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Is Alberta dominated by oil? Do unions run Ontario? Find out the top donors in provincial politics

The results show clearly that a handful of players put big money towards political financing in Canada — oil and gas, yes, as well as banks, telcos and unions

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Are Alberta politics really dominated by the oil and gas industry? How big an influence have unions had in Ontario? Who gives the most to politicians in Nova Scotia?

Compiled from more than six million records, the Follow the Money database offers a rare tally of top donors at the provincial level. It also reveals who is giving to politicians on a national scale. The results show clearly that a handful of players put big money towards political financing in Canada — oil and gas, yes, as well as banks, telcos and unions.

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Encana is the number one donor in Alberta, for example. Rogers Communications is the seventh biggest donor in New Brunswick, the tenth biggest in Newfoundland, and the eleventh in Ontario. The United Steelworkers, with more than 225,000 Canadian members, is the biggest donor in British Columbia and Ontario, and the second biggest donor in Saskatchewan.

For the purpose of clarity, these rankings have aggregated donations from union locals, as well as those from wholly owned subsidiaries of a company, into single entries. Since ties between individual donors and unions or corporations are not always clear, however, these were excluded from all top-10 lists for consistency. So were any donations from individuals with the same or similar names that could not be traced to a single source.

Click on any province — British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. Only one province — Quebec — is not included in these rankings. This is because the top donors include individuals whose identity could not be confirmed. Addresses or other distinguishing features are not included on donor records in the province.

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Wait, my grandmother gave to the Liberals? Search for donors and recipients of political donations here.
 

BRITISH COLUMBIA

British Columbia’s 2017 election was fought, in part, over whether to overhaul the province’s political donation laws, which allowed unlimited personal, corporate and union donations as well as out-of-province and foreign gifts.

The NDP-Green party coalition eventually took power with a razor-thin mandate, and last September legislation was introduced to ban both union and corporate donations and to limit individual political donations by B.C. residents to a maximum of $1,200 a year.

A March, 2017, analysis by Postmedia found that a quarter of money raised by the Liberals between 2005 and 2017 comes from donations of $20,000 or more, and 54 per cent comes from donations over $5,000. The NDP have also been reliant on large donors: During a similar period, 30.5 per cent of the money raised by the party came from donations over $5,000.

Overall, the B.C. Liberals brought in $128.7 million from named donations — those above $250 — compared with $58.6 million by the NDP and $4.1 million by the Green party ($1,360,786.32 since Andrew Weaver became party leader in December, 2015).

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By nearly any metric, British Columbia politicians have been raising more money than anywhere else in Canada. All of the top donors gave more than $1 million, whereas only four other donors cleared the $1-million threshold in the rest of the country — three of them in Ontario, which has about triple the population. B.C.’s biggest donor, the United Steelworkers, gave more money ($3.2 million) than the top 10 donors in Alberta combined ($2.6 million).

1. United Steelworkers: $3,172,549.30
The union made 863 donations, all to the New Democratic Party. In the 2014 NDP leadership campaign, it gave to only one candidate, $795.69 to now-premier John Horgan. In 2016 and 2017, in the run-up to the NDP’s election victory (breaking 12 years of Liberal rule), the Steelworkers donated about $1.4 million.

2. B.C. Government & Service Employees’ Union: $3,098,648.36
This union made 910 donations, all to the NDP.

3. Canadian Union of Public Employees: $2,918,461.99
This union made 1,446 donations to the NDP and two donations, totalling $1,500, to the Green party.

4. Teck: $2,730,423.19
This mining company, which has operations in Canada as well as Peru, Chile and the United States, made 172 donations through several companies, including Highland Valley Copper, Teck Resources and Elk Valley Corp. The majority of contributions went to the Liberals ($2,618,193.19), with a smaller sum for the NDP ($112,230).

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5. B.C. Federation of Labour: $2,292,773.35
The B.C. Federation of Labour and its national affiliate, the Canadian Labour Congress, made 581 donations, all to the NDP.

6. Hospital Employees Union: $1,880,900.61
The union made 1,002 donations, all to the NDP except for a $1,200 donation to Heather Alanna Campbell, an Independent candidate running in the riding of Cowichan Valley in 2013.

7. New Car Dealers Association of B.C.: $1,356,924.58
The New Car Dealers Association of B.C. made 251 donations: $1,276,134.58 to the Liberals and $80,790 to the NDP. In the 2011 B.C. Liberal leadership campaign, it donated $1,000 each to five candidates, including the eventual winner, Christy Clark.

8. Aquilini: $1,327,473.33
The property developer made 130 donations through a number of companies, including Aquilini Investment Group and Aquilini Village Holdings. Contributions went mostly to the Liberals ($1,106,473.33), but the NDP received $221,000, including $117,500 in 2013, when the party was favoured to win, and $101,000 during the party’s successful 2017 election campaign.

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9. United Food and Commercial Workers Union: $1,290,014.27
The union made 418 donations, all but three to the NDP. Two were made to the Green party and one to the Western Canada Concept Party of B.C.

10. Encana: $1,227,141
Alberta-based Encana Corp. made 148 donations: $1,144,576 to the Liberals and $82,565 to the New Democratic Party.

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ALBERTA

Oil and gas companies accounted for four of the top ten donors to Alberta politics between 2004 and 2016.

The energy industry is one of the province’s biggest employers. It has also been the recipient of a variety of subsidies — including approximately $1.161 million through the Crown Royalty Reduction Program, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

This has continued with the transition of power from the Progressive Conservatives to the New Democratic Party: In December, 2016, Rachel Notley’s government announced a $500-million subsidy for companies building petrochemical processing plants.

But the NDP has changed political fundraising rules since taking power. In June, 2015, the province banned corporate donations, as well as contributions from unions (which have given significant sums to the NDP).

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No donations on the top 10 list below were made to the NDP.

1. Encana: $409,829.77
According to Alberta Oil magazine’s annual “200 List,” this oil and gas company, which has operations in both Montney and Duvernay, ranked a mere 15th in the province. But the company’s 53 donations between 2004 and 2016 make it a major player in regional politics: it gifted a total of $228,429.77 to the Progressive Conservatives, $123,000 to the now-defunct Wildrose Party, $53,400 to the Alberta Liberals and $5,000 to the short-lived Alberta Alliance Party.

2. Cenovus: $283,198
This offshoot of Encana, created in December of 2009, focuses on integrated oil. From then onward, Cenovus made 39 donations, adding up to $160,952.50 for the PCs, $85,145.50 for the Wildrose Party and $37,100 for the Liberals.

