Intended Consequences

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.

As interest rates rise, countries are increasingly worried about their debt. For commodity-producing states, the impact of the energy transition on their revenues is top of mind. How can jurisdictions navigate these challenging circumstances to ensure the long-term financial prosperity of their economy and population? Sovereign wealth funds can be part of the answer.

Elena Mantagaris, a Senior Advisor at StrategyCorp, and Matthew Bianco, a former Managing Director at CPP Investments, join the podcast to discuss the key drivers and principles that should guide sovereign wealth funds. They make the case that Canada would benefit from establishing a sovereign wealth fund.

From extreme weather events to fiscal pressures, municipalities across Canada are facing a wide array of challenges. Having quality municipal management has never been this essential and it often begins with City Managers.

Using the book The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words as a starting point, three former City Managers and senior Ontario government executives join this episode. They provide their insight on crucial aspects of the work of City Managers, including managing the relationship with elected officials, building intergovernmental relations and dealing with emergencies related to climate change and public health. Our panelists also discuss the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the municipal context and what it looks like in action.

The Ontario legislature resumes on September 25^th. MPPs return to Queen’s Park after a uniquely eventful summer in Ontario politics, which sets the stage for a heated fall sitting. Alex Armanious, Fraser MacDonald and Aidan Grove-White join the podcast to analyze what happened during the summer and discuss what to expect this fall.

After a busy summer where housing, the cost of living and wildfires dominated headlines, Members of Parliament will return for the fall sitting on September 18^th. StrategyCorp has you covered on everything you need to know about how the summer played out for each party and what to expect this fall. Andrew Steele, Garry Keller and Nasha Brownridge discuss what the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP will be focused on in the coming months and the risks they must navigate. 

StrategyCorp partnered with the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce to host a live webinar on housing in Atlantic Canada. Amid rising prices, this timely event looked at innovative solutions and the role of the three levels of government in tackling the housing crisis in the Atlantic provinces. Moderated by the CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, Krista Ross, this special episode brought together three expert panelists: New Brunswick’s Minister responsible for Housing, Jill Green, the Mayor of Fredericton, Kate Rogers, as well as Aidan Grove-White, a Vice President at StrategyCorp.

As countries around the world strive to reduce carbon emissions, every industry must adapt. In the transportation sector, electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly popular among consumers. However, electrifying other means of transportation is significantly more complicated and will require ambitious innovation. In this latest episode, we look at the aviation sector and how it can do its part in the fight against climate change with Professor Suzanne Kearns, the Founding Director of the Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Aeronautics.

Following the result of the 2023 Alberta election which saw the UCP re-elected with a reduced majority, the StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy was pleased to host an impressive panel that discussed the re-election of the UCP with a reduced majority and what comes next for the UCP, the NDP, Albertans and businesses. 

With opening remarks from StrategyCorp's Alberta practice lead Elan Harper, the panel was moderated by Joanne Chianello and included Jen Gerson, Anne McGrath, and Garry Keller.

In this special episode, we're pleased to present the webinar in an audio-only format. 

“Innovation” is a buzzword in policy and financial circles. Every business wants to be innovative and every government strives to stimulate innovation in order to support economic growth. In this episode, we look at innovation in the Canadian context with the President of the Council of Canadian Innovators, Benjamin Bergen. We discuss the state of innovation policy and some of the key tools the federal government should focus on. Benjamin also provides an industry perspective on timely issues such as tax, access to capital, talent and training.

StrategyCorp continues its coverage of the Alberta election by taking a look at the economy of the province. Ann-Marie Lurie, the Chief Economist of the Alberta Real Estate Association, joins us to talk about Alberta’s growth and what it means for the economy, the labour market and housing. We discuss the evolution of housing demand and supply in the province and its major urban centres before, during and after the pandemic.

The Alberta election is officially underway! The NDP and the UCP begin this election deadlocked in the polls. Danielle Smith and Rachel Notley have until May 29th to convince Albertans their respective parties should form government. To discuss what to expect in this election and why the rest of Canada should pay close attention, we are joined by Elan Harper and Garry Keller, two Vice Presidents at StrategyCorp.