A familiar face to millions of TV viewers across Canada, Tom Clark was one of the country’s most respected broadcast journalists. During his 45-year career, the Toronto-born Clark reported from more than 30 countries and eight active war zones. He served as CTV’s Bureau Chief in Washington, D.C. and in Beijing. Most recently, he served as chair of Global Public Affairs, one of Canada’s largest public affairs and strategic communications firms. Mr. Clark is a licensed pilot who has flown extensively in Canada’s north. He is married to Jane Clark and has three daughters.
Prime Minister Trudeau appointed you to this position. What made you say “Yes?”
Simple. It’s a privilege and tremendous honor to serve and represent Canada and to promote Canadian values abroad. I’m grateful to Prime Minister Trudeau for having provided me this opportunity.
You’ve been on the job for about a month now. How would you characterize the transition?
It’s been a whirlwind, frankly. I wanted to be here as soon as possible after accepting the nomination. But I didn’t anticipate all the formalities and processes involved in assuming the role. We’re still unpacking a few boxes.
Your previous role as Chair of Global Public Affairs Canada saw you advising businesses on their government relations and communications strategies. What did you learn during your time there that you could apply to your role as Consul General?
Three things. First, the success of any large endeavor comes down to the relationships among the people carrying it out. Of course, we work on behalf of the Government of Canada, but we’ll only be successful to the extent that we can establish strong personal relationships built on trust and respect. These attributes allow everyone to move forward together toward a shared vision of success; it also allows us to have difficult conversations or work through challenges when our views or goals may diverge.
It’s also the ability to identify and engage stakeholders. We live in a complicated world and the solutions to the challenges we face aren’t straightforward. We need to ensure we hear from a diversity of people with different perspectives on any given issue to understand its impact – and that of possible solutions, so we can understand the best way forward for everyone involved.
The final piece is the ability to effectively get your message across. I learned that early on in my career as a journalist as well. I’ve read that New Yorkers are remarkably direct and want you to come to the point as quickly as possible. I’m sure they’ll keep my skills sharp in this area.
You’ve interviewed some of the most influential politicians of the 20th century. Now you’re working in the public sector as well. What has surprised you the most thus far?
The complexity of the work carried out at the Consulate. Our territory is incredibly dynamic, and our office handles a litany of complex files on trade, on immigration and border security. It’s still early days in my tenure here but already I’ve been impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of our team.
I also enjoyed the opportunity to meet New York Mayor Eric Adams, especially so early in my tenure here, and I’m looking forward to meeting dozens more fantastic people from New York and throughout our territory in the coming weeks and months.
What would you see as your primary areas of focus in your role?
At the highest level, obviously, it’s to represent the Government of Canada to the people in territory and advocate for Canada’s interests.
On a day-to-day level, one major focus area will be continuing to stress the benefits of economic integration between Canada and the U.S. That’s a constant in our relationship and especially pertinent in our territory. There’s a solid foundation that we’ve built over the years; Canada is New York’s biggest customer; New Jersey sells more to Canada than to the UK and China combined. Canadian companies employ tens of thousands of employees across Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware as well. I’m committed to developing these relationships further.
Also, there will be lots to keep me busy as we continue to work toward reaching our climate and emissions goals, primarily though investments in clean energy, critical minerals and the entire electric vehicle (EV) supply chain. I’m pleased to say there’s already been tremendous work on that front. Our government recently announced, with the Government of Ontario, that Volkswagen would locate its EV battery manufacturing facility in St. Thomas, Ontario. It’s a move that will position Canada as a global leader in the electric vehicle supply chain.
We’re working together to develop our critical minerals strategy as well. Livent, which is based in Philadelphia, is stepping up its investment in Quebec’s lithium industry as part of a long-term strategy to develop Canada’s EV ecosystem.
And as we each move towards greening our economies, it's exciting to know that clean, reliable hydropower from Quebec will make its way to New York City via the Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line, dramatically reducing emissions while generating billions of dollars in economic benefits across the state.
Canada’s transition to a clean and sustainable energy infrastructure will open up new areas of economic growth in the coming decades. And we’re only getting started. Canada has the engineering talent and business vision to take a leadership position in this area and I want to help them lead this charge (No pun intended).
I’m also looking forward to strengthening our partnerships in the arts and culture, especially with our colleagues at the Consulate General in Los Angeles. Canada’s cultural industries have never been stronger or more influential on the world stage – as we saw during the recent Oscar ceremonies. Of course, the arts enrich all our lives; more than that, they provide a vehicle to tell Canadian stories and spark conversations about important issues that matter to all of us. A vibrant arts sector generates significant economic benefits as well.
The pandemic posed a major challenge for your predecessors. And now we’re operating in a challenging macro-economic environment. Inflation, supply chain disruptions, a war in Ukraine, and more. How do you anticipate operating amid such uncertainty?
You’re right to point that out. We’re not just looking to make changes at the margins or temporary adjustments. And it’s messy out there. But I’m confident we can make progress despite it all. In times of crisis we tend to seek out those who we trust and who share our values. Challenging times show us who our friends are. And Canada and the U.S. have been friends through some of the toughest times. We saw this during the pandemic when Canadian nurses continued to cross the border to care for American patients during the pandemic. We saw it when Toronto firefighters came to New York after 9/11. But we’re more than friends. We’re allies as well, as exemplified through our partnership in the Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, NY, which is part of NORAD.
This is your first experience as a diplomat. Did you seek out advice from your predecessors as to what to expect?
Yes. Last week I had a wonderful conversation with Phyllis Yaffe, a previous Canadian Consul General here. She advised me to “engage everywhere,” because there’s always a great conversation waiting to happen. Also, remember to have fun.
Canada's Ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, and my fellow Canadian Consuls General across the U.S. have been tremendously helpful in helping me settle in – they were all new at some point as well. David Cohen, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, has also been incredibly welcoming and supportive. I really believe I’m getting off on the right foot.
It can’t be all work. What are you most looking forward to about life in New York?
Simply living in the city. My wife and I have visited New York many times and we do have our favorite spots, but this role will allow us the time to experience it “like a New Yorker.” Long-time residents will tell you that New Yorkers are actually the nicest and most helpful people you’ll ever meet. That’s a lot, given I’m coming from Canada, but it’s true; we’ve seen it everywhere.