Conversations That Matter

Ep 582 -  Building for Growth Guest: Susannah Pierce By Stuart McNish   In early 2025, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade held a conference titled, “Building for Growth: Driving Investment in BC’s Future,” which had a stated goal of “promoting and championing private sector capital investment in our major projects across [British Columbia]’s economy” – projects that the Board of Trade states “ac...

Ep 581 - Invest or Save? Guest: Pam McDonald & Colin Whelan By Stuart McNish   “To invest or to save? That is the question,” says Pam McDonald, the Director of Communications and Education with the British Columbia Securities Commission. “With interest rates on savings accounts so low, more and more people are looking to invest in stocks, bonds and other securities,” continues McDonald. The ch...

Ep 580 - Unmanageable Permitting Processes Guest: Todd Yuen By Stuart McNish   A robust industrial property sector is vital to the economy. According to a Metro Vancouver study, “Industrial lands serve various purposes, such as warehousing, manufacturing, and supporting emerging technology businesses. They provide essential employment opportunities and contribute to supply chains.” In other words,...

Ep 579 - Labour Negotiations & Job Action Guest: Kevin Howlett By Stuart McNish   Canada Post is in the midst of job action by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. They’re not on a full strike; instead, they’re still delivering mail but not all of it. On September the 15th, the Union implemented a national ban on delivering flyers and neighbourhood mail. This followed an overtime ban in May....

Ep 578 - Canada - UK Trade Guest: Thomas Codrington By Stuart McNish   On September the 9th, British-owned Anglo American announced it was merging with Teck to “form a leading global critical minerals champion headquartered in Canada.” Teck CEO Jonathan Price said, “This transition will create significant economic opportunity in Canada while positioning Anglo Teck to deliver sustainable, long-term...

Protecting Democracy Guest: Lech Walesa By Stuart McNish   On December 13th, 1981, the government of Poland declared martial law. It outlawed the Solidarity Federation of Unions and threw its leader Lech Walesa in jail. He was detained for a year before being released. Once out, he continued the fight against the oppressive rule of the Polish government. Walesa was forced underground to continue t...

Ep 576 - How to be a Dude in the 21st Century Guest: Alex Cordero By Stuart McNish   “Massive changes are underway in society that are improving the lives of most people. Those same changes are having a growing impact on young men who are wrestling with what masculinity means,” says Alex Cordero, the author of “How to be a Dude in the 21st Century.” Cordero says, “Boys are struggling to understand...

Doing Business in British Columbia? Yes, but… Guest: Brad Liski By Stuart McNish   British Columbia is a wonderful jurisdiction to start a business. “Small businesses benefit from a number of programs that get the wheels turning,” says Brad Liski of Tru Earth. The company is addressing the environmental impact of 30 billion loads of laundry annually around the world. “We founded the company out of...

France and Canada Lean In on Trade Guest: Nicolas Baudouin By Stuart McNish   The US tariffs are officially in place and Canada was hit hard. The rhetoric leading up to the imposition of the tariffs focused on a need to develop new trading relationships and expand existing ones. Canada and France have a trading history that goes back hundreds of years. Then in 2016, Canada signed the Comprehensive...

The 3% GDP Challenge Guest: Bridgitte Anderson By Stuart McNish   “Whether it’s the rising cost of housing, unaffordable grocery bills, or an increasingly heavy tax burden, too many British Columbians feel the economy is not working for them,” says Bridgette Anderson, the CEO and President of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Earlier this year as the threat of American tariffs loomed, the Boar...

British Columbia Forestry on its Knees Guest: Kim Haakstad By Stuart McNish   Independent of Trump’s tariffs, the US Department of Commerce increased its duty on Canadian softwood lumber from 14 to 35 percent. Kim Haakstad, the President of the BC Council of Forest Industries, says, “It’s a blow to an industry in trouble.” The war in the woods in the early 1990s led to the Forest Practices Code, w...

The Sensible Environmentalist Guest: Mark Jaccard By Stuart McNish   “We are all capable of believing things we know to be untrue…the only check on it is that sooner or later, a false belief bumps up against solid reality, usually on a battlefield,” wrote George Orwell. It’s a quote that opens Mark Jaccard’s book, “The Citizen’s Guide to Climate Success: Overcoming Myths that Hinder Progress.”   “...

