Kevin Lynch.
Canada’s Clerk of the Privy Council Visits New York City
Last month, Canada’s Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Kevin Lynch, visited New York for a program of strategic outreach. While in the city, the Clerk met with high-level contacts in the business and financial sectors, and discussed issues related to the economy, energy and the environment, global security (specifically the mission in Afghanistan), and Canada-US relations. The participants were highly receptive to the Clerk's presentation on Canada's Economic Action Plan and the role that Canada's sound policy fundamentals have played in helping position it relatively well for managing a synchronized global recession. The Clerk of the Privy Council is Canada’s senior civil servant.
At press time, it was announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that Kevin Lynch, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, would be retiring. “Kevin Lynch has served the Government of Canada with great distinction,” the Prime Minister said, “especially in his role as Clerk of the Privy Council since his appointment in 2006. His long service as a distinguished public servant has earned him respect both nationally and internationally.”
Mr. Lynch’s retirement will be effective as of June 30, 2009. |
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Left to right: Russ Hiebert, MP, South Surrey-Cloverdale-White Rock; Virginia Greene, Business Council of B.C.; Joan McIntyre, BC Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations; Jim Storie, Council of Tourism Associations; John Yap, MLA, Richmond-Steveston.
British Columbia’s Enhanced Driver’s Licence for US Border Use Goes Public
British Columbians can start applying for BC's Enhanced Driver's Licence (EDL) – a driver's licence that also allows the cardholder to cross into the United States at land or water ports of entry between Canada and the United States with a single piece of identification. The province is also offering an Enhanced Identification Card (EIC) for persons who do not drive and for young adults over the age of 12 years. The EDL and EIC will comply with entry requirements as spelled out in the US Government’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. “We have worked very hard with the Government of Canada and federal agencies in the US over the last couple of years to introduce an Enhanced Driver's Licence,” said BC Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations Joan McIntyre. “We are delighted that we can now offer this service to all Canadian citizens residing in BC. Ease of cross-border travel is vital to families, communities, and businesses on both sides of the border.”
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One Canadian Thoroughbred and One Canadian Wolverine
Two Canadians recently came through at the finish line, winning big races: on May 1, Canadian thoroughbred Mine That Bird defied the odds (50-1) in winning America’s most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby; and, that same weekend, Wolverine (the lone Canadian character in Marvel Comics’ The X-Men) took the box office prize with an $87-million opening weekend. In the case of Mine That Bird, a son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone and only the third horse of Canadian pedigree to win the Derby, the win was a monumental upset – one of the greatest in 135 years of the race. In the case of Wolverine, predicting that the Canadian mutant’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine would surge to the top of the box office would have been a much safer advance bet. Neither Mine That Bird nor Wolverine was available for comment.
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Two New Brunswick Communities Nominated for Intelligent Community Awards: Premier Graham to Attend Ceremony in New York
Fredericton and Moncton, two cities in the Canadian province of New Brunswick have been chosen as two of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2009. One of the seven nominated communities (which, this year, also includes: Bristol, Virginia; Eindhoven, Netherlands; Issy-les-Moulineaux, France; Stockholm, Sweden; and Tallinn, Estonia) will be announced as this year’s Intelligent Community of the Year in New York at an annual summit taking place May 13 - 15. Each year, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) presents an awards program for Intelligent Communities and the public-sector and private-sector partners who contribute to them. The awards program has two goals: to salute the accomplishments of communities in developing local prosperity and inclusion in the Broadband Economy, and to gather data for ICF's research programs. New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham will travel to New York to attend the ICF announcement ceremony. The Intelligent Community of the Year will be announced in the June issue of Canada Watch.
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Alberta Minister of the Environment Rob Renner Talks Oil Sands on Visit to New York
Rob Renner, Alberta’s Minister of the Environment, paid a visit to New York City on March 31, and used the occasion to discuss the environmental issues surrounding oil sands development in Alberta, as well as the province’s Climate Change Strategy. He met with key contacts from the NGO, government, and business sectors, specifically David Manning, Executive Vice President, National Grid (and former Alberta Deputy Minister of Energy) and representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the New York City Office on Environmental Cooperation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Minister Renner wound up his day as featured guest speaker at a New York Energy Forum, and, during his address, communicated Alberta’s – and Canada’s – commitment to environmental issues while developing its strength as an energy power.
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Collective Media Closes $20 Million in Growth Equity Funding with Help of iNovia
Following a year of rapid growth and continued profitability, Collective Media, a New York-based ad network and technology provider, announced last month that it has closed $20 million in financing with Accel Partners, in conjunction with Montreal-based iNovia Capital. Collective Media will utilize the new funds to further fuel organic growth, as well as to accelerate technology development, expand internationally, and explore acquisitions. Since its launch in 2005, the company has helped Fortune 1000 brand advertisers extend their reach and target audiences at great scale and efficiency without compromising quality. Montreal’s iNovia, which also has an office in Edmonton, Alberta, is a venture capital firm with a focus on helping entrepreneurs and innovators build successful companies in the sectors of information technology, life sciences, and cleantech.
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Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway Stockwell Day.
Canada and Japan Expand Bilateral Air Transport Agreement
The Government of Canada announced last month that it had reached an agreement with Japan to expand the existing bilateral air transport agreement between the two countries. "This expanded agreement will be of considerable benefit to Canadian business," said Stockwell Day, Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, who was in Tokyo for a series of meetings aimed at opening new opportunities for Canadian exporters and investors. "This agreement will permit Canadian citizens to fly directly to regions in Japan outside of Tokyo, making their travel more efficient,” said Minister Day. “As well, it will help create new jobs for our economy, expand market potential, and build connections for our citizens across the important Asia-Pacific Gateway.”
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Senator Wallin and Ali Velshi accepting their honors.
Canadians Pamela Wallin & Ali Velshi Honored in New York
On April 8, the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) hosted a reception in New York City to honor Canadians Pamela Wallin on her appointment to the Senate of Canada and Ali Velshi on the publication of his first book, Gimme My Money Back - Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis. Senator Wallin is best known for her career in Canadian journalism and as the former Consul General of Canada in New York. Mr. Velshi is best known for his work with CNN, where he is the network's Chief Business Correspondent. The CABC is a Washington-based, issues-oriented organization dedicated to elevating the private sector perspective on issues that affect our two nations.
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