Here’s a look back at the news we covered this week:

Agricultural organizations and exporters will spend the coming months appealing to the federal government to boost the sector’s international trade and market access as a way of ensuring economic growth and post-pandemic recovery. The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) released a new priority document on March 28, outlining three broad policy areas that agricultural exporters would like the federal government to focus on over the next year.

Kristina Martin has founded Kit Public Relations, with a mission of providing “more accessible and customized GR and PR services for businesses in need.” Martin, who was most recently a senior director at Loyalist Public Affairs, plans to offer services to smaller organizations across a range of industries. “I know how hard it is to work within a certain budget for a non-profit that needs these sorts of services. I've also always been passionate about working with non-profits or small businesses that have social impact as part of their mandate,” she said. “I thought that if I can customize services to be a little more specific and not a broad-based, huge retainer, then I can create more opportunities for those smaller, medium-sized businesses.”

The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) posted 39 of the 293 communication reports submitted to the registry last week. The federation is represented on the registry by president Liane Roy and managing director Alain Dupuis. The FCFA communicated with Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor on March 28; Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on March 31; Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet on March 2 and March 16; Conservative Deputy Leader Luc Berthold on March 18; Conservative official languages critic Joël Godin on March 17; and NDP official languages critic Niki Ashton on March 2. Many of the FCFA’s communications concern Bill C-13, the government’s proposed modernization of the Official Languages Act.

In new registrations, Alberta energy company Questerre has hired StrategyCorp consultants Elan Harper, Frédérik Larouche, Lisa Samson, and Andrew Steele, all of whom registered on April 4 to represent it in discussions with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Privy Council Office, Finance, Natural Resources, and Intergovernmental Affairs, as well as with MPs. The discussions, according to the company’s registry file, will centre on the Canadian response to “the urgent European need for reliable sources of energy,” as well as low emissions production, and a “full cycle zero-emission project to recover natural gas for commercial use.”

Also new to the registry is Momentum Solutions, which started its first file on March 28 with Kevin Bosch, Naresh Raghubeer, and Matthew Trapp of Sandstone Group. Based in Toronto, Momentum provides air and freight services for disaster and emergency relief. Momentum is interested in discussing its services with government officials, according to its registry files, as well as exploring procurement opportunities. Bosch, Raghubeer, and Trapp plan to communicate with 10 government agencies, including the PMO, Finance, Global Affairs, Immigration, and Transport, as well as with MPs and senators.

Returning to the registry recently is Harbour Air Seaplanes, a Richmond, B.C.-based airline that operates flights in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands. Harbour Air added consultant Andrea Beltran of Global Public Affairs to the file on April 4, and her colleague Curtis O’Nyon on April 11. Beltran previously represented the company between Jan. 21, 2020, and June 22, 2020. According to its registry file, Harbour Air is interested in discussing the electrification of seaplanes. Beltran and O’Nyon plan to communicate with the PMO, Finance, Transport, Innovation, and Global Affairs, as well as with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on April 14 at 9:05 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations

The Lobby Monitor will not publish on Fri. April 15 or Mon. April 18, due to the long weekend, but will return to its regular publishing schedule on Tues. April 19. Have a great and safe weekend!