Archived events

Powering the province - BC’s energy future

January 17, 2023 @ Vancouver, BC

Meet the panelists

  • Ian Anderson was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Trans Mountain Corporation. He was previously President of Kinder Morgan Canada and has over 40 years of leadership experience with the Canadian predecessor companies.

    Ian was responsible for the strategic direction, growth and sustainability of the organization. Ian developed a strong philosophy for community relations and government interactions. His experience and reputation among the countries Indigenous nations was developed over decades of hands on involvement and open communications.

    Ian was successful in creating and delivering on the vision, governance and strategy of the organization and maintaining that focus through changing market conditions, ownership changes and a major expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

    In addition to successfully operating the only pipeline delivering product to Canada’s west coast, the Trans Mountain Expansion Project has been a 12 year commitment for Ian. The Project is comfortably past the 75% milestone for completion.

    Ian retired from Trans Mountain in May 2022.

  • Ellis Ross was elected MLA for Skeena in 2017 and again in 2020. He currently serves as the Shadow Minister for Energy and LNG.

    Ross has previously served as the Official Opposition Critic for Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing. He has worked in both the private and public sectors, with business experience in hand logging, beach-combing, and construction.

    Ellis worked full time as a taxi boat operator until the Haisla Nation Council requested that he become their first full-time councillor. Ellis served in this position for eight years, from 2003 to 2011. In 2011, Ellis was elected Chief Councillor of the Haisla Nation, and was re-elected by acclamation in 2013.

    Ellis has been recognized as a business leader by both BC Business magazine and Canadian Business magazine. In 2012, Ellis was appointed the inaugural chair of the Aboriginal Business and Investment Council. In 2014, he was the only First Nations leader among 25 Canadians invited by then-Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to a public policy and budget retreat.

    In recognition of his community service, Ellis was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in 2013 and the Order of BC in 2014.

    Ellis actively enjoys golf, soccer, and basketball. He has a passion for seeing people succeed in athletics, school, and life, which drove his coaching style. One of the highlights of his coaching career is coaching the Mount Elizabeth Secondary School senior girls' basketball team to a zone championship.

    He is a proud father of two daughters and a proud grandfather.

  • Mark is a professor since 1986 at Simon Fraser University, interrupted in 1992-97 while he served as Chair and CEO of the British Columbia Utilities Commission. His PhD is in energy economics from the University of Grenoble, and his research focus is the design and application of energy- economy models for assessing climate policies. Internationally, Mark has served on the IPCC, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, and the Global Energy Assessment, and domestically on the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy and the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the CD Howe Institute, and in 2009 was named British Columbia Academic of the Year. He is one of eight professors at Simon Fraser University awarded the title, Distinguished Professor, and currently directs the School of Resource and Environmental Management.

    He has published over 100 academic papers. In 2006, his Sustainable Fossil Fuels won the Donner Prize for top policy book in Canada. His latest book is The Citizen’s Guide for Climate Success.

  • Throughout his 48-year career, Ross Beaty has been a leader in the international mining and renewable energy industries, making a significant and lasting impact in BC and around the world. Driven by his passion for people, communities, and nature, he has brought together the worlds of mining and environmentalism to demonstrate that mining and environmental protection are not incompatible.

    In 1994, Ross founded Pan American Silver, one of the world’s largest silver mining companies. Between 1994 and 2017 Ross founded 11 other mineral exploration companies and a renewal energy company that has become one of Canada’s largest independent power producers. In 2018, Ross began Equinox Gold, a major gold producer.

    After graduating from the University of British Columbia in 1979 in geology and law, Ross began a geological contracting company, Beaty Geological, which he operated from 1980 through 1987. In 1985, Ross established Equinox Resources, a public exploration and gold mining company. In 1994, Ross sold Equinox and founded Pan American Silver. Based in Vancouver, Pan American is now one of the world’s largest silver mining companies with 10 operating mines in the Americas and over 12,000 employees.

    Between 1994 and 2017 Ross founded 11 other mineral exploration companies and a renewal energy company that has become one of Canada’s largest independent power producers. In 2018, Ross began Equinox Gold, which now operates eight mines in the Americas.

    Beaty is President of Sitka Foundation, one of Canada’s leading environmental foundations and Patron of Beaty Biodiversity Center, University of British Columbia. He is also Director of a number of environmental NGOs, including Panthera, the BC Parks Foundation and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

    Former President, World Silver Institute. Fellow: Geological Association of Canada; Society of Economic Geologists; Canadian Institute of Mining; and Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He has received many awards and honours for business and philanthropic achievements, including the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame (2018), Order of Canada (2017) and Doctor of Laws honoris causa, University of British Columbia (2018).

  • Mr. Dall’Antonia is President and Chief Executive Officer for FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc., overseeing electricity and natural gas business operations. With more than 25 years of experience in the energy industry, he has been trusted in numerous leadership roles throughout the organization, including executive oversight of customer service and technology, regulatory affairs, strategic planning and corporate development, finance and treasury. Mr. Dall’Antonia serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Gas Association, Electricity Canada and Western Energy Institute, as well as the Board of Governors for the BC Business Council. He is also a board member for the FortisBC group of companies and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. and has previously served on the board of the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and Resource Centre. Mr. Dall’Antonia holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.