Associates
Columbia Institute Research Associates
Columbia Institute Associates represent a core group of individuals, who inform and contribute to the Centre for Civic Governance’s research agenda by offering their expertise on the most timely public policy topics facing Canadians today. Through their analysis, reports and publications, our Associates help shape the discussion and debate on progressive issues, such as the local economy, green jobs, public finance, governance, civic engagement, and democracy, that are the foundations of inclusive and sustainable communities.
Tyee Bridge
Tyee Bridge is a Vancouver-based journalist and writer. His essays, profiles and investigative features have received four National Magazine Awards and seven Western Magazine Awards since 2007. He is the founder of the literary nonfiction press Nonvella Publishing (www.nonvella.com) and Arclight Media, which assists thought leaders and values-aligned organizations with custom publishing opportunities. He is the co-author, with Joel Solomon, of the 2017 book The Clean Money Revolution. Most recently, Tyee co-authored a report "Jobs for Tomorrow," which will be released in summer 2017. @TyeeBridge
Rob Duffy
Robert Duffy has authored and co-authored a number of Columbia Institute publications, including reports on municipal financing for energy efficiency retrofits in Canada, downloading federal and provincial services to municipalities and building a green economy for BC. He also conducted research at the BC legislature and the national office of the Canadian Federation of Students. Prior to joining CI, Duffy worked in legislation and communications at the Canadian parliament. He also worked on federal, provincial and municipal election campaigns, and was involved as an organizer for a number of social movements in Canada and the United Kingdom. He is currently a coordinator for the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI), a Metro Vancouver-based project whose work focuses on analysis of policy and regional governance at Metro Vancouver (formerly the Greater Vancouver Regional District) and TransLink. He is a graduate in History of the University of Victoria and has a Master's in Communications from Simon Fraser University. Click here for Rob's Columbia Institute publications. @robduffySCI
Karen Farbridge
Karen Farbridge served as Guelph's mayor for eleven years. After that, she founded Karen Farbridge & Associates (KF&A) (karenfarbridge.ca), a consulting firm committed accelerating the transition to low carbon and sustainable cities. Drawing on Karen's extensive experience and expertise on urban issues and in working with all levels of government and the private sector, KF&A works with cities, businesses and governments interested in building urban communities that are equally focused on generating economic prosperity and building people friendly spaces. Karen was the lead researcher and writer of Columbia Institute's 2016 report, "Top Asks for Climate Action - Ramping Up Low-Carbon Communities." She also assessed progress on the Top Asks report recommendations in 2017, in our first "Report Card on Top Asks for Climate Action." Karen is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University and is a graduate of the University of Guelph with a PhD in Zoology. For the first ten years of her career, she was Coordinator at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group in Guelph. Click here for Top Asks @karenfarbridge
Richard V. Gilbert
Richard Gilbert is an independent consultant in Vancouver, who provides journalism, communications and economic intelligence services to non-profit organizations in the Western Canadian construction industry. As a freelance journalist, Gilbert writes on a wide range of political and economic issues for the Journal of Commerce, Daily Commercial News, Crane & Hoist, Construction Business and Tradetalk. As an economist, he has completed public policy briefs, economic studies and white papers for clients to lobby the federal and provincial governments. Most recently, Gilbert co-authored Columbia Institute's "Jobs for Tomorrow: Canada's Building Trades and Net Zero Emissions" which examines climate change and the role of the construction industry in the transformation to low-carbon development in Canada.
Robin Hood


Keith Reynolds
