Down to Business
210 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★ - 5 ratingsWhat you need to know about Canadian business this week in under 30 minutes. Hosted by the Financial Post's Gabe Friedman.
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Episodes
Goodbye office space, hello suburbs: Canadian real estate in pandemic times
May 20, 2020 07:00 - 26 minutesThis week on Down to Business, Ryerson University real estate management professor Murtaza Haider talks to host Emily Jackson about the pandemic’s impact on housing and rental prices, how the shift to working from home could affect real estate in downtown cores and a rethinking of the suburbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Screen time is way up, and this Vancouver production studio is hiring to keep up with demand
May 13, 2020 07:00 - 16 minutesDemand for entertainment has skyrocketed during the pandemic shut-in. Thunderbird Entertainment chief executive Jennifer Twiner-McCarron talks to host Emily Jackson about how her company has been able to thrive even with employees working from home and how she expects this crisis will change the entertainment industry in the long term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Canada’s auto industry gears up to go back to work (Honda Canada CEO Jean Marc Leclerc)
May 06, 2020 07:00 - 18 minutesAuto sales are down 75% as the industry struggles with closed dealerships and shuttered factories. This week on Down to Business, Honda Canada’s new chief executive Jean Marc Leclerc discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the auto sector and its global supply chains, and how long he expects it will take for the industry to recover as Honda looks to resume production next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shockproofing Canada: How business can prepare for the next shock
May 01, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutesAs COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on people and economies around the world, Canada’s business community is starting to ask – what can we do to better prepare before the next crisis hits? Conference Board of Canada senior economist Julie Ades joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss how the pandemic could be a catalyst for long-term changes to Canada’s supply chains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How farmers are taking the brunt of meat industry’s problems in COVID-19 pandemic
April 29, 2020 07:00 - 23 minutesThis week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson talks to food market analyst Kevin Grier about why the meat industry was one of the first hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, how big is the risk of a meat shortage and why this break in the supply chain will hurt farmers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shockproofing Canada: Why our drug supply can’t be 100% self-sufficient
April 24, 2020 07:00 - 18 minutesCanadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association president Jim Keon joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss the vulnerabilities in Canada’s drug supply chain during the pandemic, which has led to a run on drugs hospitals use to sedate coronavirus patients and help them breathe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Canada’s economy must reopen gradually to avoid devastating second lockdown (Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman)
April 22, 2020 07:00 - 27 minutesThis week on Down to Business, the CEO of the country’s largest community credit union talks to host Emily Jackson about how COVID-19 has affected members, the government’s response to the crisis, the lessons financial institutions can learn and why a gradual, uninterrupted reopening is the economy’s best bet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shockproofing Canada: How secure is our food supply? (Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Mary Robinson)
April 16, 2020 15:01 - 21 minutesCanadian Federation of Agriculture president Mary Robinson joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss how the coronavirus pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our food system and what lessons Canada can learn from the crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As internet and phone usage skyrockets amid coronavirus, will Ottawa still push for affordability?
April 15, 2020 07:00 - 27 minutesThis week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson talks to Telus executive Jim Senko about how telecoms are grappling with the huge boost in demand because of the pandemic shutdown and the industry’s earlier view on Ottawa’s push for a 25% price cut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shockproofing Canada’s energy sector: Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall
April 09, 2020 13:55 - 22 minutesFormer Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall joins Down to Business host Emily Jackson to discuss what energy self-sufficiency would look like in Canada and how the government could take action to create such a strategy. This special episode of Down to Business is part of the National Post’s new series Strong & Free: Shockproofing Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Canada’s billions in coronavirus emergency spending could help you
April 08, 2020 07:00 - 23 minutesCIBC tax expert Jamie Golombek talks to host Emily Jackson about new benefits designed to help Canadians weather the coronavirus crisis financially and how to access them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Meet the small manufacturers scaling up to build made-in-Canada coronavirus testing kits, ventilators
April 01, 2020 07:00 - 19 minutesVentilators, surgical masks and testing kits have become hot commodities as countries race to buy up the medical equipment needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Host Emily Jackson talks to the small Canadian manufacturers who are stepping up to make the vital gear that our front-line health workers need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How coronavirus market chaos compares to 2008 financial crisis (Jonathan Chevreau)
March 25, 2020 07:00 - 19 minutesWatching the stock market these days is like looking at a falling elevator — and investors are starting to panic. Personal finance columnist Jonathan Chevreau joins host Emily Jackson with advice on how best to ride out this storm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Just how bad will the coronavirus pandemic be for Canada’s economy? (BMO chief economist Doug Porter)
March 18, 2020 07:00 - 18 minutesBMO Financial Group chief economist Doug Porter joins host Emily Jackson to talk about the unprecedented turmoil the Canadian economy is already going through from the impact of coronavirus shutdowns and what it faces ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Canada needs more women in finance (Women in Capital Markets’ Camilla Sutton)
March 11, 2020 07:00 - 24 minutesCanada lags the G7 on promoting women in leadership roles. Only four per cent of companies listed on the TSX have a female CEO and 15 per cent a female chief financial officer. This week on Down to Business, Women in Capital Markets chief executive Camilla Sutton joins host Emily Jackson to discuss why Canada has a long way to go when it comes to equality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The inside story of Bombardier's asset sales (CEO Alain Bellemare)
March 04, 2020 08:00 - 26 minutesBombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare joins host Emily Jackson on this week’s Down to Business to talk about why the one-time Quebec manufacturing giant sold off major assets to focus exclusively on business jets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How rail blockades are connected to cancelled $20-billion oilsands project (Financial Post’s Gabe Friedman)
February 26, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutesThis week on Down to Business, Financial Post resources reporter Gabe Friedman joins host Emily Jackson to discuss how the Wet’suwet’en rail blockades are connected to Teck Resources' decision not to build a $20-billion oilsands mine in Alberta, and what it means for Canada’s reputation with investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How we will be using drones in five years (Drone Delivery Canada CEO Michael Zahra)
February 19, 2020 08:00 - 21 minutesDrones are poised to be a big future player in the logistics and delivery business, whether they drop off pizza on your doorstep or carry replacement parts to offshore oil rigs. Drone Delivery Canada CEO Michael Zahra talks to host Emily Jackson about the scope of the industry, its potential for growth and why Canada is ahead of the game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What makes Canada’s real estate market tick (Re/Max Canada’s Pamela Alexander)
February 12, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutesThis week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson speaks with Re/Max Canada owner operator Pamela Alexander about the boom in real estate agents, how technology may disrupt how homes are bought and sold, and where she sees the real estate market going next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Canada’s online grocery market could grow to $30 billion a year (Goodfood CEO Jonathan Ferrari)
February 05, 2020 08:00 - 22 minutesCanadians buy almost everything online these days, yet we have lagged behind other countries when it comes to purchasing groceries over the internet. This week host Emily Jackson talks to Goodfood CEO Jonathan Ferrari about how that trend is turning, shown by his meal subscription and grocery delivery company growing 90% last year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Powersports therapy: Inside the astonishing success of Canada’s snowmobile maker BRP (CEO José Boisjoli)
January 29, 2020 08:00 - 19 minutesSeventeen years ago BRP was split from its parent company Bombardier; today its market value is almost twice as much. BRP CEO José Boisjoli talks to Down to Business host Emily Jackson about how they did it and what’s next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stock market bonanza due for ‘interruption’ of 5% to 10% (Manulife chief economist Frances Donald)
January 22, 2020 08:00 - 21 minutesThe stock market is on fire this year even as economic indicators remain on the shaky side. Exuberance on one hand, skepticism on the other. Manulife chief economist Frances Donald talks to host Emily Jackson about how she sees the year unfolding for the markets and economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What’s in store for Canada’s energy sector in 2020 (with Jackie Forrest, senior director, Arc Energy Research Institute)
January 15, 2020 08:00 - 23 minutesOn this week's Down to Business, host Emily Jackson speaks with Jackie Forrest, senior director at the Arc Energy Research Institute, about some of the pressing issues facing the country’s oil and gas sector, from rising tensions in the Middle East to increased investor focus on carbon emissions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Top takeaways from the Canadian business world (Financial Post editor Nicole MacAdam)
December 23, 2019 20:16 - 9 minutesFinancial Post editor Nicole MacAdam is moving on to become editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun. In this Down to Business bonus episode, she talks with host Emily Jackson about the important trends she has seen over the past four years, including the disruption of businesses by innovation and technology, trade protectionism and the rise of the #MeToo movement in the business community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One trillion reasons investing will change in the new decade (BMO’s Joanna Rotenberg)
December 18, 2019 08:00 - 21 minutesOn this week’s Down to Business, Joanna Rotenberg, group head of BMO wealth management, talks to host Emily Jackson about three sweeping changes coming in the next decade, how investment strategies will evolve and where the smart money is going in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Canada's economy fared in 2019
December 11, 2019 08:00 - 23 minutesThis week on Down to Business, Financial Post national business columnist Kevin Carmichael joins host Emily Jackson to discuss Canada’s economic performance in 2019 and what it says about 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inside the strategy of one of Canada’s fastest growing retailers (Saje CEO Kate Ross LeBlanc)
December 04, 2019 08:00 - 21 minutes25 years ago Kate Ross LeBlanc and her husband started a company selling the essential oils that had helped him recover from a car accident. Now they have 84 stores in North America and revenue has grown 1,500% over the past five years. Host Emily Jackson talks to Kate about how they did it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Shopify is 'arming the rebels' as Amazon builds its empire (with COO Harley Finkelstein)
November 27, 2019 08:00 - 25 minutesBlack Friday and Cyber Monday are here, along with the onslaught in advertising. We know these shopping holidays, and the holiday season in general, are massive events for major retailers. But what about the entrepreneurs navigating e-commerce? Shopify Chief Operating Officer Harley Finkelstein joins host Emily Jackson to discuss how Shopify is helping businesses in the new direct-to-consumer retail world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Ikea Canada plans to get shoppers through the door or online in the digital era (CEO Michael Ward)
November 20, 2019 08:00 - 22 minutesBig box stores have had to rethink their strategies in a digital world where online shopping has taken a bite out of in-person sales. Disruption to distribution models and demographic shifts in where people live have forced even the biggest retailers to rethink their plans for the future. Ikea Canada president Michael Ward joins host Emily Jackson to discuss how Ikea is evolving for the digital world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Streaming wars a game changer for Canadian content production: (Project 10’s Andrew Barnsley)
November 13, 2019 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBStreaming has shaken traditional TV as Canadian consumers get more choice than ever before. This week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson discusses how the streaming wars have affected Canada’s TV production industry with Andrew Barnsley, the chief executive of production company Project 10, and executive producer for Emmy-nominated Schitt’s Creek.
Are we a country that can build things anymore? (Business Council of Canada CEO Goldy Hyder)
November 06, 2019 08:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBCanada is falling behind on the global stage and Big Business is worried. On this week’s episode of Down to Business, host Emily Jackson discusses the to-do list for the new government with Goldy Hyder, CEO of the Business Council of Canada which includes such heavy hitters as Bombardier, TD Bank, and Rogers Communications.
The race between hackers and cybersecurity companies trying to stop them (Absolute Software CEO Christy Wyatt)
October 30, 2019 07:00 - 22 minutes - 17.9 MBAt this point Canadian businesses know they need to take cybersecurity seriously, but how prepared are they for the inevitable attacks? On this week’s Down to Business, host Emily Jackson speaks with Christy Wyatt, the chief executive of Absolute Software Corp., a Vancouver-based cybersecurity company. They spoke about emerging cybersecurity risks and the state of the industry in Canada.
‘Uncertainty’: What Canada’s minority government means for our economy (BMO Chief economist Doug Porter)
October 23, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBThe Liberals are back in power with a minority government – and that means uncertainty for Canada’s economy and its businesses. This week on Down to Business, host Emily Jackson speaks with BMO chief economist Doug Porter about how the election results could affect deficit spending, the energy sector and the housing market.
Why Canada's stuck in an energy vs environment debate (Questor Technology’s Audrey Mascarenhas)
October 16, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBCanadians, increasingly worried about climate change, are having a bit of an existential crisis over the country’s status as one of the world’s largest energy producers. This week, host Emily Jackson discusses the future of Canadian energy with Questor Technology CEO Audrey Mascarenhas, who doesn’t think protecting the environment and supporting the energy sector are mutually exclusive goals.
Why ‘cannabis 3.0’ is the real opportunity for Canada: (former Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton)
October 09, 2019 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIt’s been one year since Canada legalized the cannabis industry after a century of prohibition. But it’s just the beginning of the journey from the black market to “cannabis 3.0.” Host Emily Jackson talks with Bruce Linton, the former chief executive of Canopy Growth, Canada’s largest cannabis company, about where legal cannabis is at in Canada a year in, and where it is going.
'An illusion of competition': Wind founder on the state of Canada's wireless market (Anthony Lacavera)
October 02, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBAnthony Lacavera, the founder of Wind Mobile (now called Freedom and owned by Shaw) and private equity firm Globalive Capital, talks to host Emily Jackson about the state of competition in Canada’s telecom market and what he thinks the government should focus on instead of pricing.
What our politicians really need to do to make housing affordable (Mattamy Homes CEO Peter Gilgan)
September 25, 2019 07:00 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBPeter Gilgan, founder and CEO of Mattamy Homes, the largest privately held residential construction company in North America, talks to host Emily Jackson about the state of real estate in Canada and the federal election promises on housing.
Protectionism is here to stay: (Rona Ambrose, trade adviser and former interim Tory leader)
September 18, 2019 07:00 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBRona Ambrose, former Conservative interim leader and current member of the NAFTA advisory council to Canada’s foreign affairs minister, talks to host Emily Jackson about the cloud of uncertainty hanging over Canada’s economy
What is the Liberals' strategy for the Canadian economy? (with Finance Minister Bill Morneau)
September 11, 2019 07:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBFinance Minister Bill Morneau joins host Emily Jackson on Episode 21 of Down to Business to discuss his party’s economic strategy should they win the October election. The Liberals, he says, would continue course.
What is the true cost of congestion in Canada? (CPCS Transcom’s Peter Harrison)
September 04, 2019 07:00 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBCongestion is stalling Canada’s biggest cities and costs us between $6 billion to $10 billion a year. On Episode 20 of Down to Business, host Emily Jackson talks to Peter Harrison, vice president, Canada, of CPCS Transcom Ltd., a global transportation and infrastructure consulting firm, about this problem and possible solutions.
What is the Conservatives' strategy for the Canadian economy? (with Pierre Poilievre, Conservative MP and finance critic)
August 28, 2019 07:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBBusiness issues have a distinctly political flavour, especially in an election year. With two months to go before Canada’s federal election, we decided to ask the two leading political parties about their economic plans should they win in October. This week we hear from the Conservative party. Conservative MP for Carleton and shadow finance minister Pierre Poilievre speaks with host Emily Jackson about the underlying direction of the party's strategy.
Why industrial real estate is having a hot moment in Canada’s biggest cities (with Collier International's Craig Hennigar)
August 21, 2019 07:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBIndustrial real estate is having a moment. Online shopping means e-commerce vendors need more warehouses for last mile deliveries, jacking up demand for industrial land in urban centres. That means higher prices and astonishing low vacancy rates in Canada’s biggest cities. Colliers International’s Craig Hennigar, director of market intelligence for Canada, speaks to host Emily Jackson about industrial real estate on Episode 18 of Down To Business.
Why Canada can’t escape a recession if the global economy heads south (economist Frances Donald)
August 14, 2019 07:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBManulife Investment Management’s chief economist Frances Donald talks to host Emily Jackson about how Canada could get dragged into a recession no matter how healthy its economy looks now.
Why electric scooter sharing company Bird is racing to expand in Canada (with Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons)
August 07, 2019 07:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBOver the past two years e-scooter sharing systems have launched in more than 100 cities around the world, where people can pay by the minute to scoot to their destinations, leaving scooters parked on sidewalks when they arrive. And now the trend is coming to Canada. Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons discusses scooter sharing on Episode 16 of Down to Business.
Why Canada is backing Telesat in space race for faster, cheaper internet (CEO Dan Goldberg)
July 31, 2019 07:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBOn this week’s Down to Business, Telesat chief executive Dan Goldberg speaks to host Emily Jackson about the Ottawa-based company’s ambitious plans to launch a constellation of low-earth orbit satellites that would provide faster and cheaper broadband coverage, a technology he describes as revolutionary.
How carbon capture tech could transform the Canadian economy and the energy industry (with Carbon Engineering Inc. CEO Steve Oldham)
July 24, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBHow to tackle climate change can be a tense conversation in Canada given the importance of the oil and gas industry to the economy. But the oilpatch is one of the biggest spenders on clean tech in Canada and the country is a leader in the development of carbon capture technology. Steve Oldham, CEO of Carbon Engineering Inc., explains how carbon capture works and how it offers hope for climate change on Episode 14 of Down to Business.
The next big thing in cannabis (with Vanmala Subramaniam and Truss Beverages CEO Brett Vye)
July 17, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBSmoking marjiuana is so 2018. This October, new rules from the federal government around the legal production and sale of cannabis edibles, drinkables and other alternative pot products will come into force, a new market that could be worth $2.7 billion a year. Geoff Zochodne talks with cannabis reporter Vanmala Subramaniam and Truss Beverages CEO Brett Vye about the second wave of cannabis legalization and what it means for business and consumers.
How open banking could change our lives (with Wealthsimple CEO Michael Katchen)
July 10, 2019 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBGeoff Zochodne talks with Wealthsimple CEO and co-founder Michael Katchen about what open banking is, what it will do for consumers and how Canada risks falling behind in this global trend
Why Sidewalk Labs' sweeping Toronto smart city proposal faces hurdles (with Financial Post reporter James McLeod)
July 03, 2019 07:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBThere are a few hurdles that need to be cleared before a prime piece of real estate on Toronto’s waterfront is turned into what could be the first of many smart city developments. Financial Post reporter James McLeod explains the challenges the proposal is facing on Episode 11 of Down to Business.
Why Ottawa wants small businesses to export more (with Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion Mary Ng)
June 26, 2019 07:00 - 23 minutes - 32.7 MBOnly 12 per cent of small businesses export outside of Canada. Ottawa wants to change that. Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion Mary Ng explains why on Episode 10 of Down to Business.