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Lobbying by Polytechnics Canada: its registrations, its lobbyists, the bills it has named and every meeting it has reported with federal office holders since November 2021.

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Organization

Polytechnics Canada

Meetings this Parliament
102
With MPs
19
Since Nov 2021
263
Active registrations
1

Most recent reported meeting: Sep 29, 2026.

Registrations in effect

In-house (organization) In effect since Sep 11, 2026

Filed by Sarah Watts-Rynard, Chief Executive Officer

Lobbyists

  • Alex Hornby · Manager of Operations
  • Diana Trudel · Policy Analyst
  • Kamila Graczyk · Communications Coordinator
  • Margaret Myers · Junior Communications Coordinator
  • Ricardo Arena · Director of Policy
  • Sarah Watts-Rynard · Chief Executive Officer

Institutions they may lobby: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Canadian Heritage (PCH), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev), Finance Canada (FIN), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Health Canada (HC), House of Commons, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), National Defence (DND), National Research Council (NRC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Privy Council Office (PCO), Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Senate of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Statistics Canada (StatCan), Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), Women and Gender Equality (WAGE)

What they're lobbying on (12)
  • Tax policy affecting philanthropy, small business innovation and post-secondary institutions; tax benefits and credits for apprentices; tax benefits and credits for employers.
  • Participate in all relevant policy discussions and consultations about academic research funding, business innovation and applied research; how businesses, non-profits and other enterprises benefit from innovation supports from academic institutions/polytechnics.
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, College and Community Innovation Program; tri-council structure and funding; eligibility of polytechnics and colleges for research funding and research support; Horizon Europe and opportunities for polytechnics to engage in international research partnerships.
  • Highly skilled workforce; in-demand occupations.
  • Supports, programs and policies designed to boost innovation and productivity; technology adoption; respond to skills needs; polytechnics and colleges as innovation intermediaries.
  • Student housing; funding to support equipment purchase for training in high-demand fields, infrastructure programs geared to the post-secondary sector.
  • Respond to consultations and advocate for change to international student policy; consider how polytechnics/colleges support inward and outward student mobility; consider international best practices for workforce development and applied research; better integration of newcomers through credential recognition, prior learning recognition and upskilling.
  • Participate in all relevant policy discussions about skills training and work-integrated learning; upskilling and reskilling policies, programs and funding; apprenticeship training, attraction, retention and completion, including on federal projects.
  • Adequate financial support for learners through the Canada Student Loan Program and other student-centered programs; Edu-Canada marketing and branding initiatives.
  • Participate in all relevant policy discussions and consultations related to productivity, business innovation, technology adoption and artificial intelligence.
  • Seeking funding for the activities of polytechnics and colleges in areas including workforce development, applied research and infrastructure/equipment.
  • Canada Foundation for Innovation - Seek ongoing infrastructure support for the applied research conducted by colleges and Polytechnics.

Registration 940122-12991-79. Look it up in the official Registry

Reported meetings

Spreadsheet
  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Nipun Vats · Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

    BudgetResearch and DevelopmentScience and Technology

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Catherine Demers · Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    EducationEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Douglas Wong · Policy Advisor, Finance Canada (FIN)

    Economic DevelopmentEmployment and TrainingResearch and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Jean-François Tremblay · Deputy Minister, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    EducationEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Nipun Vats · Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

    Research and DevelopmentScience and Technology

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Marc Fortin · Vice-President, Research Partnerships, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

    Research and DevelopmentScience and Technology

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • James Christie · Policy Advisor (Youth), Women and Gender Equality (WAGE)

    EducationEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Kelly Bryant · Director of Policy, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
    • Farangies Shah · Policy Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    EducationEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Nipun Vats · Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

    BudgetResearch and DevelopmentScience and Technology

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Ryan Williams · Member of Parliament for Bay of Quinte, House of Commons

    BudgetEducationResearch and DevelopmentScience and Technology

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • James Hawkes · Parliamentary Assistant, House of Commons

    BudgetEducationResearch and DevelopmentScience and Technology

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Carla Qualtrough · Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
    • Kelly Bryant · Director of Policy, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    BudgetEducationEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Charles Vincent · Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

    Employment and TrainingResearch and DevelopmentSmall Business

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Christine Hogan · Deputy Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
    • Paul Halucha · Associate Deputy Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
    • Hilary Geller · Assistant Deputy Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

    Employment and TrainingEnvironmentInfrastructureResearch and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Morgan Breitkreutz · Director of Operations, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

    BudgetEmployment and TrainingResearch and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Kelly Bryant · Director of Policy, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    BudgetEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Rachel Wernick · Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

    BudgetEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Saba Khwaja · Chief of Staff, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

    EducationEnvironmentInfrastructure

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Vats Nipun · Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

    Research and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Larry Macguire · Member of Parliament, House of Commons

    EducationEmployment and TrainingEnergyNatural ResourcesResearch and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Karen Vecchio · Member of Parliament, House of Commons

    BudgetEmployment and TrainingResearch and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • James Christie · Youth Policy Advisor and Atlantic Regional Advisor, Canadian Heritage (PCH)

    EducationEmployment and Training

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Blake Desjarlais · Member of Parliament, House of Commons
    • Gregory Sibley · Legislative Assistant, House of Commons

    Employment and TrainingResearch and Development

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    • Peter Fonseca · Member of Parliament, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance

    Budget

    Official report

  • Reported by Sarah Watts-Rynard · In-house (organization)

    Employment and TrainingResearch and Development

    Official report

From the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying's open data, published November 5, 2026. Reports cover oral, arranged meetings with designated public office holders since November 22, 2021; lobbyists file them by the 15th of the following month. Names of MPs are matched to the current House of Commons, and bills are linked when the lobbyist's own description makes clear which bill it means. Contains information licensed under the Open Data Licence Agreement — Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying. Licence. PolitiKit is independent and is not endorsed by the Commissioner of Lobbying.