Conversations That Matter

Ep 498 - How Canada Saved Me Guest - Sasha Luchkov   By Stuart McNish   On February 24th, 2022, in the dark of the night in Mukachevo, Ukraine, Sasha Luchkov woke to the news that his country was under attack. Sasha, a piano protege at the age of 17, was already an accomplished pianist. He had recently placed second in the Scherzo International piano competition, where he performed Beethoven’s Sonata #17.   Luchkov also performed at the Horowitz International piano competition and the Perugia MusicFest. When the war intensified, Luchkov says, “I was in fear of my life and I fled from Ukraine – first to Italy and with the help of Thrive Refuge, I made my way to Canada, which accepted me as a refugee.”   Luchkov says, “Canada and Canadians have been remarkably kind and helpful to me.” Through Thrive Refuge, Sasha was able to complete his high school education and is now attending UBC’s School of Music, studying under the direction of Dr. David Fung. On April the 12th, Sasha is performing at the Chan Centre for

Ep 497 - Climate Action: The Net Zero Economy Guest - John Stackhouse   By Stuart McNish   “Population and economic growth spell a demand for much more energy,” states the opening paragraph of RBC’s Climate Action Institute report. The Institute is honest in its assessment of the path forward to a Net Zero economy. The bank’s John Stackhouse says, “Climate pressures spell an imperative for a different mix of energy sources.” Looking forward, the global population is forecast to exceed 9 billion by approximately 2040. “Can the world population power itself into a new age of sustainable growth?” askes the report. It goes on to ask, “Can Canada, a global leader in energy, create new technologies, realize new opportunities and create value in a Net Zero economy?” We invited RBC’s Head of Thought Leadership, John Stackhouse, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the highlights of the research the report lays out, its six major conclusions, and the path forward.   You can see the interview here https://w

Ep 496 - Ballooning Public Service Guest - Renaud Brossard   By Stuart McNish   According to the Montreal Economic Institute, Justin Trudeau ranks first among Canadian Prime Ministers over the past 40 years when it comes to the expansion in the size of the civil service. In a recent study, MEI notes that “over the past few decades, the number of employees in the federal public service has fluctuated somewhat under the mandate of successive governments under Justin Trudeau's current government. However, we are witnessing a truly unprocessed identity expansion.”    Renaud Brossard speaks on behalf of MEI and he says, “An expanding public service has consequences that adversely affect the economy, including undue competition with the private sector for employees. And that, in turn, exacerbates the already challenging talent market.” The report goes on to show the increase on a percentage basis from Prime Ministers Mulroney  to Trudeau; Mulroney and Chrétien both oversaw about 10% reduction. Martin and Harper als

Ep 495 - Child Sex Trafficking Guest - Cathy Peters   By Stuart McNish   National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada is February 22nd. It was instituted as part of the government’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. The point was to “raise awareness of the magnitude of modern day slavery in Canada and abroad and to take steps to combat human trafficking.”   In her book, “Child Sex Trafficking in Canada,” Cathy Peters says, “This book should never have been written. But here we are. Society and culture have come to a point where the most vulnerable are not being protected.” Peters goes on to say, “As a society we have a moral obligation to address sexual exploitation immediately, resolutely and robustly.”   Today’s children are targeted in ways that you have little awareness of and from around the world. These children are marginalized, vulnerable, and at risk. Peters says, “They are unaware of the insidious, coercive, and manipulative tactics of the sex industry.”   We  invited one of Canada’s l

Ep 494 - Canada and China: What Happened? Guest - Dr Paul Evans   By Stuart McNish   In 1970, Canada led the Western world by recognizing China. According to Paul Evans in his book, “Engaging China,” the Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau “believed that many of the world’s major issues ‘will not be resolved completely or in any lasting way unless and until an accommodation has been reached with the Chinese nation.’”   Over the course of the next 50 years, the Chinese economy and its clout grew from 1.7 percent of global GDP to more than 17.3%. China went from one of the poorest countries on earth to one of the most powerful economies. Through that growth, China invested heavily in Canadian energy and technology companies.   Then at the start of this century, the relationship between Canada and China started shifting. China started to flex its muscles and Canada failed to realize it was no longer the dominant member of this relationship. China grew tired of being told what and how to manage its affairs.  

