In this special edition of Conversations Live, we sit down with a powerhouse panel of British Columbia mayors to discuss the "nuts and bolts" of running local jurisdictions during a period of unprecedented change. From the provincial government’s aggressive new housing mandates to the "street disorder" crisis fueled by mental health and addiction, these leaders pull no punches about what is and isn't working.

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As global demand for critical minerals accelerates, driven by the clean energy transition, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain security, panelists warn that declining exploration activity, regulatory uncertainty and lengthy permitting timelines could cost Canada a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The conversation explores why exploration and discovery are foundational to Canada’s economic prosperity, national sovereignty, and industrial strategy. This episode highlights both the risks of inaction and the path forward emphasizing the need for certainty, collaboration, and alignment with global market demand.

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The discussion explores whether immigration targets have been aligned with community capacity, how governments can better coordinate policy and what a sustainable, transparent immigration system should look like. We brought together perspectives from government, academia, business, housing, and immigrant services to better understand where Canada’s immigration system is headed and what needs to change.

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From AI-powered deepfakes to the rising cost of cybercrime in Canada, our expert panel broke down the threats and the opportunities shaping our digital future. Vancouver’s growing role as a cybersecurity hub was a standout theme.

A big thank-you to our panel: Milos Stojadinovic (RBC), Erik Berg (KPMG), Bijan Sanii (INETCO), Dominic Vogel (Vogel Cybersecurity Leadership), Michael Argast (Kobalt.io) and Katie Fitzmaurice (Invest Vancouver).

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Our panel will bring together leaders driving progress through partnership and entrepreneurial thinking. Featuring:

• Chief Derek Epp, Ch’íyáqtel First Nation
• Catherine Pennington, KPMG
• Stephen Lee, Musqueam Capital Corp
• Jeff Mycock, West Fraser
• Bob Rennie, rennie Intelligence
• Hosted by Stuart McNish

Be part of the conversation that’s shaping B.C.’s economic future and celebrate the partnerships and ideas unlocking growth in British Columbia!

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Can the innovation economy boost the province’s performance?

The answer might be yes if we can train, retain, and attract the best and brightest minds. But that’s no easy task in a world competing fiercely for talent.

Recent U.S. policy changes, including a $100,000 H-1B visa fee, could give BC an unexpected advantage. But can our strengths outweigh our challenges?

Join Stuart McNish and an exceptional panel of leaders as they unpack what it will take for BC to lead in innovation and talent attraction:

• Allen Eaves, STEMCELL Technologies
• Sue Paish, Digital
• Marc Low, KPMG
• Lisa Sparrow, Corix
• Wendy Hurlburt, Life Sciences BC
• Karn Manhas, Terramera

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But here’s the reality: without meaningful consultation and partnership with First Nations, these projects risk delays or outright failure.

That’s why projects developed with Indigenous communities move faster, gain approvals more smoothly, and succeed more often.

Join Stuart McNish for the season premiere of Conversations Live as he speaks with a remarkable panel of leaders about how Indigenous partnerships are reshaping Canada’s development landscape:

• Crystal Smith - Former Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation
• Mark Magnacca - Co-Chair, Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit
• JP Gladu - Principal, Mokwateh
• Glen Clark - Chair, BC Hydro
• Dallas Smith - President, Nanwakolas Council
• Mike McPhee - Executive Chairman, Falkirk Consulting Ltd.

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From long-standing trade partnerships to moments of political tension, the Canada-U.S. relationship has been described as both special and complicated. In this live episode, Ambassador Hoekstra joins host Stuart McNish to explore the economic, diplomatic, and security issues that continue to define our cross-border ties.

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How can we ensure energy security, equitable access, and environmental responsibility in a rapidly evolving landscape?

Join us on Conversations Live for a timely and thought-provoking panel on June 17 at 5:30 PM. We’ll explore BC’s current energy mix, still dominated by electricity and fossil fuels, and the practical realities of transitioning to alternatives.

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Physical health, mental health, financial health, and loneliness are some of the issues we all face as we clear the 70-year mark.

What is it about British Columbia that we're near the top of the global longevity spectrum?

As you age do you fear health care resources, mental health resources, a lack of social services, a lack of social networks, or a lack of money?

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BC currently has 17 critical mineral projects awaiting approval, four of which are on Premier Eby's list of natural resources projects, there's another five precious metal or gold projects under development. Goehring says, "those projects represent a generational opportunity for British Columbia's economy."

Join us on Tuesday May 6 as our panel outlines the opportunities, the roadblocks and the solutions to igniting the province's economy.

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Easy access to energy has powered dramatic changes and advances in our quality of life and it has also had an impact on the environment.

For much of the past 20 years in Canada, the environment and sustainable energy has been at the forefront of every election in the country, nationally, provincially and locally.

Suddenly, the environment is taking a back seat. It’s a troubling shift of priorities. One that could threaten the future of developing sustainable energy generation and the future of the planet.

Join me on Earth Day, April 22 at 4:22 pm for a Conversations Live special edition - Sustainable Energy and the Election.

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Don't miss this insightful discussion on the key issues impacting BC's economy, from the projected $11 billion budget deficit to the cancellation of the carbon tax and the impact of international tariffs.

