The Empire Club of Canada
Monday, December 11, 2023
Demand for energy is increasing in Ontario because of our economic success and global attractiveness as a place to live, work and invest in. Earlier this year the province announced Powering Ontario’s Growth – the government’s plan to support electrification and power the next major international investment, the new homes the province is building, and new job creators.
Join Energy Minister Todd Smith on December 11th to hear him speak about the next steps on Ontario’s path forward that will provide families and industries with reliable, low-cost and clean power.
For over 25 years, Todd Smith has been a trusted voice in the Quinte region. A graduate of Loyalist College, he embarked on a 16-year career in radio broadcasting, serving as the voice of Belleville Bulls hockey and rising to News Director at Quinte Broadcasting. Todd was first elected in 2011 in the riding of Prince Edward—Hastings. While in Opposition, he served as the PC Critic for several portfolios
including the energy file.
In 2022, he was re-elected in the Bay of Quinte riding as part of the Doug Ford government and he was reappointed to serve as Minister of Energy – a file he has held since 2021. Previously, he has served as Government House Leader, Minister of Government and Consumer Services, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade, and Minister of Children, Community and Social
Services.
Born and raised in Riverview, N.B., Todd has lived in the Belleville area since the early 1990s. He lives there with his wife Tawnya and daughters Payton and Reagan.
James Scongack is the Executive Vice President, Operational Services & Chief Development Officer at Bruce Power. In this role James is responsible for a wide-range of operational and capital project services at the World’s largest operating nuclear facility and Canada’s largest private-sector electricity infrastructure project. He also has responsibility for nuclear regulatory affairs, external affairs, environment, sustainability, asset dispatch, medical isotopes and business development.
During his 20-years of service at Bruce Power, he’s served in a number of diverse leadership roles at the company including the Vice-President of the Bruce B Generating Station where he was responsible for the safe, reliable operations and project integration at the facility consisting of four large-scale CANDU nuclear reactors. He’s also served as the company’s Vice-President of Environment & Corporate Affairs and in leadership roles reporting to the President & CEO dating back to 2005.
James has provided leadership in a number of large-scale commercial transactions and labour agreements including the 2015 agreement with the Province of Ontario extending the life of the facility to 2064 through a multi-Billion investment program.
James serves as Chair of the Independent Electricity System Operator Strategic Advisory Committee, Chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and Chair of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO). He’s previously served as a Director on LifeLabs, Canada’s largest community laboratory services provider and the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.
James has been recognized by the Globe and Mail Report on Business 2022 Best Executive Awards and awarded the Platinum Jubilee Award in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th Anniversary on the Throne for his work on COVID-19 Provincial vaccination efforts. He’s also a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell/Bloomberg.
James has an Executive MBA from London’s Ivey Business School and a Chartered Director through McMaster’s DeGroote Business School. James holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Guelph College of Management and Economics in Leadership and a BA (Hons) and has completed Master’s-level Project Management certification through York University’s Schulich Business School. He is also a graduate of the US-based Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Senior Plant Management Program and Bruce Power’s Enhanced Operational Training Program.