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PROGRAM AGENDA

December 8–10, 2025 | JW Marriott Parq Vancouver

DAY 1 - MONDAY DECEMBER 8: HOSTED BY LAC DES MILLE LACS FIRST NATION
Monday December 8
5:00 PM
REGISTRATION OPENS, TRADE SHOWCASE OPENS
Monday December 8
6:00 - 8:30 PM
SCHEDULE DETAILS
WELCOME RECEPTION

Live music and cocktail reception, hosted by Horizon Seven and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation

 

Live Music by Doe Bender Jazz Trio

DAY 2 - TUESDAY DECEMBER 9
Day 2
8:00 AM

REGISTRATION & NETWORKING BREAKFAST

Day 2
8:30 AM
CULTURAL CEREMONY: Sponsored by Watay Power
GRAND ENTRY & WELCOME CEREMONY
  • MC, Michael Fox, CEO, Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE)
  • Grand Entry Tsatsu Stalqayu (Coastal Wolf Pack)  
  • Welcome Ceremony by Musqueam (the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) Band Member, Alec Dan
  • Opening Remarks by Anthony Maunula, Horizon Seven 
Michael-Fox
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Day 2
9:00 AM
CANADA'S INDIGENOUS ECONOMIC FUTURE
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - JP GLADU

JP Gladu, President of Mokwateh and Member of Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC), PMO Major Projects Office (MPO)

 

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Day 2
9:45 AM
Sponsored by EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA (EDC)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - CAROL ANNE HILTON

Carol-Anne Hilton, CEO and Founder, Indigenomics Institute, Global Centre of Indigenomics

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Day 2
10:20 AM
NETWORKING BREAK & TRADE SHOWCASE
Day 2
10:30 AM
FEATURED SPEAKER - HONOURABLE GREG RICKFORD

Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, Ontario

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Day 2
10:40 AM
EXPERT PANEL: Sponsored by Sussex
PROJECTS OF A NATIONAL INTEREST AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP
  • Candice Tourville, Business Development Officer, Taykwa Tagamou Nation
  • Pierre-Philippe Dupont, VP Sustainability, Canada Nickel Company
  • Hillary Thatcher, Managing Director, Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB)
  • Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, Ontario
  • Moderated by Katherine Koostachin, Vice-President, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Sussex. 
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Pierre-Philippe Dupont
Sussex
Day 2
11:20 AM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 1: MINTO COPPER-GOLD MINE
EQUITY, ROYALTIES, RESULTS: INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION THAT ATTRACTS GLOBAL CAPITAL

Canada’s First Indigenous-Owned Major Metal Mine Seeking a Well-Capitalized Restart Plan

By Selkirk First Nation, Fiore Consultants, and Nations Royalty

SFN
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Day 2
12:00 PM
LUNCH

Proudly sponsored by NexGold Mining Corp.

Day 2
12:40 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 2
NEXGOLD MINING

A Gold Exploration and Development Company with Two Near-Term Projects in Ontario and Nova Scotia

Kevin Bullock, President, CEO & Director, NexGold Mining Corp.

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Day 2
1:00 PM
SPEAKER
STEPHEN LIDINGTON, COLLIERS PROJECT LEADERS

Indigenous-led Partnership & Investment Opportunities in Canada's Major Infrastructure Projects

Stephen Lidington, Vice-President, Colliers Project Leaders Inc.

Lidington, Stephen
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Day 2
1:15 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 3
MARGUERITE LAKE COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE & HYDROGEN HUB

The First Fully Permitted and Investment-Ready Utility-Scale CAES Facility in Canada

By PwC, Cold Lake First Nation, Cache Power Corporation and EllisDon

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EllisDon
Day 2
2:00 PM
Sponsored by INDIGENOUS GROWTH FUND (IGF)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - KIM BAIRD

From Treaty to Transformation: Unlocking Economic Power in First Nations Communities

 

Kim Baird, Former Chief of Tsawwassen First Nation, Investment Committee Member of Indigenous Growth Fund (IGF), Board Director of Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)

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Day 2
2:30 PM
NETWORKING BREAK & TRADE SHOWCASE
Day 2
2:45 PM
SPEAKER
ROBERT BRANT, McCARTHY TETRAULT

