Empire Club of Canada

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: 2020 U.S. Presidential Election Panel In this virtual discussion, our panelists focus on the impacts that the 2020 U.S. Presidential election will have on the economies of Ontario and Canada. How do the two presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, stack up on critical issues related to economic growth, transcontinental trade, and climate change? How will recent developments—from the COVID-19 shutdown, social unrest, trade war with China, and an economic recession—influence the outcome of this election? What opportunities could a Biden win potentially create for Ontario and Canada? Moderator: Anita Sharma, BNN Bloomberg Reporter and Host of Market Call Tonight Panelists: Frances Donald, Managing Director, Chief Economist and Head of Macro Strategy, Manulife Bruce Heyman, Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Chris Jackson, Senior Vice President, Ipsos Reid Public Affairs *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: Managing through Crisis and Building a Winning Culture with Michael Medline, President & CEO, Empire Company and Sobeys Empire Co. completed one of the most successful transformations in Canadian retail history. And then the entire retail industry was put to the test. In this conversation, Michael Medline, President and CEO of Empire and Sobeys, discusses how the grocery giant not only emerged as a leader during the biggest crisis ever faced by food retail but also how it had positioned itself to keep pace with the rapid acceleration of retail. Moderator: Larysa Harapyn, Journalist, Post Media Speaker: Michael Medline, President & CEO, Empire Company and Sobeys Inc. *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: Diplomacy in a COVID World with Ambassador Bob Rae As the United Nations celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2020, it and its members confront unprecedented crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic recession, ongoing displacement of millions of people, and the existential threat of climate change. Canada has long had a leading role within the United Nations system and has effectively used multilateral approaches to advance its foreign and economic policy interests over the years. Moving past its unsuccessful bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, Canada’s new Permanent Representative Bob Rae is actively pursuing an agenda of international collaboration with the aim of coordinating responses to the pandemic and economic recovery efforts. In a time of social distancing and virtual meetings, Ambassador Rae is pivoting Canada’s diplomatic approach at the UN and building new alliances to keep Canadian interests front and center on the world stage. Moderator: Dr. Bessma Momani, Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo; Senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI); Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C. Speaker: Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York *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: Post Covid: The Future of Downtown The COVID 19 pandemic dealt a staggering blow to our downtowns. In the spring, offices and businesses were closed entirely. Organizations continued to operate with employees working remotely. Some businesses failed entirely. Even as offices have reopened, most people continue to work from home. Walking through an office building now can be an eerie experience. The lack of foot traffic is also devastating in downtown restaurants and coffee shops. We are looking for answers. After COVID, will downtowns bounce back?  To what extent?  And how long will it take?  How much commercial space will be vacant?  What are other possible uses for this space? In short, our cities will recover. But how? And when? These are the questions facing this panel of experts from business, labour, and academia. Moderator: Mary W. Rowe, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Canadian Urban Institute Panelists: Mark Garner, Chief Operating Officer, Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area William Logar, Executive Vice President, Asset Management, KingSett Capital Mike Yorke, President, Director of Public Affairs and Innovation, Carpenters’ District Council 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: In conversation with Mike Rencheck, President and CEO of Bruce Power on Canada’s goal of Net-Zero by 2050 and the critical role of nuclear power. Nuclear power is an integral component for Canada and the rest of the world in order to achieve its GHG emissions targets; simply put, without nuclear power as part of the solution, it is not possible to combat the devastating effects of climate change. In this panel discussion, Bruce Power’s President and CEO Mike Rencheck unveils Bruce Power’s strategy to contribute to a Net- Zero Canada while growing the economy and supporting innovation. Mike is joined by Ontario’s business leaders including, Rocco Rossi, President & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce(OCC), Bruce Wallace, President & CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Institute(NII), and Sujin Wren, Hydrogen Technologies Lead at Hatch as they discuss the integral role of Bruce Power nuclear in turning climate change ambitions and targets into a decarbonized reality. Moderator: Jan De Silva, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade Panelists: Mike Rencheck, President & CEO, Bruce Power Rocco Rossi, President & CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) Bruce Wallace, President & CEO, Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) Sujin Wren, Hydrogen Technologies Lead, Hatch *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 Tourism Industry: Impact and Recovery Outlook for 2020 and Beyond Since February of 2020, the tourism sector—which employs 10% of Canadians—has accounted for 30.3% of the almost 3 million jobs that have been shed. Within tourism itself, 43.3% of employment has been lost since February 2020—that’s 881,700 jobs. Of those losses, 56.1% were in part-time employment and 43.9% were full-time jobs. Source: Tourism HR Canada A distinguished panel of tourism industry leaders from across Canada have an informative and candid discussion on how the Covid-19 virus has impacted the industry and how it plans to recover and prosper in the future. Moderator:  Vanmala Subramaniam - Business Reporter, The Logic Panelists: Scott Beck - President & Chief Executive Officer, Destination Toronto Ross Jefferson - President & Chief Executive Officer, Discover Halifax Beth Potter - President & Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) Marsha Walden - President and Chief Executive Officer, Destination 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: The Impact of the Pandemic on Women's Advancement during Recovery : Overcoming Setbacks and Promoting Change for the Better During the summer of 2020 the Empire Club held a milestone event which brought together five remarkable women (to access the panel discussion click here: https://youtu.be/ACr5TacxmPs) to talk about mental health, money and societal shifts occurring in real time as the worst pandemic in over a century tested Canadian civil society and our ability to cope with numerous unimaginable stressors affecting our lives and our livelihood.  