Speakers
Commodore J.S. Armstrong, MSM, CD
Director General Naval Force Development
As the son of a career soldier, he grew up in various army and air force bases throughout Canada, but calls Sault Ste-Marie, Ontario his hometown. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a Maritime Surface Officer in 1989 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Kingston, with a Bachelor of Arts Honours History in 1993.
Commodore Armstrong, upon completion of Naval Warfare Officer training in 1994, joined the Pacific Fleet. Since then, he has served onboard HMC Ships on both coasts conducting a number of international deployments including NATO, WESTPLOY, Op AUGMENTATION, and Op ALTAIR. He has had the honour and privilege of commanding three of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships during his command tour and deployed onboard HMCS Toronto as Commanding Officer for Op REASSURANCE in 2014-2015.
Cmdre Armstrong has served in staff positions at Maritime Pacific and Canadian Fleet Atlantic Headquarters. He has served in the National Capital Region in Naval Force Development and as the Chief of Staff for the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.
Cmdre Armstrong is a graduate of the Canadian Forces College Joint Command and Staff Program and the National Security Program. He holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies (MDS) and a Master’s degree in Public Administration both from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Kingston.
Cmdre Armstrong and his bride have raised two outstanding young adults who both excel in the world of academics and athletics. Cmdre Armstrong enjoys hockey and rugby (both sports he plays poorly, but with heart), cycling and coaching.
Derron Bain, MPA, BA, rmc, PMP, C.Dir
Chief Executive Officer, Concert Infrastructure
Having joined Concert Infrastructure at its inception in 2010, Derron is responsible for leading the strategy, project origination, development, investment, financing, and asset management activities of the $505 million Concert Infrastructure Fund. Concert Infrastructure is an independent long-term investor, developer, and manager, established to partner with governments to deliver and manage critical public infrastructure assets that support essential public services that strengthen the economic and social fabric of Canadian communities and the well-being of Canadians. The master trust, equity fund, is backed by ten Canadian union and management pension plans and presently holds twelve infrastructure investments with an aggregate value of more than $3.4 billion. Concert Infrastructure has established itself as the largest investor, developer, and manager of multi-site, bundled, public private partnership (P3) projects in Canada and manages project investments in five provinces or territories. Concert Infrastructure is the lead majority investor and manager of the Iqaluit International Airport. Additionally, Concert Infrastructure has pursued a co-investment strategy with OMERS Infrastructure, providing its shareholders investment exposure and returns from large international infrastructure projects or assets.
Over a twenty-three-year period, Derron has a demonstrated record of successfully leading complex public private partnership infrastructure projects and multi-disciplinary teams, in multi-stakeholder, regulated environments on behalf of the Ontario government and Concert Infrastructure. During his career he has closed or has been assigned lead management oversight of more than twenty-five major infrastructure projects with total capital value over $10 billion. Prior to joining Concert Infrastructure, Derron was a founding team member of Infrastructure Ontario, transitioning from its predecessor agency the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation. With this collective experience, he brings a unique perspective and understanding of the Canadian infrastructure sector and in particular the intersection of government and the private sector business and investment to meet public policy objectives.
A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and Dalhousie University, prior to his career in the Canadian infrastructure sector, Derron was a maritime warfare officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. Committed to veteran support initiatives, in 2023 and 2024 he participated in the True Patriot Love Foundation’s expedition in tribute to the joint Canada-US First Special Service Force or Devil’s Brigade. The expedition honoured the over 2,000 lives lost during their 251 days of combat in World War II, while creating awareness, raising funds and a new team to support the physical and mental wellness of current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans, and their families.
Derron is a Chartered Director serving on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships and has previously contributed his expertise to other not-for-profit boards, including the Juno Beach Centre Association and the Royal Military College of Canada Museum Corporation.
Darrell Beaulieu
CEO, Denendeh Investments Inc., NWT
Darrell Beaulieu was appointed President and CEO of Denendeh Investments Incorporated (DII) and group of companies in October 2005. DII holds investments on behalf of the NWT Dene First Nations in Mineral Exploration, Communications Infrastructure Logistics, Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Food and Supplies Distribution and Real Estate. He is also Founding Director, President and CEO of DEMCo Ltd., a 100% Indigenous owned mineral exploration company established in 2013. Darrell was honored in 2016 by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada with their prestigious Skookum Jim Award, for exceptional Indigenous achievement in the mineral industry.
Mr. Beaulieu served as Councilor for 2 years and 8 years as Chief of Ndilo, Yellowknives Dene First Nation. He is a founder and past president of Det’on Cho Corporation from 1990 to 2000 and served as CEO from 1997 to 2002. He is a founding director and served as President of Det’on Cho Diamonds Inc. from 1998-2002.
Mr. Beaulieu was co-chair of the Mine Training Committee from 1996-2004. He also served on the NWT-Nunavut Chamber of Mines from 1998-2001 and was reappointed in 2015 for another term. And on the Government of the Northwest Territories Mineral Advisory Committee. Currently, he serves on the Northwestel’s Community Advisory Board and ATCO’s Indigenous Advisory Board.
Tjorven Bellmann
German Ambassador to Canada
Tjorven Bellmann has served as German Ambassador to Canada since September 2024. She will share this position with her husband – they will alternate every 8 months.
She previously held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.
In this role, her responsibilities included bilateral relations with Canada, the United States, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Central Asia, the Western Balkans, EFTA countries and Russia, as well as the G7, NATO, Arctic Policy, the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
Before that, she was Director for Security Policy and served in various roles in the field of security policy, in the Press Division at the Foreign Office as well as at the German Embassies in Tel Aviv and Tehran.
