ICCC NEWSMontreal

Newsletter of the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce (Montreal Chapter), Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013Please follow the chamber on LinkedIn and Twitter@ICCC_MTTwitter@ICCC_MTLTwitter@ICCC_MTLTwitter@ICCC_MT

President’s Message

Contents

cont. p. 2

• ‘Jump Into Ireland’ vacation experience comes to Montreal ........ p.3• ICCC’a Christmas reception: Tuesday, December 3, 2013 ........... p.5• Spotlight on new members (individual and corpoate .......... pp. 6 & 7• Third IIII evening doles out immigration advice .......................... p.7• Canada’s international merchandise trade ..................................... p.7• Annual Irish community pub quiz another successful evening .. p.10• Ireland - Canada mergers and acquisitions .................................. p.10

cont. p. 4

As spring is almost upon us, it is timely to recount chamber activities

and events since our last newsletter.

We welcome Denis DeGrace, an international tax partner in Deloitte to the chamber board. He will head up our newly formed trade committee, which will establish itself as the “go-to” resource for trade and commerce to and from Ireland. We have many great resources in the chamber for business with Ireland and for helping Irish companies and people. This committee will help to consolidate these resources in a knowledge-based reference group.

It is equally a great pleasure to welcome Ken Anderson as the chamber’s new treasurer. Ken is vice-president fi nance and treasurer of Intact Financial Corporation, a name we all recognize from our home and vehicle insurance policies.

A special thanks to David O’Neill, our past treasurer, who will now concentrate his volunteer time with the chamber in helping launch the trade committee. David brought our PayPal facility on-line and moved our accounting system

St. Patrick’s Day is an opportunity for all of us with Irish heritage to

celebrate and take pride in our Irishness. All across Canada, numerous St. Patrick’s Day activities take place each year, including of course in Montreal, which has such a strong tradition of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and events. The hard work put in by community groups and individuals who organise parades, lunches and a multitude of other events at this time is truly to be commended. As Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Higgins wrote in his St. Patrick’s Day message this year, “Today we remember especially our Irish community abroad. We are richer for their stories and experiences and are grateful for their continued connection and contribution to the country so many of them still call ‘home’.”

St. Patrick’s Day also offers us a unique opportunity to promote Ireland here in Canada and across the world. This year, 19 Irish government ministers

By Hilary Reilly

travelled to 21 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. They participated in over 150 business related events and over 30 high level bilateral meetings abroad, along with cultural, networking and Irish community events, as they engaged in a series of trade, investment and tourism-focused programmes.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny, on a stopover on his return from the west coast of the USA met with representatives of the Edmonton chapter of the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce and Ireland’s Honorary Consul, Doodie Cahill, in the Albertan capital.

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Mr Jimmy Deenihan T.D. visited Toronto between March 14-18. He participated in and reviewed the Toronto parade and attended other St. Patrick’s Day related events, including the Grand Marshal’s Ball, and the mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral. The Minister

Promoting Ireland abroad on

St Patrick’s Day

ICCC Montreal Board of Directors

2 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013

President Vivian Doyle-Kelly

(President, Eco-Watt Inc.)

Tom Brady(Heenan Blaikie)

Mark Gallagher (TCI Renewables)

Ruth Hanna(SEMAFO)

Jim Kellett(MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier Inc.)

David O’Neill(BNC)

Michelle Vahey(SAP Labs Canada)

Vice-PresidentVice-PresidentVice-Stephen Fogarty

(Fogarty Law Firm)

TreasurerKenneth (Ken) Anderson

(Intact Financial Corporation)

Immediate Past-PresidentPaul Loftus

(Paul Loftus and Associates Inc.)

Representative in IrelandDiana James

(Hodgson Sugar (Canada) Ltd.)

President (cont.)

to the “cloud” allowing us real-time access to process transactions at events. Both initiatives reduce administrative tasks and allow the volunteers involved to contribute their time at a higher value-added level to the mission of the chamber.

We welcome two new corporate members: National Bank (again thanks to David O’Neill, a business development manager with the bank) and Fasken Martineau through Tom Copeland, a tax partner with the fi rm. The other representative of Fasken Martineau is Peter Kirby, a founder of the chamber.

We held our annual Christmas Reception in the Westin Hotel on St-Antoine for the first time on December 13. This event is always a highlight of our year, and the hospitality afforded to us by the Westin was appreciated so much that we have already booked for December 3, 2013 – save the date. Congratulations to Stephen Fogarty and Christine Clarke for organizing a wonderful evening. Our heartfelt thanks also to our sponsors: Aer Rianta, BGL Brokerage, and Enterprise Ireland without whose generous support we would not be able to host such a great event.