Global Capital Pathways for First Nations Projects 

Robert Brant, Partner, Co-head, Indigenous Projects & Transactions Group at McCarthy Tetrault

Robert
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Day 2
3:00 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 4
ACQUISITION & PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN CANADA'S GAMING INDUSTRY

New Opportunities for First Nations Investment in the Canadian Gaming Landscape

  • By Anthony Novac, President, Sonco Gaming Inc.
  • Robert Brant, Partner, Co-head, Indigenous Projects & Transactions Group at McCarthy Tetrault
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Day 2
3:30 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 5
ADVANCING PROSPERITY: Building Healthy & Wealthy Communities through Values-Aligned Partnerships and Capital

By Andrew Hungerford - Founder & Partner Seven Generations Capital and Hungerford Properties

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Day 2
4:00 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 6
PORT OF MARATHON

A critical deep-water port on Lake Superior’s northern shores seeking First Nations investment

By The Peninsula Harbour Port Authority Corporation, Town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation.

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Day 2
4:20 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 7
NORTH SHORE GAS PROJECT

Five municipal partners seeking First Nations partners to deliver natural gas (CNG) to northern communities. 

  • Daryl Skworchinski, CAO, North Shore Gas Project 
  • Jon Hall, CAO, Town of Terrace Bay
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TERRACEBAY
Day 2
4:40 PM
DAY 2: CLOSING REMARKS BY MC, MICHAEL FOX
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FNIF GALA RECEPTION WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER CHIEF CLARENCE LOUIE

Proudly hosted by First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC)

Gala Keynote Sponsor JAZZ Solar Solutions

Decor Sponsor Ki’Lala Events

Three-course Gala dinner

Emceed by Geena Jackson

Live Music by Shawn Bullshields, Singer & Guitarist

Cultural Performance by Sweetgrass 

Entertainment by Indigenous Comedian, Sasha Mark

FNMP
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FNMP
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DAY 3 - WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10
Day 3
8:00 AM

NETWORKING BREAKFAST

Day 3
8:30 AM
WELCOME TO DAY 3

Master of Ceremonies, Michael Fox, President & CEO of Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE)

Welcome and Drumming by Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh)

Michael-Fox
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Day 3
8:45 AM
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: TEARA FRASER

Teara Fraser, Aviator and Founder, Iskwew Air and elibird aero Canada’s first Indigenous woman to launch and scale-up an airline

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ISKWEWAIR
Day 3
9:15 AM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 8
CANDU ENERGY- AN ATKINS REALIS COMPANY

New Financing and Partnership Opportunities to Support First Nations' Investment and Ownership in Nuclear Energy.

By Carl Marcotte, Senior Vice-President, CANDU Marketing & Business Development.

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Day 3
9:25 AM
PANEL DISCUSSION
INDIGENOUS-LED CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS: UNLOCKING THE VALUE

This panel will bring together Indigenous leaders from three parts of the country who are evolving new types of funding structures and planning structures to invest in the next generation of clean-energy projects. 

  • Chief Joe Miskokomon, Chippewas of the Thames 
  • Ken Thomas, CEO, Pisim Power
  • Tristan Jackson, CEO, Nikutik LP, North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council
  • Derek Chum, VP of Strategy and Growth, ICE
  • Moderated by Carl Marcotte, Senior Vice-President, CANDU Marketing & Business Development.
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Day 3
10:00 AM
NETWORKING BREAK & TRADE SHOWCASE
Day 3
10:15 AM
EXPERT PANEL: UNLOCKING INDIGENOUS EQUITY sponsored by FNMPC
THE ROLE OF LOAN GUARANTEES IN TRANSFORMATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
  • Alena Thouin, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, Building Ontario Fund
  • Mark Podlasly, First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC)
  • Steven Kroeker, Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC)
  • Michael Bonshor, Vice President, Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation
  • Moderated Q&A by Derek Chum
Alena
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Day 3
10:50 AM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 9 - HYDRO ONE NETWORKS INC.
FROM PROJECTS TO PARTNERSHIPS: A $2 BILLION FRAMEWORK FOR INDIGENOUS ECONOMIC GROWTH