She has been awarded the Lithuanian Medal of Honour “Lithuanian Diplomacy Star” and the Polish award ”Bene Merito”.
She studied Islamic Studies and European Political Studies.
Tjorven Bellmann is married to Matthias Lüttenberg. They have three children.
Expert in Greenlandic and North Atlantic Affairs”
Nauja Bianco (pronounced Naia) is a native Greenlander, born and raised in the capital Nuuk. Ms. Bianco currently lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has lived in in Brussels, Belgium (2006-2010), and Toronto, Canada (2017-2019). She works as an independent consultant working with and travelling within the Arctic and the North.
Nauja has a major in political science from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and Sciences-Politique in Lille, France, Nauja’s career the first 15 years was within government, diplomacy, international relations, and foreign- and security policy. Nauja has worked for the Government of Greenland (in Nuuk as well as Brussels), as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and in the intergovernmental organization of the Nordic Council of Ministers (cooperation between Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland along with Greenland, Faroe Islands and Åland Island).
After 15 years in government and diplomacy, Ms. Bianco moved to Toronto, Canada, and became an independent consultant with her own company (Isuma Consulting) where she did strategic advisory work within Arctic and Nordic affairs and freelance journalism and communication. After returning to Denmark, she became the CEO of the North Atlantic House and the Greenlandic House in Odense, Denmark. North Atlantic House is a cultural house portraying arts and culture from Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland along with a business network facilitating greater business knowledge of the three countries. The Greenlandic House works with Greenlanders (on all levels) living in Denmark. Per September 1, 2023, Nauja revived Isuma Consulting and is now an independent consultant.
Ms. Bianco’s overall area of expertise is facilitating cooperation in the Arctic and the Nordic countries on policy, governance, arts, and culture. Being a global Greenlander, working for creating added value for the Arctic, the Nordics, and the trans-Atlantic bonds has always been an ambition. She focuses on the need of connecting the dots – initiatives, governments, businesses as well as people – through many means.
Danielle Bochove
Senior Reporter, Global Arctic for Bloomberg News (full time)
Danielle Bochove is a Senior Reporter at Bloomberg, covering the global Arctic and climate change. Prior to joining Bloomberg she worked for Reuters in Chicago, Tokyo and London, and for The Canadian Broadcast Corporation as a national television and radio presenter. She studied International Relations at Trinity College at the University of Toronto and is a Senior Fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History.
Aurélie Bonal
Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation to Canada
Aurélie Bonal is the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Canada, a role she began in September 2024. With two decades of experience in French diplomacy, Ms. Bonal has previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the French Embassy in the United States (2020-2024) and as Press Counsellor and Spokesperson at the French Embassy in the UK (2016- 2020). She also led the Western and Nordic Europe Department at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2016 and has held key positions in French embassies in Ireland and Argentina. Ms. Bonal is a graduate of École nationale d’administration (ENA) and Sciences Po Aix. Aurélie is married with two children.
Sean Boyd, FCPA, FCA
Chair of the Board, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
Mr. Boyd serves as the Chair of the Board of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. Prior to this role, he was the Executive Chair of the Board from February 2022 until his retirement in December 2023, and Vice Chairman and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 1998 to 2022. Before his appointment as CEO, Mr. Boyd served as the Chief Financial Officer from 1990 to 1998 and Comptroller from 1985 to 1990.
During Mr. Boyd’s tenure as CEO, Agnico Eagle grew from a small, single mine gold producer to a multi-mine international gold mining company. In December 2020, the Globe and Mail ROB Magazine recognized him as its Global Visionary of the Year CEO. He was recognized as The Northern Miner’s Mining Person of the Year in 2007 and 2017 and appeared on the list of The Best-Performing CEOs in the World in the Harvard Business Review in 2010, 2016 and 2017.
In 2019, Mr. Boyd was recognized by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) as a Fellow, the highest honour bestowed upon a CPA within the accounting profession. In 2021, Mr. Boyd received the degree Doctor of Laws honoris causa, from St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia).
Mr. Boyd served on the Board of Directors of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (2013 – 2022). He has also served on the Boards of the World Gold Council and the St. Francis Xavier University Board of Governors.
Prior to joining Agnico Eagle in 1985, Mr. Boyd was a staff accountant with Clarkson Gordon (Ernst & Young). He is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA) and a graduate of the University of Toronto (B.Comm.).
Honourable Caitlin Cleveland
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, NWT
The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly.
In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics.
Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families.
Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow.
Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Commodore M. Coates
Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), former Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2)
A native of Halifax Nova Scotia, Cmdre Coates is a Naval Warfare Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada Kingston, with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1998, and from Salve Regina University in 2010 with a master’s in management.
Cmdre Coates has held numerous staff and sea-going appointments, deploying multiple times on operations around the globe. Memorable highlights include a 2011 deployment as Executive Officer in HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN in support of NATO operations off the coast of Libya, and his appointment in 2013 as the Commanding Officer of HMCS IROQUOIS, a Tribal Class Destroyer. After his time in IROQUOIS, he assumed command of Sea Training Atlantic where he was responsible for at-sea ship readiness and certification training.
He is a two-time graduate of the United States Naval War College in Newport Rhode Island where he attended the Naval Staff College (class of 2010) and Naval Command College (class of 2017).
In July 2017, he assumed the post of Director Naval Strategy, providing Force Development guidance in support of the future Navy. During this time Cmdre Coates was selected to participate in the RIMPAC 2018 Executive Steering Committee, responsible for planning major aspects of the multi-national exercise. He then deployed with the Chilean Navy as Deputy to the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander for the exercise.
