Report to/Rapport au :
Corporate Services and Economic Development
Committee
Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique
and Council / et au Conseil
26 May 2009 / le 26 mai 2009
Submitted by/Soumis par : Alex Cullen, Councillor / Conseiller
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Alex Cullen,
Councillor, Bay Ward / conseiller, quartier Baie
(613)
580-2477, alex.cullen@ottawa.ca
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Ref
N°:
ACS2009-CMR-CSE-0008
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SUBJECT:
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USE OF CITY
FACILITIES FOR Military TRADE SHOWS
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OBJET :
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UTILISATION
D'INSTALLATIONS MUNICIPALES POUR LES EXPOSITIONS DE MATÉRIEL MILITAIRE
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
Whereas on April 19, 1989,
the former City of Ottawa passed a Motion 11 to 1 resolving that Lansdowne Park
and other city facilities not be leased to any future arms exhibitions;
And Whereas for the first time
in 20 years a Canadian exhibition of military hardware and technology, called
CANSEC 2009, took place at Lansdowne Park from 27-28 May;
and Whereas the arms trade has
little or no consideration of moral or humanitarian issues in that weapons can
and have been used against civilians; and
and Whereas exports of Canadian
military equipment and components end up in countries which persistently
violate human rights;
and Whereas the international
arms trade serves to increase militarization throughout the world and is
inconsistent with arms limitations efforts;
and Whereas Lansdowne Park is a
publicly supported recreation and trade show facility;
and Whereas, when Lansdowne Park
was purchased by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, according to
City Legal Services, the 1989 Council motion no longer applied to Lansdowne
Park;
Therefore be it resolved that the City
of Ottawa's 1989 Motion be applied to Lansdowne Park and all other city
facilities, so that they not be leased to CANSEC or other such military
exhibitions; and
Be It Further Resolved that the City of
Ottawa call upon the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to pass
similar Motions to prevent the leasing of their facilities to such military
trade shows.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
ATTENDU QUE, le 19
avril 1989, l'ancienne Ville d'Ottawa avait, par un vote de 11 à 1, adopté une
motion portant que le parc Lansdowne et les autres installations municipales ne
seraient plus loués pour la tenue d'expositions d'armement;
ATTENDU QUE, les 27 et
28 mai derniers, pour la première fois en 20 ans, une exposition canadienne de
matériel et de technologie militaire, CANSEC 2009, s'est tenue au parc
Lansdowne;
ATTENDU QUE le secteur
du commerce des armes est peu, voire aucunement, préoccupé par les questions
morales ou humanitaires découlant du fait que les armes peuvent être et ont été
utilisées contre des civils;
ATTENDU QUE les
exportations de matériel militaire canadien et ses composants aboutissent dans
des pays où les droits de la personne sont constamment violés;
ATTENDU QUE le
commerce international des armes contribue à accroître la militarisation
partout au monde et va à l'encontre des efforts de limitation des armements;
ATTENDU QUE le parc
Lansdowne est une installation financée par les deniers publics qui est
utilisée pour des activités récréatives et des foires commerciales;
ATTENDU QUE, à l'achat
du parc Lansdowne par la Municipalité régionale d'Ottawa-Carleton, d’après les
Services juridiques de la Ville, la motion de 1989 du Conseil a cessé de
s'appliquer au parc Lansdowne;
IL EST PAR CONSÉQUENT
RÉSOLU QUE la motion de 1989 de la Ville d'Ottawa s'appliquera au parc
Lansdowne et aux autres installations municipales pour qu'ils ne puissent être
loués à CANSEC ou à d'autres organisateurs d'expositions de matériel militaire;
IL EST EN OUTRE RÉSOLU
QUE la Ville d'Ottawa invitera le gouvernement de l'Ontario et le gouvernement
du Canada à adopter des motions semblables afin d'empêcher la location de leurs
installations pour de telles expositions de matériel militaire.
BACKGROUND
In
1985 and in 1987, a military trade show organization called ARMX held
exhibitions at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park involving military technology, largely
for export. This prompted considerable public criticism as the bulk of the
products were being used to support military actions in foriegn countries,
despite Canada's reputation as a United Nations peacekeeper nation.
In
1989 an impending ARMX exhibition at Lansdowne Park (known as ARMX '89)
involving some 400 corporations engaged in providing military goods and
services, prompted some 75 civil organizations (through COAT - Coalition to end the Arms Trade) to
organize protests against the arms trade as promoted by ARMX '89 in Ottawa.
