Amid public pullback, Premier Ford headlines ‘exclusive’ event at members-only club

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is headlining an “exclusive members only” event at a private club in downtown Toronto, where attendees are being promised the opportunity to have “connection and dialogue” with the province’s top decision-maker.

The Albany Club, which bills itself as “Canada’s preeminent club for conservative-minded leaders in politics and business,” said in a flyer to members that the breakfast event will feature a speech from the premier, along with a fireside chat and a moderated question-and-answer session with Ford.

The invitation for the April 30 breakfast, obtained by Global News, repeatedly stressed that the “exclusive” event is open only to the members of the Albany Club for a $49 fee (on top of the nearly $6,000 in yearly membership and entrance fees).

The digital invitation also clearly laid out the members’ ability to access the premier.

“This event offers a unique platform for connection and dialogue with one of Ontario’s foremost public figures,” it said. “Providing members with an opportunity for direct engagement and thoughtful discussion.”

The private breakfast comes as Ford has pulled back his media appearances in the wake of the controversy over the government’s decision to purchase — and subsequently sell — a $28.9-million Bombardier Challenger 650 jet.

While Ford’s social media feed features pictures of the premier at public events and podium-style announcements, his office has kept him away from cameras and microphones.

The last time the premier held a news conference was on April 21, one day before his government finalized the sale of the private jet back to Bombardier.

The Albany Club private breakfast is also being sponsored by Cameco, a Canadian-based company that’s actively registered to lobby the premier’s office and key Ontario cabinet ministers.

According to Ontario’s lobbyist disclosure records, Cameco Corporation registered to lobby the government on March 16 and April 6, as the company looks to gain a foothold in the province’s nuclear expansion.

“To inform government decision-makers of the critical role that Cameco and Ontario play in the nuclear fuel cycle required to power the global civilian nuclear fleet of reactor,” the company’s third-party lobbyists said of their reasons for contacting the government.

The company said “informal communication” would be part of lobbying activities.

Global News asked the Premier’s Office a series of questions about the subject of the breakfast and for a copy of Ford’s remarks. The office did not provide a statement in time for publication, but indicated a response would be coming.

This story will be updated when it is received.

On top of the premier’s breakfast being labelled as exclusive, the club seems to have kept the event unlisted and away from public view.

The breakfast does not appear on the Albany Club’s public-facing list of events, nor was it advertised by the premier’s office in advance.

By contrast, a similar appearance by Housing Minister Rob Flack on Wednesday is listed on the Albany Club’s events page as part of its Political Leaders Series.

Critics of the government claim it’s a “pay-to-play” event and called on the premier to “stop hiding behind private ticketed events.”

“We’ve got a premier in hiding. Doug Ford is too scared to face the people of Ontario or the media after his luxury private jet fiasco, gutting of freedom-of-information laws, and his seizure of the Toronto Islands,” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said.

“Apparently, all it takes to get the premier out of hiding is a pay-to-play private event for an exclusive club.”

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser suggested the private meeting is reminiscent of a 2018 fundraising event during which Ford promised to open portions of Ontario’s Greenbelt for housing development.

“If you’re a wealthy, well-connected insider, you get exclusive access to Doug Ford,” Fraser said. “Carving up the Greenbelt happened in a room just like this — exclusive, members-only, behind closed doors.”

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