Smart Cities – Will we leave people behind?

As Cities around the world get smarter, will cities start leaving people behind?

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NAFTA – what should Canada expect?

President Trump thinks Canadians are being difficult. Canada’s Ambassador described the talks as “heated” but productive, and predicted “drama” ahead. To add further post Brexit dysfunction to the array, the UK wants in on NAFTA as though the name wasn’t a hint.

For all the doom and gloom about NAFTA in the 80s, there aren’t a lot of voices in Canada calling for its demise.  What’s the future of Canadian corporations if NAFTA talks die and President Trump gets to “kill” the agreement?

Join us on January …

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Rising Waters – Are we ready to cope?

Ontario and Quebec saw a lot of water this year. Flooding in the first half of summer kept the Toronto Islands closed for much of the season. Watching the devastation wrought by what seems like an endless line of Hurricanes down south is really forcing us to think about our own infrastructure resiliency.

Once in 500 year storms are happening with increasing frequency. Flooding is becoming common place in Toronto.

What are we doing to make sure our critical infrastructure is ready for future weather events? Are …

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Why Should I Care About the Sharing Economy?

The rapid rise of the “sharing economy” (services like Uber, Airbnb) is revolutionizing the way we satisfy our daily needs and completely transforming traditional markets. With customers happily pocketing savings, policy makers are having to respond to these changes. The discussion has slowly shifted from “should we ban Uber?” to “how should we regulate the sharing economy?”

Join us WSIC Uptown on November 11th as we welcome four special guests to share their opinions on the implications of the sharing economy and suggest how policy makers should respond to this economic …

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Should we invest in Basic Income?

The past few years have been dominated by economic woes. The Great Depression lead to world wide pain, and in certain countries temporary chaos and low income people were some of the hardest hit. Governments have tried any and all measures to reestablish conditions necessary for jobs, and most appear to be failing.

 

Here in Canada, due to the recently high price of oil, we have been relatively insulated, yet young people still experience high rates of unemployment. Now with oil prices significantly lower, the government …

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WSIC about the Canada/E.U. Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)?

How will the Canada/EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement impact everyday Canadians? Catherine Swift and Stewart Trew debate the pros and cons.

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Profitably Sustainable – By Michael

Profitably Sustainable – By Michael

Sustainability or going green is economically beneficial.  It is not just about saving whales and polar bears. There exists huge business opportunities.  Jim Harris, former leader of the federal Green party, thinks going green can be economically beneficial.  For him it’s not just about saving the planet it can save businesses.  Energy efficiency creates many times more jobs than the existing ways of doing business.  Typically, those companies that realize and implement sustainability programs first are those that survive and thrive.  When the price of …

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