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

We’re thrilled to unveil the theme for this year’s Peter Wilson Dinner - Roots to Routes.

Inspired by the journey of our 2025 honourees, the Cassidy family, owners of Coach Atlantic, Maritime Bus, Ambassatours Cruise Corp, and T3 Transit, capture this theme perfectly. From humble beginnings to building a vital transportation network across the Maritimes, they've stayed true to their roots while forging powerful new routes for their business and community.

This year, we celebrate all family businesses navigating that same journey, honouring legacy while building the future. Join us as we shine a light on what makes family business thrive.

PLEASE SEE BELOW INFORMATION REGARDING THE EVENING.

~Reception begins at 5:00pm in the Atlantic ballroom. Dinner commences at 6:30pm in the Commonwealth ballroom.
~ Please note any dietary restrictions when registering for the dinner
~ Dress is Business Casual
~ The Westin is offering a flat $10 parking rate for the evening. Pick up your discount ticket at the registration desk. When leaving, insert your original parking ticket first, followed by the $10 flat-rate ticket.
~ Refund requests must be received at least 72 hours before the Dinner to be eligible

THREE COURSE DINNNER MENU:

Salad: Spinach & Arugula; shaved radish, cherry tomato, candied pecans, pomegranate seeds, black cherry vinaigrette
Entree: Pan Seared Chicken Supreme; Sous vide watermelon radish, foraged mushroom medley & asparagus; duck fat confit fingerling potatoes; finished with a blue cheese truffle veloute
Vegetarian/Vegan Entree: Chicago cauliflower "steak" (V, GF, NF) charred on on side; bean blend, crisp chickpeas, snap peas, carrot "bone marrow", tahini green goddess dressing
Dessert:Haskap & maple tart; torched beet meringue, haskap berry coulis; Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea

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, Ambassatours Cruise Corp, 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. Thirteen 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.  

~Reception begins at 5:00pm in the Atlantic ballroom. Dinner commences at 6:30pm in the Commonwealth ballroom.
~ Please note any dietary restrictions when registering for the dinner
~ Dress is Business Casual
~ The Westin is offering a flat $10 parking rate for the evening. Pick up your discount ticket at the registration desk. When leaving, insert your original parking ticket first, followed by the $10 flat-rate ticket.
~ Refund requests must be received at least 72 hours before the Dinner to be eligible

THREE COURSE DINNNER MENU:

Salad: Spinach & Arugula; shaved radish, cherry tomato, candied pecans, pomegranate seeds, black cherry vinaigrette
Entree: Pan Seared Chicken Supreme; Sous vide watermelon radish, foraged mushroom medley & asparagus; duck fat confit fingerling potatoes; finished with a blue cheese truffle veloute
Vegetarian/Vegan Entree: Chicago cauliflower "steak" (V, GF, NF) charred on on side; bean blend, crisp chickpeas, snap peas, carrot "bone marrow", tahini green goddess dressing
Dessert:Haskap & maple tart; torched beet meringue, haskap berry coulis; Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea

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:

RECEPTION:

BRONZE:

Please note: when registering for one of our events, you are agreeing to be a part of our general email list. We never publish, rent or sell our list and you can unsubscribe anytime by following the instructions at the bottom of any email from us. Purchased tickets can be issued a refund given 72 hours of notice. If you have any questions, please contact: info@familybusinessatlantic.ca