In January, we held our annual Visit Ireland evening in partnership with Tourism Ireland and thanks to Jayne Shackleford for coming to Montreal to make a spirited presentation on “The Gathering – Ireland 2013”. Michelle Vahey also presented a compelling case for visiting Galway. A measure of the success of the evening was that for the fi rst time we had articles written by on-line media francophone journalists. The Montreal-Irish community frequently refers to the deep Irish roots of the francophone population, and it was an opportune time to re-enforce that message in the francophone media.

In February, we held our annual Irish Community Pub Quiz for the Brian McKeown trophy. Contestants enjoyed the usual vigorous competition, competing for prizes donated by Diageo, Hurley’s Pub, the ICCC, the MIRFC and signed copies of their work by two of our published authors, Catherine Larose and Peter Kirby. This quiz was Casey Ryan’s last stand as quizmaster after many years, and we thank Casey for challenging us and teaching us many obscure trivia!

We also participated in and supported the St. Patrick’s Society Irish Immigrant

Integration Initiative evening in February. This initiative is in full support of the Irish Canadian Immigrant Centre, an Irish Government project to help Irish immigrants settle into Canada. David O`Neill did not attend the IIII evening as he was busy integrating his own family initiative. David and his wife Nathalie had welcomed their baby daughter, Charlie, to the world the previous week.

In March, we rested. More accurately, most of us rested. Michelle Vahey organized our participation in Irish community events by arranging tables for ICCC members at the St. Patrick’s Lunch and the Irishman of the Year breakfast. We wish Michelle and her husband Dennis every happiness with their new son, Dylan, who was born on March 29.

With regard to our corporate governance, we will hold a Special General Meeting to vote on new By-Laws on April 25. The draft By-Laws, as requested by the membership at last year’s Annual Meeting, have been circulated to members. Your board enacted the draft By-Laws at its January meeting and recommended them to the membership at the upcoming Special Meeting. I encourage all members to participate in the decision either by attending personally or by using your proxy vote to support the board’s recommendation. Please note that only paid-up members will be able to vote. As this meeting falls on the last Thursday of April, an effi cient meeting would allow us to adjourn to The Irish Embassy Pub to enjoy our usual last-Thursday-of-the-month Craic & Comhrá networking evening.

I look forward to seeing you at our next events, the Summer Pub Quiz on May 9 and our AGM and Annual Summer “Get-together” on June 12. There is a possibility of a visit to Montreal by the Irish Minister of Transport, Tourism and

cont. p. 3

ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013 3

Tourism Ireland and a selection

of seven Irish and t w o C a n a d i a n travel partners took Mont rea l on the adventure of a lifetime at their recent ‘Jump Into Ireland’ road show event, which took place in the Loft Hotel Espace Cormier on March 12.

Attended by ICCC pres ident Vivian D o y l e - K e l l y alongside over 130 C a n a d i a n t r a v e l agents, operators, airlines and local media - guests discovered that a visit to Ireland is a feet-first ‘Jump In’ experience. Tourism Ireland’s tagline ‘Jump Into Ireland’ describes the joyful immersion that comes with a trip to Ireland, a sense of uplifting joy as you take part in uniquely Irish iconic experiences, creating memories that will endure for a lifetime.

A key message for attendees was the invitation to The Gathering Ireland 2013. Whether you are Irish-born, Irish-bred or Irish in spirit, you are invited to help celebrate The Gathering throughout 2013 with over 3,000 festivals and events getting underway in towns, villages and cities nationwide. This year’s highlights also include the Derry-Londonderry, UK City of Culture 2013 celebrations, with a plethora of unmissable events encompassing the world famous Fleadh Cheoil and the Turner Prize announcement; and the spectacle of the World Police and Fire Games that come to Belfast this August.

Guests at the ‘Jump into Ireland’ were treated to a spectacular evening of Irish music, theatre and culinary adventure as attending tourism providers were taken on a mythical journey around the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland was delighted to be joined by some of Ireland’s premier tourism partners including - Adams & Butler Driver Guides; The Causeway Coast and Glens; Manor House Hotels and Irish Country

‘Jump Into Ireland’ vacation experience comes to Montreal

By Tanya WarrenTourism Ireland

Hotels; Irishtourism.com; Harvey’s Point Country Hotel; The River Lee Hotel; Golf Vacations Ireland; Trafalgar Tours and Transat Holidays.

The event traveled to Ottawa’s Museum of Nature on March 13, where a similarly successful evening of sharing information and entertainment took place.

