Intended Consequences
News & Politics
About
Intended Consequences is the official podcast of the StrategyCorp Institute. The podcast discusses practical provincial and Canadian policy ideas that achieve the actual goals they are designed to achieve with interesting guests and experts. The Institute aims to combine political acuity with policy recommendations to provide a one-stop shop for expert policy advice that is politically practical and possible to implement. StrategyCorp is a Canadian advisory firm that prides itself on being at the nexus of government connectivity and smart policy thought.
Episodes
- Tarifs, guerre et compétition : comment l'industrie canadienne de l'aluminium s'adapte et innove
L'aluminium fait l'objet de tarifs douaniers élevés depuis le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche. Les impacts de ces tarifs sur le secteur et les prix mondiaux sont importants. Ceux-ci sont exacerbés par l'instabilité dans le golfe…
- A Wave of Retiring Entrepreneurs Is Coming
Entrepreneurship is the foundation of economic development. But what happens when entrepreneurs want to retire? According to a report from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), nearly 61% of Canadian SMEs are led by owners who are…
- When the Lights Come On: How Live Music and Film Fuel Economic Development
Live music and film are major drivers of economic development in communities across Canada. Erin Benjamin, President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, and Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos, Film Commissioner and CEO of the Ottaw…
- Assessing Canada's Housing-Enabling Infrastructure
Growing Canada's housing supply requires adequate underlying infrastructure. Water and wastewater capacity, waste management, and public transit and active transportation are top-of-mind housing-enabling infrastructure for communities acro…
- AI Isn't Waiting for Permission
AI is top of mind across all organizations. Julie Gonyou, Vice President at StrategyCorp, explains how AI is rapidly embedding itself in the public sector. As the pace of AI continues to accelerate in 2026, Julie explains how it will shape…
- Elections, Economic Security, and Sectoral Turmoil: 2025 in Review
StrategyCorp's year-in-review and 2026 look-ahead StrategyCorp's annual year-in-review & look-ahead episode is back to close out the 2025 season of Intended Consequences. Our expert guests discuss the most important developments of 2025 in…
- Trade, Tech and Training: A Discussion on the State of Canadian Manufacturing
Jayson Myers, CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), joins the podcast to discuss tariffs and trade diversification. He also provides insight into the state of AI adoption in manufacturing, the value of intellectual property a…
- A Site Selector's View on How Businesses Make Location Decisions
Making location decisions has never been as challenging for companies. Global and local factors are extensively influencing investment dynamics and shaping economic development. Gregg Wassmansdorf, Senior Managing Director of Global Strate…
- Change, Politics, and Pressure: Inside the 2025 CAO Survey
Joanne Chianello and Stacy Hushion join the podcast to discuss StrategyCorp's 2025 Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey . With a municipal election a year away, longstanding pressures facing local governments and Trump-ind…
- Parliament Returns as Trade War Continues to Shape Priorities
After a busy summer for the government and opposition parties, Members of Parliament are back in Ottawa for the return of the House of Commons. Between the ongoing tension with the United States, the return of Pierre Poilievre in the House…
- A Credit Rating Agency on Canadian Government Finances
Federal and provincial governments across Canada have been recording budget deficits for several years, which is raising concerns around their financial capacity in a time of heightened uncertainty. Deficits and debt can get very political…
- Venture Capital and Private Equity in Canada
The current Trump-induced uncertainty is impacting every aspect of the economy, including capital flows. When it gets harder to predict economic patterns, investors become more risk-averse and companies have a harder time accessing capital…
- Secteur manufacturier québécois: Trump, défis et solutions
Le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche et la mise en place de tarifs douaniers créent de nombreux défis pour les entreprises manufacturières québécoises. Les taux, la portée et même l'échéancier de ces tarifs ont changé à plusieurs…
- How Are the Democrats Opposing Donald Trump?