This prompted Ottawa City Council to adopt the following motion on April 19, 1989:
Whereas ARMX
’89, a Canadian exhibition of military hardware and technology is scheduled to
take place at Lansdowne Park from 23-25 May;
AND WHEREAS
the arms trade has little or no consideration of moral or humanitarian issues,
in that weapons can and have been used against civilians;
AND WHEREAS
exports of Canadian military equipment and components end up in countries which
persistently violate human rights;
AND WHEREAS
the international arms trade serves to increase militarization throughout the world
and is inconsistent with arms limitations efforts;
AND WHEREAS
the City of Ottawa promotes peace, and respect for human rights;
AND WHEREAS
ARMS ’89 is a closed event and restricted to Canadian Government officials,
foreign government representations, police and security forces and defense
industry representatives;
AND WHEREAS
Lansdowne Park is a publicly supported recreation and trade show facility;
THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED that Lansdowne Park and other City facilities not be leased to
future ARMX or other such arms exhibitions.
During
the debate on this motion, Alderman George Brown (the motion sponsor), stated
that:
"The
national capital region is becoming the capital for the defence industry across
the country. I morally object. This ARMX is totally in contradiction to what
the City stands for and it is not appropriate that the City have anything to do
with it. It goes against the City's belief in peace and respect for human
rights." (Ottawa Citizen, April 20, 1989)
Following
the adoption of this motion (by an 11-1 vote) no further arms trade shows were
held at Lansdowne Park nor in any other City of Ottawa facilities.
In
1999 Lansdowne Park was sold by the City of Ottawa to the Regional Municipality
of Ottawa-Carleton. Following municipal amalgamation in Ottawa-Carleton in
2000, Lansdowne Park became the property of the newly-amalgamated City of
Ottawa.
In
2008 two military trade shows approached the City for use of trade show
facilities at Lansdowne Park - Secure Canada 2008 and CANSEC. Secure Canada
2008 subsequently cancelled, but CANSEC 2009 (sponsored by the Canadian
Association of Defence and Security Industries - CADSI) is scheduled for May 27
and 28, 2009. CADSI represents 700 companies which sell products, technologies
and services to military and security customers in Canada and abroad. According
to the CANSEC web site (www.defenceandsecurity.ca)
the CANSEC 2009 show:
"... will
feature product presentations and capability displays of Canada's leading edge
defence and security technologies to a wide audience that includes Government
agencies and Departments with interests in security, public safety, risk
mitigation, threat response and emergency planning."
However,
questions were raised by members of the public and by members of City Council
on whether CANSEC 2009 was able to hold its exhibition at Lansdowne Park, given
the former 1989 City of Ottawa Council motion, particularly as many of the
exhibitors are engaged in similar activities as those who participated in ARMX
'89 - i.e. the provision of military hardware and technology being used in
conflicts elsewhere in the world and involving civilian casualties. According to Legal Services in a memo dated
August 19, 2008 (see Document 1), it is the opinion of Legal Services that the
1989 motion by Ottawa City Council is no longer applicable, as the Transfer
Agreement between the City of Ottawa and the RMOC did not provide any
obligation for the continuation of the policies of the former City of Ottawa by
the Region regarding Lansdowne Park.
DISCUSSION
According
to a report by COAT (the Coalition to end
the Arms Trade - http://coat.ncf.ca/ARMX/cansec/topCANSEC.htm - see
Document 2) more than 50 of the Canadian military export industries exhibiting
at CANSEC 2009 are linked to the production of weapons systems that are being
used in conflicts that most people in this country would probably recognize as
morally reprehensible, involving countless civilian casualties.
Among
the weapons exported by CANSEC 2009 exhibitors are:
- Anti-Personnel
Cluster Bombs, Fragmentation Bombs and Phosphorous Bombs
- Automatic Weapons,
Semi-Automatic Weapons, Machine Guns and Chain Guns
CANSEC
2009 exhibitors are also engaged in the manufacture of essential high-tech
components embedded in weapons systems that deliver the following:
- Nuclear Weapons
- Depleted Uranium
Munitions
- Anti-Personnel
Cluster Bombs
- Anti-Personnel
Landmines
These
munitions -- widely regarded around the world as both inhumane and illegal --
are "delivered" to their targets by a variety of war planes, cruise
missiles and land-based systems that contain significant quantities of Canadian
components. COAT's online report
provides details about dozens of these weapons "delivery" systems and
reveals hundreds of online sources of information documenting Canadian
corporate complicity in their manufacture.
