Former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper will take part in the Regent Debate on Oct. 21.

Happening in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York and hosted by the C.D. Howe Institute, this year’s debate is on the topic “Canadian Unity in a Fractured World.”

“For those of us worried about our country’s future, insights of the kind two of Canada’s pre-eminent statesmen can offer will be most welcome,” wrote the C.D. Howe Institute’s president and CEO William Robson on LinkedIn on Sept. 23.

Chrétien was Liberal prime minister from 1993 to 2003, crowning a career in federal politics that began in 1963 when he was first elected to the House of Commons. Harper was Conservative prime minister from 2006 to 2015, capping his political career which started in 1993 when he co-founded the Reform Party and was one of its first elected MPs.

NDP MP Johns one of FPAC’s forestry champions for 2025

NDP MP Gord Johns is one of three recipients of this year’s Jim Carr Forest Community Champion Award, organized by the Forest Products Association of Canada.

The other two laureates are Spencer Coyne, mayor of Princeton, B.C.; and Crystal McAteer, mayor of High Level, Alta.

Named in honour of the late former natural resources minister and Liberal MP, the award recognizes “individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting Canada’s forest sector and the families and communities that depend on it,” FPAC posted on X on Sept. 22.

“MP Johns, Mayor Coyne, and Mayor McAteer are among Canadian forestry’s greatest ambassadors. They are public servants and advocates who walk the talk in supporting forest sector jobs in their communities,” said Derek Nighbor, FPAC’s president and CEO, in a press release.

Johns said he is “deeply honoured” to receive this recognition. “Forestry has always been at the heart of our communities and our economy, and I believe its future lies in sustainable practices, innovation, clean energy and respect for the land and waters that sustain us,” said the four-term MP from Courtenay–Alberni, B.C., in the same release.

“I share this award with the workers, Indigenous partners, and communities who continue to lead the way in making forestry more sustainable for generations to come.”

Inuit-led exhibit opens at Nature Museum

Governor General Mary Simon and Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Rebecca Chartrand were on hand for a sneak peak of a new Inuit-led exhibition at Ottawa’s Canadian Museum of Nature last week.

Titled Qikiqtait—pronounced “Hik-a-tay,” the Inuktitut name of the Hudson Bay archipelago of Belcher Islands—the exhibition focuses on the science and the voices of Inuit in the Arctic, offering a unique look at how Inuit from these islands are combining traditional knowledge and modern technology.

The show is a collaboration between the Museum of Nature, the Arctic Eider Society, and Polar Knowledge Canada, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. 

In a press release, Chartrand acknowledged that both Polar Knowledge’s anniversary and the new exhibition “are powerful reflections of how the future of a thriving and secure Arctic depends on collaboration and knowledge-sharing to support conservation and self-determination.” Qikiqtait will be on display until September 2027.

Ex-Hill staffers Jenkins, Cummings join private sector

Two former parliamentary staffers have found new gigs off the Hill recently.

Cyndi Jenkins, a former senior strategic adviser in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, is now vice-president of public affairs at Hill & Knowlton/Burson Canada. In her more than 20-year career on the Hill, Jenkins worked as a senior staffer to five ministers across six portfolios, most recently helping to set up and establish the Carney PMO. 

“Cyndi is an incredible addition to our federal public affairs team and a tremendous asset to our clients navigating Canada’s complex political and regulatory landscape,” reads a Burson press release from Sept. 22.

Former Senate staffer Katelin Cummings is now at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Director, Government Relations at Canadian Chamber of Commerce,” she posted on Sept. 22 on LinkedIn. A handful of Senators including Krista Ross, Marnie McBean, Colin Deacon, and Tony Dean wished her all the best on LinkedIn. Cummings had worked in ISG Senator Paula Simons’ office since 2021.

Originally from New Brunswick, Cummings had worked for the provincial government there before arriving in Ottawa.

Bhupinder Liddar ties the knot in B.C.

Former Canadian diplomat and journalist Bhupinder Liddar married Vanita Rani in Richmond, B.C., on Sept. 24, he posted on Facebook.

Former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal spoke at the reception, and former Conservative MP Gurmat Grewal was among the wedding guests.

“Our forever story begins here,” the 78-year-old Liddar wrote alongside a video of him and his bride walking across a wooden pathway on Instagram on Sept. 28.

A dapper fixture on Ottawa’s party scene in the early 2000s, Liddar is the former publisher/editor of Diplomat & International Canada magazine. He was appointed Canada’s first consul general in Chandigarh, India, in 2004; and went on to serve as Canada’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements; to the UN Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya; and as a former special representative of Canada to the World Urban Forum.

The Hill Times wins four awards at Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards

The Hill Times won four awards in the 2025 Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards competition, including first in the categories of Best Editorial Page, and Best Local Cartoon for Michael de Adder’s sketch “‘That looks like my wallet’.” It came in second in the categories of Best Feature Series for “Senate bill seeks to criminalize forced sterilizations” by Laura Ryckewaert, and columnist Rose LeMay placed second in the field of Outstanding Columnist.

Organized by News Media Canada, the Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards is an annual awards program featuring 30 unique categories honouring outstanding editorial, photography, multimedia and overall excellence in community news media publishing. This year’s winners were selected by a team of 33 volunteer judges from 1,020 entries for work published in 2024.

cleadlay@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times