Down to Business

What's ahead for Canada's energy sector as new era of nation-building dawns

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:29:00 -0000

This episode of Down to Business explores what's lies ahead for Canada's energy sector as the country enters a "generational opportunity" for economic development.

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Is Canada setting itself up for a big home price spike in 2030?

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 17:34:00 -0000

Down to Business podcast talks to Mike Moffatt, founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative, about how the housing crisis started and where we could go from here.

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Canada's auto industry at 'hinge moment'

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 16:04:00 -0000

On this episode of Down to Business, Stephen Beatty, a former Toyota Canada executive, describes the threats to the auto industry and solutions.

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Canada gets wakeup call that world 'unstable and dangerous place'

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Margaret MacMillan, emeritus professor of history at the University of Toronto, gives perspective on what Donald Trump's presidency means to Canada and the world

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How the old trading rules are failing Canada

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:29:29 -0000

Lawrence Herman, who spent decades practicing international trade law, explains how anti-dumping remedies aren't working for Canadian companies.

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'No way Canada can win a trade war:' John Manley shares some hard truths

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:24:16 -0000

John Manley, the former federal minister who managed our relationship with the U.S. at the highest levels, says Donald Trump's tariff threats are a 'really loud wakeup call' for Canada

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How Trump is pouring gas on the fire of de-globalization

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Meredith Lilly, a trade adviser under former prime minister Stephen Harper, says the world is on the cusp of a new trade order

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The Delivery Economy explodes: A Down to Business deep dive - Part 1

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In the first episode of The Delivery Economy, Down to Business host Gabe Friedman explores the astonishing economics of e-commerce with the CEOs of two Canadian companies.Sylvia Ng discusses her decision to leave Shopify Inc and found ReturnBear in 2021 as she watched a growing number of companies struggle with the high level of returns from online sales; and Mark Ang explains how his decision to co-found a self-storage company in 2017 inadvertently set him up to build the logistics infrastructure and software that allows the largest brands in the world to sell goods online.

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The Delivery Economy explodes: Reverberations throughout the economy & ceilings to online - Part 3

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In the final episode of The Delivery Economy, Clarence Woudsma, a professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning, joins Gabe to explain how e-commerce is evolving and the trends that may lie ahead, from growth markets such as grocery to the shifting labour landscape.

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The Delivery Economy explodes: Looking for a relief valve in the delivery economy as traffic grows - Part 2

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In episode two of The Delivery Economy, Gabe speaks with Ivan Waissbluth. Fed up with traffic in Toronto, Waissbluth co-founded NRBI, which has been building a rapidly growing fleet of electric cargo bikes to deliver goods around the city's dense core. Then a bike courier with decades of experiences tells Gabe what it’s like to ride a bike around Toronto, and how conditions have changed for bike couriers in the past 30 years.

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An update on Down to Business - A message from Gabe Friedman

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 04:34:00 -0000

Down to Business has been on hiatus for a while. But our host Gabe Friedman has some exciting news to share about the future of the show!

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Why it might be hard for Canada to capture economic opportunities from the energy transition

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, John McNally, program director for clean growth at PLACE Centre, discusses some of the surprising challenges that could make it harder for Canada to capture economic opportunities from the energy transition — such as high housing prices.

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What happens to Canada after oil demand peaks?

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, economist Aaron Cosbey lays out what he sees happening when demand for fossil fuels peaks in the next decade

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Why Canada must build faster to reach climate goals

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Business Council of Alberta has a plan to speed up the construction of infrastructure Canada needs to meet climate goals

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Battery eureka moment found in a bag of potato chips

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 03:00:00 -0000

This week in Dispatches from the battery economy, Down to Business talks to Maciej Jastrzebski of Li-Metal about technological breakthroughs in producing lithium for next-generation batteries

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What Canada is doing wrong in its world-leading immigration push

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to Prof. Rupa Banerjee about what works and what doesn't in Canada's immigration policy

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Why more Canadian workers are at risk of mental health incidents

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Paula Allen, senior vice-president of research and client insights at Telus Health, discusses what’s happening to workers across Canada from a mental health standpoint.

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Why higher interest rates could be bad for workers

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, economist Jim Stanford talks about how higher interest rates could suppress wage growth. He discusses his view on what's happening with inflation and more.

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Dispatches from the battery economy: How Nano One pivoted its focus after North America's rapid EV adoption

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Dan Blondal, chief executive of Nano One Materials Corp., talks about how his company has been affected by rapid EV adoption in North America. Blondal discusses how shifting geopolitical winds have caused the company to rethink its focus, the pandemic and more.

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The pandemic didn't kill the office, it was already dying

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Carl Gomez, chief economist and head of analytics at commercial real estate data firm Costar discusses the past, present and future of the office.

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How the devastation of wildfires ripples through the whole economy

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business examines the economic impacts of wildfires, with an eye towards the less-obvious ripple effects

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'A ticking time-bomb': The rise of the variable-rate, fixed-payment mortgage

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Jimmy Jean of Desjardins Group talks to Down to Business about the risks of variable-rate, fixed-payment mortgages.

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Canada's oilsands poised for age of optimization

Wed, 31 May 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Analyst Kevin Birn explains why S&P Global Commodity Insights raised its oilsands production outlook for the first time in over half a decade

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The hidden beliefs about money that sabotage us all

Wed, 24 May 2023 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business financial therapist Aseel El-Baba explains where money troubles come from

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This economist thinks interest rate hikes are doing more harm than good

Wed, 17 May 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to Laurentian economics professor Louis-Philippe Rochon who argues that Bank of Canada interest rate hikes are not only failing to ease inflation, they are also damaging the economy

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Why are cars so expensive in Canada today?