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If you want a balanced diet of vegetables, grains, fruits and protein then you can not source all of your meals from BC or Canada. The way we grow and trade food back and forth is based on who can grow it, in quantity, with certainty and ensure we can afford it.

So we grow grains and produce seafood in this country and we sell those to the US and others. But we don’t grow anywhere near enough fruit and veggies, so we import them.

And here’s where it gets tricky, in BC we - at best - produce only 30 per cent of what we need and much of that we send to the US to be processed before bringing it home to consume.

Now throw in tariffs, what will happen to the cost and the reliability of food?

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It is legislation that was supposed to increase certainty of supply, stabilize prices and boost construction. But did it work?

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Everyone agrees we need to open new trading relationships. Direct Foreign Investment is a significant step in that direction. DFI is an economic generator that provides jobs, tax revenue, infrastructure development, skills development and foreign exchange. 

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All indications suggest the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre will form the next Federal Government.

If Mr. Poiliever is successful with voters, what can we expect regarding tone, the economy, social programs, immigration, Indigenous relations, Trump, tariffs, the border, national security, energy and the environment?

Our remarkable panel of experts will shed light on all and more.

Our panelists:

• Jock Finlayson – Chief Economist, ICBA
• Laura Kirkimaki – Vice President, McMillan Vantage
• Stuart Thomson – Journalist, National Post
• Joyce Murray – Liberal MP, Government of Canada
• Stewart Prest – Political Scientist, University of British Columbia
• David McArthur – Senior Advisor, McMillan Vantage
• Kareem Allam – Political Strategist, Fairview Strategy

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First Nations and Indigenous organizations are developing housing, businesses, and resource sector projects. These organizations are utilizing legislative venues only open to them, and in doing so they are pushing through the clutter, increasing the pace of approval and delivering permits where cities and municipalities can’t.

And First Nations are working to steward the environment with programs and principles that protect our province and celebrate the unique relationships Indigenous people have with the land.

Leadership is a key element to those success stories – the vision, energy, and persistence of individuals leading the way. 

Join us Jan 28 for a conversation with a panel of outstanding Indigenous leaders and allies, remarkable individuals who are getting it done:

• Crystal Smith – Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation
• Chief Derek Epp – Chiyaqtel First Nation
• Christy Smith – Senior Vice President at Falkirk Environmental Consultants and a member of the K’ómoks First Nation
• Stephen Lee – CEO of Musqueam Capital Corporation
• Catherine Pennington – Director, Indigenous Advisory Services at KPMG and citizen of the Metis Nation
• Ethan Clark – Co-Founder and CEO of Nationsfirst Technologies

We hope you can join us for the conversation. 

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Healthcare organizations in both BC & Alberta struggle to recruit skilled doctors, nurses, care aids, and other skilled professionals. What can be done to alleviate the pressures on the system?

Alberta has made changes to primary care funding. This is widely seen as a positive step.

Yet funding for emergency physicians has not changed, nor has funding for hospitals.

Alberta Health Services has considered changing to an activity-based funding model over global budgets. In 2010, BC experimented with ABF and determined there were no changes in measures of quality. During the recent election in BC, the idea re-surfaced.

Families in both provinces struggle to find a GP – the foundation of our health care systems. Ontario has introduced new medical school rules that require students to be Canadians from Ontario.

Surgical waitlists are long, access to operating rooms rationed by difficult budgets, and the food is terrible. 

The right of patients to use private clinics in their home province is not allowed.

Delivering healthcare in a province isn’t a simple thing. It requires coordination of thousands of patients, billions of dollars, thousands of specialist providers, complex equipment, and hundreds of facilities. 

Just delivering healthy meals and timely appointments is challenging for institutions struggling to keep up with demand under budgets that are too tight - but already the single largest expenditure in every Canadian province. 

Join us December 10 for a conversation on this critical matter with an outstanding panel.

We hope you can join us for the conversation. 

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Join us 7 p.m. Oct 29 for a conversation with a panel of individuals offering keen insights into our stakes in the US election, drawn from their decades of experience in international politics, trade, and strategy. They are:

• Richard Mahoney – Managing Director, McMillan Vantage
• Maria Rajanayagam – Founder and Chair, American Chamber of Commerce – Pacific Chapter
• Stewart Prest – Lecturer, Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia
• Mario Canseco – President, Research Co.
• Gary G. Mar, K.C. – President and CEO, Canada West Foundation
• Calvin Chrustie – Partner, Critical Risk Team

It should be a good one.

Hope you can join us for the conversation.

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Join us October 7 when we sit down with a panel drawn from across the political spectrum for a conversation about The Election and the Economy. They are:

• Sonia Furstenau - Leader of the BC Green Party
• Moe Sihota - Former BC NDP MLA & cabinet minister, broadcaster, political commentator
• Yuri Fulmer - Conservative Party of BC
• David Williams - Business Council of BC Vice President of Policy
• Jairo Yunis - Canadian Federation of Independent Business Director, BC and Western Economic Policy 

When asked about rising spending in our past conversations, BC Premier David Eby has pointed to spending as an investment in other deficits left by previous government – a deficit of investment in services and infrastructure including much-needed schools and hospitals, transit, and social services. 

Yet, BC is on track to hit a record $7.9 billion deficit this year – well up from the $5.7 billion surplus the premier inherited two years ago. One commentator noted BC’s debt already requires significant taxpayer dollars to pay interest charges, putting the figure at $4.1 billion this year and rising with each annual deficit. BC’s credit rating has already been downgraded by one agency. 

BC Conservative leader John Rustad calls it chronic financial mismanagement, and was recently quoted in media saying if elected BC’s budget will be his first priority. He’s spoken about growing BC out of the problem through renewed growth in LNG, agriculture, and forestry, among other sectors, and that he will look to selectively reduce spending and cut regulations that are adding costs. He has pledged to cut to both corporate and personal taxes, and to eliminate the carbon tax. 

We hope you can join us for the conversation – webcast with the Vancouver Sun and on our own website.

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According to the Government of Alberta the province is a “global leader in carbon capture, utilization and storage and continues to safely lead the way.”

All carbon capture technologies involve capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and either repurposing it or storing it underground. Already, two major projects in the province have captured and stored more than 11.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide since 2015.

Companies are exploring options for producing liquid fuels or hydrogen from captured carbon, or using it in the production of fertilizer, concrete, chemicals, and plastics.

However, critics raise concerns about the high cost and additional power needed to fuel carbon capture processes. They say it will be an excuse to slow the energy transition, call it greenwashing.

Join us online 6:00pm Mountain Time as we break down carbon capture in Alberta with a stellar panel:

• Ian MacGregor, Chairman of the Board, President & CEO of North West Refining; founder of Sturgeon Refinery
• Zach Parston, KPMG Partner – Major Project Advisory
• Claude Létourneau, President & CEO of Svante
• Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta
• Peter Tertzakian, Deputy Director of ARC Energy Research
• Deborah Yedlin, President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce

We hope you can join us for the conversation – webcast with the Calgary Herald and on our own website.

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Kicking off our third season, the Leaders Series will be three conversations over the week – all unscripted, unrestricted, and focused on the topics on British Columbians’ minds as we come into the October election. As always, we will take questions from our webcast audience over Slido.

The series will start with a conversation with Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau 7 p.m. Monday, September 16, followed by BC Conservative Party leader John Rustad 7 p.m. the next day – Tuesday, September 17. BC NDP leader Premier David Eby will join us Thursday, September 19 at 4:15 p.m. 

There’s a lot to discuss. The political landscape has shifted with BC United exiting the campaign. The economy, toxic drugs, health care, crime, housing, infrastructure investment, the climate, food & agriculture, our resource economy and tech sectors, education all feature in the upcoming election, less than two months away.  

We hope you can join us for these conversations – as always, webcast by our media partner, the Vancouver Sun, and on our own website. 

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Kicking off our third season, the Leaders Series will be three conversations over the week – all unscripted, unrestricted, and focused on the topics on British Columbians’ minds as we come into the October election. As always, we will take questions from our webcast audience over Slido.

The series will start with a conversation with Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau 7 p.m. Monday, September 16, followed by BC Conservative Party leader John Rustad 7 p.m. the next day – Tuesday, September 17. BC NDP leader Premier David Eby will join us Thursday, September 19 at 4:15 p.m. 

There’s a lot to discuss. The political landscape has shifted with BC United exiting the campaign. The economy, toxic drugs, health care, crime, housing, infrastructure investment, the climate, food & agriculture, our resource economy and tech sectors, education all feature in the upcoming election, less than two months away.  

We hope you can join us for these conversations – as always, webcast by our media partner, the Vancouver Sun, and on our own website. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off our third season, the Leaders Series will be three conversations over the week – all unscripted, unrestricted, and focused on the topics on British Columbians’ minds as we come into the October election. As always, we will take questions from our webcast audience over Slido.

The series will start with a conversation with Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau 7 p.m. Monday, September 16, followed by BC Conservative Party leader John Rustad 7 p.m. the next day – Tuesday, September 17. BC NDP leader Premier David Eby will join us Thursday, September 19 at 4:15 p.m. 

There’s a lot to discuss. The political landscape has shifted with BC United exiting the campaign. The economy, toxic drugs, health care, crime, housing, infrastructure investment, the climate, food & agriculture, our resource economy and tech sectors, education all feature in the upcoming election, less than two months away.  

We hope you can join us for these conversations – as always, webcast by our media partner, the Vancouver Sun, and on our own website. 

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Add to these natural disasters the pressure on agriculture to protect the environment, use resources efficiently, reduce the use of nitrogen, grow more locally, support farmers and keep food affordable.

Then add in the fact that by 2030, just six years from now, we’re going to need to produce 50% more food, use 45% more energy and 30% more water.

These challenges are contributing to rising grocery prices, which in Canada have jumped more than 21 per cent since April of 2021.

Yet, there is good news too. Food inflation has slowed, prices rose a more modest 1.4 per cent between last April and this April. Numerous companies are pursuing promising innovations – vertical farming and new techniques supporting soil health and environmental stewardship, more local processing and production, new export markets, new approaches in greenhouses.

So the question is – can we continue to grow the food we need to nourish ourselves, and eight billion people around the world? When we do, can we afford it?

Join us for the conversation – 7 p.m. June 18. 

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Vancouver is at the forefront of advances in artificial intelligence that are already transforming robotics, medicine, mining, and even permit processing. 

In a special edition of Conversations Live, we will webcast live from KPMG’s Vancouver AI Summit 5 – 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 29. With an outstanding panel we will delve into the state of AI today, what the future holds, and our opportunities and challenges. 

Our panel:

• Brenda Bailey – Minister for BC Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
• Olivia Norton – co-founder of Sanctuary AI 
• Walter Pela – Regional Managing Partner at KPMG
• David Seymour – Vice President and General Manager of Microsoft Vancouver
• Murray Thom – Vice President at D-Wave 
• Ken Sim – Mayor of Vancouver

We hope you can join us for the conversation.

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As the world strives to electrify demand for critical minerals is skyrocketing. Electric vehicles don’t burn fossil fuels, but they require an average of 200 kilograms of critical minerals each – six times that required to build an internal combustion vehicle. It’s a theme repeated across numerous fields. 

As a result, from 2017 – 2022 demand for lithium tripled, demand for cobalt rose 70 per cent, for nickel 40 per cent. The International Energy Agency predicts overall demand for critical minerals will more than triple by 2030 if the world continues to pursue the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. 

This is leading to a shortage of many minerals as miners struggle to keep up with demand for responsibly-secured supplies – and to get through regulatory processes that can drag on for years. 

Join us 7 p.m. May 22 for a conversation about critical minerals with an outstanding panel of experts working in this field every day. 

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In late 2021 disaster preparedness became an urgent public priority virtually overnight when a series of storms dumped an unprecedented amount of rain on BC at the same time as unseasonably warm weather caused a rapid winter snow melt. Both the Fraser River in BC and the Nooksack in Washington State flooded, the water overwhelming dikes and plunging thousands of farms, businesses, and homes in the Sumas Prairie under deep water. Crops and farm animals alike perished on BC’s most productive agricultural land. All three highways connecting Metro Vancouver to the rest of Canada were severed, disrupting supply chains for shipments of food and other critical goods. 

Since then, BC has weathered a series of intense wildfire seasons that have burned vast stretches of forest and many structures, droughts, heat domes, and cold snaps. The need for disaster preparedness has never been more top-of-mind – whether at a household, government, or business level. 

We have brought together a panel of experts from business, First Nations, and government for a conversation about this critical matter – 7 p.m. April 30. The panel:

• Christine Trefanenko, Director and Co-Founder, CCEM Strategies
• Tony Geheran, TELUS Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice-President
• Ross Siemens, Mayor of Abbotsford
• Leon Gaber, KPMG National Lead, Emergency Management
• Bowinn Ma, BC Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
• Tim Swanson, FortisBC Director of Corporate Security and Business Continuity

We hope you can join us for the conversation.

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When we sat down with Mr. Eby a year ago he had been premier for just over 100 days. More than a year later the honeymoon is over.

Just this week S&P downgraded the province’s credit rating, expressing concern about BC’s financial health and rising operating deficit. BC’s most recent budget forecasts a record deficit of almost $8 billion for 2024-05.

For the first time in a decade more people left BC for other provinces in 2023.

Drug decriminalization is also in the news this week as it’s come to light nurses are dealing with rampant drug use and dealing in hospitals, while workers at some Victoria supportive housing sites are being provided respirators to avoid toxic drug smoke exposure.

The economy, housing, cost of living, transportation, tent encampments, drug decriminalization and deaths, healthcare, crime, gang warfare, bail reform, policing and the Surrey police transition, school overcrowding, extreme weather due to climate change, carbon taxes, rising antisemitism and islamophobia.

A challenging time to be BC’s premier, and an election is looming.

Join us for this special edition, 3:30 p.m. April 23 by webcast. We will take your questions for the premier on Slido.

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FortisBC is warning that without additional natural gas transport capacity the region could start experience natural gas shortages in the winter of 2026/27, less than three years from now.

The reason? The BCUC found the plan did not account for a downturn in demand for natural gas as the province moves away from generating energy from fossil fuels and adopting more clean energy. The regulator found the forecast demand “is highly unlikely to occur.”

BCUC’s chair & CEO and the President & CEO of Fortis BC are part of our panel for a conversation about Energy & The Environment April 2. The panel:

• Mark Jaccard, Chair and CEO of the BC Utilities Commission
• Roger Dall’Antonia, President & CEO, FortisBC
• Karen Tam Wu, Climate action advocate & policy advisor
• Barry Penner, Chair of the Energy Futures Initiative
• Andras Vlaszak, Director, Energy Transition Project Development & Finance, Global Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG

There’s no question the climate is changing and urgent action is needed. But is increasing electricity use the answer for BC?

Shortly after the BCUC decision BC Hydro revealed it imported about 20 per cent of the electricity British Columbians consumed last year – due both to constrained generation as drought reduced the water available at hydro dams and increasing demand as our population grows and we drive more electric vehicles and install more heat pumps in our homes.

