GREATER SUDBURY, January 16, 2019 – On January 22nd and 23rd, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), will host their second annual PEP (Procurement, Employment and Partnerships) Conference and Tradeshow, presented by SNC Lavalin.

WHEN:         Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019, 7:45 am – 5:00 pm

                     Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019, 7:45 am – 3:00 pm

WHERE:      Holiday Inn, 1696 Regent Street, Sudbury ON, P3E 3Z8

PEP is designed to ignite industry-wide discussions on ways Ontario can build and benefit from innovative supply chain management, address the shortage of skilled workers, and build progressive partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. This will include panel discussions on lessons on developing and sustaining local procurement frameworks, strategies to develop local and regional work forces, and the advantages of partnerships.

“SNC Lavalin is proud to present PEP Conference for the second year in a row. PEP 2018 was a great success and ignited important discussions around procurement, employment and partnerships in Northern Ontario’s resource development and infrastructure sectors,” said Steve Dyck, Vice President of Ontario Government Relations, SNC Lavalin. “It is critical that we continue the conversation from PEP 2018 and build on them this year.”   

As the resource and infrastructure sectors expand, the challenges associated with growing local and regional supply chains increases concurrently. As these projects continue to move forward, training and employing local Indigenous and non-Indigenous workers is crucial to the success of Northern Ontario’s economic development.

“PEP 2019 is the chamber’s largest event of the year. With representatives from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses and provincial and federal governments, the conference is a place to discuss the future of Northern Ontario’s resource development and infrastructure sectors,” said Michael Macnamara, Chair of the Board of Director, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. “Panel discussions with industry leaders is a great way to learn more about and discuss ways to successfully design and execute local procurement frameworks, address Northern Ontario’s skills mismatch, and to hear about the advantages of partnerships.”

“PEP 2018 was a great success and we look to build on that this year at PEP 2019. The conference is a great place to discuss ideas and strategies on growing Northern Ontario’s resource development and infrastructure sectors,” said JP Gladu, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. “Building partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses, expanding procurement networks, and discussing how to train the workforce of tomorrow – these are all critical discussions that happen at PEP.”

To find out more information about PEP, please visit https://pepconference.ca/.

Keynote Speakers include:

  • Helen Bobiwash, CPA, CMA, CAFM
  • The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Minister of Indigenous Affairs

Panelists include:

  • Tim Barnhart, President, NIMCA & Owner, Legacy 420
  • Jason Batise, Executive Director, Wabun Tribal Council
  • Rachel Beals, Research Coordinator, Northern Policy Institute
  • Steven Bowles, Project Manager, Côté Gold Project, IAMGOLD Corporation
  • Derek Chum, Vice President Indigenous Relations, Hydro One
  • Douglas Conroy, Manager, Human Resources at Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, A Glencore Company
  • Robert Cornell, Construction Manager, Peter Kiewit Sons
  • Malcolm Croskery, Chief Operating Officer, Pioneer Construction Inc. & Fisher Wavy Inc.
  • Melanie Debassige, Executive Director at Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporations
  • Alicia Dubois, Market Vice President, Indigenous Markets, CIBC – Commercial Banking
  • Pat Dubreuil, President, Manitou Gold Inc.
  • Mathew Dueck, Student, Laurentian University
  • Kaella-Marie Earle, District Engineering Intern, Union Gas
  • Dean Gatien, Vice President, PowerTel
  • JP Gladu, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
  • Justin Gray, Business Development Manager, SNC-Lavalin Nuclear
  • Paul Hornby, Chief Scientific Advisor, NIMCA
  • Dawn Madahbee Leach, General Manager, Waubetek Business Corporation
  • Cathy L. O’Coin, National Director, Quality/Human Resources, Legacy 420 & Board Chair, NIMCA
  • Laura Owl, Special Projects Director, Z’gamok Enterprises Inc.
  • Sue Prince, Indigenous Relations Advisor, Ontario Power Generation
  • Michael Reasbeck, President of Northeastern Ontario Construction Association (NOCA)
  • Angie Robson, Director, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Vale
  • Wayne Ross, President, Coral Rapids Power
  • Ron Sarazin, Special Projects Coordinator, Gezhtoojig Employment and Training
  • Sean Strickland, Director of Business Development & Industry Relations, Pomerleau

Moderators include:

  • Karen Bird, Investment Advisor, RBC Wealth Management, RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
  • Reggie Caverson, Executive Director, Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin
  • Michael Macnamara, Associate, Conroy Scott LLP, and Chair of the Board of Directors, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce
  • Tracy Nutt, co-owner, ServiceMaster Sudbury & Build North Construction
  • Pierre Zundel, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University

Emcees include:

  • Stephen Lindley, Principal, Stephen Lindley Consulting Inc.
  • Paul-Emile McNab, Director, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
  • Steve Dyck, Vice President, Ontario Government Relations, SNC-Lavalin Inc.

The chamber gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors for making PEP possible.

PEP Conference and Tradeshow 2019 Sponsors:

  • Title Sponsor: SNC-Lavalin
  • Partner: Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
  • Gold Sponsors: LiUNA, Fisher Wavy
  • VIP Gold Sponsor: Hydro One
  • Silver Sponsors: Vale, Kiewit, Pioneer Construction
  • Bronze Sponsors: Wajax, Ethier Sand & Gravel
  • Youth Delegate & Bursary Sponsor: Glencore
  • Programme Sponsor: BDO
  • Media Sponsor: CTV
  • Award Sponsor: Northern Ontario Business
  • Networking Sponsor: DST Consulting Engineers Inc., Greater Sudbury Development Corporation

Gala:

  • Title Sponsor: KGHM
  • Gold Sponsor: Ontario Power Generation
  • Bronze Sponsor: Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin

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Author: Sharleen Sissons