3. Suncor: $276,660.50
According to Alberta Oil magazine, Suncor was the second biggest oil and gas company in 2016, and brought in more than $29 billion in revenue. The company’s political support, 53 donations in all, has gone mainly to the PCs ($183,391.25), followed by the Liberals ($62,839.25), the Wildrose Party ($28,430) and the Alberta Party ($2,000).

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4. PCL Construction: $269,475
Based in Edmonton, this private construction company employs about 4,450 people in Canada, the United States and Australia. PCL donated 48 times, giving $227,725 to the Progressive Conservatives and $41,750 to the Liberals.

5. TransCanada: $255,212.45
The company’s Energy East pipeline was cancelled last October, and there are ongoing court battles over Keystone XL’s route in the United States. But at least TransCanada’s ambitions have local support. Although the company’s previous political gifts went in large part to the PCs ($205,777.50 of the donations recorded in our database), Premier Notley has made a cross-country tour in support of Keystone XL. The project promises as much as $118 billion in additional royalties for Alberta by 2035.

6. Telus: $237,387.50
Alberta Government Telephone went private in 1990, but its successor is a regular recipient of sole-source government contracts — winning eight of them, worth $2.6 million, between 2011 and 2017. Most of the telco’s 58 donations have gone to the long-ruling PCs ($194,987.50), followed by gifts to the Liberals ($31,900) and to Wildrose ($10,500).

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7. ATCO Group: $235,961.50
Calgary-based ATCO group has approximately 8,000 employees in energy and construction worldwide. Between 2015 and 2017, their work included $413,189 in sole-source contracts from the Alberta government. The group’s 57 donations have gone mostly to the PCs ($208m324), but the Liberals have won some of their support ($23,400), as has, very modestly, the Wildrose Party ($1,375).

8. Enbridge: $235,586.25
Enbridge is the largest oil and gas company in the province, according to Alberta Oil magazine’s 2016 rankings. In 2015, their revenues topped $33 billion. Over 61 donations, the company gave $164,373.75 to the PCs, $55,650 to the Liberals and $15,562.50 to Wildrose.

9. Qualico: $221,588.75
This Winnipeg-based construction company has regional offices in both Calgary and Edmonton. They also have a number of subsidiaries in Alberta, including Broadview Homes, which is building in Crestmont, a residential neighbourhood in Calgary. The vast majority of Qualico’s 64 donations went to the PCs ($217,301.25), with smaller sums for Wildrose ($3,737.50) and the Liberals ($550).

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10. TransAlta: $219,932.5
TransAlta is an electricity power generator with 35 plants in Alberta. The company’s 45 donations were mainly for the PCs ($185,225), although they have also given to Wildrose ($19,937.50), the Liberals ($13,770) and the Alberta Party ($1,000).

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SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan is one of the last provinces to allow corporate and union donations to political parties. Donors from outside the region — even outside the country — may also make contributions. And there is no cap on how much donors can give.

Although the top three donors between 2006 and 2016 were unions, all of whom supported the Saskatchewan NDP, the party has nonetheless been pushing for electoral reform in the province.

There has been one recent reform, care of the ruling Saskatchewan Party: Premier Brad Wall announced in March 2017 that he would stop accepting a salary top-up from party funds, citing negative public perceptions. He was the last premier to take such a top-up. He announced that he would step down from politics a few months later.

1. Affinity Credit Union: $1,281,015.31
The bank made nine donations to the Saskatchewan Party totalling $13,628.60. The rest of their political “support” has been to the NDP, some in the form of loans — counted as contributions in this province. In total, the bank has donated $1,267,386.71 to the NDP, nearly $500,000 of that in 2016.

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2. United Steelworkers: $402,286.24
All 38 donations — from the central union as well as locals in Saskatoon and Weyburn — went to the NDP.

3. United Food and Commercial Workers: $400,583.18
The union made donations through their national council, its provincial council, as well as through three separate locals. All 41 donations were made to the NDP.

4. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce: $363,439.34
While Affinity is the main bank of the Saskatchewan NDP, the party also borrowed $275,000 from CIBC in 2016. The bank also made 29 donations worth $52,981.44 to the Saskatchewan Party.

5. KPMG Chartered Accountants: $170,875.45
A frequent auditor for the Saskatchewan government, the bulk of the firm’s donations went to the ruling Saskatchewan Party: 22 contributions, totalling $147,761.56. KPMG also made eight donations to the NDP, adding up to $23,113.89.

6. The Mosaic Company: $165,544.46
In much of Canada, a foreign company would not be able to participate in political activity. But this is Saskatchewan, so this Minnesota-based potash giant — which has mines in Belle Plaine, Colonsay, and Esterhazy — made 27 gifts: $100,277.12 to the Saskatchewan Party, $62,767.34 to the NDP and $2,500 to the Liberals.

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7. Brandt Industries: $156,763.13
Based in Regina, Brandt employs more than 1,800 people worldwide. The group’s products and services include equipment for agriculture, mining and construction. All 24 donations recorded in this database (made through a variety of subsidiaries, such as Saskatoon-based Brandt Tractor) went to the Saskatchewan Party.

8. Rawlco Radio: $139,218.95
The only radio company to make a Top 10 list, Rawlco operates a number of stations in both Saskatchewan and Alberta (including news talk on CJME and CKOM). All 21 donations counted here went to the Saskatchewan Party. Gordon Rawlinson, president and CEO of the company, also donated $5,261.31 to the party. And Gordon’s brother, Doug, a senior executive at Rawlco, donated $67,000 to the Saskatchewan Party through a numbered company.

9. Crescent Point Resources: $131,574.07
Although based in Calgary, this oil and gas company has operations in southwest Saskatchewan. It also has significant stakes in North Dakota and Utah. All 10 donations recorded here went to the Saskatchewan Party.

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10. MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP: $130,846.89
Before this law firm merged with Aikins, MacAulay Thorvaldsen LLP last January, it made 30 donations: $111,743.09 to the Saskatchewan Party, $17,103.80 to the NDP and $2,000 to the Liberals.

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MANITOBA

Manitoba is the only province to increase its political donation limit in the past two years. Unlike New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia, which have all lowered donation caps, Progressive Conservative Premier Brian Pallister introduced legislation in March, 2017, to raise the maximum contribution to $5,000 from $3,000.

Pallister’s changes also increased the amount third parties can spend fivefold, to $25,000, during a general election campaign, and $100,000 in the 90 days prior.

Between 2005 and 2016, the PCs raised $41.5 million from “named” donors (those who give more than $250), compared to $1.1 million by the Liberals and $8.4 million by the NDP. Nevertheless, gifts to the NDP dominates the top 10 list of donations.

