Lobby Wrap: Ontario Dairy Farmers register to talk about the food guide and trade negotiations

Jared Maltais, a consultant with Wellington Advocacy, registered this past week to lobby on behalf of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Dairy farmers in Ontario are lobbying the federal government on Canada’s Food Guide and trade talks.

Jared Maltais, a consultant with Wellington Advocacy, registered this past week to lobby on behalf of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

According to his registration, he’s looking to “facilitate discussions relating to Canada’s Food Guide and dairy’s role as an essential party of a healthy diet, as well as changes to front-of-package labelling regulations.” The group also wants to hold talks on supply management, specifically, maintaining “government support for the principle of supply management for the Canadian dairy sector,” and to provide input regarding the World Trade Organization and other trade negotiations and implications for supply management, including compensation.

It comes as Canada prepares for the start of renegotiations of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement later this year.

U.S. President Donald Trump has taken aim in the past at Canada’s high tariffs on dairy imports, a key feature of the supply management system.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly stated that supply management is not on the negotiating table in talks with the U.S.

New Registrations

Since Jan. 31, the Vopak Development Canada Holdings Inc. was the most registered organization, with four unique registrations made on their behalf.

Over that span, Strategy Corp Inc. led all registrant groups with 9 unique registrations each.

From Jan. 31- Feb. 6, Michael Soboren from SJE Consulting Ltd. led all lobbyists with 7 unique registrations.

In recent agriculture/trade registrants:

Other: Fraserview Cedar Products Ltd., BJORNWOODS 2009 LTD., MARTUSHEV LOGGING LTD., T. & T. SEEDS LIMITED

In recent arts/culture/copyright registrants:

The International Fund for Public Interest Media was registered by James Dykstra, a consultant with James Dykstra & Associates Consulting. The goal of their lobbying efforts was to communicate with federal officials regarding Canada’s support for independent public interest media globally. As well as to facilitate discussions that included the client’s mandate, activities, and impact, as well as the organization’s financial requirements and potential avenues for Government of Canada support.

In recent energy/environment/climate registrants:

Canada Cleantech Alliance was registered in-house by Roberto Chàvez, a member of the board of directors. The primary focus of their registration was to promote policy and program adjustments that accelerate international market access for Canadian clean technology exporters, with a focus on sectors where Canada holds competitive advantage. Additional meetings were held to support the client’s policy engagement and submission of comments, from a clean technology perspective, on the Government of Canada’s Budget 2025 commitment to launch a strategy in 2026 to address early-stage growth funding gaps faced by Canadian firms.

Other: Waterous Energy Fund

In recent health registrants:

BioCanRx was registered in-house by Stéphanie Michaud, their president and CEO, to advocate for continued funding for the client’s Immunotherapy Network from various government funding opportunities to derisk immunotherapies, support made-in-Canada biomanufacturing and clinical trials, and training in translational research and commercialization.

Other: Nutricia North America Inc.

In recent Indigenous registrants:

The Nukik Corporation was registered by Katie Findlater, a consultant with Chadwick Consulting Ltd. to maintain ongoing communications with the federal government to raise awareness about the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link (a major inter-tie green infrastructure project to connect Nunavut to Canada’s national electricity grid and bring fibre-optic to the region) and to secure the necessary funding for this nation-building project to proceed.

Other: Ch’íyáqtel Tzeachten First Nation, Southern Chiefs Organization

In recent industry registrants:

Albany Graphite Corporation was registered by Stephen Yardy, a consultant with PAA Advisory, with the main focus being to engage with the federal government regarding the review and approval process for products falling under the jurisdiction of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. Additional meetings were held to discuss the client’s project in Northern Ontario and to obtain information and perspective on federal policies, programs, and funding tools related to critical minerals, value-added processing, and project development.

Other: Gastops, Seguin Morris, BAK MOTORS Inc.

Tech/Telecommunications

Denvr Projects Ltd. was registered by Anastasios Housakos, a consultant with Wellington Advocacy, to engage with the government on Canada’s Digital Economy and to seek government contracts/funding with a variety of government departments in regards to the client’s AI Services and AI Data processing. Discussions were also held to solicit funding for AI Strategy & AI Compute Challenge to develop AI infrastructure.

Other: Amazon Web Services Canada, Inc., Internet Service Provider Coalition, Q-Block Computing Inc., Evertz Microsystems Ltd, Adobe

Transportation:

Clarence Crossing Regional Inc. was registered by Alex Bernst, Aidan Grove-White, and Susan Ong, all consultants with StrategyCorp Inc. to have meetings with officials regarding upgrades to County Road 17 in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.

Other: The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) of Canada , Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association

Of note: Clé Maîtresse Inc., Rocky View County, Equal Voice (National), Let’s Talk Science, Vopak Development Canada Holdings Inc., Foundation for Black Communities, K2 Fasteners, Blue Door Support Services, BLS International, Canadian Cancer Society, Ideal Can Inc., Merit Contractors Association of Canada, Frontier Duty Free Association, Ontario Child Sexual Exploitation Investigators Association (OCSEIA), Magnum Integrated Technologies Inc, Diageo Canada, Cenmax Group Inc., Trident Pump Inc., Drakkar, Micrologic, Aecon Group Inc., United Brotherhood of Carpenters Regional Council, City of Prince George, Clearway Group of Companies, MCGILL ST-LAURENT INC., Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, Tapestry Community Capital, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, GARIBALDI GLASS INDUSTRIES INC., JECO INC., Schenk Architectural Imports Ltd, TITANWALL SYSTEMS INC., Catalyst Community Development, Eleanor Crook Foundation, Cuso International, Unapologetically Jewish, United Brotherhood of Carpenter’s Regional Council, Shopify Inc., Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., The North West Company, Meridian Credit Union, Acosys Consulting Services, Second Harvest

Communications:

There were 246 communication reports filed during the period between Jan. 31-Feb. 6.

Most active client organizations

Western Canadian Shippers’ Coalition – 29 Communications
École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) – 15 Communications
Association of Power Consumers Ontario (AMPCO) – 13 Communications
Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité (RDÉE) – 12 Communications
National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) – 11 Communications

Most active paid lobbyists