Intended Consequences

Canadian high-performance athletes train hard every day to compete at the highest levels and proudly represent Canada on the world stage.
Countries and sport federations are constantly thinking about how to enable athletes and national teams to perform at their best. Government funding and a strong sport ecosystem are critical enablers of high performance.
The Government of Canada announced $755 million in the latest Spring Economic Update to support Canadian athletes and National Sport Organisations. The funding will also help host large sporting events and get more people involved in sport.
Susanne Wereley, President of AthletesCAN, joins the podcast to discuss the state of high-performance sport in Canada. A two-time Olympian in rowing and an Olympic gold medalist, Susanne discusses how Canada attracts, retains, and supports high-performance athletes. She provides insight into the state of sport infrastructure and how adequate funding underpins the playground-to-podium continuum.

Between the Milano Cortina Olympics, the Paralympics, and the FIFA World Cup, 2026 is a dream year for sports fans. But these mega-events go beyond sports and medals; they are highly political and extensively covered by the media.
Large international competitions are opportunities for host countries to achieve diplomatic, political, and economic objectives through sports. How these events are conveyed to fans locally and globally also matters, as sports and media constantly influence one another.
To unpack these topics, Intended Consequences welcomes Cecilia Arregui Olivera and Vitaly Kazakov, Postdoctoral Fellows at the Media and Journalism Studies Department at Aarhus University.

With the Government of Canada increasing its defence spending, CANSEC was a must-attend event for ecosystem players. Highlighting the unique moment Canada finds itself in amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, Mark Carney became the first sitting Canadian Prime Minister to speak at CANSEC.
StrategyCorp's Garry Keller, Frédérik Larouche, and Terry Nemeth share their key takeaways from the event and the Prime Minister's announcements. They highlight what the government ought to consider as it attempts to move forward at a rapid pace on defence.

L'aluminium fait l'objet de tarifs douaniers élevés depuis le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche. Les impacts de ces tarifs sur le secteur et les prix mondiaux sont importants. Ceux-ci sont exacerbés par l'instabilité dans le golfe Persique, une région productrice d'aluminium.
Afin de dresser un portrait des défis et des opportunités auxquels fait face l'industrie canadienne de l'aluminium, l'Institut de StrategyCorp a eu le plaisir d'accueillir Jean Simard, Président et chef de la direction de l'Association de l'aluminium du Canada, et Philippe Couillard, conseiller principal à StrategyCorp.

Entrepreneurship is the foundation of economic development. But what happens when entrepreneurs want to retire?
According to a report from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), nearly 61% of Canadian SMEs are led by owners who are 50+ and many plan to exit within the next five years.
Pierre Cléroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC, joins the podcast to discuss this dynamic and what might happen to these SMEs. He shares insight into whether entrepreneurs are prepared for their exits, who they might sell their companies to, and the benefits of business acquisitions for buyers and the Canadian economy.