Brief Remarks

On April 19 in Ottawa, Canada 2020 hosted our first Net-zero Leadership Summit, a gathering of leading experts and innovators from across Canada and beyond to explore the challenges and opportunities of achieving a net-zero economy. As we undergo shared global health and environmental challenges, along with major geopolitical and economic shifts, we must look to how markets, governments, and people can forge a new and better path forward. In the next of our series of highlight conversations from this summit, we join Gregor Robertson (Former Mayor of Vancouver, Executive Vice President of Nexii, and Ambassador for the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy), Alex Lau (Chairman of Carbon America, Vice President of Golden Properties, and Board member at Terramera), and Sandrine Tremblay (Co-President and CTO of Kolostat & Krome) in conversation on the housing and building sector, and future of our built environment.This conversation has been edited for length and clarity ahead of publication.

On April 19 in Ottawa, Canada 2020 hosted our first Net-zero Leadership Summit, a gathering of leading experts and innovators from across Canada and beyond to explore the challenges and opportunities of achieving a net-zero economy. As we undergo shared global health and environmental challenges, along with major geopolitical and economic shifts, we must look to how markets, governments, and people can forge a new and better path forward. In the first of our series of highlighted conversations from this summit, we hear a keynote from Mark Carney (UN Special Envoy for Climate and Finance and Chair of the Canada 2020 Advisory Board), and conversation with Delia Cristea (Partner, General Counsel, and Sustainability Lead for Power Sustainable) on the net-zero transition internationally, what's happening in the financial sector, and lessons for Canada.This conversation has been edited for length and clarity ahead of publication.

The United States of America is a polarized country marked by toxic partisan politics. The state of American politics comes from somewhere. And it might have been otherwise. It has been shaped by powerful interests, technologies, and contingent forces. One of those – one of the most important – is cable television.  A new book traces the history of cable television and the changing political and cultural landscape in the United States. In the background of the book looms an absolute bruiser of a question: Did cable television break America?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Kathryn Cramer Brownell, an assistant professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University and the author of  24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News.

There are all kinds of euphemisms for fat bodies. They capture and obscure a persistent social discomfort and prejudice that appears across fields and settings, from pop culture, to airlines, to medicine and beyond. Weight is also a marker for constant abuse, online and offline. When it comes to weight, we have normalized prejudice, moral panic, and shaming, even as we have made such treatment socially unacceptable in relation to other markers.Where does the pathologizing of fat bodies come from? Who benefits from it and at whose expense? And how can we do better? We explore those questions and others as we ask: How should we think about fat bodies?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with May Friedman, professor in the School of Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University and the author of several books, among them the recently released co-edited volume, Fat Studies in Canada: (Re)Mapping the Field.

For years, private interests have encroached upon public spaces. As time goes on, there are fewer and fewer places that belong to each of us regardless of our socioeconomic status–places where we can congregate or simply exist without needing to bend to the will of the market or worry about being surveilled. But what if our cities themselves were to fall to privatization? Imagine a city run, for instance, by a big tech company. Proprietary roads and sewers and sidewalks; data collection and surveillance here, there, and everywhere. The notion isn’t so far-fetched. A recent struggle in Toronto over Google’s attempt to pilot a “smart city” is a reminder that we can’t take anything for granted. So, who owns the future of public spaces?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Josh O’Kane, an award-winning reporter with the Globe and Mail and author of Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy.

On May 16 in Ottawa, Canada 2020 hosted this year's edition of The Indigenous-led Economy, a summit on economic reconciliation. In this final episode of our three-part series highlighting important conversations from this gathering, Marc Miller (Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations), Khelsilem (Chair, Squamish Nation Council), and Karen Restoule (Co-Founder, BOLD Realities; VP, Crestview Strategy) explore understanding economic reconciliation through land-back, advancing Indigenous self-determination, and what must come next to build the Indigenous-led economy.

Infrastructure, connectivity, and access to energy remain a significant barrier to quality of life in many Indigenous communities, with the net-zero transition presenting both urgent challenges and unprecedented opportunities. In a conversation featuring Hillary Thatcher (Managing Director, Indigenous and Northern Investments at Canadian Infrastructure Bank), Angel Ransom (Senior VP, Environmental Services at First Nations Major Projects Coalition), Mihskakwan James Harper (Business Development Manager at NRStor Inc.), Cole Crook (Vice President, Indigenous Relations at ATCO Group), and Dan Pudjak, (former Director of Policy for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs), we explore how we can bridge infrastructural gaps with sustainability in mind.This conversation was part of Canada 2020’s summit on economic reconciliation, The Indigenous-led Economy, hosted on May 16 in Ottawa, and is part two of three conversations we are sharing on the 2020 Network.

