Gala Program
Welcome to the 2024 Pollution Probe Annual Conference and Gala!
The world we live in is becoming increasingly turbulent. Global, regional, national and local disruption is hampering efforts to protect and preserve the environment and our economy. At a time when bold changes and solutions are needed, uncertainty can lead to decreased activity, as governments, businesses and the public become more risk averse. Moreover, smart environmental policy can help improve the economy, while policy uncertainty can derail projects, reduce investment, stall innovation, and ultimately undermine long-term growth. Community action is essential in this landscape as it enables efforts that can drive significant change and resilience.
Pollution Probe’s 2024 Riders on the Storm Conference and Gala dives into the important role of community action in uncertain times. Local initiatives can bolster broader policy efforts, while ensuring that environmental actions are grounded in the needs and strengths of the people most affected. This year, we’re bringing together our community to explore community successes and how they can be replicated and built upon.
Please enjoy the event. We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing our collective, collaborative efforts.
Yours truly,
Christopher Hilkene
Gala Evening Program
Networking Reception
Welcome: Christopher Hilkene, CEO
Presenting Sponsor: Thea Silver, RBC
Guest Speaker: Julie Dabrusin, MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Conference Sponsor: Maggie Tieman, Bruce Power
Guest Speaker: Hon. Todd McCarthy, MPP, Acting Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
Main Entree
Award Sponsor: Jennifer Woolfsmith, NOVA Chemicals
Award Recipient: Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Dessert
Pollution Probe: Parminder Sandhu, Chair, Board of Directors
Thank you and Goodnight
Menu
MAIN COURSE
Piri Piri Chicken
Cheddar Schmaltz Polenta, Yuzu Buffalo Butter, Seasonal Vegetables, Kombu Jus, Heirloom Herb Slaw, Microgreens
Cauliflower Al Pastor
Impossible Chorizo, Hominy Succotash, Red Pepper Puree, Avocado Salsa Verde, Heirloom Slaw, Mole Crisps
Cookie Dough Cake
Brownie Cookie, Cacao Sponge Cake, Cookie Dough Anglaise, Kai 70.2% Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla Chantilly, Cereal Crunch, Microgreens
Guest Speakers
Julie Dabrusin was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Toronto—Danforth in 2015. She has served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources since 2021.
Parliamentary Secretary Dabrusin helps lead on Clean Electricity, Canada’s Green Building Strategy, Zero Emission Vehicles, and Zero Plastic Waste by 2030.
Prior to entering politics, Ms. Dabrusin was an active volunteer in her community. She founded Friends of Withrow Park, served on the Board of Directors of Park People, and started initiatives such as the local Second Harvest Hunger Squad. In 2012, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her community service.
Hon. Todd McCarthy is a well-respected and established lawyer in Durham and across Ontario. He is currently on leave from the firm Flaherty McCarthy LLP, where he was a senior partner. Todd’s continued service in the legal community included serving part-time as a Deputy Judge presiding over Small Claims Court cases at the Durham Region Courthouse, and he was President of the Durham Region Law Association. He also served as a Trustee and Vice Chair of the Durham Catholic District School Board.
Initially appointed in September 2023 as Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, Minister Todd J. McCarthy oversees the delivery of vital programs, services, and products, both in-person and online, to Ontarians through ServiceOntario. He also oversees consumer protection laws in the province, leads Ontario’s efforts in the development of public policy around cyber security as well as groundbreaking technologies like AI, and innovates new ways to make it easier to start and run a business in Ontario.
In June 2024, Minister McCarthy had procurement added to his cabinet portfolio. He is responsible for supply chain management and procurement across the public sector, ensuring that Ontario ministries, provincial agencies, hospitals, school boards, children’s aid societies, and more, have access to high-quality, timely, reliable products that are also cost-effective. In September 2024, Minister McCarthy has taken additional responsibilities as the acting Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks where he proudly affirms that we can and will be good stewards of the environment while building the Ontario of tomorrow.
In his spare time, Todd coached and sponsored minor hockey teams, and taught as an Adjunct Professor at both Queen’s University Faculty of Law and the Durham College Faculty of Justice and Emergency Services. He is also a founding donor and supporter of the Durham Abilities Centre.
Todd is recognized for his achievements and was presented the Ontario Bar Association Insurance Law Award in 2021 and was the defence counsel Honouree of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association annual celebration of the Personal Injury Bar in 2019. Supported by his wife, Kathy, and children Meaghan, Jake and Brendan, Todd is proud to represent the residents of Durham at Queen’s Park.
The Pollution Probe Award Recipient
A highlight of our annual gala is the Pollution Probe Award, which celebrates the extraordinary achievements of individuals or organizations working toward positive, tangible environmental change. This year, we are delighted to present the Award to The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell!
The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (2014-2023)
The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell is the longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (2014-2023). She carried out thousands of constitutional and ceremonial duties and encouraged Ontarians to think deeply about their role as residents of a province and as global citizens. She became known as Ontario’s “Storyteller-in-Chief”. Building a resilient and sustainable society was the focus of her mandate. Safeguarding democracy was her passion.
Ms. Dowdeswell’s eclectic public service career has spanned provincial, federal and international borders and transcended disciplinary lines, engaging the public in complex issues of social significance. She contributed globally as Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. In Canada her diverse portfolios ranged from education and culture to environment and the management of public enquiries. She was the founding president and CEO of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and later the President and CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies. She has served on the boards of Canadian and international corporate and non-profit organizations.
Ms. Dowdeswell has a BSc in home economics and a teaching certificate from the University of Saskatchewan and an MSc in behavioural sciences from Utah State University. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario and is the recipient of numerous distinctions and fellowships. She holds 11 honorary doctorates.
Congratulations Elizabeth!
Presenting Sponsor