Speaking about the Jump Into Ireland events, Jayne Shackleford, Manager Tourism Ireland Canada said, “Tourism Ireland is excited to bring our ‘Jump Into Ireland’ showcase to Montreal and Ottawa giving tourism providers in these cities the chance to experience the joy that comes from exploring Ireland. Our trade partners carry with them an important message about the unique nature of a trip to Ireland and particularly about the great value that is on offer in 2013 – the year of The Gathering.”

For further information about visiting Ireland, go to www.ireland.com

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President (cont.)

Sport in May, and we may organize an event surrounding his visit if it comes to pass. We also look forward to welcoming four students from UCC at the end of April who are visiting Montreal to compete in the International Graduate Competition and HEC Business School. More on these events as they evolve.

Finally, many thanks, as always, to the volunteers without whose tireless commitments and efforts this Chamber could not exist.

Vivian Doyle-Kelly

Centre: Jayne Shackleford, Tourism Ireland, supported by Irish and Canadian travel partners

Irish university students competing in Montreal business competition:

top postgraduate talent to represent Ireland

Five postgraduate students from the University College Cork will be

representing Ireland in the International Graduate Competition at HEC Business School Montreal this April. The Irish University was one of only eight schools selected globally to compete. This highly selective field includes teams from Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the USA.

The team from University College Cork will be the fi rst-ever Irish team in this competition. Team members will work through four interrelated business cases to ident i fy and address issues involving international entrepreneurship, marketing, human

4 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013

undertook a number of business-focused engagements with Canadian and Irish interlocutors, which included speaking at a business breakfast organised by Enterprise Ireland and the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, and meeting with senior banking and other business representatives. The Minister also participated in a promotional event organised by the Irish Dairy Board.

The Minister also held meetings with a large number of Irish community organisations in the Toronto area, and visited the Irish Centres in Hamilton and Brampton. He also visited and turned the Niagara Falls green as part of Tourism Ireland’s global greening initiative and promoted The Gathering and visiting Ireland, on CBC News Now as well as on other media outlets. The Minister also met with the mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford and held meetings with Toronto Heritage officials and with representatives of the department of Celtic Studies at the University of

Toronto, as well as viewing Famine sites in Toronto. In all, the Minister had over 24 meetings, events and speaking engagements during his brief visit to Toronto.

The message from Ireland on the economic front was, and continues to be, positive. After a decade in defi cit, our balance of payments is now in surplus. We expect to see our third straight year of GDP growth in 2013. We are poised to return to the bond markets on a sustainable basis. Last year was the best in a decade for net job creation from inward investment. We are steadily reducing our public deficit, and are on course to meet our target deficit (of less than 3 percent) by 2015. This year, we intend to be the fi rst EU/IMF programme country in the Eurozone to make a sustained return to the sovereign bond markets.

The progress is the result of collective national determination and sacrifi ce.

Hilary Reilly is the Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of IrelandSuite 1105, 130 Albert StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5G4Email: Hilary.Reilly@dfa.ieTel.: 1-613-233-0528Fax: 1-613-233-5835

Promoting Ireland (cont.)

Hard challenges remain, in Ireland and in Europe, above all in bringing down the numbers of unemployed and in spurring stronger growth. But, we are on the right track.

In addition to the ministerial visit to Toronto, the Ambassador and other Embassy colleagues participated in and spoke at a large number of events around the St. Patrick’s Day period in a number of cities. It is truly not a day, but a month (even two) of events. And it represents a unique and wonderful opportunity that no other country has, to promote Ireland, our culture and heritage, as well as trade, tourism and investment activities.

resources, and fi nances. Fortunately, the team from Ireland bring a diverse range of experience and backgrounds to the competition.

Ireland’s team for HEC’s International Graduate Competition represents some of the island of Ireland’s top postgraduate talent.

Timothy Crowley, from Ballincollig, Co. Cork, is currently studying for an M.A. in Economics. Mr. Crowley serves as a Teaching Assistant for the Economics Department and was previously Vice-Captain of the university’s Boxing Club. Mr. Crowley has developed an interest in consultancy work as he has delivered

projects for multinational companies, government bodies, and development boards.

Kevin McDermott, from Lifford, Co. Donegal, is a M.Sc. student in Innovation, Commercialisation, and Entrepreneurship. Mr. McDermott has a keen interest in aviation, human resources, and the sports/leisure industries.

