But the system that determines how money actually behaves operates at a different level entirely. 

In this episode, host Marwa Abdou sits down with Kenneth Rogoff, Maurits C. Boas Professor of Economics at Harvard University and author of Our Dollar, Your Problem, to unpack the architecture of U.S. dollar dominance and what it means for the global economy. 

For decades, the U.S. dollar has functioned as the backbone of global finance. It anchors trade, shapes capital flows and influences borrowing costs far beyond U.S. borders. But that dominance is not static. 

Drawing on decades of research, Rogoff explains why the dollar’s influence persists, how it is evolving and where underlying vulnerabilities are beginning to surface. From rising U.S. debt and shifting interest rate dynamics to the growing use of financial sanctions and the emergence of competing systems, this conversation explores the forces quietly reshaping the global monetary order. 

This is not a story about the dollar disappearing. It’s a story about what happens when the system built around it begins to shift.

Links:
- Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard University
- “Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider's View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead” - Yale University Press
- “The Curse of Cash” - Princeton University Press
- This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff
- "Exchange Arrangements Entering the 21st Century: Which Anchor Will Hold?" by Ethan Ilzetzki, Carmen M. Reinhart, and Kenneth S. Rogoff
- "Was It Real? The Exchange Rate-Interest Differential Relation over the Modern Floating-Rate Period" by Richard Meese and Kenneth Rogoff

In this episode, we unpack one of the defining economic puzzles facing advanced economies today: The gap between what the numbers say and what people actually feel. Because inflation isn’t just about how fast prices are rising, it’s about where they land, and what it takes to live with that shift. 

Featuring insights from Chief Economist Claudia Sahm and BMO Chief Economist Doug Porter, this episode explores how pandemic-era inflation reset the price level, why higher interest rates are still working their way through the system, and how housing, debt and timing are shaping the Canadian experience. Along the way, we dig into the difference between supply- and demand-driven inflation, the limits of monetary policy, and why the “way down” can feel just as difficult as the way up.
 
Links:
- Claudia Sahm - Website
- Claudia Sahm - Bloomberg
- Claudia Sahm – Substack “Stay-At-Home-Macro"
- Douglas Porter – BMO Economics
- Doug Porter Talking Points - “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over”
- Doug Porter Talking Points - “Whole Lotta Hold” 

But that translation is not automatic. 

In this episode, host Marwa Abdou, migration scholar Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou and labour economist Dr. Christopher Worswick examine a central tension at the heart of Canada’s immigration model: The gap between how systems measure talent before arrival and how labour markets translate talent after arrival.  

Drawing on research from Statistics Canada, the OECD and leading Canadian economists, we explore how credentials are evaluated, how employers interpret unfamiliar experience, and how institutions such as licensing bodies, hiring practices and social networks shape who gets access to opportunity. 

This episode connects system design to labour market outcomes. From the role of signals and recognition to the long-term evolution of immigrant earnings, it considers how early job matches, selection policies and economic conditions interact over time. 

As Canada continues to rely on immigration for labour force growth, the question is no longer simply who gets in but whether the economy can convert potential into productivity. 

Links:

- Anna Triandafyllidou, TMU 

- Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides 

- Christopher Worswick, Carleton University 

- Christopher Worswick, C.D. Howe Institute 

- How We Subverted our Skills Based Immigration System – Green, Worswick et al. 

- Immigrant Earnings Profiles in the Presence of Human Capital Investment: Measuring Cohort and Macro Effects – Green, Worswick et al. 

- Entry Earnings of Immigrant Men in Canada: The Roles of Labour Market Entry Effects and Returns to Foreign Experience – Green, Worswick et al. 

In this special two-part episode, we move beyond headline GDP to examine the territorial foundations of economic development. Guest Dr. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Princesa de Asturias Chair in Economic Geography at the London School of Economics, and Director of the Cañada Blanch Centre, draws on decades of research to explain how regions fall into what he calls a development trap. These are not necessarily the poorest places. They are often middle-income regions that once thrived and are now quietly falling behind. Policy concentrates investment in major hubs and assumes spillovers will follow — the evidence suggests otherwise.  

