North American Union Incs.

The protesters outside the resort's gate, Opposition party critics and various interests from both the left and right wing of the political spectrum have all gathered to condemn the gathering and SPP partnership as everything from undemocratic to a move toward a North American union and a common currency called the Amero.

One of the most contentious issues is an exclusive advisory board of CEOs from some of each country's largest corporations, including Wal-Mart, Home Depot Canada and Lockheed Martin, which will meet with the three leaders this morning.

However, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president Jayson Myers said the partnership is essential in ensuring that cross-border trade can continue to fuel the economy.

"The borders, both as security and making sure they work efficiently, have to be a mainstay of North American competitiveness," said Myers.

While the most vocal criticisms north of the border have come from the more left-leaning parties, environmentalists and social groups, a conservative coalition from the U.S. visited Ottawa to warn against the SPP.

A Republican congressman, a U.S. veterans' group and singer Pat Boone all issued statements condemning the move toward more open U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico.

"We wish our neighbours no harm, but their problems are for them to solve, as ours are for us," Boone's statement declared. "And that's the way it should be."

COMPANY ROLL

One of the central complaints among critics of this week's North American Leaders' Summit is that a group of elite corporate leaders is issuing a list of recommendations directly to the three nations' leaders.

Here are some of the companies whose CEOs are part of the 30-person North American Competitiveness Council:

CANADIAN COMPANIES

- Canadian Council of Chief Executives (Secretariat)

- CN

- Ganong Bros.

- Home Depot Canada

- Linamar Corporation

- Manulife Financial

- Scotiabank

- Suncor Energy

U.S. COMPANIES

- ArcelorMittal

- Campbell's Soup

- FedEx

- Kansas City Southern

- Lockheed Martin

- NBC Universal

- Procter & Gamble

- UPS

- U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Secretariat)

- Wal-Mart

MEXICAN COMPANIES

- Consejo Coordinador Empresarial

- Confederacion de Camaras Industriales

- Consejo Mexicano de Comercio Exterior

- Consejo Nacional Agropecuario

- Centro de Estudios Economicos del Sector Privado

- Tubos de Acero de Mexico

- Avicar de Occidente

- Instituto Mexicano para la Competitivad

- Consejo Empresarial Mexicano de Domercio Exterior

- IMCO (Secretariat)

Source: WinnipegSun.com