A note on names: Manitoba is the only Canadian province to collect the addresses of donors, then redact them for publication online. This makes it difficult to ascertain whether one person made all the donations under a given name or if they were made by multiple people with the same name. For the list below, all names were checked against the Yellow Pages to determine if more than one person with that name lives in Manitoba. If so, they were excluded.

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1. Kieran O’Keefe: $28,332
Kieran O’Keeffe, staff psychiatrist at St. Boniface General Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, made 11 donations, all to the NDP.

2. Anna Rothney: $26,734.24
Anna Rothney made 11 donations, all to the NDP. Rothney served as the cabinet’s priorities and planning secretary under former premier Greg Selinger (the eighth donor on this list), until she managed the campaign of his rival, Theresa Oswald, in a 2015 leadership race. After Oswald lost, Rothney left government and was one of seven staffers to share a combined severance package worth $670,000. Today, Rothney is the executive director of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.

3. Anita Borger: $25,550
Anita Borger made 16 donations: $14,350 to the NDP, $10,200 to the PCs and $1,000 to the Liberals. Anita’s husband Henry (the seventh donor on this list) is the president of Borland Construction Inc., which won 25 provincial contracts worth more than $41 million for road building and other services between 2015 and 2017.

4. Gregory Dewar: $25,546.25
Gregory Dewar served as minister of finance under Greg Selinger’s NDP government, and as the MLA for Selkirk from 1990 to 2016. All told, he made 10 donations, all to the NDP.

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5. Naomi Gerrard: $24,975
Naomi Gerrard is married to Jon Gerrard, who led the Liberal party from 1988 to 2013 and ran unsuccessfully for the leadership of the party in 2017. Jon remains the MLA for River Heights. Naomi made 11 donations, all to the Liberal party. Jon himself donated $19,101.25 to the Liberals.

6. Sandra Oakley: $24,286.40
Sandra Oakley served as the Manitoba regional director for the Canadian Union of Public Employees for ten years. She made 11 donations, all to the NDP.

7. J. Henry Borger $22,979.75
Thirteen donations were made under the name of J. Henry Borger, with $21,179.75 for the PCs and $1,800 to the NDP. John Henry Borger is the husband of Anita (No. 3 on this list) and the president of Borland Construction. Borger often goes by the name Henry, but his father and grandfather were also named John Henry Borger. Donations from Henry Borger, Henry Borger Jr. and J. Henry Borger Jr. (who made donations totalling $10,781.50) were not included.

8. Greg Selinger: $22,748.15
Premier of Manitoba from 2009 to 2016, Greg Selinger made 11 donations, once every year between 2006 and 2016, all to the NDP.

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9. Susan Budnik Pilon: $22,465.19
Susan Budnik Pilon, a former employee in the premier’s office, made 11 donations, all to the NDP.

10. Patricia Britton: $22,366.87
Patricia Britton, former executive co-ordinator for the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council, made 11 donations, all to the NDP.

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YUKON

Yukon is one of the last places in Canada with almost no rules for donations. It is legal for politicians to accept contributions of any amount, from anyone, anywhere.

Thirty-four per cent of contributions from named donors (those contributing more than $250) came from outside the territory between 2006 and 2016. Many of them were from large companies and unions, including the largest contribution in Yukon history, a $50,000 gift from B.C.-based Copper North Mining to the Yukon Liberal Party in 2016.

In 2014, the Yukon Party explicitly courted out-of-territory money at a Vancouver fundraising event, a cruise that offered an “exclusive opportunity” to connect with then-premier Darrell Pasloski .

Yukon Party president Mark Beese did not explain what kind of “exclusive opportunity” the party offered, but says the party continues to hold out-of-territory fundraisers.

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Yukon NDP leader Elizabeth Hanson, who wants corporate, union, and out-of-territory donations banned, called the 2014 cruise hosted by the Yukon Party “audacious.” But her party has also raised money outside the province — if less formally.

At an NDP convention in Edmonton in 2016, she says, “There was a party in my room and some of my staffers started asking people for money. It wasn’t a planned thing.”

Yukon Premier Sandy Silver said his party has not held any out-of-territory fundraising events. When asked what he thought about the Yukon party advertising an exclusive opportunity to connect with premier, he said, “It is not appropriate for any political party to use public funds to subsidize party fundraising.”

Silver also said that while he doesn’t support a blanket ban on out-of-territory donations, the all-party member services board is looking at the issue of political financing.

1. Copper North Mining: $50,000
Green Party Leader Frank De Jong and Yukon NDP Leader Elizabeth Hanson both expressed concern about the size of this 2016 donation. They point out that after it was made, Premier Silver announced the Yukon resource gateway project, a $113-million commitment from the territory to build roads and other infrastructure to support mining in the Dawson and Nahanni ranges. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $247 million in federal funding at the same time. Copper North has plans for an open pit mine in Yukon’s Dawson range, which will extract gold, silver and copper. But Silver said mining donations from companies like Copper North will not affect how funding from the project is allocated. “The only factors that will affect this project are agreements with First Nation governments and proper environmental approvals.”

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2. Yukon Federation of Labour: $48,450
The Yukon Federation of Labour made four donations to the New Democratic Party. Their affiliates, the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress, also made one donation each to the NDP.

3. Alkan Air: $36,155.90
This Whitehorse-based airline made 10 donations, giving $31,155.90 to the Yukon Party and $2,500 each to the Liberals and the NDP.

4. Victoria Gold Corp.: $35,300
Most of this company’s five donations — all to the Yukon Party— were made under the name Stratagold Corp., which it acquired in 2009. Victoria Gold has a proposed an open pit mine north of Mayo. Last May, the Yukon Water Board flagged “significant deficiencies” in the company’s plan regarding the eventual closure of the mine, including concerns about water treatment, but in November, the company was able to complete a purchase agreement with the Yukon Utilities Board for $100 million worth of energy over 10 years (a 20 per cent increase in Yukon’s total energy use). Victoria Gold said building the mine will cost $400 million and employ up to 400 people.

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5. Alexco Resource Corp.: $25,300
This Vancouver-based company has significant mineral claims in the central Yukon area of Keno Hill Silver District. Its Bellekeno mine operated in the district from 2011 to 2013, and in November, 2017, Alexco completed surface exploration drilling of the Keno Hill Bermingham deposit and announced that 17 million ounces of silver was found there and they intended to significantly expand operations. The company has made eight donations to the Yukon Party for a total of $23,800 and one $1,500 contribution to the Yukon Liberal Party in 2016, the year it won the territorial election.

