This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park. The Trillium provides regular exclusive coverage of lobbying and lobbyists to its Trillium Insider subscribers.
Imagine if a Canada Post delivery truck and a tricycle had a baby and that baby was zero-emissions and made of LEGO.
A new "micro" electric vehicle (EV) that sort of looks like that could hit Ontario's streets if a heavyweight lobbyist tapped by a Canadian billionaire's company can come through.
If the origin story behind the SARIT that Frank Stronach told a few years ago is any indication, then there's a good chance it could, thanks to an apparent ally occupying the Office of the Premier of Ontario.
A few months before the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier Doug Ford called up Stronach — the billionaire founder of Magna International, the Aurora, Ont.-headquartered auto-parts maker — asking him how to generate auto sector jobs, according to a Newmarket Today article in 2021.
“When the premier called me, I went back to the workbench and started to do a few sketches and started to make a prototype – just as I have done for the last 50 or 60 years,” Stronach said, according to the May 9, 2021 article.
The solution the billionaire reportedly relayed to Ford was to focus on building EVs domestically — and not just any EVs, but miniature ones. That same belief is behind the SARIT, ELVY Inc.'s "safe affordable reliable innovative transport" vehicle that can be rode "like a bike," has removable doors, and emits nada, according to the company's website.
Back in 2021, Stronach said he was working with Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO) on a "micro-mobility" handbook to improve road safety for smaller vehicles and to reduce emissions. "The fact is, micro-mobility will be a must. Our cities are choked up in traffic and greenhouse gases," Stronach said. "Look, if you live around the 401 and go into the city, why do you have to have a big car?"
The premier is a known hater of exhaust fumes.
Now, ELVY Inc. has turned its attention to getting a green light for the SARIT. This past week, as the Investigative Journalism Foundation first reported, former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Frank Klees registered to lobby the provincial government on the company's behalf.
Klees was a PC MPP from 1995 to 2014 and Ontario's minister of transportation for eight months in 2003. He's since become a force in the provincial lobbying scene.
For ELVY, Klees' goal is "to brief the MTO on the specifications of the SARIT, a micro-mobility vehicle developed by the client, ELVY Inc. and to engage in discussions with MTO on the regulations related to Urban Mobility Vehicles being considered by MTO," the filing he made on Ontario's lobbyists' registry this week says.
The Klees-Stronach team-up also marks a reunion for the pair. Klees' filings on Ontario's lobbyists registry show the first provincial client he registered to lobby for was the Stronach Group, which manages and develops real estate.
The Stronach Group had hired Klees in the mid-2010s to help it try to get land it owned removed from the Greenbelt, the long-inactive 2016 filing on Ontario's lobbyists registry shows.
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Consultants
Samuel Duncan of Wellington Advocacy for Progressive Contractors Association of Canada
Katlyn Harrison of Summa Strategies Canada Inc. for Convenience Industry Council of Canada
Patrick Harris of Rubicon Strategy Inc. for Watco Companies LLC
Patrick Harris of Rubicon Strategy Inc. for Dell Products L.P.
Caroline Pinto of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Ontario Home Builders’ Association
Giancarlo Drennan of Sussex Strategy Group for 407 ETR Concession Company Limited
Ellen Gouchman of ONpoint Strategy Group for Regional Municipality of York
Fraser Macdonald of StrategyCorp Inc. for Town of Collingwood
Max Laskin of Goodmans LLP for Majid Tavakoli Holdings Ltd.
Claudia Gallant of Jenni Byrne + Associates for Little Warriors
Cassandra Duncan of Jenni Byrne + Associates for Little Warriors
Kelly Mitchell of KW Mitchell Consulting Services Inc. for The BMI Group
Michaela Johnson of Jenni Byrne and Associates for Little Warriors
Al MacDermid of Pathway Group for Petro Plastics Corporation Ltd
Jerry Khouri of Pathway Group for Petro Plastics Corporation Ltd
Matthew Olsen of Jenni Byrne + Associates for Bilt Services Inc.
Claudia Gallant of Jenni Byrne + Associates for Bilt Services Inc.
Michaela Johnson of Jenni Byrne and Associates for Bilt Services Inc.
Regan Watts of Fratton Park Inc. for Gartner Inc.
Emily Bowes of 3Sixty Public Affairs for Lung Cancer Canada
Frank Klees of Klees & Associates Ltd. for ELVY Inc.
Rick Roth of Global Public Affairs for Pioneer Lithium
Michael Ras of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials Canada Inc.
Devan Sommerville of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Ontario Home Builders’ Association
Johanna Chevalier of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Ontario Home Builders’ Association
Davin Shinedling of Jenni Byrne + Associates for Bilt Services Inc.
Lee Greenberg of Policy Concepts Inc for Caledon Community Collaborative Inc.
Kim Wright of Wright Strategies for Glen Day
Tausha Michaud of McMillan Vantage for MarshallZehr Group Inc
Andrew House of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP for The Canadian-American Business Council, Inc.
Ishwari Sawant of Crestview Strategy for Canadian Medical Association
Carlo Oliviero of Edelman Global Advisory for WestJet Airlines Ltd.
