Join us this year for our 28th annual Peter Wilson Dinner with the Cassidy family! Our event will take place on November 7, 2025 at 5:00 pm at the Westin Hotel in Halifax.

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Reception (Cash bar in the Atlantic Ballroom) 
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm: Three course dinner and Speaker's Presentation (Common Wealth Ball Room)

***Please note any dietary restrictions when registering for the dinner. 

***Parking is complimentary and available in the back hotel parking lot. Collect your ticket when you enter the lot, the gate will be open as you depart.

***Dress is business casual.

***Refunds are available if confirmed 72 hours in advance of the Dinner.

***Looking to stay the night? Click here for our exclusive Westin Hotel group rate.

About our speakers..

For over 20 years, the Cassidy Family has been at the heart of the Maritime transportation industry. What started with a single bus company in Prince Edward Island has blossomed into a thriving, multi-faceted operation known for its strong family values, unwavering dedication, and a relentless commitment to the communities it serves. Today, the Cassidy family—Mike, his wife Mary Jane, and their sons Matthew, Stephen, and Ryan—lead three dynamic, family-owned bus transportation businesses under the brands of Coach Atlantic, Maritime Bus, and T3 Transit, collectively operating 250 vehicles and employing 500 people across the region while also finding time and passion for their agriculture and real estate divisions within he family group.

The journey began in 2005 when the Cassidys purchased a small motor coach company in their home province of PEI. In the same year, they launched Charlottetown’s first public transit system, setting the stage for what would become a family-driven transformation in regional transportation. Seven years later, 2012, the family took over the long-established Acadian Lines’ daily scheduled bus service, reportedly losing $2 million per year. 13 years later, the Maritime Bus brand provides vital connections every day across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. “What motivates us is serving a purpose that strengthens our communities,” says Mike Cassidy, father, and founder. “Our businesses are not just about transportation, agriculture and real estate development—they are about people and driving economic growth within the region.”

The Cassidy family prides itself on running the largest privately owned bus company in Canada. Their businesses offer a wide array of services, including group charters, multi-day tours, school contracts, cruise ship shore excursions, daily scheduled line runs and Municipal/Provincial transit services. “My father always says it is hard to think we would be as successful in any other region of Canada,” says Matthew Cassidy, son, and President of the Group. “Our family has no regrets when we reflect on our loyalty to the Maritimes and our significant investments in the region’s bus, agriculture, and real estate sectors.

The Cassidy Family knows firsthand the value of running a family business: fostering close-knit, multi-generational leadership, staying agile in a competitive market, and always staying true to values of service and community impact. The family is proud to be part of the broader movement of family-owned businesses that are the backbone of local economies and the lifeblood of vibrant, thriving communities.

The Cassidy family are proud to be Maritimers, always believing in the future and in one another.  

History of the Peter Wilson Dinner...

The late Peter Wilson, Wilson Fuel Company Ltd., was one of the principal founders of Family Business Atlantic and is remembered and honored annually at our signature event for all he gave toward the development of family business in our region. The Peter Wilson Dinner is a key event for FBA, drawing together hundreds of entrepreneurs from our business community, colleagues and friends of the late Peter Wilson for an evening that salutes and celebrates families in business. 

"The Peter Wilson Dinner has been a celebration of the success and contributions of family businesses for 25 years. Our family and employees have benefitted tremendously by learning from others and sharing our own family business experience. My father, Peter, would be very proud of the event's legacy and the contribution that it makes to the development of family businesses in the region." - David Wilson, son of the late Peter Wilson.

Many thanks to our sponsors:

PLATINUM:

GOLD:

SILVER:

BRONZE:

RECEPTION:

PARTICPANT:

IN KIND:

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