A new provincial government means there are new executives for some B.C. Crown corporations.
Premier John Horgan has announced Kenneth G. Peterson as the new chair of BC Hydro’s board. The former CEO of Powerex will fill the role previously held by Christy Clark’s confidante Brad Bennett.
Former NDP cabinet minister and opposition leader Joy McPhail is the new chair of ICBC. McPhail was named vice-chair of the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council’s mobility pricing independent commission.
TransLink CFO Cathy McLay has also been appointed to the ICBC board.
Former deputy minister at both the federal and provincial levels, Cassie J. Doyle, has been appointed the new Chair of BC Housing.
A former deputy minister and public policy expert says this isn’t a bad thing nor is it a surprise.
“There is a lot of partisan appointments on the boards and a new government is not going to want to continue with partisans with the previous boards,” said Doug McArthur.
He said appointing a new Chair to BC Housing also makes sense given the BC NDP’s promise to tackle the housing crisis.
“Government has promised a major development in rental housing and that’s a completely new direction for the BC Housing corporation.”
He said it is the same situation with BC Hydro, especially as the NDP and the Greens work to get the Site C project halted.
This change in direction, McArthur says, will likely lead to many directors and possibly some senior staff being replaced as well.
- Reporting by Liza Yuzda-Zussman and Charmaine de Silva