Empire Club of Canada

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Councillor Michael Thompson In Conversation With Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Jan De Silva Vision 2020: Building the City of Toronto’s Prosperity and Competitiveness Councillor Thompson, in conversation with Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Jan De Silva, will delve into the vision and outcome it creates for Toronto and discuss examples as to how the City of Toronto is strategically leveraging private partnerships to implement both innovative and prolific solutions to public issues. Councillor Thompson will outline building blocks of Toronto’s competitiveness, aspiration, prosperity and collaboration in building the city of tomorrow. Speakers: Michael Thompson, Councillor and Deputy Mayor Janet (Jan) De Silva,  President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Phil Verster, President and Chief Executive Officer at Metrolinx, On Transit Development Phil Verster is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Metrolinx. He oversees a team committed to transforming transportation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Prior to joining Metrolinx, Phil managed train operations, infrastructure builds and infrastructure management for passenger rail systems in England, Scotland and Ireland. Phil began his career in his native South Africa in the electricity sector. He then spent several years in the UK at Bombardier Rail and at Irish Rail. In 2011, Phil joined Britain’s Network Rail where he managed the second largest route in the system. He then ran Scotland’s ScotRail passenger rail service, and served as Managing Director of Network Rail’s East West Railway. Phil joined Metrolinx in October 2017. His comprehensive knowledge and extensive transit background has equipped him with the necessary tools Metrolinx requires to continue working towards delivering an integrated, regional transportation system that will serve the needs of residents and businesses for years to come. Speaker: Phil Verster, President and Chief Executive Officer, Metrolinx *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Dan Snow and Peter Mansbridge On History in the Modern World: What Canadians Can Learn About the Future from Our Past “Our history and that of the country we live in determines in many ways our view of the world and how we make decisions. The old adage that “Those who do not understand history are condemned to repeat it” is well accepted as being an obvious truth, and yet people’s understanding of their personal history and that of their country is so often strongly influenced by the political and in many places the religious ideology of that point in time. In Canada we have a strong identity based at least in part on how we interpret our history, but is that identity shared by others around the world? Anyone who is interested in how the future of Canada will play out will be interested in this very special Empire Club event where one of the world’s most renowned historians, in conversation with one of the most successful broadcasters and commentators of the past decades, dive into how Canadians can better understand their future by having a good grasp on the events and leaders who got us to where we are today”. Dan Snow is a historian, broadcaster, television presenter, and ambassador for English Heritage. Dan is host of one of the world’s most listened to history podcasts, and founder of a new history channel, historyhit.tv. He regularly works with the BBC and The ONE Show. Born and raised in London, England, Dan remembers spending every weekend of his childhood being taken to castles, battlefields, country houses and churches and alongside visiting Canadian historic landmark. Half Canadian, half English, Dan developed a great love of history while studying at Oxford and immediately started presenting military history programmes with his father, Peter Snow, notable BBC Broadcaster. Their series, “Battlefield Britain”, won a BAFTA award. He has written or contributed to several books including ‘On this day in history’, ‘Death or Victory;’ the story of the siege of Quebec in 1759, ‘The World’s Greatest Twentieth Century Battlefields’ and most recently ‘The Battle of Waterloo Experience’. Dan is a proud ambassador and champion for English Heritage, a UK based charity, that uniquely cares and looks after over 400+ historic sites across England and tells the story of England and its world history, as and where it happened. Peter Mansbridge, OC, is a renowned television news anchor, journalist and columnist. A widely respected journalist, Peter Mansbridge was the face of CBC News for nearly 30 years. As the chief correspondent and lead anchor of The National from 1988 to 2017, he won 12 Gemini Awards for broadcast excellence, including the Gordon Sinclair Award for best overall broadcast journalist in 1990 and 1998. His other honours include two Canadian Screen Awards, numerous honorary degrees and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. He has also been inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame and is an Officer of the Order of Canada... Speakers:  Dan Snow, World-Renowned Historian, Ambassador for English Heritage Trust & BBC Personality Peter Mansbridge, Journalist & Former CBC Chief Correspondent *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: The Honourable Vic Fedeli, Ontario's Minister of Finance On Restoring Trust, Transparency, and Accountability Ontario’s Minister of Finance, Vic Fedeli, will provide an update on the Government’s efforts to restore trust, transparency, and accountability in the province’s finances and make Ontario open for business. Minister Fedeli is currently developing the 2019 Budget in order to make life more affordable for individuals and families, improve government services, and set the province down the path to fiscal sustainability. Vic Fedeli was born and raised in North Bay. His grandparents chose to come to Ontario from Italy with ambitions of a far better life and more opportunity for their young families. In his 20s he opened Fedeli Advertising, the first ad agency north of Toronto. As a young entrepreneur, he developed the company into a global agency doing work all over the world, from their base in Northern Ontario. One of the proudest moments of his business career was when Fedeli Advertising was named 34th in the Top 50 Best Places to Work in