BIV Today

On BIV Today... As the legalization date of recreational cannabis creeps closer, Tantalus Labs CEO Dan Sutton (2:01) discusses the prospect of B.C. falling behind other jurisdictions. The province has just unveiled new rules offering clarity on marketing but questions still remain over supply, timing and the black market. Tyler Orton and Hayley Woodin host, see more of their work at  https://...

On BIV Today…  Is it the best of times or the worst of times? Business Council of BC economist Ken Peacock reports on B.C.’s second-quarter economic performance, and looks ahead to what’s coming. From reasonably good growth prospects to concerns on a number of fronts – rising interest rates and a maxed out labour among them – Peacock examines what happened this...

On BIV Today... Retail Insider’s Craig Patterson (2:08) has been examining the ongoing resurgence of the retail scene along Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. The stretch used to be sprinkled with questionable clubs, adult shops and and cheap retailers. But it has on the move to upscale in recent years, while bars and clubs have been rethinking how they operate. His latest feature story...

On BIV Today… Greater Vancouver condo prices rose by double digits in the second quarter of this year. Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper breaks down the firm’s latest House Price Survey, with insight into the Greater Vancouver market. In advance of the Bank of Canada’s rate decision on Wednesday, DBRS executive Maria-Gabriella Khoury – vice-president of the Global Financial...

On BIV Today... The Indian economy is poised to overtake the U.K., Germany and more in the coming years. HSBC’s Stephen Kam (1:54) explains why Canada can’t afford to miss out on the economic opportunities emerging form the high-growth country. Meanwhile, the notoriously cyclical mining industry appears to be on the upswing. Later on the show, PwC’s Liam Fitzgerald (14:10) takes...

On BIV Today… Investment Industry Association of Canada CEO Ian Russell (6:01) explores the headwinds facing global financial institutions, and the implications for Canadian firms. Tyler Orton and Hayley Woodin host, see more of their work at https://biv.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On BIV Today... It’s summer, which means offices across the province are likely sprinkled with eager, young interns looking to make their mark in the professional world. But what should employers know before taking on an intern to help fill in? Employment lawyer Leslie Whittaker (1:00) from Boughton Law breaks down some of the most common problems employers and interns face. Then, SFU intern...

On BIV Today… Carlo Dade, director of the centre for trade and investment policy at the Canada West Foundation, examines how Mexico’s presidential election stands to impact NAFTA negotiations. Avison Young research manager Susan Thompson discusses the challenges landlords face when vetting prospective retail-cannabis clients. The firm has developed a framework to help clients navigate...

On BIV Today... From space tourism to mining meteors, Mike Greenley (1:18) says commercial opportunities are wide open for the space industry. Greenley is the new group president of Vancouver-founded aerospace giant MDA, which is in the midst of transition after its parent company reincorporated as an American entity with a focus on the U.S. defence and intelligence market. He joins the show to di...

On BIV Today... Economist Jock Finlayson (1:29) from the Business Council of B.C. expands on his latest column in Business in Vancouver  examining how the region’s high housing costs are dissuading inter-provincial migrants from moving to B.C. It’s not as if expensive housing is a new phenomenon here, so Finlayson looks at the changes in historical patterns behind this trend. Then...

On BIV Today… The author behind the Lower Mainland money laundering review commissioned by the B.C. government joins BIV Today to walk through the report, its findings and his recommendations for the province. Peter German (0:49) is a lawyer, a former RCMP deputy commissioner and the author behind Dirty Money. Vancouver Economic Commission industrial initiatives manager Pietra Basilij (14:3...

On BIV Today... Amid talk of trade wars and threats of tariffs, consumers are now jumping aboard the “Buy Canadian” bandwagon. But is boycotting U.S. products really that easy? Retail Insider editor-in-chief Craig Patterson (1:45) joins the show to discuss this phenomenon. He also dishes on the latest industry news, including Vancouver’s growing status as a luxury retail hub and...

