Empire Club of Canada

As Canada faces a more uncertain trade relationship with the United States — including the cessation of CUSMA negotiations amid newly imposed tariffs on Canada — Ontario is at a defining moment.  The Ontario Government must take critical decisions to defend its economic interests, protect jobs and strategic industries, and support Canada’s broader growth trajectory. The moment also underscores the importance of reducing internal barriers, expanding international trade relationships, and advancing a strong commitment to fair, rules-based global commerce.

On October 14, 2026, the Empire Club of Canada welcomed The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, for a keynote address outlining Ontario’s strategy to protect key sectors, build economic resilience, and advance the province’s interests amid heightened trade uncertainty and evolving economic challenges.

The keynote was followed by a fireside conversation with Dr. Andrew Furey, Former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and Vice Chair, National Bank, exploring how decisive provincial leadership can support economic growth, deepen interprovincial cooperation, attract strategic investment, diversify markets, and build a stronger, more self-reliant Canadian economy.

At a time of global uncertainty and changes in Canada’s relationship with the United States—our largest trading partner—the need for national unity has never been more urgent. As economic pressures, geopolitical shifts, and questions about Canada’s place in the world intensify, unity is once again at the forefront of Canadian public discourse in 2026.

This Empire Nights event will take place at a pivotal moment: just days after a Quebec election in which the Parti Québécois is leading in the polls, and on the eve of an Alberta referendum amid heightened debate over foreign influence in provincial politics.

At the same time, the notwithstanding clause and questions surrounding its constitutional use have re-entered mainstream Canadian discourse, prompting leaders across the country—including Premier Wab Kinew, who recently spoke to this issue at the Empire Club of Canada—to exchange views on this topic.

Yet this moment is not defined by division alone. Canada’s premiers are working closely to reduce long-standing east-west trade barriers, while the federal government is focused on strengthening Canadian supply chains, advancing a national electricity strategy, bolster Transportation corridors, and securing new energy infrastructure. Together, these efforts point to a renewed opportunity to bridge regional divides and rethink how Canada builds shared prosperity.

On October 7th, 2026, The Empire Club of Canada was pleased to welcome The Honourable Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta (2019-2022) and Senior Advisor at Bennett Jones and The Honourable Jean Charest, Premier of Québec (2003-2012), and Partner at Therrien, Couture, Joli-Coeur, for a timely conversation on the future of Canadian unity. Both Premiers laid out their thoughts on national unity before sitting down for a discussion with The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Vice-Chair at Global Public Affairs and Senior Business Advisor at Stewart McKelvey.

The evening opened with a polling presentation by David Coletto, Founder, Chair and CEO at Abacus Data, who offered insight into national public opinion trends and the forces shaping Canadian’ views on unity, federalism, and the country’s future. 

Join us for a candid and timely discussion on national unity and the path to a stronger Canada.

Just weeks after Canada’s counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion in U.S. imports take effect, following the breakdown of Canada–United States trade negotiations and the imposition of new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, it is time to reflect. Canada is entering a consequential period for its trading relationship with the United States—one that calls for a clear-eyed assessment of the country’s economic interests, resilience, and future direction. Canada’s countermeasures, which take effect September 8, are designed to match U.S. tariff levels across affected products.

The future of Canada’s trading relationship with its largest partner is now at the centre of the national conversation. Canadian business leaders who depend on this relationship are preparing for the impact of new 50 percent U.S. tariffs affecting key Canadian sectors and products.

As a result, business leaders and Canadians alike are focused on what these changes will mean for competitiveness, investment, energy security, supply chains, and long-term economic growth—as well as the immediate pressures facing workers, businesses, and communities.

This moment also reinforces the importance of strengthening Canada at home and abroad: reducing internal trade barriers, securing strategic supply chains, supporting Canadian industry, and expanding international trade relationships rooted in fair, open, and rules-based commerce. While the Canada–U.S. relationship remains vital, Canada’s long-term prosperity depends on the capacity to defend its interests, diversify its economic reach, and compete with confidence in a changing global economy.

On October 5, the Empire Club of Canada, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AMCHAM), will convene this timely conversation on the future of trade among Canada, the United States, and Mexico—and on the practical paths toward restoring stability and predictability for businesses on both sides of the border. Bringing together experts from all three countries, this discussion will examine the way forward, the implications of the current dispute, and how Canadian businesses can prepare.

Please join The Empire Club of Canada for this high-impact panel discussion featuring David MacNaughton, Canadian Ambassador to the United States (2016-2019), Chairman of Therme Ventures and Strategic Advisor in CIBC’s Office of the CEO; Sergio Gómez Lora, Mexico’s Business Coordinating Council (CCE), U.S. Representative Office; and Dan Ujczo, Associate General Counsel, Cenovus Energy, and AMCHAM Board Member. The panel will be moderated by Hannah Thibedeau, Executive Communications Officer, Global Public Affairs, and award-winning veteran journalist. 

