There is something different about hearing from someone who once sat where you are sitting. When the Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson returned to McGill to speak at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, it was not just another stop on a political circuit. As a McGill alumnus who has spent the past decade navigating some of the country’s most complex files, he came back to a room full of students studying the very questions he now wrestles with in real time
First elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for North Vancouver–Capilano, Wilkinson has since held several senior cabinet portfolios, including fisheries and oceans and environment and climate change, and has served as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources since 2021. His path to Ottawa was not straightforward. Raised in Saskatchewan, he worked on constitutional negotiations early in his career, later moved into management consulting, and eventually led companies focused on clean energy and environmental innovation. That mix of public and private sector experience shaped much of the discussion.
His visit was also the product of relationships built over time. Maheep Sandhu, now an MPP at Max Bell, worked with him as a Strategic Advisor at Natural Resources Canada from 2022 to 2024. Director Jennifer Welsh formally invited him to speak, and Sandhu mentioned it again when they crossed paths in Ottawa. In the end, it felt less like a formal appearance and more like coming back to a place that still felt familiar.
What emerged from the conversation was a picture of cabinet work that is both collaborative and demanding. Ministers rely on career public servants with deep expertise, but they also carry the responsibility for political judgment. Large portfolios, especially in areas like environment and natural resources, require constant coordination across departments, provinces, and central agencies. Policy rarely hinges on a single dramatic moment. More often, it advances through sustained negotiation, detailed briefings, and long meetings where tradeoffs are carefully weighed.
The conversation also touched on the pressure governments face to move faster. From major infrastructure projects to housing and procurement, there is a clear public appetite for speed. But reorganizing institutions or creating new agencies is not a silver bullet. Reform can bring focus, yet it also introduces new layers of coordination. The tension between urgency and stability is something every government has to manage.
Canada’s relationship with the United States formed another backdrop. Deep economic integration limits how far Canada can diverge from its neighbor, especially in energy and manufacturing. At the same time, shifts in American policy create moments where Canada must decide whether to align or carve out its own path. That balancing act is ongoing and complex.
Inevitably, the discussion turned to Western Canada and the broader energy transition. For a country rich in conventional resources and increasingly invested in clean technologies, the challenge is not abstract. It is economic, regional, and deeply political. Around the world, markets and technology are pushing toward lower-carbon systems. Within Canada, regional economies are built around industries that cannot change overnight. Bridging that gap requires not only policy tools, but trust and dialogue across provinces.
The discussion did not pretend that these tensions are easily resolved. Federalism complicates energy and climate policy. Regional economies are built around different industries and timelines. Political pressures are real. Yet there was also an underlying sense that markets, innovation, and long-term global trends will continue to shape outcomes regardless of short-term rhetoric.
For students at the Max Bell School, the visit offered something practical as much as inspirational. A reminder that careers in public service rarely follow straight lines. That experience across sectors can be an asset. And that the work of governing, especially in moments of transition, is slow, detailed, and ultimately human.
