TAKING PRIDE IN CANADA’S ENERGY INDUSTRY
With nearly three decades of public affairs experience in Ontario, Stewart Kiff would likely describe both himself and his support of Canada’s oil and natural gas industry as “practical.” A bilingual citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, Stewart has built his career helping people all across Ontario – from the remote areas of the northern communities to the urban areas of Toronto – and he believes the industry represents a huge opportunity for Canadians.
“The oil and gas industry is vital to Canada and a key part of our lives,” Kiff says. “It is a fabulous generator of wealth and quality jobs, especially for Aboriginals and communities that have been traditionally remote and isolated. Quality jobs are the backbone of the Canadian economy.”
As president of Solstice Public Affairs, an organization that specializes in supporting projects in education, construction and mining, Stewart is also practical about the challenges facing the industry.
“I live in downtown Toronto and although people have legitimate concerns about t he environment and want to be on the right side of things,” he says, “but they’ve been fed a fair amount of misinformation that influences their judgement. This challenge is not isolated to our country and will require leaders in our communities to speak up and responsibly advocate for the industry.”
Working to keep Canada’s industry competitive is of paramount importance to Stewart, not only as a small business owner, but also as a proud Ontarian.
“There unfortunately still remains terrible poverty in the remote areas of Northern Ontario. The way out of poverty is education and integration of those communities into our economy, which requires investment.” He adds: “A competitive and efficient Canadian economy including a solid oil and gas industry helps my business and also helps to ensure wealth is generated and shared across the country f or education, j obs and healthcare.” To l earn more a bout t he Canada’s Energy Citizen program, visit energycitizens.ca