Stephen O’Donoghue hails from Dunmanway, Co. Cork and also studies in the M.Sc. programme in Innovation, Commercialisation, and Entrepreneurship. He holds a First Class

cont. p.5

By Thomas Tobin

ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013 5

regard are welcome to contact me at iccc@fogartylaw.ca

Those present at our 2012 reception had the chance to win terrifi c door prizes provided by the Irish Embassy Pub & Grill, 1234 Bishop Street; Bâton Rouge Restaurant, 3839 Boul St-Jean in D.D.O.; Madison’s New York Grill & Bar, 3000 Jean-Yves, Kirkland; the Kennedy Celtic Boutique, 4 de Lourdes, Pointe-Claire; and, last but not least, founding Chamber President Peter Kirby who kindly donated an autographed copy of his published detective novel, The Dead of Winter.

The ICCC Montreal branch will be kicking off the 2013 holiday season

this year by holding our Christmas reception on Tuesday, December 3, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The chamber chose an earlier date in December and changed to a Tuesday evening for 2013 to reduce schedule confl icts with offi ce parties and similar events.

The ICCC Christmas reception venue again will be the elegant Reporter lounge of the Westin Hotel, located at 270 St-Antoine Street West, just across the street from the Palais des Congrès (convention centre) in Old Montreal.

Close to 50 persons attended last year, and we are looking forward to a much larger turnout for our 2013 Christmas reception.

In addition to enjoying good fellowship and networking opportunities, those attending may look forward to an open bar, a wide assortment of canapés, and musical entertainment.

We wish to offer door prizes again this year, and any chamber members and friends wishing to step forward in this

We will be extending our usual invitation to His Excellency, Dr. Ray Bassett, Ambassador of Ireland to Canada, and to Mr. Patrick Holdich, British Consul General in Montreal, to join in our festivities.

The chamber also gratefully acknowledges the fi nancial support of BGL Brokerage Ltd as well as Enterprise Ireland for its 2012 Christmas reception.

So, be sure to set aside the evening ofTuesday, December 3 for our Christmas reception and look for further details later this year in your e-mail inbox, as well as on our Twitter feed @ICCC_MTL and in Twitter feed @ICCC_MTL and in Twitter feed @ICCC_MTLsubsequent issues of this newsletter.

By Stephen Fogarty

ICCC Montreal’s Christmas reception to launch the 2013

festive season on Tuesday, December 3

and not-for-profit organisations. He also studies law at the Georgetown University Law Center.

The team from University College Cork is coached by John O’Donoghue, a Ph.D. student in Chemistry who has recently worked with Pfizer and is completing his doctoral work in anti-cancer drug design. Mr. O’Donoghue is from Listowel, Co. Kerry, and is an award-winning radio show host.

Karen Bright, Stéphane Dubois with husband Patrick Holdich, British Consul-General in Montreal

The HEC International Graduate Competition will be held from April 27 to May 3 at HEC Business School in Montreal. The team will face some stiff competition to best its seven global competitors. We wish these postgraduates success in their endeavour!

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Honours degree in Energy Engineering and is particularly interested in clean technologies and plays for the Dunmanway Rugby Club.

Thomas Tobin is the lone American on the team. A South Carolinian, Mr. Tobin is a George J. Mitchell Scholar studying for a M.Sc. in Food Business. He was one of 12 Americans selected for postgraduate study on the Island of Ireland and has previously interned with the White House, trade associations,

Business competition (cont.)

6 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 20136 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 20136

Spotlight on new individual members

My motivation for joining the ICCC was fueled by my interest

in learning more about Ireland (which is my heritage) and the opportunity for developing a network of business contacts that share my interest in golf. Encouragement from Vivian Doyle-Kelly, a previous colleague from Deloitte, played a key role in joining.

My passion for golf and enthusiasm for business have come together in an exciting way, and I am very pleased to be the General Manager of Summerlea Golf and Country Club.

The four years I spent as director of programs and marketing services at Golf Quebec allowed me to gain a valuable understanding of golf management as I was introduced to a variety of club business models through the many projects and programs I oversaw. It is this exposure and experience that has led me to my current role.

I strive to build value for our members by exploring the rich history behind our club and providing an entertaining environment for our members and their guests. I invite you to come discover one of the most prestigious private golf clubs in the Montreal area. Come share in our experience.

www.summerlea.com

Ruth Murphy is a Dublin-born French-English bilingual who

recently settled in Montreal having spent eight years living and working in France.

She is an international business and languages graduate and is specialized in management consulting. Ruth has developed her expert ise in international business development, organizational transformation and change management.

She supported organizations from various sectors in the elaboration and roll-out of international business development strategies during her time with Kingspan Renewables and later with Natixis Pramex International (part of the BPCE banking and insurance group).

More recently, Ruth has lent her skills to the financial sector. Over the course of her experience with the multinational banking and financial services group, Société Générale, she supported management during major transformations such as the introduction of new business models and the reduction of risk exposure.

