For Immediate Release
October 1, 2019
North Vancouver — Over a dozen leaders in Canada’s environmental community and its clean technology sector provided their personal support for Jonathan Wilkinson’s re-election in the riding of North Vancouver.
Jonathan firmly believes that, in the modern world, economic progress and environmental sustainability must go together.
Over the past four years, initially as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and subsequently as Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Jonathan played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of policies that have put Canada on a path towards a more sustainable future, including:
The development of Canada’s first national climate plan;
The development of a federal clean technology strategy;
A leadership role in implementing protections for species at risk, including caribou and the southern resident killer whale;
Raising Canada’s level of marine protected areas from 1% to 14% in four years;
Making historic investments to protect our oceans and coasts;
Restoring protections to fish and waterways that were gutted under the Harper government;
Establishing a $142M B.C. Salmon Restoration & Innovation Fund – the first of its kind in BC; and
Making significant progress in reconciliation with First Nations, including signing historic agreements with the Coastal First Nations, and with the Fraser Salmon Management Council.
Today, in a testament to the environmental contributions Jonathan has made, 14 leaders in Canada’s environmental and clean technology communities offered personal statements in support of Jonathan Wilkinson’s re-election in the federal riding of North Vancouver.
One of these, Stewart Elgie, Founder of EcoJustice and Smart Prosperity, stated “Jonathan Wilkinson has been one of the most effective environmental advocates in Parliament over the past four years. I’ve seen it first hand. His hard work has spurred real progress on climate change, clean growth, endangered species and marine protected areas by the Liberal government. There is much more still to do, to curb pollution and build a green economy, and we need Jonathan’s leadership to make it happen.”
Contact Information:
Laura Mitchell
Campaign Manager – Team Jonathan
613-818-8437
lauramitchell.carleton@gmail.com
Heather Ritzer
Director of Communications – Team Jonathan
778-888-3455
heatherritzer@gmail.com
Endorsements:
Disclaimer: the views expressed are those of the individual and do not represent those of organizations.
I volunteer for many fish related groups, all of them which have goals that align with Jonathan’s. This alignment has enhanced what gets done. Jonathan’s guidance, his interventions where appropriate and his personal concern for the environment make it easy to endorse him. Specifically his support was critical to preserving the salmon runs of Seymour river after a devastating rock side and his support was critical to convincing Metro Vancouver on the value of enhanced treatment of sewage before it is discharged into the Salish Sea; setting the region on a new more environmentally responsible path. Fish groups are varied and some have conflicting requests but Jonathan has engaged with them all, winning respect by listening and proposing actions that are good for the environment and Canada.
Glen Parker, Board Member, North Shore Streamkeepers
Jonathan Wilkinson has been one of the most effective environmental advocates in Parliament over the past four years. I’ve seen it first hand. His hard work has spurred real progress on climate change, clean growth, endangered species and marine protected areas by the Liberal government. There is much more still to do, to curb pollution and build a green economy, and we need Jonathan’s leadership to make it happen.
Stewart Elgie, Professor of Law and Economics, University of Ottawa; Founder and Chair of the Smart Prosperity Institute; Founder of EcoJustice
Politicians of all parties need to recognize the urgency of action on climate change. In my experience, Jonathan understands this and he has used his leadership and his knowledge to achieve real results.
Steve Oldham, CEO, Carbon Engineering
Jonathan Wilkinson is one of the few politicians who understands the threat that climate change poses to life as we know it—and he is also one of the few who is likely to do something about it in Ottawa. His knowledge of science, his support for making science-based decisions, and his pragmatic approach to protecting the environment have impressed me. Equally impressive is the speed with which he invoked conservation measures these past two years to protect endangered populations of salmon and whales. Based on what he has accomplished to date, I believe that Jonathan Wilkinson is one of the best hopes that Canada has to stop and reverse climate change and the cumulative threats facing our oceans.
Dr. Andrew Trites, Professor and Director, Marine Mammal Institute, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries, UBC
Over the last four years, Jonathan Wilkinson as MP for North Vancouver, and most recently, as Minister for Fisheries and Oceans., has done a remarkable job in his three main portfolios—Environment, Fisheries and the Coast Guard. However, Jonathan and his colleagues need another full term in office to ‘undo the damage’ inflicted on these portfolios by the previous Conservative government. In my opinion, Jonathan deserves to be re-elected, to continue the very important work in the environmental area, that he has started.