Wed, 10 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business podcast, Charles Bernard, lead economist for the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association in Ottawa, talks about the forces causing vehicle prices to rise.

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What Canada gets for its $13-billion investment in VW's battery plant

Wed, 03 May 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to a policy expert who argues that Canadian subsidies won't reap the benefits American handouts will

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Is the world running out of copper just when we need it the most?

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 03:00:00 -0000

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How the small movie theatre came back from the dead

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Andy Willick, chair of the Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors, talks about how small theatres have survived and changed, and what the future holds

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Canada on the road to first net-zero cement in the world

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 18:19:19 -0000

Down to Business talks to Heidelberg Materials' David Perkins about the ground-breaking zero emissions cement plant planned for Edmonton, Alberta

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Safety Net: The impact of ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure in Canada

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Energy pipelines, government websites and numerous companies have all reported cyber attacks in recent weeks. This week’s episode of Down to Business examines the impact of ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure in Canada.

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Inside the only rare-earths mine in Canada

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 19:15:42 -0000

Down to Business talks to Vital Metals' David Connelly about starting a rare-earths operation in a remote area of the Northwest Territories, one of only two mines in North America

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Critical minerals in spotlight as global miners gather in Toronto

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 20:01:31 -0000

Jeff Killeen talks about the hot trends and topics in commodity markets ahead of PDAC 2023 in Toronto, one of the largest mining conferences in the world

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What lies ahead for Canada's economy as it seeks to reduce carbon emissions

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Canada is reaching an inflection point in which carbon emissions and economic growth are decoupling. On this week's Down to Business, Dave Sawyer and Michael Bernstein discuss what lies ahead for Canada as it seeks to reduce emissions.

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How immigration and an aging population will affect Canada's housing market

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Desjardins' Randall Bartlett talks to Down to Business about why Canada needs to build housing faster than its currently doing to accommodate immigration.

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Maybe Canada can pull off a soft landing after all

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 03:00:00 -0000

TD economist James Orlando talks to Down to Business about where he thinks inflation, interest rates and the economy might be going.

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Harnessing the sun is closer than ever

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Greg Twinney, chief executive of Vancouver-based General Fusion Inc., talks about his company’s efforts to replicate the power of the sun in a laboratory right here on earth

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Why Canada ran short of Children's Tylenol — and why it could happen again

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to Mina Tadrous, of the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, about how the very nature of the fragile and opaque pharmaceutical supply chain makes it vulnerable to disruption

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The four-day work week is coming

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Why are we still working the same hours we were in the 1970s? This week Down to Business looks at the future of the work week — and it's shorter

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Rare-earth magnets are key to our electric future — and china controls 93% of them

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to Ahmad Ghahreman about his business recycling rare earths, a material of growing importance to our society

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Why lettuce is suddenly so unbelievably expensive

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to Simon Somogyi, Arrell chair in the business of food at the University of Guelph, about why food prices are so high and what that means for Canadians

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How Reddit, the 'old soul of the internet', succeeds when others fail

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to Jen Wong, chief operating officer of Reddit, about how the platform has evolved in the past 17 years, how it is different from social media, and how you don't need to track people all over the internet to sell ads online.

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Canada's immigration boom will be biggest in 60 years

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business looks at Canada's immigration targets, the most ambitious in the world. Economist Mikal Skuterood talks about the impact on the economy and labour market

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Is the Bank of Canada reaching the end of its rate raising cycle?

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Financial Post Editor-in-Chief Kevin Carmichael discusses whether the economy has reached an inflection point yet and how far along he thinks the Bank of Canada is in its rate raising cycle, given that inflation remains elevated.

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Consumers can now get charged for using credit cards in Canada. What does this mean?

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Laurence Ashworth, a professor at Queens University’s Smith School of Business, whose research focuses on consumer behaviour, discussed a change in credit card fee.

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How Toronto became the biggest housing bubble in the world

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Toronto has been named by UBS the number one real estate housing bubble in the world. This week at Down to Business we look at how Canada's biggest city got there.

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Exposing the dark side of the green transition

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business talks to Henry Sanderson about his new book 'Volt Rush: The winners and losers in the race to go green,' an exploration of the dark sides of the energy transition

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From scrap metal dealer to billionaire: How Anil Agarwal built one of the world's largest mining companies

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman speaks with Anil Agarwal, an Indian billionaire who is the founder and chairman of London-headquartered Vedanta Resources Ltd., about his career and the relationship between Canada and India.

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The risky business of carbon capture in Canada

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This Week Down to Business looks at what is thwarting the development of the carbon capture industry

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EV sector could mean a quarter of a million jobs and $50 billion a year to Canada

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to two experts about what it would take for Canada to establish an EV supply chain and what it would mean to the economy

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Office buildings are having an existential crisis — and it's not just work from home

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business looks at the decline of office buildings which started before the rise of work from home arrangements amplified the crisis

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Canada's home sales and prices are falling. Has something changed in the housing market?

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 14:28:31 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Murtaza Haider, a professor of real estate management at Toronto Metropolitan University, explains why he thinks housing prices in Canada will return to their space-ward trajectory.

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'The lines between travelling and living are blurring:' Airbnb CEO on the future of work and more

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Brian Chesky, co-founder and chief executive of San Francisco-based Airbnb Inc. explains how the pandemic has reshaped the way we travel, work and live.

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Should Canada invest in hydrogen? Here are the pros and cons

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, chemical engineers Paul Martin and Matthew Klippenstein explain the pros and cons of hydrogen.