Most of that imported power came from Washington State, California, and Alberta. According to the California Energy Commission and the US Energy Information Administration California and Washington State produce environmentally sound power from sources including hydro, solar, nuclear, and geothermal – but also from burning natural gas, biomass, and even coal. As for Alberta, according to the Canada Energy Regulator that province generates 89 per cent of its power from burning coal and natural gas.

The Site C Dam is set to come online this year and will help increase our available supply of hydro power, but the amount BC Hydro imported in 2023 is twice that facility’s predicted annual production.

Water levels are low due to drought again this year, and a recent report is warning the combination of increasing demand and generation constraints will only get worse in coming years, even with Site C.

What’s the answer to this very complex challenge?

We hope you can join us for the conversation – on webcast 7 p.m. April 2.

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The impacts of tent cities are intensely local and personal – for both the homeless residents struggling to get through the day and the people living in the neighbourhoods around them. Yet far being isolated local issues tent encampments have become a national crisis, a reality for far too many communities across Canada - including many small towns.

By one estimate some 235,000 people now experience homelessness in Canada every year, and about a quarter of those stayed in a tent encampment. These ad hoc communities are often miserable - densely packed, dangerous, cold, and attractive to predators targeting vulnerable residents. Residents trying to stay warm resort to open flames and propane tanks inside tents, causing very real fire risk.

Yet, what option to their residents have? Like all of us they need a warm, safe place to sleep. Municipal and provincial governments are forming teams to take on this issue, but fact is there just isn’t sufficient shelter space and safe housing, let alone critical social service supports. 

Encampments have become an issue of fundamental human rights and safety. But there is no clear way forward.

We hope you can join us for this national conversation – on webcast 11 a.m. PT March 12.

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Every one of those people will need a safe and comfortable home, reasonably near work and amenities. Not to mention all the infrastructure supporting that home and related quality of life – sewer and water, electrical, gas, roads, transit, parks, schools, hospitals, grocery stores . . . . 

On February 27 we will re-visit the critical issue of addressing BC’s housing crunch with an outstanding panel including both the provincial minister and an outspoken suburban mayor.

The panel:

• Ravi Kahlon – BC’s Housing Minister
• Richard Stewart – Mayor of Coquitlam
• Michael Geller – Architect, planner, developer, and real estate consultant
• Ryan Berlin – Vice-President and Senior Economist, Rennie
• David Hutniak – CEO of Landlord BC

One of our panelists, Michael Geller, put BC’s population growth in critical context in a January 20 Vancouver Sun article:

“Going from 2.9 to 3.0 million to mind is not that significant,” said Geller. “But how we accommodate the next million, that’s significant.”

The province is taking “dramatic” action with new legislation aimed at significantly increasing density and adding more housing – particularly around bus loops and transit hubs. However, questions are being raised by municipalities about the workability of the province’s approach – especially where cities have been undertaking planned densification to ensure infrastructure is enhanced to keep up with more population. 

Cities like Coquitlam are raising local concerns, while also taking steps to manage the impact of growth and related construction, working to sustain quality of life while the community rapidly adds population. 

We hope you can join us for the conversation – on webcast 7 p.m. February 27.

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The panel:

• Kim Bolan – Vancouver Sun reporter
• Calvin Chrustie – Partner, Critical Risk Team
• Fiona Wilson – Deputy Chief Constable, VPD
• Neil Dubord – Chief Constable, Delta Police 

We hope you can join us for the conversation.

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New housing requires expanded infrastructure capacity – not just municipal roads, sewer and water lines but also new electrical grid capacity all the way down to transformers on utility poles, gas lines, schools, and more transit. Existing infrastructure is already straining under increased demand. Water shortages are prompting more serious restrictions in summer, in some cases even total bans on agricultural irrigation. Regional parks are having to implement new policies managing parking and visitor numbers. BC Ferries is carrying a record number of passengers and regularly suggesting people walk on during busy weekends. Schools are adding even more portables to house classes – struggling to get them all insulated and up to standards in time for winter. For the first time, some BC hospitals are also adding portables to expand waiting room capacity. 

Major infrastructure and resource projects essential to the Canadian economy and vitally important to First Nations are bogged down. 

Billions of dollars of investment is needed across numerous sectors simply to catch up to the infrastructure needs of Canada today, never mind tomorrow. That work would require years – if contractors can be sourced. 

Join us 7 p.m. January 23 as we dig into the challenges and solutions of our infrastructure deficit. 

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The region has 40 economies including China and India, almost two-thirds of the world’s population, and $47.19-trillion in economic activity. It is home to half of Canada’s top trading partners. 

The opportunities are tremendous. So are the challenges. 

Canada’s relationship with India hit a new low this year when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested the country may have been involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in BC. India retaliated by halting the issuance of travel visas to Canadians and threatening to revoke the protections accorded to Canadian diplomats in that country, prompting Canada to withdraw 41 staff. 