In part one, host Marwa Abdou and Dr. Rodríguez-Pose explore the limits of place-neutral policy, the risks of betting national growth on a handful of metropolitan centers, and why institutions, not just markets, determine long-run prosperity.  

In part two, Dr. Ken Coates, Distinguished Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Professor of Indigenous Governance at Yukon University, brings the Canadian terrain into focus. From resource regions to Indigenous governance and northern economies, we examine how institutional capacity, local ownership and mobilizing latent potential shape opportunity across a vast federation. 

Because when capability clusters by postal code, growth stops being a national statistic and becomes a question of power.

Links:
- Ken Coates - Distinguished Fellow in Aboriginal and Northern Canadian Issues, Macdonald-Laurier Institute
- “The Provincial North is the Centrepiece of Canadian Nation-Building" by Ken Coates for the Globe & Mail
- #IdleNoMore And the Remaking of Canada by Ken Coates
- Google Scholar - Ken S. Coates

In this special two-part episode, we move beyond headline GDP to examine the territorial foundations of economic development. Guest Dr. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Princesa de Asturias Chair in Economic Geography at the London School of Economics, and Director of the Cañada Blanch Centre, draws on decades of research to explain how regions fall into what he calls a development trap. These are not necessarily the poorest places. They are often middle-income regions that once thrived and are now quietly falling behind. Policy concentrates investment in major hubs and assumes spillovers will follow — the evidence suggests otherwise.  

In part one, host Marwa Abdou and Dr. Rodríguez-Pose explore the limits of place-neutral policy, the risks of betting national growth on a handful of metropolitan centers, and why institutions, not just markets, determine long-run prosperity.  

In part two, Dr. Ken Coates, Distinguished Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Professor of Indigenous Governance at Yukon University, brings the Canadian terrain into focus. From resource regions to Indigenous governance and northern economies, we examine how institutional capacity, local ownership and mobilizing latent potential shape opportunity across a vast federation. 

Because when capability clusters by postal code, growth stops being a national statistic and becomes a question of power.

Links:
- Andrés Rodríguez-Pose – London School of Economics 
- Cañada-Blanch Centre at LSE 
- The Revenge of the Places that Don’t Matter by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose   
- The Case for Regional Development Intervention: Place-Based vs Place-Neutral Approaches by Fabrizio Barca, Philip McCann, and Andrés Rodríguez-Pose
- Do Institutions Matter for Regional Development? by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose
- What Kind of Local and Regional Development and for Whom? By Andy Pike, Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, & John Tomaney 

Links:
- Paul Beaudry – Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia
- Dan Breznitz - Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto
- Demographics and recent productivity performance: insights from cross-country comparisons by Paul Beaudry, David A. Green, Fabrice Collard
- The Great Reversal in the Demand for Skill and Cognitive Tasks by Paul Beaudry, David A. Green, Benjamin M. Sand
- Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World by Dan Breznitz
- Canada’s Productivity Gap Is a Vulnerability We Must Fix - Business Data Lab 

Other Resources:
- Canada 2025 Article IV Consultation Staff Report
- Productivity Growth in Canada: What is Going On? - Tim Sargent, School of Public Policy
- Canada’s Productivity Challenge: The Hidden Costs of Resource Abundance and U.S. Dependence - Julien Martin, School of Public Policy
- We Need to Get Going on Canada’s Four-Alarm Productivity Emergency – CD Howe Institute
- Canada’s Investment Crisis: Shrinking Capital Undermines Competitiveness and Wages – CD Howe Institute
- The Role of Firm Size in the Canada–U.S. Labour Productivity Gap Since 2000 - Statistics Canada 

Host Marwa Abdou opens the season by stepping back from the usual ritual of economic forecasting to ask a more fundamental question: What happens when the systems shaping our economy are tested in real time?

Before looking ahead to 2026, this episode examines what the past year revealed about the limits of prediction, the persistence of economic constraints, and the growing gap between intention and institutional capacity. Because economies do not run on data alone. They run on decisions. And those decisions ultimately shape trust.