In July 2019, he assumed the post of Director Human Rights and Diversity within Chief Military Personnel, working to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces, along with the Defence Team, are an inclusive, equitable and diverse organization.
After two rewarding and educational years in CMP, he returned to Navy lines, moving to Victoria BC to take up the appointment as Commander, Naval Personnel and Training Group.
Evolving the Naval Training System to be best positioned to meet the needs of the RCN’s future fleet, Cmdre Coates completed three busy years prior to his appointment as Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, during a ceremony 1 July 2024 in Toulon, France.
When not at work, Matthew and his wife Meghan, enjoy time camping with their two boys, and cheering them on at the ball park and hockey arena.
Luke Coffey
Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute focusing on foreign policy issues. Prior to joining Hudson, Mr. Coffey worked at the Heritage Foundation as a research fellow and Director of the Foreign Policy Center. He has travelled extensively in the Arctic region and is a prolific writer on Arctic security issues. Mr. Coffey previously served at the UK Ministry of Defence as senior special adviser to the British Defence Secretary. He was the first non-UK citizen appointed to this position by the prime minister to provide advice to senior British ministers. He also worked in the House of Commons as an adviser on defense and security issues for the Conservative Party. His work in British politics followed his service to the United States as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. He is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He holds a masters in science degree in European politics from the London School of Economics.
Rebecca Connelly
Vice President, Strategy and Engagement, Det’onCho
Rebecca has extensive experience in large-hub airport management, including community outreach, finance, and economic development. She has parlayed that experience into nurturing strategic relationships between Det’on Cho and their internal and external stakeholders across industry, government, non-profits, and academia.
Rebecca serves as a director for the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and is a Yellowknife Airport Economic Advisory Committee member.
Originally from Florida, Rebecca holds a business degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She lives in Yellowknife with her husband and their dog, where she enjoys attempting new winter sports, cooking, and travelling in her free time.
Glenn R. Cowan
Founder & CEO, ONE9
2 and has grown ONE9 into one of Canada’s leading defence and security ecosystems with a focus on investing in dual-use technologies that are validated by national security end-users.
Having deployed on multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, sensitive information operations in the Middle East and hostage recovery efforts in Africa, he experienced
first-hand how technological
implementation and overmatch is a force multiplier for success.
Armed with a deep knowledge of the capability requirements of national security organizations Glenn is an advocate that a Tier 1 Special Mission Unit is an untapped technology incubator; accelerating talent, innovation and imaginative problem solving.
Ali Dolatabadi
Professor, University of Toronto
Dr. Ali Dolatabadi is a leading researcher and educator in the field of Multiphase flows and surface engineering. His research on multiphase flows develops fundamental understanding of sprays for thermal spray processes, and of droplet dynamics, heat transfer and phase change for development and characterization of novel functional coatings. His research group has developed electro-catalytically active electrodes for hydrogen evolution, micro filtration membranes, superhydrophobic, icephobic, and slippery coatings. He has provided valuable service to the mechanical engineering community on many fronts during his tenure at CSME as well as the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC).
Craig Fleener
Deputy Director, Ted Stevens for Arctic Security Studies
Craig Fleener has been the Deputy Director of the Ted Stevens for Arctic Security Studies since 2023.
He was born and raised in Alaska. He’s from Fort Yukon, a small town on the north bank of the Yukon River, eight miles above the Arctic Circle in northeastern interior, Alaska near the Yukon, Canada border.
He has a 38-year military career where he began as an enlisted U.S. Marine from 1986-1990. He transitioned to the Alaska Air National Guard in 1991 where he still serves today. He received his U.S. Air Force commission in 2001 from the Academy of Military Sciences. He has served as a supply warehouseman, a .50 caliber machine gunner, a KC-135 aircraft crew chief, a maintenance controller, a maintenance officer, and an intelligence officer.
Craig spent time deployed in the U.S. Central Command region. He currently holds the rank of Lt. Col., serving in the Alaska Air National Guard with the 168 Airlift Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska.
In his civilian career, he served his community and tribe as a wildland firefighter, wildlife biologist, climate researcher, and director of a regional tribal non-profit providing healthcare, education, and natural resources management services. He has served in elected office for his tribe and the City of Fort Yukon.
Craig served as a Permanent Participant of the Arctic Council as the International Co-chair of the Gwich’in Council International. He worked for three governors of Alaska as the Director of the Division of Subsistence, as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, and as an appointed cabinet member responsible for Arctic Policy and as Director of State and Federal Relations, where he also served as third in the line of succession for governor.
Fleener has also worked in and has a passion for economic development with a focus on rural and tribal development, blue economy, and new opportunities for rural residents of the state. Recently, he supported the advancement and construction of broadband in rural Alaska.
He graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1999 with a BSc. in Natural Resources Management, in 2012 with an MA in Intelligence Studies from American Public University, and completed substantial work towards an MSc. in Wildlife Biology through the Resources and the Environment Program at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
Mads Qvist Frederiksen
Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council (AEC)
Prior to joining the AEC in March 2021, Mr. Frederiksen worked as a Senior Advisor in the Global Trade and Investment unit at the Confederation of Danish Industry. Here he was responsible for Arctic business development and policy.
Before he has worked in manufacturing, communication and as a journalist. In addition to Arctic policy and trade promotion, his previous work has been within
sanctions and export control, development work, foreign investments, communication, journalism, training and capacity building.
Mr. Frederiksen is originally from Denmark. He has an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School, a MA in Middle East Studies from the University of Southern Denmark and a BA in Journalism and Contemporary history from City University and QMUL Mr. Frederiksen has lived and worked in Denmark, Norway, Algeria, United
Kingdom, Iran and Afghanistan.