China is BC’s second largest trading partner after the USA. It’s not a comfortable relationship – Canada has recently criticized the Chinese government for unfair trade practices and human rights abuses. China has been accused of espionage and operating a shadowy network of unofficial police stations in Canada engaged in intimidation of Canadians with Chinese heritage and their families – including Canadian MP Michael Chong. Military tensions are rising in the region. 

The panel:

• Sukesh Kumar, Audit Partner and National Leader of KPMG’s India Practice in Canada
• Duncan Wilson, Port of Vancouver Vice President, Environment and External Affairs
• Jeff Nankivell, President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
• Brenda Bailey, BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Development & Investment

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Many First Nations are on a road to reclaiming prosperity and revitalizing cultures.

Some urban First Nations have become significant land-owners actively pursuing development with the potential to help address our housing crisis. In rural areas some First Nations have taken ownership stakes in resource projects. Numerous companies are playing an active and positive role in reconciliation. 

These early days – far from smooth and uncontroversial. It is likely impossible to envision where we will be in the decades to come. The interests of First Nations are enormously diverse, and often at odds – witness examples in salmon farming and forestry. 

BC conducted a homeless count in October – indigenous people made up a third of those counted. Incarceration rates of indigenous people are more than 10 times those of the total population. Poverty and unemployment rates remain astronomically high. First Nations communities too often remain without the services that others take for granted.

The issues are not unique to BC, or even Canada – in an October referendum Australians voted against creating an advocacy committee to advise parliament on policies affecting Indigenous people. 

Join us by webcast 7 p.m. November 21 as we bring together a panel of leaders in First Nations, business, and law to discuss economic reconciliation today, and into the future. 

The panel:

• Ellis Ross – MLA (Skeena), Shadow Minister for Energy and LNG
• Crystal Smith – Elected Chief Councillor of Haisla Nation; Chairwoman of the First Nations LNG Alliance
• Conrad Browne – President & CEO, Dakwakada Capital Investments
• Greg D’Avignon – Former President & CEO of the BC Business Council of BC; Partner, Canadian Strategy Group
• Roger Dall'Antonia – President and CEO of Fortis BC
• Thomas Isaac – Aboriginal Law Lawyer, Partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
• Leon Gaber – Executive Director & National Lead (Critical Infrastructure Resilience & Emergency Management Practice), KPMG

We hope you can join us!

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Join us November 9 when we sit down with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim for a wide-ranging dialogue about his first year as Vancouver’s mayor. This special edition of Conversations Live will run 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., webcast on the Vancouver Sun and right here on our own website. 

Viewers will have a chance to ask the mayor your own questions via Slido. 

We hope you can join us for the Conversation!

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difference and diversity of all types.

The panel:

• Stephanie Cadieux - Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer
• Charlotte-Anne Malischewski - Human Rights Commission interim Chief Commissioner
• Mark Wafer - Disability rights activist and keynote speaker
• Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia - Pacific Autism Network founder & director
• Kathleen Reid - Switchboard PR founder & Chief Communications Officer
• Jillian Frank - KPMG partner, employment & labour law
• Parm Hari - Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Vice-President, People, Process & Performance

The statistics tell a powerful story. 16 per cent of Canada’s adult population has a disability. According to Statistics Canada’s 2022 survey only 59.4 per cent of Canadian adults with a

disability have employment, compared to more than 80 per cent of Canadians without a disability.

Yet, hiring a diverse workforce has proven benefits, across numerous studies – increased profits, a variety of perspectives leading to better decision-making, more innovation and creativity, reduced turnover and better engagement, and a broader pool of candidates from which to hire.

Mark Wafer and his wife Valerie’s story proves the point. They owned seven Tim Hortons’ franchises in the Toronto area. Hearing impaired himself, Mark was interested in creating jobs for people with disabilities. One of his first hires was a young man with Down Syndrome. He became a star employee – dedicated, hard-working, and friendly. Mark and Valerie went on to hire more than 250 people with disabilities during 25 years in that business – averaging about 17 per cent of their workforce at any one time, in roles from managers to bakers. They hired people with autism, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and intellectual delays.

Fast food restaurants are infamous for high (and costly) employee turnover. What Mark found, however, was that while the average tenure for their employees overall was 1.3 years that grew to 7.0 years for employees with disabilities. The employees were dedicated, didn’t miss shifts, and worked hard.

In a CBC story, Mark estimated it costs him $4,000 to hire and train a new employee. With their longer tenures and strong work, hiring Canadians with disabilities improved their business performance and increased profit, while creating opportunity for dozens of people. Yet, unemployment rates among Canadians with disability remain stubbornly high even during times of labour shortage.

We hope you can join us for the conversation – webcast live 7 p.m. October 10.

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• Edoardo De Martin – CEO Industrio AI & Chief Development Officer, Digital Innovation Cluster
• Mark Low – KPMG Ignition
• Terri Griffith – Keith Beedie Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business
• Dr. Sylvain Moreno – Founder of the Circle Innovation model
• David Seymour – Vice President and General Manager in Office Media Group, Microsoft Vancouver,
• Calvin Gerus – Borealis AI 

Early AI actually started playing an important role in our lives in the 1980s (even earlier in science fiction) - a computer science used for simple but detailed tasks such as inspecting circuit boards in manufacturing. Early AI proved good at picking patterns out of huge quantities of data and noting details a human eye may miss. It’s critical in the algorithms driving online search engines like Google, and in detecting credit card fraud. 

