We’ve learned that the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) awarded training contracts worth more than $265,000 to a company co-founded by its boss The newspaper.
Last December, Le Journal reported that the BDC paid $135,000 for training from L’Effet A, which aims to help women break the glass ceiling.
The Journal has learned that L’Effet has since received an additional $130,000 in contracts to train 36 employees, for a total of more than $265,000.
“Isabelle Hudon has no financial relationship with L’Effet A,” responded Flavie Côté, spokeswoman for the BDC. The head of the institution does not take part in the selection of candidates, even if she sometimes meets them afterwards “on her personal behalf”. BDC had already done business with the company before it was founded.
“It is worth noting that Isabelle Hudon completely withdrew from Effect A in 2017, before taking on the role of Canadian Ambassador to France, long before joining BDC,” points out Flavie Côté.
Ms. Hudon declined our interview request. L’Effect A did not respond to the Journal.
Plane ticket for $11,150
Last December, Le Journal reported that the BDC paid its president and CEO $11,150 for a round-trip ticket to London.
“As an independent and financially viable Crown corporation, all of our expenses are met from revenue and are not government expenditure,” defended the BDC.
Then-Small Business Minister Mary Ng’s office said the BDC was “financially sustainable” and therefore did not monitor its operating costs.
Sophie Brochu
A year ago, Le Journal revealed that since her appointment, Hydro-Québec had paid more than $250,000 for L’Effet-A training from the company of the then-CEO’s wife, Sophie Brochu, and asked her to host the event for their employees.
We also learned that the training offered by Sophie Brochu as a volunteer at L’Effet A brought in nearly $50,000 in revenue for her partner John Gallagher’s company.
After a series of revelations in the Journal, Hydro-Québec decided to change the rules for awarding contracts to this company.
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