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Hon. Sean Fraser: Solving the Housing Crisis – A Conversation with Canada’s Housing Minister

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

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In order to solve Canada’s national housing crisis we need to adopt an all hands on deck approach. Working with every community, and every level of government we can and will overcome this challenge.

Join Federal Housing Minister, Sean Fraser on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 in a discussion on how we can develop smart policies, direct strategic investments, and implement innovative solutions to solve Canada’s national housing crisis.

headshot of Hon. Sean Fraser

Hon. Sean Fraser

Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Government of Canada

The Honourable Sean Fraser was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Central Nova in 2015. He now serves as the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. He has previously served as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. In 2021, he also served concurrently as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Prior to entering politics, Sean built a successful legal practice as a commercial litigator with one of Canada’s top-ranked law firms, and studied international law under a Judge of the International Court of Justice and a Former Secretary-General of NATO as part of his Master’s Program in The Hague in the Netherlands. He also spent time working as a human rights lawyer for marginalized groups and individuals in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Minister Fraser grew up in Pictou County Nova Scotia, where he and his wife, Sarah, are raising their young family.

headshot of Mike  Van Soelen

Mike Van Soelen

Moderator
Managing Principal, Navigator Ltd.

As Managing Principal, Navigator Ltd. Mike helps leading organizations reach and engage their most important audiences.

Mike helps lead the Navigator team by providing clients with honest counsel on strategic and crisis communications, public affairs and research. His track record speaks to his unique understanding of how messages properly delivered can facilitate concrete, measurable outcomes.

Before joining Navigator, Mike founded and ran a successful boutique public affairs and communications firm with offices in Toronto and Ottawa that served leading organizations across Canada. Mike sold his firm to Navigator in 2015 and brought his unique insights and results-focused style to the Navigator team.

Prior to running his own company, Mike worked in journalism, communications and government. He began his career in the grassroots of Canadian journalism at two regional daily newspapers, winning several awards for his writing. He moved from journalism to politics, where he served on countless political campaigns. His posts in government have included Chief of Staff to an Ontario Minister and Director of Communications in Ottawa. Mike also worked at one of the country’s largest public relations agencies, supporting clients in the finance, health and technology sectors.

Mike appears regularly as a commentator for media outlets such as Global TV, AM 640, CP24 and Newstalk 1010. He also serves as a Director on the board of the Empire Club of Canada.