Canada. In 1992, Vic sold the firm and devoted the next 11 years to managing three non-profit ventures. He founded Air Base Property Corporation, a local development agency that took over the airside assets of CFB North Bay. Vic used his business experience to write the business plan that attracted Voyageur Airways, which now employs over 350 people involved in repair and overhaul of aircraft from around the world. In 2003, Vic ran for mayor of North Bay and as a first-time candidate was elected with 75% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2006 in another landslide. As mayor, Vic transformed the city, restoring both hope and solvency. Moody’s Investors Service took notice, increasing the city’s credit rating five times to their highest possible rating – substantially reducing the city’s debt interest payments. Internationally, Vic was one of only two North American mayors invited to the prestigious Government Leaders Forum hosted by Bill Gates and had the pleasure to discuss a municipality’s role in governing, with former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright. He made news on both sides of the border when he successfully launched a grassroots campaign to reverse the U.S. ‘Buy American’ provision, earning special acknowledgment from then U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson. In 2011, after keeping his promise to step down as mayor after serving two terms, Vic was elected to serve the people of Nipissing at Queen’s Park. In 2014, Vic was re-elected as Nipissing MPP. He served as Energy and Finance Critic in the Official Opposition shadow cabinet. He was re-elected in 2018 and was appointed as Ontario’s Finance Minister and Chair of Cabinet by Premier Doug Ford. Vic and his wife Patty live in North Bay. Speaker: The Honourable Vic Fedeli, Ontario's Minister of Finance *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Michael Rencheck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Power On Nuclear Power, Securing Our Future Michael W. Rencheck is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bruce Power. Over the last 33 years, Mike has served in a number of roles and most recently was the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for AREVA overseeing its extensive Global capital portfolio of nuclear and renewable projects. Previously, he served as President and CEO of AREVA Inc. in North America leading its nuclear services business. Prior to joining AREVA, Mike was the Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer at American Electric Power (AEP) an electrical utility supplying more than 5 million customers in 11 states. After joining AEP in 1998 as VP of Nuclear Engineering, Mike held a variety positions of increasing responsibility during his tenure. Before joining AEP, Mike worked for Florida Power Corporation serving as Director, Nuclear Engineering and Projects for Crystal River Nuclear Station. Mike was recognized by the National Safety Council for his leadership demonstrating a personal commitment to worker safety and health as part of ‘CEO’s who get it.’ He also supports many organizations that make a difference in people’s lives including Habitat for Humanity and United Way. He is a Professional Engineer and certified senior reactor operator. Speaker: Michael Rencheck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Power *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: His Worship John Tory, Mayor of Toronto On Leading Toronto Forward As the 65th Mayor of Toronto, John Tory has led the way in tackling traffic congestion and building transit. Mayor Tory has taken action to reduce commute times while moving forward with Toronto’s first-ever network transit plan that will see subway lines extended through the northwest end of the city into Vaughan and east to Scarborough, a significant expansion of the LRT network, and much greater use of GO lines across the city as part of SmartTrack, the Mayor’s signature transit initiative. Since being elected to office in 2014, he has been focused on ensuring Toronto remains a livable and affordable city, leading City Council in passing successive budgets that kept taxes at or below the rate of inflation while investing in priority services including housing, parks and student nutrition. He has worked to make the city government more modern and effective, to deliver better services at a more competitive price, and to be more open and accountable to the public. Born and raised in Toronto, Mayor Tory has spent his career giving back to the city he loves working with organizations like the United Way, St. Michael’s Hospital and Civic Action. In office, he has been a constant champion for Toronto, securing billions of dollars from the provincial and federal governments for transit, housing and other vital infrastructure. He uses his experience leading organizations and businesses to promote Toronto on the world stage, attract jobs and investment, and secure the city’s future as a global capital. Mayor Tory began his career practicing law in Toronto, and he was later elected as a managing partner of one of Canada’s biggest law firms. In the 1980s he served as Principal Secretary to Premier Bill Davis and as Associate Secretary of the Ontario Cabinet. He has served as Commissioner of the Canadian Football League and as CEO of Rogers, one of the country’s largest cable companies. His time in politics dates back to 2004 when he was chosen to lead the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, later serving as Leader of the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park. Mayor Tory is a lifelong, and long-suffering, Toronto Maple Leafs fan – and is an avid supporter of all Toronto’s teams and attractions. Mayor Tory and his wife Barbara have been married for 39 years, have four children and five grandchildren. Speaker: His Worship John Tory, Mayor of Toronto *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: The Honourable Bill Morneau, Canada's Minister of Finance With Post Budget Breakfast Briefing Since 2015, the Government’s plan for the economy has delivered real results for Canadians and their families. Today, Canadians have more money to save, invest and help grow the economy — and Budget 2019 builds on that success. Hear from Finance Minister Bill Morneau as he speaks about the changing nature of Canada’s economy, and how the Government’s plan to invest in the middle class is building a better future for all Canadians. Bill Morneau is Canada’s Minister of Finance and has been in that role since 2015. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre, and an accomplished business leader. As Canada’s Minister of Finance, Bill has played a key role in shaping government policy and initiatives, including the introduction of the Canada Child Benefit, tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses, and the negotiation of an enhanced Canada Pension Plan. Between 1990 and 2015, Bill led the human resources firm, Morneau Shepell, through a period of transformational growth. Under his leadership, the firm grew from 200 employees to 4,000, becoming the largest firm of its kind in Canada, providing services to thousands of Canadian organizations and millions of Canadians. As a community leader, Bill has worked to support the arts, help at-risk-youth, and improve access to health care and education. Over a period of 20 years, he served as the chair of the board at St. Michael’s Hospital, Chair of Covenant House and Chair of the C.D. Howe Institute, and sat on many boards, including at the Loran Scholars Foundation and the Learning Partnership. Internationally, Bill founded a school for Somali and Sudanese girls in Kakuma Refugee Camp, a UNHCR camp in northern Kenya. Bill has co-authored a book, The Real Retirement, and previously served as pension investment advisor to the Ontario government. He holds a BA from Western University, an MSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD. Speaker: The Hon. Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents:  Annual Women Who Lead Panel In the lead up to International Women's Day 2019, for our Annual Women Who Lead Panel, we present industry leaders who will discuss their business and career successes, what they've accomplished to date and how they break down barriers to diversity and equal opportunity. Moderator: Jake Stika, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Next Gen Men Panelists: Jessica Johnson, Executive Editor and Creative Director, The Walrus Minister Mary Ng, Canada's Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion Farah Qasemi, Vice President of Business Development, KPMG Vicki Saunders, Founder, SheEO *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada The Honourable David Lametti was a Full Professor in the Faculty of Law at McGill University specializing in property, intellectual property as well as private and comparative law. He was also a member of McGill University’s Quebec Research Centre of Private and Comparative Law and a co-founder and member of the McGill Centre for Intellectual Property Policy. He served as the Associate Dean (Academic) of the Faculty of Law, McGill University, from 2008 to 2011. Multilingual, Minister Lametti has taught at the university level in French, English, and Italian. In addition to his responsibilities as a professor, Minister Lametti was a member of McGill University’s Senate and a Governor of the Fondation du Barreau du Québec. He was also a competitive soccer coach in two Montréal leagues for six years, and a member and president of the governing board for his children’s school. Minister Lametti holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws from McGill University, a Master of Laws from the Yale Law School, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from Oxford University. Prior to starting his doctoral studies in law, he served as a Law Clerk to Justice Peter deCarteret Cory of the Supreme Court of Canada. Minister Lametti served as a parliamentary secretary from 2015 until 2019, when he was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Minister Lametti and his wife Geneviève Saumier have three children: André, Gabrielle, and Dominique. Speaker: The Hon. David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Tony Irwin, President & CEO, Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario On No Vacancy: Tackling Ontario’s Rental Housing Supply Crisis With low rental vacancy rates across the province and continued uncertainty about Toronto’s volatile housing market, it’s becoming more difficult to meet the increasing demand for quality long-term rental options for Ontarians. The increase in demand for rental housing is being led by two groups: millennials, who rank urban location as more important than home size or type and are less likely to purchase a home than any other generation in modern history, and boomers, who are downsizing in their later years and looking to rent, while retaining the equity from their former home. For the second year in a row Toronto’s rental vacancy rate is just 1.1% and 1.8% across Ontario. Many believe that more needs to be done to keep up with the demand from new housing-seekers and new immigrants. Ontarians need policy solutions from all levels of government that will stimulate vital new rental supply, and reduce pressure on prices for both traditional home ownership and rental. FRPO’s President & CEO Tony Irwin will address the issue of Ontario’s insufficient rental housing supply head-on, discussing potential short-term and long-term solutions. Tony Irwin is President & CEO at the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario. Before joining FRPO, Tony was President & CEO with the Canadian Consumer Finance Association; a national trade association representing businesses that provide a range of financial product to Canadians. Previously, Tony was Vice President, North American Government Affairs, with Dollar Financial Group, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Canadian Payday Loan Association and was active with the Community Financial Services Association of America. From March 2009 to July 2012 Tony was Manager of External Affairs & Consumer Relations with Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, where he implemented a national government relations strategy and served as official company spokesperson. Prior to joining Allstate, Tony served as Executive Director of the Justin Eves Foundation, a non-profit organization granting scholarships and bursaries to learning-disabled and disadvantaged young people to assist them to achieve a post-secondary education. Tony has also held key political roles and was Senior Advisor to an Ontario Premier and Executive Assistant to the Leader of the Official Opposition. Speaker: Tony Irwin, President and CEO, Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*