On May 16 in Ottawa, Canada 2020 hosted another edition of The Indigenous-led Economy, a summit on economic reconciliation. When it comes to foundations for community and economic development, access to health care, crucial social supports, and education are no less relevant than infrastructure and investment. In a conversation featuring Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, Dr. Alika Lafontaine, President of the Canadian Medical Association, and Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association, we explore how we can build both wealth and well-being as pillars of economic reconciliation.

Last week in Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party held on to government in a race that was much closer than the 49-38 seat count suggests. Indeed, a small shift in votes in a handful of ridings in Calgary would have tipped the contest in favour of the New Democratic Party. But that didn’t happen. NDP leader Rachel Notley says she will stay on as leader after losing to Smith, whose ministry and campaign were marked by gaffes, scandals, and utter absurdity. If you’re wondering how Smith managed to perform as well as she did after comparing those who received a Covid vaccine to followers of Hitler, and what she’ll do next as she takes aim at the federal government and climate policy, you have come to the right place as we ask: What just happened in Alberta–and what comes next?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Alberta politics writer Dave Cournoyer.

This is the first episode in our three-piece series on the past, present, and future of public spaces in Canada. In these episodes we’ll cover nature, cities, and big national undertakings – things we do, have done, or might do together in spaces meant for all of us. We’ll also discuss threats to public spaces, of which there are many, and what is being done to address them. Now, nature is the ultimate public space. There is something fundamental about it. Something essential. Nature pre-existed the built world and in one form or another it will outlast it, too. But not everyone has equal access to nature, and some communities and groups are less likely to have that access. In that way, it’s very much like other spaces, the ones we have created.There are a number of reasons people ought to have both a right and an ability to access public spaces in nature. Among them are physical health, mental health, education, and pure, simple joy. One organization is fighting to secure that access, especially for youth fr

We spend an awful lot of time talking about housing and development—and we should. But often lost in the conversation is how we manage rural land and housing. The vast majority of Canada is urbanized, but in case you were thinking what happens “out there” has nothing to do with you, think again. Rural areas are home to plenty of houses and residential developments of their own, but they are also the site of the country’s farmland. In the face of geopolitical shifts, climate change, and the ever present concern of food security, rural development is an important issue. The bad news? Things are…not going well, particularly in Canada’s most populous province, Ontario.To understand the state of rural development, where things are headed, and how we might do better, we ask the fundamental question: Who should care about rural development?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Jeff Wheeldon, a municipal councillor in Brighton, Ontario, a real estate agent, and a housing advocate.

At Carleton University, a union local is fighting for a fair deal for its workers–and getting ready for a strike. Across Ontario and Canada, unionized workplaces are fighting similar battles, even while the balance of power continues to favour employers by default.Democratized workplaces produce better results for employees, and everyone down the line, too. Recent gains in Canada and the United States might point to a new dawn for unions as people struggle with the cost of living crisis and unfavourable working conditions. But the future, as it tends to be, is uncertain. We can, however, follow the clues and ask: What does a campus labour struggle tell us about unions in Canada?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Noreen Cauley-Le Fevre, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 4600 and a PhD Candidate in Geography at Carleton University; and Graham Cox, a research representative at CUPE.

Like it or not, we are stuck online. Digital life is a reflection and extension of life offline–if we can even talk about life offline anymore. It’s not like the old days of logging on and logging off. We are constantly connected. Our social, political, and economic lives are bound up with the digital world. So is our public sphere. And much of that world is controlled by a handful of very wealthy, very powerful tech giants.Digital space presents several significant challenges to the public good. Dis- and misinformation, domestic and foreign. Toxicity by way of name-calling, hate speech, and bullying. Economic exploitation, asymmetrical access, class divides. Doxxing and hacking. Even the threat of physical violence. It’s pretty grim stuff. In light of these challenges, how can we build a healthier digital public sphere?On this episode of Open to Debate, host David Moscrop talks with Taylor Owen, Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications, the founding director of The Center for Media, Technology a

On February 10 in Vancouver, BC, Canada 2020 and the Urban Land Institute of BC co-hosted a special event to discuss how we can face the economic challenges faced by all Canadians. In a conversation featuring Mark Carney (former Governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, and Canada 2020 Advisory Board Chair), Ken Sim (Mayor of Vancouver), Christine Bergeron (President and CEO of Vancity), and Anna Gainey, (Executive Chair of Canada 2020), we explore what our cities, governments, and economic leaders can do to build a stronger economy and more prosperous future for us all.

