PLEASE NOTE: This is a working draft Agenda
06 FEBRUARY 2024
10:00 – 15:00
Pre-Conference Workshop: CLOSING THE GAP TO SECURITY AND PROSPERITY IN THE CANADIAN NORTH (Invitation Only)
16:00 – 17:00
Speaker Ralph J. Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication Emeritus, University of Delaware and award-winning former CNN world affairs correspondent
This event is co-sponsored by the Canadian International Council and the Toronto Branch of the Canadian International Council
17:00 – 18:00
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
18:00 – 21:00
DINNER & FIRESIDE CHAT (Invitation Only)
Fireside Discussion:
- Ralph J. Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication Emeritus, University of Delaware and award-winning former CNN world affairs correspondent
- Jeremy Kinsman, Distinguished Fellow, CIC; Former Canadian Ambassador to Moscow, Rome, EU and High Commissioner in London.

41 Willcocks Street
Toronto, ON M5S 1C7

07 FEBRUARY 2024 – DAY 1 FULL DAY CONFERENCE
08:00 – 08:45
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
08:45 – 09:15
OPENING REMARKS
- Dr. Jessica M. Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360
- Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
9:15 – 10:45
SESSION I: ANNUAL ARCTIC AMBASSADORS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Moderators: Dr. Jessica M. Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360/Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
- Signe Burgstaller, Sweden Ambassador to Canada
- Hanne Fugl Eskjær, Kingdom of Denmark Ambassador to Canada
- Trine Jøranli Eskedal, Norway Ambassador to Canada
- Hlynur Guðjónsson, Iceland Ambassador to Canada
- Kenneth Høegh, Head of Representation to Canada and US, Government of Greenland
- Robert Sinclair, Senior Arctic Official and Director General, Arctic, Eurasian, and European Affairs, Global Affairs Canada
- Ms. Sari Uusi-Rauva, Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland to Canada
- David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador
10:45 – 11:00
STRENGTHENING CANADA / US ARCTIC COOPERATION
- Yvonne Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)
- Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator, Alaska
11:00 – 12:15
SESSION II: ARCTIC SECURITY AND DEFENCE CAPABILITY
Moderator: Danielle Bochove, Toronto Bureau Chief & Senior Reporter for the Arctic for Bloomberg News
- Yvonne Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)
- Dr. David Perry, President, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
- Dr. Robert Huebert, Associate Director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, U. of Calgary; Senior Fellow, Arctic360
- Greg MacNeil, Partner, Northstar
12:15 – 13:30
LUNCH AND FIRESIDE CHAT: Talking Arctic with Jim Balsillie: From Franklin To The Future. Moderator, Honourable Erin O’Toole.
Jim Balsillie, Chair, Council of Canadian Innovators; Founder Centre for Digital Rights
Honourable Erin O’Toole, Managing Director of ADIT North America; former MP, Durham and leader of Conservative Party
13:30 – 13:40
BREAK
13:40 – 14:55
SESSION III: THE NORTH AMERICAN ARCTIC: OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Moderator: Dr. Jessica M. Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360
- Paul Barrett, Chief Communications Officer, Davie Shipbuilding
- Kenneth Høegh Head of Representation to Canada and US, Greenland Representation
- John Rasmussen, CEO, Sikuki Nuuk Harbour A/S
- Jens R. Lauridsen, Chief Executive Officer, Kalaallit Airports Group
- Peter Garapick, Head of External Relations, Quark Expedition; Executive Committee, Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)
- Brandon MacDonald, Vice President of Strategy and Growth, Pennecon
14:55 – 15:05 BREAK
15:05 – 16:25
SESSION IV: THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
Moderator: Dr. John English, Director Emeritus, Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History and Co-Chair, BOD, Arctic360, Co-Chair, Canadian International Council
- Dave Prodger, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Canada
- Dr. Melita Gabrič, Ambassador of the European Union to Canada
- Sabine Sparwasser, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada
16:25 – 17:55
SESSION V: GLOBAL CAPITAL, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE-INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS
Moderator: Doug Turnbull, Vice Chairman and Country Head, Canada, Morningstar DBRS
- Derron Bain, CEO, Concert Infrastructure
- Tim Brown, Assistant Director, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI)
- Darrell Beaulieu, CEO, Denendeh Investment Corporation, NWT
