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

As an unaffiliated convoy of truckers arrives in Ottawa to protest against vaccine mandates, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) continues to engage with the federal government on solutions to the industry’s labour shortage and supply chain issues. The CTA has been engaged in discussions with the federal government about the effects of cross-border and domestic vaccine mandates since the summer of 2021, and had sought a delay and revised timeline for implementation. “The door’s open, we're in the room, we're talking around the table,” said CTA president Stephen Laskowski. At the same time, the alliance has distanced itself from the “freedom convoy” (as the movement dubs itself) that plans to disrupt traffic in the capital. 

In industry hires, Matthew Don Trapp has joined Kevin Bosch’s new lobby shop, Sandstone Group, as director of public affairs. A former consultant in Hill+Knowlton Strategies’s Ottawa office, Trapp most recently was the manager of operations and special projects for Ontario’s heritage minister Lisa MacLeod. Meanwhile, Monette Pasher has been named interim president of the Canadian Airports Council (CAC) after Daniel-Robert Gooch departed the role in December after 16 years. The CAC announced that Pasher would step into the interim role on Jan. 24, while the association searches for a permanent candidate. She will remain at her day job as executive director of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association.

Vaping, COVID-19, and supply chain concerns were among the issues raised by the most active organizations on the federal lobbyists’ registry in 2021. The Lobby Monitor has collated the 100 most active organizations in 2021, based on communication reports submitted to the federal lobbyists’ registry. We also spoke to the four most active organizations – the Canadian Vaping Association, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada – about their lobbying efforts last year.

In more recent communications, Unifor posted 26 of the 197 communication reports submitted to the federal lobbyists’ registry last week. Represented on the registry in-house by president Jerry Dias, the union communicated between Dec. 2 and Dec. 17 with several members of cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, and Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez. Many of the communications were related to a virtual lobby week focusing on employment insurance between Dec. 13 and Dec. 17.

In new registrations, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) started its first file on Jan. 17 with independent consultant Max FineDay. Based in Saskatoon, Sask., the federation represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. According to its registry file, FSIN is seeking federal funding to “advance justice proposals, build capacity to advance economic development for Saskatchewan First Nations, and is seeking to support Saskatchewan First Nations in advancing child welfare.” FineDay plans to communicate with Health, Indigenous Services, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Justice, and Women and Gender Equality.

Also new to the registry is the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association (AIDA), which started its first file on Jan. 20 with Kate Mah and Olivia Raycraft of PAA Advisory. The Lethbridge, Alta.-based organization represents 13 irrigation districts in southern Alberta. According to its registry file, AIDA is interested in discussing mitigation and preventative measures against aquatic invasive species, as well as water management, and climate risk adaptation. Mah and Raycraft plan to communicate with 11 government agencies, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Finance, Agriculture, Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, as well as with MPs and senators.

Returning to the registry recently is the Ontario Personal Support Worker Association (OPSWA), which added Summer Senter of Wellington-Dupont Public Affairs to the file on Jan. 17. Senter previously represented the association between March 1, 2021, and Sept. 16, 2021. The organization has returned to the registry to discuss labour and health policies ahead of the 2022 federal budget. Senter will communicate with Finance and Health, as well as with MPs.

New registry files

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Jan. 28 at 9:07 a.m. ET

New registrations

Reactivations