Mad dash to replace Hydro board after resignations

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This article was published 23/03/2018 (2778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two days after the board of Manitoba Hydro resigned en masse, the provincial government named their replacements — led by Winnipeg Realtors chief executive officer Marina James, who becomes the first woman to chair the province’s largest Crown corporation.

The Progressive Conservatives had to scramble to fill the vacancies Friday, after Winnipeg businessman Sandy Riley and eight of his nine colleagues tendered their resignation Wednesday, over what they said was an inability to meet with Premier Brian Pallister and his cabinet.

The government named only five new members to what was a 10-person board.

In addition to James, a former president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, the new appointees are: former Manitoba Home Builders’ Association president Michael Moore (vice-chairman); filmmaker Lisa Meeches; lawyer Melanie McKague; and aviation industry manager Wade Linden.

Emerson PC MLA Cliff Graydon is the lone holdover on the Hydro board.

“I believe we’ve got some very capable people there, and I think they will get up to speed very quickly,” Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen told a news conference held in his office at the legislative building.

“Certainly, our chair (James) has an MBA and a background in business. So we think that skill set is there,” he said.

The government might expand the six-person board, but would first await the advice of the new directors, Cullen said. “They may find that there are other skill sets they want to add to the board.”

The Hydro board walkout, which sparked national headlines, is the first significant challenge to Pallister and his nearly two-year-old government.

The former board members, led by chairman Riley, a high-profile business leader and Conservative party supporter, were appointed by the PCs shortly after they were sworn into office. Several of them have donated generously to the provincial Tory party in recent years.

James did not attend Cullen’s news conference Friday, and did not return a request for an interview from the Free Press. She met with the minister in the morning, and was introducing herself to senior management at Hydro in the afternoon.

“I am honoured to accept the role of chairperson of the (board). Manitoba Hydro is respected in this province, and its mandate to serve the community is something I look forward to strengthening,” she said in a brief statement.

Asked why the new board chairwoman was not by his side, Cullen said she would be available in the near future.

“We just think it’s prudent to allow her an opportunity to get up to speed on some of these files, so that she will have the information she needs to make statements,” he said.

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew said he’s sure the new board members “are going to do their best,” but they are likely to face the same issues dealing with the Tory government as their predecessors.

“I think the new board is going to be in a very tough spot, given the premier’s lack of ability to listen or work well with others,” he said.

Northern First Nations Grand Chief Sheila North said she was disappointed her organization was not consulted before the appointments were made, and lamented the absence of any northerners on the new board.

“It is crucial there is good representation of northern First Nations and other communities as they are the peoples that feel the burden of Hydro development and water regulation the most,” the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak leader said in a statement.

Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand, who was upset Pallister had nixed an agreement the Métis were negotiating with Hydro that would have paid them $67.5 million over 50 years for their co-operation in various projects, said he feels sorry for the new board members because they’ll be “toothless.”

“Let’s understand something: I don’t want to disrespect them,” said Chartrand, who knows Meeches but has not met the other new directors. “They have no power. I feel sorry for that poor board — they’re toothless.

“He’s (the premier) going to be pulling all the strings. He’ll tell them what they can and can’t do. I don’t want to call them puppets, but the premier’s office will be pulling the strings. I wouldn’t want to be in that position.”

Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, said each of the new board members is “equally qualified and strong leaders in their own right.”

“Marina has a long history of leadership in the community and we wish her well in her role, and we will be there as a chamber to support the entire board and management at Manitoba Hydro,” he said.

Remillard said he hopes the new board will be able to address the issues that led to the resignations this week so the utility can move on.

He emphasized, however, that while the board provides oversight, Hydro has a “stellar group” of managers that continue to operate the corporation “responsibly (and) effectively on a day-to-day-basis.”

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.canick.martin@freepress.mb.ca