The Road to Arctic Sovereignty, Security & Prosperity Begins in the North

STRATEGY | INVESTMENT | COOPERATION

Arctic Geopolitics: Global geopolitical uncertainty is the new normal. For the Arctic region it is shifting the ground beneath North American Arctic cooperationand strengthening the existing Nordic Arctic cooperation. Arctic geopolitics is central to Canada’s security and defence and Canada’s Arctic is integral to the collective security of our Arctic allies within the Arctic, within NATO, and beyond.

Bay Street: Time to Look North at Canada’s Arctic geopolitics: The global geopolitical landscape is shifting investment priorities. NATO countries are changing their investment priorities to accommodate the changing geopolitical realities This includes a focus on investments in dual use technologies and projects. Canada’s security and sovereignty both rely on a well-defended, sustainable, and prosperous Canadian North. As Europe’s investment community adapts its investment priorities, is Bay Street doing the same?

Multi-purpose Infrastructure Investment (Public-Private-Indigenous Partnerships): Public-Private-Indigenous Partnerships are essential for building smart, connected, multipurpose infrastructure to support Northern communities, safeguard Arctic defence and security, and drive economic growth. Public-Private-Indigenous investment partnerships are also the key to building accompanying trade and supply chains North of 60, to connect Canada’s North to the rest of Canada, Canada to its Arctic neighbours, and the Arctic region to global markets.

The Business of Arctic Defence and Innovation: Securing and maintaining Arctic defence capabilities requires National strategy and policy. Private industry is the key to bringing a political vision to life and the Public-Private defence relationship relies on the ability to build off the mandates and expertise of government and the private sector. In the case of the Arctic, robust Public-Private partnerships are necessary to address Canada’s needs in the North including maritime capability, cold weather infrastructure, and enabling the innovation required to develop dual-use technologies out of the Arctic (with the potential to scale up and beyond the region).

Building Canada’s Arctic Critical Minerals Economy: A National Defence Imperative: Critical technologies including defence weapons, semiconductor chips, and the energy systems for the net-zero economy all rely on mining and processing critical minerals. This landscape is a mix of great power geopolitics, global energy security and strengthening democratic alliances. Canada needs to work with purpose and speed to create strategies and the financial tools necessary to help attract Canadian and allied venture and patient capital investments to develop Canada’s Northern critical minerals potential and domestic supply chains to meet Canada’s defence and security needs.

Conference Venue

1601 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, Canada

Palais Royale has a private parking lot for our guests only on Lake Shore Blvd. directly in front of our facility. Street lights with pedestrian crossing ensures safe crossing for all of our guests.

Click here to download the parking map.

04 FEBRUARY 2025

17:00 – 18:00
COCKTAIL RECEPTION

18:00 – 21:00
DINNER & FIRESIDE CHAT (Invitation Only)
We are grateful to Agnico Eagle Limited, our hosts and sponsor of this evening’s dinner.

OPENING REMARKS:

• Yvonne Jones, MP for Labrador, PS Northern Affairs, National Defence (Northern Defence), Vice-Chair Arctic Parliamentarians (Lead of the Canadian Delegation )
• Brad Ryder, Director, Government Relations, Agnico

FIRESIDE CHAT: TRUMP ARCTIC POLICY 2.0: US-CANADA ARCTIC COOPERATION
Moderator: Nathan Vanderklippe, International Correspondent, The Globe and Mail

• Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute and former Director, Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, Heritage Foundation (Confirmed)
• Mead Treadwell, Former Lt. Governor (2010-2014); Board Member/Former President, Pt. Capital; Co-Founder, Wilson Center Polar Institute (Confirmed)

05 FEBRUARY 2025 – DAY 1 FULL-DAY CONFERENCE

08:00 – 09:00
NETWORKING BREAKFAST

09:00 – 09:20
OPENING REMARKS

9:20 – 10:00
SESSION I: SETTING THE STAGE: WELCOME TO 2025 AND A NEW ARCTIC GEOPOLITICS
Moderator: Nathan Venderklippe, International Correspondent, The Globe and Mail (Confirmed)

• Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute and former Director, Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, Heritage Foundation (Confirmed)
• Mead Treadwell, Former Lt. Governor (2010-2014); Board Member /Former President, Pt. Capital; Co-Founder, Wilson Center Polar Institute (Confirmed)

10:00 – 11:15
SESSION II: ANNUAL ARCTIC AMBASSADORS’ ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION PART I – THE NORDIC NORTH
Moderators: Dr. Jessica M. Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360/Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360

• Hlynur Guðjónsson, Ambassador, Iceland Embassy in Canada (Confirmed)
• Nikolaj Harris, Ambassador, Kingdom of Denmark Embassy in Canada (Confirmed)
• Kenneth Høegh, Head of Representation to Canada and US,
  Government of Greenland (Confirmed)
• Karin Öhman, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden in Canada (Confirmed)
• Jon-Åge Øyslebø, Minister-counsellor / Deputy Head of Mission, Kingdom of Norway Embassy in Canada (Confirmed)
• Sari Uusi-Rauva, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland in Canada (Confirmed)

11:15 – 11:30
NETWORKING BREAK

11:30 – 12:15
SESSION III: FIRESIDE CHAT: CANADIAN PATROL SUBMARINE: ITS IMPACT ON ARCTIC DEFENCE
Moderator: Honourable Erin O’Toole, Managing Director of ADIT North America; former MP, Durham and Leader of Conservative Party (Confirmed)

• Commodore J.S. Armstrong, Msm, Cd, Director General Naval Force Development, Royal Canadian Navy (Confirmed)

12:15 – 12:45
SESSION IV: FIRESIDE CHAT: INSIGHTS FROM GREENLAND
Moderator: Dr. Jessica Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360

