The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Never in our modern history has there been a more compelling moment for governments to lead with ambition and action – in short, to do the big things that will reorient our country’s economy and sovereignty for the next century.
Ontario is seizing the moment with an aggressive forward-looking plan to unlock and unleash our full resource potential. From building mines and transmission lines faster, to leading North America’s largest nuclear buildout, and a made-in-Canada sovereign pipeline, these are generational investments that will pay dividends for future generations.
This fall, Ontario will unveil an action plan to aggressively accelerate permit reform for mines and energy projects in addition to a strategy to build, mine, manufacture, and refine more here at home.
On November 5th, at the Empire Club of Canada, The Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines will lay out Ontario’s vision to move with unrelenting speed, to build out our resource prosperity for future generations, and leverage Canadian technology, workers, supply chains, and ingenuity. His keynote address will be followed by a fireside chat moderated by Tracey Bodnarchuk, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Powered by Women.
Ontario has a plan and an opportunity to turn its energy resources and industrial strength into a durable Canadian advantage – and help define Canada’s place in the world’s economy for the next century.
Secure your tickets today!
Stephen Lecce serves as Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, with a mandate focused on expanding clean, reliable and affordable energy and accelerating responsible development of Ontario’s critical minerals.
In his mission to position Ontario as an energy superpower, Stephen is expanding electricity generation—anchored by nuclear power—along with transmission and storage. To deliver on this urgent imperative, he is advancing Ontario’s leadership in nuclear energy, including the first grid-scale small modular reactor (SMR) in the G7 and plans to build what could become the largest nuclear generating station in the world.
With his mandate, he is working to aggressively unlock one of the largest untapped deposits of critical minerals and rare earth metals on the planet—vital to Canada’s future prosperity and security. This includes accelerating permitting to get shovels in the ground, while working to diversify export markets—from minerals to nuclear energy.
Stephen’s first experience in politics began in his hometown of Vaughan where he was involved in the 1999 election of the late MPP Al Palladini. Since then, he has served as Chief Spokesperson to Canada’s 22nd Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper. Upon his election in 2018, he served as Deputy Government House Leader, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier, and then served as Ontario’s longest-serving Minister of Education in modern history.
Tracey is the CEO and one of the founders of Canada Powered by Women, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that represents the voice of Canadian women who believe sound energy policies are vital for the continuing economic prosperity of our country.
By amplifying the voice of engaged women in the national conversation about energy policy and our economy, Canada Powered by Women aims to influence public perception, policymakers and government to find common ground solutions to shape Canada’s future.
As a business leader and C-suite executive with 20-plus years of experience, Tracey has held senior roles with professional service firms such as Deloitte, KPMG and Norton Rose Fulbright and in technology companies like SAP, J.D. Edwards and Microsoft. She was the CRO at Hopewell Residential and the first-ever brand manager at Suncor Energy.
A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (formerly Ryerson) Journalism school, she also completed the Executive Marketing Program at Queen’s University and the Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials Program with Institute of Corporate Directors via the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Tracey is an active volunteer who is currently on the board of the Saddledome Foundation, Mount Royal University, and the Calgary Petroleum Club.
