Ontario Economic Leadership Summit 2005: Partners in Prosperity

Imagine some of the brightest, most successful and innovative leaders in Ontario together in one room. Leaders representing business, labour, government and academia. Now imagine these diverse individuals, putting aside any differences and uniting with the common goal of increasing economic prosperity for the people of Ontario. 

What you are imagining is now a reality and the vision that inspired the creation of the Ontario Economic Summit (OES). Created in 2004, the OES is best summarized as a powerful partnership for advancing economic growth and prosperity. The annual Ontario Economic Leadership Summit (OELS) is the unique event that brings these leaders together, as partners, to build prosperity through leadership innovation and collaboration. 

During the Summit, this diverse group of leaders devotes its considerable energy and collective experience to identifying and addressing strategic economic priorities. Participants create and take ownership of their ideas at the Leadership Summit, and then work with the OES to implement the key priorities throughout the year. 

At this one, distinctive, annual Summit you may learn about competing successfully in the global marketplace from GE Canada President and CEO Elyse Allan. You might also enjoy breakfast and the opportunity to speak informally with a provincial cabinet minister. Or, you could exchange ideas with young social entrepreneurs and Nobel-Prize nominees Marc and Craig Kielburger.

The Leadership Summit provides an environment conducive to collaboration and growing great ideas for economic strength and prosperity. Change happens here, as it does with the OES Working Groups and staff striving year round between Summits. Translating participant views and visions into concrete plans to expand and maintain a thriving economy.

Project yourself into the October 2005 Summit at Queen’s Landing Inn, one of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s premier destinations. Here in this complex of ballrooms, atriums and meeting rooms, you are immersed in open dialogue and debate. You leave after two days of forums, panel discussions and breakout sessions poised for action, the Summit’s most operative word.

This exploration of new concepts and possibilities generates an energy that will carry participants through busy days of interactive discussions. These discussions put you in touch with many of the country’s best minds.

You get a better sense of controversial journalist Peter C. Newman as a keynote speaker. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty conducts a fireside chat directly before your seat at the Summit. Dean Roger Martin of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management leads you into an informative session on how to unleash commercialization capability.

Frank McKenna, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. and former Premier of New Brunswick, said it succinctly as the 2005 closing keynote speaker: “We have to move forward on the world stage and this is a room full of people who can do just that.”