Tri-County representatives appointed to new immigration advisory council

Louis Deveau, president of Acadian Seaplants, and Ian Russell, a Digby entrepreneur, will help provide strategic advice on policies and programs to help the province attract and retain more immigrants.

Council members represent a wide spectrum of expertise and backgrounds. Among the new appointees are business, municipal, labour and community leaders, many of whom left their homelands to build highly successful rewarding careers in Nova Scotia.

Terms for council members are staggered, ranging from one-to- three years, so one-third of the council's membership will change annually, providing opportunities for other Nova Scotians to participate.

The council will meet three times annually. The first meeting is expected to take place in early fall. Only travel and meeting expenses for the volunteer board will be paid by the province.

Other council members are:

Richard Miller, president of Clayton Developments Ltd. in Halifax; Flora Riyahi,

Career Advisor for Sun Life; Taleb Abidalico-owner/president for Cresco Homes;

Rick Clarke, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour; Carmelita Cousins library consultant for the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board; Wadih Fares

president/CEO of WM Fares Group and

Honorary Consul of Lebanon; Maurice Guitton, president/CEO of Composites Atlantic; Piyari Rano Khokhar, a retired nurse; Sharon Oliver, president/CEO of Oliver Management CONNEXUS Inc.; Tom Traves

chair of the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents and president of Dalhousie University and Peter Kelly, mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality and

Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities.

Seventy-nine applications were received.