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The modern tragedy of Long COVID

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Inez Jabalpurwala, an expert on how viruses affect brain health, talks about how Long COVID is affecting lives, our healthcare system and our economy

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'Soft landing is wishful thinking,' says former Bank of Canada economist

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Jean-Paul Lam, a former economist at the Bank of Canada, talks to Down to Business about how central banks fell behind the curve and missed crucial signals about the economy

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Without government aid, Canada's car industry would vanish in a decade

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business talks to Peter Frise, a professor of mechanical, automotive and materials engineering at the University of Windsor, about where we are at in the electric vehicle transition and what it means for the economy and society

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The new oil? How demand for copper could reshape the world

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Down to Business talks to veteran energy analyst Daniel Yergin about how copper, the metal of electrification, will reshape geopolitics

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How high a price will Canadians have to pay to tame inflation?

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, economists Benjamin Tal and James Osborne look at what might happen to Canada's economy and housing market as the Bank of Canada embarks on an aggressive rate hiking cycle to fight inflation

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What the future holds for western Canadian oil producers

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week’s episode of Down To Business focuses on what the future holds for the western Canadian oil producers if pipelines and other critical infrastructure are no longer on the table. Will the Biden administration seek greater oil production from Canada, which sends 99 per cent of its oil exports to the U.S.?

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How Bill Browder began warning the world about Putin's corruption a decade ago

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Bill Browder, once Russia’s largest foreign investor, describes how he started more than a decade ago on his campaign to convince the world that Russian President Vladimir Putin is dangerously corrupt.

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Pulling back the curtain on Tim Hortons' nation-wide privacy breach

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business former Financial Post reporter James McLeod talks about his investigation into Tim Hortons’ data collection practices that sparked a nation-wide probe by privacy commissioners.

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Lessons from the Port of Vancouver's annus horribilis

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0000

Last year the Port of Vancouver moved record cargo and still ranked near the bottom in performance among its global peers. Down to Business talks to economists and shipping experts about the port's struggle with pandemic bottlenecks and extreme weather and looks at the challenges to come.

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What the death of the penny taught us about our relationship with cash

Wed, 25 May 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Stephanie Hughes discusses how taking the penny out of circulation has provided valuable insight into how cash is used and Andreas Park explains what blockchain means for the financial system

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Long waits in the airplane await travellers as airports work out the kinks

Wed, 18 May 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week’s Down to Business looks at the business of flying and parses what’s happening at airports today amid reports of long lines and extended waits

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Canada in unique position to be world's 'EV supplier of choice'

Wed, 11 May 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business looks at the shift underway in the auto sector to build local, cleaner and more secure supply chains, and what Canada's role in this could be.

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Trying to make sense of why Elon Musk is offering billions for Twitter

Wed, 04 May 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business podcast considers the possible business cases for billionaire Elon Musk's US$44 billion deal to buy a social media platform that hardly ever makes money.

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What rapidly rising inflation tells us about the economy

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, economists Derek Holt and Talan Iscan discuss what rising inflation tells us about the global economy and the pace of globalization.

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Why Canadians are losing faith in the housing market

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business looks at blind bidding, who real estate agents really work for and what actually can be done to make housing more affordable for more Canadians

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What challenges lie ahead in trying to build Canada's new clean supply chain?

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0000

Canada's federal budget for 2022 devotes billions of dollars to building a new critical minerals and electric vehicle supply chain. This week on Down to Business, Pierre Gratton, Trent Mell, Dave Adams and Josipa Petronic discuss how the budget marks a departure from the past.

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The real problem behind Canada's out-of-control housing market

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week, as part of a special series for first-time homebuyers, Down to Business takes a look at what’s happened in the residential real estate market over the last 50 years and asks whether buying a house or condo is a good investment

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What the new emissions reduction plan means to the economy and business

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 18:24:38 -0000

In this special bonus episode of Down to Business, Gabriel Friedman talks to industry leaders about whether Ottawa's plan to cut 2005 level-emissions by 40 per cent by the end of the decade can work and what it would take.

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The deal that could launch Canada into the auto revolution

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week, Down to Business delves into the auto sector’s pivot to electric vehicles, one of the largest industrial transformations in history.

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Three first-time homebuyers tell their stories about Canada's crazy housing market

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0000

The Financial Post's Gabriel Friedman on this special episode talks to three different first-time home buyers with three completely different experiences about why they chose to wade out into Canada’s housing market.

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How gold prices connect to inflation, interest rates, bitcoin and the modern economy

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Sprott Inc.'s Peter Grosskopf and John Hathaway talk about why gold had been trending down for much of the last year even as it nears an all-time high.

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What rising interest rates mean for housing and the economy

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Tu Nyugen and Jason Del Vicario talk about how rising interest rates will affect the housing market and the economy.

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What the Ukraine-Russia conflict means for geopolitics, trade flows and the global economy

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Mark Manger, Alex Tuckett and Robert Huebert talk about the economic consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They point out that Russia is a critical supplier of oil and gas for much of Europe and also a huge producer of metals that will be needed for the energy transition.

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Stephen Poloz explains why volatility is trending up for the next decade

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz identifies five "tectonic" forces that are going to create new crises for at least a decade. He explains why volatility is trending up and why politicians may be ill-equipped to handle the challenges that lie ahead.

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What it will take to get Canada to net zero

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business two electricity experts Bruce Lourie and Gretchen Bakke talk about the many hurdles Canada will have to clear to get to net zero

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Tougher Fed is not good news for big tech

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Douglas Porter, BMO's chief economist, talks about why tech stocks are taking a beating and what it means for investors and our economy.

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How Uber's deal with a union could change the gig economy forever

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, law professor Veena Dubal speaks about what Uber's deal with United Food and Commercial Workers means for the company, its workers and other similar businesses in Canada.

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Air taxis will need 60,000 new pilots this decade and CAE wants to train them

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business talks to a living legend of the aviation industry: Marc Parent, chief executive of CAE. During the pandemic, this flight simulator company that derives much of its revenue from a grounded aviation sector, managed to complete nine acquisitions. Parent talks about the future of air taxis and delivery services, which is coming sooner than we think.

