforms if it were to remain a euro nation. The problem is that structural reforms mean fundamentally changing the nature of an economy to make it more efficient, productive and competitive. To Greeks, this means accepting fundamental changes, which as one can imagine is deeply unpopular. It can also depress the economy during the implementation period. Over the long term, reforms can lift a country’s trend rate of economic growth and raise the standard of living of citizens. But, the creative destruction to get to the goal can be incredibly painful. The second resistance to the Greek demands is the precedent it sets for other countries in the euro zone that have undergone financial aid programs. The negative impact of fiscal austerity and the hardship of structural reforms are being felt in other countries as well, such as Spain. If Greece is allowed to materially renegotiate their financial support, others could demand a similar treatment. This could also bolster the political fortunes of antiausterity parties across the euro zone, as voters will know that new governments can get better deals. ‘Over the long term, reforms can lift a country’s trend rate of economic growth and raise the standard of living of citizens. But, the creative destruction to get to the goal can be incredibly painful.’ TD Economics All of this leads to today’s political standoff, and the clock is ticking. The immediate deadline is the February 28th expiration of the current bailout arrangement, but a case can be made that the real deadline could be as late as July-August when significant financial payments by Greece are called for. However, it is important to stress that what political brinkmanship does is take one to the brink. It is when politicians look over the precipice and see that a completely unacceptable outcome will occur if they do not change course that they relax their demands and return to the bargaining table. In this case, the other side of the brink is the possibility of a Greece exit from the euro zone. Cont. next page Page 23 Greece Cannot Be Allowed to Leave the Euro cont. From previous page ‘If Greece leaves the euro area, there will be significant financial market volatility at a time when the euro zone, and the global economy in general, is very weak. This would materially increase the downside risks facing the economy...’ TD Economics Some have argued that the euro zone could cope with a Greece exit. Indeed, they argue that both Greece and the other euro countries would be better off under this scenario. It is partly true that Europe has taken many steps since 2010 to reduce the potential fallout of a Greece departure. The story goes that banks are better capitalized; there has been time to reduce risk exposure to Greece; and, private sector exposure to Greek debt was reduced by the prior default. This view of complacency over a Greece exit is deeply misguided. If Greece leaves the euro area, there will be significant financial market volatility at a time when the euro zone, and the global economy in general, is very weak. This would materially increase the downside risks facing the economy, which could intensify the possibility of deflation. However, the bigger risk is the precedent it would set for the future of the euro zone. If Greece exits, every time another euro zone member experiences significant economic, fiscal or financial distress, financial markets will bet heavily on that country leaving the euro. The problem with financial markets is that if enough investors believe in the worst case scenario playing out, the financial strains can become so acute as to cause that outcome. At the moment, markets think there is a possibility that Greece could leave, but it is only speculation. If Greece does exit, they will know with certainty that it could happen to another country. The central problem is that the euro zone is not what economists would deem to be an optimal currency area. The euro member countries have not put in place the political, economic and institutional linkages to achieve that goal. For example, there is a currency union without a complete banking union. This makes the common currency region vulnerable. Future financial strains in other member countries are likely. So, a case can be made that Greece should never have been allowed to adopt the euro; but, now that it has, it cannot be allowed to leave. easily. Greece will strive to get the best deal it can, while the Troika will resist changing the terms of financial aid as much as possible. Financial market anxiety could persist and there is a risk it could intensify. But, the odds still favour some sort of resolution that keeps Greece in the euro zone. All eyes will be on the upcoming meetings of the euro zone finance ministers and their heads of state for guidance on how this issue will ultimately be resolved. The Troika wants to maintain Greece in the euro zone. Similarly, Syriza wants to keep Greece in the monetary union as the near-term consequences of exiting the euro zone could be disastrous. The difficulty in reconciling the positions of both parties suggests that the political standoff with Greece will not be resolved Brian Smith Vice Chair, Head of Europe & Asia Pacific TD Securities 60 Threadneedle Street London EC2R 8AP T: +44 (0) 20 7448 8354 brian.smith@tdsecurities.com www.tdsecurities.com Read more at: www.td.com/document/PDF/ economics/special/ GreeceCannotBeAllowedToLeaveT heEuro.pdf Author: Craig Alexander Senior VP & Chief Economist TD Bank Group www.td.com/economics Contact: Members Business Update 2 ReNew Canada magazine has released The 2015 Top 100 Projects Report which ranks Canada’s biggest infrastructure projects by dollar value. This year’s report lists over C$157.9bn in infrastructure investments in Canada. Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald have participated in 28 of the Top 100 projects at some point in their project life cycle, for a total capital cost of over C$62bn, up from 25 projects last year at a total cost of C$43bn. Jan 30: Audit committees around the world said economic and Page 24 political uncertainty and volatility, regulatory compliance, and operational risk pose the greatest challenges for companies in the year ahead, according to a new survey from KPMG of 1,500 audit committee members in 36 countries. how employment and labour laws vary across multiple jurisdictions. Norton Rose Fulbright has compiled a comprehensive global guide of employment laws spanning 21 jurisdictions and every continent in the world. It comes at a time when more organisations are growing their global footprint, requiring a deeper understanding of PSP Investments has announced the appointment of André Bourbonnais as President and CEO effective March 30. André Bourbonnais comes to PSP from CPPIB where he was Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Private Investments. Feb 12 Rio Tinto delivered underlying earnings of $9.3bn and announced a 12% increase in full year dividend and a $2bn share buy-back. Spring 2015 Hey, Hey, My, My, Oil & Yields Can Never Rise? Feb 6 The answer to that question appeared to be a resounding ‘no, they can never rise’, at least until this week. While it is still early days, and the rebound is fledgling, it does appear