At least three of the companies that benefited from Nova Scotia's provincial nominee program are connected to the president of Cornwallis Financial Corp., the company that administered the program from 2003 to 2006. A list of mentorship companies released by the Office of Immigration Monday includes Abridean Inc., eCRM Networks and Kornova Investments, all companies that have been associated with Stephen Lockyer.

Lockyer was listed as the chairman of Abridean in 2002. The second company on the list, eCRM, is no longer registered in Nova Scotia according to the Registry of Joint Stock Companies. A firm that's in the same line of work and has the same business address, Line 4 Communications, was sold last month by Armshore Investments Limited. Lockyer is Armshore's president. Lockyer represented Kornova at a Halifax regional council meeting seven years ago.

An immigration office official told the legislature's public accounts committee in February 2006 that all mentor companies were approved by a four-member committee. It included representatives from Immigration, Economic Development, Nova Scotia Business Inc. and Cornwallis...

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