- Paul Gruner, CEO, Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation & Group of Companies, NWT
- Shahir Guindi, Ad. E., Former National Co-Chair, Partner, Corporate, Osler
- Alison Loat, Managing Director, Sustainable Investing and Innovation, OP Trust
- Hillary Thatcher, Managing Director, Investments, Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)
- Tiffany Eckert Maret, Secretary/Treasurer, YFNCC; COO, Da Daghay Development Corporation
17:55 – 19:30
RECEPTION
08 FEBRUARY 2024 – DAY 2 FULL DAY CONFERENCE
08:00 – 09:00
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
09:00 – 09:30
OPENING REMARKS
9:30 – 10:50
SESSION I: LONG-TERM ARCTIC STRATEGY: THE ROAD TO ALL PARTY CONSENSUS
Moderators: Dr. Jessica Shadian, President and CEO, Arctic360; Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
- Honourable Erin O’Toole, Managing Director of ADIT North America; former MP, Durham and leader of Conservative Party
- Daniel Blaikie, MP Elmwood—Transcona, Manitoba
- Yvonne Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)
- Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, MP Beaches—East York
10:50 – 11:05
NETWORKING BREAK
11:05 – 12:00
SESSION II: ASIA STATES AND THE ARCTIC
Moderator: Danielle Bochove, Toronto Bureau Chief & Senior Reporter for the Arctic for Bloomberg News
- Yamanouchi Kanji, Ambassador of Japan to Canada
- Deputy Head of Mission, Minister Woonan Kam, Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada
- Dr. Hema Nadarajah, Senior Fellow, Arctic360; Program Manager, Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
12:15 – 13:30
LUNCH AND FIRESIDE CHAT: A CONVERSATION WITH NORTHERN INDIGENOUS YOUTH
- Max Schiller, Bachelor of Commerce, Boom, Finance Student, Concordia University
- Jasmine Redfern, CEO, Arctic Inspiration Prize
- Allana Nakashook, U of T Indigenous Student
- Victoria McMahon, Kinesiology Student, University of British Columbia
13:30 – 15:00
SESSION III: CRITICAL MINERALS IN THE (TERRITORIAL) NORTH: BUILDING SUPPLY CHAINS & CONNECTING CANADA
Moderator: Anita Balakrishnan, Reporter, The Logic
- Rebecca Connelly, Vice President, Strategy and Engagement, Det’onCho Corporation
- Paul Gruner, CEO, Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation & Group of Companies, NWT
- Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs & Northern Development, Ontario
- Menzie McEachern, ADM Minerals and Petroleum Resources, GNWT
- Yamanouchi Kanji, Ambassador of Japan to Canada
- Dr. April Hayward, Chief Sustainability Officer, Li-FT Power
15:00 – 15:15
NETWORKING BREAK
15:15 – 16:15
SESSION IV: INNOVATION OUT OF THE ARCTIC
Moderator: Madeleine Redfern, Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
- Philip Burns-O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer, AT2 Aerospace
- Christine Burow, Chief Marketing Officer, Torngat Metals, Ltd.
- Barry Prentice, Airships
- Kimberley Van Vliet, Founder and CEO, WaVv/ConvergX; Deputy Chair, Community of Interest, NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG)-Allied Command Transformation Unit (ACT)
- Tom Henheffer, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Arctic Research Foundation
16:30 – 17:45
SESSION V: STRENGTHENING TRADE NORTH OF 60: A CONVERSATION WITH ARCTIC TRADE COUNSELLORS TO CANADA
Moderator: Jake Edmiston, Reporter, Toronto Star
- Helene Scherling Olsen, Deputy Head of Trade, Sr. Advisor, Arctic, Danish Trade Council, Canada
- Rebecca Lynge, Deputy Head of the Greenland Representation to the US and Canada
- John Fleming, Deputy Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Trade Consulate
- Patricia Boeg-Jensen, Business Sweden, Swedish Trade Commission, Toronto
- Adam Kalbfleisch, Partner, Bennett Jones LLP
- Stein Oddvar Sægrov, Commercial Counsellor / Handelsråd, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa
- Jean-Sébastien Fabry, A/Director, Multilateral Engagement, International and Intergovernmental Affairs Branch, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
17:45 – 18:30
SESSION VI: MULTI-PURPOSE & MULTI-USER CRITICAL ARCTIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Moderator: Honourable Erin O’Toole, Managing Director of ADIT North America; former MP, Durham and leader of Conservative Party
- David Thompson, Director General, Infrastructure, Portfolio Requirements, DND
- Sean Boyd FCPA, FCA, Chair of the Board, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
- Madeleine Redfern, COO, CanArctic Inuit Networks; Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
- Brandon MacDonald, Vice President of Strategy and Growth, Pennecon
- Jimi Onalik, President, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)
- Paul Barrett, Chief Communications Officer, Davie Shipbuilding