Ruth MurphyColleen Farrell

She is currently employed as a consultant for the Montreal-based change management leader, Brio Change. Her role involves helping management lead change within their organizations and achieve top-line measureable benefi ts by implementing structured change management approaches.

Upon her arrival in Montreal, Ruth was keen to get in contact with her fellow countrymen in order to obtain valuable feedback on their personal and professional experiences as members of the Montreal community. The ICCC was her fi rst port of call.

ruth.murphy@brio-conseils.com

New members join the Chamber

The Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce (Montreal) would like to welcome its newest members:

Colleen FarrellFasken MartineauNational Bank of Canada

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013 7

National Bank of Canada is the sixth largest commercial bank in Canada,

headquartered in Quebec with branches in most Canadian provinces and 2.4 million personal clients. National Bank is the leading bank in Quebec.

Based on 2012 information, National Bank had a network of 448 branches and 893 ATMs in Canada. It also had a number of representative offices, subsidiaries and partnerships in other countries, through which it could serve clients in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world.

In 2011, Bloomberg Markets ranked National Bank as the strongest bank in North America. National Bank also placed third in Bloomberg’s list of the “The World’s Strongest Banks.”

ICCC welcomes the National Bank as a corporate member.

National Bank of Canada

(Banque Nationale du Canada)

Fasken Martineau is a leading international business law and

litigation fi rm. Tracing its roots back to the mid-1800s, the fi rm was founded through the merger of three regional Canadian icons in 2000. It provides strategic and thoughtful advice to corporate clients, government agencies, regulatory authorities, non-profi t bodies and individual clients. Today, it has nine offices with more than 770 lawyers across Canada and in the UK, France and South Africa.

Its lawyers consistently receive accolades worldwide and earn hundreds of rankings each year from prestigious

business and legal publications such as Chambers & Partners, International Financial Law Review (IFLR), The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Legal 500 and others. For six of the past eight years, Who’s Who Legal has named Fasken Martineau Law Firm of the Year for Global Mining.

Founded in 1907, Fasken’s Montréal offi ce has been in the community for over a century and has always had strong ties with the Québec business community and head offi ces located in the province. Named Martineau Walker until the 2000 merger with

Fasken Campbell Godfrey and Russell & DuMoulin, the Montréal offi ce is now one of the largest and most important in the city and is the fi rm of choice for medium- and large- sized companies that have or wish to grow their business in Canada and abroad.

We welcome Fasken Martineau as a corporate member.

www.fasken.com

Fasken Martineau

Spotlight on new corporate members

On Tuesday, February 19, Hurley’s Irish Pub was the location at

which the third Irish Immigration Integration Initiative (IIII) evening was held. Paul Dunne, president of St. Patrick’s Society, welcomed everyone and introduced the guests of honour, Dr. Ray Bassett, Irish Ambassador to Canada, and Cathy Murphy of the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre (I/CAN) in Toronto.

In keeping with the practical thrust of the previous two IIII networking evenings, this time round two immigration specialists had been invited to formally present to attendees. In a brief speech, Stephen Fogarty, an immigration lawyer from Fogarty Law Firm and ICCC’s vice-president, offered insights into potential pitfalls in the immigration process. Chris Willis, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant, talked attendees through the different stages in the immigration process using an informative PowerPoint

presentation that was provided as a takeaway for immigrants. Also in attendance were Iris Unger of Youth Employment Services and members of the Montreal-Irish community. After the presentations, attendees mingled, enjoying refreshments and Hurley’s tasty hors d’oeuvres.

The IIII was formed in 2010 to assist new Irish immigrants coming to Montreal to integrate socially and fi nd jobs using the existing Irish community network of volunteer organizations and their contact within the broader Montreal community. The initiative is jointly fi nanced by St. Patrick’s Society and the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Irish government.

Employers in the Irish community are invited to create an employer’s profi le on www.irishjobs.cwww.irishjobs.ca in order to post jobs and browse Irish jobseekers’ resumes.

Third IIII evening doles out immigration advice

8 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013

The ICCC is delighted to congratulate its vice-president, Stephen J. Fogarty,

on his March 6 appointment as Honorary Legal Advisor to the Embassy of Ireland in Canada. The nomination, which was made by his Excellency Dr. Ray Bassett at the Embassy offi ces in Ottawa, is effective immediately.

Embassy of Ireland in Canada appoints ICCC

vice-president as Honorary Legal Advisor Aer Rianta InternationalAer Rianta International, owned by the Dublin Airport Authority, has been operating successfully in Montreal Duty Free over the past decade. Exciting news is that the new International store is being refurbished and should be completed by the end of 2013. This will give a very modern look and will also include a whiskey section along the lines of The Irish Whiskey Collection store in Dublin Airport.

