CMISA/FedDev: Marine ITB/IRB Programs, Indigenous Participation & Supply Chain Opportunities Hybrid Event

The half-day program brings together:

• An Indigenous panel sharing lived experience across skills development, training, and engineering
• An industry panel with leaders from Canada’s marine and defence ecosystem — including organizations connected to major primes such as Seaspan, Davie, and Irving Shipbuilding
• Participation from FedDev and Canada’s Regional Development Agencies, present for discussion and connection
• A structured networking reception to close the day

Here's the lineup of the panels and our speakers:

Industry Panel:

Seaspan: Chad Hey Director of Industrial Participation and Strategic Initiatives
FFS/Chantier Davie: John Schmidt, President and CEO of Feederal Fleet Services and on behalf of Chantier Davie Canada
Horizon Engineering: Richard MacLellan, Managing Director of Miawpukek Horizon/Newdock Newfoundland 
Fourth person: TBD*

Indigenous Panel:

Valerie Vanderwyk: Executive Director (Mi'kmaq)- Indigenous Skills, Employment, Apprenticeship and Development (ISEAD) 
Keith Goudling: Director of College Development (Mi'kmaq) - College of the North Atlantic, Newfoundland 
Chief Jenny Brake: Qalipu First Nation
Fourth person: TBD*

This event is where:

• Questions are explored in conversation, not just answered in theory
• Indigenous participation is discussed as partnership, not policy
• SMBs gain context, clarity, and confidence about their next moves
  
  
  Join us on February 26, 2026.