The Manning Networking Conference has been dubbed—aptly or not—”Like Woodstock for Canadian Conservatives” by Global’s chief political correspondent Tom Clark.

The weekend-long conference kicked off Thursday evening with a reception at the Shaw Centre that was a little less outdoor hippie music festival and a little more of what you’d expect from a formal cocktail party.

Preston Manning, president of the Manning Centre, the Conservative think-tank that organizes the annual conference, told The Lobby Monitor that there is a lot on offer for lobbyists and GR professionals this year.

“It is a networking conference so it is a real opportunity to meet a lot of people throughout the Conservative movement,” Manning said.

“And we’re also trying to deal with futuristic ideas—not where’s the movement been, but where is it heading—so government relations people are trying to look ahead at what are the issues going to be, who is the spokesperson for those issues, and what’s the Conservative response to them,” he said.

The large Trillium ballroom began to fill up around 7:30 p.m. and The Lobby Monitor spotted Tory cabinet ministers Jason Kenney and Tony Clement in the crowd, chatting away with attendees. Selfie enthusiast Clement even posted a selfie montage on Instagram late Thursday night.

Parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources Kelly Block was in attendance with her husband, Milton Block.

Tory MP Kelly Block (right) and husband Milton Block (left)

Not surprisingly, Laureen Harper made an appearance to give a brief speech to the crowd who moved up and assembled near the stage to hear her speak. She has attended and spoken at the conference in years past.

She discussed new legislation the Conservative government plans to introduce next week on life sentences without parole and she took the opportunity to thank Conservative supporters.

“In politics praise always comes in the absence of criticism,” Ms. Harper said.

Laureen Harper prepares to address the crowd (left) alongside Preston Manning, president and CEO of the Manning Centre (right)

The cash bar continued to be busy throughout the night as the drinks flowed and the appetizers of shrimp, spring rolls, and other tasty goods rolled out from the kitchen.

The Lobby Monitor spotted many consultant and in-house lobbyists in the crowd, including some folks from National Public Relations.

National Public Relations consultant Joseph Finkle (left), associate Stephanie Mitton (centre) and consultant Mathew Klie-Cribb (right)

Recent addition at The Lobby Monitor, reporter Alyssa O’Dell, was found chatting with Amy Day, who joined the PMO’s issues management team as assistant to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Conservative MP Paul Calandra. Both hailing from Vancouver, the two bonded over a mutual longer for warming weather.

Global Public Affairs senior research consultant Michael Dietrich also joined the conversation and discussed his dissertation on research and innovation. Dietrich is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Western Ontario.

PMO staffer Amy Day (left) and Global Public Affairs consultant Michael Dietrich (right)

Spotted close to the stage was Merit Canada president Terrance Oakey chatting with Catherine Swift, spokesperson for Working Canadians.

Catherine Swift of Working Canadians (left) and Terrance Oakey, president of Merit Canada (right)

Others government relations professionals spotted include Michele Austin, former chief of staff to Tory cabinet ministers Rona Ambrose and Maxime Bernier and now senior advisor at Summa Strategies, who is speaking on a panel on “Women in Politics” on Saturday, and Impact Public Affairs president Huw Williams, who is a longtime Conservative supporter and former staffer.

And before the night was through, The Lobby Monitor did spot a Liberal amongst the Conservative MPs, staffers and supporters in the crowd. Greg MacEachern, vice-president of government relations at Environics Communications was spotted next to former Kenney staffer and Ontario PC candidate Jamie Ellerton, who is now principal at Conaptus Ltd. MacEachern was a Liberal staffer in Halifax before working on the Hill for federal Liberal cabinet ministers.

Former Conservative staffer Jamie Ellerton (left) with Greg MacEachern, VP of government relations at Environics Communications (right)

The conference runs through the weekend. More information is available online.

Summa Strategies participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge earlier this week, raising $1,000 for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). The staff were challenged by their very own vice-chairman Tim Powers!

Pictured across from Parliament Hill at Parliament Pub, which supplied the ice and water, is, left to right, back row: Summa intern John McHughan, vice-chairman Tim Powers, senior adviser Loise-Alexandre Lanthier, vice-president Jim Armour, president Tracey Hubley, senior adviser Michele Austin; left to right, front row: Katlyn Harrison, vice-president Robin MacLachlan and consultant Angela Christiano.

Summa challenged the executive board of the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC) and the GR community to take the challenge and donate to ALS.

The GRIC board accepted the challenge and soaked themselves Friday afternoon in front of Earnscliffe Strategy Group’s office.

GRIC board member Philip Cartwright, director of transportation, infrastructure and communities at Global Public Affairs, then challenged the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada and the board of the Public Affairs Association of Canada.

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of Canada is registered in-house under interim chief executive Tammy Moore for research funding from the government, for greater accessibility to the compassionate care program to increase the length of caregivers’ benefit and for access to care and treatments for patients. Hill and Knowlton Strategies consultant Matthew Henley is also registered to lobby on behalf of the society.

GRIC board gets a soaker.

MPs from all parties attended a World Wildlife Fund-Canada afternoon lunch event on the Hill last week. “Oceans on the Hill: Whales and an Ocean of Noise” was an opportunity for the WWF to educate MPs on noise pollution in the world’s oceans and to gather support for ways to mitigate the impact of noise on marine mammals and wildlife.

The event was hosted by WWF-Canada CEO David Miller, former mayor of Toronto, along with  All-Party Oceans Caucus co-chairs Conservative MP Bruce Stanton and NDP MP Finn Donnelly.

Donnelly pointed out in a speech at the event that the oceans caucus has hosted a few events on the Hill this year, including an one in March in support of a national sustainable seafood day and an upcoming Oceans Day on the Hill in June.

A light lunch buffet of sustainable seafood was provided by The Whalesbone.

Among the MPs who attended: Green Party MP Bruce Hyer; Liberal MPs Hedy Fry, Carolyn Bennett and Joyce Murray; NDP MPs Megan Leslie, Joe Comartin and Murray Rankin; and Conservative MP Joe Daniel. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea and Government House Leader Peter Van Loan were also there.

The highlight of the event? A speech by ten-year-old Earth Rangers ambassador Rachel Marshall.

Sustainably sourced oysters, from Ottawa’s The Whalesbone.

WWF-Canada CEO David Miller

Some of those who attended were NDP MP Megan Leslie, Al-Party Oceans Caucus co-chair Finn Donnelly, and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea

Ten-year-old Rachel Marshall, Earth Rangers ambassador, spoke about protecting whales and their habitats

NDP MP and co-chair of the oceans caucus Finn Donnelly

NDP MPs Murray Rankin, left, and Megan Leslie

Miller, left, and Donnelly