In 2009, the Montreal transborder store for US passengers was refurbished – and – and –won the coveted 2010 ‘Airport Retailer shop of the year’ at the Frontier awards in Cannes against very stiff international competition. The awards are widely acclaimed as the Oscars for the airport retail business.

John Bolgerjbolger@ari-na.ca

ICCC member news

Jonathan SullivanICCC member, Jonathan Sullivan, has recently merged his two language schools, dojo linguistique and kodojo, with Actualisation IDH Inc., a company that for the past 40 years has been providing consulting and training services to organizations in Quebec. This merger will allow all three companies to offer a much wider range of services by providing a one-stop shop for their clients’ needs.

Besides continuing to deliver tailor-made language training programs, dojo linguistique is now able to offer two-day seminar courses on specifi c skills such as giving effective presentations or professional writing in a second language (French or English).

www.dojolinguistique.comw.dojolinguistique.com

Michael Magee Michael Magee is delighted to announce that Oceanis Brands Inc., an agent-supplier of beverages to the SAQ and to private customers, both restaurants and ‘at home’ enthusiasts here in Quebec, has been appointed by Produttori Vini Manduria, a 1000-hectare winery in the Puglia wine region of Southern Italy, to import and distribute its products.

The new wines, due to arrive in July 2013, will be for private distribution only, which means anyone over 18 years of age can purchase them directly from Oceanis. The wines named Lirica and Elegia are produced from 100% Primitivo grapes, and ancestor of the Zinfandel grape. Both are aged in oak barrels and will sell at $22.30 and $36.80, respectively.

www.cpvini.comwww.cpvini.comwww.oceanisbrandsinc.com

Christian SivìereApril is shaping up to be a busy month for ICCC member Christian Sivière who has ère who has èscheduled several training sessions for small to medium-sized companies (SMEs).

On April 10, Christian will be delivering two seminars in Montrétwo seminars in Montrétwo seminars in Montr al in English: one on cargo insurance and one on export exporting/conformity. These will be backed up by two webinars on Incoterms, which will be hosted on April 17 and 18 in French only. Interested parties may access the lunch-time webinars on the two days on http://www.ciffa.com/calendar_viewevent.asp?id=431calendar_viewevent.asp?id=431calendar_

On April 30, Christian will hold a seminar on exporting to the United States. The latter will be held in Laval and in French only.

For further information and to register, contact christian.siviere@videotron.cachristian.siviere@videotron.cachristian.siviere@videotron.c

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Stephen will be responsible for providing legal advice regarding Canadian law on a volunteer basis to the Ambassador and, when requested, to his staff. While the advice will not be limited to immigration matters, immigration will be a major area of interest as it directly affects the

cont. p.9

Ambassador Ray Bassett and Stephen Fogarty

ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013 9

Canada’s merchandise exports rose 2.1% in January, and imports

increased 1.9%. As a result, Canada’s trade defi cit with the world narrowed from $332 million to $237 million.

Exports rose to $39.1 billion, the main contributors to the gain being crude oil and crude bitumen as well as unwrought precious metals and precious metal alloys. A decline in exports of passenger cars and light trucks partially offset the increase.Imports increased to $39.3 billion, energy products contributing the most to the overall increase, followed by metal ores and non-metallic minerals.

What about Canada-Ireland trade?

Canadian exports from Ireland grew from $21 million in November, to $25 million in December and down to $14 million in January. Canadian imports from Ireland, on the other hand, went

Canada’s international merchandise trade, January 2013,

with focus on Ireland

from $147 million in November, down to $79 million in December only to revert back up to $96 million in January. So, bilateral trade, with its peaks and valleys, remains strongly in favour of Ireland, as demonstrated in the 2012 trade graph above.

Source: Statistics Canada, U.S. Census Bureau. All $ are US$.

Christian Sivière:christian.siviere@videotron.caAll Rights Reserved March 2013.

situation of Irish tourists, temporary residents and permanent residents of Canada. Additional areas of legal advice will likely include international trade agreements and treaties, as well as criminal law issues for Irish citizens facing charges in Canada.

Some eighteen months ago, Stephen began providing limited counsel to the Embassy, which gradually began to have a more regular frequency. Stephen has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1986 and of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 1991. He practices at his offi ce Fogarty Law Firm in Montreal, mainly in immigration and citizenship law of Canada.

Welcoming Stephen, the I r i sh Ambassador to Canada, Dr. Ray Bassett said, “The Embassy is delighted to have such a distinguished member of the profession in both Quebec and Ontario provinces as its Honorary Legal Advisor.”

