Conversations That Matter

Ep 517 - A crisis of indecision in Canada Guest: Gavin Dew   By Stuart McNish   On June 26th, Gavin Dew posted disappointing news on his LinkedIn profile. After four years of planning, fundraising, and negotiation with the City of Abbotsford, the Tech District project was pulling the plug. Dew says, “We couldn’t keep spending time and money without a clear signal from city council that this $5-billion private sector investment would be approved.”   Dew said, “I know a lot of people are disappointed. I’m proud of the work we did to develop the project vision, invite people in, and build community support. And I’m obviously disappointed at this lost opportunity to deliver affordable housing, high quality education, and a hub for food innovation in Canada’s most productive agricultural jurisdiction.”   Dew went on to say the lack of a clear signal from city council “is indicative of a crisis of indecision in Canada. We have become the land of the slow maybe, where process has become an end in itself, decisions are elusive, and leaders refuse to lead.”   We invited Gavin Dew to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our inability to get to “yes” and what it is doing to our reputation as a place to innovate and grow.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/   Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep - 516 - Weaving Two Worlds Guests: Christy Smith - Michael McPhie   By Stuart McNish   “The key to the Canadian economy is in the hands of First Nations,” says Christy Smith and Michael McPhie in their book, “Weaving Two Worlds,” a guide to economic reconciliation. According to Smith, “The intent of the book is to help First Nations, governments, and companies work together in the development of natural resources.”   McPhie says, “We believe the resource sector and the people within it have a meaningful role to play in advancing reconciliation. Done right, the outcome will be greater social, environmental and economic well-being for all.”   One court decision after another has been shaping the way Canada can and does develop its resources. According to Smith and McPhie, “Now is the time to create opportunities that provide First Nations access to the economic opportunities that will create ownership, employment, funds for education and will combat poverty.   We invited Christy Smith and Michael McPhie to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the path forward, together.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/   Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 515 - Electronic Recycling Done Right Mohammad Doostmohammadi    By Stuart McNish   “There are six elements that play a key role in optimizing fuel and chemical production,” says Mohammad Doostmohammdi of pH7. “Without them, green hydrogen, low-carbon steel, biofuels and other climate technologies are not possible.” Those six elements are platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium – and they are among the rarest on earth.   While challenging to identify ore bodies with mineable resources, there is an emerging opportunity in recovery. “There are 17.4 million troy ounces of these elements that have already been mined and are available to be recovered from catalytic converters, mobile phones, computer disks and aircraft turbines.”   Until now, the process of recovering these elements was uneconomical. Doostmohammdi says, “These challenges notwithstanding, several factors have combined to spotlight their growing importance.”   We invited Mohammad Doostmohammdi to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the process his team has developed that reduces costs and increases productivity in the realm of critical mineral recovery.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/   Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 514 - Real Estate Lessons from Singapore Guest: Ernst Lang   By Stuart McNish   “We can learn a few things from Singapore,” says Ernst Lang, the founder and CEO of Promerita Group. “Singapore has been getting housing right for many decades. In fact, it has found a way to make most of its housing affordable whilst also protecting the value of privately owned homes.”   According to a report by the Urban Land Institute, “private homes in Singapore are the most expensive in Asia” with an average value of $1.7 million US. However, the ULI report states that public housing in Singapore is the “most attainable” when it comes to home ownership – 90 percent of the people in the country own their home.   Lang says, “Even more remarkable is the cost in relation to median annual income. In Singapore, the median home price to income ratio is 5. In Vancouver, according to Rates.ca, the average home price is 249% more than an average household can afford.”   How and what are they doing in Singapore that we can learn from?   We invited Ernst Lang of Promerita to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Singapore’s housing market and what lessons we could apply here.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/   Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 513 - British Columbia’s Lacklustre Prosperity Guest: David Williams   By Stuart McNish   According to the 2024 British Columbia Prosperity Index, “BC places 11th out of 21 peer jurisdictions for overall prosperity.” The study was developed with the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, which compares BC’s performance on a range of economic, business, social and environmental indicators.   David Williams says, “There is no medal for 11th place and for good reason. This matters for young families and people aspiring to build a future in this province. Prosperity is crucial.”  The report is filled with disheartening numbers about BC’s place on the Prosperity Index.   The Index reports that British Columbia is “11th of 21 jurisdictions in Business Well-Being, 15th in Economic Well-Being, 7th in Societal Well-Being, 12th in Labour Productivity, 13th in Innovation Ranking, 13th in Income Inequality and 18th for Housing Affordability.”   We invited David Williams, the Vice President of Policy at the Business Council of British Columbia, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the factors that are driving down prosperity in BC and what we can do to reverse this trend.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/   Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca