Episode 42 - The Ontario Election Gets Underway

Canada is undergoing a transformation in how we manage our waste. Transitioning to a circular economy that extends the life cycle of products and reduces waste can have significant environmental benefits. To be successful, this transition requires the right policies, investments and infrastructures. Individuals, businesses and governments ultimately all have a role to play. In this episode, StrategyCorp’s Elena Mantagaris and Fraser MacDonald provide their insight on the key dimensions of the circular economy. 

Read StrategyCorp's circular economy newsletter for more information on this topic: https://strategycorp.com/2024/02/strategycorp-february-newsletter-from-trash-to-cash/  

The launch of ChatGPT has forced organizations and institutions across the economy to ask themselves what generative AI means for them in terms of risks and opportunities. Governments and regulators find themselves asking similar questions. Artificial intelligence “going mainstream” because of ChatGPT accelerated regulatory efforts and shaped the policy and political conversation on AI.  

 The Director of the Center for Data Innovation Daniel Castro joins us on the podcast to discuss how countries around the world are going about regulating artificial intelligence and stimulating innovation. He provides his insight on the different approaches to AI in Europe, Asia and North America.

Le transport en commun est essentiel pour permettre aux gens de se déplacer d'un point A à un point B. Il joue aussi un rôle crucial dans la lutte contre les changements climatiques. Dans cet épisode, l'Institut de StrategyCorp aborde le sujet de la mobilité et des infrastructures de transport en commun. Catherine Morency, professeure à Polytechnique Montréal, et Philippe Couillard, conseiller principal à StrategyCorp, partagent leurs points de vue sur les bénéfices du transport en commun, l'acceptabilité sociale des projets et comment éviter les retards et les dépassements de coûts. Ils discutent également des facteurs nécessaires pour créer des communautés axées sur le transport en commun.

Public transportation is essential to enable people to move from point A to point B. It also plays a crucial role in the fight against climate change. In this episode, the StrategyCorp Institute looks at the topic of mobility and public transit infrastructures. University of Toronto Professor Shoshanna Saxe and StrategyCorp Senior Advisor Philippe Couillard provide their insights on the benefits of public transportation, the social acceptability of projects, transit-oriented communities and how to finance new infrastructures in an era of fiscal restraint. They also share their thoughts on what can be done to limit project delays and budget overruns.

The StrategyCorp Institute begins the ninth season of Intended Consequences with an extensive conversation on the state of entrepreneurship in Canada. The CEO of Startup Canada, Kayla Isabelle, joins us to discuss the opportunities and challenges entrepreneurs face amid significant uncertainty. She highlights the important role women-identifying and Indigenous entrepreneurs play in the economy. The episode also looks at a variety of top-of-mind issues for business leaders including talent, digital adoption and international trade.

Our year-in-review and look-ahead episode is back to close out this season of Intended Consequences. Our StrategyCorp guests discuss the most important developments of 2023 at all levels of government and their significance for Canadian politics and economics. They also share with us what they will be keeping an eye on in 2024 and why. 

Convened under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP28 will take place in Dubai between November 30^th and December 12^th. The event is expected to bring together over 70,000 delegates from all over the world. Delegates will include politicians, civil servants, non-government organizations, industry, Indigenous stakeholders and many others.

A wide array of issues will be discussed at COP28. To help us get ready for the event, we were joined by Lorraine Audsley, Senior Vice-President and Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer at Export Development Canada, and Patricia Fuller, Senior Advisor at StrategyCorp and Canada’s former ambassador for climate change. Our guests shared their thoughts on why COPs still matter, climate finance, what to watch for and how delegates can make the most of the conference.

Enjoy a special episode of Intended Consequences. On November 23, the StrategyCorp Institute hosted a live webinar on Canada’s energy transition journey. Our panel of experts looked at how Canada can achieve its energy and climate goals and thrive. Panelists provided their insight into what this transition and the broader electrification of the economy means from the perspective of power generation, distribution, demand and social acceptability. 

Ontario faces severe housing affordability challenges on both the homeownership and the rental sides. The current conditions have significant impacts across the entire housing sector, including non-profit housing. StrategyCorp released in October its first Ontario Non-Profit Housing CEO Survey which brought to light the most pressing challenges and opportunities faced by the sector.

Intended Consequences welcomed three experts to talk about the report and non-profit housing. Marlene Coffey is the CEO of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association. Lori-Anne Gagne is the CEO of Victoria Park Community Homes and Stéphane Giguère is the CEO of Ottawa Community Housing.

After winning a majority on May 29th, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP returned to the provincial legislature for the fall sitting. The session began with a Throne Speech that outlined the priorities of the Premier and the tense relationship between Alberta and the federal government.

From energy to affordability to infrastructure, the Throne Speech touched on several topics of importance to Albertans, businesses, municipalities and Indigenous communities. Three Alberta-based experts join the podcast to unpack the Speech and what comes next. Our guests include Dale Swampy, President of the National Coalition of Chiefs, Jeff Davison, a former Calgary City Councillor and the current CEO of the Prostate Cancer Centre and Elan Harper, a Vice President at StrategyCorp.