Given his Irish heritage, Stephen i s par t icu la r ly de l igh ted wi th the nomination. His great- great-grandparents on his father`s side hail from Liscreagh, Inch parish in Tipperary and from Portadown in County Armagh, following a military posting. His maternal grandparents were both O`Neills, one branch of which came from Monagarra, near the

coastal town Shanagarry, County Cork. Both sides of the family are believed to have crossed the Atlantic in the 1820s and 1830s.

Welcoming the move, ICCC president Vivian Doyle-Kelly said, “We strongly support the Irish Government`s establishment of the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre and the St. Patrick`s Society of Montreal`s Irish Immigrant Integration Initiative. Stephen`s direct professional involvement strengthens the support network to Irish immigrants to Montreal and to Canada.”

www.fogartylaw.cawww.fogartylaw.ca

Legal Advisor (cont.)

10 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013

The cha mber’s annua l I r i sh Community Pub Quiz, held on

February 20 at Hurley’s Irish Pub, attracted a much smaller crowd than in previous years. Blame this on one of the many snowstorms that hit Montreal this winter.

of Diageo. The runners up were awarded $25 gift certifi cates for Hurley’s and the third-placed team won movie passes presented by Scotia Bank.

By Anne Forrest

Despite the low turnout, six teams competed enthusiastically for the honour of having their names inscribed on the McKeown Trophy. Alas, the reigning champions, Cosantóir, who had held the cup for the past three years, were fi nally dethroned. Yes, The Eternal Bridesmaids, who changed their name to The Blade Runners, placed fi rst. This team, captained by ICCC president, Vivian Doyle-Kelly, consisted of his wife Marlene, Ken Anderson and Catherine Larose. Two teams tied for second place and faced a challenging question to determine the winner. Paul Dunne’s team (Les Importations Irlandaises) prevailed and Michelle Vahey’s team (Barney McCombs) placed third. As usual, as well as winning the trophy, the new champions took home bottles of Bushmills courtesy

In addition to the above-mentioned prizes, there were four door prizes: a Waterford crystal bud vase donated by Michelle Vahey (which I now possess); a signed copy of Peter Kirby’s novel, The Dead of Winter; a signed copy of Any Color but Beige: Living Life in Color, presented by its author, Catherine Larose (on the winning team); and a bottle of

Irish vodka offered by the Montreal Irish Rugby Football Club.

Quiz masters Jonathan Sullivan and Casey Ryan came up with a diverse collection of questions. Unfortunately,

this time around, less emphasis was placed on things Irish and Montreal’s Irish community in particular. Earlier, a rival competitor had forced me to tell him the name of this year’s Parade Queen but to no avail. Many questions related to the world of entertainment; however, how many of you know the year in which Dallas fi rst aired? 1978. Sadly, Casey will not be running the show in future. We will miss him as he and Jonathan have hosted many successful pub quizzes.

Again, the chamber would like to thank the staff at Hurley’s for

providing the customary fi nger foods. Considering that over 50% of those present took home prizes, it was a very rewarding evening!

Be sure not to miss the next quiz which is scheduled for May 9 at McKibbin’s.

The champions: Vivian Doyle-Kelly, Marlene Doyle-Kelly, Catherine Larose and Ken Anderson

Phot

o: A

nne

Forr

est

Annual Irish community pub quiz another successful evening

hosted by the chamber

Ireland’s M&A market was buoyant in 2012, netting 82 deals (down from 85

deals in 2011) and with a value of €17.1bn (up 14% from 2011). For the fi rst time, outbound M&A by Irish companies globally overtook inbound and domestic M&A, said the William Fry M&A report with mergermarket.

2012 trends included larger deals, with four deals each valued at more than €250m. The financial services (38% of value) and industrial chemicals

sectors garnered most of the 2012 Irish M&A activity. Hot sectors in 2013 are technology, media and telecommunications (TMT), pharma and biotech, and the state, according to mergermarket.

Canadian companies shied away from large deals in Ireland in 2012. Small-cap acquisitions like Montreal-based Amaya Gaming’s April $35.8m buyout of Dublin’s CryptoLogic Ltd. were the norm. The reticence was mutual. Last

year, Ireland-based acquirers mainly targeted the UK (44.7% of total M&A value) or the US for predominately consumer or TMT transactions.

Still, the face of Quebec-Ireland M&A is changing in 2013 given the $1.75 bn acquisition of Irish Life by Quebec-owned Great West LifeCo. The increased confi dence in Ireland, both internationally and at home, will be key to driving deals in 2013 and beyond.

