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PRESS
RELEASE
For immediate release
April 19, 2004
BELL CANADA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO DELIVER 2004 CONTACT NORTH/CONTACT NORD TECHNOLOGY ADDRESS
Sudbury (Monday, April 19, 2004) - Contact North/Contact Nord is pleased to announce that Mr. Michael J. Sabia, Chief Executive Officer of Bell Canada, will deliver the 2004 Contact North/Contact Nord Technology Address in Sudbury on Thursday June 10, 2004.
As the chief executive of Canada's largest telecommunications company, Mr. Sabia will deliver a national address entitled A Moment Of Opportunity: Delivering For Northern Communities In An Internet World.This will be Mr. Sabia's first major address outside of a large metropolitan area and first official visit to Northern Ontario.
"Bell Canada is pleased to have Contact North/Contact Nord, Canada's Largest Distance Education & Training Network, as one of our strategic partners in Northern Ontario", stated Michael J. Sabia. "Working together, our two organizations facilitate access to education and training opportunities for residents in more than 100 communities across Northern Ontario, a geographical area spanning more than 800,000 square kilometres. It is just one example of how Bell Canada's telecommunications infrastructure supports economic development in this part of Canada."
"Contact North/Contact Nord is delighted to welcome and host Mr. Michael J. Sabia to Northern Ontario for the 2004 Technology Address", said Maxim Jean-Louis, President & Chief Executive Officer of Contact North/Contact Nord. "As Canada's leader in communications, Bell Canada plays an important role in fostering economic development in small, remote and Northern communities across Canada."
"Mr. Sabia will, and rightly so, challenge Canadians to not just be part of the Internet (IP) Revolution that is upon us but yes, to lead it. Technology does indeed drive economic growth, now and in the future. We often overlook the fact that we, Canadians, enjoy the most advanced, lowest costs and most accessible communications in the world. But, we can and need do more, much more. Mr Sabia will reveal to us how during his June 10 address," added Maxim Jean-Louis.
This event is proudly sponsored by MCTV and the Sudbury Star.
The 2004 Contact North/Contact Nord Technology Luncheon Address will be held at the Ramada Hotel, 85 St. Anne Road, at 12:00 Noon on Thursday, June 10, 2004.
Tickets are $15 (including GST) per person with tables of eight available at a cost of $120 per table. Tickets can be obtained by calling Paulette Dégagné at (705) 525- 7267 or via e-mail at paulette@mail.cnorth.edu.on.ca.
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Backgrounder and biography of Michael J. Sabia below.
Information:
Louise Gaudrault
Marketing Coordinator
Tel.: (705) 525-7261
Fax: (705) 560-5548
e-mail:
louise@mail.cnorth.edu.on.ca
About Bell Canada
Bell Canada, Canada's national leader in communications, provides connectivity to residential and business customers through wired and wireless voice and data communications, local and long distance phone services, high speed and wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions and satellite television services. Bell Canada is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For more information please visit www.bell.ca.
About Contact North/Contact Nord
Contact North/Contact Nord, Northern Ontario's Distance Education & Training Network, facilitates access to the education and training opportunities offered by Northern Ontario's colleges, universities and school boards via audioconference, videoconference, audiographics and Internet technologies in more than 100 small and remote communities across Northern Ontario. Contact North/Contact Nord is a unique and ongoing partnership between Northern Ontario's colleges, universities, school boards, more than 100 Northern Ontario communities, the Government of Ontario, and leading technology providers.
BIOGRAPHY OF MICHAEL J. SABIA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Michael J. Sabia is President and Chief Executive Officer as well as director of BCE Inc. He is also Chief Executive Officer of Bell Canada and Chairman of the Board of BCE Emergis and of Bell Globemedia.
In July of 2000, Mr. Sabia was named Executive Vice-President of BCE and Vice-Chairman, Corporate, Bell Canada. He was appointed President of BCE in December 2000, President and Chief Operating Officer of BCE and Chief Operating Officer of Bell Canada in March 2002, and then President and Chief Executive Officer of BCE in April 2002. He had joined the BCE group in October 1999 as Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bell Canada International.
Before joining BCE, Mr. Sabia was an executive of Canadian National Railway Company (CN). He joined CN as Vice-President, Corporate Development in 1993 and was appointed Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer in 1995.
Prior to joining CN, Mr. Sabia held a number of senior positions in the Canadian Federal Public Service, including Director-General of Tax Policy in the Department of Finance and Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Plans) in the Privy Council Office.
Born in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1953, Mr. Sabia was educated in economics and politics at Trinity College, University of Toronto (B.A.) and at Yale University (M.A., M. Phil).
BACKGROUNDER ON CONTACT NORTH/CONTACT NORD
The 2004 Technology Address is part of Contact North/Contact Nord's on-going Emerging Technologies Series.
Launched in the fall of 2000, the Emerging Technologies Series has featured a number of events including:
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Executive Briefing on e-learning by Sir John Daniel, former Vice-Chancellor of
the Open University (UK)
- Emerging Technologies 2001: Northern Ontario's Broadband Wireless Conference
(January 2001 in Sudbury and October 2001 in Thunder Bay)
- 2002 Technology Address with Mr. Ed Kilroy, President and CEO of IBM Canada
Ltd.
- Emerging Technologies 2003: The e-conference (Thunder Bay)
About Contact North/Contact Nord
Contact North/Contact Nord is Northern Ontario's Distance Education & Training Network. Headquartered in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, Contact North/Contact Nord facilitates access to the education and training opportunities offered by Northern Ontario's colleges, universities and school boards.
Founded in 1986, Contact North/Contact Nord has grown significantly to become Canada's largest distance education network. Spanning an area of some 800,000 square kilometres, the Contact North/Contact Nord Network promotes economic development in communities across Northern Ontario by providing access to programs and courses for learners in their home communities.
In 2003-2004, Contact North/Contact Nord:
-
Facilitates in excess of 14,000 course registrations annually
- Continues to grow at double digit annual rates
- Provides access to over 800 courses offered by Northern Ontario colleges,
universities and school boards
- Serves more than 100 small and remote communities across Northern Ontario
Contact North/Contact Nord and Bell Canada have been strategic private sector partners since 1997 and have worked together to enhance access to education and training opportunities for residents of Northern Ontario.
