Empire Club of Canada

The Deputy Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address on the Canadian economy, with a focus on the global challenge of inflation and the steps the federal government is taking to make life more affordable for Canadians. *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.*  *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: The World We're In: The Impact of Conflict, Energy and Climate Change on Canada A Keynote Speech by Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, the Honourable Bob Rae Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, the Honourable Bob Rae, will be giving a timely talk on the major factors affecting our world today. The world is experiencing profound conflict from the war on Ukraine, to the flow of energy, to the necessity to achieve energy independence, while moving towards decarbonization. COVID-19 recovery plans can shape the 21st century economy in ways that must be clean, green, healthy, safe and more resilient. UN members must continue to focus on implementing SD13 on climate action. These global events and how our country reacts will influence Canada profoundly. Speaker: The Honourable Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Human Capital’s Role in the Canadian Economy: Investing in Canada’s Future Leaders, decision-makers and experts from the Canadian business community and government form this Empire Club panel to discuss the vital importance of human capital on the Canadian economy. The panel will focus on how Canada can attract skilled workers to lead future economic development, growth, and innovation in Canada and unlock the economy’s full potential. The pandemic severely disrupted immigration to Canada and worsened the country’s shortage of available skilled labour. This panel of thought leaders will discuss; how Canada can reverse this trend, what our economic and societal needs are across key sectors, and the role that public-private collaboration must play in filling these gaps. The panel will assess and consider how human capital can contribute to diversity and inclusion goals, humanitarian assistance as well as labour force development and industry innovation. Panelists will share their sector-specific insights as well as their opinions on how Canada can improve its competitive advantage by boosting its population and luring highly-skilled immigrants from across the world. Moderator: Elena Cherney, Coverage Editor , Wall Street Journal Speakers: The Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Government of Canada Kathleen Taylor, Chair of the Board, RBC   Mark Wiseman, Chairman, AIMCo Senator Hassan Yussuff, Senate of Canada *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Fuel for Thought Speaker Series “Canadian Drivers and the Low-Carbon Future” Reducing emissions and fighting climate change is important to Canadians. They also value the reliable and affordable movement of people and goods across Canada and beyond. Canadian consumers have an important role to play in our low-carbon future and the choices that they make will be critical to Canada’s plans to achieve net zero. Join our panel of industry experts as they discuss how emerging policies will affect Canadians and how Canadians can influence the low-carbon future.  Moderator: Jennifer Stewart, President & CEO, Canadian Energy Marketers Association (CEMA) Speakers: Jackie Forrest, Executive Director, ARC Energy Research Institute Ian Jack, Vice-President, Public Affairs Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Dan McTeague, President, Canadians for Affordable Energy *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: In the Thick of It: Unpacking the 2022 Ontario Provincial Election Ontario’s 2018 election altered the province’s political landscape: Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives swept into power with a majority government, Andrea Horwath’s New Democrats became the Official Opposition, the Green Party won a seat for the first time in its history, and the Ontario Liberals were reduced to seven seats – the worst result in the Party’s history. The ensuing four years featured a battle against a global pandemic, the exposure of the province’s fragile public health system, as well as increased concerns about the rising cost of living. Climate change, investments in infrastructure and transportation, federal-provincial relations also featured during the PCs majority mandate. As we approach the June 2 provincial election date, Ontario’s political parties will try to convince voters they have solutions to address these and future challenges. How will Ontarians respond? Join us as veteran political strategists and pollsters provide insights on what we can expect during the 2022 Ontario election. How is each campaign strategizing to connect with voters and what issues do Ontarians care about? Will Ford’s Ontario PCs be able to move beyond covid concerns and focus on the economic recovery? Can Andrea Horwath and the NDP find a message that resonates with voters? Will Steven Del Duca reverse the Ontario Liberal’s 2018 election results? A brief polling session will kick off the event with David Coletto from Abacus Data. Followed by a political panel moderated by Martin Regg Cohn (Toronto Star) featuring: - Colin MacDonald (Navigator Limited) - Dennis Matthews (Creative Currency) - Kim Wright (Wright Strategies) Click here to download David Coletto's presentation. *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Health Care Delivery to Ontario’s Northern Remote Indigenous Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic has strained Ontario’s health care system over the past two years as hospitals and health care professionals struggled to support patients in every corner of the province, despite increase workloads and persistent staffing shortages.   