(November 13, 2019) A look at the experts behind the collaboration.

By Parker Gallant (a former banker who didn’t like what he was seeing in his Ontario electricity bills).

For the original version of this posting, see here.

For more analysis by Parker Gallant, check out his blog here:
https://parkergallantenergyperspectivesblog.wordpress.com/

The objective of the first in this series was to make the reader aware of how the announcement of April 9, 2019 and the creation of the captioned came about. The Federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, under Minister McKenna was the visible creator but was she the puppet or the puppeteer?  The suggestion in the first of this series implied perhaps a background force played a key role in its creation. The Ivey Foundation and its President were highlighted as that possible force.

The President of the Ivey Foundation, Bruce Lourie, and his past activities, demonstrate he played a significant role in the confines of Ontario’s political landscape!  He and cohorts were very instrumental in creating the Green Energy and Green Economy Act (GEA), responsible for more than doubling Ontario’s cost of electricity.  Some of the players (Gerald Butts, Katie Telford and Ben Chin) associated with the McGuinty led Ontario government moved on to the Federal level and it appears Lourie and the Ivey Foundation may have also moved (not physically) where their influences would be readily accepted.

The captioned “collaboration” will be headed up by Kathy Bardswick, former CEO of Co-operators Group (2018 revenue $2.962 billion). Ms. Bardswick appears to be a believer in “climate change”, based on a 48 page brochure (referenced by Bardswick as a “toolkit”) issued in 2011 by the Co-operators. It has David Suzuki quotes and thanks his foundation for help in its creation. The brochure casually endorses Bruce Lourie’s co-authored book; “Slow Death by Rubber Duck”. Her message in the brochure included a remark indicating her belief in climate change: “Sustainable solutions for our world are going to require the collective participation of us all—government, businesses, non-governmental organizations, community groups, and families—working together.”

Just after the P-CEC was announced, Bardswick was named as the “head” of it.  She became “perturbed” shortly thereafter, “by a recent partisan attack from the office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford”. The article in the National Observer (they receive grants from the Ivey Foundation) noted: “Bardswick also sat on the government’s North American Free Trade Agreement Council on the Environment,” and, ”The body was formed in 2017 to advise Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna on the environmental protections Ottawa was seeking in the trade talks to replace NAFTA.”

The partisan attack reported was; “David Tarrant, Ford’s executive director of strategic communications said that description was all “Liberal spin.” In a tweet, Tarrant cast a skeptical eye on the institute’s independence, calling it an “elite pro-carbon tax ‘institute’” that contained “puppets.” Based on Bardswick’s views expressed in the Co-operators “brochure” and her NAFTA engagement one would be inclined to agree with Tarrant.  It’s clear her views are aligned with those of the Environment Minister; she believes in “climate change”, advocates for “sustainable solutions”, presumably, coupled with a “carbon tax”! Ms. Bardswick rebuttal that she “did not join this institute and agree to initially lead it unless I was assured that this would be independent, and arms-length,” can’t be taken on its merit, based on her views! She also has no discernable scientific education that reflects on her ability to be non-partisan in her role as “head” of the P-CEC much like the “adaptation Chair” Blair Feltmate!

One of the “collaborators” taking part in the P-CEC is the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation and the connected Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change, University of Waterloo. The Intact Centre is fully funded by Intact Insurance.  Intact Insurance had annual revenue (2018) exceeding $10 billion.  The concept of floods, ice storms, hurricanes, etc., linked to “climate change”, allows insurance companies to create other perceived insurance needs resulting in increased premiums to cover potential future losses.  The head of the “Intact Centre”, Blair Feltmate was appointed Chair of the “adaptation” arm of the “collaboration” research team. Feltmate was recently called out.  He was at a conservation event and claimed, “climate change has triggered a surge in flood events in recent years.” As Feltmate put it during his comments at the meeting: “The elephant in the room, from a climate-change perspective, is… too much water in the wrong places.” The CBC supported the claims by Feltmate and due to diligence from Robert Muir, a civil engineer, were required to perform a mea culpa.  Feltmate was also quoted in a National Observer article claiming, “flooding is the number one cost to Canada, relative to extreme weather risk driven by climate change”. The National Observer does not have an Ombudsman like the CBC and have not retracted Feltmate’s claims!

Both Feltmate and Lourie were speakers at the 2014 and 2016 Globe Series conferences so they may very well be acquainted.  The purpose of the conferences is summed up as: “GLOBE Series convenes world-renowned events that accelerate the clean economy.”  It matters not if they are or aren’t acquainted, however, as it’s safe to assume they both endorse the reputed “climate emergency”.

It appears conclusive the outcome of the report/recommendation’s forthcoming from the Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration will be heavily influenced by Ms. Bardswick and Mr. Feltmate! Ms. Bardswick’s claim the “collaboration” will be “independent” is laughable as the likely recommendations from the P-CEC will surely endorse the “climate emergency” related to the bill Minister McKenna got Parliament to pass June 17, 2019!

We can all look forward to “carbon tax” increases and higher insurance rates that will simply make life more difficult for the average family.

PS:  Just received our natural gas heating bill for the month which included the “Federal carbon charge”. HST was also charged on the carbon tax amount raising the percentage of taxes (compared to gas and delivery costs) to 24.8%.  Over 67% (3.5 million) of Ontario households heat with natural gas based on the 2016 census.

For Parker Gallant’s Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, Phase One, see here.

For Parker Gallant’s Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, Phase Three, see here.

For Parker Gallant’s Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, Phase Four, see here.

For previous blogs by Parker Gallant, published by Energy Probe: see here.