Hlynur Guðjónsson
Iceland Ambassador to Canada
Ambassador Guðjónsson was accredited as Iceland’s Ambassador to Canada in September 2021. He has 30 years’ experience in international trade and investment, public relations, advertising, and politics. He holds degrees in Integrated Marketing Communication as well as History from Emerson College (USA) and the University of Iceland, respectively.
Prior to joining the Embassy of Iceland in Ottawa he served as Consul General and Trade Commissioner at the Consulate of Iceland in New York, where he was responsible for the trade and investment portfolio for the United States and Canada. There he served concurrently as the General Manager of the Icelandic-American Chamber of Commerce, co-founder and chairman of the Nordic Innovation House New York and Nordic City Solutions. He founded and served on the board of the Foreign Trade Commissioner’s Association in New York, of which he was the Chairman from 2006-2012. Guðjónsson was appointed to the Export and Marketing Council of Iceland in February 2019 for four years.
Prior to the Consulate General’s office, Guðjónsson served as brand manager for Icelandic USA, Inc., a global seafood importer, wholesaler, and manufacturer, where he developed and executed the company’s branding initiatives.
Ambassador Nikolaj Harris
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Canada
Ambassador Harris is appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Canada as of December 2024.
Ambassador Harris joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark in 2001 after having worked for the Danish Institute for Human Rights from 2000-01 mainly in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Ambassador Harris has spent half of his carrier at Danish missions abroad; 2004-07 as Deputy Head of Mission in Lithuania and 2009-13 as Deputy Head of Mission in Turkey.
In 2013 he was appointed Deputy Director for the Department for the Middle East and North Africa in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen where he served – with a short break as Chargé d’Affaires at the Danish Embassy in Cairo for 6 months in 2016 – until he was appointed Ambassador to Morocco and Mauritania in August 2018. In August 2021 he returned to Copenhagen and took up the position as Director for Consular Affairs and Crisis Management which he held until November 2024.
Ambassador Harris obtained a Master in Contemporary History and Political Science from the University of Copenhagen in 2000. He took selected modules of the Master in Public Governance programme at the Copenhagen Business School and Copenhagen University in 2014-15 and in 2022-23 he concluded the programme “Leadership in Public Governance”.
Ambassador Harris was Knighted (Order of Dannebrog) by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II in 2019. He speaks English, German, French and Russian (basic level).
Ambassador Harris was born in June 1972, he is married and has three adult children.
April Hayward, Ph.D., MBA
Chief Sustainability Officer, Li-FT Power Ltd.
Dr. April Hayward leads the environment, permitting, engagement, and corporate social responsibility programs for Li-FT Power Ltd. – a Canadian critical minerals exploration company with assets in the Northwest Territories and Quebec. April has over 25 years of experience working in the fields of environment and sustainability in the academic, public, and private sectors. For more than a decade, Dr. Hayward’s career has been dedicated to developing collaborative relationships between industry, Indigenous communities, regulatory agencies, and academic researchers to advance sustainable development in the mining industry in northern Canada. April has a Ph.D. in ecology from McMaster University (2007) and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business (2022).
Kenneth Høegh
Head of Representation,
Greenland Representation in Washington D.C.
Mr. Kenneth Hoegh is a Greenland national, born in 1966 in Narsaq in South Greenland. He has dedicated his career to both development in his home region, on national level, as well as in international cooperation. Mr. Hoegh has an extensive experience and knowledge within
Arctic matters.
Early in his career, he served as an agricultural advisor within his home district of South Greenland, followed by international postings to Nepal, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Upon his return to Greenland, Mr. Hoegh worked as Deputy CEO/Acting CEO at Kujalleq Municipality in South Greenland, before he became Deputy Minister in the Greenland Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In August 2021, he was posted to the Greenland Representation Washington D.C. on behalf of the Government of Greenland.
Mr. Hoegh has extensive experience and knowledge on both Greenland and the Arctic in general, as well as the Kingdom of Denmark’s foreign and security policy in the Arctic, including the cooperation between Greenland, Denmark and the United States.
Mr. Hoegh has a large network in Greenland as well as withinn Nordic, Greenlandic-American and Arctic co-operation, and also has experience within tourism development, fisheries policy, infrastructure development and natural resource management.
In his personal life he is married to Pitsi Hoegh and has four children, and two grandchildren.
Mr. Hoegh holds a M.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Copenhagen (1993). Has been involved in a number of different boards and committees. Mr. Hoegh is a passionate arborist on Arctic and Alpine tree lines, and has for the last 35 years, as an extended hobby, worked with the establishment of a tree line arboretum in Narsarsuaq, Greenland.
Yvonne Jones
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)
Member of Parliament for Labrador
Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones is the Member of Parliament for Labrador and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Northern Affairs and to the Minister of National Defense (Northern Defense. She has also served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, to the Minister of Intergovernmental & Northern Affairs and Internal Trade, and to the Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. While serving in opposition, she was the Liberal Critic responsible for Northern Development and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, ACOA, as well as Search and Rescue.
Prior to her election to the House of Commons in May 2013, Ms. Jones was the Liberal MHA for Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair elected in 1996. At the age of 27 she became the first Inuk woman of Labrador to hold a seat in the Provincial Legislature. During her time as an MHA she served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Department of Works, Services and Transportation and to the Department of Health. In 2003, Ms. Jones was the first women in Atlantic Canada to be appointed Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture. She was also the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. Ms. Jones was appointed Interim Leader and later became the first female leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador and leader of Her Majesties Loyal Opposition on November 2007 until 2011.
