![Northern-Mayors-Minister-Gravelle-April-10-2014 Mayors from Kenora's Dave Canfield, to Timmins and Sudbury were the guests of Thunder Bay for meetings this week.](https://www.netnewsledger.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Northern-Mayors-Minister-Gravelle-April-10-2014.jpg)
![Mayors from Kenora's Dave Canfield, to Timmins and Sudbury were the guests of Thunder Bay for meetings this week.](https://www.netnewsledger.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Northern-Mayors-Minister-Gravelle-April-10-2014.jpg)
THUNDER BAY – A first ever State of Northern Ontario Summit will be hosted in Toronto on April 2 2015.
On April 2, The Empire Club of Canada will be hosting six distinguished leaders from Northern Ontario’s business, government, and First Nations communities to discuss economic opportunities in the North, the barriers to achieving them, and how to overcome them.
The scheduled panelists are:
- GERARD PANNETON. Founder and former CEO, Detour Gold
- DAVE CANFIELD, Mayor of Kenora, President, Northern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA)
- AL SPACEK, Mayor of Kapuskasing, President, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM)
- LAWRENCE MARTIN, Grand Chief, Mushkegowuk Council, (Attawapiskat First Nation, Chapleau Cree, Fort Albany First Nation, Kashechewan First Nation, Missanabie Cree, Moose Cree First Nation, Taykwa Tagamou First Nation), and Weenusk First Nation)
- JAMIE LIM, President & CEO, Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA)
- JOELLE FAULKNER, President, AreaOne Farms
Empire Club President-Elect, Ted Griffith, will moderate the panel.
Also scheduled to attend as a Head Table guest is Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development and Mines, and Regional Minister for the North, the Honourable MICHAEL GRAVELLE. Other elected and non-elected government officials from Northern Ontario communities such as Cochrane will also be attending.