Amplify Canada

Season 3 Episode 4

They gave when they had the least to spare. So are they still giving now?

In this episode of Amplify Canada, host Linda Freeman goes back to the small businesses that supported their communities through the pandemic. Amanda Wilhauk turned a thank-you to her customers into 12 Days of giving that once raised $60,000 for one family. Dave Lawrence has spent 12 years giving free haircuts and school supplies to kids in Nanaimo. Fallon Moreland’s White Goose Bistro makes sure no one in Prince George eats alone on Christmas Day.

The numbers tell a harder story. Since 2018, the share of Canadians who donate has fallen from 68% to 54%, and fewer of us volunteer. Economist David Williams explains why a shrinking base puts every community at risk, and Vancity CEO Wellington Holbrook makes the case that strong local businesses build strong communities.

This episode is about who keeps showing up, and what it takes to widen that circle again.

In this episode:

●     David Williams on the warning signs in Canada’s giving data

●     Amanda Wilhauk on why giving carried her business through every downturn

●     Dave Lawrence on the lost winter coat that started it all

●     Wellington Holbrook on investing in Main Street

●     Fallon Moreland on why small acts go a long way

The Host

Linda Freeman brings decades of broadcast experience to every conversation, having hosted morning shows across both radio and television throughout her career. Known for her warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity, she has a gift for putting guests at ease and drawing out the stories of the people shaping this country. Always well-researched and professional, Linda's interviews feel less like Q&As and more like real conversations. That instinct for staying present and following the story in real time carries into her interviews.

Guest Experts

David Williams is Vice President of Policy with the Business Council of British Columbia. He brings extensive international experience in policy advising, research, and teaching, with particular expertise in macroeconomics, productivity, monetary policy, housing and mortgage markets, business surveys, tax reform, and transport policy. David holds a (PhD) and a Masters in economics from Oxford University. He’s the past president of the Association of Professional Economists of British Columbia (APEBC) and a past national director of the Canadian Association for Business Economics (CABE).

Wellington Holbrook is President and CEO of Vancity, Canada’s largest community credit union. With more than 30 years in Canadian financial services, he has focused on cooperatives and banks whose missions go beyond profit, holding senior roles at connectFirst Credit Union, ATB Financial and the Business Development Bank of Canada. At Vancity, he has led a period of transformation that strengthened its member-focused commitment to resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities. He believes banking can be a powerful force for positive change, and that values-based banking is not only possible, but a better way to do business.

The Businesses

White Goose Bistro, Prince George, British Columbia

That 50’s Barber Shop, Nanaimo, British Columbia

The Brickhouse Smokery, Spruce Grove Alberta

Vancity

The Team

Hosted, Produced and Written by Linda Rourke
 Showrunner: Kat Cullen
 Sound Engineer/Producer: John Masecar
 Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith
 Production Support: Eric Chapman
 Video Producer: Jordan Wong

References

Volunteering and Charitable Giving in Canada

The Giving Report

Retail Insider - Buying Local

Hashtags

#podcast #smallbusiness 

In 2020, the world stopped. Canada’s small business owners didn’t. Amplify Canada told their stories: the struggles, the determination, the refusal to give up. Now host Linda Freeman is going back.

This episode follows the generosity at the heart of so many small businesses, and looks at the reality of giving in Canada today. We return to a barbershop in Nanaimo and a family bistro that opens its doors on Christmas Day, and meet a family-run business whose giving is changing lives in its community.

About the Host
Linda Freeman hosts Amplify Canada, revisiting the small business owners whose stories defined the show's first seasons. Linda is a media professional who has been immersed in Canada's media for decades. She has interviewed and told hundreds of stories over the years, gathering insight and perspective on how to be better.

Amplify Canada: Season 3. Resilience Revisited. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Food is personal, and it's also an economy under pressure. In this episode of Amplify Canada, Food For Thought, we dig into what grows, gets harvested, and lands on our plates from cactus leather to farms to vineyards to fishing boats a hundred miles offshore, and the tariffs, labour shortages, and climate volatility now testing all of it.

In this episode, host Linda Freeman reconnects with Desiree Dupuis, who left the seaweed business to launch a cactus-leather footwear brand; with Caroline Schaller, a French-trained winemaker who's worked three Okanagan wineries in eight years and is bracing for another unpredictable harvest; and with Fraser MacDonald, who's spent nearly two decades fishing off the BC coast and built Good Fish out of a pandemic-era pivot. Agri-food expert Dr. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie's Agri-Food Analytics Lab sets the framework, breaking down why Canada's food processing sector is falling behind, what's really driving grocery prices, and where he still sees reason for hope.