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How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing commercial real estate

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Cushman & Wakefield's Samantha Sannella talks about how our office may look different once we return and why companies will need to provide perks to lure people back.

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Web 3.0 — A decentralized internet that could be based on blockchain technology

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, guests Lex Sokolin and Victoria Lemieux talk about how blockchain could have profound implications on the way the internet works, particularly the attention economy.

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Labour shortage threatens to become economy's biggest bottleneck

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Scotiabank chief economist Jean-Francois Perrault talks about lessons from a shock that had no playbook and what challenges our economy faces ahead.

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Canadians will feel the bite of rising prices even more in 2022

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down To Business, the Conference Board of Canada's Sohaib Shahid explains what’s causing inflation to rise to its highest point in three decades and what that means for Canadians, especially lower income earners.

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The Crypto Files: If you think it doesn't affect you, think again. Blockchain is way bigger than money

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In the second of a three-part series on Down to Business exploring issues related to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, Andreas Park, an economist and a professor of finance at University of Toronto, who co-authored a design proposal for a digital currency for the Bank of Canada, breaks down what blockchain means for the financial system.

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What the U.S. EV tax credit means for Canada

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association of Canada, explains how the U.S. infrastructure bill will affect Canada's auto industry and why he predicts the EV tax credit will ultimately be dropped.

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Why blockchain development technology is crucial to the metaverse

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Ethan Lou, author of the book "Once a bitcoin miner," offers his perspective on why blockchain technology is already important but bound to play an even greater role in the future.

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Canada's biggest risk in green transition is missed opportunities

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Rachel Samson, research director for clean growth at the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices, talks about the COP26 summit and how the pandemic revealed a shift in attitudes about climate change.

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Why the post-pandemic economy is humbling forecasters

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Beata Caranici, chief economist of TD Bank, talks about the uncertainty the economy is facing as it struggles to emerge from the pandemic.

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Why Calgary's new mayor wants to declare a 'climate emergency'

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman talks with Calgary's first female mayor Jyoti Gondek about the polarization around climate change and fossil fuels and how she plans to attract investors to the city’s burgeoning cleantech economy.

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This tech company grew fivefold in just over a year — and stayed in Canada

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Lightspeed CEO Dax DaSilva talks about his company's remarkable growth spurt, how it is attracting and keeping talent and why Canada is actually an amazing place to headquarter your tech company.

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Addressing single use plastics left behind by takeout food

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business podcast, Megan Takeda-Tully talks about starting a company during a pandemic, the challenges of her endeavor and what’s at stake

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Canada's unemployment is high but the number of people quitting jobs is also rising. What's going on?

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down To Business Prof. Jennifer Robson talks about whether employers may end up hiking wages, the labour shortage and the Canada Recovery Benefit.

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Canada is addicted to high-rising home prices — and that's the problem

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down To Business Prof. Paul Kershaw talks about how rising real estate prices are distorting Canada’s economic growth and hurting younger generations.

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Uncovering Canada's role in supporting slavery in the Caribbean

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, University of Toronto's Padraic Scanlan talks about the controversy around Henry Dundas and some unsettling chapters of Canada’s past.

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'That world is over:' Airbnb CEO on how the pandemic has disrupted how we live and travel forever

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, talks about how his tech startup survived the most disruptive time for travel since World War II — and came out stronger

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How facial recognition technology impacts our dignity, autonomy and human rights

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Wendy Wong, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto where she is also a research lead at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and Canada Research Chair in Global Governance and Civil Society, discusses the ways that facial recognition technology has changed the world. Wong is an advocate for data literacy — being aware of the many ways our data is collected and how it’s used.

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Smaller housing markets set for a shock when life shifts back to the cities

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

With the Federal Election around the corner, leaders are rolling out their political platforms, including promises on housing and affordability. This week on Down to Business we talk to John Pasalis, president of Realosophy, about whether government can do anything about this persisting problem and what's ahead for Canada's housing market.

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'The pandemic is going to be a catalyst to change how we do income support:' Craig Alexander

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on "Down to Business," Deloitte chief economist Craig Alexander talks with Financial Post's Larysa Harapyn about the election issues dominating Canada's economic landscape: the recovery, underinvestment in business and infrastructure, and where post-pandemic prosperity is going to come from.

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The jobs most at risk of being transformed by automation

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Natalia Mishagina, research director at the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Montreal, where she focuses on the future of skills and adult learning, speaks with host Gabriel Friedman to discuss technology's impact on jobs.

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Pave paradise … how parking lots are choking our cities and economy

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, urban planner Ashley Salvador talks about how Edmonton, a city with 50% more parking than it needs, is the first city in Canada to ditch minimum parking requirements. Most cities have way more mandated parking than necessary and it adds up to a huge impact on our economy, even affecting housing prices.

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People need to accept that Canada is the fourth biggest producer of oil in the world: Seamus O’Regan

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Seamus O’Regan, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, talks about the importance of the oil and gas industry to the economy and why he believes the carbon tax is the “most elegant solution” to emissions.

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'We're in trouble:' Ag expert warns there's no adapting if this summer's 'heat dome' becomes the norm

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Lenore Newman, director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at University of the Fraser Valley, explains what climate change and extreme weather mean for Canada’s food supply.

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The huge human, social and economic costs of governments’ failure to prepare for the pandemic

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Heather Reisman, chief executive of Toronto-based Indigo Books and Music Inc. speaks with host Gabriel Friedman about how her business fared during the pandemic, when customer browsing abruptly came to a halt.