Most of these weapons systems, complete with Canadian hardware, have
been used in the Iraq War which has so far claimed the lives of more than 1.3
million people, mostly innocent civilians, since 2003.
Further,
Canada is a signatory to the international convention to ban anti-personnel
landmines (called "The Ottawa Treaty", as it was signed here in
Ottawa). However, 35 companies which provide products that assist U.S.
warplanes in delivering anti-personnel landmines will be exhibiting at CANSEC
2009.
CANSEC
2009 exhibitors also include about a dozen Canadian companies engaged in the
design, creation, development and/or production of:
- "Ballistic
Missile Defense" (BMD) weapons systems
Few
realize that Canada is even involved in the international arms trade, let alone
that this country is deeply complicit as a key player in this morally
reprehensible business. Between 2003 and 2005, Canada exported more than $5.6
billion in military products to 73 countries (see Document 3). Of these 73
nations, 39 had troops that were then engaged in major military conflicts,
either at home or abroad. This means
that 53% of the countries to which Canada exported military goods during those
three years, were directly engaged in wars, invasions and/or occupations.
However,
much more significant is the fact that these 39 warring nations receiving
Canadian military hardware accounted for a full 90% (i.e. $5.1 billion) of the
total value of Canada's military exports between 2003 and 2005.
RECOMMENDATION:
Therefore be it resolved that the City of
Ottawa's 1989 Motion be applied to Lansdowne Park and all other city
facilities, so that they not be leased to CANSEC or other such military
exhibitions;
The
report's recommendation seeks to re-establish an Ottawa City Council policy
that was developed and applied at Lansdowne Park and other City facilities for
more than 20 years. It re-inforces our values that promote peace and respect
for human rights, and seeks to avoid associating with activities that promote
and profit from the business of war - often used to support oppression and
frequently involving innocent civilian casualties.
Be It Further Resolved that the City of
Ottawa call upon the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to pass
similar Motions to prevent the leasing of their facilities to such military
trade shows.
Following
the adoption of the 1989 policy by the former City of Ottawa Council, ARMX and
other similar military trade shows moved to the Ottawa Congress Centre - a
provincial facility. This recommendation would seek consistent treatment of
military trade exhibitions in trade show space within the City of Ottawa and
elsewhere in the province of Ontario and in Canada.
CONSULTATION
The
issue of an arms trade show re-appearing at Lansdowne Park this Spring (CANSEC 2009)
has garnered widespread public attention and has prompted COAT to seek the
re-establishment of the former City of Ottawa policy (see attached). No other
public consultation has been conducted.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:
There are no Legal/Risk Management impediments to
implementing the recommendations set out in this Report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
CANSEC 2009 will occupy approximately
200,000 square feet of space at Lansdowne Park: 140,000 square feet indoors and
60,000 square feet outdoors. The occupancy period will span six (6) days: 2
show days, 3 move-in days and 1 move-out day.
The event is expected to generate approximately $110,000 in net revenue
for Lansdowne Park from rent, parking, and food and beverage sales.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document
1 - IPD to CS&ED Committee 7 October 2008
Document 2 - Selected List
of CANSEC 2009 Exhibitors
Document 3 - COAT Table of
International Arms Trade
Document 4 - COAT poster
DISPOSITION
Following
adoption of this policy by Committee and Council, City staff will ensure that
no military trade shows will be held in City of Ottawa facilities.
covenants on the Region. The first pertained to a prohibition on any
type of gaming operation while the second concerned the site's designation as a
Major Community Facility in the Region's Official Plan. Consequently, no other
policies of the old City survived the sale and transfer of Lansdowne Park to
the former Region.
Since the prohibition of arms
exhibitions was approved in 1989, Lansdowne Park has not hosted any such
events. However, other events have
since emerged that support companies offering a much broader range of products
and services to civilian organizations and various levels of government, as
well as appropriate military units. This included such things as emergency
preparedness and response, public safety and security, defense/detection
systems, risk mitigation, transportation, communications, etc. These are
typically closed trade shows that are not open to the general public.
In Ottawa, two events in
particular have become established for the defense and security industries, and
have been successfully hosted at the Ottawa Congress Centre for several years:
Secure Canada and CANSEC. With the planned re-construction of the Ottawa
Congress Centre scheduled for September 2008 through to April 2011, these two events
were among the numerous displaced activities seeking alternate venues to serve
as hosts. Both Secure Canada and CANSEC approached Lansdowne Park to host their
events, at least for the interim period as work proceeds at the Ottawa Congress
Centre.
Staff had detailed discussions
with event organizers to better understand the nature and content of each show,
specifically seeking clarification on the presence of offensive weapons on the
trade show floor. In addition, staff
consulted with both Corporate Security and the Ottawa Police Service to gain
more insight into the content of the show and its operational considerations
from a security perspective.
On 18 September 2008,
organizers of Secure Canada 2008 advised its exhibitors and Lansdowne Park
Administration of its decision to cancel this year’s edition of the show, which
was scheduled to take place 30 September and 1 October 2008. Organizers cited
the federal election call and the cost of security for the event as the primary
reasons for the cancellation.
According to organizers, Secure
Canada 2008 (Attachment 3) was to showcase the latest technologies and products
for security, public safety, first responder and dual use non-offensive defence
applications. It would have focused on the requirements of Canada's broader
domestic security environment which encompasses federal, provincial and
municipal government departments and private sector (critical infrastructure)
operators. Non-offensive technologies displayed range from cargo and freight
screening devices to biometric identification technologies, to robotics for
security operations, to emergency equipment and mass notification products and
secure communications required to manage operations in times of emergency or
natural disaster. It was sponsored, in part, by the U.S. Embassy and the U.K.
Trade and Investment Office.
CANSEC is a national defence and
security trade show presented by the Canadian Association of Defence and
Security Industries (CADSI), a national not-for-profit business association
headquartered in Ottawa and representing 700 companies who sell products and
services to military and defence customers in Canada and Internationally. It is
"dedicated to exhibiting technology-based solutions to current and
anticipated Canadian military and security requirements." (Attachment 4)
The current status is that Secure
Canada 2008 has been cancelled by event organizers. Another agreement is currently being negotiated with the Canadian Association of Defence and
Security Industries (CADSI) for CANSEC to be staged at Lansdowne Park in May
2009.
CANSEC is expected to attract
approximately 6,500 attendees who will generate a local economic impact
estimated to be in excess of $5
million. Retaining these types of events
would result in a direct financial benefit to Lansdowne Park of approximately
$200,000 annually.
original signed by
Barry Robinson
BR/ kl
cc: K.
Kirkpatrick, City Manager
L.
Donnelly, Deputy City Clerk
Attachment 1
Attachment
2
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M E M O
/ N O T E D E
S E R V I C E
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To / Destinataire
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Mayor and
Members of City CouncilMayor and Members of Council
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File/N° de
fichier:
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From / Expéditeur
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M. Rick O'Connor, City SolicitorM.
Rick O’Connor, City Solicitor
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Subject / Objet
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Lansdowne Park – ARMX Exhibitions
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Date: DateAugust
19, 2008
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During the last several weeks, various Members of Council
have received inquiries from constituents with regard to Lansdowne Park and, in
particular, an event prohibition undertaken by the former City of Ottawa in
1989 to prohibit “future ARMX Exhibitions”.
Recently, it was confirmed that the U.S. Embassy Defense and Security
Exhibition is contracted to occur at the Exhibition Hall at Lansdowne Park
between September 30th and October 1, 2008. In response to whether or not the previous
event prohibition for such types of trade show from 1989 was still valid, staff
from the Real Property Asset Management Branch provided a response to Members
of Council and included the following brief summary of the legal opinion:
Staff also consulted with Legal
Services regarding the prohibition on hosting arms exhibitions that was
approved by Ottawa City Council in 1989.
The advice from Legal Services was that the previous motion by Council
is no longer applicable, since Lansdowne Park was sold to the Regional
Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton on December 31, 1999. The Transfer Agreement between the City of Ottawa and the RMOC
did not provide any obligation for the continuation of such then-City policies
by the Region at Lansdowne Park.
The purpose
of this memorandum is to provide a more fulsome explanation of the legal
opinion given in this matter.
