March 12 and 13, the Eeyou Economic Group in collaboration with the Chibougamau Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an entrepreneurial symposium, “Towards the Development of Sustainable Partnerships in Northern Quebec,” in Chibougamau.
Also on the event’s steering committee are the Chibougamau Eenou Friendship Centre and the Northern Entrepreneurship Centre. They are supported by an array of partners, including the Quebec’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, the Cree Regional Round Table on Social Economy, and Hydro Quebec, along with numerous private companies and also the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ Nord-du-Quebec.
The event is set up as a Cree, Inuit and Jamesien networking opportunity, “to encourage constructive discussion on a shared vision of partnerships in [the Northern region],” and promises a series of presentations on “the potential and viability of doing business regionally between all Northern Quebec entrepreneurs for projects, big or small.”
To achieve its goals, the symposium has scheduled discussions on Cree Entrepreneurial Customs and Traditions (by Eeyou Economic Group President Sidney Orr and Eeyou Business Solutions’ Jonathan Saganash), Inuit Entrepreneurial Customs and Traditions, and Jamesian Entrepreneurial Customs and Traditions (by James Bay Development Group Assistant Director Alain Coulombe). These seminars underline the symposium’s goal of introducing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants to each other’s cultures in the hope of cultivating respect and understanding for fruitful future dealings.
As well, there will be a panel discussion about “Sustainable Partnerships,” featuring representatives from Hydro-Québec, the Cree Construction and Development Corporation, and two Jamesian organizations, plus more targeted discussions of such issues as networking and joint venture development.
