allardkg
- Jan 17, 2022
- 4 min read

Our CAO Has an Impressive Resume - Or Does He?

I posted this all a few months ago on social media and reposted it all recently.

Here are the companies Mr Nicolay has been involved in since leaving Medicine Hat in Jan/99. The dates are from his Linked In profile, so they may not be accurate.

Feb/99 – Jan/05

Enmax – Calgary President and CEO

Unceremoniously removed using the “Without Cause” clause, they paid nearly $2 million to get rid of him.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/enmax-ceo-removed-1.505318

Jan/05 – Feb/06

Nothing listed

Feb 06 – Jul 07

Calgary Olympic Development Association

He left after only 15 months to take another job according to the article below. CODA estimated it would take 3-6 months to find a replacement.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/calgary-herald/20070824/282273840976007

Jul/07 – Feb/10

Pengrowth VP Business Development

https://www.hartenergy.com/news/pengrowth-management-names-robert-nicolay-vp-36109

Pengrowth has since ceased to exist, CONA bought them out in 2019 at $0.05/share. (Note - This was long after Mr Nicolay left.)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/pengrowth-energy-cona-resources-oil-price-1.5344256

Mar/10 – Sep/11

Kemex Ltd President and CEO

Dec/10 – Oct/16

Oak Point Energy Founding Partner, Co-CEO, CFO and Director

This one’s interesting; Mr Nicolay’s named in this affidavit. Both companies are named after defaulting on $25 million debenture, original amount - $20 million. They borrowed more & extended the payback period three separate times over less than two years (pg 3 Debenture). Over $32.3 million owed as of Mar 31/17.

Private Equity Oak LP (PEO) issued a Demand for Repayment and a Notice of Intention to Enforce Security January 26 2017 (pg 5, sect 27).

PEO was working with them until they licensed a technology WITHOUT permission (pg 6, sect 32, 33) at which point PEO notified them “the Holder had lost faith or trust in the Borrower and Guarantors and their representatives including management of the Borrowers and the Board.” (pg 6, sect 34).

https://www.alvarezandmarsal.com/sites/default/files/canada/filed_affidavit_of_kate_malcolm_volume_1_of_3_0.pdf

Feb 2016 - Feb 2017

Bluenergy Solarwind Inc. / VERT Solar Finance LLC COO / Consultant

Do you remember that wind turbine at the college that was sheared off by the wind? (To be fair, the college required it be made stationary after the grant funding dried up, it was meant to be in motion.) That was this company.

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/general/16/617865/medicine-hat-college-city-of-medicine-hat-bluenergy-solarwind-canada-inc-enter-into-mou-to-support-community-renewable-energy-microgrid-demonstration-project.html

The webpage is underwhelming, being merely a contact page. No other information provided.

https://www.solarwindcanada.ca/

We were promised -

“Eventually Medicine Hat will also be the top candidate for possible future manufacturing and servicing for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the B.C. interior, he (Bob Nicolay) said.”

Nicolay also said Invest Medicine Hat facilitated this project.

(In 2019, he brings IMH in house and allows them to access $830,000 from the CAO Capital Contingency Fund for "Leasehold Improvements". See blog post https://www.allard4mhcc.com/post/our-cao-helped-fund-the-830-000-that-imh-spent-on-their-office-space )

https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2017/01/25/medicine-hat-getting-renewable-energy-project/

As of Oct 2 2020, Bluenergy Solarwind is liable for dissolution. The address belongs to a lawyer’s office in Medicine Hat.

https://albertacorporations.com/bluenergy-solarwind-canada-inc

Vert Solar is also underwhelming, you get a 404 Page Not Found message.

https://www.vertsolar.com/

Recapping the Resume.

1982 – 1999

City of Medicine Hat

Left for a LOT more money at Enmax.

Feb 1999 - Jan 2005

Enmax

Unceremoniously removed, severance pay of nearly $2 million

13 months of nothing

Feb 2006 – Jul 2007

Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA)

Left after 15 months to take job with Pengrowth

Jul 2007 – Feb 2010

Pengrowth

Sold to CONA for 5 cents/share in 2019 (long after Mr Nicolay left).

Mar 2010 – Oct 2016

KemeX, Oak Point Energy

Went into receivership owing over $32.3 million.

Feb 2016 – Feb 2017

Bluenergy Solarwind/ Vert Solar Finance

Bluenergy liable for dissolution as of Oct 2020 after failed turbine project removed from MHC. (He had worked with City Of Medicine Hat (COMH) and Invest Medicine Hat (IMH) to set up that project.)

Vert Solar website link no longer works.

Jan 2017 – Oct 2018

City Manager of Grande Prairie

He left when the position came up in Medicine Hat before they could find a replacement.

The article says “Nicolay was the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Medicine Hat for 17 years before he left to be the first President and CEO of ENMAX.“

https://www.mygrandeprairienow.com/24308/grande-prairie-finds-new-city-manager/

Wrong. He was CAO from 1995-1998.

“He was CAO of the COMH (Corporate Services and CFO) and CEO of The City’s wholly owned oil and gas subsidiary corporation from 1995 to 1998; Commissioner of Public Services from 1992 to 1995; Manager of Financial Planning and Budget from 1989 to 1992; and, Manager of Utilities Finance from 1982 to 1989.”

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1069489/000106299310001241/form10k.htm

Oct 2018 – Present CAO City Of Medicine Hat

None of his start-ups are still going.

It’s just a string of failures, one involving tens of millions of dollars in losses.

This is the man that previous council hired to oversee our budget worth hundred of millions of dollars. We're supposed to trust him?

I don't think so.

After uncovering all this, I have to wonder -

Who Did They Reject?

We Can Change This

We’ve a new council but the same old CAO. If you think we need a change, please contact council members. He is their one and only employee. They hired him, they are the only ones who can fire him. If you're angry about the subjects I've brought to light, then please contact the people that can do something about it.

Public pressure stopped the prospective sale of our power plant, public pressure shut down the Invest Medicine Hat/Orka RFP, public pressure can make a difference with this too.

In all of your communications with council members,

PLEASE

Be Kind.

The new members of council are not to blame for past decisions. The incumbents will be far more likely to agree to do as you ask if you are kind.

PLEASE

Do not make it personal.

Criticize their decisions, sure, but don’t attack them personally. Eg. It’s okay to say “That was a stupid decision.“ It’s not okay to say “You are stupid for making that stupid decision.”

All the information I’m bringing to light is there for everyone to find but not everybody has the time to dig it out. If you were surprised by what I discovered then please keep in mind that many on council are surprised too.