Marwa is joined by returning guest Andrew DiCapua, Principal Economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, who shares his six economic predictions for the year ahead, from interest rates and trade to business investment, consumption and consumer sentiment. Together, they explore why the outlook may be more conditional than certain, and why stability on paper does not always translate into confidence on the ground. But this conversation goes beyond forecasts. It introduces the central lens for the season: How power operates within the economy, who sets the rules and whether Canada’s systems are prepared to deliver on the ambitions they signal. If last season focused on the importance of trust, this season asks what makes trust possible. Because in a world of finite resources, the future is not simply predicted. It is chosen.

Links:
- 8 Predictions for Canada’s Economy in 2025
- BDLNow – Data Driven Prediction of the Canada’s Economy
- 6 Predictions for Canada's Economy in 2026 

Technology is advancing faster than our ability to build the skills and leadership models needed to use it well. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rise of AI. Organizations that treat AI as a simple technological upgrade, rather than a shift in culture and capability, will struggle to remain competitive in a market that rewards adaptability, not just adoption.

Marwa, Minh, and Karla examine what this means on the ground. They explore how the labour market is already being reshaped, and why the decline in entry-level roles is creating broken rungs in the career ladder. The traditional pathways that once helped young workers gain experience are narrowing, and the implications for opportunity and mobility are significant.

All three agree on one thing: Canada needs a coordinated national workforce strategy that connects skills, innovation, and inclusion. Without it, the country risks falling behind at a time when the pace of change is accelerating.

Links:
- Canadian Labour & Staffing Journal
- Agentiiv  

Together, they unpack the tensions inside the 2025 Federal Budget, from the renewed focus on large-scale capital projects to the difficult choices around fiscal discipline, human capital, and long-term productivity. Heather explains why a modern industrial strategy must include people as much as physical infrastructure, and why simplifying parts of Canada’s tax system could strengthen the relationship between taxpayers and government.

This conversation goes beyond line items and budget tables. It is a look at how Canada funds its ambitions, how those decisions affect households and businesses, and what a credible, sustainable path to shared prosperity might require.

Links:
- Heather Scoffield
- Bricks and mortar build out the federal balance sheet
- Canadian Tax Observatory  

In this episode, host Marwa Abdou sits down with Dr. Mikal Skuterud, Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo, and one of Canada’s leading labour economists, to unpack what he calls the country’s two-step system, where people arrive on temporary status before transitioning, often uncertainly, to permanent residency. Together, they explore the unintended consequences of a capless temporary system that neither fulfills the promise of permanence made to immigrants nor strategically addresses Canada’s deeper economic gaps.

Their conversation challenges a familiar narrative: That immigration success can be measured by sheer numbers or GDP growth alone. Instead, they argue that immigration policy should be guided by a different goal — higher living standards for everyone. That means aligning inflows with investment in housing, healthcare and productivity, and ensuring immigration fuels tomorrow’s innovation rather than simply today’s labour shortages.

This is an episode about recalibrating ambition and rethinking how Canada’s immigration system can match the scale of its promise.

Links:
- Mikal Skuterud, University of Waterloo
- Mikal Skuterud, C.D. Howe Institute
- A Realistic Strategy to Wean Canadian Businesses Off Low-Skill Foreign Labour
- The Growing Data Gap on Canada’s Temporary Resident Workforce
- Optimizing Immigration for Economic Growth by Matthew Doyle, Mikal Skuterud, and Christopher Worswick
- The economic case against low-wage temporary foreign workers by Fabian Lange, Mkal Skutrud & Christopher Worswick, IRPP

Other Resources:
- Are Immigrants Particularly Entrepreneurial? Policy Lessons from a Selective Immigration System by David Green
- How does increasing immigration affect the economy?
- From Roots to Routes: Immigrant Entrepreneurs and How they are Shaping Canada’s Trade Future
- Trends in education–occupation mismatch among recent immigrants with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 2001 to 2021
- Canada is Wasting the Talents of its Skilled Immigrants 

According to special guest Carol Ann Hilton, Founder and CEO of the Indigenomics Institute, it’s re-centering Indigenous economic power and Indigenous participation. But part of that re-centering requires acknowledging that Canada was formed through Indigenous economic and cultural exclusion and that this exclusion has an impacted all Canadians, even generations far removed from the Indian Act. 

