Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

New Porter Presence

Ambassador David Wilkins began this week in Toronto as our friends at Porter Airlines proudly showed off their new terminal. 

Minister of Transport John Baird, Porter Air President and CEO Bob Deluce and Chairman of the Board Don Carty were on hand as special guests and media toured phase one of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport's new $50 million, 150,000 sq.-ft. passenger terminal.

The new terminal will officially open in a few weeks and feature everything you expect from Porter Airlines including added lounge space, aircraft gates and the best passenger services around.

Beach Bound

And speaking of Porter Airlines, Team Wilkins is fired up for Porter's inaugural flight to beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, next month. 

The beach-bound flight leaves Toronto Thursday, March 4, headed for our own southern shores and marks the first of what will be a regular schedule of flights between Toronto and Myrtle Beach slated through May 30. 

Bob Deluce as well as Porter Airlines Sales Manager Adam Wilcox are planning to make the first trip down with a plane full of Torontonians ready to play some golf, eat some shrimp and grits, hang on the beach, and do a little shaggin' (get your minds out of the gutter folks – remember, "The Shag" is South Carolina's official state dance and was a staple at Ottawa July 4th parties hosted by David and Susan Wilkins.) 

In fact, we did a little research on the history of our beloved native dance and discovered the bill making "The Carolina Shag" the official South Carolina dance was introduced back in 1984 by our old friend and Wilkins' former colleague in the House of Representatives "Bubber" Snow (yes, you read that correctly.) 

Well, in an act of supreme bipartisanship (way back in 1984 you could fit all of the Republican members of the SC House and Senate in a Waffle House booth with room to spare) the bill passed with flying colors and was signed into law by Governor Dick Riley.  Regular readers of this newsletter will note that Riley went on to become the US Secretary of Education in President Bill Clinton's Cabinet and is now a much beloved senior statesman and partner here at Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough. 

Historic Meeting

Last week, Team Wilkins was proud to be on hand as Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall led the Council of Federation in a historic, first-ever meeting with the National Governors' Association. 

Wall deemed the weekend meetings a "huge success" as Canada's premiers talked energy, trade and the environment with their American counterparts, influential members of the media and the Obama Administration – including Lisa Jackson who heads the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 

Wall offered a preview of the discussions to Reuter's Doug Palmer:

The Canadian premiers will meet with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to discuss U.S. plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.  Saskatchewan, which ships more oil to the United States than Kuwait, is deeply concerned about the possibility of a carbon tax on its exports, Wall said.  "If we see some sort of protectionism masquerading as an environmental policy when it comes to stipulating CO2 as a pollutant, that's a concern," Wall said.  

The premiers will also make the case for hassle-free meat trade between the United States and Canada when they meet with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, he said. Canada and Mexico have challenged U.S. country-of-origin labeling rules as a violation of the United States' World Trade Organization commitments. A recent deal between the United States and Canada on "Buy American" provisions could be a good omen for resolving the labeling spat, Wall said.

Premier Wall also had the opportunity to chat with the legendary CNN anchor Judy Woodruff who is now a senior correspondent on PBS'  "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."  The Premier's 20 minute interview with Woodruff focused mostly on sustainable energy. 

A grand reception was held following the meetings at the beautiful Canadian Embassy (which boasts one of the most magnificent views in all of Washington, D.C.) hosted by Ambassador Gary Doer and attended by many VIPS attending the COF-NGA meetings including the "terminator" himself – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver.