Top Alberta economists Trevor Tombe, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary and Mike Holden, Chief Economist at the Business Council of Alberta join the show to dive deep into Alberta’s current deficit, curing Alberta’s fiscal woes and setting the province up for long-term fiscal sustainability.

The Alberta Business Expectations Survey (BES) is a quarterly tool, developed by the Business Council of Alberta, to assess forward-looking trends in business conditions and economic expectations in the province. In this episode, BCA's Chief Economist Mike Holden unpacks what the results mean for Alberta's economic outlook, including Alberta's business leaders' expectations on sales, investment, and employment. 

The federal government delivered its much-anticipated Speech from the Throne this week. Our team breaks down what this speech means for Albertans and Canadians; for jobs and economy; for the natural resources sector; for the management of COVID-19; and for the future of our fiscal situation.

In a post-COVID economic recovery, building better businesses, industries and sectors requires an adaptable and innovative workforce. We’re exploring ideas from BCA’S recent Skilled by Design report to educate and prepare Alberta’s future workforce, including building our brand as a talent destination, improving work-integrated learning programs and expanding the micro-credentialing ecosystem in the province.

The business case for diversity, inclusion and equity in our businesses is strong—and has been made many times over. This episode looks at three perspectives on diversity, inclusion and equity, and what it means for businesses to create inclusive and affirmative spaces and ensure that all voices within our businesses are heard and amplified—and all people have the opportunity to participate and enjoy our shared prosperity.

The world needs sustainably produced and reliable food—and Alberta has the companies, talent, natural assets and entrepreneurialism to provide that. We dive into the opportunity agriculture holds for Alberta to be a leader in economic growth but also in solving some of the world’s greatest challenges. Agriculture business leaders, Scott Bolton (President & CEO of UFA) and Kim McConnell (Founder and former CEO of AdFarm) discuss a recent industry report to strategically grow the industry in Alberta and beyond.

Hardly a conversation about Alberta's economic recovery goes by without mentioning the need for affordable and accessible child care. With recent funding from the federal government, Alberta's child care program is undergoing some major changes, so we are diving deep into what those changes are and how they affect Albertan families—and we try to answer the question: will this new program get more Albertans back to work?

More than 220,000 Albertans live in poverty—and that’s just in Calgary and Edmonton alone. In this episode, we dive into the landscape of poverty in Alberta with economists and poverty reduction strategists Meaghon Reid, Executive Director of Vibrant Communities Calgary and Erick Ambtman, End Poverty Edmonton and what opportunities there are today to not only set out a framework for an inclusive economic recovery amid COVID-19 but eliminate poverty and build long-term shared prosperity.

What does Canada’s energy sector look like in the future? Two of Canada’s top energy business leaders join the show to talk energy, environment, ESG and the possibilities and opportunities for one Canada’s most vital sectors in the transition to a low carbon world.

The world—and its economies—are changing. The rise in intangible assets and capital and shifting geopolitical assumptions and priorities have prompted a shift around the world as nations start to think differently about their economic strategies. This episode is a recording of a webinar from the Business Council of Alberta on A Challenge-Driven Industrial Strategy and how this shift in economic policy might give Canada the competitive advantage it needs in a post-COVID world.