• Nauja Bianco, Founder, Isuma Consulting, BOD Arctic360, BOD Greenland Resources Inc. Copenhagen (Confirmed)

12:45 – 14:00
LUNCH AND FIRESIDE CHAT
Moderator: Dr. Jessica Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360

• Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament, Government of Canada for British Columbia riding of Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, Shadow Minister for Northern Affairs and Arctic Sovereignty (Confirmed)

14:00 – 15:00
SESSION V: INNOVATING OUT OF THE ARCTIC: ARCTIC DEFENCE AND DUAL-USE COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Moderator: Honourable Erin O’Toole, Managing Director of ADIT North America; Former MP, Durham and Leader of Conservative Party (Confirmed)

• Glenn Cowan, Founder & CEO, General Partner, One9 (Confirmed)
• Dr. Ali Dolatabadi, Professor, Mechanical Engineering & Associate Chair, Research, University of Toronto (Confirmed)
• Mike Kennah, CEO, International Telecom (Confirmed)
• Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360 (Confirmed)
• Andrew G. Smith, Intergovernmental Relations, Executive Council Office, Yukon Government (Confirmed)

15:00 – 16:30
SESSION VI: ARCTIC CRITICAL MINERALS ECONOMY: ESG MEETS NATIONAL DEFENCE
Moderator: Bo Lidegaard, Partner, Kaya Partners (Confirmed)

• Darrell Beaulieu, CEO, Denendeh Exploration and Mining Company Ltd. (DEMCo) (Confirmed)
• Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Government of the Northwest Territories (Confirmed)
• April Hayward, Chief Sustainability Officer, Li-FT Power (Confirmed)

16:30 – 17:30
SESSION VII: BREAKING THE ICE: THE PROJECT PITCH AND THE BUSINESS CASE
Judge: Doug Turnbull, Non-Executive Vice Chairman, Morningstar Canada
Pitch: Councillor Marlene Matou, Nahanni Butte Dene Band and Group
Pitch: Claire Tincombe, Managing Director, Det’on Cho Environmental

CLOSING REMARKS: Dr. Jessica Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360

17:30 – 19:30
RECEPTION

06 FEBRUARY 2025 – DAY 2 FULL-DAY CONFERENCE

08:00 – 09:00
NETWORKING BREAKFAST

09:00 – 09:20
OPENING REMARKS

9:20 – 10:00
SESSION I: SETTING THE STAGE – PART 2
Moderator: Ollie Williams, Editor, Cabin Radio (Confirmed)

• Craig Fleener, Deputy Director, Ted Stevens for Arctic Security Studies (Confirmed)
• Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council (Confirmed)
• Dr. Jessica Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360 (Confirmed)

10:00 – 11:15
SESSION II: 10 YEARS OF ARCTIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION:
THE FUTURE OF THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC COUNCIL
Moderator: Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council (Confirmed)

• Craig Fleener, Deputy Director, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (Confirmed)
• Helene Scherling Olsen, Deputy Head of Trade, Sr. Advisor, Arctic, Danish Trade Council, Canada (Confirmed)
• Per Unheim, Head of Public Affairs and Trade, Embassy of Iceland in Canada (Confirmed)
• Michael Walsh, Director General, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)(Confirmed)

11:15 – 11:30
NETWORKING BREAK

11:30 – 13:00
LUNCH AND FIRESIDE CHAT: INDIGENOUS NORTH: A CONVERSATION AMONG YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
Moderator: Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360

• Jasmine Redfern, President, Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association, Chair, Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal (Confirmed)
• Max Schiller, Bachelor of Commerce, Boom, Finance Student, Concordia University (Confirmed)
• Jaiden Stevens, Intern, Arctic360 (Confirmed)
• Allana Nakashook-Zettler, Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Student, University of Toronto (Confirmed)

13:00 – 14:15
SESSION III: THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD: NATO IN THE ARCTIC
Moderator: Danielle Bochove, Senior Reporter, Global Arctic for Bloomberg (Confirmed)

• Tjorven Bellmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Canada (Confirmed)
• Aurélie Bonal, EU Deputy Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Canada (Confirmed)
• Commodore Matthew Coates, Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), former Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) (Confirmed)
• David Prodger, Acting High Commissioner British High Commission (Confirmed)

14:15 – 15:45
SESSION IV: THE BUSINESS OF CANADA’S NORTH: IS THERE THE WILL AND CAPABILITY?
Moderator: Doug Turnbull, Non-Executive Vice Chairman, Morningstar Canada (Confirmed)

• Louise Blais, Senior Special Advisor – U.S. and International Affairs, Business Council of Canada, Business Council of Canada (Confirmed)
• Sean Boyd, Chair of the Board, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (Confirmed)
• Tim Murphy, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer, AECON (Confirmed)
• John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, RBC (Confirmed)

15:45 – 16:15
SESSION V: FIRESIDE CHAT
Moderator: Danielle Bochove, Senior Reporter, Global Arctic for Bloomberg (Confirmed)

• Senator Lisa Murkowski, Alaska (Confirmed)

16:15 – 17:30
SESSION VI: PUBLIC-PRIVATE-INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS: INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR PRIORITIES & ARCTIC GEOPOLITICS
Moderator: Sean Boyd, Chair of the Board, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (Confirmed)

• Derron Bain, CEO, Concert Infrastructure (Confirmed)
• Paul Barrett, Chief Communications Officer, Davie (Confirmed)
• Rebecca Connelly, Vice President of Strategic Engagement,
  Det’on Cho Management LP. (Confirmed)
• Lisa Mitchell, President and CEO, Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) (Confirmed)

CLOSING REMARKS: Dr. Jessica Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360

17:30 – 19:30
CLOSING RECEPTION