When: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Where: The Union Club, 805 Gordon Street
For: This is a CIC member only event
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm (registration desk opens at 11:30 am)
Our Speaker: The Right Honourable Joe Clark, PC, CC, AOE, LLD (Hon), PhD (Hon)
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With all that is happening south of the border, and with our own federal election on the horizon, we are delighted to announce that the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark will be joining us. He will give us his thoughts and insights, especially regarding how Canada should navigate this challenging period, where future Canadian governments should focus, and why Canadians should use this opportunity to reanimate our own sense of pride, determination, and distinctive purpose.

The Right Honourable Joseph Clark served as Prime Minister from 4 June 1979 to 3 March 1980, and Secretary of State for External Affairs from 1984 to 1991. He later became Minister of Constitutional Affairs, as well as Acting Minister of both Justice and National Defence. Today, he applies that experience on the front lines of Canada’s work in promoting democracy and encouraging development in countries from Haiti, to Nigeria, to Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2020, he was appointed by Prime Minister Trudeau as special envoy to persuade foreign governments to support Canada’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. He also played a key role in some of the defining accomplishments of recent history – the first Canada-US Free Trade Agreement, the fight against apartheid, the end of the Cold War and the negotiation of the Charlottetown Accord.

Mr. Clark is a member of the board of Meridiam Infrastructure, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Meridiam Africa, member of the board of GlobeScan, a member of the Global Leadership Foundation and the Chair of the CIC National Advisory Board. He is also a bestselling author of ‘Canada: A Nation Too Good to Lose’ and ‘How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change’. Mr. Clark is a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence, and a Commandeur of l’Ordre de la Pléiade which is awarded by the Assemblee parliamentaire de la Francophonie. He has led international Election and Governance missions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East through The Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute.

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The cost to attend this lunch is $42.50 for CIC members, $35 for CIC young professional members and $20 for CIC student members. This is a CIC member only event (no guests).

To register, please email Jennifer Button at cic.victoria.sec@gmail.com no later than noon on Wednesday, 12 March with your name and any specific dietary restrictions. After noon on Wednesday, 12 March additional dietary restrictions cannot be entertained. Meal substitutions on the day will incur an additional $45 charge.

Once we have heard from you, confirmation of your registration and eTransfer payment instructions will be provided. Please do not send e-transfers to the branch treasurer until you hear from us with instructions to do so.

Payment by eTransfer is strongly encouraged. (Please, no cash at the door, but cheques can be accepted if necessary).

Unfortunately, as meals must be pre-ordered and paid for, no refunds are possible after noon on Wednesday, 12 March unless we have a waiting list.