Positioning Canada as an Agri-Food Superpower Panel

This panel explores how expanding value‑added production can drive economic growth, resilience, and competitiveness across Canada’s agri‑food sector. The panel will examine opportunities to move more production, processing, and innovation up the value chain—keeping more economic activity, jobs, and investment within Canada.

Michael Bourque, President and CEO, Fertilizer Canada – Moderator

Bio TBC

JP Gervais, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Impact and Chief Economist, FCC

J.P. oversees FCC’s nationwide agricultural producer lending portfolio and customer experience, ensuring farm operations have access to capital solutions and tailored support through all economic cycles. J.P. joined FCC in 2010 as Chief Economist and previously led the deployment of FCC’s strategy to strengthen investment, innovation and sustainability while
driving higher productivity and competitiveness for the Canadian agriculture and food industry.

Eric Harvey, President and CEO, Railways Association of Canada

Eric was appointed President and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) in February 2025. He has more than 25 years of experience in transportation law, policy, and regulation. Before joining RAC, he served as Assistant General Counsel, Policy and Legislative Affairs, at Canadian National Railway (CN). In this role, he led CN’s work on major legislative and regulatory initiatives, including reviews of the Railway Safety Act and the Canada Transportation Act, while guiding the company’s engagement with federal decision-makers. Prior to this role, he managed the rail regulatory group at CN, providing advice on safety and economic regulation. Earlier in his career, Eric worked in Ottawa for federal transportation regulators and agencies, gaining deep knowledge of public-sector policy development and oversight in rail and other modes. Eric received his law degree from the University of Ottawa and subsequently, a Masters in law from King’s College London. At RAC, Eric advocates for safe, efficient, and sustainable railways, emphasizing supply-chain reliability, investment, and modern regulation to strengthen Canada’s integrated transportation network.

Panelist TBC