On BIV Today…   Ten per cent of CN’s $3.4-billion capital spend this year is earmarked for B.C. Sean Finn (0:39), executive vice-president corporate services and chief legal officer at the railway company, discusses how CN plans to address capacity issues.   BIV’s tech panel (9:47) talks about Shopify’s online cannabis play and PayPal’s acquisition of a Van...

On BIV Today... It appears there’s tax trouble ahead for Canadian businesses selling to Americans following a court ruling requiring out-of-state vendors to collect sales taxes for any products and services. KPMG’s Noreen Marchand (1:11) discusses how the ruling will cause headaches for Canadian businesses that will have to accommodate 7,000 sales tax jurisdictions in the U.S. Then, BI...

On BIV Today… Sean Mullin (0:38), executive director of the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, examines Canadian digital literacy. Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman (12:43) looks at the latest progress on Surrey’s LRT line. Kirk LaPointe and Tyler Orton host, see more of their work at https://biv.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

On BIV Today... It’s official — recreational cannabis will be allowed to hit store shelves this October. But will jurisdictions and producers have enough time to get everything in order? The C.D. Howe Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch (1:07) discusses supply, infrastructure and retail challenges the industry faces over the next 17 weeks. Then, UBC economist Werner Antweiler (14:18) disc...

On BIV Today… Should Canadian consumers avoid buying shoes south of the border? Is now the time for a $700,000 mortgage? Vancouver-based market strategist Sean Coakley from Cambridge Global Payments analyzes how tariff and trade fears are impacting the markets. He shares too how consumers can respond.   Vancouver’s greenest city action plan relies on green space. Nathan Gurv...

On BIV Today... B.C.’s economy is poised to contract over the next two years. A lot. RBC deputy chief economist Dawn Desjardins walks us through the bank’s latest economic forecast for the province and explains why tight supply and population growth may not be enough to keep the real estate industry chugging along at the same pace it has in recent years. Later, the BIV tech panel discu...

On BIV Today… Olympic medallist, Order of Canada recipient and finance executive Leslie Cliff discusses the industry’s need for diversity, and how women can excel in traditionally male-dominated fields like finance. SFU’s new sustainable energy engineering program is the first program of its kind in Western Canada. Program director Dr. Kevin Oldknow sheds light on the industries...

On BIV Today... FootyStats is banking on World Cup fever. The Vancouver startup has developed a platform that tracks advanced World Cup analytics to give fans the edge in predicting the outcome of matchups during the tournament. Founder and CEO Jaime Tatsubana discusses how it works and the state of sports betting in North America. Later, HollisWealth’s Jason Del Vicario discusses how rate h...

On BIV Today… Ian Russell (0:42), president and CEO of the Investment Industry Association of Canada, discusses how the federal government’s passive income taxation changes will affect small business financing, and exacerbate Canada’s investment challenges. Two guests discuss the story behind a world-renowned sculptor’s Canadian debut at Parq Vancouver. Liberty Wines found...

On BIV Today... What comes next after the historic meeting in Singapore between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. The leaders have both pledged peace but there are few details on how this will be accomplished. Yves Tiberghien (1:07), director emeritus of the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, joins the show to discuss what comes next. Then, Retail Insider’s Craig...

On BIV Today… Carlo Dade (0:42), director of the centre for trade and investment policy at the Canada West Foundation, breaks down President Trump’s tough trade talk, and where Canada and U.S. relations go from here. BIV’s weekly tech panel (15:14) discusses Amazon’s labour concerns, and whether Sesame Street’s venture fund can get kids coding for play. Amielle Lake, entrepreneur-in-residence at t...

On BIV Today... Simmering tensions at the G7 summit in Quebec quickly escalated over the weekend as U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over Twitter. Are trade and diplomatic relations really at their worst point in years or is this part of an effort for Trump to look tough ahead of his historic meeting in Singapore with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un? Daniel Schwane...

On BIV Today... Deepak Anand (0:43), vice-president of government relations at Cannabis Compliance, walks through the Senate’s passing of Canada’s legalization bill. Blakes Vancouver partner John-Paul Bogden (13:55) sheds light on some of Canada’s most significant private M&A deals from the past several years. Kirk LaPointe and Hayley Woodin host, see more of their stories at https://biv.com. See...