Key Issue: Productivity

On October 17, 2018, recreational cannabis became legal in Canada, with the primary objectives of eliminating a significant illicit market, keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth and protecting public health and public safety. Recreational cannabis would now be produced, distributed, and sold through an entirely transparent and licensed business model and Canadians would […]

Canada needs a wake-up call. The Internet’s second blockchain era will produce even more upheaval than the Internet’s first information era. It is an unstoppable force that will make itself felt in almost every facet of our lives. Canada has a head start on becoming the second era’s global hub or, at least, one of […]

Currently there are no therapies available for either the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Health Canada and other international health organizations are working with researchers and manufacturers to help expedite the development and availability of vaccines, antibodies, and drugs to prevent and treat COVID-19 and other future viral threats. Once a vaccine has been successfully […]

Pay gaps between four designated groups (women, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and visible minorities) and men remains a consistent problem for the Canadian economy. One reason attributed to this gap is that fewer individuals in designated groups are employed in high-paying occupations, which are dominated by men.[1] Ensuring that there is training, hiring and […]

BC is expected to have 861,000 job openings between 2019 and 2029 and the government has acknowledged that this cannot be filled with local, domestic labour.  Immigration is and will continue to be a major source of our workforce in BC.  However, we are selling our businesses, our newcomers, and our economy short if we […]

Given persistently high rates of youth unemployment in British Columbia—at 8.6%,[1] three percent higher than the national average[2] (pre-COVID-19) —preparing youth to follow an entrepreneurial path is not only an acceptable choice, but also a strategic decision. There are programs in BC and in Canada that introduce youth to career paths, but there is not enough […]

The United Nations Refugee Agency says Canada has admitted the largest number of resettled refugees in recent years and has had the second highest rate of refugees who gained citizenship. Canada accepted 28,100 of the 92,400 refugees who were resettled across 25 countries in 2019.[1] British Columbia became home to 510 asylum claimants, who settled in Canada in 2019.[2] Most […]

Access to investment capital is crucial to business and economic development anywhere – but it is especially important in rural areas. However, research initiatives completed by the BC Rural Centre,[1] BC Economic Development Association (BCEDA), BC Community Impact Investment Coalition and Rural Development Institute (RDI) have noted that it is often difficult to access business […]

Agriculture is rapidly changing, and the realities of climate change and a growing population mean the years to come will be a time of great challenge in the systems that feed us every day. As the recent COVID-19 global pandemic has highlighted even further, the need to ensure food security and for a reliable local […]

In 2002, discussion around liquor regulation in BC noted that “the government brings no special talents or purpose to retailing, warehousing or distributing alcohol. Increasing opportunities for private-sector involvement will result in improved services, consumer choice and access, and better use of the Liquor Distribution Board (LDB) resources.”[1] This view, as expressed by the Provincial […]