Gilles Dorval speaking at an event on the WIBF in Saskatoon on Tuesday morning
In one week up to a thousand Indigenous and non-Indigenous business leaders from around the globe will be in Saskatoon.
The delegates are in the city for the first ever World Indigenous Business Forum to be held in Canada.
The goal of the forum will be to network with business leaders from around the world who have had success in engaging the local Indigenous community.
Milton Tootoosis is the chairperson for the planning committee.
He says the committee has been working hard on this event for the past two years.
“They made it possible for global leaders, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to come together from mutual experiences and to share knowledge and inspire one another to work toward greater prosperity,” said Tootoosis. “The international forum has already led to the forming of strategic alliances and global partners and we’re hoping to benefit as well.”
This is the seventh World Indigenous Business Forum with previous events being held in New York City, Hawaii and Africa.
Delegates are expected all the way from Nigeria, Norway, Australia, Russia, China and the U.S.A.
“Saskatoon is the perfect place to host the forum,” said Gilles Dorval, Director of Aboriginal Relations for the City of Saskatoon. “We are excited to share the successes of Saskatoon with business leaders from around the world.”
Rosa Walker, President and CEO of Indigenous Leadership Development Institute and a member of the planning committee, says at first she was surprised a small city like Saskatoon won the bid to host the international event.
“But the excitement is there,” she said. “People are so excited to come here. They are phoning as from all over the world, they are bringing their families, they are staying longer and they are so excited to see this beautiful city.”
The World Indigenous Business Forum will be held August 23rd-25th at TCU Place in Saskatoon.