Trust, Insularity, and the Canadian Moment
It isn’t an understatement to say that Canada is in a moment of tremendous economic and cultural change, with Canadian people embracing nationalism to a degree not seen in a generation. We can see the appeal of Canadiana being leveraged by savvy communicators in advertising, on store shelves, and political speeches, and it doesn’t seem to be fading. The latest Edelman Trust Barometer, which measures […]
Alberta Budget 2026: Stability under Strain
Alberta Budget 2026: Stability under Strain Growth and the Politics of Fiscal Balance Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled Alberta’s 2026 Budget today against a backdrop of moderating oil prices, global trade uncertainty, and sustained population growth pressures. The government projects a $9.4 billion deficit in 2026–27, with revenues of $74.6 billion and expenses of $83.9 […]
Summer Hou Joins Counsel as Account Director
Counsel Public Affairs is excited to welcome Summer Hou as an Account Director with our Ontario Practice, based in Toronto. Summer Hou is a detail-oriented and skilled political strategist with strong expertise in fiscal policy frameworks and government decision-making. She joins Counsel after serving as a trusted senior advisor to the President of the Treasury […]
Patricia Ferreira Promoted and Olaide Adeoye Joins Counsel
Counsel’s strong Operations & Compliance Team Counsel continues to strengthen its Operations & Compliance team, reinforcing our commitment to seamless national integration, high levels of compliance, and operational efficiency. With the promotion of Patricia Ferreira to Financial & Operations Manager and the addition of Olaide Adeoye as Compliance & Contracts Officer, Counsel is expanding the […]
BC Budget 2026: A Stabilization Plan Built on Assumptions
Like all her colleagues across Canada, BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey faced economic turmoil driven by Donald Trump and increased fiscal pressure as she prepared the provincial budget for 2026-27. For weeks, Bailey and Premier David Eby signaled that this would be a bad news budget as the government deals with a long-term fiscal path […]
Megan Grenville Promoted to Consultant, Marketing & Promotions
Megan Grenville is a Marketing & Promotions Consultant at Counsel Public Affairs, based in Toronto. Megan Grenville is a marketing and communications professional specializing in brand strategy, digital content development, event marketing, and analytics. She supports the development and execution of marketing initiatives across the firm, including website and social media content, brand asset management, […]
Get Ready to Party: Why attending party conventions matter
Political party conventions are a not-to-miss event in the calendar. They are an opportunity for party-faithful to come together to either celebrate their success or commiserate with each other and make sure the senior leadership of their party hear their frustrations and commits to doing things differently. Long gone are the days of delegated leadership […]
Merriah Michel Promoted and Stephanie Coulter Joins
Counsel Grows Opinion Research Team Counsel continues to strengthen its Opinion Research practice with senior leadership growth and new strategic capacity — strengthening our position as a premier, full-service opinion research and insights partner for clients across sectors. With the promotion of Merriah Michel to Vice President and the addition of Stephanie Coulter as Senior […]
Natalie Dewan and Emily Binkley Promoted
Counsel Promotes Communications & Campaigns Team Members Counsel is proud to announce two well-earned promotions within Counsel’s Communications & Campaigns practice – Natalie Dewan to Senior Account Director and Emily Binkley to Senior Consultant. Natalie Dewan — promoted to Senior Account Director Since 2022, Natalie has supported Counsel’s clients with a wide array of communications […]
Venezuela, U.S. Policy, and the Risk Now Facing Canada’s Oil Sands
Recent U.S. actions affecting Venezuela’s oil sector have reintroduced a risk to Alberta’s oil sector that had largely faded from view. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and most of that oil is heavy crude. That matters because it competes directly with the kind of oil produced from Alberta’s oil sands once it […]