Thursday, October 22, 2026

The committee met at 0902 in room 151.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Good morning, everyone. Welcome back, as your prelude to next week. The Standing Committee on Government Agencies will now come to order. As always, all comments by members and witnesses should go through the Chair. Thank you kindly for that. Our first item of business will be the adoption of the subcommittee reports—so that would be the report from Thursday, September 24, 2026. Can I have a motion, please? MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I move adoption of the subcommittee report on intended appointments dated Thursday, September 24, 2026, on the order-in-council certificate dated September 18, 2026.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Is there any discussion on that? Seeing none, are the members ready to vote? All those in favour? Opposed? That carries. The next subcommittee report is dated Thursday, October 8, 2026. Could I please have a motion? MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I move adoption of the subcommittee report on intended appointments dated Thursday, October 8, 2026, on the order-in-council certificate dated October 2, 2026.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Any discussion? Are the members ready to vote? All those in favour? Opposed? That carries. The final subcommittee report is dated Thursday, October 15, 2026. Could I please have a motion? MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I move adoption of the subcommittee report on intended appointments dated Thursday, October 15, 2026, on the order-in-council certificate dated October 9, 2026.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Any discussion? Are the members ready to vote? All those in favour? Opposed? That carries.

Official source

Review of intended appointment, selected by government party, official opposition party and third party: Maximilian Massimiliano, intended appointee as member, Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology board of governors.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Now to the most exciting part of our committee: the review of intended appointees. Our first intended appointee today is Maximilian Massimiliano. He’s nominated as a member of the Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology board of governors. As you can see, he’s here virtually. Maximilian, you can make an initial statement, and it will be followed by three rounds of questioning from the different parties for 10 minutes each—except your time will be removed from the time from the government side, and they’re perfectly fine with that. Thank you very much for stepping up to serve Ontario. We welcome you to our committee. The floor is yours.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Good morning, everyone. My name is Maximilian Massimiliano. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today as you consider appointments to the board of governors at Cambrian College. The continued success of Cambrian College as one of Ontario’s leading colleges means a great deal to me and plays an important role in our community. This is why I’m passionate about becoming a part of the board of governors at Cambrian College. I was born and raised in Sudbury—and I never left—by Italian immigrant parents who taught me the importance of hard work, civic engagement and, most of all, giving back to the community. From waking up at 4 a.m. to work at the family bakery, to helping out at our community church, my parents were always reminding me of how important these core values were, and I know they have shaped me into the person I am today. I am also a proud father of three wonderful daughters. Watching them pursue their post-secondary education here in Sudbury has reinforced just how important strong local educational institutions are. They continue to amaze me every day as they succeed in their post-secondary journeys and in the multiple sports they each play and excel at, while they all attend Laurentian University here in Sudbury. Like many parents, I hope they choose to build their futures in Sudbury and maybe one day raise families of their own in this community that has given us so much. After graduating from Cambrian College with a bachelor of business administration, I spent some time in banking but ultimately decided my career path was to take over the family business and local Italian bakery. I am a certified baker, and during my time at the [inaudible] I was asked by the program director of the baking and pastry arts program at Cambrian College to participate in the writing of the skills training examinations for the Red Seal baker apprenticeship program. Also, during my time operating the bakery, as a business owner and tradesperson, I employed over 10 apprentices who have since completed their apprenticeship programs with Cambrian College. I have always been a strong advocate for apprenticeship programs and work placements. I strongly believe that they are rewarding careers and vital to ensuring Ontario’s economic prosperity. Through these experiences, I’ve learned how important leadership, long-term planning, financial accountability and adaptability are to any organization’s success. As a Sudbury entrepreneur for over 25 years, as a small business owner and a tradesperson, I’m bringing a unique experience set that will enable me to contribute a varied perspective to the continued success of the Cambrian College board of directors. Outside of my professional career, community service has always been a part of my life. Today, I serve as the second vice-chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and as director-at-large for the Greater Sudbury Soccer Club, where I have coached youth girls’ soccer for over 20 years. I enjoy mentoring and coaching young people. I have also had the pleasure to serve my community as a volunteer high school coach. I also try to give back by participating in events as well as fundraising for various community organizations and charities, such as the Easter Seals chapter, the Health Sciences North hospital, St. Joseph Villa long-term-care centre, Vale hospice, Sudbury’s Chill volleyball club, and Laurentian University flag football, just to name a few. For the Health Science North Foundation, in particular, I founded and organized an annual celebrity pizza-eating contest. It has been two years in the making, and I was fortunate to raise close to $100,000 in two years. The event is a summer festival where members of the community can gather to watch competition and connect. I will work to exceed this number for our hospital at next year’s event and to find new ways to bring our community together in celebration and civic engagement. This is ultimately why I’m interested in serving on Cambrian’s board of governors. Cambrian has made a meaningful difference in the lives of students, families and employers across northern Ontario. I have a long history with the college, and as an alumnus and volunteer, I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the work as a board director. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I would be pleased to take any questions that you may have at this time.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Thank you very much, Maximilian. That was a delicious presentation. I’m sure we all are—especially some of us who haven’t had breakfast. Wow. Thank you for sharing your story with us. We’re going to go to the government side, and they have five minutes, 26 seconds. MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I’m hungry too, so I appreciated that morning breakfast, without eating. Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Massimiliano.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

