Patrice Barnes Joins Counsel as Senior Advisor
Counsel is proud to welcome Patrice Barnes as Senior Advisor Patrice brings a distinguished legacy of public service, education leadership, and community advocacy. With a career rooted in equity-driven policy development and stakeholder engagement, she now empowers organizations to navigate complex policy environments and build impactful strategies. As the former Member of Provincial Parliament for […]
Premier David Eby Refreshes Cabinet
Centring Jobs and the Economy: Premier Eby Refreshes Cabinet As global geopolitical tensions intensify, Premier David Eby made a targeted refresh to his cabinet team, aligning ministers’ skills with the province’s most pressing challenges. Framed as a strategic shuffle rather than a wholesale change, the move emphasizes jobs, economic growth, and resilience in the face […]
How to Ruin Your Lobby Day: 5 Common Mistakes
If your organization is looking to advance a policy goal, build relationships with key decision makers or raise its profile at Queen’s Park, a Lobby Day can be one of the most effective tools in your advocacy arsenal. Also known as Queen’s Park Days, Advocacy Days or Fly-Ins, they are coordinated events where members of […]
From Problem to Policy: A Guide to Effective Budget Advocacy
Turning Your Policy Idea into a Viable Budget Proposal—A Practical Guide to Effective Budget Advocacy What goes into a good budget submission? Before the House of Commons rose for summer recess, the Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) issued their yearly call for pre-budget briefs from stakeholders. The submission deadline is August 1, 2025. If you […]
Counsel Expands Ontario Team
Counsel is proud to announce the expansion of its Ontario team with the addition of Raymond Chan as Senior Account Director and Jessica McDougall as Senior Consultant to serve our growing business. Raymond Chan Raymond brings over 15 years of experience working in government, advocacy, and regulatory affairs to his new role at Counsel. He has […]
Sprint Session Ends: Parliament Rises for the Summer
In a quick four-week parliamentary sitting, Prime Minister Mark Carney has used the spirit of cooperation – and the political capital afforded by his post-election honeymoon – to move quickly on key legislation and platform promises. While Carney seems to be applying the mantra of “move fast and break things” to describe his leadership style […]
Counsel Promotes Ontario Leadership Team
Devan Sommerville promoted to Senior Vice President, Rob Elliott and Johanna Chevalier to Vice President Counsel is proud to announce the promotion of three leaders in our Ontario practice: Devan Sommerville to Senior Vice President and Johanna Chevalier and Rob Elliott to Vice President. Devan Sommerville Devan is a powerful advocate for clients in Ontario […]
BC Legislature is out for the Summer
After a marathon session that began with the Speech from the Throne in February, the British Columbia Legislative Assembly rose for the summer last night ending a memorable, acrimonious session. The session brought some historic firsts: the first time an MLA voted shortly after giving birth from her hospital bed, new unprecedented powers for cabinet […]
Counsel Promotes Jodee Mason to Associate Vice President, Manitoba
Counsel is proud to announce the promotion of Jodee Mason to Associate Vice President, Manitoba. With over two decades of experience in media, strategic communications, and issues management, Jodee has a strong network and an unmatched line-of-sight into the dynamics of the NDP government in Manitoba. “Since joining us in 2024, Jodee has continuously demonstrated […]
Federal Shadow Cabinet Assignments Issued
Why Engaging with Conservatives Matters to Your Organization Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre announced his shadow cabinet and senior leadership team, as well as a new Economic Growth Council. Titles have shifted, but the faces are largely the same except for a few newly elected MPs including Ellis Ross and Billy Morin, and Gaétan Malette in […]