Canada's agriculture and agri-food system generates $149.2 billion in GDP and supports 1 in 9 jobs nationwide, with roughly half of everything grown and produced here sold abroad. The wine industry alone now contributes $10.1 billion to GDP and sustains nearly 100,000 jobs across six provinces. This episode is about what it takes to keep that system standing while the ground underneath it keeps shifting.

In this episode:

●     Dr. Sylvain Charlebois on Canada's "entrepreneurial drought," why food processing productivity is falling behind the US, and where he sees the sector heading

●     Desiree Dupuis on walking away from the seaweed business she built and pivoting into cactus-leather footwear, and the sustainability throughline connecting both

●     Caroline Schaller on eight years and three Okanagan wineries, chronic labour shortages, and prepping for harvest under wildfire risk

●     Fraser MacDonald on tuna fishing 100 miles offshore, fuel costs that tripled in a decade, marine protected areas, and building Good Fish

●     Dr. Sylvain Charlebois on tariffs, counter-tariffs, and why grocers aren't actually the ones squeezing consumers

The Host

Linda Freeman brings decades of broadcast experience to every conversation, having hosted morning shows across both radio and television throughout her career. Known for her warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity, she has a gift for putting guests at ease and drawing out the stories of the people shaping this country. Always well-researched and professional, Linda's interviews feel less like Q&As and more like real conversations. That instinct for staying present and following the story in real time carries into her interviews.

The Guests

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, where he has spent twenty-five years tracking the forces shaping what Canadians pay at the grocery store and advising governments across the country on food distribution and policy.

Desiree Dupuis is founder of Vose, a vegan footwear brand built on cactus leather from Mexican supplier Deserto.

Caroline Schaller is a French-trained winemaker with nearly a decade in the Okanagan, currently at Culmina, after previous roles at Osoyoos Larose and Rainmaker.

Fraser MacDonald is co-founder of Good Fish, a Vancouver-based sustainable seafood company, and has fished BC's coastal waters for close to twenty years.

The Businesses

Cascadia Seaweed
Vose
Culmina Family Estate Winery
Good Fish

The Team

Hosted, Produced and Written by Linda Rourke
 Showrunner: Kat Cullen
 Sound Engineer/Producer: John Masecar
 Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith
 Video Producer: Jordan Wong

References

Overview of Agri Food System

Mark Carney on Food Security
Business Matters: Food Inflation in Canada Expected to Remain Elevated
On the House: Food Sovereignty

Wine Growers Canada

Deloitte economic impact white paper
Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

IPSOS Cost Of Living

#FoodForThought #ResilienceRevisited 

Food For Thought.

What is the real cost of the food on your table?

In 2020, the world stopped, but small business owners across Canada didn't. Amplify Canada told their stories: the struggles, the determination, the refusal to give up. Now, host Linda Freeman is going back.

For many Canadian businesses, the pandemic wasn't the end of the challenges, it was just the beginning. Today, rising costs are being felt at every stage of the food chain, from the dock, to the vineyard, to the grocery aisle.

So what's driving the price on your plate? Is it the cost of getting the product to market? Supply and demand? Or is the way Canadians eat and what they're willing to pay for it changing for good?

We follow the Canadian food economy from multiple angles: a conversation with commercial fisherman Fraser MacDonald of Good Fish on the real cost of getting seafood to market, a visit to the vineyards of the Okanagan, and a look at sustainable, plant-based materials with a cactus leather shoe designer. We also sit down with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, expert and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, to paint the bigger picture of what's shaping what we eat.

About the Host
Linda Freeman hosts Amplify Canada, revisiting the small business owners whose stories defined the show's first seasons. Linda is a media professional who has been immersed in Canada's media for decades. She has interviewed and told hundreds of stories over the years, gathering insight and perspective on how to be better.

Amplify Canada: Season 3. Resilience Revisited. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Perseverance and Hope holds up Canada’s small businesses sector.

Just keep trying and don't give up, that was the refrain from small business owners the first time we met them, mid-pandemic, holding on by grit alone. Years later, we're checking back in. What we found is a country still working hard just to stay in place: costs climbing, hiring stalled, and yet against a backdrop of tariffs and economic drift a stubborn, clear-eyed optimism that refuses to quit.

In this episode, host Linda Freeman reconnects with Rosa Matice, who took over a small-town Saskatchewan pub the same year the world shut down, and with Jessica Jeboult, whose sober-living coaching business scaled fast through the pandemic and who, in the middle of testing her new app, lost her mother without warning. Economist David Williams of the Business Council of British Columbia breaks down what's actually driving the pressure on small business: the end of three economic booms, new tariff shocks, and what's left in Canada's own control.
Nearly two-thirds of small businesses expect a cost-related obstacle in the next three months, and profitability outlooks haven't budged in a year. But 65% still say they're optimistic about what's ahead. This episode is about what sits underneath that number.

In this episode:

• Rosa Matice on five more years behind the bar at KG Bar and Grill, and what's changed since the pandemic
• Jessica Jeboult on scaling a coaching business overnight, training five coaches to carry her process, and losing her mother mid-pivot
• Economist David Williams on GDP per capita, the end of Canada's "three booms," and the real cost of U.S. tariffs on Canadian business
• David Williams on grit, social capital, and why he's cautiously hopeful about Canada's direction

The Host

Linda Freeman brings decades of broadcast experience to every conversation, having hosted morning shows across both radio and television throughout her career. Known for her warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity, she has a gift for putting guests at ease and drawing out the stories of the people shaping this country. Always well-researched and professional, Linda's interviews feel less like Q&As and more like real conversations.

The Guests

David Williams is Vice President of Policy with the Business Council of British Columbia, where he brings extensive international experience in policy advising, research, and teaching, with particular expertise in macroeconomics, productivity, monetary policy, housing and mortgage markets, business surveys, tax reform, and transport policy. He holds a DPhil and MPhil in Economics from Oxford University, and is past president of the Association of Professional Economists of British Columbia and a past national director of the Canadian Association of Business Economics.

Jessica Jeboult is the founder of A Sober Girls Guide and the Best Day app, and author of Save Your Own Damn Life. A former DJ and addiction survivor, she has spent nine-plus years in recovery and built a coaching community serving women worldwide before pivoting to a preventative, app-based approach to habit and craving support.

The Businesses

KG Bar and Grill
A Sober Girls Guide and Best Day App

The Team

Host, Producer & Writer: Linda Freeman (Rourke)
Showrunner: Kat Cullen
Sound Engineer/Producer: John Masecar
Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith
Production Support: Eric Chapman
Video Producer: Jordan Wong

References

Statistics Canada — Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Entrepreneur Mental Health Survey - Business Development Bank of Canada
CTV News Small Business

What does perseverance look like when uncertainty becomes the new normal?

In 2020, the world stopped, but small business owners across Canada didn't. Amplify Canada told their stories: the struggles, the determination, the refusal to give up. Now, host Linda Freeman is going back.

For many Canadian businesses, the pandemic wasn't the end of the challenges, it was just the beginning. From inflation and labour shortages to supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty, today's business leaders continue to navigate an ever-changing landscape.
So what separates the businesses that continue to thrive? Is it innovation? Adaptability? Leadership? Or is resilience itself becoming one of Canada's most valuable economic assets?

We sit down with Economist David WIlliams to talk about the current economy and explore the perseverance and hope that still exists with small businesses today.

About the Host

Linda Freeman hosts Amplify Canada, revisiting the small business owners whose stories defined the show's first seasons.  Linda is a media professional who has been immersed in Canada's media for decades.  She has interviewed and told hundreds of stories over the years, gathering insight and perspective on how to be better. 

Amplify Canada: Season 3. Resilience Revisited. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#canada #hope #smallbusiness

Could tourism could save us, is Canada's small business backbone bending or getting stronger? Welcome back to Amplify Canada, Season 3.
We first met these entrepreneurs mid-pandemic, reinventing on the fly, holding their doors open by sheer will. Years later, we are going back. What we found wasn't a recovery story. It was something tougher, and more interesting: businesses that never stopped adapting, in an economy that never stopped moving the end zone.

In this episode, host Linda Freeman travels from a rural British Columbia pub at the foot of the Rockies, to a century-old hotel in Chilliwack now run by a family who fell in love with the building's history, to a paddling shop in Deep Cove that found how to make staff feel like family and its customers into ambassadors. Along the way, economist Marwa Abdou of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab breaks down what's really happening beneath the headlines.  The rising costs, a stubborn labour crunch, and an industry economists say isn't recovering so much as reinventing itself entirely.

Tourism supports 1.8 million jobs across Canada and is on track for a record $140.9 billion in visitor spending. But behind every one of those numbers is an owner doing the math at 11pm, wondering if this is the year they raise the menu prices, hire the extra hand, or finally build those cabins they've been dreaming about.

In this episode:
Ed Abbey on surviving the pandemic -  only to discover the after was harder Christine Lai on inheriting a 1908 hotel, and the community that showed up on day one Erian Baxter on why "the great pivot of 2020" never really ended Economist Marwa Abdou on the multiplier effect, the new metrics of success, and why she's cautiously optimistic"

About Your Host

Linda Freeman brings decades of broadcast experience to every conversation, having hosted morning shows across both radio and television throughout her career. Known for her warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity, she has a gift for putting guests at ease and drawing out the stories of the people shaping this country. Always well-researched and professional, Linda's interviews feel less like Q&As and more like real conversations.