You can call me Max. It’s easy.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

Thank you, Max. I appreciate that. You talked about giving back and providing those bridges for those opportunities for those students in your place of work, at the bakery. You talked about career skills, as well, and how that’s important for post-secondary education. Can you talk about the importance of gaining that hands-on career experience or work-integrated learning in post-secondary education? That’s going to directly link to your role in this position.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I can speak to this question from personal experience. As I was completing my business administration program at Cambrian College, during my final semester, I had a work placement at the Bank of Montreal. This was a great experience because I got to see first-hand what my career would look like in the banking industry. My goal was to one day work on Bay Street for one of the big banks. But after seeing how the bank operated, I realized that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. My goal was to take over the family business. Without that experience, I could have graduated from college and entered the banking world, not knowing what it was like. I believe that gaining first-hand experience and work-integrated learning opportunities are vital in helping young people decide on their future careers. I’m a firm believer in the apprenticeship program. I believe work experience while obtaining your accreditation helps shape you, better trains employees, and helps you prepare for the workplace.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

MPP Dowie.

Official source

Mr. Andrew Dowie

Thank you, Max, for joining us today. Coincidentally, I was with a number of our trade unions yesterday, and they highlighted the growing divide between what’s in the college curriculum and their labour market needs. Certainly, it’s our focus for post-secondary institutions in Ontario that students will graduate into in-demand labour market fields, but sometimes there is that difference between the demand from the students and, ultimately, the opportunities that are out there in terms of job prospects. Might you be able to share a little bit of your thoughts on the importance of ensuring that those strong partnerships exist between the colleges and local employers, and ultimately giving those great career opportunities to students in the community?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Like I said before, I’ve been a strong supporter of partnerships between colleges and local employers. I have employed apprentices in my field, and they participate in the apprenticeship program development. They’re vital and essential to ensure that the students graduate with the skills, knowledge and practical experience needed to succeed in today’s labour markets. As critical minerals play an enormous role in the current geopolitical world, mining and skilled trades play a significant economic role between colleges and sector-specific employers. We definitely need to maintain and keep these partnerships strong and alive between the colleges and local employers.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

MPP Bailey.

Official source

Mr. Robert Bailey

Thank you, Max, for coming in today. I read your résumé. With all of your wide board experience and in the private sector, can you give an example of when you helped an organization navigate through a difficult decision or conversation?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I have to say, the one experience that stands out is my involvement that I had with the municipal accountability task force, through the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. In that role, I had the opportunity to participate in some difficult but important conversations with municipal officials surrounding accountability, transparency, fiscal responsibility, and a lot of decisions that were impacting our local business community. The discussions weren’t always easy, particularly when there were different perspectives, municipal priorities and directions of the community. I believe my contribution to navigate through those difficult conversations was helping maintain respectful and constructive dialogue while ensuring that the concerns of the business community were still heard, rather than focusing on the disagreements. I felt it was important to ask—

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Less than a minute.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

—challenging questions. I learned that it was—be able to keep people accountable while maintaining strong relationships.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

There’s 24 seconds left. No? Okay. We’ll head over to MPP Gilmour from the official opposition. The floor is yours.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Thank you so much, Mr. Massimiliano, for being here and for your involvement in Sudbury, for your years with the soccer club. And, yes, the two years of the pizza-eating contest makes me want to come to Sudbury. I want to just start at the beginning of your process, with the application. Your application was submitted on June 23 of this year. How did you first learn of the vacancy? I’m wondering if anybody suggested that you apply—including someone from the minister’s office, or an MPP, anyone in the party, the Premier, those sort of things. Did anybody suggest that you apply to this, and who would that be?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

No. The appointment process was facilitated through the college’s annual candidate nomination process. The college reached out to me, as someone who has worked with them before and, obviously, an ex-alumni.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

The bylaws for Cambrian College say that the committee looks for nominees who would round out the board’s experience, meet those college needs. So you’re saying that they recommended and interviewed you through this process?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I’d say that they felt they wanted someone who was an entrepreneur in small business and someone who has been fiscally responsible and understands how transparency needs to be facilitated through the college’s board.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

I want to just check, because our committee here routinely asks about political involvement: Are you currently or have you ever been a member of a political party?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Yes, I have.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Have you made any donations to a political party?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Yes, I have.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Have you ever been a candidate for office for a political party?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Yes, I have.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Which party would that be?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Your application lists your business, your community roles, but it doesn’t mention your candidacy. Your walk through how you served the Sudbury area mentioned, again, your volunteer roles, your business connections, but it didn’t mention your candidacy with the PC Party. Did you consider it relevant to disclose this to the committee?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I was the candidate for the previous election, but right now, I’m just a candidate of record, so I did not think that it was prudent to actually put that information forward.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

In fact, your socials still list you as the PC candidate for Sudbury, so—

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Sorry. I can change that. I left that up. I did not make an adjustment to it. I’m sorry for that.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

That’s okay. Do you intend to seek a nomination to run for provincial office again?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

At this point here, I’m not sure, to be honest with you.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

If you do seek a nomination while serving on the board, would you step down from the board?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Well, I would disclose my party affiliation with the board and recuse myself if there’s any discussion or decision-making where the interests of the college intersect with my political affiliation.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

So, at this point, you’re not sure. But just in the last few weeks, you have stood with the Premier for pictures, with Minister Sarkaria for pictures. You’re still listed as the candidate on record for the PC Party of Sudbury. My concern, really, is that students deserve a governor, not a candidate-in-waiting, so—

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Sorry. Point of order from MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I think we need to keep questions in the scope of the individual’s qualifications for the job.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Okay. Yes. MPP Gilmour.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Of course, when there are many opportunities where the college will be speaking with the ministry, with this government, we need to be sure that anybody who is sitting on the board of governors is impartial and is not going to have motives that are other than serving the students and the body. This is what the line of questioning really is here. For example, Cambrian’s bylaw says that when the college expects an accumulated deficit, the board must seek the minister’s approval for its budget and submit a recovery plan. Cambrian is in fact projecting a deficit this very year. How would you assure students, staff, the Sudbury community—after posing in pictures with the Premier in the last few weeks, after posing in pictures with Minister Sarkaria in the last few weeks, after being the PC candidate and still having that on your socials—that you can bring an independent judgment to the process, given your ties to the governing party?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I worked with Cambrian College for more than 15 years. My judgment, on the board of governors, will be within the lines of making decisions on what is going to benefit Cambrian College, first and foremost. That is my top priority, and that is why I want to be on the board of governors for Cambrian College.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

And yet, you didn’t disclose that you do have this connection. When the board is going to tell the minister that program cuts are going to hurt the northern students—in particular, the rural students—will you be comfortable saying that to the government that you ran to join?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Well, it is my understanding—

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Sorry to interrupt. Point of order, MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

Point of order: The questions need to be relevant to the individual’s qualifications in his job—what he has done, what he has accomplished to be relevant to the board.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Thank you. MPP Gilmour, we’re just looking for a strong link to—

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Conflict of interest is an important matter. It needs to be assured that there will be a strong candidate for this position, who will not have a conflict of interest; that we will be able to support the students—especially those northern, Indigenous students who count on this college. This college is in some serious decision-making times, with programs lost, financial funding lost. We need to ensure that the candidate before us will be making decisions based on the best interest of the community and not based on his political career and/or his connections to the governing party. I’m wondering, sir, in your view, what is the single most serious financial challenge facing Cambrian right now?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

It is my understanding that Cambrian has a very good financial—and healthy, robust balance sheet at this time. They have made a lot of great decisions to ensure that they keep that fiscal responsibility, moving forward.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Do you know, roughly, how much the college revenue has changed from last year to this year?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I do not know that because I am not a board member, unfortunately.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

The revenue fell by half last year, from nearly $300 million to $150 million. This is the first page of the college’s financial statement. When I joined a board in the past, when I’ve sought a job, one of the first things I’ve done is look at the organization’s financial statements, to ensure stability.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Like I said, the financial statements are very healthy and robust at this time. They have not had any staff layoffs. Even though they have gone through some tough times, they are still operating very, very, very good.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

I respectfully disagree. When the college is projecting a $1.7-million deficit in 2026-27, I’m wondering how that’s called a healthy, robust situation.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

One minute warning.

Official source

MPP Alexa Gilmour

Cambrian has also suspended the intake of 16 programs. Students in Little Current, in Espanola need to know that there’s someone at the table who’s going to fight for the programs for them, and who’s going to ensure that there’s no conflict of interest. If Cambrian’s own board has to have an open search—I wonder who the candidate might have been. I’m very concerned—while this witness does care very much about Sudbury—that Cambrian is facing a $1.74-million deficit, 16 suspended programs, and a revenue drop by half in a single year. It needs a governor who is chosen for what they can bring to the college and not for what they’ve done for the PC Party.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Over to the third party: MPP Smyth, the floor is yours for 10 minutes.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

Thank you, Max, for being here today. I think that in the context of what my colleague was asking you, the relevancy to background and political involvement is there—particularly in the context of the deficit with the college programs, suspensions etc. You’re saying it’s a robust balance sheet; the numbers show otherwise. So there is a bit of concern there, in terms of understanding the context of where the college is right now. I do appreciate you caring to be a part of it and wanting to help, and your background. In your position on the board of governors, how would you balance the college’s financial sustainability with the need to maintain accessible and high-quality education? We’ve already seen that this college has taken a hit. In that context, what are you going to do?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Well, I believe that strong financial stewardship is one of the most important responsibilities of the board, especially for an institution like Cambrian College, because it plays such a significant role in our region’s economy. First and foremost, I believe in accountability and transparency. There has to be a responsibility to ensure that the fiscal resources are being managed responsibly, and that the decisions are made with the long-term interests of the institution in mind. Coming from a business background, I understand the importance of balancing financial discipline but also having strategic investment. It’s not just about reducing the costs or balancing the budget. It’s about making some smart decisions that position the organization for long-term success. Another important principle that I firmly believe in, that I’ve been taught, is to be proactive rather than reactive. That means making difficult decisions and asking questions to plan for future challenges, to ensure that the institution can still be flexible to adapt to changing economic conditions and ensure that the college is going to be responsive to the needs of the students and the labour market.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