Skills and Trades in an A.I. World Guest: Ajay Patel, President of Vancouver Community College By Stuart McNish   As the world learns to adjust to and adapt to artificial intelligence, one of the key questions parents and those entering the workforce are asking themselves is, “What professions will survive? In other words, what should I study to ensure I can be assured work now and into the future...

Fentanyl: No One is Immune Guest: Kevin deBruyckere, former head of federal policing in British Columbia By Stuart McNish   “In 2013, in my role as Head of Federal Policing in British Columbia, I started to see an increase in drug-related deaths attributed to a powder form of fentanyl being delivered by mail,” says Kevin deBruyckere. “On May 23rd 2014, it hit home for my family – my 22-year-old so...

 C-5: Build, Baby, Build! Guest: Radha Curpen, McMillan LLP By Stuart McNish   In an odd way, it’s as though Prime Minister Mark Carney has borrowed a card from President Donald Trump when he pushed through Bill C-5. The Prime Minister announced the concept of the bill on June 6 and twenty days later, it passed in the House and Senate. That’s lightyears faster than the U.S. President's passing of...

Repurposing the Site C Work Camp Guest: Mukhtar Latif, CEO of Pomegranate Housing Consultancy By Stuart McNish   “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create Canada’s premier centre for excellence in mental health and addictions in [British Columbia]’s northeast,” says Mukhtar Latif of Pomegranate Housing Consultancy. The North Wind Wellness Centre Society and Treaty 8 First Nations have pu...

 Tech Entrepreneurship in British Columbia Guest: Shawn Johnston By Stuart McNish   In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the journey of building a tech company from scratch in British Columbia can be both exhilarating and daunting. Shawn Johnston, a serial tech company founder, knows the ups and downs better than anyone. “I’ve had my face pressed against the glass more than once. That’s w...

The Odds of You Being You Guest: Ali Binazir By Stuart McNish   About four and a half billion years ago, Earth’s Hadean eon was undergoing significant geological and chemical changes. Evidence suggests that the Earth’s first crust was forming and the beginnings of life were lining up. Fast-forward 3.8 billion years and biological life started to emerge shortly after the formation of the oceans.  ...

Mark Carney so far Guest: Don Stickney By Stuart McNish   On April 28, 2025, Mark Carney won enough seats to claim victory and form government. He’s three seats short of a majority government in a parliament that won’t defeat him. There is no coalition that will rise up and pass a motion of non-confidence. He immediately went to work as a Prime Minister with confidence that he could rule with auth...

Ep 563 - Why Happiness Matters Guest: John Helliwell By Stuart McNish   “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin hit the charts in 1988 and it soared to number one on the Billboard charts. It was the first a-cappella song to hit number one. Why? “Because it struck a chord with people; it lifted their spirits and got them bopping along,” says John F. Helliwell, the author of the World Happiness Re...

Indigenous Tourism’s Many Benefits Guest: Chyanne Trenholm, Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Tours By Stuart McNish   “It is challenging to know how the tourism industry in British Columbia is going to be affected by ‘elbows up’ nationalism,” says Chyanne Trenholm of Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Tours, a First Nations tourism operator. “I can tell you we are seeing an increase in interest and in boo...

Ep 561 - Indigenous Rights in One Minute Guest: Bruce McIvor By Stuart McNish   “Over the 27 years since the Delgamuukw decision, the relationship between First Nations and the Government of Canada has changed – in some ways significantly. In others, not so much,” says Bruce McIvor, the author of "Indigenous Rights in One Minute.” The legal relationship took another step forward following the Haid...

Ep 560 - Brian’s Fight for Canadian Healthcare Guest: Dr Brian Day By Stuart McNish   “Outdated policy decisions, made more than a third of a century ago, helped create our expensive, ineffective and inequitable Medicare scheme,” says Dr. Brian Day. For thirty years, Dr. Day has been challenging Canada’s healthcare system, prodding it to be better and meet the needs of patients.   In 1996, Day too...

Ep 559 - Food Insecurity in Canada Guest: Sylvain Charlebois By Stuart McNish   “Canadians are spending less on food today than they did last year,” says Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, one of the authors of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index. “Close to 50% of respondents to our survey report they are paying significantly more for food, leading to widespread concern about food inflation and security.”   Th...

Ep 558 - Canada’s Real Estate Crisis Continues Guest: Michael Geller By Stuart McNish   “The real estate crisis continues,” says Michael Geller. “The prime minister has made it one of his key priorities; he’s said he wants to double annual housing production by getting into the business of building.” One of his first moves was to appoint former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson to cabinet as Minist...