In this episode, host Marwa Abdou and Carol Anne Hilton unpack Indigenomics: a framework for redesigning economic systems around reciprocity, responsibility, and relationship to land. Together they explore how 150 years of exclusion produced today’s inequalities, why corporate Canada has a duty under Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 92, and what it means to build economies where land is law, stewardship is strategy, and growth is measured through shared prosperity. 

Their conversation flows from examples of how Indigenous businesses operate from fundamentally different values, prioritizing community, future generations, and responsibility, all the way to the radical concept of "land as law" — starting with responsibility rather than impact assessment — and its role in reshaping infrastructure development. From clean energy and procurement reform to “land as governance,” this episode challenges listeners to rethink what reconciliation looks like — not as ceremony, but as economic design.

 
Links:
- Carol Anne Hilton, Indigenomics Institute 
- Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table (2021) 
- The Rise of Indigenous Economic Power (2025)

Other Resources:
- Sharing the Wealth: How Resource Revenue Agreements Can Rebalance Canada’s Economy by Ken Coates
- Living Rhythms: Lessons in Aboriginal Economic Resilience and Vision by Wanda Wuttunee
- Upholding Indigenous Economic Relationships: nehiyawak narratives by Shalene Jobin
- Resilience, Reciprocity and Ecological Economics Northwest Coast Sustainability by Ronald Trosper
- What Can Tribes Do? Strategies and Institutions in American Indian Economic Development by Stephen Cornell and Joseph P. Kalt 
- Economic Aspects of the Indigenous Experience in Canada by Anya Hageman and Pauline Galoustian

Listen as host Marwa Abdou and guests Vass Bednar (Executive Director, Canadian Shield Institute) and Kaylie Tiessen (Chief Economist, Canadian Shield Institute) discuss the profound and often invisible influence digital platforms and algorithms have on our society and economy. 

In this extended episode, explore how a handful of digital platforms act as “shadow regulators” — setting the rules of the game through opaque code and recommendation systems that shape markets, work, and opportunity far from democratic oversight. From gig work to competition law, the conversation reveals how Canada’s regulatory frameworks are racing to keep up. 

But it doesn’t stop at diagnosis. Together, Marwa, Vass, and Kaylie discuss what it would take to fill Canada’s “regulatory vacuum” — smart, adaptive rules that serve the public good while supporting innovation, trust, and competitiveness in the digital age.

Links:
- Canadian Shield Institute
- Vass Bednar - Regs to Riches Newsletter
- Vass Bednar – Center for International Governance Innovation
- Kaylie Tiessen 
- Kaylie Tiessen – Social Capital Partners
- OECD Digital Economy Outlook (2024)
- World Bank – World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives 

Listen as host Marwa Abdou peels back the layers on the forum that keeps much of that world running smoothly: APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). It isn’t a trade deal or a bloc — it’s a voluntary sandbox where 21 economies test ideas, build trust and scale what works. 

In this extended episode, Marwa is joined by Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, and Carlos Kuriyama, Director of APEC’s Policy Support Unit. Together, they explain how non-binding cooperation can deliver real outcomes — from single-window customs and cross-border privacy rules to AI guardrails to greener supply chains to pathways that help informal and micro firms step into the formal economy. They also dive into APEC’s new focus on the creative economy, and why digital trust is now part of trade infrastructure. 

For a trade-heavy country like Canada, this is more than theory — it’s jobs, competitiveness and inclusive growth. The question isn’t whether rules will be written, it’s whether we’ll help write them.

Links
- Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
- APEC publications & policy briefs
- APEC Internet & Digital Economy Roadmap (AIDER)
- Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum
- Lima Roadmap to Promote the Transition to the Formal and Global Economies (2025-2040)
- APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040
- APEC Environmental Goods List (54 items)

• Why is it easier to trade with the U.S. than across provinces?
• Why is climate policy so expensive?
• Why are interest rates cooling inflation but putting the freeze on housing?
• Why is youth unemployment so high?
• And what’s really at stake in Mark Carney’s first federal budget?

