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With Canada Day fast approaching, we wanted to get the contents of this newsletter out to you as soon as possible! Not least because of the new funding program we have to offer, but also because we think this Canada Day will be a meaningful celebration indeed, given the relatively unprecedented swelling of pride in our nation and a strong desire to preserve it.
Wherever you are this Canada Day, I hope you will pause and reflect, as I will, on our good fortune to live in such a place as this, and on our responsibility to defend and to steward this land, which is host to such hope, possibilities and opportunities as our world has scarcely seen.
It is also worth saying at this stage that, every passing month, new facets of the value proposition for membership in the Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association emerge!
First, OCTIA was speaking with a group of manufacturing plant managers interested in adding clean technology to their value chains. This induced us to begin a catalogue of our member companies’ categories, goods and services. Adoption of clean technology as we know is one of the key challenges of our sector. We look forward to building on this effort and showing our stakeholders all the ways our members can contribute value and help meet their efficiency and sustainability objectives on an ongoing basis!
Second, those of you who attended our June 11th Social on the rooftop patio at the Pilot Tavern (pictures below) will know well that the fresh connections and exchanges of knowledge taking place there were intense and productive! Marty Reed from Evok Innovations VC provided great insights into trying to raise hard tech funding in the current environment. When asked about keeping positive during a time of “drill baby drill” Marty Reed encouraged everyone to double their efforts. The fundamentals of cost effective renewable electrons and the need for greater efficiency in our society are not going away.
On a more somber note we saw two members of the cleantech family suddenly pass away this month.
Paul Mertes, CEO of Circuit Meter had been a strong member of the cleantech community for a long time and played a pivotal role commercializing Circuit Meter’s low cost electrical metering solution. As well another OG (original guy),
Ian Tharp, partner at Fort Capital, an Evergreen Member of OCTIA, passed away. Ian had a long career in energy, had helped found a cleantech VC in 2000 when cleantech barely existed as a word and was most recently at Fort Capital on their cleantech team. His energy and enthusiasm, smarts and graciousness will be sorely missed. Their role models are inspiring and reminders of how we need to apply ourselves to our fullest every day to make a difference. They will both be sorely missed.
Now more than ever we need to stick together. If you are interested in joining OCTIA please just log in to www.octia.ca or reach out to our Executive Director Paul at pconnor@octia.ca. OCTIA’s efforts will not stop for the summer, and we will continue to be at your service through July and August. Keep scrolling to find out more and keep up the good work!
 Peter McArthur
Chair, Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association (OCTIA) & Chair, Canada Cleantech Alliance (CCTA)
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