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Deciphering the mysteries of the pandemic job crisis

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Fabian Lange, Canadian Research Chair in Labour and Personnel Economics at McGill University, talks about how the pandemic has affected employment across Canada.

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Canada can't escape China, so here's how it can build a bridge to ease trade tensions

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Sharon Zhengyang Sun, trade policy economist for the Canada West Foundation, and a distinguished fellow for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, speaks to host Gabriel Friedman about the implications of Canada’s trade tensions with China.

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Not since Expo '67: pandemic leads to first travel surplus in Canada in decades

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, David Jacobson, a former U.S Ambassador to Canada, talks about the economic impact, both directly and indirectly, of closing our borders with our biggest trading partner.

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'Stark, unmistakeable and tragic': The failure of long-term care during COVID

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business talks to Alex Himelfarb, a former clerk of the privy council, about why more than two-thirds of Canada's deaths during the COVID-19 crisis occurred in long-term care homes, 50 per cent more than in other OECD countries.

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Canada is showing the world how carbon pricing should be done: Nobel-prize winning economist William Nordhaus

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Yale economist William Nordhaus discusses the economics of climate change.

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Death of the office, no. But there will be an evolution: RioCan CEO

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Financial Post's Larysa Harapyn talks to RioCan CEO Jonathan Gitlin about how the pandemic is changing the commercial real estate landscape.

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Canadian restaurants closed for more than 365 days suffer in 'lost year of business'

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 07:00:00 -0000

As we look forward to a summer of possibly "getting back to normal," businesses struggle with the prospect of reopening, only to close again. In this first of a two-part series on reopening, Down to Business talks to Todd Barclay, CEO of Restaurant Brands Canada, about the impact and outlook for one of the economy's hardest hit sectors.

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Working from home and the office not as easy as you might think

Wed, 26 May 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business talks to workplace expert Doron Melnick who says a hybrid between working from home and in the office could be the best of both worlds. But before we get there employers need to address the challenges of integrating a workforce that's partially onsite and at home, including the biases that can bring.

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Myths about Canada's pandemic 'recession': Sprott School of Business' Ian Lee

Wed, 19 May 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Ian Lee, an associate professor of Management at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, offers his passionate take on how Canada has squandered precious resources on a recession that wasn't a recession.

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Why everybody is stressing out about rare earth metals

Wed, 12 May 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Neo Performance Materials CEO Constantine Karayannopoulos talks about brewing international tensions over rare earths and why we need them for the future.

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ESG 'fantasy' distracts from real climate change fight, says former Blackrock insider

Wed, 05 May 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Tariq Fancy, the former chief investment officer for sustainable investing at Blackrock, explains how he became a cynic about ESG investments.

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How 'urban mining' could someday replace pulling minerals from the ground

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Li-Cycle's Ajay Kochar talks about the race to remake the North American recycling landscape.

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Forget bubbles, Canada has a housing affordability crisis: Frances Donald

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0000

High home prices and child care costs hurt Canada more than people think, economically hampering our next generation of workers and spenders, warns Manulife's chief economist.

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Days are numbered for fossil-fuel cars. Is Canada ready?

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Brian Kingston, president and chief executive of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association, and Benjamin Sharpe, a senior researcher and Canada Regional Lead at the International Council on Clean Transportation, based in California, talk about what lies ahead for the auto industry.

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'Amazing economic opportunity for Canada' in Biden's green plan

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business Clean Energy Canada's Sarah Petrevan talks about the economic imperative of nations going green. Canada, she says, is uniquely positioned to benefit from U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to transition to a low-carbon economy.

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Watch for more fallout as tensions between China and the West mount

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Wesley Wark, an expert on national security and intelligence, explores the nature of Canada’s tensions with China.

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CP's 'historic and transformational' merger could be the last of the big rail deals

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, it’s a story about creating the first transcontinental railroad, the corporate titans who invest in rail, the North American supply chains and trade they serve and about Hunter Harrison, who transformed the industry.

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'Big, big changes' in the pipeline as COVID accelerates green shift

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Jumana Saleheen, chief economist for the commodity research firm CRU, talks about the impacts, paradoxes and opportunities in the transition away from fossil fuels.

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Pandemic showed the inability of the world to act globally: Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, to mark PDAC's virtual mining conference, Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow explains why he does not think the crisis is over and how the gold industry still has a lot of work to do.

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Buttergate, the Canadian dairy controversy that swept the world

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business talks to Sylvain Charlebois, professor and director at the Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, about 'Buttergate,' the hard butter controversy that cast a global spotlight on Canada's dairy business.

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COVID-weary Canada should brace for 'worst wave of them all' in April

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week Down to Business looks at how we are coping with the pandemic one year on and the challenges of vaccine rollout in Canada, perhaps the single biggest issue right now affecting the economic recovery

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How Alberta's old oil wells could feed the world's growing hunger for lithium

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Chris Doornbros explains how his company Calgary-based E3 Metals is working on technology to extract lithium from old oil and gas reservoirs in Alberta, and how this process could help revolutionize the way we use energy.

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Brace yourself for 'very dismal' economic numbers, then a rush for restaurant reservations

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Deloitte chief economist Craig Alexander talks about what lies ahead as we battle a second wave of the coronavirus and how the pandemic's legacy will be deep economic scars, but also opportunities and innovation.

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Market manipulation or David vs Goliath? Unpacking the Reddit trader phenomenon

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman talks to two financial experts with very different takes on the wild run-up in stocks brought on by Reddit message boards and online trading.

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David Dodge on the challenges ahead for Canada's post-COVID economy

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, economist David Dodge, former governor of the Bank of Canada, talks about missed opportunities during the pandemic and how the government now must find a way to invest money so that it increases the country’s productivity.

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'Real potential for on-going terrorist acts' in wake of Washington insurrection: expert

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Carleton political science professor Laura Macdonald talks about the angry mobs storming the Capitol and what U.S. instability means for Canada, and for the North American regional economy.

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Outlook for the economy brighter than many think: CIBC's Royce Mendes

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business CIBC senior economist Royce Mendes tells us why he is more optimistic than many of his peers and how the economic recovery is already within sight.

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How COVID will change how small business is conducted (Andy Yan)

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business Andy Yan of Simon Fraser University, who has earned a reputation as a keen observer of trends in real estate and small business, talks about how the pandemic has interrupted, accelerated and amplified trends and what our economy and cities could look like once we come out the other side.

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Hoping 'this nightmare will be over soon': On the frontlines of a restaurant in the pandemic

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Down to Business, Trevor David, the owner, and self-described “chief cook and bottlewasher” at The Art of BBQ smokehouse in locked-down Toronto, describes how restaurants who have had their business cut by more than half in the pandemic are struggling to survive.

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The 'inspiration and anxiety' of running a high-risk meat business during a pandemic (Michael McCain)

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain, a billionaire known for his ability to handle a crisis, says 2020 has generated new levels of anxiety and inspiration.

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The best way to get people the help they need in a pandemic

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Shari Eli, an economist at the University of Toronto, explains what history says about the long-term effects of welfare and work programs and talks about the recovery from the pandemic and who is affected most.

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Misconceptions about the COVID vaccines now hitting the headlines

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down To Business, Tom Blackwell, a reporter for the National Post, talks about how we are not getting the whole story on the new COVID-19 vaccines and how it’s a mistake to think they can end the pandemic.

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Canada could be stuck with holdovers from Trump for a long time

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Meredith Lilly, a former trade adviser for Stephen Harper, discusses how Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S. has evolved.

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Stephen Poloz on interest rates, our oil industry and the K-shaped recovery

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, the former governor of the Bank of Canada talks about the state of Canada’s affairs, including its economic recovery and any potential impacts from the U.S. election.

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What went wrong with Ontario's COVID-19 testing

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s Down to Business, the National Post's Richard Warnica talks about how the province has not been able to meet its testing needs and the lack of foresight behind it.

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How luxury parka maker Canada Goose filled a critical need in the pandemic

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Dani Reiss, chief executive of Canada Goose, talks about how his company stepped up when the country found itself facing a critical shortage of personal protective equipment.

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Unpacking the ugly conflict over lobster fisheries in Nova Scotia

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Dalhousie’s Megan Bailey sets the record straight on the historical, legal and environmental facts of the dispute that has sparked shocking violence in southern Nova Scotia.

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Will Canada's housing friendly recession last? (With Benjamin Tal, CIBC Deputy Chief Economist)

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down To Business, Gabriel Friedman talks to CIBC Deputy Chief Economist Bejamin Tal about how high housing prices in the middle of one of the worst recessions in history have exposed Canada’s income inequality crisis and where the housing market is going from here.

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Oil’s demise will be more gradual than many imagine (Daniel Yergin)

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down To Business, Gabriel Friedman talks to pulitzer prize-winning analyst Daniel Yergin on the future of energy and Canada’s oilsands and how pipelines have become the new political battleground.

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How Canada can pull from behind the curve to a world leader in EVs

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Cedric Smith, an analyst at the clean energy think tank, Pembina Institute, talks about the opportunities for this country in the green economy.

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Oil and Blood: Saudi Arabia's crown prince poses a challenge for the West (with journalist and author Justin Scheck)

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week, on Down to Business, Justin Scheck, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and co-author of Blood and Oil, a new book about Saudi Arabia, discusses how the oil-rich nation is trying to diversify its economy. The book takes a closer look at Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who has been making huge bets on tech companies with money from the country's oil revenues.

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How consumer behaviour has changed during COVID-19 (Economist Anindya Sen)

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

The last recession gave birth to the gig economy, in which companies like Airbnb and Uber convinced people to monetize their houses and cars. COVID will make changes too, in commerce and beyond. This week, on Down to Business, Anindya Sen, an economist at the University of Waterloo, talks about how consumer behavior has changed during the pandemic and how that in turn could change our economy.

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Why the world’s resource king is so interested in Saskatchewan

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

BHP Group, one of the world’s largest mining corporations, is known for iron ore and copper, petroleum and coal, not potash. But that may be changing. This week on Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman talks to BHP’s new chief executive Mike Henry about the mega-miner’s interest in mining potash in Saskatchewan and how climate change is changing the commodities game.

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Conflicting data show this recession is anything but normal

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Despite a record drop in economic activity, 2020 is set to be a bumper year for growth in disposal income — what gives? This week on Down to Business host Gabriel Friedman talks to Conference Board of Canada chief economist Pedro Antunes about the unusual nature of this recession and the speed and quality of the economic recovery so far.

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What Chrystia Freeland brings to the table as Canada’s finance minister

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Canada’s finance minister Bill Morneau abruptly resigned last week in the middle of one of worst economic crises since the Second World War. His replacement, deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, has strong experience on Parliament Hill but less on Bay Street. To help break down the news, Down to Business interviewed Rebekah Young, director of fiscal and provincial economics at Scotiabank, who has been keeping a close eye on the state of Canada’s recovery.

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What record high gold prices mean for mining companies in Canada (with Agnico Eagle Mines CEO Sean Boyd)

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman speaks with Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. CEO Sean Boyd about what it’s been like to run a gold company amid a pandemic and record gold prices.

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What the decision whether to reopen schools this fall means for the recovery — podcast

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s Down to Business, as part of our series on Reopening Canada, Clementine Van Effenterre, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Toronto, talks about how the pandemic is affecting working families and what that means for the economy

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How consumer behaviours are changing as a result of the pandemic (with Ernie Johannson, BMO Financial Group)

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s Down to Business, Ernie Johannson, group head of personal and business banking in North America for BMO Financial Group, speaks to host Gabriel Friedman about shifting consumer habits and describes the initial challenges of trying to stabilize bank operations during a financial crisis and a health pandemic.

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We’re going to be living in a deflationary world (economist Irene Lauro)

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

On this week's Down to Business, Irene Lauro, a senior economist at Schroders, explains the ripple effects of “reshoring” and how deflation is a top concern for economists as the recovery moves forward.

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How the world of work is changing in Canada for better and worse (Mercer Canada CEO Jaqui Parchment)

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Jaqui Parchment, chief executive of Mercer Canada, one of the largest human resources consulting firms in the world, talks to Gabriel Friedman about what’s happening in workplaces throughout the country, whether in the office or at home.

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The Canadian economy is reopening, get ready for some false starts (CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld)

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0000

On this week's Down to Business, CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld talks to host Gabriel Friedman about the shape and speed of the recovery. While some sectors will rebound quickly, a second big chunk of the economy will see a very shallow recovery or no recovery at all.

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How the COVID-19 pandemic could – and should – change the tourism sector (G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip)

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip talks to host Emily Jackson about how COVID-19 has affected his business and how he believes the travel industry should evolve once people are free to move around again.

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How corporate Canada can address systemic challenges faced by the black business community

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Nadine Spencer, president of the Black Business and Professional Association, talks to host Emily Jackson about the ongoing challenges faced by Canada’s black business community and what can be done to improve access to capital and diversity in the boardroom.

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New leader takes helm of Bank of Canada in the throes of a global crisis

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Financial Post columnist Kevin Carmichael talks to host Emily Jackson about the legacy of outgoing Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz, the decision to replace him with Tiff Macklem, what the bank needs to focus on going forward and why leadership at the bank is so critical now to the Canadian economy.

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‘Health and Safety is the new Black’: How COVID-19 will permanently change Canada’s retail sector – podcast

Wed, 27 May 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Retail Council of Canada CEO Diane Brisebois talks with host Emily Jackson about the challenges facing retailers as they re-open and how between 25% and 30% may never come back.

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Goodbye office space, hello suburbs: Canadian real estate in pandemic times

Wed, 20 May 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Ryerson University real estate management professor Murtaza Haider talks to host Emily Jackson about the pandemic’s impact on housing and rental prices, how the shift to working from home could affect real estate in downtown cores and a rethinking of the suburbs.

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Screen time is way up, and this Vancouver production studio is hiring to keep up with demand

Wed, 13 May 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Demand for entertainment has skyrocketed during the pandemic shut-in. Thunderbird Entertainment chief executive Jennifer Twiner-McCarron talks to host Emily Jackson about how her company has been able to thrive even with employees working from home and how she expects this crisis will change the entertainment industry in the long term.

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Canada’s auto industry gears up to go back to work (Honda Canada CEO Jean Marc Leclerc)

Wed, 06 May 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Auto sales are down 75% as the industry struggles with closed dealerships and shuttered factories. This week on Down to Business, Honda Canada’s new chief executive Jean Marc Leclerc discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the auto sector and its global supply chains, and how long he expects it will take for the industry to recover as Honda looks to resume production next week.

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Shockproofing Canada: How business can prepare for the next shock

Fri, 01 May 2020 07:00:00 -0000

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on people and economies around the world, Canada’s business community is starting to ask – what can we do to better prepare before the next crisis hits? Conference Board of Canada senior economist Julie Ades joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss how the pandemic could be a catalyst for long-term changes to Canada’s supply chains.

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How farmers are taking the brunt of meat industry’s problems in COVID-19 pandemic

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson talks to food market analyst Kevin Grier about why the meat industry was one of the first hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, how big is the risk of a meat shortage and why this break in the supply chain will hurt farmers.

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Shockproofing Canada: Why our drug supply can’t be 100% self-sufficient

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association president Jim Keon joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss the vulnerabilities in Canada’s drug supply chain during the pandemic, which has led to a run on drugs hospitals use to sedate coronavirus patients and help them breathe.

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Why Canada’s economy must reopen gradually to avoid devastating second lockdown (Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman)

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, the CEO of the country’s largest community credit union talks to host Emily Jackson about how COVID-19 has affected members, the government’s response to the crisis, the lessons financial institutions can learn and why a gradual, uninterrupted reopening is the economy’s best bet.

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Shockproofing Canada: How secure is our food supply? (Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Mary Robinson)

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 15:01:10 -0000

Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Mary Robinson joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss how the coronavirus pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our food system and what lessons Canada can learn from the crisis.

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As internet and phone usage skyrockets amid coronavirus, will Ottawa still push for affordability?

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson talks to Telus executive Jim Senko about how telecoms are grappling with the huge boost in demand because of the pandemic shutdown and the industry’s earlier view on Ottawa’s push for a 25% price cut.

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Shockproofing Canada’s energy sector: Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 13:55:35 -0000

Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss what energy self-sufficiency would look like in Canada and how the government could take action to create such a strategy. This special episode of Down to Business is part of the National Post’s new series Strong & Free: Shockproofing Canada.

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How Canada’s billions in coronavirus emergency spending could help you

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 07:00:00 -0000

CIBC tax expert Jamie Golombek talks to host Emily Jackson about new benefits designed to help Canadians weather the coronavirus crisis financially and how to access them.

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Meet the small manufacturers scaling up to build made-in-Canada coronavirus testing kits, ventilators

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Ventilators, surgical masks and testing kits have become hot commodities as countries race to buy up the medical equipment needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Host Emily Jackson talks to the small Canadian manufacturers who are stepping up to make the vital gear that our front-line health workers need.