Council
Resolution (1989)
On April 19,
1989, the former Council for the City of Ottawa endorsed Motion 11/28, as
amended by Motions 11/30 and 11/31, as follows:
Whereas ARMX ’89, a Canadian
exhibition of military hardware and technology is scheduled to take place at
Lansdowne Park from 23-25 May;
AND WHEREAS the arms trade has
little or no consideration of moral or humanitarian issues, in that weapons can
and have been used against civilians;
AND WHEREAS exports of Canadian
military equipment and components end up in countries which persistently
violate human rights;
AND WHEREAS the international arms
trade serves to increase militarization throughout the world and is
inconsistent with arms limitations efforts;
AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa
promotes peace, and respect for human rights;
AND WHEREAS ARMS ’89 is a closed
event and restricted to Canadian Government officials, foreign government
representations, police and security forces and defense industry
representatives;
AND WHEREAS Lansdowne Park is a
publicly supported recreation and trade show facility;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that
Lansdowne Park and other City facilities not be leased to future ARMX or
other such arms exhibitions.
In the
aftermath of the passage of the above-noted resolution, various arms
exhibitions were subsequently held at the Ottawa Congress Centre (the “Centre”)
for several years. However, such an
arrangement is scheduled to end beginning in 2009 due to the planned demolition
and remodeling of the Centre.
Lansdowne: A Regional Facility (1999)
During the
spring and summer of 1999, both Councils of the former Regional Municipality of
Ottawa-Carleton and the City of Ottawa adopted, in principle, various reports
with respect to the assumption of Lansdowne Park by the Regional Government, as
well as the unification of local and regional sewer systems.
On
September 1, 1999, Ottawa City Council endorsed Item No. 2 of Report No. 14
from the Community Services and Operations Committee, being “Lansdowne Park
Revitalization Project – Transfer of Asset and Review of Unification of Local
Sewer System”. In this report, the
former City Council approved both the declaration of Lansdowne as being surplus
to City requirements in accordance with the appropriate by-law and, “that the framework
for the transfer of Lansdowne Park from the Corporation of the City of Ottawa
to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton” be approved as contained in
the attached document. Briefly, the
Transfer Agreement between the two municipal bodies involved an actual exchange
of money, equipment, employees and all buildings and structures on the
Lansdowne Park site, as well as for the formal transfer of legal title to the
Park from the former City of Ottawa to the former Region. Not surprisingly, there were several
covenants that the former Region provided to the former City as a result of the
sale of Lansdowne Park pertaining to life cycle contributions for the Park, as
well as the assumption of the employees on a go forward basis. That being said, there were only two
covenants that the former City sought from the former Region with regard to the
future operation of Lansdowne Park, namely:
1.
“That no future development, facility,
operation or lease/rental on any part of the site contemplate or involve the operation
of a casino or any type of gaming operation”; and
2.
“That, if in the future, the Region
decides to completely remove the Major Community Facility designation on
Lansdowne Park, in the Region’s Official Plan without the concurrence of the
City, the property would then revert to the City for a nominal fee of $1.00”.
These two
requirements were set out in the framework for the transfer of Lansdowne Park
that was specifically approved by the former City Council at its meeting on
September 1, 1999. Item No. 1 was, in
effect, a new policy that the former City was imposing on the former Region
since, prior to the sale of Lansdowne Park, the City did not have a policy
pertaining to gaming or casinos in place for itself at Lansdowne Park. Consequently, the inclusion of such a
covenant in the Transfer Agreement supports the legal opinion that no other
policies or the former City survived the sale and transfer of Lansdowne Park to
the former Region.
I trust the
above is satisfactory. Should you have
any questions with respect to same, please do not hesitate to contact me.
M. Rick O’Connor
RO/ct
Attach.
cc: Kent
Kirkpatrick, City Manager
Steve Finnamore, Executive Director, Business Transformation Services
Richard Hewitt, DCM, Public Works and Services
Steve Kanellakos, DCM, Community and Protective Services
Nancy Schepers, DCM, Planning, Transit and the Environment
Barry Robinson, Director, Real Property
Asset Management
Event Overview
Secure
Canada 2008 will showcase the latest technologies and products for security,
public safety, first responder and dual use non-offensive defence
applications. Secure Canada focuses on
the requirements of Canada’s broader domestic security environment which
encompasses federal, provincial, and municipal government departments and
private sector (critical infrastructure) operators. Non-offensive technologies displayed range from cargo and freight
screening devices to biometric identification technologies, to robotics for
security operations, to emergency response equipment and mass notification
products and secure communications that enable governments to manage security
operations in times of a national emergency or disaster.
