Navigator Ltd

When Navigator was founded in 2000, it was closely tied to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and the then Premier of Ontario Mike Harris. Among its early efforts was polling in the 2002 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election, when it was accused by one of the candidates, Tony Clement, of having had access to the party's membership list to conduct its polling; Navigator founder Jamie Watt would later be election campaign co-chair to the successful leadership candidate Ernie Eves in the 2003 Ontario general election.{{cite news |last1=Boyle |first1=Theresa |title=Harris calls race among 'cleanest' |work=Toronto Star |date=2002-03-22}}{{cite news |title=Clement Campaign seeks probe of membership list abuses |agency=Canada NewsWire |date=2002-03-21}}{{cite news |last1=Lindgren |first1=April |title=List expands of Ontario Tories who got Hydro One contracts |agency=CanWest News |date=2004-02-25}} The company soon expanded its organization to include members of other political parties, such as the high-profile Liberal Warren Kinsella, who joined it in 2002, and Robin Sears, a longtime New Democratic Party strategist, in 2004.{{cite news |last1=Cleroux |first1=Richard |title=Chretien's legacy? Winning, says Grit strategist Warren Kinsella: Bad boy Liberal spinmeister Warren Kinsella, a.k.a. The Prince of Darkness, bares a bit of his political soul |work=The Hill Times |issue=655 |date=2002-09-23}}{{cite news |last1=Durkan |first1=Sean |title=MR. KINSELLA ATTRACTS ATTENTION |work=The Hill Times |date=2002-10-07}}{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |last2=Mallan |first2=Caroline |title=Some Tory staff shopping for jobs ; Fear of defeat sparks 'resum mania' But key firms want connected Liberals |work=Toronto Star |date=2003-07-20}} Navigator and Watt continued to have deep ties to conservatives parties in Canada at the provincial and federal levels; Watt acted as a campaign advisor for Belinda Stronach in the 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election.{{cite news |last1=George |first1=Lianne |title=BILLIONS BELINDA: She's rich, she's powerful, she's glamorous. But is there substance behind Ms. Stronach's style? |work=Maclean's |issue=16 |publisher=Rogers Media |date=2005-04-18|volume=118 }}

Among its major clients in the middle of the 2000s was the Toronto Catholic District School Board, who hired Navigator in 2005 to promote the school system and attract new students.{{cite news |last1=O'Neill |first1=Susan |title=Allegations fly after Catholic board director resigns |work=Etobicoke Guardian |date=2005-01-14}}{{cite news |last1=O'Neill |first1=Susan |title=Trustee satisfied awareness raised about ad contract |work=The North York Mirror |date=2005-01-19}} The following year, the Toronto District School Board also hired Navigator.{{cite news |last1=Kalinowski |first1=Tess |title=Education lobbyists 'unnecessary expense'; Communication lines open, says Kennedy Catholic and public boards spent $100,000 |work=Toronto Star |date=2006-03-04}}{{cite news |last1=Hayley |first1=Mick |title=School boards hire strategy firm |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2006-03-10}} In 2007 they were hired to act as spokespeople for former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.{{cite news |last1=Laghi |first1=Brian |title=Mulroney's PR |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2007-12-03}} During the 2006 Canadian federal election a former Navigator employee and Preston Manning staffer named Patrick Muttart was a campaign advisor for Stephen Harper and was credited with being one of the key figures behind his electoral victory that year.{{cite news |last1=Wells |first1=Paul |last2=Bryden |first2=Joan |last3=Geddes |first3=John |last4=Maich |first4=Steve |last5=Macdonald |first5=Nancy |last6=Kohler |first6=Nicholas |title=The untold story: inside an epic battle secret strategies, backroom blunders & private crises |work=Maclean's |issue=6 |publisher=Rogers Media |date=2006-02-06|volume=119 }}{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Lawrence |title=He's the whiz kid behind the Harper throne |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/hes-the-whiz-kid-behind-the-harper-throne/article1098028/ |access-date=21 May 2021 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2006-04-20}} Another high-profile client was Western University which hired Navigator during the process of negotiating a widely criticized contract with university president Amit Chakma.{{cite news |last1=Sher |first1=Jonathan |title=PR experts cost $100K |work=The London Free Press |date=2015-07-17}} That controversy continued for several years.{{cite news |last1=Sher |first1=Jonathan |title=Amit Chakma double pay crisis cost Western University $96K |work=The London Free Press |date=2015-07-18}}

