In its November 30th fiscal update, Canada’s federal government tallied up the costs of COVID-19. The deficit will swell to $385 billion in 2020–21. The provinces and territories have also tallied record deficits—$92 billion, on aggregate. What do figures like these mean for our recovery? Keara talks to Chief Economist Pedro Antunes for these answers and more. 

The full story:
Challenges Ahead: Canada’s Post-Pandemic Fiscal Prospects (February 2021). View the report at https://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=10974. 

Learn more about Pedro and our other subject matter experts at https://www.conferenceboard.ca/about-cboc/our-experts. 

Access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

The role of technology in Canada's post-pandemic recovery is top of mind right now at IBM Canada. How are they responding to businesses' need for speed, flexibility and agility in 2021? 

We learn from President and General Manager Claude Guay about how IBM is helping companies accelerate their digital transformations. He talks about how technologies like hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence as well as investing in people and skills will play a critical role in Canada’s recovery.

Learn more about IBM’s P-TECH program at https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/ptech/index.html. 

See the highlights from IBM’s C-suite research at   https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/OXZE0YWE. 

This is the sixth episode of Breakthroughs, our mini-series from The Conference Board of Canada that profiles Canadian business leaders and innovators on their plans, successes, and challenges during COVID-19. Access all our research at conferenceboard.ca.

Canada’s track record on mortality rates due to cancer isn’t as good as you might think. Isabelle Gagnon-Arpin joins us to talk about provincial disparities, COVID-19's impact on cancer detection, and how we measure up internationally. 

The full story: Measure of Life: Is Canada Doing Enough to Reduce Deaths from Cancer? 

View this online experience at conferenceboard.ca/focus-areas/health/measure-of-life. 

Discover more Health projects and access all our research at conferenceboard.ca.

Dr. Olateju returns to our podcast to talk plastics—and how the sustainable finance industry could give Canada’s plastics recycling market a much-needed boost.  

Read the full story, Balancing power with capital in Canada’s circular plastics economy (October 7, 2020, 4-minute read), at https://is.gd/uuU87C. 

Discover more Innovation & Technology projects and access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

What happens when businesses go local on their supply chains—especially during COVID-19? Julie Ades from the Global Commerce Centre explains the motivations, trends, and possible impacts. 

The full story: Bringing Them Home: Reshoring Supply Chains Is Not a Panacea (Issue briefing, October 20, 2020) 

Discover more Canadian Economic projects and access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

Richard Chartrand, 3M’s USAC R&D Operations and 3M Canada Sustainability Leader, explains how 3M is balancing sustainability and innovation—and how a company known for over 100 years of ingenuity is planning a better future for everyone. 

Learn more about 3M’s initiatives at sciencecentre.3mcanada.ca/sustainability.  

This is the fifth episode of Breakthroughs, our mini-series presented by the Council for Innovation and Commercialization. Discover more at conferenceboard.ca/networks/cic/. And access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

Chris Dulny, PwC’s Chief Innovation Officer, explains how rapid technological change demands new skills to help people thrive and future-proof themselves in the new world. This affects every company.

Learn about PwC’s journey and check out their New world. New skills. initiative here: pwc.com/ca/en/today-s-issues/upskilling.html.  

This is the fourth episode of Breakthroughs, our mini-series presented by the Council for Innovation and Commercialization. Discover more at conferenceboard.ca/networks/cic/. And access all our research at conferenceboard.ca.

Discover how two major Surrey, B.C. projects are repurposing and reinventing the region. We talk to Rowena Rizzotti, Vice President, Healthcare & Innovation of Lark Group in British Columbia, about the Health & Technology District and the Legion Veterans Village. 

This is the third episode of Breakthroughs, our mini-series presented by the Council for Innovation and Commercialization. Discover more at conferenceboard.ca/networks/cic/. 

Check out Lark Group’s projects at larkgroup.com. 

And access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

How did COVID-19 change the face of Alberta’s health innovation sector? We talk to Tim Murphy, VP of Health at Alberta Innovates, about health-system discoveries during a crisis.

This is the second episode of Breakthroughs, our mini-series presented by the Council for Innovation and Commercialization. Discover more at conferenceboard.ca/networks/cic/. 

Check out Alberta Innovates projects at albertainnovates.ca.  

And access all our research at conferenceboard.ca.

Many Indigenous students in Canada experience science lessons as counterintuitive, if not outright alienating. It’s high time we incorporated First Nation, Inuit, and Métis perspectives on the natural world into mainstream K–12 science. Researcher Jane Cooper explains the educational landscape, current initiatives, the role of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and what it will take to make it happen. 

The full story: Curriculum and Reconciliation: Introducing Indigenous Perspectives into K–12 Science (impact paper, out September 2020). 

Discover more Indigenous and Northern studies projects and access all our research at conferenceboard.ca.