Ireland - Canada mergers and acquisitions

By Ruth Hanna

ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013 11

ICCC Torontowww.icccto.com

ICCC Edmontonwww.iccced.com

ICCC Ottawawww.icccott.orgott.org

ICCC Calgarywww.iccccal.com

ConnectIrelandwww.connectireland.com

Vancouver Irish Business Enterprisewww.vibevancouver.com

Enterprise Irelandwww.enterprise-ireland.com

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Tradewww.dfait-maeci.gc.cawww.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Government of Canada (Canada Europa)www.canadaeuropa.gc.cawww.canadaeuropa.gc.ca

Industry Canadawww.strategis.gc.cawww.strategis.gc.ca

The Canadian Trade Commissioner Servicewww.infoexport.gc.cawww.infoexport.gc.ca

Government of Quebecwww.gouv.qc.ca/wps/portal/pgs?lang=enwww.gouv.qc.ca/wps/portal/pgs?lang=en

Useful Web Sites

Tourism Irelandwww.tourismireland.com

Ireland – Information on the Irish Statewww.irlgov.iewww.irlgov.ie

Invest Northern Irelandwww.investni.com

Enterprise Irelandwww.enterprise-ireland.comwww.enterprise-ireland.com

Government departments and Ireland informationwww.ask-ireland.com

The Irish Timeswww.ireland.com

Irish Independentwww.unison.ie

Ireland Canada Business Assoc. (Dublin)www.irelandcanada.com

Chambers of Commerce of Irelandwww.chambers.ie

Ireland

Canada

Upcoming Chamber Events

For further information on chamber events, please contact:Tel: (514) 845-0973

Email: contact@icccmtl.comWebsite: www.icccmtl.com

Salon National de la Franchise et des occasions d’affaires - North America’s Largest Franchise and Business Opportunities Event – April 20-21 – Montreal

Aeromart Montreal – April 23-24 – Montreal

Security Canada East – April 25 – Laval

SIDIM (Montreal International Interior Design) – May 23-25 – Montreal

Canadian Gaming Summit – June 17-19 – Montreal– June 17-19 – Montreal–

Upcoming Fairs in Ireland

Ireland Security Expo – April 10-11 – Dublin

Trade Fairs in Quebec

Special General Meeting Concordia University 6:00 p.m. Apr. 25 Craic agus Comhrá Irish Embassy Pub & Grill 7:00 p.m. Craic agus Comhrá Irish Embassy Pub & Grill 7:00 p.m. Craic agus Comhrá Apr. 25ICCC Summer Pub Quiz McKibbin’s Irish Pub 5:30 p.m. Quiz McKibbin’s Irish Pub 5:30 p.m. Quiz May 9Craic agus Comhrá Irish Embassy Pub & Grill 5:30 p.m. May 30Craic agus Comhrá Irish Embassy Pub & Grill 5:30 p.m. May 30Craic agus ComhráICCC Summer Party Hurley’s Irish Pub 5:30 p.m. June 12SPS Golf Day Club de Golf Belle Vue 12.45 p.m. June 18

(Ville de Lery)Christmas Reception Westin Hotel 5:30 p.m. Dec. Christmas Reception Westin Hotel 5:30 p.m. Dec. Christmas Reception 03

By the end of April, ICCC should have a freshly redesigned and invigorated website. In addition to offering a new clean look, the mobile-ready

responsive website will be more user-friendly, allowing for easier and more frequent communication with you. The online membership renewal and payment process will be streamlined, ICCC events may be imported from an online calendar, and new archives will make it easier than ever to download photos and newsletters.

In addition to a searchable membership directory, members’ weblinks will be showcased on each page, and member news will be regularly highlighted.

The website will also augment ICCC’s online social media presence by integrating its LinkedIn and Twitter feeds and adding social media functionalities to allow content to be shared. A RSS feed will stream live business content, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will be added to increase traffi c.

We will shortly be contacting you in order to confi rm your company logo, description and / or LinkedIn profi le to be included the website. Keep an eye on www.icccmtl.com!

ICCC website

ICCC News Montreal is published three times a year by the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce. The publication is distributed by fi rst-class mail to its members, to selected Irish-Canadian community leaders and business organizations. The reproduction in whole or in part of the content of ICCC News Montreal is permitted as long as its source is clearly identifi ed.

Editor: Ruth HannaLayout: Anne ForrestProofreader: Martina Branagan

The Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce – Montreal Offi ce507 Place D’Armes, Suite 1588, Montreal, Québec, Canada H2Y 2W8Tél.: (514) 845-0973 Fax: (514) 847-1212Email: contact@icccmtl.com Web Site: www.icccmtl.comCopyright 2013

12 ICCC News Montreal, Vol. 12, no. 1, April 2013

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