The event will kick off with a brief presentation from Dr. David Colleto, Founder Chair, and CEO Abacus Data, on the views of American and Canadians regarding the U.S. — Canada relationship, and contextual remarks from Christopher Sands, Director of the Center for U.S.-Canada Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Hear from leading experts on Canada’s approach to CUSMA, the future of North American economic cooperation, and the choices that will determine whether Canada is positioned to protect its interests, seize new opportunities, and maximize its long-term success.

Housing affordability remains one of Canada’s most pressing challenges. Meeting it will require more than funding alone. It will require new partnerships, new approaches, and a renewed focus on delivery. 

As Canada’s newest federal Crown corporation, BCH was established to help unlock affordable housing supply by activating public land, deploying flexible financing, supporting modern methods of construction, and building stronger partnerships across the housing ecosystem. Its first year has been focused on creating the foundations for long-term impact and identifying the barriers that continue to stand in the way of building more homes, faster. 

On October 2nd, 2026, The Empire Club of Canada was proud to host Ana Bailão, CEO of Build Canada Homes for a keynote address followed by a fireside chat moderated by Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC, on the future of affordable housing delivery in Canada, the lessons emerging from BCH’s first year, and the actions needed to translate ambition into homes.

Ontario's electricity demand is forecast to grow 65 percent by 2050. Canada has built at this scale before. The question now is whether it can build again, quickly, affordably and together, across nuclear generation, transmission, storage and cleaner fuels.

At One Canada, Built Together: United to Secure Our Energy Future, James Scongack, Chair of the Green Ribbon Panel and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Bruce Power, launched the Green Ribbon Panel's fourth report at the Empire Club of Canada. He called on leaders to act as Canadians first, to keep federal measures such as investment tax credits and Indigenous loan guarantees in place to 2050, and to commit to rigorous front-end planning and design completion. He described the build-out ahead as a people undertaking, not a technical one.

A panel moderated by Alan Carter, Municipal Affairs Reporter at City TV, followed. Megan Telford, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro One, explained why the utility spends over 90 percent of its supply chain in Canada and Ontario, and described its 50-50 ownership model with First Nations. John MacQuarrie, President, Commercial Operations, BWXT Canada, showed how a long-term demand signal from Bruce Power let the company grow its plant capacity by more than 25 percent. Victoria Mancinelli, Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at LiUNA, made the case for proactive recruitment and training, and argued that labour can never be an afterthought. Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, shared new Business Confidence Survey data and the case for stronger links between learning and work.

The panel discussed supply-chain capacity, workforce pipelines, community engagement, Indigenous partnership and the role of AI in making every dollar and every worker more effective.

Thank you to our Lead Event Sponsors Candu Energy and Westinghouse, with remarks from John Gorman, President of Westinghouse Canada, and Sandy Taylor, CEO of Candu Energy.

Subscribe for more thought leadership from Canada's go-to forum for conversations that matter. Explore membership at empireclub.org.

Toronto is entering another defining political moment. With the next mayoral race already taking shape, voters, city-builders, community leaders, and business voices are asking what kind of leadership Canada’s largest city needs now.

From Queen’s Park to Parliament Hill, questions of affordability, infrastructure, immigration, wildfires, taxation, trade, and public trust are shaping political landscape at all three levels of government.

At the same time, Canada’s political agenda is becoming more complex: the future of the USMCA agreement, renewed debates about Canada’s economic sovereignty, Global political shifts, and questions about the durability of Canada’s National Unity, are all adding new dimensions to how parties, leaders, and voters think about the year ahead.

Against this backdrop, the Empire Club of Canada brought together some of the country’s most seasoned political observers and strategists for a fast-paced evening of insight, candour, and analysis — exploring the campaigns, policy choices, public moods, and strategic calculations that are shaping municipal, provincial, and federal politics.

Join Kory Teneycke, one of Canada’s most influential conservative strategists, Cofounder and CEO Rubicon Strategy Inc.; Peter Donolo, veteran Liberal strategist and communications advisor; Jordan Leichnitz, Canada Director, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung; and Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star, for a lively conversation on the campaigns, personalities, policies, and power shifts that will shape the city, the province, and the country.

Kicking off this event was renowned pollster Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist and Founder, Nanos Research to provide special remarks and a presentation outlining polling data — and more importantly — incites on the mood of the Toronto, Ontario and Canadian electorate.

In June 2026, the Government of Canada launched Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All. It is a plan to move Canada from invention to impact by building the trust Canadians need, expanding opportunity for workers, students and businesses, and strengthening Canada’s ability to control its own technological future.