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is trying to address the province’s healthcare crisis. With over 200,000 people waiting for surgeries, long emergency room wait times, too few family physicians, and nurses burning out and leaving the profession, something must be done. But Ford’s plan is to introduce more for-profit care into the system. He calls it “innovation.” It’s been done in other provinces. It won’t solve the crisis, but it might introduce new problems.Saving healthcare in Ontario, and Canada, requires structural changes to preserve and extend the public and not-for-profit elements of the system. And don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done. It can. There are best practices. We just need to adopt them at scale. So, how do we fix Canadian healthcare? On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Dr. Melanie Bechard, a pediatric emergency doctor and Chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare.

Canadians can be forgiven for making a national pastime out of expressing anger at the state of competition in the country. Telecom, grocery, transportation, entertainment, and several other industries are an utter, anti-consumer disaster. As I like to put it, Canada is made up of three telecom companies in a trenchcoat. There may be some hope for change, however, as the country undertakes a review of its competition policy and the Competition Bureau pushes back a bit more than usual against monopoly and oligopoly. So, will the Canadian marketplace ever be competitive?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University’s Master of Public Policy Program in Digital Society, senior fellow with The Centre for International Governance Innovation, and the writer of the popular newsletter “regs to riches.”

Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada requires structural transformation. One essential site of institutional reform is the country’s legal systems. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released 94 calls to action. In call to action #42, the TRC called upon “the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to commit to the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal justice systems in a manner consistent with the Treaty and Aboriginal rights of Aboriginal peoples, the Constitution Act, 1982, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples endorsed by Canada in November 2012.” To understand what meaningful reform could look like, we ask: How should Canada engage with Indigenous legal traditions?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Dr. Val Napoleon, dean, professor, and Law Foundation Chair of Indigenous Justice and Governance at the University of Victoria, and Dr. Hadley Friedland, associate professor in the Faculty of Law at t

This is the third and final episode in a three-part series on cities in Canada. So far, we’ve tackled how cities fit within the constitution and explored progressive visions for city life in the 21st century.  We talk about cities all the time. Not that they get the critical, detailed coverage and attention they deserve; but talk about cities and life within them is common. Mostly complaining. But not always. But how do cities work? That is, how do they actually work? And how will they work now that Toronto and Ottawa mayors have access to the “strong mayor” powers afforded to them by the provincial government? To the outsider, the process of municipal governance might seem arcane. Probably because for most people, the process is arcane. Luckily, our guest knows the ins and outs of city governance and he's here to share his secrets.On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Shawn Menard, City of Ottawa councillor for Capital Ward.

On December 1, Canada 2020 launched the results of a one-year project of research and convening to establish a practical policy agenda for building wealth and well-being in smaller, rural, and remote communities across Canada. This special edition podcast is from the launch of this report, “A post-pandemic policy agenda for rural and smaller Canadian communities”, featuring a conversation with Canada’s Minister of Rural Economic Development the Hon. Gudie Hutchings, Shorefast CEO Zita Cobb, Mississaugas of the Scugog Island First Nation Chief Kelly LaRocca , Smart Prosperity Senior Director Mike Moffatt, and Bradford West Gwillimbury Councillor Jonathan Scott, led by Canada 2020 Senior Fellow and author of the report Matthew Mendelsohn. 

Around the world, more than 4 billion people live in cities. That’s just over 50 percent of the global population. The United Nations projects that by 2050, it will be 68 percent. In Canada, 82 percent of people live in urban areas and that number is on the rise, too. Alongside the growth in urbanization is growth in the number of problems cities and their residents face. The list is long and getting longer. Housing. Transit. Policing. Parks. Infrastructure. The drug poisoning crisis. Safe streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. And more.  Tackling numerous and overlapping urban challenges requires political courage and a commitment to doing things differently. To understand just what that entails, we ask: What can be done about the biggest issues facing our cities?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities and former mayoral candidate in the City of Toronto.