6. New Democratic Party of B.C./Canada: $20,688.03
The New Democratic Party of Canada made two donations to the Yukon NDP for a total of $16,688.03. The New Democratic Party of British Columbia also made two donations to the Yukon NDP for a total of $4,000. Donations from one political party to another are illegal in most parts of Canada, and Yukon is the only jurisdiction to have donations from political parties make a top 10 donors’ list.

7. Rick Nielsen: $19,685
Rick Nielsen is the only individual to make Yukon’s top 10 list. The territory does not disclose detailed addresses of donors but they do indicate their municipality. All three donations made by Nielsen, which went to the Yukon Party, were made from Whitehorse. That’s the same base for Rick Nielson, the son of Erik Nielsen, who served as the Progressive Conservative MP from Yukon from 1957 to 1987 and deputy prime minister under Brian Mulroney. Following Erik Nielsen’s death in 2008, the Yukon government renamed the Whitehorse airport after him. Rick Nielsen is the co-owner of Nielsen Farms, which sells green feed and has a horse boarding facility.

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8. 12963 Yukon Inc.: $17,000
This numbered company made seven donations, giving $16,000 to the Yukon Party and $1,000 to the Liberal party. Yukon has a comparatively opaque corporate registration structure. If this company were registered in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories, its status certificate (which costs $25 to access) would disclose its board of directors. In the Yukon, the entity profile merely states that the company is currently registered in the territory. It provides no information about directors, shareholders, or whether the company has filed records on time. In addition to its political donations, 12963 Yukon Inc. is listed as a supporter of the Yukon Hospital Foundation. In total, numbered companies gave over $47,000 to the Yukon Party and about $1,000 to the Yukon Liberal Party.

9. AFD Petroleum: $13,600
Edmonton-based AFD Petroleum Ltd. supplies bulk fuel, lubricants and tank storage systems. The company has four offices in Yukon. All four of its donations came from Edmonton, and went to the Yukon Party.

10. Unifor: $12,500
Unifor was formed in 2013 when the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers merged. The latter made one donation for $2,500 to the NDP in 2011. Unifor made another $10,000 donation to the party under their new name in 2016.

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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

The territories allow individuals, corporations and unions to donate up to $1,500 per candidate. Any in-kind gifts — covering travel, for example, or office space — are not counted towards that limit but must be assigned a value and recorded.

Since there are no political parties in NWT, candidates may also fund their own campaigns — with no limits. Cory Vanthuyne, who won a seat for Yellowknife North in 2015, has put the most money towards his own campaign. He raised $6,745 from individuals and corporations, but made up the other two-thirds of his costs ($13,364.67) himself. This top ten list does not include money candidates have spent on their own campaigns.

NWT data covers three elections — 2007, 2011 and 2015 — and about $1 million in funding.

1. Greenway Realty: $14,500
Owned by longtime MLA Jane Groenewegen, this realtor has made 11 donations: $13,500 to her campaigns and $1,000 to her son Jeff’s failed bid for a seat in Frame Lake. Groenewegen also donated directly to her campaigns in 2007 ($1,500) and 2011 (about $7,300). After a 20-year run, however, she lost her seat in Hay River South in 2015.

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2. Adam Dental Clinic: $13,750
Owned by Dr. Hassan Adam, this clinic is the most prolific donor in NWT, with 31 contributions — all between $250 and $500 — to 23 different candidates. Dr. Adam has also donated about $4,000 in his own name to federal politicians running in NWT, most recently $1,000 to each of the Liberal, Conservative and NDP candidates in the 2015 election.

3. Doug Pon: $13,000
Pon has made 10 donations to nine different candidates — including two to Michael McLeod. Pon worked as an assistant to McLeod, who served as minister for both transportation and public works and services before he left territorial politics to run successfully as a federal candidate with the Liberals in 2015.

4. North Wright Airways: $12,358.91
Based in Norman Wells, about 145 kilometres from the Arctic Circle, this airline made 11 donations to candidates — many in the form of free flights. Nine records are from the 2015 election, with the largest contribution ($4,499.28) for candidate Yvonne Doolittle.

5. Buffalo Airways: $10,750
Based in Yellowknife, this carrier made 10 donations to candidates in Yellowknife South, Kam Lafe, Thebacha, Hay River South and Hay River North. Many were in the form of free flights.

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6. Frame Lake Family Dental: $9,750
This clinic, based in Yellowknife, made 23 donations to 17 candidates. Like Adam Dental Clinic, all donations were under $500 — although three donations totaling $1,250 went to Glen Abernethy in Great Slave.

7. Northland Utilities: $9,000
Owned by Alberta’s ATCO, this utility company has been operating in the territories for more than 60 years. No donations were made in 2007 or 2011. But in 2014, the town of Hay River switched to Northwest Territories Power Corporation, citing the high cost of electricity at Northland. Since then, the company has aggressively lobbied MLAs, and in 2015 the company made six donations — all for the maximum allowable amount of $1,500. After he was elected, Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne returned Northland’s donation.

8. North Slave Metis Alliance: $8,500
The alliance has made donations to seven different candidates, two for $500 and five for $1,500. The group made headlines last fall, when a federal judge ruled that both the territorial and federal governments had failed to adequately consult N.S.M.A. on a land claim that could put the group’s harvesting rights north of Great Slave Lake in jeopardy.

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9. SSL Micro: $8,500
Based in Yellowknife, this Internet service provider is focused on the North, serving 25 communities in Nunavut and several in NWT. The company made six donations to four candidates.

10. Simpson Air: $8,020.60
In 2007 and 2011 all donations from this Fort Simpson airline went to Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche. In 2013, Menicoche missed government meetings due to excessive drinking. He then failed to check himself into a treatment centre as promised. Nonetheless, Menicoche was one of four candidates the airline supported in the 2015 election. (He lost to Shane Thompson, another candidate supported by Simpson Air.)

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NUNAVUT

Campaigning in Canada’s largest territory is a challenge without hopping on a plane, so it’s no surprise that two of the top political supporters in Nunavut are airlines. Corporate and union contributions are also accepted up to $2,500. And candidates may contribute to their own campaigns up to a general limit of $30,000.

Few politicians in Nunavut put big sums into their own campaigns, however: Only three put more than $5,000 towards a run for office. In fact, thanks to the cap on donations, the total contributions from 2008 to 2013 were only $327,743.92 in Nunavut — compared to $1.1 million in the Yukon, where there are no donation limits.

