Here’s the news we covered this week:

The Lobby Monitor spoke with Richard Dunn, executive director of the just-launched Helium Developers Association of Canada (HeDAC). As HeDAC begins its work representing helium manufacturers, it jumps into the advocacy world with a high priority: talking about what helium can be used for aside from filling up balloons. “Everybody understands helium and balloons, but raising the awareness around how helium is important in a number of facets to our way of life is something we've put a lot of focus on,” said Dunn in an Oct. 17 phone interview with The Lobby Monitor.

This week the House ethics committee questioned Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger, Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard, interim Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein and former ethics commissioner Mario Dion. The meeting had a significant focus on the issue of sponsored travel. “When I became commissioner of lobbying, it concerned me that lobbyists, who are expecting something from those people that they lobby, can offer travel worth thousands of dollars and then come back and call you to lobby you for something specific,” said Bélanger in response to a question from Liberal MP Pam Damoff. “It certainly creates a sense of obligation that, in my view, is not acceptable.”

Saskatchewan Polytechnic submitted the highest number of communication reports in September, with all but one of those communications taking place on Sept. 26 and 27. The organization filed 59 reports, which contributed to making this September the most active to date with a total of 2,509 communication reports. The previous record-holder for the month of September was in 2020, when 2,496 communications reports were filed.

And Saskatchewan Polytechnic also held the top spot in our round-up of weekly communication reports. Files registered on behalf of the institution state that the school wants to discuss funding opportunities for its infrastructure and programs. The post-secondary institution contributed 43 out of a total of 893 communication reports that were submitted to the federal lobbyists’ registry during the week of Oct. 9.

In this week’s registrations, Little Warriors, a national charitable organization with a focus on awareness, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abuse, has joined the federal lobbyists’ registry for the first time. Cassandra Duncan and Michaela Johnson of Forecheck Strategies will represent the organization. The files for Duncan and Johnson indicate that they will engage government officials to discuss funding opportunities to expand Little Warriors’ treatment services and to educate officials about the organization’s work.

Another organization joining for the first time is SimFront Simulation Systems, represented by Gerry Champagne of CJAG Consulting Group Inc. The consultant will seek out opportunities for a government contract to provide training and operations software, according to his registry file. SimFront is a technology company which designs and develops virtual reality programs to provide simulated training in various careers.

Foran Mining is expanding its presence on the registry as it seeks federal funding to support the creation of a carbon neutral copper mine. Gerassimos Pepelassis of Crestview Strategy is joining his colleague Muhammad Ali to represent the company on the federal registry. Foran Mining owns the McIlvenna Bay mining project in Saskatchewan and is looking to develop the site to extract large reserves of copper, zinc, and other minerals.

New Registry

Based on a search of the federal lobbyists' registry on Oct. 20 at 8:50 a.m. ET.

New Registration

Reactivation