Canada-Latin American Relations: Opportunities and Challenges

The CIC Vancouver Branch held a one-day Forum on May 26, 2011 at Simon Fraser University’s Wosk Centre for Dialogue. The Forum brought together a range of experts to discuss relations, actual and potential, between Canada and a rapidly developing Latin America. Special emphasis was placed on our two biggest trading partners: Brazil and Mexico. While the Forum focused on our respective economic challenges, other important issues were addressed — all against a background of historic two-way trade and investment in minerals, energy and information technology, as well as tourism, education and culture.

Introduction: Valerie Shapiro, President, CIC Vancouver

Keynote Speech: Hon. Diane Ablonczy
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs)

Panel 1: Canada and Latin America: Current Status

Moderator: Jonathan Manthorpe, international affairs columnist, The Vancouver Sun

“Why Canadians Should Care About Latin America”
Alex Dawson, Director, Latin American Studies Program, SFU

“Democratic Development: Deepening, Diversifying, or Derailing?”
Maxwell A. Cameron, Professor, Dept. of Political Science and Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions,
University of British Columbia

“FIPAs and FTAs with Latin America: Serving Canadian Interests?”
J. Cameron Mowatt, partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
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Discussant: Neil Reeder, Director General Latin America and Caribbean Relations, DFAIT.

Panel 2: Resources and Related Industries

Moderator: Doug Horswill, Senior VP, Sustainability & External Affairs, Teck Resources Limited

“Opportunities and Challenges for Mining Investment in Latin America”
Chuck Jeannes, President & CEO, Goldcorp Inc.
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“The Canadian Chemical Industry in Latin America: Regional Partnership for Global Growth”
John Floren, Senior VP, Global Marketing and Logistics, Methanex Corporation
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“Providing Engineering Services to the Latin American Mining Sector”
Greg Oryall, VP Business Development & Strategy, AMEC
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“Growing Service Excellence in South America”
Tom Merinsky, VP & Treasurer, Finning International

Panel 3: Industry, Trade and Finance

Moderator: Guillermo Rishchynski, Ambassador of Canada to Mexico

“Latin America – Canada Trade: Friends, Partners, Competitors, or ‘It’s Complicated’”
Agustin Barrios Gomez, Director, Canada-Mexico Initiative (CMI), Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)

“Building the Puzzle — The Energy Geopolitics of the Americas”
Annette Hester, Senior Fellow, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Calgary

“Banking in Latin America: Aftermath of the Global Banking Crisis”
Juan Ubeda, Senior Manager, Trade Finance Global Transaction Banking, Scotiabank Canada

Lunch Speaker: “Latin America: New Trends in Socio-Economic Development”
Sergio Abreu e Lima Florencio, Consul General of Brazil

Panel 4: Services: Education, Tourism and Transportation

Moderator: Andre Nudelman, Chair, Canadian Council for The Americas BC

“Post-Secondary Education in Latin America, Emerging – or Missed – Opportunities for Canada”
Jeremy Hall, Professor, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser U.
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“Facilitating Trade — the Role of the Port”
Scott Galloway, Director of Trade Development, Port Metro Vancouver

“Tourism Opportunities between Canada and Latin America”
Siobban Chrétien, Regional Managing Director, Canadian Tourism Commission
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Panel 5: Doing Business in Latin America: Risks and Rewards

Moderator: Marina Jimenez, Editorial Board, The Globe and Mail

“Latin America’s Political and Economic Shifts and What that Means for Business”
Jason Marczak, Director of Policy, Americas Society and Council of the Americas

“(In)security in Latin America: Three Policy Options”
Pablo Policzer, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Latin American Politics, University of Calgary

“The Inter-American Development Bank and Canada:
Rewards, Risks and Mitigants in Developing Extractive Resources”
Abraham Fox, Structured and Corporate Finance, IDB Washington
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“Corporate social responsibility (CSR) Challenges and Opportunities
for Canadian Companies in America”
Stephanie Garrett, Senior CSR Advisor, Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR)
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Conclusions and Reflections
Louise Fréchette, former Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Distinguished Fellow,
Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Waterloo
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Message of thanks and farewell
Gordon Longmuir, Vice President, CIC Vancouver