Prior to political life, Ms. Jones graduated with a Diploma of Applied Arts in Journalism and began her career as a journalist in Newfoundland and Labrador. She worked throughout the province as a news reporter and as a writer with The Telegram in St John’s. She later accepted a position in research with Memorial University’s division of the Labrador Institute and moved back to Labrador. After completing her work with the Labrador Institute, she took a position as a Resource Employment Counselor with Human Resources Development Canada and settled back in her home region of NunatuKavut. Ms. Jones was also an entrepreneur and has owned and operated small businesses in Labrador in both the transportation and tourism sectors. Her first foray into politics was as Mayor of her hometown, Mary’s Harbour, NL.
Through her volunteer work with the Battle Harbour Development Corporation, the Combined Councils of Labrador, the NunatuKavut Government and her work both provincially and nationally, Ms. Jones played a significant role in improving the quality of life not only for the people of her region, but for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada’s North.
Mike Kennah
CEO, International Telecom
Mr. Kennah has been in the submarine cable industry for over forty-five years. After graduating from university with a degree in Marine Sciences he started immediately in the submarine cable industry utilizing his background in marine sciences as well as his commercial diving operations experience. Since then he has been involved in all aspects of the industry including marine survey, route engineering, installation and cable maintenance and has worked on over sixty international cable systems. Today Mr. Kennah acts as group CEO and sits on the Advisory Board of IT International Telecom.
Bo Lidegaard
Political and Strategic Advisor
Dr. Bo Lidegaard, political and strategic advisor. Bo has three decades experience as a geo-political and climate advisor, top-level diplomat and G20 sherpa, climate change negotiator, newspaper editor, and writer on contemporary history. In recent years, Bo has deep dived into critical raw materials especially as they pertain to the Arctic and supply chains for green energy and industries.
Bo served as top diplomatic and national security advisor for six years at the Office of the Danish Prime Minister and lead the political negotiations in the lead up to the Climate Summit in Copenhagen 2009. He maintains a personal network with high-ranking officials throughout Europe, the US, Canada and Greenland.
In 2021, Bo co-founded Kaya Partners providing high level, business oriented advise where geopolitics intersect with climate transition, industrial policy, and European efforts to harness competitiveness.
Kaya is now established in Copenhagen, London, Nuuk and Washington advising major corporations and financial operators with special emphasis on mounting sustainable extraction and processing of critical raw materials.
Marlene Matou
Councillor, Nahanni Butte Dene Band
Councillor Marlene Matou is an Indigenous Woman (Dene, First Nation) from the picturesque community of Nahanni Butte, located in Northwest Territories. She was raised by her late grandparents Margaret & Joseph Konisenta in Nahanni Butte, and she is immensely grateful for learning traditional & cultural knowledge from them. She has two sons – Qualin and Brayden and her husband Eric Matou, community Water-plant Manager.
Councillor Matou is a multi-disciplinarian and has extensive knowledge in healthcare, education, agriculture, northern infrastructure and transportation. She has worked with GNWT Department of Health and Social Services for over two decades, as the community health worker. She is the current chairperson for the local education board, a council member for regional wellness team, a volunteer at local fire department and a member of Indigenous Advisory Body, NWT.
Councillor Matou has been supervising the Elder Care programs for the community of Nahanni Butte for last 4 years and she is always there to help community members. Currently she is serving as the Manager for community Fuel station and community Emergency Measures Agency. She is also involved in multiple community infrastructure development projects ranging from housing to roads to recreation infrastructure at various capacities. She is spearheading community agricultural initiatives since last year, managing community gardens and greenhouse. She is proud about her work at the newly constructed community Greenhouse.
Councillor Matou is passionate about ice-fishing, going out on the land, hunting, boating, driving and cooking. Canada’s North is warming up 3 times faster than the rest of the world and we are seeing the impacts. This warming is affecting the land, biodiversity, cultures, and traditions of the region. Councillor Matou believes that any action to mitigate climate change risks should focus on long term solutions.
Lisa Mitchell
President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships
Lisa Mitchell is the President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, a national not-for-profit, member-based organization with broad representation from across the public and private P3 industry participants.
Lisa has 20 years of leadership, communications, and public affairs experience, including more than a decade advocating for and advancing P3s, most recently as Senior Director, Investments, Partnerships and Innovation at Infrastructure Canada. Prior to that Lisa was Director, Strategy and Market Development at PPP Canada Inc., where she led the strategic planning and corporate reporting functions as well as policy and communications for the Crown corporation.
As an advocate for Canada’s P3 model and market, Lisa has led extensive research initiatives on the model to position Canada as a global leader. She is a recognized thought leader in Canada and internationally and is the former Chair the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Senior Infrastructure of PPP Officials Network.
Allana Nakashook-Zettler
Chemical Engineering Student, University of Toronto
Allana is an Inuk student in her final year of Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto, with a minor in Bioengineering. Her career thus far has focused on the environment and climate change mitigation, particularly greenhouse gas quantification. This is demonstrated through her roles in greenhouse gas mitigation programming with Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as with an environmental consulting firm Brightspot in Calgary, Alberta. Allana also has experience in Indigenous consultation through a role with the federal government, showcasing her passion for making a meaningful impact in every position she takes on. Looking forward, Allana is excited to graduate this June and is eager to make meaningful connections with others.
Karin Öhman
Deputy Head of Mission
Embassy of Sweden to Canada
Karin Öhman is the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Ottawa, a role she has held since August 2022. She joined the foreign service in 2002 and has since then served in several roles at home and overseas. Her most recent role was in Beijing as the Head of the Political Section at the Swedish Embassy (2019-2022). She has previously served as the Deputy Head of Mission to the Swedish Embassy in Singapore (2011-2015) and Dhaka (2008-2011). She has also held positions within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Sweden, including Deputy Director roles in both the Human Resource Department and the Department for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation and desk officer at the Department for Global Security and the Africa Department.
She holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Research and a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Assistance, both from Uppsala University, Sweden. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Languages from Stockholm University, Sweden.
Honourable Erin O’Toole
President and Managing Director of ADIT North America; former MP, Durham and Leader of Conservative Party
Erin O’Toole is the President and Managing Director of ADIT North America and serves on the executive committee of ADIT Group. ADIT Group is a Paris-based business intelligence firm that provides global investment due diligence, operational support and economic diplomacy services around the world. He assumed this role after having served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and a Member of Parliament for a decade. In 2021, Erin ran to be the Prime Minister of Canada in the general election held amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenging circumstances of the election, Mr. O’Toole won the popular vote and advanced a series of policies that continue to resonate in Canadian politics today.
First elected in a 2012 by-election. Mr. O’Toole was quickly promoted to Parliamentary Secretary for International Trade, where he helped the Canadian government finalize trade agreements around the world. He was also responsible for corporate social responsibility efforts for the resource sector and regulatory cooperation with the United States. Promoted to cabinet a year later, Erin modernized the Veterans Affairs department and was a leading voice for the Conservative government on defence and national security issues. In opposition he served as Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs before becoming Leader of the Opposition.
Erin is one of Canada’s most respected thought leaders on economic and foreign policy issues because of his public service, his private sector experience and his service in uniform. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Erin served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force flying on the Sea King helicopter in support of naval operations. A graduate of Dalhousie Law School, Mr. O’Toole practiced law at Stikeman Elliott and Heenan Blaikie in Toronto and spent five years as in-house counsel for Procter & Gamble.
Erin and his wife Rebecca live in Toronto and are the proud parents of Mollie and Jack. He continues to comment on geopolitical and economic competitiveness issues in Canada and hosts the popular Blue Skies podcast exploring these issues.
Jon-Åge Øyslebø
Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Norway, Ottawa
Senior Foreign Service officer with extensive bilateral and multilateral experience, currently posted as Minister Counsellor to the Embassy of Norway in Ottawa, Canada, his wife’s home country. Former ambassador of Norway to the Democratic Republic of Congo and four other countries in the region.
Øyslebø has previously served at Norwegian embassies in Morocco, United States, Poland, Mozambique and South Africa, as well as with Norway’s delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva. Early career experience as a journalist and media adviser.
He holds a Cand.mag degree in political science and languages from the University of Oslo, with more recent credits in international election monitoring from the University of Bergen. He attended the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Course on National and International Security in 2018.
Dave Prodger
UK Deputy High Commissioner to Canada
David has served in a number of roles at home and overseas, both across government and in the private sector.
David joined the foreign service in 1999. His most recent role was in London, as the Deputy Director for International Strategy in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Prior to this, he served as Her Majesty’s Consul General in Miami. In addition, David has served abroad in Belgium as Deputy Ambassador and Argentina as Head of Trade and Investment. His home roles have included policy oversight for European security, the Middle East and Central America.
Prior to joining the FCO, David was a Chartered Surveyor and geographic information specialist. He worked on a range of domestic and international projects on land reform, oil and gas exploration and geodemographic modelling.
David is married to Tiffany and has three children.
Jasmine Redfern
CEO, Arctic Inspiration Prize
Jasmine Redfern is an experienced leader and advocate with a deep commitment to advancing social and economic development in the Arctic. As a lawyer and President of Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association as well as the outgoing
Chair of the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, she has played a pivotal role in fostering equity, inclusion, and resilience across Nunavut.
Jasmine’s career spans over a decade in social policy and executive leadership, including roles with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. She has worked extensively on interagency partnerships with multi-stakeholder involvement, grant-funded initiatives, and community-driven projects that align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, ensuring collaboration with Indigenous communities.
Jasmine’s expertise in governance, Indigenous rights, and social and economic resilience makes her a trusted voice with a vision for a thriving, sustainable North. Her current projects aim to create and enhance economic opportunities for Inuit in the arts and cultural sectors.
Madeleine Redfern, LL.B.
Executive Director, Northern Branch, Arctic360
Madeleine Redfern is an Indigenous woman involved in high-tech and innovation. Actively involved in transformative technologies in telecommunications, transportation and energy.
Currently Madeleine is the President of Amautiit: Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association, President of Ajungi Consulting Group; Chair of Nunavut Legal Services Board; Advisor to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Trudeau Foundation Board Member (former Trudeau Foundation Mentor); Co-Chair with Gordon Munk Arctic Security Program; Board member of Maliiganik Legal Aid. Madeleine is from Iqaluit, Nunavut and a graduate of the Akitsiraq Law School with an LLB from the University of Victoria. She was the first Inuk to be given a Supreme Court of Canada clerkship.
As a businesswoman and a strong social advocate for transformative initiatives, Madeleine has a great deal of governance and volunteer experience with Indigenous and Inuit organizations, including, but not limited to, Inuit Non-Profit Housing Corporation; Tungasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre, and one of the founding members of Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre and Inuit Head Start in Ottawa. Madeleine was also the executive director of the Qikiqtani Truth Commission, a commission that reviewed the “effects of federal government policies on Eastern Arctic Inuit” between the 1950s and 1980s.
Madeleine’s advocacy, professional, and governance work shown my dedication and passion towards the development and delivery of programs assisting Indigenous, Inuit, northerners and Canadians that reflect their values, needs, and priorities. Madeleine received the Indspire Award for Public Service to acknowledge and celebrate all her hard work, commitment and contributions.