Ep 493 - A Call to Purpose Guest - Mike Rowlands   “Redefining success for the purpose economy,” Mike Rowlands says, “is to become a part of the rapidly growing movement toward social purpose in business. The social purpose focus creates healthier communities, restoration of our shared environment and better outcomes for companies’ staff, customers and other stakeholders.”   Rowlands says the path to developing this framework  “emerged from our work with the nonprofit sector – a sector that required new brand strategies that enriched and enhanced their organizations' messaging.” The next step on the path to a social purpose framework was the development of “Theory of Change,” which is a methodology to set out intended social change outcomes.”   We invited Mike Rowlands, the CEO and President at Junxion, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about social purpose and how it focuses businesses to accept responsibility for outputs, outcomes and building a better world by being in business.   By Stuart McNish

Ep 492 - The Fountain of Youth Guest - Angela Brooks-Wilson   By Stuart McNish   Researchers at Simon Fraser University and BC Cancer have pinpointed specific physiological traits that they say “can help people live longer, healthier lives.” According to a recent study published in GeroScience, the healthiest, older adults live in a “sweet spot,” where more than 100 different physiological traits interact, and that dynamic interaction makes them healthier than their counterparts.   Key to living in the “sweet spot” is homeostasis, which is a collection of mechanisms that your body uses to maintain constancy in blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and body temperature. The more consistent your body is, the healthier you are. Deviations from optimal ranges of vitamin D, calcium, glucose and other mechanisms lead to a higher risk of mortality.   We invited Angela Brooks-Wilson, a co-author of the report, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what we now know about the “sweet spot” of health and how thi

Ep 491 - The Claims of Life Guest - Diana Chapman Walsh   By Stuart McNish   The Claims of Life, a new book by Diana Chapman Walsh, traces the emergence of a young woman who set out believing she wasn’t particularly smart but went on to meet multiple tests of leadership in the American academy – a place where everyone wants to be heard and no one wants a boss.   The Claims of Life offers readers an unusually intimate view of a trustworthy leadership that begins and ends in self-knowledge. During a transformative fourteen-year Wellesley College presidency, Walsh advanced women’s authority, compassionate governance, and self-reinvention.    After Wellesley, Walsh’s interests took her to the boards of five national nonprofits, galvanizing change. She kept counsel with Nobel laureates, feminist icons, and the Dalai Lama, seeking solutions to the world’s biggest challenge: preserving our planet.   We invited Diana Chapman Walsh to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a life of openness and endless possibi

Ep 49o - Addressing the Infrastructure Deficit Guest - Mark Liedemann   By Stuart McNish   The backbone of any complex society is its infrastructure. It is the glue that binds communities, provinces and countries together. The concept of infrastructure was central to Rome’s dominance for 500 years. Cody Gregory writes, “One of the key  aspects of Roman society and development was its unprecedented utilization of roads, sewers and aqueducts.”   Here in British Columbia, it was the railway that brought us into Confederation and it was the development of hydroelectric power that catapulted the province forward economically. Mark Liedemann, the President and CEO of Infrastructure BC says, “We’re building on those legacy projects to ensure the province has the essential structures needed to thrive.”   In her letter to the Board of Infrastructure BC, Finance Minister Katrine Conroy says, “Government and public sector organizations must continue to advance results that people can see and feel in these key areas – st

Ep 489 - The Path to Urban Net Zero Guest - Jeanette Jackson   In June of 2021, Canada – along with the other G7 countries – committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is an audacious goal, one that affords Canada with an opportunity to play a leadership role and become the first of the G7 to reach net-zero emissions.   It’s a long way from where we are at the moment. Currently, says Jeanette Jackson of Foresight, “we’re in last place, which accelerates our need to step up the pace and position Canada as a force of nature on the path to net zero.” Over the past decade, Foresight has worked relentlessly toward making net-zero a reality.   Foresight has a 10-point approach to accelerate research and development in clean tech, build regional clusters and host events. Jackson says, “We’re creating the ecosystem that fosters investment in world leading companies that are serving a social purpose, that being achieving net zero by virtue of the products and services they produce and provide.”    On

