Tariffs and Economic Development: Threats, Opportunities and Strategies
The 100th episode of Intended Consequences explores the impacts of the U.S. tariffs on economic development in Canada. Many Canadian communities are vulnerable to tariffs with Saint John (NB), Calgary and Windsor topping the list according to the U.S. Tariff Exposure Index developed by the Business Data Lab at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The Director of the Economic Development Program at the University of Waterloo, Brock Dickinson, joins the podcast to discuss how economic development is impacted by tariffs and what it could mean for sectors like manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. He shares helpful strategies local economic development officers can deploy to support companies and make their communities more resilient.
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28:54
Private Investments in the Ontario Electricity Distribution Sector
Much of Ontario – including most of the province’s main urban centres – are served by local electricity distributors (LDCs) owned by municipalities. Both the federal and Ontario governments have recently announced measures that could enable more private sector or pension fund investment in those municipally owned LDCs. This podcast looks at the current situation, the proposed changes and what more private or pension fund investment could entail for municipalities, investors and the Ontario Energy Board. We are joined by Mary Anne Aldred, Strategic Advisor at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, and StrategyCorp’s very own Aleck Dadson and Michael Fenn.
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29:04
Perspectives on the State of Ontario’s Development Sector
In the face of an uncertain economic future, where housing starts have plummeted and residential sales are down, but demand shows no signs of abating, the key goal of the industry is to somehow make it through 2025. StrategyCorp Ontario Developer Survey 2024 Dave Wilkes, President and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association, and Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, join the podcast to discuss the state of the development industry in Ontario. They provide their insight on the development financial model and the barriers developers are currently facing. Our guests also highlight how the different levels of government can support the sector.
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28:31
Municipal Financial Sustainability
The StrategyCorp Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2024 highlighted that municipal finance is a top area of concern. The report noted that “many CAOs spoke of financial challenges not just in terms of the gaps and shortfalls they are trying to fill, notably with respect to infrastructure, but in the context of affordability for residents.” Two StrategyCorp Senior Advisors, Michael Fenn and Tony Haddad, join the podcast to talk about the state of municipal financial sustainability in Ontario. They provide their insight on the financial challenges municipalities face and the importance of financial planning to navigate uncertain times. Tony and Michael also discuss ways senior levels of government can help alleviate some of the financial pressures municipalities are dealing with.
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25:22
StrategyCorp’s Year-in-Review & 2025 Look-Ahead
Our annual year-in-review & look-ahead episode is back to close out this season of Intended Consequences. Our StrategyCorp guests discuss the most important national and international developments of 2024 and their significance for Canadian politics and economics. They also share with us what they will be keeping an eye on in 2025 and why.
Intended Consequences is the official podcast of the StrategyCorp Institute. The podcast discusses practical provincial and Canadian policy ideas that achieve the actual goals they are designed to achieve with interesting guests and experts. The Institute aims to combine political acuity with policy recommendations to provide a one-stop shop for expert policy advice that is politically practical and possible to implement.
StrategyCorp is a Canadian advisory firm that prides itself on being at the nexus of government connectivity and smart policy thought.
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