On  September 25th, please join the Empire Club of Canada for a keynote by The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation entitled, AI for All: Building Canada’s AI Future. This will be followed by a fireside chat moderated by Sean Speer, Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large of the Hub

Three months after the launch of AI for All, Minister Solomon will discuss how the government is translating the strategy into action: helping Canadian businesses adopt AI, equipping people with the skills and access they need, protecting Canadians and building public trust, and strengthening the talent, infrastructure and domestic capabilities Canada needs to compete.

As countries race to harness the potential of AI, Canada faces a fundamental choice: whether to be primarily a consumer of technologies built elsewhere, or a country that builds, adopts and shapes AI on its own terms.

This conversation will examine the progress underway, the choices ahead and what it will take to make AI for All real for Canadians.

Toronto is a world-class city too often caught between big ambitions and everyday frustrations. From housing affordability and transit reliability to public safety, culture, and inclusive growth, the questions facing the city are immediate, practical, and deeply personal. As Toronto prepares to choose its next mayor, those questions carry even greater urgency.

Building on the spirit of the Toronto Star’s If I Were Mayor series and the annual City Report Card, this third annual Empire Club of Canada and Toronto Star event arrives at a defining moment for the city and the people who will shape its next chapter. Data, public sentiment, and lived experience come together to show where Toronto is performing well, where it is falling short, and what bold but realistic ideas could move the city forward.

Special remarks from Jordan Bitove, Publisher of the Toronto Star, helped frame the discussion, while polling conducted by Ipsos offered a timely snapshot of how Torontonians see the city, its challenges, and its possibilities.

The discussion explored not only what the numbers told us about Toronto’s priorities, but also what residents are saying in their own words about the changes they want to see. Through a panel conversation moderated by Edward Keenan, Columnist and host of First Up at the Toronto Star, featuring The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Senior Counsel and Strategic Advisor at Cassels, Courtney Glen, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications at Kilmer Group and Jennifer Keesmaat, President & CEO of Collecdev Markee, the event connected city-wide sentiment with the real experiences and proposals of Torontonians.

Fresh polling, audience engagement, and a curated selection of civic voices created a conversation grounded in evidence, shaped by public opinion, and animated by the stories and solutions of Torontonians themselves.

What qualities should our next mayor have, and what issues matter most to you?

Cinema is entering a new frontier where algorithms sit alongside directors, producers and performers, quietly reshaping what stories are told and how they reach the world. “AI and the New Rules of Cinema: Experience, Economics & Ethics Behind the Camera” brings together the people designing that next era of entertainment to ask what artificial intelligence really means for the audience experience, the business of content, and the ethics of storytelling when code becomes part of the creative team. In a city that has become a global crossroads for film talent and AI innovation, this conversation offers a rare, front-row look at how the entertainment ecosystem is evolving before our eyes: from premieres and red carpets to production pipelines, investment decisions and the trust between storytellers and th`1e public.

On September 11, 2026, the Empire Club of Canada and the LA Times Studios convened studio and streamer executives, institutional public policy leaders and creative voices to examine the choices that will define cinema’s next chapter, and the role Canada will play in the global entertainment ecosystem. Moderated by Anna Magzanyan, President of LA Times Studios & NantGames, the conversation featured Tammy Frick, Chief Executive Officer of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, and Shamier Anderson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bay Mills Studios, Canadian Actor and Producer. 

Together, they explored the intersection of innovation and the creative process as AI reshapes the audience experience and the economics of development, production and distribution—and as it raises questions about authorship, artistic voice, talent, rights and public trust.

Taking place during a pivotal moment in the global film calendar, this is an opportunity for leaders across industry, technology, investment, government and the creative sector to engage with one of the defining questions of the moment: how can AI expand the possibilities of cinema while preserving the human creativity, integrity and accountability that give storytelling its value?

At a time of heightened geopolitical tension and with the acknowledgment of diverse threats to our sovereignty and security, Canada is redefining what sovereignty means and how stakeholders can contribute to the defence of our great nation. In alignment with the Government of Canada’s command signal that Canada must defend its own sovereignty on its own terms, the Canadian Army is undergoing a generational modernization to become the Army Canada now needs.

In parallel, the Government of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy charts a path to a more sovereign, innovation‑driven defence industrial base, with implications for businesses, researchers, and communities across the country.

On June 4th, 2026, The Empire Club of Canada welcomed Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army for a keynote entitled, Forging the Army Canada Needs: Stakeholder Opportunities to Contribute to the Defence of Canada.  The Commander laid out his vision for a modern Army and how it aligns with the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) and broader government priorities to enhance, equip, develop and future-proof the land forces for Canada’s sovereignty.

Following the speech, Jody Thomas, Senior Advisor at Counsel Public Affairs moderated a fireside chat that also included Bernie Derible, Ontario’s Agent General ASEAN and Ontario’s Military and Defence Representative and Patrick Kelly, Director General, Defence Investment Agency, on how the private and public sector can collaborate to ensure that Canada forges the Army it needs to meet this inflection point in Canada’s National Defence.