Ep 488 - A Ministry of Entrepreneurialism Guest: Naseem Javed   “The world, and in particular Canada, needs to embrace entrepreneurialism as a new frontier to resuscitate our gasping economy,” says Naseen Javed, the CEO and founder of Expothon. “We need a new Ministry of Entrepreneurialism that can ignite an economic revolution.”   Javed says, “This new Ministry will only work if it is managed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Bureaucrats, academics, and economists live in a world where their theories don’t survive contact with the real world. When you put them in charge of entrepreneurship, they pour sand in the gears of innovation, business agility, and the magic small and medium business create in solving the world’s challenges.”   The potential is enormous. Canada has an opportunity to embrace this concept, says Javed. “We are a knowledge-based country. If we seize the moment and create a legislative and tax environment that fosters rather than hinders entrepreneurs, we can turn around Canada’s sagging

Ep 487 - The Greatest Gift of All Guest: Paul Sitnam   By Stuart McNish   “Impact investing is an investment strategy that aims to generate specific beneficial social or environmental effects in addition to financial gains,” according to Investopedia. It is upheld as a societal good, but it does not include devoting your life to helping others.  “The greatest gift of giving possible is your life’s work,” says Paul Sitnam. He is a living example having done just that for the past 40 years. Sitnam dedicated his life to international humanitarian work in Africa, the South Pacific and the Middle East. His service to others, he says, has “allowed me to work with people in need of a hand up, rather than a handout. I worked with people to help them recover from disasters that shook their confidence.” Sitnam says, “I quickly dispelled myself of the notion that I was going to save the world.  I just tried to do the best I could with the situation I found myself in and the resources available.” He goes on to speak to t

Ep 486 - Can First Nations Save Canada’s Economy? Guest: Chris Sankey   By Stuart McNish   “Canada’s per capita growth has been negative three out of the last four quarters,” says Perrin Beatty, the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He adds, “Canada needs to do more to attract investment” – a sentiment that was recently shared by a panel of experts for “Conversations Live” about economic reconciliation. Haisla Chief Counselor Crystal Smith said, “First Nations hold the key to the country’s economic future.”   It is a belief held by Indigenous businessman Chris Sankey, who says that “we can’t afford to obstruct BC’s energy sector any longer.” In an op-ed for the Vancouver Sun, Sankey said, “The chilling effect on the investment landscape of our region and of Canada in general has been terrible.”   Moving forward, Sankey is looking to LNG to generate jobs and economic growth. He says, “More than a billion dollars in indigenous procurement spending and benefits have already been negotiated w

Ep 485 - The interconnectedness of all things Guest: Wade Davis By Stuart McNish   The Roman emperor Markus Aurelius posited in his book “Meditations” that “all things are implicated with one another and the bond is holy.” At the time of his writing, it was a philosophical concept. Today it has been proven by science – genomics in particular.   Wade Davis, the great Canadian thinker and anthropologist, in his talk at the Dr. Rix Distinguished Keynote address “The Wayfinders of Genomic Wisdom,” said that “studies of the human genome have left no doubt about the interconnectedness of all things.”   Davis went on to say, “Genomic science unveils the profound truth that we are all connected by the same genetic cloth.” He argues that “indigenous perspectives combined with genome insights can revolutionize conservation, restore ecological balance, mend cultural divisions and provide the antidote to heal an ailing world.”   We invited Wade Davis to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the interconnectedness

Ep 484 - How to Stop Stereotyping Seniors  Guest:  Rudy Buttignol By Stuart McNish   More than 7 million people in Canada are older than 64 – that’s just shy of 20 percent of us. I’m one of those people.  The issues that all seniors face include, but are not limited to, financial security, health care, and an end to ageism. Rudy Buttignol, the President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), represents associations across the country advocating with all levels of government on behalf of 330,000 members. According to Buttignol, “The greatest obstacle to achieving better societal outcomes for senior citizens is ageism.” There is a generally held belief that as you age, your body and mind will fall apart and you’ll be grumpy and lonely and you're going to be ill. Buttignol says, “That’s simply not true. They are, however, the basis of bias directed at seniors.” Those attitudes towards seniors impact so many other aspects of their lives. Buttignol says, “It’s why families worry that seniors can’t