So, with all of that said, how do you feel about the programs being suspended? Is this what you want—16 programs and the financial situation? Is this how you envision the college moving forward—the one that you went to that’s so much a part of you and who you are and why you want to work there?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I understand that the suspensions happened, but unfortunately there was very low enrolment in a lot of those programs, and a lot of them were tied to international student enrolment. So those were hard decisions that, unfortunately, had to be made to preserve the college’s fiscal responsibility.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

What were some of those programs that were cut, that you say had low enrolment? Did you agree with that? When you look at that now, going in, you have that perspective of what the college has lost. How is that going to help the college, going forward—and what would you fight for, to maintain?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

If the programs have low enrolment, I would fight to try to find a spot for these students to be able to pursue their career, maybe at a different college. I believe they cancelled 16 programs, but that gives them an opportunity now to maybe develop more programs where they can attract more students. This way here, the college can continue to grow as we navigate through these times. Not every program that was offered 20 years ago is still sustainable—

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

Relevant.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

—and relevant these days. We are in a changing economy, changing times, and unfortunately, we have to able to adapt to that as well.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

What are some programs you would fight for, to see maintained at the college, or even advocate for, to include, you think, that might help the balance sheet?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Well, I’m not sure which programs that they will offer. I know that there are people who work at the college who will do their due diligence and research and present it to the board for us to make a decision about which programs they feel and they believe would benefit the college.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

How would you see your continued involvement with the PC Party? You haven’t ruled out the possibility of another run. I know I’m going to get a call of order here. But my question is, how do you see that continued involvement intersecting with your responsibilities as a college governor? You’ve talked about transparency and accountability, yet your connection with the party wasn’t disclosed. How do you see that intersecting those responsibilities, going forward—and being able to have an independent voice with this college, without any kind of outside influence, keeping in mind the pictures with ministers and people within the party?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Like I said previously, I will disclose my party affiliation with the board and recuse myself from any discussion or decision-making process if it intersects with the college and the interests of my political affiliation.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

Can you talk to us about donations that you’ve made to the PC Party in the past and what motivates your contributions?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

I made some donations last year and some this year. We all know that people have political affiliations, and they tend to choose to donate to the parties that they—

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt again. There’s a point of order from MPP Smith.

Official source

Ms. Laura Smith

I want to remind the committee that we’re here to ask questions about the individual’s qualifications.

Official source

MPP Stephanie Smyth

I think qualifications are there, but so are connections. That’s why we see this as a relevant line of questioning. What would you consider your top priorities during your appointment to the college? And how would you measure being effective in that role?

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

It gives me a tremendous opportunity to play an even greater role in shaping the economic future of Greater Sudbury and northern Ontario. There are a lot of significant opportunities in our mining and critical minerals sector. Sudbury is already recognized to be a global leader in mining. With the provincial and national priorities revolving in critical minerals, the college can play a monumental role in providing the skilled workforce for mining, advanced manufacturing and technologies. As a member of the board, I want to contribute to that, to keep the momentum growing. They’ve done some great work. They’ve made some great strides in research and development for electrification, environmental remediation, and defence technology as well. I think that Cambrian can be a great partner in education for future years, and I want it to continue to be a pillar in our community.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Thank you so much, Maximilian, for taking the time to share your story and your history and experience with us. You’re welcome to stay while we interview other people, or you can go about your day and enjoy the outside. You’ll find out the results. We appreciate you coming and being willing to serve.

Official source

Mr. Maximilian Massimiliano

Thank you so much for your time, everybody. I appreciate it.