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1. First Air: $15,022.79
First Air is one of the largest airlines in the North, with more than 450 employees connecting 31 communities to the south. All told, the company made 20 donations — most marked “travel” — to 17 different candidates. The biggest contribution was a $2,199.75 gift to Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk in the 2010 by-election. The company provided a Kanata, Ont., address for the majority of donations where an address was provided.

2. Nunavut Employees Union: $13,000
Negotiations with this roughly 4,000-member unit of the Public Service Alliance of Canada can be tense. In March, about 50 unionized employees with the City of Iqaluit burned copies of a wage freeze letter in a demonstration outside city hall. A new agreement has been reached — but only after almost six months of talks, and the help of a mediator. The union has 13 donations on record to 13 different candidates, all for $1,000.

3. Nunasi Corporation: $8,269
This Inuit-owned development corporation, which invests in northern construction, manufacturing and bulk fuel and storage supply, gave $250 each to 28 candidates in 2008. It also donated $1,269 to Levi Barnabas, the former MLA for Quttiktuq, who was forced to resign in 2000 after a conviction of sexual assault. Barnabas lost his bid for re-election in 2008 by nine votes.

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4. Calm Air: $6,990.35
Based in Thompson, Manitoba, this airline serves northern communities in central Canada. The company made six donations to six different candidates, the biggest in 2008 ($2,897.60) to MLA Patterk Nester, who represented Nanulik from 2004 to 2008 and was elected to represent Aivilik in 2017.

5. Doug Workman: $6,500
Workman was president of the Nunavut Employees Union from 1998 to 2014. He made seven donations to seven different candidates in the last six years on the job. The biggest gift ($2,500) went to former Premier Paul Okalik in 2013.

6. Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping: $6,000
This company, which offers marine transportation and cargo services to more than 40 destinations in the Arctic, made the majority of their 13 donations from their Montreal offices. The largest was $2,500 in support of Tagak Curley’s campaign in Rankin Inlet North.

7. 953703 NWT: $5,500
According to a corporate records search, this company (first registered in NWT and later transferred to Nunavut) has only one director: Denis Simard. The company made three donations, the largest of which was $2,500 to former Premier Paul Okalik..

8. Agnico Eagle Mines: $5,000
Although this company has mines in Quebec and in Finland, its largest gold producer is the Meadowbank mine in Nunavut. Agnico Eagle Mines made two $2,500 donations in the territory: one to David Simalik in Baker Lake, and one to former Premier Paul Okalik.

9. Eskimo Lumber Supply: $4,852.31
Founded in Arviat (formerly known as Eskimo Point), this lumber supply company has more than 100 employees. Its three donations went to three candidates in Arviat ridings. The largest, $2,347, to Elizabeth Copland in Arviat North/Whale Cove.

10. Nunavut Purchasing & Supplies: $5,000
This Baker Lake company made five donations to three candidates. The largest was $2,500 in support of former Premier Paul Okalik.

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ONTARIO

Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne bowed to mounting criticism of “cash-for-access” fundraising — asking for big donations in exchange for meetings with cabinet ministers — with some of the strictest campaign finance laws in the country.

Last January, corporate and union donations were banned in Ontario, and the total amount individuals can donate fell from $33,250 to $3,600 a year.

Some loopholes remain. On top of party donations, contributions of $1,200 can be given to leadership candidates. But for the most part, the changes represent a dramatic overhaul from the days when Wynne was assigning fundraising quotas for cabinet ministers, many of whom would go to the industries they were supposed to be regulating for the money. MPPs, candidates, and many political staff are no longer allowed to even attend fundraisers.

This stands in contrast with reforms introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he was criticized for repeatedly holding cash-for-access fundraisers, which, at least putatively, bar lobbyists from fundraisers, but do not bar MPs or political staff.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and then Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown spent much of 2016 aggressively criticizing Wynne for the cash-for-access fundraisers. However, both held similar events. The Progressive Conservatives were particularly successful, with Brown attending hundreds of fundraising events in 2016 helping to bring in more than $16 million for the Progressive Conservatives, compared with $6.5 million for the Liberals and more than $4 million for the NDP.

All parties will be affected by the ban on union and corporate cash: Between 2007 and 2016, seven of the top 10 donors in Ontario were unions; the others were a construction company, a bank and an insurance industry association.

More than $190 million in donations were analyzed to come up with the top 10 donors in Ontario. About three million dollars of that went to the Green party, $29.9 million to the NDP, $78.4 million to the Liberals, and $78.4 million to the PCs.

1. United Steelworkers: $1,603,492.09
The United Steelworkers, the largest private-sector union in North America, made 1,033 donations, all to the New Democratic Party (except for a $250 donation from Local 1005 in Hamilton to the Communist Party of Ontario). The union has more than 225,000 members in Canada, and regularly lobbies the Ontario government around issues including employment law. The donations were made from union districts and local council committees from around the province, as well as the national office. During the 2009 NDP leadership campaign, the steelworkers gave the most, $13,594.40, to eventual winner Andrea Horwath. In addition to donations made directly to the NDP, the steelworkers regularly spend money as a registered third party. In the 2015 Sudbury byelection, the union spent $24,000 on ads, including one targeting Liberal candidate (and former NDP MP) Glenn Thibeault.

2. United Association: $1,265,985.97
The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry made 216 donations, predominantly through various locals, but also through its political action fund. Unlike the United Steelworkers, the United Association favoured the Liberal party, with donations of $885,459, versus $352,066.97 for the NDP. The association also gave $28,460 to the Progressive Conservatives — although they put $100,000 towards Working Families, a third-party union group that has run ads attacking the PCs in every election since 2003. The union has also been active during leadership races. In 2015, it backed PC Patrick Brown with a donation of $2,000. In 2013, it gave Andrea Horwath $8,254 for her bid to lead the NDP. The same year, the union donated to four candidates in the Liberal leadership race, including now-finance minister Charles Sousa.

3. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America: $1,137,154.96
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, which represents construction industry workers, is another one of North America’s largest private-sector unions. The union made about one-third of its donations through its Ontario district council. The rest were made through various locals and the union’s political action fund. All told, it made 246 donations, giving $963,884.86 to the Liberals, $97,165 to the Progressive Conservatives, and $76,105.10 to the New Democratic Party.

4. Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation: $908,011.27
The union that represents public high school teachers made 170 donations, giving $559,671.27 to the NDP, $326,273 to the Liberals, $21,760 to the Progressive Conservatives and $307 to the Greens. It also gave Andrea Horwath $14,800 in the 2009 NDP leadership race. About one-third of these donations were made from head office, with the rest coming from district associations. The union’s direct political contributions measure only a fraction of its real impact however: it also spent $1.8 million on various third parties over the past three elections — $1.1 million under its own name, and $700,000 through the two union umbrella groups, Working Families and Project Ontario.

5. Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario/Insurance Bureau of Canada: $679,336.52
The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario and its national affiliate, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, made 177 donations: $294,293.26 to the PCs, $290,355.97 to the Liberals, and $94,687.29 to the NDP. It gave the most money in the 2015 Progressive Conservative leadership race, $30,500, to eventual winner Patrick Brown. In the 2013 Liberal leadership race, it backed now-premier Kathleen Wynne with the largest donation, $25,000.

6. Laborers’ International Union of North America: $676,494.49
The construction union made 158 donations: $550,977.25 to the Liberals, $74,252 to the Progressive Conservatives and $51,265.24 to the NDP. It donated to one candidate in the 2009 NDP leadership race, giving $3,050 to Andrea Horwath. In the 2013 Liberal leadership race, it gave the most, $4,932.25, to now-finance minister Charles Sousa. About one-quarter of donations came from the union’s provincial council, with the rest coming from the locals, its Canadian umbrella agency, the LIUNA Tri-Fund, and other parts of the union.

7. Toronto Dominion Bank: $661,057.20
The Toronto Dominion Bank made 150 donations: 334,928.20 to the PCs and $326,129 to the Liberals. Most of the donations came from TD Bank and TD Securities, with a few from TD Bank Financial Group and one from TD Asset Management Inc. In addition to keeping its donations between the two parties roughly split, it also donated evenly among 2013 Liberal leadership contestants, giving $1,000 each to Charles Sousa, Gerard Kennedy, Sandra Pupatello and Kathleen Wynne. In the 2015 Progressive Conservative leadership race, it gave Victor Fedeli the most money, $5,000.

8. Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario: $601,843.77
The union representing public elementary school teachers made 134 donations, giving $492,028.77 to the NDP and $109,815 to the Liberals. In the 2009 NDP leadership race, the union gave the most money, $1,452, to winner Andrea Horwath. In addition to direct political donations, it spent $4.3 million on third-party election advertising over the past three elections.

9. EllisDon Construction: $595,399.84
EllisDon Construction Ltd., which regularly wins multimillion-dollar government contracts, made 106 donations: $401,673.34 to the Liberals, $191,796.50 to the Progressive Conservatives and $1,930 to the NDP. In the 2013 Liberal leadership campaign, the company gave the most money, $10,000, to soon-to-be premier Kathleen Wynne.

10. Canadian Union of Public Employees: $571,473.60
The Canadian Union of Public Employees made 140 donations, giving $518,927.30 to the New Democratic Party and $52,546.30 to the Liberals. In the 2009 New Democratic Party leadership race, it gave the most money, $12,500, to now-leader Andrea Horwath. In the 2013 Liberal leadership race, it gave the most money, 3,584.30, to now-former health minister Eric Hoskins.

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NEW BRUNSWICK

New Brunswick’s biggest political donor between 2007 and 2015 is — by far — the Irving group. The family’s businesses, which include operations in the oil and gas industry, shipbuilding, forestry and newspapers, employ one in 12 people in the province and account for more than half of New Brunswick’s exports.

Legislation passed last summer banned union and corporate donations, and lowered the cap on contributions from $6,000 to $3,000 a year. But politicians did manage one last kick at soon-to-be-outlawed fundraising: In advance of a June 1st deadline, the CBC reported parties raised about $700,000.

1. Irving Group of Companies: $131,713.86
The Irving group of companies (worth $10 billion, according to Canadian Business) made 91 donations: $79,815.93 to the Progressive Conservatives, $44,897.93 to the Liberals, and $7,000 to the NDP. The bulk of these contributions came from J.D. Irving Ltd and Irving Oil, both of which are perennial recipients of government assistance. The latter made headlines last year when the government reassessed the value of its Canaport LNG property in Saint John from about $300 million to $98 million — effectively slashing the company’s annual property taxes.

2. Toronto Dominion Bank: $83,754.40
The bank, which won $8.9 million in government funding last year to open a business services centre in Moncton, has 37 donations on record: $45,754.40 to the Progressive Conservatives and $38,000 to the Liberals.

3. Insurance Brokers Association of New Brunswick: $63,961.21
Combined, this association and its federal affiliate, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, made 56 donations: $39,166.85 to the PCs and $24,794.36 to the Liberals.

4. Bell Aliant: $59,933.86
This subsidiary of Bell made 33 donations, split mostly between the Liberals ($32,815.77) and the PCs ($24,704.09), with the remainder ($11,000) going to the NDP. In 2016, Bell Canada also donated $4,843.50 to the Liberals care of its offices in Verdun, Que, and $1,500 to the NDP from a Newfoundland address.

5. GTECH: $56,818.77
This gaming machine manufacturer started in Moncton under the name Spielo. It was acquired by GTECH in 2004 but continued to make most of its donations — 48 in total — under its old name: $30,746.20 to the Liberals, $25,072.57 to the Progressive Conservatives, and $1,000 to the NDP.

6. Debly Companies: $55,158.86
To avoid exceeding the province’s $6,000 donation limit, the PCs returned $10,800 in contributions from Debly Resources, Debly Enterprises and a numbered company called 632504 NB Ltd in 2014. All three share the same headquarters, the same director, Majid Debly, and do significant work for the government. Debly Enterprises alone billed New Brunswick $13.4 million for road construction and other costs between 2010 and 2014. Together, the three companies made 41 donations in this database: $47,277.70 to the PCs, $7,681.16 to the Liberals and $200 to the NDP.

7. Rogers Communications: $53,234.42
The 31 donations from Rogers mirror changes in political power. When the PCs were in office, between 2010 and 2014, the company made the majority of their contributions to that party ($21,520 versus $13,579.90 for the Liberals). When leadership changed hands in 2014, Rogers shifted the bulk of its donations to the Liberals ($9,392.18 versus $3,240 for the Tories). In total, the donations recorded in this database add up to $27,498.98 for the Liberals and $25,735.44 for the Progressive Conservatives.

8. St. Isidore Asphalte: $52,780.64
This paving, excavation and crushing company made 81 donations adding up to $34,028.22 for the Liberals, $18,552.42 for the Tories and a $200 nod to the NDP.

9. Molson Coors Canada: $51,880.55
The Canadian arm of this brewing company, one of the largest in the world, made 32 donations in New Brunswick: $28,940.22 to the Progressive Conservatives, $20,940.33 to the Liberals and $2,000 to the New Democratic Party.