Ep 483 - Youthful Cities: Attracting and retaining a young population Guest:  Robert Barnard By Stuart McNish   How a city attracts young adults to live and work matters. Robert Barnard, the founder of Youthful Cities, says, “Young adults are vital today and into the future. Attracting young people is important. Equally [as] important is retention – that is, keeping their residents in the city.” On that account, Vancouver is good at attracting but not so good at retaining.   This is a problem, says Barnard. “The vitality of a city is embodied in the young people it attracts to live and work. The key to attracting young people is ensuring cities meet their needs and today, those needs include housing costs, transportation and a commitment to values such as the environment. Essential to keeping those same people are liveable salaries and affordable housing.”   According to Barnard, “COVID-19 dramatically impacted young adults' ability to secure jobs and job skills.” That, in turn, will compound the already decr

Ep 482 - Save Our Streets Guest:  Jess Ketchum By Stuart McNish   At a press conference at the Woodwards development, the new Save Our Streets (SOS) public safety coalition said, “The growing crime, violence, vandalism and theft crisis is impacting local communities and businesses.” The costs associated with addressing security and safety, according to SOS spokesperson Jess Ketchum, are “jeopardizing the financial viability of many businesses and threatening their survival.”   The compounding effects of the rising lawlessness, according to Ketchum, include but are not limited to “concerns for the safety of shoppers, concerns for the wellbeing of staff, and challenges to attract staff.” As a result, business leaders and concerned citizens formed the coalition to call for a “province-wide, non-partisan movement to raise awareness of the issues and the costs that are passed onto families.”    The coalition has developed a 10-point plan, demanding actions from the government to fulfill its responsibility to addre

Ep 481 - CleanBC’s $28.1-Billion Price Tag Guest:  Ken Peacock By Stuart McNish   The government of British Columbia is aiming to lower CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. It’s a bold ambition – one that will reduce the BC economy by $28.1 billion, according to a model created by the CleanBC Roadmap. Ken Peacock, the Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC)’s Chief Economist, examined the model and discovered the stunning numbers.   Peacock says, “A $28.1-billion setback is significant.” After adding in emissions caps and a scheduled doubling of the carbon tax over the next seven years, Peacock points out, it “will dampen investment and cap exports.”    Peacock says, “We’re concerned about serious job losses and serious impact to income over the next six years.” Canada is already the poorest performing country in the OECD in per-capita GDP growth. According to BCBC’s analysis, provincial average annual economic growth will slow to 0.4 per cent in the second half of this decade. I invited Ken Peacock to join me f

Ep 480 - The Impact of Energy Poverty Guest:  Jock Finlayson By Stuart McNish   Energy poverty, according to the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners, refers to “the experience of households or communities that struggle to heat their homes and power their lights and appliances” – a reality that is playing itself out in the Maritime provinces of Canada, and it has forced the hand of the Prime Minister to offer financial relief.   In his blog, “The Honest Broker,” Roger Pielke Jr. wrote of the “Iron Law of Climate Policy,” a law that demonstrates that when push comes to shove, governments will wilt under pressure from voter’s wallets. “It is,” Pielke says, “a boundary condition.”   The theory of “using higher-priced energy as a tool to accelerate decarbonization makes perfect sense – in bloodless computer models.” Noted economist Jock Finlayson agrees and adds, “In the real world, it is a theory that does not survive contact with the harsh financial realities it imposes on most people.”    We invited Joc

Ep 479- Social Purpose: The New Business Mantra Guest:  Drew Collier By Stuart McNish   Social purpose is emerging as an important and necessary part of business. “What is social purpose?” you ask. Drew Collier, the President and CEO of LGM Financial Services says, “Social purpose is the reason to be in business. It is not just a nice-to-have policy. It is the company’s reason for being – its social ambition – and it is the path to profitability.” It is, in the words of Simon Sinek, “the ‘why we do what we do,’ versus the ‘what we do.’”   In 2022, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock (the largest investment firm in the world), in his letter to CEOs, said, “Your company’s purpose is its north star. Putting your company’s purpose at the foundation of your relationships with stakeholders is critical to long-term success. Employees need to understand and connect with your purpose and when they do, they can be your staunchest advocates.”   The focus on purpose is a move beyond corporate social responsibility, which is