Dr. Jessica M. Shadian, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Arctic360
Her expertise is regularly solicited by media organisations, governments, the private sector, academia, and think tanks. Shadian’s 2014 book: The Politics of Arctic Sovereignty: Oil, Ice, and Inuit Governance (Routledge) is the first in-depth history of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) and Inuit sovereignty in global politics reaching back to pre-European discovery. Her consulting work began while living in the Norwegian Arctic as the co-creator and organizer of an Arctic Dialogue series that brought together state and local political and industry leaders, local and Indigenous communities, and academia to increase information sharing about Arctic resource development.
Dr. Shadian holds a Ph.D. in Global Governance from the University of Delaware (2006) during which she wrote her doctoral dissertation at the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), University of Cambridge, UK on an NSF award. She spent the following 5 years in Norway at the Barents Institute and then as a Senior Researcher at the High North Center for Business and Governance, Nord University, Bodø after which she was awarded an Associate Professor, Marie Curie COFUND Fellowship, at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS), Denmark. In June 2017, Shadian completed a two-year Nansen Professorship co-funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of Akureyri, Iceland after which she turned to dedicate herself full-time to build Arctic360.
Shadian lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.
Helene Scherling Olsen
Deputy Head of Trade, Sr. Advisor, Arctic, Danish Trade Council, Canada
Helene Scherling Olsen is Deputy Head of Trade and a Senior Commercial Arctic Advisor at the Danish Trade Councl in Toronto.
In her role as Deputy Head of Trade she is responsible for the management the Trade team as a whole, ensuing the balace between our clients needs and the individual sector team ressources.
Her own focus area is on Arctic Commercial opportunities for companies in the Kingdom of Denmark. She has worked with Greenlandic and Danish companies and stakeholders since 2016, and for the past 5 years headed up the Arctic Business Alliance – ABA – consisting of 12 companies from Greenland and Denmark. She has a strong passion for creating networks nd commercial opportunities between the Canadian North and in particular Greenland.
Helene has been with the Danish Consulate and the Trade Council since 2011. She has an extensive knowledge in working with private as well as public stakeholders, organising inbound and outbound business delegations, as well as public affairs and market access projects. She is a board member of the Danish Canadian Chamber of Commerce since 2016. Helene is a dual citizen of Denmark and Canada – making Canada her home for many years.
Max Schiller
Bachelor of Commerce, Bcom, Finance Student, Concordia University
Max studied Finance at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business. He completed a corporate accounting internship before moving into venture capital, where he has worked for over a year. Max played a key role in a startup specializing in unique social media marketing strategies. He also works directly with the founder of a large online marketplace, helping optimize their operations and significantly increasing their profitability.
Andrew G. Smith
Intergovernmental Relations, Canadian Institute for Arctic Security
Andrew G. Smith is a long time Yukoner with a decade of service in Yukon government. A trusted advisor, strategist and communicator, Andrew works closely with both the public service and the Cabinet office to build strategic international, Arctic, and security relationships for the Yukon.
Since 2021, Andrew has been focused on the security of the Yukon and how investments in dual-use infrastructure and defence procurement can make the territory more secure and economically prosperous. In 2024, he was tasked to bring to fruition the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security (CIAS), a new think-tank and the first of its kind in Northern Canada.
In his international relations work, he has been responsible for delivering high-profile international engagements for Yukon’s Premier, including Alaska Governor Dunleavy’s 2024 visit to Whitehorse, the 2023 mission to Japan and India, Yukon’s portion of Canada’s Northern Diplomatic Tour in 2023, two missions to London, UK in 2023 and 2024, and visits to Iceland and Greenland in 2022.
Andrew regularly represents the Yukon at the Arctic Circle Assembly, Arctic Encounter Symposium, and Canada’s Arctic Security Working Group. Before joining government, he was one of two Yukon delegates at the Future Arctic Leaders Conference during Canada’s chairing of the Arctic Council in 2015, and the sole Canadian to attend International Arctic Student Week at the Moscow Institute of International Relations in 2016.
In 2021, Andrew received the highest award in Yukon’s public service for ending seasonal time changes. He intends to dine out on this achievement and expertise for the rest of his life. He was nominated for the same award in 2024 for his success in building international relations for the Yukon.
Born and raised in central Alberta, Andrew is a graduate of Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton and Yukon University in Whitehorse.
John Stackhouse
Senior Vice President, Office of the CEO, Royal Bank of Canada
John Stackhouse heads RBC’s Economics and Thought Leadership group, leading the organization’s work on economic, technological and social issues. He also heads the new RBC Climate Action Institute, which aims to inform and inspire Canadians on pathways to net zero. John is an internationally recognized author and speaker on a range of issues and events.
Previously, he was editor-in-chief of the Globe and Mail and editor of Report on Business. He also serves as a senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. John has written four books and co-authored four others. His latest, Planet Canada: How Our Expats Are Shaping the Future, explores the untapped resource of the millions of Canadians who don’t live here but exert their influence from afar
Jaiden Stevens
Digital Media Professional and Arctic Advocate, Norman Wells, Northwest Territories
Jaiden Stevens is a digital media professional and Arctic advocate based in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. As a podcast intern at Arctic360, he amplifies northern voices on issues like Arctic security, infrastructure, and sustainability. He is also the founder of Jaiden Digital Ink, specializing in community storytelling and digital marketing.
A member of the Cree First Nation, Jaiden completed high school in Norman Wells and the Indigenous Leadership Opportunity Year (ILOY) at the Royal Military College. Recently, he earned his DMI Pro certification from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, advancing his expertise in digital media.
Jaiden is passionate about using digital storytelling to highlight the challenges and opportunities of Arctic communities, ensuring their perspectives are central to conversations shaping Canada’s North.
