A Sustainable, Inclusive, and Digital Future for Rural Canada

On December 8th, Canada 2020 hosted the next in our series of discussions on how policies can support well-being, connectivity and innovation in smaller and rural communities in Canada.

Canada 2020 is convening researchers, stakeholders and policymakers with expertise in rural and community economic development to engage in policy discussions and identify solutions that can work on the ground. With a focus on COVID recovery and taking stock of changes and new opportunities produced during the pandemic, Canada 2020 is focused on how to make rapid progress on Canada’s rural economic development strategy.

Click here to read the discussion paper written by Matthew Mendelsohn, Jamie Van Ymeren, Noah Zon and Jasmine Irwin. 


Driven, vibrant, and innovative Canadian communities like Faro, Yukon; Churchbridge, Saskatchewan; Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec; and Clarenville, Newfoundland are integral to our economy, culture, and social fabric, making Canada the prosperous and successful country that it is. 

But as the last year has accelerated and revealed, rural and smaller Canadian communities face unique challenges and opportunities.

That’s why Canada 2020 is launching a new research project focused on identifying the best ideas and practices that support community well-being and inclusive economic growth in rural and smaller Canadian communities.

Featuring roundtable discussions, policy labs, events, and discussion papers, A Sustainable, Inclusive, and Digital Future for Rural Canada will work with local and community experts to develop a roadmap for well-being for smaller and rural Canadian communities. 

Click here to read the opinion piece, written by Matthew Mendelsohn, Mike Moffatt and Jamie Van Ymeren

@Risk: The Mother of All Risks with Brian Gallant

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On this episode of @Risk, host Jodi Butts is joined by the 33rd Premier of New Brunswick and now the CEO of the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation, Brian Gallant, to discuss reputation as the mother of all risks (M.O.A.R.) in the corporate context. For a business, reputation is more than a comms issue, it’s existential, and Brian wants to see companies find their purpose in order to protect it.

To read the full transcript of this episode, click here.

Open to Debate: How are we managing late-pandemic anxiety?

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In March of last year, David Moscrop spoke with feminist theorist and friend Amanda Watson about managing life during the pandemic. The conversation included thoughts about compassion, care, inequity, resistance, and, of course, anxiety.

Just over a year later, as the end of the pandemic begins, the two revisit that conversation. This time the focus is on processing…all of this, with special attention given to the question: How are we managing late-pandemic anxiety and what will a return to “normal” look like?

As mentioned, on this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Amanda Watson, feminist theorist, lecturer at Simon Fraser University and author of The Juggling Mother: Coming Undone in the Age of Anxiety.

@Risk: Pressing Forward with Hayley Wickenheiser

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On this episode of @ Risk, host Jodi Butts is joined by four-time Olympic Gold medalist, community leader and soon to be doctor, Hayley Wickenheiser. They discuss the importance of sport in our recovery, being a good team player and the impact of the pandemic on the Olympics.

To read the full transcript of this episode, click here.

Open to Debate: Should we adopt vaccine certification programs?

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In Canada and around the world, anxious, weary populations are looking forward to returning to something that will approximate normal life. That return is predicated on, among other things, mass Covid-19 vaccination efforts that continue along slow and steady.

As more of us get the jab, states, including Canada, are considering vaccine certification programs for domestic use, foreign travel, or both. But concerned individuals, including health, privacy, and social science experts, are raising a number of concerns with the idea. While a vaccine “passport” might intuitively seem like a good idea, it’s fraught with risks and trade-offs, leaving us to ask: Should we adopt vaccine certification programs?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Françoise Baylis, University Research Professor, bioethicist, and author of Altered Inheritance: CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing.

@Risk: Crossing Borders with Tareq Hadhad and Marcello Di Cintio

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Crossing borders are never without risk, almost always entailing a trade-off of one set of risks for another.

On this episode of @ Risk, Jodi is joined by Tareq Hadhad, the Canadian entrepreneur behind Peace by Chocolate and former refugee who fled war-torn Syria with his family. Jodi is also joined by Marcello Di Cintio, an award-winning travel author who in his latest non-fiction book, Driven, beautifully tells the stories of the men and women behind the wheels of Canada’s taxis. Buckle your seat belts! You’re in for a risky ride!

To read the full transcript of this episode click here.

Open to Debate: Why are our wireless and broadband bills so high?

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In Canada, wireless and broadband prices are too damned high. Why? The recent news of a merger attempt by Rogers and Shaw gives us a hint—and a look into the world of telecom strategy and oligopoly. Indeed, observers would be forgiven for thinking the country is a handful of telecom companies in a trenchcoat, perhaps with an airline or two crammed in there. But there’s more to it than that—a bit more, anyway.

Understanding wireless and broadband policy requires us to dig into the state of the industry, competition or a lack thereof, the question of nationalization, the role of the Competition Bureau and the CRTC, and more. Eventually, we get to answer the big question: Why are our wireless and broadband bills so high?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Michael Geist, Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law.

@Risk: From Apathy to Climate Action with Andri Snaer Magnaso‪n‬

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On this episode of @ Risk, Jodi is joined by Icelandic artist and activist, Andri Snaer Magnason, whose approach to climate change is like no other. Magnason is the author of On Time and Water, a calculated and enchanting invitation to see ourselves in the battle against climate change through mythology, his conversations with the Dalai Lama and our love of family.

To read the full transcript of this episode, click here.