James J. Blanchard, former U.S. ambassador to Canada and governor of Michigan, will give the keynote address at the first annual CN Forum, to be held on the MSU campus Thursday, Oct. 6, 2005, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The Forum, titled Strengthening Canadian-U.S. Relations, which will take place in the Kellogg Center auditorium, is free and open to the public.

Blanchards address will be followed by a panel discussion including Marie Bountrogianni, Ontario minister of intergovernmental affairs; Rocco Delvecchio, consul general of Canadas Detroit Consulate General; Sanford Sandy Ring, chief operating officer of the Michigan Economic Development Commission; and Dennis L. Schornack, chair of the U.S. section of the International Joint Commission.

The forum is sponsored by the MSU Canadian Studies Centre and IPPSR (Institute on Public Policy and Social Research) and is funded through a grant from CN to the Canadian Studies Centre. The purpose of the forum is to bring together Michigan and Ontario government and business leaders, as well as researchers, students, the media and the general public, in a discussion of topics related to U.S.-Canadian relations.

For more information and to register for the event, visit the website at www.cnforum.msu.edu