Official source

Review of intended appointment, selected by official opposition party and third party: Marcel Gagnon, intended appointee as member, Lakehead University board of governors.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

We will now move to the second appointee, and that is Marcel Michael Gagnon. He is nominated as a member of the Lakehead University board of governors. He will also be appearing virtually. Hi, Marcel. Good morning. Welcome. I’m not sure if you’ve ever followed the committee, but the way it works is, you have time to give a presentation and brag about yourself, and then each party will have 10 minutes to question you. Your time that you take to share your story is deducted from the government’s time, and they are A-okay with that. Thank you very much for stepping up to consider serving Ontario and making it a better province to live in. We appreciate it. The floor is yours. We cannot hear you, unfortunately. We’re going to figure that out. Hold that thought. You’re muted, I guess. Maybe turn your volume up. We’re just going to check on that. Interjection.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Okay. We’re going to recess for five minutes. Is that okay, guys? Marcel, we’re going to ask you to log off and log back in again, if that’s okay. We’ll get this sorted out. We’re anxious to hear from you. Thank you.

Official source

The committee recessed from 0936 to 0939.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

The Standing Committee on Government Agencies will come back to order. We’re welcoming Marcel Michael Gagnon. He’s nominated to be a member of the Lakehead University board of governors. He knows the drill. He’s ready. The floor is yours, Marcel, for 10 minutes.

Official source

Mr. Marcel Gagnon

Thank you for inviting me to the standing committee. It’s the very first time I’ve ever been in front of a standing committee. I watch you on TV all the time—but never in person, obviously. I would have loved to be there. Anyway, I’ll just give you a little bit of personal history. My name is Marcel Gagnon, obviously. I live in Thunder Bay. I actually live about 40 kilometres outside of Thunder Bay, at our retirement home on the lake, so it’s pretty nice. Today, it’s very foggy—but that’s this time of year, and that’s happening. I’ve been married for 46 years to my wife, Karen. We have two boys. Our eldest son—he’s a CPA here in Thunder Bay—works in industry. Our youngest son lives in Ottawa, and he’s a physician and internist. He just recently had a baby girl. So we’re proud grandparents as well. I’ll give you a brief history of my experience. First of all, I’m a very proud graduate of Lakehead University. I graduated in 1979. I then articled with a company, BDO Dunwoody, in Toronto, and I spent five years there. My wife was not a fan of Toronto. She didn’t like it. She wanted to move back to Thunder Bay, so we moved back. I took a job with a construction company as a controller and did that for a couple of years. Then, I moved on to a hospital, St. Joseph’s Care Group hospital. I was a financial controller there for a couple of years. I was approached by some friends of mine here in Thunder Bay to join their accounting practice—it was called Fitzpatrick and Partners—back in 1988, and I became a partner there in 1991, I guess it was. In 2010, we merged in with a national accounting firm, MNP—some of you may know it; we’re growing quite large. In 2024, I retired, after spending some 45 years in the business. My tenure as a partner in a large accounting firm—most of my clients were in the health care, not-for-profit and Indigenous niche. I spent a lot of time on northern reserves, north of Thunder Bay, and really enjoyed that. In 2020, I was awarded the distinction of a fellow of the institute of CPAs of Ontario. I’m very proud of that as well. So I have a FCPA designation, and just for those of you who don’t know, it is awarded to roughly 50 CPAs a year. There are 100,000 CPAs in Ontario, and 50 of us get nominated and are given the distinction of being a fellow of the institute. We’re recognized for our commitment to the community, for our commitment to our profession, and for our leadership in our working positions. I’ve always given time to the community. I’ve had a real interest in health care, as I indicated. Just recently, prior to retiring, I completed my term with the Canadian Mental Health Association. I was involved at all levels of that federation. I was a treasurer for the local branch for a number of years. I joined the Ontario branch, was the treasurer, and then moved up and became the chair, and then the past chair. As the chair, I was appointed to the national federation and sat on that board for a couple of years. All the way through, though, I’ve really grown to realize that my experience as a chartered professional accountant has been a need that most boards require, and I was able to fill that and really felt rewarded with the time and effort that I put into it. So here we are. I was contacted because I had submitted my résumé online to the public secretariat there and indicated that I had an interest in the LU board of directors. They reached out to me and asked me if I’d be interested to let my name stand, which I am, obviously. Just to step back a bit: Since I retired, I really did not do a lot, and I missed it. I missed the people. I missed being involved with things. For about two years, I did a lot of golfing. I live on a lake, like I said. I did fishing. My wife is not a big traveller, so in the wintertime, we did little trips, but nothing—and I really felt that I needed something more. So I started to put my name out there. Lo and behold, within the last four months, I have appointments. I was just recently appointed to the internal audit committee for health care with the Treasury Board Secretariat. I’m the chair of that committee. That’s really interesting. I enjoy that. I also was recently appointed to the port of Thunder Bay, as a board member there. That’s just starting to take off. I have had only one meeting. I’m really enjoying that. All of these boards require a lot of prep time. I have lots of time for that. They also require time for meetings. The port authority, I’m going to say, is maybe eight meetings a year; this board, I understand, is six; and the internal audit committee is only four meetings a year. I’ve got a lot of time to prepare and make myself available when needed. So, like I said, I have a keen interest, and I have time available to give back and offer my experience to the Lakehead board of governors. I’ve taken a look at their financial statements, and I’ve seen a few things there that I have questions about, obviously. I have a bit of an interest now to try to find out more and certainly to help that board with their financial accountability and stewardship and managing their finances. That’s the end of my presentation. If there are any questions, I’ll turn it back to you, Madam Chair.

