Sponsors

ALIANT

Bell Aliant is one of North America's largest regional communications providers. Through its operating entities it serves customers in six Canadian provinces with innovative information, communication and technology services including voice, data, Internet, video and value-added business solutions. Through its xwave offices, Bell Aliant also provides IT professional services in Canada and the US. xwave is a full-service business-solutions provider that serves clients through systems integration, infrastructure services, and fulfillment. These areas offer clients a broad delivery capability: xwave plans, designs, builds and operates complete ICT solutions that meet business-process needs and are designed to deliver a tangible return on technology investments. Bell Aliant's 10,000 employees are committed to deliver the highest quality of customer service, choice and convenience. In Atlantic Canada, communications products and services are delivered to customers through the Aliant brand. www.aliant.net and www.aliant.ca.

STEWART MCKELVEY

When Results Count! Stewart McKelvey is committed to providing the highest quality of legal services, earning our clients trust and meeting and striving to exceed their needs. We are a client-driven organization which takes a long term view of our relationships with clients and others with whom we deal. By taking the time to understand the business of our clients, we provide them with the best, most cost-effective solutions. We invest in our people, our technology and our business to ensure the continued delivery of quality service that our clients have come to expect from our firm. With more than 230 lawyers in six locations in Atlantic Canada, we are one of the 15 largest law firms in Canada. Stewart McKelvey has earned a reputation, regionally, nationally and internationally, as the firm to go to when results count. The “2008 Lexpert® / American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada” directory has recently recognized Stewart McKelvey as having the leading practice in the areas of both Litigation and Corporate law. For more information about Stewart McKelvey, please visit www.smss.com

EMERA INC.

Emera Inc. is an energy and services company. Our core business is electricity; generating power and getting it to our customers safely and reliably. With strategic energy services and infrastructure that includes electric utilities in the Northeastern US (Bangor Hydro), Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia Power) and St. Lucia (St. Lucia Electric), a pumped storage hydro-electric facility (Bear Head), natural gas pipelines (Brunswick Pipeline and 12.9% of Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline), 7.4% interest in Open Hydro and Emera Energy Services, Emera has a diversified portfolio with $4.7 billion in assets.

At Emera, we are successfully taking on the challenges of sustainable development and environmentally responsible growth. We are working hard to add more energy from cleaner, greener sources and we are installing new technology to reduce emissions. We continue to make safety our number one priority.

MANULIFE FINANCIAL

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Manulife employs more than 800 Nova Scotians in its Halifax location and invests regularly in the HRM community through charitable donations to organizations such as United Way, Habitat for Humanity, QEII Health Sciences Centre and Pier 21.

RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED

Research In Motion Limited is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM's portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry(r) wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld(tm) product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

KPMG

KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership established under the laws of Ontario, is the Canadian member firm affiliated with KPMG International, a global network of professional firms. KPMG in Canada operates through four functional service lines - Audit, Tax, Advisory, Enterprise (Private Company Advisor). KPMG has 33 offices across Canada, more than 425 partners, and over 5,000 employees

The Halifax office has been serving clients for over 100 years as professional accountants and business advisors. In Halifax, KPMG has over 70 staff, including 7 partners/associate partners, 25 senior managers/managers and 40 professional staff. Our goal is to serve all sizes and types of businesses from the Public entities to the small owner managed businesses in a wide variety of industries. Currently our Audit and Enterprise client mix would include a number of Public companies, including one SEC registrant, a large number of manufacturing and service industry clients, real estate development companies and municipal and provincial government and other not for profit entities. Our tax group is one of the largest in Atlantic Canada providing Canadian and US/Foreign tax assistance to our clients and a number of non-clients. Our Advisory Group provides services in forensics, valuations, transactional services and most recently in International Financial Accounting Standards (IFRS) conversion.

For more information, visit www.kpmg.ca or call (902) 492-6000.

FASTFRATE

Fastfrate is well positioned to provide comprehensive transportation solutions to shippers throughout Canada. With 14 unique service offerings and 16 strategic terminal locations, their dedicated team and extensive resources combine to provide consistency and excellence in all that they do.

Their revised website goes into further detail on their services and facility descriptions. It also features Fastnet, which provides 24/7 secure customer access and real- time visibility of shipment activity. Fastfrate received Platinum Status in 2008 for achieving six consecutive years as one of Canada's Best 50 Managed Companies.

For further information visit their website at www.fastfrate.com

HALIFAX STANFIELD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport is Atlantic Canada’s gateway to the world. It is the region’s principal full-service airport providing passengers and cargo clients with access to markets across the country, the United States and Europe, and the only airport in Atlantic Canada to offer U.S. preclearance, and Canada Customs services on a 24 hour, seven day a week basis. The Airport welcomes almost 3.5 million passengers annually, and is an internationally recognized leader in customer service, having received first place awards in the global Airport Service Quality program for the past five years.

RICHMOND COUNTY

Located on the Cape Breton side of the Strait of Canso, adjacent to international shipping lanes, the Municipality of the County of Richmond is bordered on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by the Bras d'Or Lakes. With a population of 10,000, the county is largely rural and boasts 230,000 acres of forested land and miles of pristine coastline. Richmond County is also home to the Point Tupper Heavy Industrial Park. Point Tupper has the distinct advantages of close proximity to offshore resources, the North American market place, established infrastructure and the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic - making it the hot spot for investment and development.

BRANHAM GROUP INC.

Branham Group Inc. (www.branhamgroup.com ) is a leading industry analyst and strategic marketing consulting firm servicing the global information technology marketplace. Branham Group assists information technology companies and related institutions in achieving market success through its custom consulting services (Planning, Marketing and Partnering), and through its multi-client research projects (eHealth, Outsourcing and Wireless). Branham annually produces a listing of the Top300 information technology companies in Canada www.branham300.com and a directory of leading outsourcing companies www.branhamoutsourcing.com