These remarkable leaders spoke candidly about issues impacting women in the workplace, at home and across all aspects of society. It quickly became evident to all of our audience that these were NOT just women’s issues but will have an enormous impact on employers, families and society in general as we all face this unprecedented crisis. The audience questions submitted by those who tuned in during the Live Broadcast were so numerous and of such fundamental importance to the real impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economy and society in general that it was immediately obvious a second session would be of great importance to anyone trying to understand how to emerge from this crisis, and what the best way forward for all Canadians was. Stated simply: “How will we overcome the setbacks women have faced due to the pandemic and how can we become stronger together as a society?” Moderator: Vivene Salmon, Vice-President, Country Compliance Manager, Global Banking and Markets Compliance, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Panelists: Andrea Carter, CEO & Founder, Wealthy Woman Warrior and Building Better Organizations; Gender Diversity & Inclusion Specialist and Learning Development Consultant Candies Kotchapaw, Community Builder; Networker Elizabeth Naumovski, Vice President Marketing, Caldwell Securities Ltd. Dr. Samantha Wells - Senior Director & Senior Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at CAMH; Associate Professor, Clinical Public Health Division at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto *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: Covid-19 and Canadian Women: Mental Health, Money and Societal Shifts One of the resounding battle cries heard throughout the pandemic is “We are all in this together”. While this is comforting to many people and politically attractive as a concept, it has been very clear from the outset that certain demographics have suffered disproportionately from the outset of Covid-19. The largest demographic to be hit hard is women, whether working on the front lines in multiple industries or seeing their workplaces close indefinitely with little hope of a comeback. The Covid-19 pandemic has also exacerbating challenges associated with childcare, mental health, and partner violence, with these challenges affecting women in countries around the world. In this panel discussion, five Canadian women who have thought a lot about these issues and what they mean to our country, our society and to women in particular answer the following questions: What are the real challenges going forward? What about marginalized women and those struggling with the impact of poverty, racism, substance abuse, and/or dysfunctional/toxic relationships? How will this pandemic impact Canadian women going forward? This discussion offers a unique opportunity for Canadians to dive deeper into one of the most important issues of 2020 and how it impacted Canada and the women who live in Canada. Moderator: Vivene Salmon, Vice-President, Country Compliance Manager, Global Banking and Markets Compliance, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Panelists:  Andrea Carter, CEO & Founder, Wealthy Woman Warrior and Building Better Organizations; Gender Diversity & Inclusion Specialist and Learning Development Consultant Candies Kotchapaw, Community Builder; Networker Elizabeth Naumovski, Vice President Marketing, Caldwell Securities Ltd. Dr. Samantha Wells - Senior Director & Senior Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at CAMH; Associate Professor, Clinical Public Health Division at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto *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: Preventing the Next Pandemic-Like Event David Gold and Melissa Matlow will discuss how the next global pandemic-like event will come from our negative relationship with the environment and wildlife and offer key recommendations on how to prevent it. Nathaniel Erskine Smith provides the government's position on the actions it is taking to help prevent this event. Moderator: Naomi Parness, Moderator and former CTV personality Panelists: David Gold, Chief Meteorologist, IBM Services Nathaniel Erskine Smith, Member of Parliament for Beaches-East York Melissa Matlow, Campaign Director, World Animal Protection *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 Power of Black Female Leadership…Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Three women, trail blazers in advancing the cause of black women in Canada, politicians from all three levels of government who spent their careers-and indeed their lives- fighting to make it better for black women and indeed all minority women in Canada. The Empire Club brought together Jean Augustine, Zanana Akande and Beverley Salmon to tell the story of how they fought for equal rights and the necessary legislative and behavioral changes to create a conducive climate for equal rights. In a panel discussion moderated by Gwyn Chapman, these three seasoned politicians will recount the challenges they faced in this regard, and what actually made a difference. They also cast their eyes toward the future and discuss what challenges lay ahead for young black women in this new era of hyper partisanship. Moderator: Gwyn Chapman, Special Advisor, Youth Engagement, to Mayor John Tory; Senior Advisor, Economic Empowerment, Anti-black Racism Unit, City of Brampton; TV producer Panelists: Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine P.C., C.M., C.B.E., First Black Female MPP, Grenadian-Canadian Educational Administrator; Advocate for Social Justice; Politician Zanana Akande, First Black Female MPP, Public Service; Educator; Policy Shaper; Community Advocate Dr. Beverley Salmon, First Black Female City Councillor, Member of the Order of Ontario in 2016 & the Order of Canada in 2017; Community Activist *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.*