Steve R. Burns

Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (DBSI) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1971 and is a wholly-owned investment banking and brokerage arm of DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corp., ultimately held by Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB, FRA: DBK) in Germany. DBSI provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services to domestic and international private clients and institutions. They are also a primary dealer in US government securities as designated by the Federal Reserve.

ATI Technologies, Inc. designs, makes and, sells graphics accelerators and multimedia solutions. It offers visual and graphics processors for displaying images on personal computer monitors. It also supplies graphics, video and, multimedia products for desktop, workstation & notebook personal computers, digital televisions, cell phones, and game consoles. The company sells its products through personal computer original equipment manufacturers, system integrators, add-in board manufacturers, retail stores & consumer electronics manufacturers in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The firm was founded by Kwok Yuen Ho in 1985 and is located in Markham, Canada.

Scotia Capital (USA), Inc. (SCUSA) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of Scotia Holdings (USA) LLC, which is owned by The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE: BNS; TSE: BNS) in Canada. They provide debt research coverage on US investment grade and high yield debt markets. SCUSA focuses on 6 industries which includes automotive, financial services, healthcare, media and communications, REGAL - real estate/gaming and leisure and technology. They also focus on 4 main global sectors such as power, mining, infrastructure and oil & gas/energy.

ONEX Canada Asset Management, Inc. (Investment Management) (OCAM-IM) is the investment management division of ONEX Canada Asset Management, Inc., an investment company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Formerly known as Gluskin Sheff + Associates, Inc., the firm was founded by Ira Gluskin and Gerald Sheff in 1984 and is a subsidiary of ONEX Corp. (TSX: ONEX). OCAM-IM provides private and liquid market investment solutions to wealth advisors and their clients.

Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. (Burgundy) is a Canadian fund management firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm was founded in 1990 and is a direct subsidiary of Laucam Holdings Ltd. Burgundy offers discretionary investment management services to institutions (foundations, endowments and pension funds) and private individuals through separately managed accounts and commingled funds.

CIBC World Markets, Inc. is a full-service Canadian brokerage and investment banking firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm was founded in 1961 and is a subsidiary of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE, NYSE: CM). CIBC World Markets provides alternative investment managers with premier prime brokerage that brings together trade execution, reporting, research and capital introduction with a view to enhancing efficiencies and profitability.

Scotia Capital, Inc. (Broker) (Scotia Capital-Broker) is the broker-dealer division of Scotia Capital, Inc., a full-service financial services firm headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The firm is owned by The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE, TSE: BNS). Scotia Capital-Broker delivers a broad range of electronic trading products such as high-touch, low-latency, market access and a broad algorithmic trading suite for a wide range of clients globally. They publish monthly indexes to help investors track the performance of Canadian Hedge Funds and Alternative Mutual Funds.

SEI Investments Canada Co. (SEI) is an investment advisor headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm is a subsidiary of SEI Investments Co. (NASDAQ: SEIC), a global provider of asset management, investment processing and investment operations solutions in the US that was established in 1968. Founded in 1983, SEI provides discretionary investment management services to banks, trust institutions, wealth management organizations, independent investment advisors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, not-for-profit organizations, investment managers, hedge fund managers, and high-net-worth families in Canada.

National Bank Financial, Inc. (Broker) (NBF-Broker) is the broker/dealer division of National Bank Financial, Inc., a Canadian mutual fund manager headquartered in Montréal, Quebec. The firm was founded in 1902 and is a direct subsidiary of National Bank Acquisition Holding, Inc., ultimately owned by National Bank of Canada (TSX: NA). NBF-Broker provides retail advisory and brokerage services with institutional brokerage, investment banking, corporate finance and securities clearing services for third parties. The firm has a substantial presence in all regions of Canada, as well as operations in the US and Europe.

Clarus Securities, Inc. is a broker/dealer located in Toronto, Ontario. Their research team covers a wide range of sectors and companies. The theme to all their efforts is the drive to find good investment ideas among the small- to medium-sized issuers in Canada. Clarus Securities' research focuses on growth opportunities in both traditional equities and the business trust sector. They cover a variety of sectors including: alternative energy, clean tech/power infrastructure, energy services, geothermal energy, industrial products, mining, oil and gas, solar energy, special situations and technology.

Desjardins Securities, Inc. is the broker/dealer arm of the Desjardins Holding Financier, Inc., ultimately held by Le Mouvement des caisses Desjardins in Canada. Founded in 1991, the firm is headquartered in Montréal and has an additional office in Toronto. Desjardins Securities offers businesses and institutions with a complete range of securities brokerage products and services through its investment advisors and its Disnat Online Brokerage division. The firm is an approved participant on the Montreal Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, as well as a participating member of the TSX Venture Exchange. In addition, Desjardins Securities is a member of both the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF).

KPMG International Cooperative focuses on the promotion of the economic interests of its members. It engages in the protection, promotion, improvement, and expansion of the KPMG Group. The company was founded on February 8, 1988 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. explores & processes crude oil and natural gas. It also supplies petrochemicals. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada

Founded in 1998, K2 & Associates Investment Management, Inc. is a hedge fund manager headquartered in Toronto, Ontario

Founded in 1988, Beacon Securities Ltd. is an independent investment dealer located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The firm specializes in research, underwriting, trading and sales. Their research focuses on companies with a connection to Atlantic Canada and with income trusts, both in Atlantic Canada and throughout Canada. Beacon's fixed-income team is involved in underwriting, origination, trading and sales. They have significant expertise in the Canadian fixed-income market with a focus on Eastern Canadian provincial, municipal and corporate debt.

Part of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd., PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada provides accounting services. The company is based in Toronto, Canada.

Founded in 1926, Investors Group, Inc. is an investment advisor headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The firm is a subsidiary of IGM Financial, Inc. (Toronto: IGM.TO), one of Canada’s premier personal financial services companies and one of the country's largest managers and distributors of mutual funds and other managed asset products. Their ultimate parent is Power Corp. of Canada (TSX: POW), a diversified management and holding company that has interests, directly or indirectly, in companies in the financial services sector in Canada, the United States and Europe. Investors Group provides financial solutions to Canadians through a network of consultants located throughout Canada. They offer a range of insurance, securities, mortgage and banking services.

Part of State Street Corp., State Street Bank & Trust Co. (Canada) is a nationally chartered commercial bank. The company is based in Toronto, Canada.

Echelon Wealth Partners, Inc. (Echelon) is a Canadian-owned and operated full-service broker-dealer headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm was founded by Robert Furse and David Cusson in 2010 as Euro Pacific Canada, Inc. They are owned by 1-UP Holdings Corp., a holding company. Echelon offers superior investment advice and efficient trade execution for their institutional and retail clients. In 2023, Echelon and PI Financial Corp. (now known as Ventum Financial Corp.) have agreed to combine in a merger of equals to create an investment advisory, wealth management, and capital markets firm.

Research Capital Corp. is an independent, fully integrated national investment dealer headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The firm was founded in 2010 as Mackie Research Capital Corp. until 2021. Research Capital offers a complete range of capital markets and wealth management services to private clients, institutions and growth companies with offices across Canada.

Hydra Capital Partners, Inc. provides capital markets services to public and private companies. It offers financing to companies at various stages of its growth plans. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Brompton Funds Ltd. is an investment management firm headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The firm was founded in 2000 and is owned by Brompton Corp. Brompton manages several TSX listed closed-end and exchange-traded funds. They offer a range of investment solutions for investors that seeks regular income and/or growth.