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From clean energy, to digital tech Canada is a world leader in entrepreneurship. Yet as Monique Leroux , Chair of the Industry Strategy Council of Canada, and Karimah Es Sabar and Karen Hamberg , members of the Council point out – many of those companies start out but find no home here. Joining host Edward Greenspon , these industry leaders share what they've heard from business leaders across Can...

Billions of dollars will flow into Indigenous nations to make major impacts on Canadian infrastructure and industry, but will those impacts benefit those Indigenous communities? Globally, 40 trillion investor dollars go through an environment, social and governance (ESG) risk assessment process. Yet Mark Podlasly, economic director at The First Nation's Major Project Coalition says no part of ESG...

In the season three opener, Policy Speaking sits down with two Commissioners from the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression Amira Elghawaby & The Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin. Public opinion and these experts agree: the time to regulate social media has arrived. They discuss findings of a new report " Harms Reduction: A Six-Step Program to Protect Democratic Expression Online ", released by...

If there's a silver lining to COVID, it may be the acceleration of the availability of virtual mental health services. Provinces and institutions had moved very quickly to digitize services, speeding up a transition that needed to happen anyway. Two-thirds of Canadians are reporting their mental health is good, and are feeling confident in their ability to cope with COVID. Research is showing that...

Carbon capture is a promising new technology, and there's big projects in Canada, the U.S. and Europe showing that it could be an economical way to remove fuel from the fire of the Earth's climate crisis. Host Edward Greenspon is joined by Ilana Hosios at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)'s Centre for Canada's Future, and Alex Dewar , Senior Director at BCG's Center for Energy Impact in Washington...

With a Canadian workforce of 50,000, Bell Canada is a major player in Canada's telecom industry and the cornerstone of so many of our work-from-home setups during the pandemic. President & CEO Mirko Bibic is at the helm of this historic company, and he joins Policy Speaking to discuss what's on the horizon with key milestones for 5G coming up in the next year. He and host Edward Greenspon also dis...

Trust in the government response to COVID-19 started high and, overall, has dwindled in Canada. While Canadians accepted the need for big travel restrictions at the start, mobile apps for contact tracing and other targeted responses have not been universally met with open arms. As Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Peter Loewen explains, this lack of trust could impact the way...

Nixon conceded to John F. Kennedy. Al Gore conceded to George W. Bush. Will Trump concede to Biden? Anxieties are increasing as a transition becomes increasingly contentious and politicized. Host Edward Greenspon is joined by Maryscott “Scotty” Greenwood and PPF Fellow Sean Speer to discuss how the Democrats and Republicans did, the polarization of this U.S. election and what that means for Canada...

With final results potentially still days away, the U.S. election has turned out to be a cliffhanger and not a landslide. Frank McKenna is a former Ambassador to the U.S. and 27th Premier of New Brunswick, and he joins Policy Speaking to share his initial reactions as Trump's results in key states have blown polling out of the water. McKenna shares his insights on where polls went wrong and possib...

Billion dollar infrastructure investments are on hold and airport passenger volumes are down 90% at two of Canada's biggest airports. The CEOs of Toronto and Vancouver airports – Deborah Flint and Tamara Vrooman respectively – join Policy Speaking to talk about the tensions airports face in the pandemic. Facing stiff competition from airports in the US and no clear runway for recovery, our guests...

Senator Murray Sinclair shares wisdom on the Nova Scotia lobster fishing dispute and how current events fit into the trending societal discussion about racism and systemic racism. Sen. Sinclair demonstrates why he's an honouree of this year's Testimonial Awards as we trace his history from a young man of the Peguis First Nation (north of Winnipeg) who would go on to become a lawyer, Manitoba's fir...

An effective and truly national vaccine roll out plan is what Dr. David Naylor, Co-chair of Canada's COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, hopes for. He joins host Edward Greenspon to chat about what it takes to break a surge of the virus – right as a second wave begins to form. From testing, to international cooperation, to reinfection, this wide-reaching conversation puts Canada's response to the pandem...

