Media Advisory - Big-name "Ontario 2020" conference charts the future of the
province

TORONTO, Feb. 25 /CNW/ - Delegates from unions, business, government, and community agencies meet in Toronto next week for two days of discussion on what Ontario could look like in 2020.

Ontario 2020: Shaping Our Future Together will take place at the Sheraton Centre Toronto March 4-5. Steering committee members include Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan; Ontario Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Len Crispino; United Way of Toronto President & CEO Frances Lankin; CAW President Ken Lewenza; Toronto Community Housing Corporation CEO Keiko Nakamura; music entrepreneur Farley Flex; Ontario Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne; Paul Juniper, Director of the Industrial Relations Centre at Queen's University; and Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

"To my knowledge no one has ever brought together business, labour, government, and community agencies for an in-depth exploration of possible futures for Ontario," said OPSEU's Thomas, who initiated the conference. "Our goal is to look past the immediate issues of the day so we can better understand the choices before us and the consequences - for all of us - of choosing one path over another.

"We're looking forward to some electrifying discussions that I know will get a tremendous boost from our high-voltage guest speakers," said Thomas. Featured speakers include:

    
    -   On March 4: Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management,
        University of Toronto; Thomas Homer-Dixon, Chair of Global Systems at
        the Balsillie School of International Affairs, University of
        Waterloo; Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, former United
        Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and current Chair of
        Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative.

    -   On March 5: Justin Trudeau, MP, Papineau; Chris Charlton, MP,
        Hamilton Mountain; and The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of
        State responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for
        Southern Ontario.
    

More than 200 conference participants will explore alternate scenarios of the future of Ontario's economy, communities, health care, and education. The scenario sessions will be facilitated by Arden Brummell of Scenarios to Strategy, Inc. and Marc Zwelling of Vector Research.

For the conference agenda, an overview of the scenarios, and steering committee bios, visit www.ontario2020conference.ca.

For further information: Randy Robinson, [phone] (cell); Emily Visser, [phone] (cell)