Keen to refine our understanding of provincial leadership, the OLIP interns enjoyed the privilege of meeting with MPP John Fraser, Interim Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. First elected as MPP for Ottawa South in 2013, and having served as Interim Leader in 2018, 2022, and concurrently, MPP Fraser brought a wealth of experience from his long tenure in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Our conversation explored leadership in practice, the evolving landscape of provinci

The OLIP interns were delighted to meet with our partner, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), and speak with Krista Orendorff, Vice-President, Public Affairs; Dominika Flood, Chief of Staff and Strategic Advisor; and Yvonne Robertson. Founded in 1962, COU is a non-partisan organization that strives to collaborate with its members to find consensus on a broad breadth of university-related issues and advance them through government and community stakeholders. The organi

The OLIP interns greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet with our esteemed programme partner, Bombardier, and experience a site tour of the Aircraft Assembly Centre with our hosts: Sandra Buckler, Senior Director, External Affairs and Public Relations; Michael Murphy, Director of Methods, New Product Development; as well as Government Affairs interns, Nolan Pittman and Ela Ince. Though founded in 1942, Bombardier’s story started in 1907, with Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s inven

The interns were grateful for the opportunity to meet with Brian Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of Enbridge, and Islam Elsayed, Senior Advisor for Government Affairs, to discuss our programme partner, Enbridge’s, extensive role in North America’s energy sector. Over the course of our meeting with Brian and Islam, we received a comprehensive overview of Enbridge’s operations and its far-reaching impact. The discussion highlighted several striking facts about the company’s sc

The OLIP interns recently had the pleasure of meeting with the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects for an informative discussion on the Association’s work and the broader role of landscape architecture in Ontario. We had the opportunity to engage in conversation with Aina Budrevics, Steven Shuttle, and Gabby Knight.  The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects is a self-regulating professional body that has operated in the province since 1968. As the regulator of

The interns had the pleasure of meeting with our esteemed partner, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), and gaining insight into the organization’s important work across Ontario’s postsecondary sector.  OCUFA is the voice of more than 18,000 faculty members and academic librarians across the province. The organization works to promote high-quality postsecondary education while advocating for the rights and interests of academic staff.    Over

The OLIP interns were honoured to meet with R. J. Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories and MLA for Hay River North. Premier Simpson was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2015 during the 18th Assembly, later elected to the 20th Assembly, and on December 7th, 2023, chosen by his colleagues to serve as Premier. Prior to entering territorial politics, he worked with the Government of Canada and served on the board of the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre. Duri

During our visit to the Northwest Territories, the interns had the honour of meeting with Speaker Shane Thompson and learning from his guidance on parliamentary proceedings.   We are grateful for having had the opportunity to join him for a generous lunch and discuss firsthand his experiences in public service and the important responsibilities of serving as Speaker.     Speaker Thompson shared valuable insights into how the Speaker is elected in the NWT Legislature, as well

The OLIP interns had the amazing opportunity to meet with Yellowknife Mayor Ben Hendriksen during our study tour, where we had an engaging and wide-ranging discussion about some of the most pressing issues facing the city and the broader North.  Mayor Hendriksen shared valuable insights into the evolving political and economic landscape of the Arctic, noting a growing global shift in attention toward Arctic relations and a renewed interest from Ottawa in Northern Canada. Our