For
2008 Secure Canada features three complimentary segments. The C4ISR
component of the show addresses the needs of governments at all levels with
respect to the synthetic environment and leading technologies that enable
security operations. This includes everything from secured communications
to command and control and intelligence and reconnaissance functions.
This segment of the show, branded as TechNet North, is run in partnership
with AFCEA Canada. TechNet North also features conference sessions
addressing the theme of “National Security in a Coalition Environment.”
The
other two segments of the show are the AUVSI Canada Unmanned Systems Expo and
the Canada and the World Showcase. The
Unmanned Systems Expo is being organized in partnership with AUVSI-Canada. This
segment will highlight one of the fastest growing segments of the security
industry – unmanned systems technologies for public and private sector
applications. This includes systems and technologies for robotic
applications utilized in land, air and sea applications in both security and
industrial environments. The Canada and
the World showcase is the third segment. This area features Canadian
companies offering a diverse range of world class security technologies and
products that do not fall specifically into the previous two segments as well
as international pavilions hosted by the U.S. Embassy and the U.K. Trade and
Investment office.
Secure
Canada takes place on September 30 and October 1, 2008, in the Salons of the
Civic Centre at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.
Approximately 3000 visitors are expected to attend from across Canada,
the United States and Europe. Visitors
from within Canada include government representatives from various federal
departments including: Public Safety Canada; Canada Border Patrol; RCMP;
Transport Canada: the Coast Guard, DND, PWGSC and many others. The show is also attended by private sector
security professionals from a broad cross-section of industries ranging from
manufacturing to power generation and the services sector.
For
more information visit www.securecan.ca
or contact:
Rick
Tachuk
Exhibition
Manager
Secure
Canada 2008
613
293-5250
rick@electricstrategies.com
Attachment 4
CANSEC FACT SHEET
CANSEC is a national defence and security trade show
presented by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries
(CADSI). CADSI is a national not-for-profit business association headquartered
in Ottawa and representing 700 companies who sell products, technologies and
services to military and security customers in Canada and internationally.
TRADE SHOW FOCUS:
CANSEC is dedicated to exhibiting technology-based solutions
to current and anticipated Canadian military and security requirements. For
instance, there was an emphasis, last year, on naval systems because the
federal government is interested in modernizing Canada’s navy. That theme is
likely to continue in 2009.
Every day Canadian Forces (CF) members, RCMP officers and
other security personnel put their lives at risk, often leaving their families
and homes behind to courageously and selflessly serve in our nation, defending
Canada’s values and contributing to international peace and security. These people
act in many different capacities, both here in Canada and throughout the world:
they patrol our borders; perform search and rescue operations; provide
assistance during natural disasters and participate in international efforts to
bring stability to failed and failing states.
Millions of Canadians understand the need for such
capabilities and CADSI and its members, through CANSEC are intent on supporting
our troops wherever they are operating so that they are well prepared,
protected and equipped so that they can do their jobs effectively and with the
least possible risk. Exhibits that focus on protective apparel, communication
systems, situational awareness technologies, computer-based simulation
technologies, scanners and identity technologies are always part of our show as
are other sophisticated technologies - each essential to get the job done.
The Canadian government is reinvesting in Canada’s national
security and Canadian business wants to support the government objectives with
their products, technologies and services. CANSEC provides an annual forum for
that purpose.
WHY OTTAWA:
We are in Ottawa for our show because this is where the
federal government operates its defence and security agencies from. CANSEC is
now recognized as one of the best shows in North America for bringing industry
together with its customer base.
ECONOMIC IMPACT:
Last year over 6,500 people attended CANSEC 2008, coming
from across the country to Ottawa for most of a full week. We estimate that the
show generates in excess of $5 million in revenue for the local economy during
this period.
Ottawa is home to over 220 companies that sell to the
Canadian Forces and security agencies. They employ roughly 10,000 knowledge
based workers in the greater Ottawa area. The vast majority of these companies
sell to commercial customers as well as military and security customers in that
their technologies, perhaps created initially for the commercial marketplace,
once adapted, also are able to meet military and security requirements.
We estimate that Ottawa based companies in the defence and
security sector generate close to
$1 billion in annual revenue from their commercial and
military/security sales.
