Canadian Future Party
Our Team
Interim Leader:
Dominic Cardy
Dominic Cardy brings a wealth of experience in international affairs and Canadian politics, having served as Minister of Education and now as an independent MLA, committed to public service and policy innovation.
Born in the UK and raised in Fredericton, Dominic was elected as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Fredericton West-Hanwell in 2018 and re-elected in 2020. He served as Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development until 2022. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Dalhousie University.
Dominic’s career spans roles with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Democratic Institute, and the Forum of Federations, working across Asia and Africa. He also led the New Brunswick NDP from 2011-2016 and served as Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition from 2017-2018. Additionally, Dominic has been a flying instructor since 1994 and is a member of the editorial board of Inroads, a Canadian policy journal.
Interim President:
Tara McPhail
Tara McPhail is a lawyer in Vancouver with expertise in professional regulation and a background in management-side labour and employment law. Tara is an experienced board member and volunteer, including overseas. She is a former Parliament Hill staffer and veteran of several political campaigns. Born in Whitehorse and having lived, studied or worked in all Canadian regions except the Maritimes, Tara is passionate about offering Canadians a political party that is principled and pragmatic.
.
National Council
Mark Khoury
Vice-President
Mark Khoury is a tech entrepreneur, nonprofit founder and former Canadian Forces officer. His 25-year career spans management, strategic planning and business development, across tech startups, nonprofit organizations and socio-political sectors. A bilingual and bicultural Quebecer, he is feverishly positive on Canada in all its aspects, after many travels and exposures to other cultures.
Blair MacPherson
Treasurer
Blair brings over 25 years of broad experience in customer relationship and account managment serving the needs of leading companies across North America in the accessibility and utility space. Blair also serves as a Board member for a long term care facility.
Blair has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University and a Diploma in Applied Information Technology and enjoys golf, curling, political bantering and spending lots of time with his family.
Cynthia Valdron
Secretary
Cynthia is an engineer working in the medical device industry. Outside of her day job, She is an avid tabletop gamer and game designer. She keeps herself busy volunteering and organizing events at various university and community clubs, and is a leader in the community for diversity and inclusion. Currently, she lives in Toronto with her husband and their baby daughter.
Bruce Lamb
Ontario
Bruce Lamb is a serial entrepreneur who lives in London, Ontario. He owns several small businesses including a small cash crop farm and a search engine optimization & digital marketing company. He has an Honours Business Administration (HBA) degree from the Ivey Business School at Western University where he also volunteers as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, coaching students in their new venture projects. He has been involved on EDA boards for over 35years and has put his name forward in the candidate nomination process twice. He was a two-term Alderman with the Township of West Lincoln in Niagara in the 1990s before retiring (voluntarily). Bruce has run 24 marathons, including 5 Boston Marathons, and is an avid horseback rider, doing laps of the track at Western University whenever their Mustangs football team scores a touchdown.
Denis Blanchette
Quebec
Denis brings a wealth of political experience to our new party. He was elected as an NDP Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert in the Orange Wave of 2011. He had been involved in the party long before that as a candidate and a member of the riding’s Electoral District Association. After his time in Ottawa, he became the founding president of the provincial wing of the NDP in Quebec in 2017, where he once again presented himself as a candidate at the first by-election before the subsequent provincial election. Recognizing principles and policies are more important than party colour, he switched his affiliation to the Green Party of Canada in 2018 and served as candidate, president of his riding association and as an interim member on the party’s provincial executive. His active participation in electoral politics is driven by his search to find consistency between political speech and political action that lead to concrete results for Canadians. He has a particular interest in protection of our environment. He sees the Canadian Future Party as a viable vehicle for those goals. A retired public servant, Denis graduated from Laval University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and journalism.
Nancy McKay
New Brunswick
Over more than 45 years, Nancy’s community and work experience incorporated a collaborative approach with partners in the non-profit, business and government environments. She has contributed to health and social policy and experienced success as a senior executive, consultant, planner, health professional, and volunteer. Nancy is former Chief of Staff to then Premier David Alward and was Deputy Minister for Planning and Priorities, Intergovernmental Affairs and Women’s Equality. She has served as a riding president, sat on the PC Provincial Council and was the candidate of record on three occasions.
David MacLeod
Nova Scotia
David served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 27 years and was medically released in 2010. He completed multiple overseas tours, including Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, SW Asia, and Afghanistan. David holds a BA in political studies (U of Manitoba) and an MA in Human Security and Peacebuilding (Royal Roads University). David recently retired from the Veterans Ombudsman’s Advisory Council. David also assisted in the passing of accessibility legislation in Nova Scotia.
Chelsey Buggie
Newfoundland & Labrador
Chelsey is a lawyer based in St. John’s, NL with her partner Ian and corgi (Bruce). She earned her Juris Doctor from UNB Law, and is now primarily practicing in civil litigation. She also holds a B.Sc in Biochemistry (MUNL) and is a masters candidate in technology management (MUNL). She previously served on the CBA’s national privacy law executive and is particularly interested in the intersections of law, technology, and democracy. Outside of work, she is an avid foodie and traveler.
Cody Sharpe
Saskatchewan
Dr. Cody Sharpe holds a PhD in public policy from the University of Saskatchewan and currently lives in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Originally from Baynes Lake, BC, Cody has lived and worked in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Yukon as a policy advisor and program specialist to various public government ministries, non-profit corporations, and Indigenous government agencies. Currently, Cody and his wife Vanessa run their own consultancy and serve non-profit clients across Saskatchewan in the areas of board governance, program evaluation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. Cody also serves on various boards and committees related to public education and community development, including the Moose Jaw Public Library, Palliser Regional Library, Moose Jaw Kinsmen, and Regina Autism Resource Centre.
Roger Straathof
Alberta
Roger is an experienced and successful banking business leader with domestic and international exposure to energy, technology, infrastructure, emerging markets, and government relationships. Roger has held increasingly senior, executive and leadership roles in capital markets, risk management, corporate and commercial banking, and as executive assistant to the CEO and Chairman of RBC. These roles have spanned Canada (Calgary, Vancouver, & Toronto) and Europe (Frankfurt and London). Roger holds a Master of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and has been active in campaigning for various provincial political parties in Alberta and BC, and has served on the Calgary West riding board.
Marie Claire Howard
British Columbia
Born in France, Marie-Claire Howard has been living in Canada (Vancouver and Toronto) since 1986. Marie-Claire currently works as V-P, Finance for a boutique employment law firm and is an active community leader in Vancouver, BC. She was elected Vancouver Park Board Commissioner in the 2022 municipal elections.
News & Updates
CBC Eyeopener Show, Edmonton, interview with Alberta national council representative Roger Straathof
Calgary Eyeopener with Loren McGinnis, Angela Knight The Canadian Future Party We hear about Canada's newest federal political party, which is looking for support from people who are sick of the red and blue teams. Aired: Aug. 26, 2024 Hear it here
Opinion: Canadian Future Party makes a push to restore rational political discourse | BIV.com
Amid polarized political division, a new party is emerging to provide a balanced alternative Kirk LaPointeAug 22, 2024 8:00 AM As polarization drives moderates away from politics, a new party aims to offer decency.franckreporter / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty...
New Canadian ‘centrist’ party accuses rivals of extremism | CBC News | Front Burner
Host Jayme Poisson asks the interim leader of the new Canadian Future Party why he believes Liberals and Conservatives are disappointing voters, about his centrist pitch and whether centrism can satisfy voters hungry for change. Listen Here