Intended Consequences

In the second episode of our podcast series on the Ontario municipal elections, we explore why housing is a major theme for candidates and voters. Our guest Michelle German, Senior Advisor at StrategyCorp, argues that housing might be the most important issue in this year's municipal elections as individuals have never been more challenged to find the right kind of housing. She highlights how spec...

The Ontario municipal elections are in full swing. In this new podcast series, StrategyCorp's Institute explores the themes that are shaping the elections across the province. Ed Archer, Vice President at StrategyCorp, joins the podcast to talk about why infrastructure is a crucial topic in this year's municipal elections. He explains how local realities and other municipal priorities shape discus...

After a summer marked by geopolitical developments, byelections, and the threat of separatism in Alberta and Quebec, Parliament returns for what promises to be an eventful fall in Canadian politics. StrategyCorp's Rebecca Caldwell, Garry Keller, and Nathan Cullen join the podcast to discuss current dynamics and priorities in government. They highlight what may be next for the Conservatives and the...

Canadian high-performance athletes train hard every day to compete at the highest levels and proudly represent Canada on the world stage. Countries and sport federations are constantly thinking about how to enable athletes and national teams to perform at their best. Government funding and a strong sport ecosystem are critical enablers of high performance. The Government of Canada announced $755 m...

Between the Milano Cortina Olympics, the Paralympics, and the FIFA World Cup, 2026 is a dream year for sports fans. But these mega-events go beyond sports and medals; they are highly political and extensively covered by the media. Large international competitions are opportunities for host countries to achieve diplomatic, political, and economic objectives through sports. How these events are conv...

With the Government of Canada increasing its defence spending, CANSEC was a must-attend event for ecosystem players. Highlighting the unique moment Canada finds itself in amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, Mark Carney became the first sitting Canadian Prime Minister to speak at CANSEC. StrategyCorp's Garry Keller, Frédérik Larouche, and Terry Nemeth share their key takeaways from the event and t...

L'aluminium fait l'objet de tarifs douaniers élevés depuis le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche. Les impacts de ces tarifs sur le secteur et les prix mondiaux sont importants. Ceux-ci sont exacerbés par l'instabilité dans le golfe Persique, une région productrice d'aluminium. Afin de dresser un portrait des défis et des opportunités auxquels fait face l'industrie canadienne de l'aluminium...

Entrepreneurship is the foundation of economic development. But what happens when entrepreneurs want to retire? According to a report from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), nearly 61% of Canadian SMEs are led by owners who are 50+ and many plan to exit within the next five years. Pierre Cléroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC, joins the podcast to discuss this dyn...

Live music and film are major drivers of economic development in communities across Canada. Erin Benjamin, President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, and Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos, Film Commissioner and CEO of the Ottawa Film Office, join the podcast to discuss the positive economic and social impacts of their respective sectors. They highlight the importance of partnerships an...

Growing Canada's housing supply requires adequate underlying infrastructure. Water and wastewater capacity, waste management, and public transit and active transportation are top-of-mind housing-enabling infrastructure for communities across Canada. Ren Thomas is a member of the Canadian Infrastructure Council (CIC) and joins the podcast to discuss the CIC's first National Infrastructure Assessmen...

AI is top of mind across all organizations. Julie Gonyou, Vice President at StrategyCorp, explains how AI is rapidly embedding itself in the public sector. As the pace of AI continues to accelerate in 2026, Julie explains how it will shape the next phase of public sector transformation, and why decision-makers must get it right.

StrategyCorp's year-in-review and 2026 look-ahead StrategyCorp's annual year-in-review & look-ahead episode is  back to close out the 2025 season of Intended Consequences. Our expert guests discuss the most important developments of 2025 in politics, communication, real estate, education, technology, and geopolitics, and share what they will be keeping an eye on in 2026 to help us get ready for a...

Jayson Myers, CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), joins the podcast to discuss tariffs and trade diversification. He also provides insight into the state of AI adoption in manufacturing, the value of intellectual property and the crucial role of postsecondary institutions in training the workforce the sector needs. Municipalities, economic developers and companies will want to list...

Making location decisions has never been as challenging for companies. Global and local factors are extensively influencing investment dynamics and shaping economic development. Gregg Wassmansdorf, Senior Managing Director of Global Strategy consulting at Newmark, joins the podcast to discuss the state of site selection in Canada and the United States. He provides expert insight into investment re...

Joanne Chianello and Stacy Hushion join the podcast to discuss StrategyCorp's 2025 Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey   . With a municipal election a year away, longstanding pressures facing local governments and Trump-induced uncertainty, it was an interesting time to engage with CAOs to hear their views. Our guests share the Survey's insights into the local impacts of geopolit...

After a busy summer for the government and opposition parties, Members of Parliament are back in Ottawa for the return of the House of Commons. Between the ongoing tension with the United States, the return of Pierre Poilievre in the House of Commons, and an upcoming federal budget amid a slowing economy, there will be no shortage of political and economic developments to keep an eye on this fall....

Federal and provincial governments across Canada have been recording budget deficits for several years, which is raising concerns around their financial capacity in a time of heightened uncertainty. Deficits and debt can get very political with opposition parties often attacking governments on their management of public finances. However, the financial market tends to look at government finances t...

The current Trump-induced uncertainty is impacting every aspect of the economy, including capital flows. When it gets harder to predict economic patterns, investors become more risk-averse and companies have a harder time accessing capital. To get a better sense of the capital and funding landscape in Canada, the StrategyCorp Institute invited the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Associ...

Le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche et la mise en place de tarifs douaniers créent de nombreux défis pour les entreprises manufacturières québécoises. Les taux, la portée et même l'échéancier de ces tarifs ont changé à plusieurs reprises depuis janvier. Ces revirements de situation causent beaucoup d'incertitude pour les dirigeants d'entreprise et les travailleurs. Afin de dresser un por...

The first 100 days of the second Trump presidency have been a whirlwind. Between policy announcements on Truth Social, a barrage of tariffs and cuts to the civil service, the Trump White House has been moving fast and breaking things. Amid this breakneck pace, the Democrats are trying to oppose Trump on Capitol Hill while also getting ready for the 2026 mid-term elections. Bruce Fisher, a veteran...

The 100 th episode of Intended Consequences explores the impacts of the U.S. tariffs on economic development in Canada. Many Canadian communities are vulnerable to tariffs with Saint John (NB), Calgary and Windsor topping the list according to the U.S. Tariff Exposure Index developed by the Business Data Lab at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The Director of the Economic Development Program at t...

Much of Ontario – including most of the province's main urban centres – are served by local electricity distributors (LDCs) owned by municipalities. Both the federal and Ontario governments have recently announced measures that could enable more private sector or pension fund investment in those municipally owned LDCs. This podcast looks at the current situation, the proposed changes and what more...

In the face of an uncertain economic future, where housing starts have plummeted and residential sales are down, but demand shows no signs of abating, the key goal of the industry is to somehow make it through 2025. StrategyCorp Ontario Developer Survey 2024 Dave Wilkes, President and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association, and Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director of the Grea...

The StrategyCorp Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2024 highlighted that municipal finance is a top area of concern. The report noted that "many CAOs spoke of financial challenges not just in terms of the gaps and shortfalls they are trying to fill, notably with respect to infrastructure, but in the context of affordability for residents." Two StrategyCorp Senior Advisors, Michael Fenn...

Our annual year-in-review & look-ahead episode is back to close out this season of Intended Consequences. Our StrategyCorp guests discuss the most important national and international developments of 2024 and their significance for Canadian politics and economics. They also share with us what they will be keeping an eye on in 2025 and why.