The Guests

Marwa Abdou is Senior Research Director at the Business Data Lab, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, where she leads the Research Centre of Excellence on trade, business conditions, and inclusive growth. With over 15 years of global experience, she has led projects across the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific with institutions including the World Bank, APEC, OECD, and the Asian Development Bank, and previously advised Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation on private sector engagement. She is co-author of Borders Without Barriers, an ADB publication on regional trade integration, and holds a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University.

The Businesses

• Bull River Inn
• Richca Heritage Hotel
• Deep Cove Kayak & Coast Outdoors

The Team

Hosted, Produced and Written by Linda Freeman (Rourke)
Showrunner: Kat Cullen
Sound Engineer/Producer: John Masecar
Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith
Production Support - Eric Champman
Video Producer - Jordan Wong

References

Travel and Tourism Statistics
The Canadian Tourism Collective
Destination Canada
The Impact on Covid-19 on the Tourism Sector
Tourism - Our World In Data
World Travel and Tourism

#TourismCanada #DestinationCanada #CanadaStrong #travelCanada #localTravel #CanadaTourism

In 2020, the world stopped, but small business owners across Canada didn't. Amplify Canada told their stories: the struggles, the determination, the refusal to give up. Now, host Linda Freeman is going back.

Because resilience didn't end when the pandemic did. Rising costs. Labour shortages. Tariffs. An economy that keeps shifting. In Season 3, we sit back down with the entrepreneurs who inspired a nation to find out what they carried forward, what they learned, and what it really takes to keep going.  With insights from economists on where Canada's economy stands today, alongside the stories of the people still building it, one small business at a time.

What to Expect This Season
Follow-up conversations with the original entrepreneurs from Amplify Canada
A look at what's changed and what hasn't since 2020
Economist perspectives on Canada's current economic landscape
Real talk on rising costs, labour shortages, and tariffs
Stories of resilience, adaptation, and staying power

About the Host
Linda Freeman hosts Amplify Canada, revisiting the small business owners whose stories defined the show's first seasons.  Linda is a media professional who has been immersed in Canada's media for decades.  She has interviewed and told hundreds of stories over the years, gathering insight and perspective on how to be better. 
Amplify Canada: Season 3. Resilience Revisited. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#podcast #canada

On the final chapter of Amplify Canada, we reflect on the small businesses that make Canada great and the resiliency they showed through the pandemic and beyond.  We will explore the importance of small businesses and how they shape, support, and make communities strong.  We head to St. George British Columbia to The Pepper Tree, for the past fourteen years, the Pepper Tree has been First Nations owned and operated by a mother-daughter duo. We fly into Lethbridge in the southeast corner of Alberta, home to a non-profit organization called Streets Alive Mission which is changing people’s lives in their community. And we will hear from a majority female-owned business, Universal Geomatic Solutions Corp. who are committed to finding solutions to help maximize sustainability. These are just a few of the stories that we reflect on as we close the book and celebrate the incredible stories that gave us Amplify Canada.

About Amplify
Amplify Canada is an initiative created by Pattison Media designed to celebrate and elevate small businesses, the backbone of our economy. Thousands of small businesses, groups, family organizations and individuals are showcased on Pattison Media radio stations from Winnipeg to Vancouver throughout the year. Every month we go deeper and share the incredible journey of a few that have made an impact on their community. Some have flourished, others may need a little extra love and support. We also feature an emerging local Canadian Artist we think you'll enjoy. These are their stories 

On the final chapter of Amplify Canada, we reflect on the small businesses that make Canada great and the resiliency they showed through the pandemic and beyond.  We will explore the importance of small businesses and how they shape, support, and make communities strong.  We head to St. George British Columbia to The Pepper Tree, for the past fourteen years, the Pepper Tree has been First Nations owned and operated by a mother-daughter duo. We fly into Lethbridge in the southeast corner of Alberta, home to a non-profit organization called Streets Alive Mission which is changing people’s lives in their community. And we will hear from a majority female-owned business, Universal Geomatic Solutions Corp. who are committed to finding solutions to help maximize sustainability. These are just a few of the stories that we reflect on as we close the book and celebrate the incredible stories that gave us Amplify Canada.

About Amplify
Amplify Canada is an initiative created by Pattison Media designed to celebrate and elevate small businesses, the backbone of our economy. Thousands of small businesses, groups, family organizations and individuals are showcased on Pattison Media radio stations from Winnipeg to Vancouver throughout the year. Every month we go deeper and share the incredible journey of a few that have made an impact on their community. Some have flourished, others may need a little extra love and support. We also feature an emerging local Canadian Artist we think you'll enjoy. These are their stories