2016: In Review

2016-lookbackOver the past 12 months, we’ve expanded the dialogue around progressive politics in Canada, brought thousands of progressive thinkers together, and we’ve produced original research around innovation.
See some of our favorite moments from all these events and initiative in this highlight video:

Don’t have time for the video? Take a look at this impressive list of Canada 2020’s activities in 2016, complete with links to photo galleries:

  • We hosted discussion on foreign policy at our 2016 Ottawa Forum.
  • We hosted a Global Progress book launch, and The Prime Ministers Reception at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.
  • We focused on open government, open dialogue and transforming the way policy is made in the 21st century at our Canadian Open Dialogue Forum.
  • We tackled climate change at the Global Energy Outlook 2016, where we hosted a discussion with Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr and Daniel Yergin.
  • During the North American Leaders’ Summit, we hosted a panel discussion with Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna, her Mexican counterpart Rafael Pacchiano-Alamán.
  • We hosted progressive leaders from more than 20 countries in Montreal to talk about inclusive prosperity, diversity, innovation and digital democracy at Global Progress 2016.
  • At a time when federal, provincial and territorial decision-makers prepared to re-negotiate a New Health accord, we hosted, in partnership with the CMA, the Health Summit: A New Health Accord for All Canadians.
  • We celebrated the day Women were included in the definition of Persons under the law in Canada at our Women in the House: The Person’s Day Panel.
  • We convened leading innovators, entrepreneurs and risk-takers to talk about the building blocks of Canada’s innovative future at our Third Annual Canada 2020 Conference: The Innovation Project.
  • We deepened the conversation around the actions government can take to “nudge“ our health system into a new paradigm – one focuses on personal care, new technologies and lowering the cost curve at the 2016 Health Innovation Conference.
  • We got an inside look at the U.S. Presidential elections from Sasha Issenberg, who was embedded in the Trump campaign, at our free public event What Just Happened? Inside the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections.

But that’s not all… In June, we launched our multi-phased initiative, The Innovation Project at our one-day conference, Canada’s Next Big Challenge: Being Innovative. Through this project, the Canada 2020 team traveled to seven Canadian cities coast to coast to host roundtable discusions with key sector stakeholders. While the first phase of this project concluded at our annual conference, and with Canada 2020’s 10 Big Ideas to Drive Innovation in Canada by Mike Moffatt and Hannah Rasmussen, we look forward to continuing the conversation on innovation in 2017.
In October, we launched the Canada 2020 podcast Brief Remarks, where co-hosts Jennifer Robson and Rob Silver reveal the behind the scenes world of federal politics in Canada.
Whether you were on our stage, attended our events in person as a delegate or via our live streams, thank you. Thank you for helping to make 2016 an outstanding year for Canada 2020 – by far our most ambitious year yet. Your support and participation in the past year helped us accomplish great things.
We also want to thank our sustaining partners and event sponsors. We couldn’t have done any of this work without your support.  Thank you.
Here’s to an even more successful 2017!