10. Labatt Breweries: $41,130.99
One of Molson’s chief competitors made 25 donations: $23,963.42 to the PCs, $15,667.57 to the Liberals and $,1500 to the NDP.

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NOVA SCOTIA

Nova Scotia caps political donations at $5,000 a year, the highest contribution limit in the country until Manitoba matched that amount in 2017.

The ruling Liberal party has also hosted “cash-for-access” fundraisers, where donors pay up to $750 a person to meet with the premier and other senior government leaders.

In October, NDP Leader Gary Burrill raised concerns about the practice, calling for Premier Stephen McNeil to follow fellow Liberal Justin Trudeau in releasing a list of attendees after each exclusive event. (The Progressive Conservatives also hold regular fundraisers which cost $100 a month to attend.)

Corporate and union donations have been banned in N.S. since 2009, but between 2011 and 2015 parties raised a total of $5.2 million from named donations (individual donations above $199.99). The Liberals received $2 million; $1.9 million went to the NDP; and $1.3 million went to the PCs.

The Nova Scotia Elections Act requires that the full address of every donor be disclosed. However, only about one-third of donations provide an address with a street name, municipality and postal code. The other two-thirds list only a municipality, making it difficult to distinguish between donors with the same name.

For the list below, names without detailed addresses were checked against the Yellow Pages. If more than one person with the same name was listed in a specific community, they were excluded from the list. Out of an abundance of caution, so were donors with the same names who had contributed from one address for several years, and then from another.

1. Michael Kontak: $25,000
Michael Kontak of Halifax served as chief of staff to three Nova Scotia premiers. He made five donations of $5,000 to the Progressive Conservatives each year from 2011 to 2015. Kontak is currently on the board of directors of CARE, an Ottawa-based charity combating global poverty.

2. Peter Covert: $25,000
Peter Covert of Hammonds Plains made five donations of $5,000 to the Liberals each year from 2011 to 2015.

3. Wadih Fares: $18,068.38
Wadih Fares is the founder of Halifax-based real estate development company WM Fares Group. Fares made 12 donations: $7,691.24 to the Progressive Conservatives, $7,504 to the Liberals, and $2,873.12 to the NDP.

4. Rose Wilson: $17,798.36
Rose Wilson from Halifax made five donations, all to the Liberals. Wilson is listed on LinkedIn as the co-principal of Wilsons Fuel Co. Ltd., which competes throughout Atlantic Canada with Irving Oil Co. gas stations. In addition to her political donations, Wilson is a major philanthropist who was given an honorary degree from the University of King’s College in 2013. At the time, her support for Symphony Nova Scotia, the Cathedral Church of All Saints, the Citadel High Legacy Campaign, as well as the university, were cited.

5. John Risley: $12,969.54
Clearwater Fine Foods co-founder John Risley made seven donations: $8,879.10 to the Liberals and $4,090.44 to the Progressive Conservatives.

6. J. William Ritchie: $12,795.22
Businessman J. William Ritchie made four donations, all to the Progressive Conservatives. Ritchie has been a key player in the Nova Scotia business community for decades. A 2012 Chronicle Herald profile of Ritchie cited him as the oldest member of the Halifax Club, which he joined in 1958.

7. Jim Spatz: $12,404.86
Real estate developer Jim Spatz made eight donations: $6,374.86 to the Progressive Conservatives, $3,780 to the Liberals and $2,250 to the NDP. Spatz is the CEO of Southwest Properties Ltd., one of Atlantic Canada’s leading real estate developers.

8. Mary Clancy: $11,935.52
Former Liberal MP for Halifax, Mary Clancy made five donations, all to the Liberals.

9. Sonia Felix: $11,664.01
Sonia Felix, CEO of health-care staffing company RJF Healthcare Services, made four donations, all to the Liberals.

10. Charles Cartmill: $11,504.94
Charles Cartmill, founder of LED Roadway Lighting, made nine donations: $7,300.28 to the NDP, $2,365.36 to the Progressive Conservatives, and $1,839.30 to the Liberals.

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PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Despite Premier Wade MacLauchlan’s May, 2016, promise to ban corporate and union donations and limit individual gifts to political parties to $1,500, Prince Edward Island remains one of the last provinces with no caps on contributions.

The Liberal leader backtracked after speaking with then-Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Fox, which led to allegations by Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker of party “collusion” to keep corporate and union donations.

Fox rejected the accusation. And the following December, MacLauchlan said he would impose a $3,000 limit on corporate, union and individual donations, which would come into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. To date, however, there have still been no legislative changes.

That doesn’t mean the issue of political financing is dead. As newly elected PC Leader James Aylward told the CBC last fall: “I’m a firm proponent on not allowing corporate (or) union donations.” And indeed he did not take money from either during his run for party leadership.

Between 2007 to 2016, though, the biggest donors to both the Liberals and PCs were almost all corporations.

1. Cox & Palmer: $105,412.87
Law firm Cox & Palmer is deeply enmeshed in Prince Edward Island politics. Liberal Education Minister Jordan Brown is an associate at the firm, which has won various government contracts, including representing the province in a battle with the privacy commissioner. The firm made 23 donations, giving $65,305.45 to the Liberals and $40,107.42 to the Progressive Conservatives.

2. Irving Group of Companies: $90,125.79
The majority of donations from this group (23 in all) came from Cavendish Farms. Other contributions came from J.D. Irving Ltd., Irving Shipbuilding, Cavendish Produce and Cavendish Agri Services. All told, the Irving companies gave $52,413.78 to the Liberals and $37,712.01 to the Progressive Conservatives. Cavendish Farms also donated $1 million to Charlottetown’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in August, 2016, which the P.E.I. chapter of the Council of Canadians claimed in a CBC story was an attempt to pressure the provincial government to lift the moratorium on high-capacity irrigation wells.

3. McInnes Cooper: $83,507.86
McInnes Cooper is a law firm with offices in Charlottetown as well as five other cities in Atlantic Canada. Starting in 2009, the firm was involved in a controversial attempt to make P.E.I. an online gambling regulator. Then finance minster Wes Sheridan, Mi’kmaq Confederacy executive director Don MacKenzie and McInnes Cooper lawyers Gary Scales, Kevin Kiley and Mike O’Brien formed a working group which met regularly at the firm’s Charlottetown office. The project was supposed to bring in $20 million a year in new tax revenue, but after more than three years of work it failed to get off the ground. Auditor general Jane MacAdam sharply criticized the project for its secrecy and use of public funds. She said about $1.4 million was spent by the P.E.I. government, but because McInnes Cooper did not co-operate with her investigation she has been unable to determine how much of that went to the firm. After her report was released, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy asked McInnes Cooper to make some files available to the auditor general and the firm agreed. The firm has made 17 donations: $56,621.56 to the Liberals and $26,886.30 to the PCs.