Perhaps a middle ground can open up between unrestrained spending and unreasonable restrain for Canada's COVID-19 recovery, says Frances Donald , Global Chief Economist & Head of Macroeconomic Strategy at Manulife. She and host Edward Greenspon bring nuance to the popular discourse in economics around how a recovery could & should look for your favourite local businesses, in Canada's industries an...

New 5G technology is rolling out in some Canadian communities, promising improvements to life-saving technologies as much as to your fun weekend activities. At the same time, there's a huge digital divide between city folk and rural & Northern communities, leaving roughly 15 percent of Canadians with poor Internet or no Internet. Joe Natale, CEO at Rogers Communications, joins Policy Speaking to s...

Hydrogen promises a green bearing to Canada's energy economy, yet consumer applications are still out of reach. Grant Strem, CEO of hydrogen-tech company Proton Technologies, and Marty Reed, Vancouver venture capital investor, join Policy Speaking for a conversation about hydrogen energy in Canada and its potential as a catalyst for innovation - to give Canada a strategic competitive edge in the g...

New digital frontiers have renewed old problems: conspiracy theories, hate speech and disinformation. This conversation with Peter MacLeod, founder of public engagement firm MASS LBP, and Amira Elghawaby, journalist and human rights advocate, gives us insights on the health of our democracy and explores innovative approaches to civil dialogue in a social media age – including a Citizens' Assembly...

In the first 10 days after the pandemic struck, Canadian colleges and universities moved over 2.2 million learners online. Now students are going back to school – but not like before. Edward Greenspon speaks with Denise Amyot, CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada, and Paul Davidson, President of Universities Canada, about lifelong learning in this pandemic and beyond, equitable access to educatio...

Listen to this episode to learn the latest developments on the vaccine front. What does the recent manufacturing agreement mean for Canada and what's ahead for delivering a safe vaccine to Canadians after clinical trials? Progress on vaccines has been the result of unprecedented collaboration between scientists, industry and regulators, but how will politics play a role in the successful distribut...

Episode 20 I A series of three major concurrent and overlapping crises, one about health, about the economy and about race, diversity and inclusion has brought our society to a troubled place in time. Many of us have been forced to challenge our own roles. Edward Greenspon is joined by The Honourable Ahmed Hussen to examine the fight against anti-black racism in all its forms, to ensure a future o...

Three months into a pandemic and the Canadian economy finds itself in an induced coma with a long journey ahead to recovery. The Bank of Canada contests that we have a bumpy road to recuperation but few have been hit as hard as the Canadian energy sector. The Public Policy Forum has been working with stakeholders in the Canadian energy sector to find ways to achieve our climate targets. The Energy...

Ep. 18 I Unprecedented times have called for the future of work to become the present. The rapid acceleration of automation and technology integration into the workplace is thought to either cause displacement or upgrades. Bridging the skills gap and upskilling employees and businesses will become imperative in not leaving anyone behind. We know that diversity and inclusion can provide access to w...

Episode 17 I The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated the future of work, the issue of lack of diversity and a skills gap in the workplace. We know that diversity and inclusion can improve organizational performance, can provide access to well-qualified talent and can help meet the changing needs of the global environment. But there's still room to understand how we can harness innovation, ne...

Episode 16 I The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated change in the way Canadians work and has initiated remarkable adaptability in the workplace. Future-of -work strategist, Heather McGowan has referred to the pandemic as a great social experiment, with online education and remote work understanding how much comprehension and work is best achieved together versus remotely. This is where policy and o...

What is Canada doing to attract and retain immigration in the Canadian workforce? Host Edward Greenspon sits down with Catrina Tapley, Deputy Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and Francis McGuire, President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to discuss the after-effects of a global pandemic on immigration in Canada and what job availability will look like in the yea...

Episode 14 | COVID-19 is a virus that impacts different individuals in similar ways. Although scientists have been learning rapidly, so much is still unknown about the virus. President & CEO of Genome Canada Dr. Rob Annan and President & CEO of Ontario Genomics Dr. Bettina Hamelin outline for host Edward Greenspon how this branch of biology will help Canada to comprehend the dynamics of who gets s...