John O'Leary of Crestview Strategy for SMART (The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers)
Regan Watts of Fratton Park Inc. for Convertus Group
Liam Thompson of StrategyCorp Inc. for Miziwe Biik Development Corporation
Danya Vered of StrategyCorp Inc. for Miziwe Biik Development Corporation
Christopher Loreto of StrategyCorp Inc. for Miziwe Biik Development Corporation
Alex Armanious of StrategyCorp Inc. for Miziwe Biik Development Corporation
Kenzie McKeegan of Loyalist Public Affairs for Restaurants Canada
Jared Burke of Loyalist Public Affairs for Restaurants Canada
Alexandra Spence of Loyalist Public Affairs for Restaurants Canada
Christopher Froggatt of Loyalist Public Affairs for Restaurants Canada
Kris Barnier of Loyalist Public Affairs for Restaurants Canada
Dan Mader of Loyalist Public Affairs for Restaurants Canada
Aaron Scheewe of The Capital Hill Group for VMware Canada Inc.
Aaron Scheewe of The Capital Hill Group for Rubrik Inc
Aaron Scheewe of The Capital Hill Group for Hitachi Vantara
Rick Roth of Global Public Affairs for Career Find
Stefano Hollands of Crestview Strategy for Capital Sports Development Inc.
Andres Martinez of StrategyCorp Inc. for Lansdowne Children's Centre Foundation
Donald Gracey of CG Management & Communications Inc. for Association of Architectural Technologists of Ontario/AATO
Phil Trinh of Maple Leaf Strategies Inc. for FPInnovations
Rick Roth of Global Public Affairs for Cement Association of Canada
Stefani Vukmanovic of Rubicon Strategy Inc for Cadillac Fairview
Christine Simundson of Rubicon Strategy Inc. for Bruce Power Inc.
Sabrina Daniele of Temple Scott Associates Inc. for Scleroderma Society of Ontario
Mark Rudolph of justenvironment for Three Fires Group
Carolyn Kim of Grosso McCarthy Inc. for Saint Elizabeth Community Enterprise (operating as SE Health)
Jake Enwright of Syntax Strategic Inc. for Canadian Energy Marketers Association
Christopher Mourtos of ONpoint Strategy Group for City View Specialty Vehicles
Robert LeForte of First Lake Solutions for Canadian Career Development Foundation
Chris Benedetti of Sussex Strategy Group for BWXT Canada Ltd.
Jonathan Scott of Jonathan Scott Consulting Inc for The Elden Management Company
Al MacDermid of Pathway Group for Ontario Paramedic Association
Samuel Duncan of Wellington Advocacy for DIALOGUE HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES INC
Peter Van Loan of Aird & Berlis for Argo TFP
Daniela Cavatassi of Kealey & Associates Inc for Border City Athletic Club
Marc Kealey of Kealey & Associates Inc. for Border City Athletic Club
Kelly Baker of StrategyCorp Inc. for McKesson Canada
Garry Keller of StrategyCorp Inc. for Vivid Seats
Brian Teefy of StrategyCorp Inc. for Vivid Seats
Noah Niznick of Public Affairs Advisors for Electronic Transactions Association
David Angus of The Capital Hill Group Inc. for Celgene
Caroline Pinto of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Impact Auto Auctions Ltd.
Scott Munnoch of Temple Scott Associates for Scleroderma Society of Ontario
Saad Baig of StrategyCorp Inc. for Woodbine Entertainment Group
Patrick Harris of Rubicon Strategy Inc. for Canadian Niagara Hotels Inc.
Phil Trinh of Maple Leaf Strategies Inc. for Canada Goose Inc.
Caroline Pinto of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Toyota Canada Inc.
Philip Dewan of Counsel Public Affairs Inc. for Toyota Canada Inc.
David Angus of The Capital Hill Group Inc. for Rycom
Donald Gracey of CG Management & Communications Inc. for Perley Health Community of Care (formerly Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre)
Chris Benedetti of Sussex Strategy Group for Enwave Energy Corporation
Chris Benedetti of Sussex Strategy Group for GreenFirst Forest Products Inc.
Chris Benedetti of Sussex Strategy Group for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.
Chris Benedetti of Sussex Strategy Group for ITC Holdings Corp.
In-house lobbyists
Marnie Lofsky of Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists
David Weinstein of Canadian Standards Association
Anita Gaffney of Stratford Festival of Canada
Sharon Portelli of Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO)
Michelle Johnston of The Society of United Professionals
Wendy Noss of Motion Picture Association - Canada
Leo Groarke of Trent University
Jennifer Stewart of Canadian Energy Marketers Association (formerly Canadian Independent Petroleum Marketers Assoc)
Donald Moore of Canadian Transportation Equipment Association
Edward McDonnell of Greenbelt Foundation
Elizabeth Hall of Ontario Bar Association
Dennis Darby of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
Jessica Buckley of Ontario Lung Association
Todd Bourgon of Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario
Ian Dunn of Ontario Forest Industries Association - Home of CLA Grading and Inspection
Kristan Straub of Ring of Fire Metals Pty. Ltd.
Suzanne Goldberg of ChargePoint Canada Inc.
Jordan Robins of First Capital Realty Inc.
Colin Anderson of Association of Major Power Consumers in Ontario
Tobias Lütke of Shopify Inc.
Trevor Heck of Syngenta Canada Inc.
Éric Martel of Bombardier Inc.
Jean-Marc Leclerc of Honda Canada Inc.
—With files from Jessica Smith Cross
