The 2012 Summit is presented by our Diamond Sponsors:
 
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Don't wait!
Rooms are filling up, so book now!
Delta Bessborough
601 Spadina Crescent East Saskatoon, SK S7K 3G8 
Sheraton Cavalier 612 Spadina Crescent East Saskatoon, SK S7K 3G9 306-652-6770 |
PNWER
thanks our
generous 2012 sponsors:
- AltaLink
- Adventure Destinations International
- The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC)
- The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA)
- Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS)
- ASET
- BHP Billiton
- Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
- CN - Transportation Services
- Council for Biotechnology Information
- Cenovus Energy
- CropLife Canada
- Capital Power
- Canadian Animal Health Coalition
- The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC)
- Devon Energy
- EVRAZ
- Enbridge Inc.
- Fortis BC
- Global Transportation Hub
- Husky Energy
- Innovation Place
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation
- MNP Corporation
- Northland Power
- PwC
- West Wind Aviation
- Weyerhaeuser
- Verizon
Give your company the reach of a bi-national leader in the region. For more information PNWER 2012 Sponsorships, please visit our supporters page
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Getting There:
Traveling to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Even if this is your first visit to Saskatoon, getting here is easy if you plan ahead. Save yourself the headache and book your flight now.
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PNWER
Founded in Seattle in 1991, Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) is the only statutory, non-partisan, bi-national, public/private partnership in North America. PNWER is the forum for collaborative bi-national planning involving both the public and private sectors and offers leadership at the state/provincial level in Salem, Olympia, Boise, Helena, Juneau, Edmonton, Regina, Victoria, Yellowknife and Whitehorse, and at the national level in Washington, DC and Ottawa.
PNWER facilitates working groups consisting of public and private leaders to address specific issues impacting our regional economy. Each working group produces an action plan based on regional input.
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Discussions on U.S.-Canadian
travel, trade and security continue
at 2012 Annual Summit
Getting tough on terrorism, while making it easier for legitimate travelers and businesses to cross between the U.S. and Canada - t he bi-national Beyond the Border Perimeter
Security Action Plan has made a big impact since it was released in December, 2011 by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
PNWER will highlight Beyond the Border and its affiliated plan, the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council, at our 2012 Annual Summit July 15-19 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Sessions addressing the joint action plan include:
Border Issues
9:30 - 11:45 a.m., Monday, July 16
Chaired by Dr. Don Alper, Director, Border Policy Research Institute
"Vision of a 21st century border - why the Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plans Matter." Featuring Hon. Rob Merrifield, MP, chairman of the International Trade Committee.
Agriculture
2:30 - 5:00 p.m., Monday, July 16
Co-chaired by Russ Hendricks, Government Affairs, Idaho Farm Bureau and Alanna Koch, Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture
This will kick-off at the breakfast, featuring keynote speaker, the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (pictured, left), and the session will feature George Da Pont, president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Agenda items include the importance of the Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plan initiatives and the role of the CFIA, specifically in the following areas:
- Food safety
- Mutual reliance of food testing results
- Crop protection products
The agriculture working group will hear about progress made by the RCC leads (U.S. and Canada) for each topic and offer further stakeholder feedback on the path forward.
Cross-Border Livestock Health Conference 
9:30 -11:45 a.m., Tuesday, July 17
Co-chaired by Dr. Robert Gerlach, Alaska State Veterinarian and Mr. Robert Harding, Executive Director, Canadian Swine Health Board
More than 75 state and provincial veterinarians, federal government veterinarians, animal health representatives, industry representatives, legislators and elected officials from both Canada and the United States attend this important meeting.
This year, the conference will feature RCC Working Groups: Veterinary Drugs, Zoning for Foreign Animal Disease, Meat and Poultry Products, Electronic Certification Requirements, Submission Harmonization and an opportunity to provide stakeholder feedback.
Disaster Resilience
1:30- 5p.m., Tuesday, July 17
Chaired by Rep. Deb Boone, Oregon
Our regional economy is highly interdependent and rests on the assurance of our critical services. Disruptions to supply chains could have devastating economic consequences across the region and beyond. This session will explore strategies for improving regional supply-chain resilience in the context of the Beyond the Border Action Plan and will explore what needs to be done to develop a bi-national business resumption strategy.
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper launched Beyond the Border and the Regulatory Cooperation Council, composed of senior regulatory, trade, and foreign affairs officials, in December 2011. In recognition of the two nation's $1 trillion annual trade and investment relationship, the RCC has a two-year mandate to work together to promote economic growth, job creation, and benefits to our consumers and businesses through increased regulatory transparency and coordination.
For more information on these and other sessions, go to the 2012 PNWER Summit's website.
Register Now to Save Up to $100
on the PNWER Annual Summit Register by April 30 to save up to $100 on the cost of attending the PNWER 2012 Annual Summit July 15-19 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (prices currently listed on website reflect the discounted amount).  At the Summit, you will join more than 600 key business leaders, legislators, and government leaders from PNWER's ten states, provinces, and territories. We will work together to address major policy issues impacting the region.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Agreement would make it easier to cross the border via train or ferry
Fifteen to 20 minutes - that's how much time travelers could cut down on their train trip or ferry ride thanks to a new agreement between the U.S. and Canada.
To make this vision a reality, and to discuss the progress of the Beyond Border Action Plan, PNWER staffers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and transportation officials convened for a roundtable discussion April 16 at the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver, British Columbia. The attendees included representatives from Amtrak, Washington Department of Transportation, and Victoria Clipper. The pre-clearance agreement would expedite the travel time between the U.S. and Canada more easily via train or ferry, because there would be no need to stop for a lengthy customs inspection.
The meeting was an opportunity for stakeholders to present customs officials with their comments or concerns directly. Additionally, PNWER staff recently attended the spring meeting for the Canada-U.S. Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG), which included two intensive days of presentations and workshops focused on the Beyond the Border Action Plan. The working group brought together regional stakeholders from throughout the U.S. and Canada border communities, including officials from Ottawa and Washington, D.C. The work group heard from speakers such as Paula Hammond, Washington State Secretary of Transportation, as well as representatives from Transport Canada and the US Department of Transportation, among others. CBSA and CBP were also represented, along with the Department of Homeland Security.  The agenda featured in-depth discussion on topics such as the Single Window Initiative, infrastructure investment plans, implementing new security measures, examples of Canada-U.S. collaboration and public-private partnerships models; as well as case studies at various border crossings. The TBWG meeting was a useful update on progress being made within the Beyond the Border Action Plan. |
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