A high-profile client of Navigator in 2009 was Michael Bryant, the former Attorney General of Ontario and Government House Leader, who hired the firm after facing charges for the death of a cyclist, Darcy Allan Sheppard.{{cite news |last1=Friesen |first1=Joe |title=Michael Bryant's spin class |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/michael-bryants-spin-class/article4286381/ |access-date=21 May 2021 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2009-09-18}}{{cite news |last1=Hanes |first1=Allison |title=Bryant called PR firm after cyclist's death. |agency=CanWest News |date=2009-09-02}}{{cite news |last1=Coutts |first1=Matthew |title=Bryant hires star lawyer for defence in dragged cyclist case |work=Calgary Herald |date=2009-09-04}} The firm was also investigated in 2009 by the Commissioner of Lobbying which caused then Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Prime Minister's Office to temporarily suspend relations with them.{{cite news |last1=Leblanc |first1=Daniel |title=Lobbying czar probes firm with ties to Tories |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2009-10-27}} Harper's office was then criticized by opposition politicians for revealing that an investigation had been taking place, as they are supposed to remain private while in progress.{{cite news |title=PMO accused of compromising lobbyist watchdog by revealing investigation |work=National Post |date=2009-10-28}}{{cite news |last1=Akin |first1=David |title=Lobby watchdog's integrity threatened |work=The Ottawa Citizen |date=2009-10-28}} It was eventually revealed that the investigation had involved a fundraiser for Conservative Party of Canada minister Lisa Raitt. The Commissioner of Lobbying did not find that any wrongdoing had taken place.{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Richard J. |title=Watchdog clears Raitt in ethics complaint |work=Toronto Star |date=2010-05-14}} However, a subsequent investigation did find that Will Stewart, a consultant with Navigator, did break lobbying ethics rules by organizing the fundraiser for Raitt in September 2009 while also acting as lobbyist to the government she represented.{{cite news |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Meagan |title=Lobbyists linked to Lisa Raitt fundraiser breached rules |agency=Postmedia News |date=2011-02-16}}{{cite news |last1=Curry |first1=Bill |last2=Galloway |first2=Gloria |title=Commissioner finds three lobbyists in breach of rules |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2011-02-16}}

The firm was also involved in controversial contracts with the government of Alberta during the period of 2011 to 2013, during which time a Navigator employee Jason Hatcher acted as spokesperson for Premier of Alberta Jim Prentice.{{cite news |last1=Dykstra |first1=Matt |title=Prentice vows more stringent rules for contracting |work=The Edmonton Sun |date=2014-10-08}}{{cite news |title=Navigator Ltd Releases Contracts with Government of Alberta |agency=Canada NewsWire |date=2014-01-31}} In 2014 the Auditor General of Alberta investigated the practice of awarding sole-source contracts to Navigator by Alberta Health and Municipal Affairs, eventually finding that proper contracting procedures had not been followed.{{cite news |last1=Braid |first1=Don |title=Insider allegations tricky for PC contender |work=Calgary Herald |date=2014-05-24}} In 2015 Wildrose Party of Alberta members accused the Prentice government of continuing to employ Navigator for its lobbying efforts.{{cite news |last1=Henton |first1=Darcy |title=PR firm under scrutiny for lobbying activities; MLA asks why towns, village have to go through Navigator Ltd |work=Calgary Herald |date=2015-03-24}}

In 2014 the firm took on Jian Ghomeshi, a CBC host who was then accused of sexual misconduct and physical assault in the workplace.{{cite news |last1=Krashinsky |first1=Susan |title=Jian Ghomeshi's PR firm Navigator adept at handling crises |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2014-08-29}}{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Alan |title=A Look at the High-Priced PR Firm Hired by Jian Ghomeshi |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-look-at-navigator-ltd-jian-ghomeshis-600hour-pr-firm-134/ |website=VICE |access-date=21 May 2021 |language=en}} However, the firm soon cut ties with Ghomeshi.{{cite news |title=Navigator Ltd. statement |agency=Canada NewsWire |date=2014-10-30}}

In 2015 Navigator expanded with the takeover of Playbook Communications.{{cite web |last1=Limited |first1=Navigator |title=Navigator acquires Playbook Communications |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/navigator-acquires-playbook-communications-517471301.html |website=Newswire |access-date=21 May 2021 |language=en}} In 2018 Navigator acquired Haddon Strategy and relaunched it as True, aiming to work online more effectively.{{cite news |last1=MacLeod |first1=James |title=Crisis public relations manager Navigator beefing up social media capabilities |url=https://financialpost.com/technology/crisis-manager-navigator-beefing-up-social-media-capabilities |access-date=21 May 2021 |work=Financial Post |date=2018-11-22 |language=en-CA}}

In 2020, after facing questions about falsifying her Indigenous heritage, filmmaker Michelle Latimer became a client of Navigator.{{cite news |last1=Dowling |first1=Amber |title=Michelle Latimer's Identity Crisis Is Raising Impossible Questions for Canada's Indigenous Filmmakers |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/michelle-latimer-indigenous-trickster-inconvenient-indian-1234873888/ |access-date=21 May 2021 |work=Variety |date=2020-12-23}}

During February 2022 protests in Ottawa against COVID-19 mitigations, the Ottawa Police Service hired Navigator to handle messaging.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-police-elite-crisis-management-firm-protest-messaging-1.6339630|title=Ottawa police hire elite crisis-management firm to handle protest messaging|website=Cbc.ca|access-date=2022-02-28}}

Hockey Canada hired Navigator in mid-2022 amid a scandal over its handling of sexual assault allegations.{{Cite web |last=Tasker |first=John Paul |date=2022-10-04 |title=MPs grill Hockey Canada chair over secretive multimillion-dollar payout to sexual assault victim |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/hockey-canada-committee-testimony-1.6605374 |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=CBC News}}

Special rapporteur on foreign interference and former governor general of Canada, David Johnston hired Navigator in 2023, but the partnership ended after a week.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-02 |title=Special rapporteur David Johnston's office hired crisis communications firm Navigator |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/special-rapporteur-david-johnston-s-office-hired-crisis-communications-firm-navigator-1.6425628 |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=CTVNews |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2023-06-08 |title=David Johnston ends relationship with crisis communications firm Navigator in foreign interference probe |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-david-johnston-navigator-foreign-interference/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://navltd.com/ Official website] of Navigator Ltd.

Category:Public relations companies of Canada

Category:2000 establishments in Ontario

Category:Lobbying organizations in Canada

Category:Public opinion research companies