4. Bell Aliant: $77,714.56
Bell Aliant Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of telecommunications giant Bell Canada, signed a sole-source agreement with the provincial government in 2008 to serve as the province’s exclusive telephone services provider. In exchange, Bell promised to provide internet access to 56 rural communities. The sole-source nature of the deal, which was renewed in 2010 and 2013 without public announcement, drew ire from Bell’s potential competition. Bevan-Baker, whose Green party won a second seat in a late November byelection, has been particularly critical of the deal. His party has not received any money from Bell. It wasn’t until January 2017 that the full contract, including the $23.3-million price tag, was released following an order by P.E.I.’s privacy commissioner, according to The Guardian in Charlottetown. The company made 22 donations, giving $50,373.32 to the Liberals and $27,341.24 to the Progressive Conservatives.

5. Maritime Electric: $72,798.25
Maritime Electric is a subsidiary of Fortis, an electric utility company and the top donor in Newfoundland and Labrador. The company has made one donation of approximately the same amount to both the Liberals and PCs every year except for 2012, when they gave only to the Tories. In total, the company’s 19 donations add up to $36,964.06 for the PCs and $35,834.19 for the Liberals.

6. Scotiabank: $63,687.33
Scotiabank made 29 donations, primarily under its own name, as well as through Scotia Wealth Management, Scotia Capital and ScotiaMcLeod Inc: $44,115.45 went to the Liberals and $19,521.88 to the Progressive Conservatives.

7. A & S Scrap Metals: $53,802.15
This recycling centre in Charlottetown made 16 donations, giving $42,598.09 to the Liberals and $11,204.06 to the Progressive Conservatives.

8. Superior Sanitation Services: $48,358.50
This Charlottetown-based waste management company operates about 50 trucks for more than 1,800 customers in P.E.I. The company made 19 donations: $27,684.38 to the Liberals and $20,674.12 to the Progressive Conservatives.

9. Kenneth Clark: $47,514.77
Charlottetown lawyer Kenneth Clark made 10 donations, giving $46,514.77 to the Liberals and $1,000 to the Progressive Conservatives.

10. Royal Bank of Canada: $44,288.67
The Royal Bank of Canada made 39 donations, giving $22,294.43 to the Progressive Conservatives and $21,994.24 to the Liberals.

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NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Communications companies — all of which work on government contracts — accounted for three of the top 10 donors in Newfoundland and Labrador between 1996 and 2015. In many provinces, businesses are banned from political contributions. In Newfoundland, there is not even a cap on how much they (or any other donor) can give.

This could explain why the region’s politicians raised $5.5 million between 2011 and 2015, compared to just $5.2 million in nearby Nova Scotia — which has almost double the population.

The NDP have been calling for a ban on both corporate and union donations in Newfoundland and Labrador. In June, they won support from an unlikely source: longtime Tory politician Tom Marshall.

“I know there’s (sic) people out there that will say, ‘Ah, you’re all a bunch of crooks.’ So the way to show them we’re not is to just ban it,” said Marshall, who served as premier in 2014.

Premier Dwight Ball defended the current system, however, saying: “It’s not legalized bribery.”

Elections Newfoundland and Labrador posts annual lists of donations, but often takes more than a year to do so.

1. Fortis: $360,780
Fortis is an electric utility with customers in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Fortis’s 104 donations are almost evenly split between the PCs ($197,460) and the Liberals ($163,320).

2. M5 Marketing Communications: $355,017
Based in St. John’s, M5 took over its rival, Bristol Group, in 2010. It is now one of Atlantic Canada’s largest communications companies, with clients including all of the region’s governments as well as Newfoundland Power and Bell Aliant (also on this list). All told, M5 and Bristol made 30 donations to the Liberals ($285,917) and 31 donations to the PCs ($69,100).

3. Kruger: $332,300
The parent company of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper — which produces newsprint — was given a $15.4 million bailout from the PC government in 2010. In 2014, the PCs gave the mill a $110-million loan. And last May, the current Liberal government promised to safeguard the mill’s unfunded pension liability in the event of bankruptcy. The company has given money to political parties on 86 occasions — $166,375 to the Tories, $159,925 to the Liberals, plus $6,000 to six individual candidates.

4. Bell Aliant: $266,520
This wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Canada made 85 donations: $148,450 to the PCs, $114,177 to the Liberals and $3,900 to the NDP.

5. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce: $241,180
The bank split its donations between the Liberals and PCs: 41 contributions totalling $135,600 went to the PCs, 45 donations totalling $105,580 went to the Liberals.

6. Pennecon: $235,720
This St. John’s company — which has 1,500 employees working in real estate, oil and gas, and heavy civil engineering — has donated 75 times to provincial parties. Most of that went to the PCs ($155,650) and the Liberals ($72,270), with smaller gifts to the NDP ($5,300) and six individual candidates ($2,500). All above-board, unlike Pennecon’s $5,500 donation to Conservative MP Peter Penashue — which was funnelled through six employees. Those donations were among 28 illegal contributions to Penashue’s 2011 campaign. He resigned in 2013.

7. United Steelworkers of America: $195,835
All 21 of the union’s donations went to the NDP. The party has never won a provincial election. But in 2015, when Steelworkers donated $55,500, the NDP won two seats. In 2011, when Steelworkers donated $30,000, the NDP won five seats. All the donations came from locations in the Greater Toronto Area.

8. Provincial Airlines: $184,622.75
The regional airline has made 56 donations to provincial parties: $97,400 to the PCs, $87,022.75 to the Liberals and $200 to two individual candidates. Like Pennecon, the airline admitted to illegal contributions of $18,710 to the 2011 campaign of MP Peter Penashue. The CBC reported that the company had written off travel for the politician, who “couldn’t afford the flights he took around the large, sparsely populated riding.”

9. Newfoundland Federation of Labour: $162,350
This union federation, as well as affiliated groups in Ontario, British Columbia and at the national level, have made 30 donations to Newfoundland and Labrador’s NDP. A majority of those donations ($111,000) were made in 2015 — including a $51,500 gift, the second-largest donation recorded in the database, directly from the NewfoundlandFederation of Labour. The union represents about 65,000 workers in the province.

10. Rogers: $158,850
The PCs got the lion’s share of the communication behemoth’s 39 donations ($125,700), with the remainder going to the Liberals ($33,150).

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