that both are at last trying to form a bottom. Even with an ugly mid-week spill on record US inventories, oil prices did something remarkable - they managed to rise on a weekly average basis for the first time in 20 long weeks. WTI is currently up 16% from last week’s lows of under $44, but Brent has powered up an even more impressive 25% in under two weeks and is now at a 2015 high of $58. (Unsurprisingly, retail gasoline prices have been quick to respond, but I digress.) We continue to believe that oil will remain on the defensive for some time yet, given the ongoing buildup of inventories, but the market is clearly impressed by the rapid decline in active drilling rigs in the US and the run of spending cuts announced by the major oil producers in recent days. Similar to oil, it tentatively appears that long-term bond yields have also found a bottom, although given the many false dawns previously, we would stress the word ‘tentatively’. After approaching a post-recession low of under 1.7% last week, the 10-year Treasury yield bounced roughly 25 bps this week to above 1.9%. Rising oil prices and solid equity gains started the move, but the finishing touch was delivered by the robust January employment report on Friday, which alone triggered about half the yield rise. After a few weeks of so-so US economic data, the jobs report washed away any doubts on the underlying strength of the recovery. Above and beyond the solid 257,000 payroll gain for January, the two prior months were revised up sharply (November saw the biggest rise in private sector Spring 2015 jobs in 17 years at 414,000). While the unemployment rate edged up a tick to 5.7%, that reflected a 1 million rise in the labour force, and both jobs surveys have averaged gains of more than 300,000 over the past three months. Piling on, wages reversed the prior month’s decline and remain nicely above inflation at 2.2% y/y. The Fed can certainly afford to remain patient before hiking rates, given the soggy global backdrop, the strong US dollar and the downward pull on inflation from low oil prices. However, if this type of job growth persists, few would seriously doubt the wisdom of some mild policy snugging later this year. Canadian bond yields Canadian bond yields also bounced off the bottom, finally. After touching an all-time record low of 1.23% at the start of the week, 10-year GoCs rose 20 bps to 1.43%, and 30-years pushed back above 2%. Still, both are down roughly 35 bps just since the start of the year, and remain remarkably low by any metric. The main reason Canadian yields had plunged so far was the dramatic dovish turn by the Bank of Canada, including the January rate cut, and the widespread prospect of more. However, this week’s action at the very least cast a shadow of doubt on a further cut. First, there is the longawaited firming in oil prices. Second, the long-standing concern about household debt raised its ugly mug again, with McKinsey centring out Canada as one of seven trouble spots. (While we would sharply dispute some of their comparisons, the broader concern about an overly loose monetary policy threatening to aggravate this vulnerability is valid.) Finally, much of the economic data from Canada was surprisingly decent, especially in light of the wave of ugly headline news so far this year. To wit, employment was up 35,400 and the jobless rate fell a tick to 6.6%, auto sales rose 3.4% y/y, home sales were still solid in non-oil regions, and consumer confidence rose to a five-year high in January (take that Target, oil patch, BoC etc etc etc). Staggeringly, Alberta continues to lead the country in job growth (it’s now up 3% y/y in that province), despite some losses in the natural resource sector. Even so, we suspect that the Bank is still likely to trim again in one of the next two meetings, given their broader list of concerns. The natural follow-through from firmer oil prices and a slightly better economic backdrop was a less negative Canadian dollar. Following the nearrecord 9% drubbing in January, the currency managed to strengthen 2% to finish close to 80 cents, its first weekly gain in almost three months. The reprieve may prove temporary if we are right on a) oil prices remaining on the defensive, and b) the Bank remaining bound and determined to trim again. Nevertheless, the main message from this week’s market action and from the underlying economic data is that there actually will now be a bit more of a two-way trade in oil prices, bond yields and the Canadian dollar, and we haven’t been able to say that in quite some time. ‘We continue to believe that oil will remain on the defensive for some time yet, given the ongoing build-up of inventories, but the market is clearly impressed by the rapid decline in active drilling rigs in the US...’ BMO Read more at: www.bmonesbittburns.com/economics/ focus/recent/150206doc.pdf Author: Douglas Porter, CFA Chief Economist BMO Financial Group T: +1 416 359 4887 douglas.porter@bmo.com Contact: Bill Smith Managing Director & Head of Europe & the Middle East BMO Financial Group 95 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4HG T: +44 (0)20 7664 8101 william.smith@bmo.com www.bmo.com Page 25 The Tables Have Turned: Provincial Outlook 2015 Feb 17 sector, and new government spending restraint, will shave over 5% from real GDP (Chart 3). ‘The focus in the upcoming budget season will be on changes in the revenue outlook across the provinces, and their fiscal implications...’ CIBC Cont. from front page ...Still, for bond market investors, it’s important not to lose sight of equally dramatic gaps in these jurisdictions’ fiscal starting points. A glance at our projections for major indicators shows just how sharply the growth leadership is likely to swing (Table 1). Alberta looks headed for a mild, and shortlived recession. Even if we had small positive for annual real GDP growth, that would have included at least two negative quarters, and nominal GDP would be well into negative territory. Newfoundland and Labrador, still coming off a huge 7% climb in 2013, could also be in negative territory. In contrast, Central Canada and BC should enjoy a small upside surprise. That will translate into commensurate shifts in the employment picture alleviating pressure in some areas where, if anything, workers are currently in scarce supply, and lowering the jobless rate in central Canada, where it has been stuck above the national average. Key Drivers of the Growth Swing The key positives for the national outlook are the strengthening performance of US demand, and the additional Page 26 lift that exports will garner from a now-weaker Canadian dollar. But these lifts aren’t uniform across the provinces. In terms of leverage to the pick-up we expect in US GDP, stripping out the impact of oil prices, Ontario is the standout, with a 1% acceleration in US growth typically adding about 1.2% points to Ontario’s real GDP pace (Chart 1). The softness in the Canadian dollar works its way through to real exports. While resource exports will be hit by soft prices, the same isn’t true for manufacturers. There, however, the challenge is that, after a spate of plant closures during the strong C$ era, capacity use is now fairly tight. Further growth will therefore