Don Mavinic, Professor of Civil Engineering at UBC and one of Canada’s leading wastewater treatment experts
Jonathan Wilkinson has a unique combination of skills that allows him to fully understand complex environmental issues and how they can be resolved through political action and innovation. His unique experience in clean technology development and scale-up gives him a unique perspective on the environmental issues and he is certainly a leader for the transition as he is able to align multiple stakeholders working towards a common goal for the good of all.
Jocelyn Doucet, Co-founder and CEO, Pyrowave
When I first heard that Jonathan was running as the liberal candidate for North Van in the 2015 election, I decided to support him as I saw him as a person with strong values and integrity. Over the past four years, Jonathan has exceeded my expectations, demonstrating commitment, hard work and forward thinking in championing the environmental issues that will impact the quality of life of all our grandchildren.
Susan Koch, CFO, Carbon Engineering; former CFO, General Fusion
I have known and interacted with Jonathan for more than a decade; initially in his capacity as a clean-tech executive and recently as the MP for North Vancouver and Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Climate Change. Jonathan has a unique combination of skills and experiences in the private and public sectors that position him to be extremely effective at advocating for key environment policies and programs. Jonathan’s continued involvement as a key MP in the Liberal government will ensure continued protection of Canada's environment and ecosystems while positioning BC’s growing Clean Tech sector to thrive in a rapidly growing global marketplace.
Adrian Corless, CEO, Rotoliptic Technologies Inc.
This election is crucial to determining whether Canada will go forward on environment and climate or backwards. We need MPs like Jonathan Wilkinson, passionate about serving Canada and his community and with the track record to prove it. In my work to save caribou from extinction I found Jonathan Wilkinson to be well-informed, hard-working and sincere. Although promoted to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans he continued to help with caribou while achieving some excellent results for the environment in his new post. As a life-long environmentalist I am pleased to support Jonathan Wilkinson.
Michael Bloomfield, Founder and Executive Director, Harmony Foundation Canada
Jonathan Wilkinson, in his capacity as Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Canada, and most recently as Minister for Fisheries and Oceans, has been an outstanding Federal Cabinet Minister. During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Canada was globally recognized as an environmental leader. The previous Harper era Conservative government effectively gutted Canada’s environmental and fisheries Ministries, and as a country, we lost our leadership position and the environment and economy suffered accordingly. Now, with the emerging climate crisis and at-risk status of numerous salmon populations, North Atlantic Right whales and West Coast Southern Resident killer whales, it is critical to future generations that MP Wilkinson and his party be re-elected to continue restoring Canada’s biological heritage and rebuilding federal environmental and fisheries programs.
Ken Ashley, Director, BCIT Rivers Institute
Canada must continue to lead the way in balancing its three requirements for environmental, industrial, and economic stability. Greta Thunberg has reminded us all that we have not done enough to this point on the first, but with someone of your skillset, we will continue making progress. Jonathan’s background in cleantech, in business, and in electoral government gives him a unique -- and uniquely important -- perspective that we simply must maintain in policy making if Canada is going to continue to advance as a healthy nation.
Beth Loughey, Executive Chair, Zorroa Corporation; Executive in Residence, Foresight cleantech accelerator
Jonathan has leadership experience in business and government developing climate solutions while building a stronger economy. HIs re-election will enhance Canada’s global role in solving the climate crisis.
Denis Connor, Board Member, Carbon Engineering; former CEO, QuestAir
As a career-long developer of clean energy ventures that are targeting solutions to some of our most vexing environmental challenges (and enormous new market opportunities), I can say that Jonathan has been an instrumental ally in getting critical government/private sector collaborations underway. Our climate change problem is massive and urgent. It will require such collaborations if we are to be successful in averting the worst climate scenarios and creating a global clean technology lead for Canada. Jonathan gets it. He’s lived and breathed it in his previous career and has been a bright spot of experienced enlightenment among the politicians in Ottawa. It will be a disappointing loss to the clean technology community if Jonathan is not returned to Ottawa. Let’s send him back!
Chris Reid, CEO, Ekona Power; Founder, Institute for Breakthrough Energy Technologies
I have known Jonathan for almost 20 years, when he came to North Vancouver to work for a company using new technology to impact climate change. I am convinced that he recognizes the great challenge we face from the threats of a changing climate, and that he will devote his political and physical energy to lead the effort to find solutions. I believe that he is the most knowledgeable and best equipped Minister on this subject, and that we all need his skills and determination.
Michael Brown, Chair, Institute for Breakthrough Technologies; former Chair, Chrysalix; Founder, Ventures West