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Thank you very much, Marcel. That’s quite the picturesque story. And congratulations on your new grandchild. That’s very exciting. We will now go to the government side for questions. You have three minutes and 19 seconds. MPP Sabawy.

Official source

Mr. Sheref Sabawy

I’d like to thank you for taking the initiative to help in committees, which will improve the life of people in the north in Ontario and help Lakehead University. You have had a long career in accounting, financial management and community leadership. Could you please tell us a little more about your professional journey and what motivated you especially to put your name forward for the Lakehead University board of governors?

Official source

Mr. Marcel Gagnon

Well, I kind of indicated a little bit of that. In retirement, as I indicated, I was getting a little bit bored, and I missed people. So that’s certainly something that I’ve been very interested in. I do have a keen interest in Lakehead University, like I said. I did want to add that while I was a partner at Fitzpatrick and Partners and MNP, we would always interview and hire students out of the Lakehead University business program. Last year, my partner was nominated for an alumni award, and I helped put together his résumé. We took a look at our history, and there were over 250 graduates of LU that we had employed in our business, so I obviously know that there are great people who are coming out of there. Therefore, I’ve got that interest in giving something back to Lakehead University. As far as my work history, I indicated a keen interest in health care. I know that Lakehead University—they don’t have the Northern Ontario School of Medicine anymore. That was separated. But they still have a lot of health care programs. Nursing is very well respected in the community. I think I can add value to that. I also think that the direction of the university really needs to get back and get the business community in Thunder Bay involved in their operation. I think there’s—

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

One-minute warning.

Official source

Mr. Marcel Gagnon

They’ve kind of gone off from that. I don’t think they do as much as they can of that. I think there are a lot of economic opportunities for them. With the Ring of Fire coming on and with the engineering programs and all of that, that’s the direction I would like to see it go.

Official source

Mr. Sheref Sabawy

Is there any specific area of your vast expertise that you think will be beneficial to Lakehead?

Official source

Mr. Marcel Gagnon

Well, my résumé shows that I worked in the Indigenous niche. I know that Lakehead has a lot of programs that they’re looking at for Indigenous people. I think I have a good working relationship with many Indigenous organizations in northern Ontario. So I can add that value to the board of—

Official source

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon)

Sorry to cut you off, but that’s the time for the government. This committee makes me appear rude—just appear. Now we’re going to the official opposition for 10 minutes. MPP Gilmour.

Official source