As Ontario appears to be turning the corner with regards to this last Omicron wave, there remains an urgent and under-reported crisis in northern and remote communities in Ontario.  Remote and indigenous communities continue to face challenges accessing basic and emergency medical care, and this problem has been worsened during the pandemic because of the burn out of health care professionals.    This panel will explore some of these stories and how these communities were supported during the pandemic.  More importantly, this panel will reflect on the urgent need for improving health care delivery to these underserviced areas of the province.  Moderator: Willow Fiddler Staff Reporter The Globe and Mail Speaker: Dr. Isaac Bogoch, Infectious Diseases Specialist, University of Toronto and Toronto General Hospital Alvin Fiddler, Health Transformation Lead and Negotiator, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Homer Tien, MD, President & CEO, Ornge *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Canada’s Digital Economy: Creating a Shared Vision in a Fragmented World Canada is emerging from the pandemic in a unique position. We have an advanced economy with some of the highest levels of digital connectivity, access, and usage in the world.  Still, there are challenges ahead, including an unpredictable global economic environment, growing mistrust in institutions and increasingly polarized market dynamics.  Creating truly lasting economic and social value will take a sustained, coordinated effort, including modernizing our key institutions, building trust in digital capabilities and supporting businesses and Canadians to meet the needs of the digital economy. Both digital ID and digital payment capabilities will play a pivotal role in Canada’s ability to capture the economic and social benefits associated with ongoing economic trends. However, these transformations will not be fully realized unless they are widely available and delivered in a cohesive fashion from coast to coast. From safeguarding data to ensuring backbone technology is inclusive and accessible, getting implementation right is no small feat. Meeting the challenges ahead requires collaboration between the private and public sectors to deliver trustworthy, secure, and frictionless digital products and services. Throughout its history, Interac has prioritized the development of payment capabilities which are widely available and accessible to all Canadians. In this address, Mark will describe the opportunities and challenges ahead and will articulate a path forward that can unlock greater economic and social benefits for Canadians. Speaker: Mark O'Connell, President & CEO, Interac Corp. *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Ontario’s Economy is Getting Stronger – Here’s How The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario’s Minister of Finance, will join the Empire Club for a discussion on the government’s long-term vision for prosperity, jobs and growth. Speaker: The Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance, Province of Ontario *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: How OPG is Paving the Way for Ontario and Other Jurisdictions to Decarbonize Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is committed to becoming a net-zero carbon company by 2040, and a catalyst for a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. OPG is uniquely positioned to be a climate change leader because of our strong track-record of innovation, efficient operations and project delivery, which includes coal closure. Join us for a conversation with Ken Hartwick, CEO of OPG to learn more about how OPG aims to address climate change in a way that will help create new jobs, nurture new industries that protect the environment and make our economy stronger for current and future generations through: Development of small modular reactors Advancing electrification initiatives in the province Completing the Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment Project Continued investment in our hydroelectric generation Focus on adaptation and resiliency of our assets Exploring opportunities in non-hydro renewables, energy storage and hydrogen Moderator: Anita Sharma, Network News Anchor, Host, Moderator, CTV News Channel Speaker: Ken Hartwick, President & CEO, Ontario Power Generation *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Canada Needs a Revived Economic Council to Thrive in the 21st Century 21st century economic realities and the digital transformation have presented Canada with the imperative to create institutional capacity for the innovation-based economy. We need to capitalize on our potential with flexible, integrated, and forward-thinking governance and prosperity strategies. It is time to re-establish an Economic Council to make Canada more competitive in the global economy.   Jim Balsillie, one of Canada’s most prominent innovation, business and policy leaders will reflect on why: Canada needs a revived Economic Council to thrive in the 21st century global economy driven by innovation.   This event will be moderated by one of Canada’s foremost experts in technology and innovation investments, John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity. Moderator: John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner, Maverix Private Equity Speaker: Jim Balsillie, Co-founder & Chair, Council of Canadian Innovators *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*