Over 500 provincial and state legislators and business leaders from western Canada and the Pacific Northwest will convene at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Summit, July 21-25, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to discuss the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), First Nations economic development in the Northwest, climate policy, energy innovation and resilience, water policy, invasive species and more.
Legislators and business leaders from Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington will meet at the Delta Bessborough and the Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel, as PNWER holds its Annual Summit in Saskatoon for the second time ever in Saskatchewan.
The PNWER Summit will feature a number of high-profile plenary speakers who will address attendees at plenary sessions during the four-day meeting. The following are just some of the keynotes:
- Ambassador David Wilkins, Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada
- Scotty Greenwood, CEO, Canadian American Business Council
- Ambassador Michael Kergin, Former Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.
- Ambassador David Jacobson, Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada
- The Honourable Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan
- John Stackhouse, Senior Vice President, Royal Bank of Canada
- The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Murad Al-Katib, CEO of AGT Foods
- Robin Sylvester, CEO, Port Metro Vancouver
- Goldy Hyder, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada
- Colin Robertson, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, Ottawa
The PNWER Summit will also highlight a wide array of regional issues through breakout sessions. The following are some of the critical issues that delegates will address in targeted working sessions:
- USMCA ratification and trade
- First Nations renewable energy and economic development
- Innovative greenhouse gas reduction and reuse strategies
- Agriculture technology and cross-border livestock health
- Best practices at the border—Beyond Preclearance
- Tours of critical infrastructure, agriculture, and innovation
- Water policy and transboundary water issues
- A new agreement between Canada and the U.S. on mining rare earth metals
- Energy infrastructure projects impacting the entire region
“I am immensely proud to host this year’s Summit in beautiful Saskatoon, in my home province of Saskatchewan,” said Larry Doke, Member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly and President of PNWER. “The importance of building relationships across the border with the U.S. is more important than ever, and PNWER is one of the best ways of addressing our shared concerns with our neighbouring jurisdictions.”
“It is vital we continue developing relationships, growing our economies, and enhancing our region’s economic competitiveness to improve our jurisdictions and the lives of our citizens, and PNWER is one of the best vehicles to do this,” said Doke.
Senator Arnie Roblan of Oregon, and PNWER’s Past President, said, “Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are stronger by working closely together, and our relationships are intact because of the ongoing partnerships in every major sector of our economy, and in state, provincial, territorial, local, and tribal governments. It is meetings like this PNWER Summit that build the trust we need to be globally competitive together.”
ABOUT PNWER
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is a public/private non-profit organization created by statute in 1991. Member jurisdictions include Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington, and the Canadian provinces and territories of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Yukon. PNWER's mission is to increase the economic well-being and quality of life for all citizens of the region; identify and promote "models of success, and serve as a conduit to exchange information.