Mobilizing Capital and Equity Participation for First Nations

  • Matthew Jackson, VP, Indigenous Partnerships and Business Development, Hydro One Networks
  • Jason Batise, Executive Director, Wabun Tribal Council
  • Chief Jennifer Constant, Mattagami First Nation. 
  • Moderated by Tanya Corbet, Tsawwassen First Nation (former Councillor and current Board Chair of New Relationship Trust / VP at Sedgwick).
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Jason Batise, Executive Director, Wabun Tribal Council
Jennifer-Constant
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Day 3
11:20 AM
EXPERT PANEL PRESENTATION - BC HYDRO
IMPLEMENTING INDIGENOUS CO-OWNERSHIP ON MAJOR PROJECTS

A discussion about the challenges and best practices in successfully negotiating and implementing equity partnership agreements

  • Moderated by Patrick Tomlinson, Senior Program Manager, Indigenous Economics and Finance, BC Hydro
  • Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, Senior Vice President, Development Western Canada and Federal Government Affairs, Innergex Renewable Energy
  • Tim Philpotts, Partner, EY
  • Chad Norman Day, Thadu Consulting Corp.
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CHADNORMAN
Day 3
12:00 PM
LUNCH

Proudly sponsored by FirstLight

Day 3
1:00 PM
EXPERT PANEL sponsored by First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA)
ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR INDIGENOUS-LED PROJECTS
  • Jody Anderson, VP, Partnerships, Strategy & Public Affairs, First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA)
  • Booker Cornea, Vice President, Market and Stakeholder Engagement, First Nations Bank of Canada
  • Frank Richter, Managing Director, Indigenous Growth Fund
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Day 3
1:40 PM
SPEAKER
INVESTING IN DIGITILIZATION & AI OPPORTUNITIES

Ian Lane, Executive Director, Northern Ontario Angels

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Day 3
1:45 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 10
SYMX.AI

Technology as a Partner in Nation Building: Digital Infrastructure & AI Investment Opportunities

By Kirk Petroski - Founder and Executive Chairman , SYMX.AI (formerly Symboticware)

Kirk Headshot
Day 3
2:05 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 11
CYBERCLOUD - AI

Reclaiming Digital Sovereignty: Indigenous-Owned AI & Clean Energy Data Center 

  • Dr. Teena Starlight (Tsuut’ina Nation), Co-Founder, CyberCloud-AI  & Knowledge Keeper
  • Daniel Mistaken Chief (Kainai Nation), Indigenous Leader | Co-Founder, Indigenous Newcomer Education
  • Josephine Naicker (Aakai naama ’ahkaki– “Many Coupes Woman”) Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, CyberCloud AI
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Day 3
2:25 PM
INVESTMENT PRESENTATION 12
TRYCYCLE DATA SYSTEMS

Investing in digital health: The arrival of unprecedented standardized data and its impact on Indigenous Health.

  • Brett Merriman - Chief Executive Officer, TryCycle Data Systems
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Day 3
2:40 PM
EXPERT PANEL:
NEXT GENERATION KNOWLEDGE-BASED ENABLERS: INVESTING IN DIGITALIZATION AND AI
  • Kirk Petroski - Founder and Executive Chairman , SYMX.AI
  • Josephine Naicker (Aakai naama ’ahkaki– “Many Coupes Woman”) Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, CyberCloud AI
  • Brett Merriman, CEO, TryCycle Data Systems
  • Moderated by Ian Lane, Executive Director, Northern Ontario Angels
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Day 3
3:00 PM
NETWORKING BREAK & TRADE SHOWCASE
Day 3
3:15 PM
FIRESIDE CHAT
CORPORATE ADVANTAGE THROUGH INDIGENIZATION
  • Scott Patles-Richardson, Founder & Senior Advisor, Indigenous Financial Solutions (IFS)
  • Devon Krainer, Principal, Raven Indigenous Capital Partners
  • Moderated by Alex Bishop, Managing Partner, Concierge Group
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Day 3
3:45 PM
SPEAKER
MONIKA BEAR ROBE, MNP

(RE)Building Our Economies - Economic Development & Wealth Creation

Monika Bear Robe, Partner, Indigenous Equity Opportunities, MNP 

Monika
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Day 3
4:15 PM
DAY 3: CLOSING REMARKS BY MC, MICHAEL FOX
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