As James Carville once quipped on the campaign trail, “It’s the economy, stupid” — and more than three decades later, the line still rings true (especially north of the border). Packed with sharp insights and plain-language explanations, this episode unpacks the economic forces shaping our paycheques, prices, and future prosperity — and why, in 2025, it’s still the economy.

In this episode, Moffatt joins host Marwa Abdou to trace how that failure emerged from the collision of well-meaning but clashing policies: greenbelts that preserve farmland while choking supply, immigration targets that fuel growth but strain capacity, and zoning laws that shut out the “missing middle” homes families desperately need.

The conversation goes beyond affordability, exploring the so-called “housing theory of everything” — how the effects of broken housing markets ripple through entrepreneurship, fertility rates, and even political stability. From building codes to taxation, Moffatt and Abdou unpack the tough trade-offs ahead and ask: Can Canada fix housing before it undermines our economic future?

Links:

-  Mike Moffatt, Smart Prosperity Institute

-  Mike Moffatt, Medium  

-  Mike Moffatt, the Hub.ca

-  Mike Moffatt, the Globe and Mail

Links:  

- Kevin Milligan, University of British Columbia, Vancouver School of Economics 

- Kevin Milligan, C.D. Howe Institute 

- Kevin Milligan, Globe and Mail 

- The time of your life: The mortality and longevity of Canadians 

- Retirement incentives and decisions across the income distribution: Evidence in Canada 

- Health and Capacity to Work of Older Canadians: Gender and Regional Dimensions with Tammy Schirle 

- The Evolution of Longevity: Evidence from Canada,” with Tammy Schirle 

Many of the social programs Canadians rely on for economic security were designed in and for a very different era. Built around a mid-20th-century vision of work and family life, programs like Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, and key parts of our tax system still assume a post-war era worker that is full-time, uninterrupted and unburdened by caregiving.

In this extended episode, Professors Tammy Schirle (Wilfrid Laurier University) and Jennifer Robson (Carleton University) join host Marwa Abdou to unpack how caregiving responsibilities, gender inequities and access barriers collide with outdated policy assumptions. From motherhood penalties to administrative red tape, this conversation examines the hidden gaps shaping Canadians’ financial stability — and what it will take to build a system that works for today’s workforce.

Links:

- Tammy Schirle, Wilfrid Laurier University
- Jennifer Robson, Carleton University

- Tammy Schirle, C.D. Howe

- Jennifer Robson, Policy Options, IRPP 

- Food insecurity among Canadian adults with disabilities is shockingly high. Here’s what we could do about that.(Robson, 2024)

- State Capacity and Administrative Burdens on Citizens: Time for Export Controls and Transparency (Robson, 2024)

- Finances of the Nation: Federal and Provincial Income Support Programs for Seniors in Canada (Schirle, 2024)

- What Proportion of Tax Returns Could the Canada Revenue Agency Complete? (Genest-Grégoire, Robson et al., 2023)

Goldfarb is one of the world’s leading economists on the business implications of AI. Together, they examine why Canada, despite its early leadership in AI research, is lagging in adoption. Goldfarb explains that AI’s real power isn’t automation—it’s prediction. And while Canada has outstanding academic talent and AI research hubs, it hasn’t yet translated that strength into broad commercial or public-sector impact. “We’re still figuring out what the organization of the future looks like,” he says in the episode, while cautioning that hesitation gives global competitors time to scale. They explore the economic promise of AI in healthcare, education, and public services, as well as the risks of overregulation, particularly with laws like Bill C-27. Goldfarb offers a clear message: Canada must act now or risk falling behind.