Mead Treadwell
Former Lt. Governor (2010-2014); Board Member /Former President, Pt. Capital; Co-Founder, Wilson Center Polar Institute
Mead Treadwell was the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska (2010-2014) and Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission (2006-2010) under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. He is a co-founder of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC and a co-founder of the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova, Alaska.
He is known worldwide as a leading Arctic policy expert and Arctic security expert, given his work since the early 1980’s in circumpolar cooperation in eight Arctic nations and observer states such as Japan and Korea, his work in establishing Arctic research institutions around the globe, and his work on U.S. aerospace and missile defense.
In business, he is Chairman and CEO of QilakLNG, a firm which has proposed export of LNG directly by icebreaking tanker from Alaska’s North Slope. He is former President and a current board member of Pt Capital, an Arctic focused private equity firm which has made operating investments in Alaska, Iceland and Finland, with a mandate for further investment in Canada and Greenland.
In the past, he was a founding officer of NASDAQ-listed tech firm Digimarc, chair of TVX-listed immersive Media which pioneered StreetView for Google, and currently sits on the board of Calgary decarbonization technology leader Nanos Tech.
Treadwell Development, his consulting and investment firm, supports public, tribal and private infrastructure development.
He holds a BA from Yale, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Doctorate of Science (Hon.) from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Rays and Neck Ribbon by the Government of Japan, and is a Fellow National and Emeritus Board Member of the New York based Explorers Club.
Per Unheim
Head of Public Affairs and Trade, Embassy of Iceland
Per Unheim is Head of Public Affairs and Trade at the Embassy of Iceland. His work focuses on deepening bilateral relations between Iceland and Canada through cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and culture. He also serves in the capacity of Iceland’s deputy head of mission in Ottawa. Prior to joining the embassy, he worked for over 15 years in international development consulting and cooperation. He holds an M.Sc. in Public Management and Governance from the London School of Economics & Political Science, an M.A. from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University.
Sari Uusi-Rauva
Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland to Canada
Ms. Sari Uusi-Rauva is the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Finland in Canada as of August 2023.
Prior to arriving to Canada Ms. Uusi-Rauva served as Deputy Head of Mission of the ) Embassy of Finland in Tanzania. She has also served as the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Finland in Tunisia and as First Secretary at the Embassy of Finland in the Hague.
Ms. Uusi-Rauva has experience from various roles in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, e.g. Deputy Director for Communications on Current Affairs, Desk Officer for Counterterrorism and Humanitarian law, Desk Officer for International Law.
Ms. UusiRauva holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Helsinki, in Law and in Political Science. In addition to her diplomat career with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs she is also a lawyer by her professional background.
Nathan VanderKlippe
International Correspondent, Globe and Mail
Nathan VanderKlippe is an international correspondent for the Globe and Mail. He has reported from across the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, where he spent nearly eight years based in Beijing. He was previously stationed in Canada, reporting from Vancouver, Calgary and Yellowknife, where he travelled broadly across the northern regions, from Greenland to Alaska.
Michael Walsh
Director General, Policy and Planning, CanNor
Michael has spent most of his 24 years in the public service focused on Northern and Indigenous issues. This includes a much enjoyed six year posting in the Yellowknife Regional Office in the Northwest Territories to start his career.
After moving to Ottawa, Michael has been lucky enough to hold a number of executive positions related to Land Claim, Self-Government and Fiscal Negotiations as well as work related to Lands and Economic Development and Individual Affairs.
Michael is currently the Director General of Policy and Planning here at the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, which provides him the opportunity to help foster sustainable economic development with Northern and Indigenous partners, to the benefit of all Canadians.
Ollie Williams
Editor, Cabin Radio
Ollie Williams is the editor of Cabin Radio, a newsroom based in Yellowknife that serves Canada’s Northwest Territories. He and four other Yellowknife residents founded Cabin Radio in 2017. Previously, Ollie was a senior broadcast journalist for the BBC based in London and Manchester, England, and volunteered with youth in the Northwest Territories hamlet of Fort Liard.
Bob Zimmer
Member of Parliament, Government Of Canada
Born in Dawson Creek, BC and raised in Fort St. John, BC, Bob began his career working for his Dad’s carpentry business. Bob obtained his Red Seal Journeyman Carpentry Certification and went on to own his own construction business.
He received an undergraduate degree from Trinity Western University in human kinetics and history/political science as well as a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia while working as the head coach for Langley’s TWU varsity rugby team. Bob then moved back to Fort St. John where he taught for seven years and built several homes.
Bob was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River in 2011 and then re- elected MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies in 2015, 2019 and again in 2021.
Bob serves as Shadow Minister for Northern Affairs and Arctic Sovereignty; Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus. He has also served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Critic for Asia-Pacific Gateway, Chair of the BC/Yukon Conservative Caucus, and Chair of the National Prayer Breakfast.
Bob currently sits on the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs and has served on several committees since coming into office. These committees include the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Standing Committee for Natural Resources, the Standing Committee for Veterans Affairs, the Standing Committee for Fisheries and Oceans, and the Standing Committee for Procedure and House Affairs.
Bob has been very active in his work supporting the outdoor community. He has done numerous videos to raise awareness about the concerns with the BC public fishery closures. He has also been an outspoken advocate in trying to ensure the voices of local residents are taken into account when decisions about backcountry closures are being made.
Bob is an honourary member of the Fort St. John Sunrise Rotary Club and volunteers for many local events and organizations. He attends his local church with his wife Val, their daughter Bobbie and their three sons, Kristian, David and Tim.
Strengthening the
North American Arctic
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