require capital expenditures to add capacity, but history suggests that, by making Canada a more cost-effective location, a cheaper Canadian dollar does indeed boost factory capital spending, particularly in Ontario and Québec (Chart 2). Focusing in on Canada’s largest oil/gas exporter, Alberta, the hit to GDP growth will be less about producing fewer barrels and more about the squeeze on its energy sector’s capital spending. In total, a small reduction in planned output growth, the loss of investment growth that might have otherwise occurred, the negative from year-on-year cuts to capital budgets in the energy There are some offsets, as the province’s non-energy exporters will be helped by the weaker currency, and its domestic spending will be supported by interest rate cuts. Nominal GDP, which forms the base for most sources of government revenue, is even more clearly linked to oil prices, since the change in the value of the energy sector’s output will far outstrip any shifts in the number of barrels produced. Note the strong historical correlation between nominal GDP and oil prices in Canada’s three energy producing provinces (Chart 4, left). The linkage also captures swings in business and household confidence in these provinces, and therefore in non-energy spending decisions, that are generated by energy price booms and bust. Witness, for example, the gap between the significant drop in small business sentiment in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, relative to the steady conditions elsewhere (Chart 4, right). Revenue Surprises and Shortfalls The focus in the upcoming budget season will be on changes in the revenue outlook across the provinces, and their fiscal implications. For ownsource revenues, nominal GDP is a key determinant, with elbow room being created when it exceeds the government’s assumptions. To varying degrees, that looks to have been true for… Cont. next page Spring 2015 The Tables Have Turned: Provincial Outlook 2015 cont. From previous page ...the prior calendar year (Table 2). For 2015, our projections suggest that both Ontario and Québec could end up with a revenue fillip if, as we expect, nominal GDP runs about a half-point above the provinces’ original projections, and those released in recent mid-year updates. Both of these central Canadian provinces are budgeting for virtually no spending growth in an effort to contain borrowing needs, a tough bar to meet. The additional revenue might therefore give a bit of spending elbow room that will make 2015-16 deficit targets easier to attain. At the other end of the spectrum, Alberta has published updates that have slashed the outlook for nominal growth, the latest pointing to a 0.9% increase. That figure’s well below the original 4.7% forecast, but there’s still room for further disappointment. It has, however, discussed a $7bn revenue shortfall associated with that miss, which it plans to offset with roughly $2bn in spending cuts (Chart 5, left). That suggests a willingness to live with a roughly $5bn deficit in the coming year. The bond market is well aware of the linkage between the energy sector’s fortunes and the province’s fiscal results. While there are other drivers, including a recent preference for the liquidity associated with larger issuers, Alberta’s spreads to Ontario have been closely Spring 2015 tracking Western Canadian Select priced in Canadian dollars (Chart 5, right). But investors should also not lose sight of the yawning gap between Alberta’s fiscal starting point and that of provinces to its east. It alone starts from a net asset position, that leaves it the latitude to run large deficits as a share of GDP for a couple of years without jeopardizing its status as a safe haven asset. nearly $0.8bn off its revenue forecast in 2014/15, leaving it with a deficit topping $0.9bn. The province’s net debt of $9bn at the end of fiscal 2013/14 represents roughly 25% of GDP and will be backing up materially in the current environment, but is still miles below the 60-70% range that had prevailed until the early 2000s. Even here, as long as oil recovers after 2015/16, the province has time to adjust. While we expect an oil price recovery in the medium term, coupled with some future tax/ revenue decisions, to bring Canada’s federal government will also see a revenue shortfall, given that it too has oil revenues, and more broadly, has a tax base tied to nominal GDP. But the damage to Ottawa’s coffers, at this point, will be roughly in line with the contingency reserve that it typically sets aside before the fiscal year begins. Rather than project a $3bn surplus, and then deduct the contingency to forecast a balance, it’s likely that it will “spend” all or most of that contingency upfront, enabling it to project a balanced budget without a significant additional fiscal restraint effort. deficits into line, it’s worth noting that even if Alberta ran a $5bn deficit year after year, and nominal GDP growth was held to only 1% beyond 2016, it would take decades for Alberta to have the same debt/GDP ratio that was planned for Ontario last year (Chart 6). While not quite as blessed, Saskatchewan also enters fiscal 2015/16 as a low debt province that gives it time to allow energy-related revenues to recover. But the $600-$800m shortfall that the government has recently noted still represents over 5% of government revenues. That hole would swallow the $70m or so surplus previously expected, testing the government’s resolve to run a balanced budget. Newfoundland is further up the net debt scale. A planned balanced budget in 2015/16 now looks out of reach even with additional restraint measures, given that even a half year of below target crude prices, coupled with lower than forecast production, took ‘Provinces with higher debt loads, including Québec and Ontario, will actually see a modest economic and fiscal benefit from weaker oil prices...’ CIBC Add it all up, and the biggest budget shortfall, that of Alberta, is in the province that is best positioned to weather the storm. Provinces with higher debt loads, including Québec and Ontario, will actually see a modest economic and fiscal benefit from weaker oil prices. So while the tables have turned on growth, for national fiscal stability, they are turning in the right direction. Read more at: http://research.cibcwm.com/ economic_public/download/ if_cdnprovinces.pdf Authors: Avery Shenfeld Chief Economist CIBC T: +1 (416) 594 7356 avery.shenfeld@cibc.ca Nick Exarhos T: +1 (416) 956 6527 nick.exarhos@cibc.ca www.cibcwm.com Page 27 Program makes Ontario Property Information Available to Developers ‘Our government is working hard to break down barriers and make it easier for businesses to invest in Ontario...’ Ontario International Marketing Centre Ontario announced in February The Investment Ready Certified Site Program, which gives developers easy access to important property information such as availability, utilities servicing and transportation access. This is Canada's first certified site program. Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, near Kingston, Ontario add to the growing inventory of certified sites. This is in addition to three sites that were certified in 2014, including two in London and one in Lakeshore, Ontario. More than 45 sites across the province are moving through the certification process. The Investment Ready: Certified Site Program designation offers peace of mind to decision-makers that the site has completed a high level of due diligence such as environmental assessments. By reducing unknowns associated with development, the program encourages faster site selection and helps get projects underway faster in Ontario. ‘Our government is working hard to break down barriers and make it easier for businesses to invest in Ontario. By working with communities across the province, we can showcase high-potential development sites to businesses from around the world, to attract new investments, create jobs, and facilitate an inviting business climate,’ said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Two new sites, in StrathroyCaradoc, near London, Ontario, and QUICK FACTS The Investment Ready Certified Site Program provides easy access to key information about properties, including locations and ownership, transportation access and utilities servicing and a completed due diligence including: -environmental site -assessment -archaeological assessment -species at risk review, and -built heritage assessments. Contact: Aaron Rosland Counsellor (Commercial – Ontario) High Commission of Canada Canada House Trafalgar Square London SW1Y 5BJ T: +44 (0)20 7004 6212 aaron.rosland@international.gc.ca www.ontarioexportsinc.com BC Entrepreneurs Bring New Wireless Tech To The UK From Front page The delegation from the province – now recognised as a hotbed of innovation in the wireless/ICT sector and recently dubbed ‘Silicon Valley North’ – will be promoting a range of groundbreaking new products and looking for commercial partnerships with UK companies. The business development mission is being co-ordinated by the European Trade and Investment Representative Office for British Columbia, and Wavefront, Canada’s centre of excellence for wireless innovation established in 2007. BC has been the birthplace of groundbreaking wireless communications. Hootsuite, the first social media management and integration system, was founded and nurtured there. The first commercial quantum computing company, D-Wave, was established there. The leading provider of security solutions for computers, laptops, and portable devices, Absolute Software, is also from British Columbia, while the multinational Sierra Wireless is now the world’s largest machine-to-machine wireless company. With an attractive business climate, a sizeable creative and innovation cluster and a great talent pool, it is no surprise global leaders like Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung, Sony Imageworks and SAP have chosen to expand or relocate operations in the province. Contact: Susan Haird CB European Trade and Investment Representative for British Columbia 6th Floor 1 Great Cumberland Place Marble Arch London W1H7AL T: +44 (0)203 195 1178 shaird@britishcolumbia.ca www.britishcolumbia.ca Business Update 1 The Telegraph Feb 17 Brit Insurance shareholders are toasting a £1.22bn takeover by Canadian rival Fairfax which will see them collect a 30% profit on their investment in less than a year. Reuters Feb 9 Canadian asset Page 28 manager Brookfield Infrastructure Fund is to acquire broadcasting and wireless telecom infrastructure platform operator TDF S.A.S. Canadian financial services group Great-West Lifeco, is to acquire Dublin based offshore insurer Legal & General International (LGII) for an undisclosed sum. The Irish Times Feb 10 Canada Life, the UK subsidiary of Spring 2015 Premier applauds Alberta-Shell-US collaboration The US government is working with Shell Canada to conduct research at an Alberta carbon capture and storage site. Premier Jim Prentice met with US Department of Energy and Shell officials in Washington D.C. to learn more about their research collaboration on carbon capture and storage (CCS). The US government will work with Shell Canada at its Quest project in Alberta to develop new technologies for monitoring carbon dioxide stored deep underground. ‘As an energy producing province, it’s important that we be innovative and explore new ways to reduce our impact on the environment. I’m pleased that experts in Alberta are working with the US Department of Energy and Shell Canada to encourage global emissions reduction through new technologies. This work highlights the collaborative nature of Alberta’s CCS development program.’ Jim Prentice, Premier of The Government of Alberta has committed $1.3bn over 15 years to support two commercial scale CCS projects, including $745m in the Quest project. Alberta’s public investment represents approximately one-tenth of worldwide expenditures on carbon capture and storage technologies. Once operational, CCS projects in Alberta will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.76m tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking 550,000 cars off the road. Read more at: http://alberta.ca/release.cfm? xID=3767257400E28-E23C-AFD64A07238344F62D8B Contact: Michael Padua International Policy Manager Alberta - United Kingdom Office Canada House Trafalgar Square London SW1Y 5BJ T; +44 (0) 20 7004 6127 michael.padua@gov.ab.ca www.albertacanada.com/UK ‘As an energy producing province, it’s important that we be innovative and explore new ways to reduce our impact on the environment.‘ Alberta Government Funding Extended For Innovate Manitoba The Manitoba government has extended funding through 2016-17 for Innovate Manitoba, a not-for-profit, community-based organization committed to accelerating innovation and the commercialization of new technologies, Jobs and the Economy Minister Kevin Chief announced Feb 11. ‘Innovation is vital to Manitoba’s economy, and innovative ideas and companies start, grow and thrive in communities that provide a solid system of support,’ said Minister Chief. ‘By investing in Innovate Manitoba, we’re helping small- and medium-sized enterprise and ensuring local innovators, entrepreneurs and investors receive the help they need to take their innovations from idea to market.’ Created in 2012, Innovate Manitoba promotes entrepreneurship, supports the creation of next-generation startups and stimulates access to risk capital for early- and midSpring 2015 stage enterprises. It serves the needs of Manitoba’s entrepreneurs, researchers and inventors through a variety of programs and events including, but not limited to: -Pitch’Day – a dynamic event that provides anyone with a business idea the chance present their pitch to an expert panel of judges and an audience of Manitoba’s entrepreneurial community. -Launch’Pad – a startup workshop and intensive boot camp presented by experienced national and international investors who provide capital for business startups. Launch’Pad helps ventures improve their business models and prepare investor-friendly business plans and pitches. -Venture’Challenge – Manitoba’s premier pitch competition featuring the top six ventures from Launch’Pad, competing for cash and inkind prizes before reputable judges. -IndustryCONNECTS – training academic researchers to translate and position their research more effectively with industry players, and connecting researchers and industry to establish innovative research partnerships. ‘The province’s financial support ensures that we will continue our momentum in supporting Manitoba’s innovation,’ said Jan Lederman, President, Innovate Manitoba. ‘We’ve already hit some excellent milestones and witnessed quite a number of early success stories, but it all forms part of a longer-term strategy to transform Manitoba’s innovation capacity for generations to come.’ Contact: Brad Havixbeck Senior Manager - US and Europe Manitoba Trade & Investment 1100 - 259 Portage Avenue Winnipeg R3B 3P4 Canada T: +1 (204) 945 2397 brad.havixbeck@gov.mb.ca www.gov.mb.ca/trade Page 29 Bruce Power produces record amount of energy in 2014 Bruce Power’s eight units set a company record for electricity output in 2014, with Bruce A and B surpassing a site record previously achieved in 1991. ‘Nuclear continues to be a workhorse in the province providing 62% of Ontario’s electricity in 2014. Hydro provided 24%, natural gas, 9%; and wind 4% while other sources chipped in 1%.’ Bruce Power This record-setting production allowed Bruce Power to provide 30% of Ontario’s power at 30% less than the average price of electricity in 2014, keeping costs stable for families and businesses, said Duncan Hawthorne, President and CEO. ‘I’m extremely proud of our accomplishments in 2014, and must recognize our employees for the important work they do in keeping our eight units producing safe and carbon-free nuclear energy that’s there for the people of Ontario when they need it,’ Hawthorne said. owned assets during planned maintenance outages on Units 3, 5 and 7. The result of these outages is more reliable reactors, which keep electricity prices low and Ontario’s air clean, he added. Nuclear continues to be a workhorse in the province providing 62% of Ontario’s electricity in 2014. Hydro provided 24%, natural gas, 9%; and wind 4% while other sources chipped in 1%. ‘Bruce Power plays a major role in Ontario’s energy supply mix, and we will continue to invest millions of private dollars into these provincially owned reactors every year to maintain their reliability,’ Hawthorne added. In 2014, Bruce Power invested over $200m in private dollars into publicly Read more at: www.brucepower.com/9788/news/ record-2014/ Amec FW -founding partner in EDF Energy Strategic Partnership Jan 20 Amec Foster Wheeler has signed to become a founding partner in the EDF Energy Strategic Partnership for Lifetime Interface Agreement. The contract positions it among a select group of key suppliers working with EDF Energy to extend the life of its UK Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear power stations. Dawn James, Vice President of Amec Foster’s Wheeler’s Nuclear Generation and Defence business said: ‘We are delighted to be part of this agreement which will call upon our industry-renowned nuclear expertise and unique position of knowledge of the UK AGR and PWR stations. In addition to being a founding partner of the Energy Strategic Partnership, Amec Foster Wheeler is also part of EDF’s Technical Support Alliance and Projects Division Alliance. Contact: ‘This agreement confirms us as a key supplier to EDF Energy and enables us, together with our key partners, to help create and deliver a world-class capability for our customer that ensures continued safe generation of their nuclear power stations.’ Duncan Guy Head of Government Relations Amec Foster Wheeler Old Change House 128 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4BJ T: +44 (0)207 429 7507 duncan.guy@amec.com www.amecfw.com Rolls-Royce appoint new President & CEO North America Rolls-Royce announced Feb 24 that Marion C. Blakey has been appointed to become President and CEO of RollsRoyce North America and chair of the Rolls-Royce North America Board of Directors, replacing James M. Guyette who will be retiring in May. Ms. Blakey will leave her position as President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) where she has served nearly eight years. At AIA, she’s been an authoritative and influential voice for the aerospace and defense industry, representing Page 30 approximately 340 of the industry’s leading manufacturers. She has also played a leading role in promoting the export of civil and defense aviation products, and supported the priorities of America’s thousands of suppliers to aerospace and defense programs. ‘We are extremely pleased to have Ms. Blakey leading the North American region because she brings deep industry perspective and is a wellrespected voice in Washington. These markets are critical to our Aerospace and Land & Sea Divisions and I am delighted to have a person of her calibre to join us in this role,’ said John Rishton, Chief Executive, RollsRoyce Plc. Rolls-Royce has been present in North America for over 100 years and today it employs more than 8,000 people across the North America region in 26 US states, six Canadian provinces and three Mexican states. Read more at: www.rolls-royce.com/news/pressreleases/yr-2015/pr-240215-marionblakely-appointed-as-president.aspx Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Page 31 BMW - Tighter security with improved user convenience In a company like BMW, the requirements of IT security management are especially rigorous. BMW's main focus when it turned to CGI for security management services was on protecting sensitive personal and product-related data stored on mobile devices such as laptops or communicated via email. ‘CGI experts provide all-in-one support and maintenance for BMW's security solutions. This begins with ensuring software launch readiness and ends with the secure transfer to support.’ CGI The Challenge BMW's critical IT mandate was not just about optimizing security concepts. Security management must be continuously improved and adapted to changes in the IT environment. A global conversion to Windows 7, for example, necessitates adding new IT security software modules, such as MS BitLocker for hard drive encryption. At the same time, efficiency and user convenience in security management must be continuously optimized. A competent partner should be able to strengthen the capabilities of a company like BMW in all of these respects. The Solution CGI offers targeted security management services for the entire life cycle of a deployed piece of software while providing scalable resources and access to our security expertise and management tools. We assumed responsibility for the daily operation and further development of BMW products so that BMW's IT group could simply and quickly implement its security concepts. CGI experts provide all-in-one support and maintenance for BMW's security solutions. This begins with ensuring software launch readiness and ends with the secure transfer to support. Software is automatically distributed. Before launch, new products are checked for their security performance and functionality, consolidated into packets, and Page 32 rigorously tested for their installation performance. Users can work quickly and independently at BMW. For example, they can create new PINs or passwords without consulting support teams. This supports the active distribution of security programs and increases support efficiency. Using newly developed tools, we ensure that instructions are