With the launch of ChatGPT, however, the technology has been thrust into public discourse in a new way. Overnight, the new platform was writing blogs, conducting online research, and helping students cheat on papers. Its limitations have quickly become apparent, as have some of the new challenges the technology creates. 

Perhaps more importantly, but quietly, new AI applications are being developed across hundreds of fields. AI’s already starting to play a key role in healthcare, education, and manufacturing. It’s creating new fields of work not conceived of until recently but already employing thousands. 

It’s also fostering fears of increasing automation costing jobs – playing a key role in the recent port strike and ongoing Hollywood actors and writers strike. There is concern people will stop learning underlying processes AI can replicate and we’ll lose expertise in creating art by hand, writing, and research. 

If AI does free humans from tedious and dangerous work but creates new jobs managing that work, is it a net positive? Will it finally be the technology that frees up our time for other things?

Can AI help us overcome looming challenges of capacity in fields such as healthcare and education? 

AI is already starting to play a role in healthcare, helping doctors diagnose ailments from an array of scans, patient history, genetics, test results, and devices such as a fitness band or heart monitors. It has the same potential to radically change our financial systems, education, militaries, transportation networks, and media. 

We hope you can join us as we strive to answer some of these questions on Oct 3. 

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• For our next conversation June 20 we have pulled together a panel of individuals with robust insights into the provincial, national, and global economies. Jock Finlayson – Senior Policy Advisor at the Business Council of BC
• Murray Leith – EVP & Director of Investment Research at Odlum Brown
• Christine Bergeron - President & CEO of VanCity
• Katrine Conroy – BC Minister of Finance
• Walter Pela – GVA Regional Managing Partner at KPMG

A recent BC Business Council survey of major employers found they expect slower growth and sales over the next year, and are cooling economic investment plans. Hiring plans, however, remain ‘robust.’ While we’re not in a recession, according to the numbers, most firms surveyed believe it’s likely to happen this year.  

Late last year BC released an economic forecast following a meeting with the 13-member Economic Forecast Council. At that time the group anticipated growth of just 0.4 per cent in BC through 2023. 

Since that report was released the Bank of Canada has raised the core interest rate just once, to 4.50 per cent, following a series of hikes through 2021 and ’22 meant to curb rapidly-rising inflation. Rising interest rates and inflation are putting very real pressure on many British Columbians, especially those struggling to afford increasingly-expensive groceries or with large variable-rate mortgages that have become far more expensive. 

Despite this BC’s diversified economy, with growth industries such as life sciences and technology, position the province to weather this economic storm even as more traditional sectors such as forestry struggle. 

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BC has become a hub of life sciences innovation in recent years, with hundreds of companies leading the way in research into new therapies, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. According to Life Sciences BC the province is home to the country’s fastest-growing life sciences sector with 1,100 active companies employing 20,000 British Columbians and generating $5.4 billion in annual revenue. 

Yet there are considerable impediments holding companies back from growing to larger scale in the province. BC’s corporate and income tax structure, limited industrial land needed to affordably build out office and processing facilities, and a challenging housing market all make it difficult to attract employees and scale up. 

Our question – how can we create the conditions to ensure this sector’s success in BC?

Our panel:

• Andrew Booth, CFO - AbCellera
• Allen Eaves, President & CEO - Stemcell Technologies
• Brenda Bailey, BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
• Darryl Knight, President - Providence Research
• Wendy Hurlburt, President and CEO - Life Sciences BC

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The 100 days of action Premier Eby promised when he took on the role Nov 18 recently wrapped with an announcement of new cost-of-living payments for British Columbians. Buoyed by a one-time budget surplus he’s announced hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding for housing, healthcare, and agriculture. BC Ferries and Translink each received a half-billion dollars to keep fares down while maintaining service levels. The Premier has set out to reform the catch-and-release of repeat violent offenders, and to address BC’s crises in mental healthcare and toxic drug deaths.  

His campaign has been criticized for being big on announcements but light on execution, as relevant cabinet ministers have struggled to answer questions in the legislature and media. His creation of a ‘duplicate cabinet’ of high-profile experts reporting directly to the premier’s office on key issues including housing, healthcare, and reconciliation - already the mandates of senior cabinet ministers - has been critiqued as evidence he is centralizing. He is taking a distinctly different approach from that of his predecessor John Horgan. 

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We have pulled together a panel of people who are part of a quiet revolution underway in our food production, individuals deeply involved in the science, production, and evolution of how we will raise better food into the future.  

