Economic Club of Canada | Where the Economy Comes Together

Alberta is the economic engine of Canada, with policies and structures in place to encourage investment and drive the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that Albertans are known for. For decades, this has been centered around the province’s oil and gas industry, but today, it is so much more. While Alberta retains a strong oil and gas sector, it is a home for investment in other emerging energy sources and has the ability to power the province’s – and the country’s – economies for decades to come, all while responsibly reducing emissions. A strong Alberta helps to build a strong Canada, and Alberta’s government continues to encourage legislators across the country to support and further grow our energy industry so we can continue to be a strong partner that ensures the energy security of our country and of the world.

When we – or a loved one – are sick, we expect our health care system to be there to support us through that journey. Palliative care provides critical support for people with a serious illness to maximize their quality of life and provide comfort, control and dignity. But gaps persist in accessing this care. A recent report from the Canadian Cancer Society, shows nearly all provinces and territories in Canada lack an adequate number of hospice beds, and that governments need to do more to enable the caring, compassionate health care system our society expects.

On January 24th, our engaging panel discussed how governments, and indeed, all of us, can tackle this problem together.

Listen to the 2024 Annual Economic Outlook Breakfast event as our panel of chief economists give their predictions for the new year.

In just a few short years, the world has changed dramatically. A pandemic, war in Europe, and the resurgence of authoritarian governments around the world now means that liberal democracy - and the post-war world order that brought peace and prosperity to so many - now faces its greatest threat in decades.

Canada stands in proud defence of liberal democracy, and the values it represents, but we are not immune to these threats. Join Canada’s Foreign Minister, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, for a discussion on the state of play on the world stage and how Canada is focusing its efforts to increase our resilience, build new coalitions, and lead in a fractured world.

Lilly Canada celebrates 85 years as an affiliate in 2023. This marks the final year of the Centennial commemoration honouring Lilly’s partnership with the University of Toronto that made insulin widely available one hundred years ago. As a part of Lilly Canada’s commemoration of this important milestone, a panel discussion including leaders from the patient advocacy, public health policy and industry sectors will focus on addressing an array of issues, and solutions, that will impact Canadians’ health in a new era of care.

With the development of Canada’s Sustainable Agriculture Strategy underway, industry leaders and government are building a path towards sustainable business solutions to reduce emission across the agriculture and agri-food sector. How can innovation and technology play a role in this strategy? What role is AI playing in the sector now and in the future to support sustainability outcomes?

Our panel of experts discussed ways in which the Government of Canada, provinces, territories, and industry leaders can work together to accelerate sustainability outcomes in agriculture through innovation.

On September 12th, the Economic Club of Canada presented ‘The Housing Affordability Crisis in Canada,’ event featuring a timely panel discussion with chief economists who examined the current Canadian housing market crisis and the key drivers impacting the Canadian housing market. With inflation and interest rates still in flux, a low supply, and an increase in immigration how can we make things more affordable for younger Canadians? Our panel of experts dove into topics such as these while examining which markets are seeing the largest impacts and what we can expect in the coming months.

In this follow-up discussion with the Peter Routledge, Superintendent of Financial Institutions, we discussed the big issues facing OSFI in 2023, how these issues compared to those discussed in 2022 and how his organization if responding to these ever changing issues.

Our world is more interconnected than ever before and with advancements in technology come new security risks. Consumers are facing threats at every turn with bad actors and cybercriminals constantly developing new techniques for stealing personal and financial data. For most businesses, it’s not a question of if a data breach or fraud will occur, but when. This threat is existential is for small businesses, as 60% of SMBs of close within 6 months of a successful cyber-attack. We must arm Canadian businesses with the information, tools and training to protect their businesses in this digital era.