U.S.-based Lowe's has hired an Ottawa lobbyist to help handle its $1.76-billion takeover bid for Rona, which faces staunch opposition from the Quebec government.
Canada's lobbyist registry shows Robert Evershed of Prospectus Associates began working for the American home improvement retailer this month.
The aim, according to lobbyist registry documents, is to secure the approval of the minister of industry for the Rona bid.
The Prime Minister's Office, Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Canada Economic Development for the Quebec Region are among the federal departments that Evershed will lobby for Lowe's.
The U.S. retailer approached Canada's largest home improvement company with an informal offer of $14.50 per share in July.
But the bid faces opposition from both Quebecbased Rona and government officials in the province, where a general The Quebec government has said the offer is not in the best interests of either the province or Canada.
It says Rona has played a strategic role in creating tens of thousands of jobs through store employees, suppliers and manufacturers in the province and in the rest of Canada, including 50,000 in Quebec.
Quebec's pension fund manager - the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec - increased its stake in Rona by two percentage points to 14.2 per cent after Lowe's made its takeover offer in July.
The Caisse has said Rona needed to improve its performance, but would not comment on the bid.