also upheld in centrally administrated products. In addition, we take responsibility for requests that are not resolved in the first two levels of support. To this end, we work closely with BMW's support units, give regular feedback, and offer new ideas for the organization of the company's support structure. The focus is always on highlevel user convenience and the best possible efficiency of the first two support levels. This is demonstrated, above all, in our communication with users across various media. We ensure that, on the one hand, all technical data is correct and, on the other, that end users can quickly and simply work with the information. The Results We support user mobility while maintaining stringent security guidelines. Hard drive encryption with BitLocker provides protection in the event of the loss or theft of a computer. PGP secures communication so that even sensitive data can be simply sent via email. Above all, thanks to a high level of convenience, compliance and use of security standards is a matter of course to most users. The CGI team strengthens BMW's IT and ensures that more and more users are provided with the same high standards and resources. At the same time, support costs are reduced through user selfservice because there are clear expectations for the development of incidents in terms of the life cycle. This means the more established a product is the less support it requires. And, these goals are being reached. Why CGI? We share BMW's view of user convenience, which we are sustainably harmonizing with economic requirements. CGI is one of BMW's long-serving IT partners, particularly in the security sector. Over the past few years, our experts have extended email encryption and have also developed one of the leading identity and access management systems in Germany. In security management, our expertise is combined with our highly developed IT management qualifications. Thanks to our comprehensive service portfolio, we also have detailed expertise with products such as BitLocker, PGP Universal Server, Cynapspro DevicePro Management, and Finally Secure, as well as background knowledge of our clients' existing IT environments. This is an important advantage in the configuration and updating of interfaces. But probably even more important is our close integration with the BMW team because we have only one goal - to make our clients' IT projects better. Read more at: www.cgi.com/en/case-study/BMWsecurity-management Contact: Matthew Grisoni Global Vice President Shell Downstream CGI Kings Place 7th floor 90 York Way London N1 9AG T: +44 (0)1206 777 288 matthew.grisoni@cgi.com www.cgi.com Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Page 33 Evidence of Security is Not Proof of Protection ‘...despite all the talk of Advanced Persistent Threats and ‘sophisticated attacks’, threat actors of all types are using simple, well known methods to achieve their aims.’ Pharos Security Invest in marketing, you gain market share or grow your market. Invest in sales, you gain new customers and make more from existing ones. Invest in security and you get… what, exactly? This is the question facing Boardlevel business leaders - and Security Officers - as companies globally find themselves in a Catch 22 situation. Organisations worldwide, large and small, in all industry sectors are being impacted by cyber attacks. Some don’t spend much - so it makes sense they can be hacked. Others spend significantly, have 100s of experts and the best technology - yet they too get hacked. The crux: despite all the talk of Advanced Persistent Threats and ‘sophisticated attacks’, threat actors of all types are using simple, well known methods to achieve their aims. What does this tell anyone who’s about to invest money in their security department? It seems you’re ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’. Damned if you don’t, because you’re left wide open to unacceptable business impact from any level of threat sophistication. And damned if you do, because you can’t get a clean answer on the level of protection you get for what you spend. Executives are left feeling the best they can hope for is a vague indication of ‘risk levels’ - often based on patchy metrics and unable to stand up to basic scrutiny. Really, all these add up to is a report on yesterday’s security activity, not a repeatable protection result. At the same time, Finance is left with no clear evidence that the level of protection they are getting represents a strong value return. All too often, the evidence that is available points to technology being poorly leveraged and delivering only a small fraction of its potential. Four questions the Board need answered, defensibly There is no shortage of myths and red herrings about what businesses need to invest in to protect themselves. Big data security analytics. Threat intelligence. Next generation firewalls. Employee awareness. The list goes on. While all of these are ingredients, none of them provide the recipe to answer the questions that the Board care about: -Do we have the right protection from unacceptable impacts? -If no - what’s the prioritised plan to get there; how do we ensure progress at best cost? -If yes - are we paying more than we should be; if so, how do we get lean? In either case, how do we justify where we are to prove and maintain strong control? Doing the same thing, expecting different results Cyber Essentials is the latest in a long line of ‘best practice’ standards asking business to spend without proof of either the result they have, or how investment will improve that result. Unfortunately, business does not invest based on faith alone - and without that proof, security clichés will persist: executives don't get 'security'; the business only wants a checkbox; we're always playing catch-up; business, tech and threats change too fast; security is a journey not a destination. As the UK and Canada look to take advantage of opportunities from digital society - and as growth in the online economy continues unabated -faith in security will be insufficient, both to get the right investment from business, as well as the right protection from that investment. Contact: Douglas Ferguson Founder & CEO Pharos Security Ltd 24 Greville Street London EC1 N 8SS T: +44 207 111 7799 dferguson@pharossecurity.com www.pharossecurity.com Business Update 2 Bloomberg reported Feb 25 that the world is expected to grow 3.2%in 2015 and 3.7% next year after expanding 3.3% in each of the past 2 years, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. China, the Philippines, Kenya, India and Indonesia, which together make up about 16% of global GDP, are all forecast to grow more than 5% in 2015. The US and UK, which combined account for about a quarter of global growth, are Page 34 expected to grow 3.1% and 2.6% this year, respectively. ‘The euro area probably will expand just 1.2% as ECB President Mario Draghi deals with a fragile Greece and embarks on a bond-purchase program to stimulate the region's growth.’ Kentz Corporation, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group since August 2014, has signed a Project Management Contractor Agreement in Iraq with one of the world’s leading blue-chip International Oil Companies for a three-year term with a potential value of up to approximately CAN$110m. The Courier Feb 3 Standard Life has sold its Canadian companies, Standard Life Financial Inc and Standard Life Investments Inc, to the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company for £2.2bn. Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Page 35 Why EU trade marks are no longer black and white The EU trade marks office (“OHIM”) has recently changed its practice concerning EU marks filed in black and white or colour. As a result trade mark owners should review their trade mark portfolio to ensure that the highest level of protection for their brand is maintained. ‘...trade mark owners should review their trade mark portfolio to ensure that the highest level of protection for their brand is maintained.’ Fox Williams The old OHIM rule was that a logo filed in black and white would protect the same logo when used in colour. As a result, a logo in black and white provided the owner with the broadest protection possible. But OHIM’s new practice means that a logo in black and white will not be deemed identical to the same logo in colour. This new practice is advantageous to anyone intending to file an identical trade mark to yours in different colours. Instead of being able to protect your rights by claiming the marks are identical as a whole, OHIM will now take into account the colours of the trade mark, which leaves a black and white trade mark open to infringement. For the obvious reason it may prove disadvantageous to owners who only have protection for a logo in black and white. Also, when it comes to showing that the mark is being used (if attacked during the process for applying for registration or after registration for non-use), OHIM will now only consider the mark in use if the use of colour does not alter the distinctive character of the registered trade mark. As a result owners will have to show that: -the words/figurative element are the distinctive elements; -the colour does not have a distinctive character in itself; -the colour is not the main contributor of the distinctiveness of the mark; and -the contrast of shades of the registered marks is respected. Given OHIM’s new practice now is the time to review your trade mark portfolio. Are your logo trade marks filed in black and white but are used by you in a specific colour? Do you have the broadest protection possible? In order to maintain your rights under the OHIM; new practice, now is the time to file new applications for your logo marks in all of the colours it is used. Read more at: www.foxwilliams.com/ news/1006/ Contacts: Stephen Sidkin Partner Fox Williams LLP Ten Dominion Street London EC2M 2EE T: +44 (0)20 7614 2505 slsidkin@foxwilliams.com www.foxwilliams.com Sarah Redmond Senior Trade Mark Attorney T: +44 (0)20 7614 2532 sredmond@foxwilliams.com Rationalising a fragmented IT support service Contact: Terry Irwin Managing Director TCii Strategic & Management Consultants 33 Cavendish Square London W1G 0PW T: +44 (0)20 7099 2621 terry.irwin@tcii.co.uk www.tcii.co.uk Page 36 Our client, the UK division of a global logistics business, had made a number of acquisitions. As a result, its support services - including IT - were somewhat fragmented. Another issue was the need to increase shareholder value. The key to this, in an industry with little organic growth, was cost reduction and the creation of leaner operations. One possible solution was to follow the lead of some of the company’s other divisions, which had shifted IT support to the new global IT division located in the Czech Republic. However, the advantages for the UK operation of doing this were unknown. decisions had been taken. Our challenge was therefore to: -create a plan to gather information without alienating the workforce; -understand the role, responsibilities and costs of the IT support service; -document the findings to create a picture of the current support model; and -work with the Czech data centre team to create a future support model. Next, we spotlighted as key people certain individuals who had previously been successfully involved with and supportive of change. We planned each of the above steps in detail, and presented the board with a proposal that would both rationalise the fragmented IT support operations and generate substantial savings. £3m annual savings Detailed planning The project was broken down into several steps with approval at each stage: Workforce reaction feared The board wanted answers but was concerned about the potential reaction of the UK workforce – particularly if this involved the loss of key individuals – before any it. Review and fine-tune as necessary. What does the service look like today? What could it look like tomorrow? What are the implications and actions required if a change is advantageous? If the change is advantageous, implement The board approved our proposal, and we helped the company to implement it. Moving the IT support arm of the business to the Czech data centre brought savings of £3m a year. Redundancies did occur within the UK, and we worked closely with local human resources teams to ensure that those affected received full support. Spring 2015 New brand identity for Madano Communications Consultancy and Charter Member, Madano, has recently launched a new brand identity. Madano has grown significantly over the past year and celebrated ten years as a strategic communications consultancy in 2014. a new brand identity was important to mark the next phase of the firm’s development. In the early summer 2015, we will be moving to a new office in Central London, together with our sister consultancy, AXON Communications – a specialist healthcare business. Together we will have nearly 100 consultants in our new home and be one of the largest offices in our international network. The first quarter of this year will also see the launch of a new integrated communications training service and an enhanced crisis management service, building on our decade of experience.’ of dynamic systems. From these elements, Madano’s team developed a creative treatment that both allows for individuality but provides a united and consistent look and feel across the businesses portfolio. A contemporary expression of the logo font has been introduced to anchor this in the new brand identity, and clear thinking, clear communications remains the consultancy’s mantra. Madano’s new brand identity is reflected in its new website www.madano.com, designed and created by its new inhouse creative practice. Matthew Moth, Madano Founding Partner, said: ‘While we very much hope you like our new look, rest assured the principles of giving best advice, being responsive, flexible and trusted, and doing that with a human touch, remain the same.’ Matthew Moth Partner Madano 76 Great Suffolk Street London SE1 0BL T: +44 (0) 20 7593 4000 matthew.moth@madano.com www.madano.com ‘After a decade of success, we felt that the introduction of The brand identity was inspired by fractals, images With a new management structure in the business and expanded Communication, Research and Creative Practices working across a range of industries and sectors from energy, the built environment and professional services to healthcare and education, a refresh of the firm’s branding has been introduced to better reflect where Madano is today and will be in the future. ‘The brand identity was inspired by fractals, images of Madano is part of Montreal headquartered communications group NATIONAL PR, with offices in 10 Canadian cities, New York, Copenhagen and London. elements, Madano’s Contact: that both allows for dynamic systems. From these team developed a creative treatment individuality but provides a united and consistent look...’ Madano NEW MEMBER PROFILE Hanover Communications We advise global brands, businesses and organisations on reputation, communications and public affairs. Contact: Charles Lewington Managing Director Hanover Communications 100 gray's inn road London WC1X 8AL T: +44 (0)20 7400 4490 clewington@hanovercomms.com www.hanovercomms.com NEW MEMBER PROFILE PRCA PRCA promotes all aspects of PR and internal communications work, helping teams and individuals maximise the value they deliver to clients and organisations. The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities. Contact: Steve Miller PRCA 82 Great Suffolk Street London, SE1 0BE T: +44 (0)20 7233 6026 Spring 2015 steve.miller@prca.org.uk www.prca.org.uk Page 37 NEW MEMBER PROFILE Babcock International Group Babcock is the UK's leading engineering support services organisation with revenue of over £3.5bn (2014) and an order book of circa £12bn. Defence, energy, telecommunications, transport and education are all sectors where Babcock can be found working diligently behind the scenes, delivering critical support. We have 26,000 staff who design, build, manage, operate and maintain assets vital to the delivery of many key public services in the UK and overseas. Contact: Trevor Cayless Group Trade & Government Affairs Adviser Babcock International Group 33 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1QX T: +44 (0)2073 555337 Trevor.Cayless@babcockinternational.com www.babcockinternational.com NEW MEMBER PROFILE Bruce Power Bruce Power is Canada's first private nuclear generator. Bruce Power’s 2,300-acre site on the shores of Lake Huron houses the Bruce A and B generating stations which each hold four CANDU reactors. Over the past decade, Bruce Power has refurbished all four units at its Bruce A station, returning 3,000 megawatts of low-cost, reliable electricity to Ontario consumers. Combined with its Bruce B units, Bruce Power generates 6,300 megawatts, providing power to over one in four hospitals, homes schools and businesses in Ontario. Contact: James Scongack VP Corporate Communications Bruce Power P.O. Box 1540 177 Tie Rd., R.R. 2, Tiverton, Ontario N0G 2T0 Canada T: +1 519 361 3900 james.scongack@brucepower.com www.brucepower.com NEW MEMBER PROFILE Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Cleary Gottlieb is a leading international law firm with 16 offices located in major financial centres around the world. Our worldwide practice has a proven track record for innovation and providing work of the highest quality to meet the needs of our domestic and international clients. In recognition of the firm’s strong global practice, its effectiveness in dealing with the different business cultures of the countries in which it operates, and its success in multiple jurisdictions, Cleary Gottlieb received Chambers & Partners’ inaugural International Law Firm of the Year award. Contact: Michael McDonald Partner Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP City Place House 55 Basinghall St, London EC2V 5EH T: +44 (0)207 614 2200 msmcdonald@cgsh.com www.cgsh.com/london NEW MEMBER PROFILE Credit Limits International Ltd Credit Limits International Ltd is an independent International Collection Agency with over 20 years experience in collecting debts worldwide. Contact: Pierre Haincourt Managing Director Credit Limits International 7 Church Road, Oare, Faversham, Kent ME13 0QA T: +44 (0)1795 594574 pierre.haincourt@creditlimitsinternational.com Page 38 http://creditlimitsinternational.com Spring 2015 NEW MEMBER PROFILE Export Development Canada We are Canada’s export credit agency. Our job is to support and develop Canada’s export trade by helping Canadian companies respond to international business opportunities. We are a self-financing, Crown corporation that operates at arm's length from the Government. We provide insurance and financial services, bonding products and small business solutions to Canadian exporters and investors and their international buyers. We also support Canadian direct investment abroad and investment into Canada. Contact: Charles Edgeworth Regional Manager- Europe Export Development Canada 150 Slater Street, Ottawa K1A 1K3 Canada T: +1 416 349 6541 cedgeworth@edc.ca www.edc.ca NEW MEMBER PROFILE Keurig UK As a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas, and other beverages, Keurig Green Mountain Inc. is recognized for its award-winning beverages, innovative Keurig® brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. Contact: Stephen Stagg Commercial Director Keurig UK M: +44 (0)7956 765 655 stephen.stagg@keurig.com www.keurig.com NEW MEMBER PROFILE Productivity Media Productivity Media is a late state, senior lender to film and television productions, providing Senior Secured debt to film and television production. We provide innovative, short-term financing for quality projects serving Canadian and International producers. In 2012, Productivity Media brought together a team that has extensive experience in financing, production, and sales in both film and television. Contact: Andrew Chang-Sang President Productivity Media 2521 Wyecroft Rd, Oakville L6L 6P8 Canada T: +1 647 317 3936 andrew.chang-sang@productivitymedia.com www.productivitymedia.com NEW MEMBER PROFILE Total APS Ltd Total APS is a successful limited company set up in 2002 to offer the market place specialist supply chain Advanced Planning Systems (APS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) consultancy. We remain unaffiliated to any of the APS software vendors, giving us an almost unique position in the industry. Contact: Peter Breadmore Director Total APS 130 High Street Hungerford Berkshire RG17 0DL T: +44 (0)7900 688001 Spring 2015 peterbreadmore@totalaps.com www.totalaps.com Page 39 Chamber Events March 2015 - June 2015* 2015 05.03 Lunch with Monique Leroux, President & CEO, Desjardins Group at the Law Society, London 12.03 Tech Forum breakfast panel debate on the Customer Experience at Pewterers’ Hall, London 26.03 Lunch with Stephen S. Poloz, Governor of the Bank of Canada at the Grange St. Paul’s Hotel, London 29.04 CETA reception with Jean Charest, former Québec Premier at Canada House, London 15.05 Annual Golf Day at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf course, Richmond, Surrey 22.05 AGM & lunch with Lord Gus O’Donnell at the House of Lords, London 12.06 6th Annual Canadian Chief Economists panel debate and lunch at the City Grange Hotel, London *The Chamber hosts and co-hosts 30+ events per year. Other events will be added to this programme. For full details on the 2015 event programme visit: www.canada-uk.org Future Deadlines for Newsletter Contributions & Advertising in 2015: Spring: April 25 Summer: June 25 Autumn: Sept 25 Newsletter sponsors Page 40 Spring 2015