The panel:

• Federica Di Palma - Chief Scientific Officer & VP Research and Innovation, Genome BC
• Peter Dhillon - Chair of Ocean Spray and BC Food Security Task Force member
• Evan Fraser - Director of the Arrell Food Institute and professor at the University of Guelph, where he helps lead the Food from Thought research initiative
• Philip Steenkamp, President of Royal Roads University
• Karn Manhas, CEO of Terramera
• Bahram Rashti, co-founder and CEO of Fresh Green Farms and UP Vertical Farms

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The panelists:

• Jill Atkey, CEO of BC Non-Profit Housing Association
• Jon Stovell, President & CEO of Reliance Properties
• Wendy Waters, VP of Research Services & Strategy, GWL Realty Advisors
• Michael Epp, Director of Housing Planning and Development, Metro Vancouver

Rentals plays a key role in ensuring sufficient and affordable housing, and yet few purpose-built rental units are being developed in BC today, while populations continue to grow. The result? Rents are sky-rocketing, and more people are struggling to put a roof over their heads. 

Demand for rental housing will only get more pronounced in coming years, with Metro Vancouver forecast to add about a million residents by 2050, growing from about 2.6 million people today to 3.6 million. 

Premier David Eby created a new stand-alone Housing ministry in his recent cabinet shuffle, and just last week announced a half-billion dollar fund to purchase older, existing rental building for non-profits so they won’t be sold to private companies and redeveloped. Will those moves result in more rental housing becoming available? Why aren’t private developers building more rental housing, or non-profits? Are provincial regulations or municipal roadblocks getting in the way? What about SROs?

We have pulled together a panel of people who have spent their working lives in housing, rental in particular, and will dive deep into the causes of this challenge – and its solutions. 

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The panelists:

• Ian Anderson – Former Trans Mountain Corporation President & CEO
• Crystal Smith – Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation; chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance
• Roger Dall’Antonia, President and CEO of Fortis BC
• Mark Jacquard, SFU Professor and Director of the School of Resource and Environmental Management
• Ross Beaty - Chairman of Alterra Power

Oil and gas, LNG, Site C, wind, solar, geothermal, run-of-river, and even nuclear are all put forward by some as the way to meet BC’s growing demand for power – but also criticized for environmental impacts or lack of capacity and challenges with cost or practical application. Protests and violent opposition continue to dog energy projects, and governments & industry struggle to move forward with pipelines, ports, and processing facilities.

Burning fossil fuels is criticized as contributing to climate change, which is already causing significant issues with extreme weather. Yet, some argue Canada’s high environmental standards for fossil fuel extraction and carbon capture projects position us to be part of the solution globally, part of a transition away from burning dirty coal for electrical generation.

Which power source is the right one to meet BC’s growing energy demand, or is it really a question of using all available sources in a responsible and thoughtful manner? 

What role will First Nations play in BC’s energy future? We expect it will be a central one. 

And while we may not read about it much today the impacts of power generation decisions of past governments continue today – the Columbia River dams built in the Kootenays in the 1960s flooded productive agricultural land and continue to attract local anger, but generate huge amounts of power and limit flood risk. What lessons have we learned from this history?

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It should be a good one! 

Mark your calendars to join us as we address the big issues facing our province – housing, crime & safety, healthcare, toxic drugs, local food, transportation, the economy, and more.

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Heat domes, floods, fires, and rising costs of inputs such as fuel and fertilizer are putting unprecedented pressure on BC’s farmers and disrupting local food production. Factors as diverse as weather crisis, the war in Ukraine, and supply chain challenges are driving food prices up, making a trip to the grocery store more expensive than it has ever been. 

Jurisdictions from which we import food are facing even more significant challenges – California and Arizona are facing severe water shortages, but currently produce much of the lettuce, tomatoes, and nuts we eat. California alone produces $5 billion worth of almonds annually, another $2 billion of lettuce. According to a recent Metro Vancouver report only 34% of the food British Columbians consume is grown in the province. We are self-sufficient in dairy, poultry, and eggs and supply about half of our own seafood, but rely on the US and other countries for much of our fruit and vegetables, other provinces for meat and grain. We are net exporters of blueberries, cranberries, and cherries. 

Are supply chain challenges revealed by the pandemic and recent weather crisis putting our ability to import the food we need at risk? What about vulnerable British Columbians, who are increasingly relying on food banks as prices rise? 

And yet, there are signs of great hope as farmers, chefs, and food processors continue to get creative and do interesting things with local & craft products across a gamut of culinary sectors. Often, with government support. 

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There is a sense that random violence and gangland shootings are increasingly common on our streets. Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and Langley have all witnessed high-profile incidents in recent days. Some, however, are arguing crime is on the decline. What perception is the reality? What role is mental health playing? Is the toxic drug epidemic a factor? The COVID pandemic, housing? It’s a complex issue, and one to which we must find solutions. 

To get to the bottom of the critical issue and start talking solutions we have brought together a panel of people who have spent a career working in crime prevention – or with the businesses and individuals suffering the consequences. They are:

• Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation 
• Steve Rai, VPD Deputy Chief Constable
• Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade
• John Neate, founder of JJ Bean
• Doug LePard, Principal of Doug LePard Consulting and co-author of BC report on repeat offending

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What’s the solution? 

Join us as we delve deep into the issue with a panel of guests living this crisis every day. 

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We plan to hold Conversations Live micro-conferences monthly, adopting a hybrid format so you have the option of joining us in-person or virtually. Those joining us in-person will have an opportunity to discuss topics informally at a reception and dinner before the main event – our panel discussion. 

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