Links:

- Avi Goldfarb's Website

- Creative Destruction Lab

- Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence (2018)

- Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence (2022)
- Machine Intelligence and Human Judgment (IMF - June 2025)

 Other Resources:

 -  Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Paul Scharre

 -  The Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines by David Autor, David A. Mindell and Elisabeth B. Reynolds

Tom Mosseau points out that “legacy infrastructure, skills shortages, and investment hesitancy” continue to slow down digital transformation, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. While 61% of Canadian firms believe generative AI could reshape their business strategy, only 28% are actively integrating it into operations. Franco Amalfi raises a red flag: AI’s environmental impact is significant, with “high energy consumption, increased e-waste and water use,” yet only 12% of companies are tracking it.

Capgemini calls for a “responsible by design” approach, emphasizing smaller AI models, renewable energy, and sustainable supply chains. The episode closes by highlighting how coordinated public-private collaboration and long-term digital investment can help Canada build a competitive, ethical, and environmentally responsible economy.

Links:
- 2025 B7 Communique
- Key Takeaways from the B7 Summit
- Capgemini – Data & AI
- Capgemini – Developing sustainable Gen AI
- Prompting Productivity Report

Trust—once the invisible foundation of commerce and governance—is now fractured, with only 62% of Canadians expressing moderate or high trust in institutions, according to Edelman’s Trust Barometer. Former Statistics Canada Chief Anil Arora opened with a strong statement: “Good data...is an investment in building trust.”

The episode features a range of voices from the conference: Economist Stephen Tapp unpacks how growing regulation has cut Canada’s GDP by nearly 2%, while Professor Meredith Lilly contrasts Canada’s emotionally charged trade strategy with Mexico’s pragmatic diplomacy. Dr. Chad Bown from the Peterson Institute (and former Chief Economist in the U.S. Department of State), explains the contradictions in U.S. tariff policy and its real implications for Canada.

Andrew DiCapua, Economist at the Chamber of Commerce, offers a sobering reminder that inflation’s lasting impact continues to erode public trust in central banks, calling for more clarity and transparency in policy decisions.

The thread tying it all together? Canada’s future prosperity hinges on restoring institutional trust—through better data, clear policy, and principled leadership.

Links:

- 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer 

- World Values Survey

- Regulatory Accumulation, Business Dynamism and Economic Growth in Canada

- The Future of North America’s Economic Relationship

- How Canada Won at Home While America Came First in NAFTA Renegotiations

Tombe discusses the widening fiscal divide between Canada and the United States and what it means for Canada's economy, trade, and future stability. While Canada’s federal deficit stands at 1.6% of GDP, the U.S. deficit has ballooned to 6.2%, creating real risks for global markets.

Tombe explains that Canada’s debt-to-GDP ratio remains stable and manageable at 42%, compared to over 100% in the U.S. He warns that political dysfunction in Washington is raising borrowing costs which further strains U.S. finances. Meanwhile, Canada must remain vigilant, especially in addressing productivity declines and preparing for rising healthcare costs. Tombe notes, “If historical patterns had continued, Canada’s economy today would be 18% larger.” He also points to a 500% spike in Canadian business uncertainty due to pending U.S. trade decisions.

Enjoy this fascinating episode with insights from a leading Canadian Economist.

Links:

- Business Insights Quarterly Report (Q1 2025)

- Canada-US Trade Tracker Tool
- Trevor Tombe
- Trevor Tombe at TheHub.ca

Desjardins warns that a potential 25% U.S. tariff on Canadian exports could cost the average Canadian over $2,000 annually, while GDP could shrink by 0.8% if Canada retaliates. “Consumer confidence has come down significantly,” she says, adding that businesses are delaying investments due to uncertainty. Labour shortages may ease with reduced immigration, but that could also dampen long-term growth. She also points to productivity issues, housing shortages, and geopolitical uncertainty as compounding pressures.

Despite the turbulence, Desjardins remains cautiously optimistic: “We anticipate this to be a sharp impact on the economy, but a relatively short-lived one.”

Links:

- Deloitte Canada Report

- BDL Business Conditions Terminal

Bown explains how Canada’s deep ties to U.S. supply chains leave it exposed to major cost increases, warning that tariffs could “double or triple” production expenses and hit smaller suppliers hardest. He cautions against retaliation, reminding policymakers that “tariffs also cause self-harm.”