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How coronavirus market chaos compares to 2008 financial crisis (Jonathan Chevreau)

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Watching the stock market these days is like looking at a falling elevator — and investors are starting to panic. Personal finance columnist Jonathan Chevreau joins host Emily Jackson with advice on how best to ride out this storm

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Just how bad will the coronavirus pandemic be for Canada’s economy? (BMO chief economist Doug Porter)

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 07:00:00 -0000

BMO Financial Group chief economist Doug Porter joins host Emily Jackson to talk about the unprecedented turmoil the Canadian economy is already going through from the impact of coronavirus shutdowns and what it faces ahead.

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Why Canada needs more women in finance (Women in Capital Markets’ Camilla Sutton)

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Canada lags the G7 on promoting women in leadership roles. Only four per cent of companies listed on the TSX have a female CEO and 15 per cent a female chief financial officer. This week on Down to Business, Women in Capital Markets chief executive Camilla Sutton joins host Emily Jackson to discuss why Canada has a long way to go when it comes to equality

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The inside story of Bombardier's asset sales (CEO Alain Bellemare)

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare joins host Emily Jackson on this week’s Down to Business to talk about why the one-time Quebec manufacturing giant sold off major assets to focus exclusively on business jets

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How rail blockades are connected to cancelled $20-billion oilsands project (Financial Post’s Gabe Friedman)

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Financial Post resources reporter Gabe Friedman joins host Emily Jackson to discuss how the Wet’suwet’en rail blockades are connected to Teck Resources' decision not to build a $20-billion oilsands mine in Alberta, and what it means for Canada’s reputation with investors.

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How we will be using drones in five years (Drone Delivery Canada CEO Michael Zahra)

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Drones are poised to be a big future player in the logistics and delivery business, whether they drop off pizza on your doorstep or carry replacement parts to offshore oil rigs. Drone Delivery Canada CEO Michael Zahra talks to host Emily Jackson about the scope of the industry, its potential for growth and why Canada is ahead of the game

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What makes Canada’s real estate market tick (Re/Max Canada’s Pamela Alexander)

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson speaks with Re/Max Canada owner operator Pamela Alexander about the boom in real estate agents, how technology may disrupt how homes are bought and sold, and where she sees the real estate market going next.

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How Canada’s online grocery market could grow to $30 billion a year (Goodfood CEO Jonathan Ferrari)

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Canadians buy almost everything online these days, yet we have lagged behind other countries when it comes to purchasing groceries over the internet. This week host Emily Jackson talks to Goodfood CEO Jonathan Ferrari about how that trend is turning, shown by his meal subscription and grocery delivery company growing 90% last year.

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Powersports therapy: Inside the astonishing success of Canada’s snowmobile maker BRP (CEO José Boisjoli)

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Seventeen years ago BRP was split from its parent company Bombardier; today its market value is almost twice as much. BRP CEO José Boisjoli talks to Down to Business host Emily Jackson about how they did it and what’s next

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Stock market bonanza due for ‘interruption’ of 5% to 10% (Manulife chief economist Frances Donald)

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The stock market is on fire this year even as economic indicators remain on the shaky side. Exuberance on one hand, skepticism on the other. Manulife chief economist Frances Donald talks to host Emily Jackson about how she sees the year unfolding for the markets and economy

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What’s in store for Canada’s energy sector in 2020 (with Jackie Forrest, senior director, Arc Energy Research Institute)

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 08:00:00 -0000

On this week's Down to Business, host Emily Jackson speaks with Jackie Forrest, senior director at the Arc Energy Research Institute, about some of the pressing issues facing the country’s oil and gas sector, from rising tensions in the Middle East to increased investor focus on carbon emissions.

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Top takeaways from the Canadian business world (Financial Post editor Nicole MacAdam)

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 20:16:12 -0000

Financial Post editor Nicole MacAdam is moving on to become editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun. In this Down to Business bonus episode, she talks with host Emily Jackson about the important trends she has seen over the past four years, including the disruption of businesses by innovation and technology, trade protectionism and the rise of the #MeToo movement in the business community.

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One trillion reasons investing will change in the new decade (BMO’s Joanna Rotenberg)

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s Down to Business, Joanna Rotenberg, group head of BMO wealth management, talks to host Emily Jackson about three sweeping changes coming in the next decade, how investment strategies will evolve and where the smart money is going in 2020.

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How Canada's economy fared in 2019

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0000

This week on Down to Business, Financial Post national business columnist Kevin Carmichael joins host Emily Jackson to discuss Canada’s economic performance in 2019 and what it says about 2020.

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Inside the strategy of one of Canada’s fastest growing retailers (Saje CEO Kate Ross LeBlanc)

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0000

25 years ago Kate Ross LeBlanc and her husband started a company selling the essential oils that had helped him recover from a car accident. Now they have 84 stores in North America and revenue has grown 1,500% over the past five years. Host Emily Jackson talks to Kate about how they did it

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How Shopify is 'arming the rebels' as Amazon builds its empire (with COO Harley Finkelstein)

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here, along with the onslaught in advertising. We know these shopping holidays, and the holiday season in general, are massive events for major retailers. But what about the entrepreneurs navigating e-commerce? Shopify Chief Operating Officer Harley Finkelstein joins host Emily Jackson to discuss how Shopify is helping businesses in the new direct-to-consumer retail world.

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How Ikea Canada plans to get shoppers through the door or online in the digital era (CEO Michael Ward)

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Big box stores have had to rethink their strategies in a digital world where online shopping has taken a bite out of in-person sales. Disruption to distribution models and demographic shifts in where people live have forced even the biggest retailers to rethink their plans for the future. Ikea Canada president Michael Ward joins host Emily Jackson to discuss how Ikea is evolving for the digital world.

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