Both New Brunswick and McInnes Cooper had their time in the spotlight at this month’s Coast and Cocktail events in Toronto. Fredericton and Moncton shared their stories of why they were selected for the World’s Top Seven Most Intelligent communities while McInness Cooper offered an engaging “lunch and learn,” uniting lawyers from Atlantic Canada and Toronto.

Intelligent Province – Intelligent Cities

On Thursday November 5, ECC members and their guests gathered at the Toronto Board of Trade to find out “What makes an intelligent community?” As the crowd gathered, municipal and provincial leaders from New Brunswick mingled along with a representative from the Intelligent Community Forum.

From left to right: Ben Champoux, Greg Lam, Don Fitzgerald, Robert Bell, Jay Dingwall, The Honourable Victor Boudreau, Megan Hooper. Photo credit: Anne-Marie Jackson.

To kick off the event, the Honourable Victor Boudreau, Minister of Business for New Brunswick introduced the guest speakers and highlighted the province’s knack for being business- and tech-savvy. In his speech, Minister Boudreau emphasized that embracing the broadband economy and the recent purchase of NB Power all added to current and future economic success for the province.

Ben Champoux, Business Development Specialist for the City of Moncton presented the winning entry video along with reasons why Moncton was able to make it into the top seven. For Moncton it was a case of do or die. In the late eighties, the city’s largest industry, the CN railway line, was shut down and as a result the city made a proactive decision to invest in telecommunications. By the mid nineties, the municipality had recognized the potential of the internet and is now known as one of Canada’s communications hubs.

Don Fitzgerald, Executive Director Special Initiatives for the City of Fredericton presented their winning entry video and his rationale behind Fredericton’s ability to adapt to the changing technological landscape. The key to Fredericton’s success has been centered around the decision that intellectual infrastructure should be accessible by all Frederictonians. By joining forces with the University and other leading organizations in the city, a free Wi-Fi network was established, creating an exponential rise in entrepreneurship. Mr. Fitzgerald stressed that Fredericton has the commitment and drive to continue their achievements as they face new challenges in the decades to come.

As a special keynote, Robert Bell, co-founder of the Intelligent Community Forum, presented the formula for success that brought these New Brunswick communities into the international spotlight. According to Mr. Bell, a city does not need to be massive, flashy or trendy to be considered intelligent. The key ingredients are a broadband network available for all, which increases the knowledge workforce and cultivates innovation. Add advocacy and marketing and you’ve got a winning combination that might get your community in the top seven.

Coast and Cocktails with McInnes Cooper

The Atlantic Canadian and Toronto legal communities gathered at the Red Tomato on Friday November 13 to rub elbows with McInnes Cooper’s rising stars and members of the Technology and Intellectual Property Group. The “lunch and learn” session featured discussions from Lexpert Rising Star recipient David Fraser and registered patent agent Nick Whalen.

From left to right: Ian Finley, Nick Whalen, Brad Proctor, David Fraser, Rob Cowan, Eslpeth Williams, Jay Dingwall, and Greg Lam. Photo credit: Andrew Spearin.

In-house counsel and those from other fields in the legal profession enjoyed networking with old and new faces as well as the fantastic fare prepared by the Red Tomato. The achievements of Mr. Fraser and Mr. Whalen highlighted the firm’s progress and innovation as they celebrate their 150th anniversary.