The conversation covers why automation limits the return of manufacturing jobs and why Canada’s efforts to diversify trade partners face steep challenges from geography and infrastructure barriers. Bown also shares cautious optimism. While Washington’s direction on trade is confusing even to insiders, he reassures Canadians that “you still have a lot of fans in Washington” and reminds listeners that democratic systems can correct poor policy over time.

Listen to the full conversation to understand why careful, long-term thinking is key to protecting Canada’s economy.

Links:
- Chad Bown 
- "Trade Talks" Podcast
- Canada-US Trade Tracker

Drawing from BDL’s new report, Women Entrepreneurs: Canada’s Biggest Missed Business Opportunity, the discussion reveals why women still own just 18% of Canadian businesses despite a $2 billion government push to double that by 2025. 

“Access to capital is probably one of the top three reasons why we don't see as many women picking entrepreneurship as a career versus men,” says Hudon in the episode. She goes on to share how initiatives like the BDC's $500 million Thrive Platform are driving change.

The discussion emphasizes the need for bold ambition, policy support, and societal change to foster inclusive entrepreneurship and economic growth. 

Key takeaways:

• Canada has 100,000 fewer entrepreneurs than it did 20 years ago, according to a BDC study.
• Women remain significantly underrepresented in entrepreneurship.
• Economic cost of gender disparity in entrepreneurship estimated at $180 billion.
• Access to capital is more difficult for women entrepreneurs.
• Women-owned businesses concentrated in limited sectors like healthcare and retail.
• Lack of women representation in investment decision-making processes.

Links:

- Women Entrepreneurs: Canada’s Biggest Missed Business Opportunity

- Business Conditions Terminal for Women in Business

- How Do Women Impact the Canadian Economy - BDC 

- $500 Million Thrive Platform for Women - BDC 

- Women Entrepreneurs offering finance, advice & free resources 

Mairead Lavery, former President and CEO of Export Development Canada (EDC), talks with host Marwa Abdou about the fallout and what businesses must do next. The first woman to lead EDC, she has decades of experience in finance, strategy, and trade. 

“A significant portion of our exports are for the benefit of U.S. inputs to their exports — we’re part of a supply chain. The end consumer may not actually be a U.S. consumer,” she says in the podcast, noting that tariffs will hit manufacturing, agriculture, and energy hardest. Companies, she says, must rethink their long-term strategies rather than rely on trade patterns that once felt secure.

Listen now to get the strategies you need to protect your business.

Links:

- Partners in Prosperity Report

- Canada-US Trade Tracker

- Export Development Canada

“Canada is leaving untapped potential on the table,” Marwa says in the episode. “Skilled immigrants, innovative industries, and tools like AI could transform our productivity story.” Andrew adds, “Productivity isn’t just about numbers. It’s about creating more value with the same resources, which drives higher wages and economic resilience.”

Despite the challenges, the episode offers hope by spotlighting Canada’s high-productivity industries—like natural resources and finance—and the transformative potential of generative AI. With 14% of businesses planning to adopt AI, Andrew urges leaders to embrace these tools to stay competitive.

Links:
- Prompting Productivity
- Business Insights Quarterly

Affordability remains a top concern, even as inflation stabilizes at 2 percent. “We’ve lived through a generational price increase,” says Stephen, noting that essentials like housing and groceries remain expensive. Labour disruptions continue to be a challenge after a record-breaking year for work stoppages. “A number of collective bargaining agreements are opening up at a time when inflationary pressures are still driving wage demands,” Patrick explains. 

Businesses are also facing risks from slowing immigration, declining interest rates, and shifting trade policies. The discussion explores what companies can do to prepare, including adopting AI, upskilling employees, and diversifying supply chains.

Links:
- Canada-US Trade Tracker
- Prompting Productivity Report

Hosted by Senior Research Director Marwa Abdou, this podcast features insightful discussions with economists and business leaders.  Listen in for deep, expert analysis of Canada's top economic trends to help you make sense of the numbers.