The first 100 days of the second Trump presidency have been a whirlwind. Between policy announcements on Truth Social, a barrage of tariffs and cuts to the civil service, the Trump White House has been moving fast and breaking things. Amid…
- Tariffs and Economic Development: Threats, Opportunities and Strategies
The 100th episode of Intended Consequences explores the impacts of the U.S. tariffs on economic development in Canada. Many Canadian communities are vulnerable to tariffs with Saint John (NB), Calgary and Windsor topping the list according…
- Private Investments in the Ontario Electricity Distribution Sector
Much of Ontario – including most of the province's main urban centres – are served by local electricity distributors (LDCs) owned by municipalities. Both the federal and Ontario governments have recently announced measures that could enabl…
- Perspectives on the State of Ontario's Development Sector
In the face of an uncertain economic future, where housing starts have plummeted and residential sales are down, but demand shows no signs of abating, the key goal of the industry is to somehow make it through 2025. StrategyCorp Ontario De…
- Municipal Financial Sustainability
The StrategyCorp Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2024 highlighted that municipal finance is a top area of concern. The report noted that "many CAOs spoke of financial challenges not just in terms of the gaps and shortfalls th…
- StrategyCorp's Year-in-Review & 2025 Look-Ahead
Our annual year-in-review & look-ahead episode is back to close out this season of Intended Consequences. Our StrategyCorp guests discuss the most important national and international developments of 2024 and their significance for Canadia…
- Technology Adoption in the Construction Sector
Like the rest of the Canadian economy, the construction industry is badly hit by a decline in labour productivity. Looking at historical data, labour productivity in the construction sector is lower today than it was before the pandemic. T…
- The Impacts of Emerging Technologies on the Digital Divide
Artificial intelligence , the Internet of Things, and blockchain are changing the game for governments, companies, and workers. As these emerging technologies gain traction and get adopted, questions around their impact on people are top o…
- One Woman's Fight for Freedom and Democracy: A Conversation with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
While the war in Ukraine rages on, another fight continues in its neighbour to the north, Belarus. In 2020, its dictator Alexander Lukashenko faced massive protests in the streets and is widely seen by the international community to have l…
- What the U.S. Election Results Mean for Canada
StrategyCorp hosted a webinar on November 7th to analyze the results of the U.S. election. Three expert panelists joined Garry Keller, Head of the StrategyCorp's Geopolitical and International Business Advisory Practice, to discuss what th…
- What to expect in Ontario politics this fall
The Ontario legislature returns after a long summer break. MPPs head back to Queen's Park under interesting circumstances as parties are also getting ready for a potential snap election. Aidan Grove-White, Fraser Macdonald and Kelly Baker…
- The House of Commons Returns with Less Confidence
We begin the 10th season of Intended Consequences by looking at the return of the House of Commons. There was no shortage of political news over the summer, including the end of the Supply and Confidence Agreement between the Liberals and…
- Is a Paradigm Shift Needed in Seniors' Care?
According to the Government of Ontario's population projections, the number of seniors aged 70 and over will jump from 1.9 million in 2022 to nearly 3.5 million in 2046. An aging population puts significant pressure on long-term care and h…
- Episode 88: Can Real Estate Conversion Boost Housing Supply?
Listen to our panelists Ana Bailão from Dream, Steven Paynter from Gensler, and Aidan Grove-White and Mary Ellen Bench from StrategyCorp, discuss how building conversion works, what needs to happen for these kinds of projects to move forwa…
- Episode 87 - The First Year of Mayor Olivia Chow in Toronto
On June 26, 2023, Torontonians elected Olivia Chow as their next Mayor in a by-election. As it is often the case when a new mayor comes into office, there was some uncertainty around how Olivia Chow would govern and what the relationship w…
- Episode 86 - IoT and the future of satellites
Satellites play an increasing role in enabling the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in some parts of Canada. Innovation in low earth orbit (LEO) satellites reminds us that satellite technology is evolving rapidly. Jason Tre…
- Episode 85 - Regulation and Innovation in the Crypto Space
Despite Bitcoin having been around since 2009, crypto and blockchain remain relatively misunderstood. Several myths persist around what the technology is and is not. Many also underappreciate the role of crypto and its innovation potential…
- Episode 84 - Adapting to a Changing Geopolitical Order
International events and geopolitical shifts have massive impacts on Canada. More than ever, governments and companies find themselves navigating uncertain geopolitical dynamics. To assess what this means in practice, we are joined by Arif…
- Episode 83 - Navigating Government Procurement in Canada
Governments spend large sums of money on procurement every year. According to Global Affairs Canada, estimates show that government procurement represents between 13 and 20 per cent of a country's gross domestic product. Given the size of…
- Episode 82 - Artificial Intelligence in the Municipal Context
The StrategyCorp Institute concludes its miniseries on artificial intelligence with an episode on AI in the municipal context. From building permit approvals to smart infrastructure to answering residents' questions, there are many opportu…
- Episode 81 - Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Innovation in Canada
The StrategyCorp Institute continues its miniseries on artificial intelligence by looking at the Canadian context. We discuss the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act in bill C-27 and the federal government's overall approach to regulating…
- Episode 80 - The Transition to a Circular Economy
Canada is undergoing a transformation in how we manage our waste. Transitioning to a circular economy that extends the life cycle of products and reduces waste can have significant environmental benefits. To be successful, this transition…
- Episode 79 - Artificial Intelligence Regulation Around the World
The launch of ChatGPT has forced organizations and institutions across the economy to ask themselves what generative AI means for them in terms of risks and opportunities. Governments and regulators find themselves asking similar questions…
- Episode 78 - Mobilité et infrastructures de transport en commun
Le transport en commun est essentiel pour permettre aux gens de se déplacer d'un point A à un point B. Il joue aussi un rôle crucial dans la lutte contre les changements climatiques. Dans cet épisode, l'Institut de StrategyCorp aborde le s…
- Episode 77 - Mobility and Public Transit Infrastructures
Public transportation is essential to enable people to move from point A to point B. It also plays a crucial role in the fight against climate change. In this episode, the StrategyCorp Institute looks at the topic of mobility and public tr…
- Episode 76 - The State of Entrepreneurship in Canada
The StrategyCorp Institute begins the ninth season of Intended Consequences with an extensive conversation on the state of entrepreneurship in Canada. The CEO of Startup Canada, Kayla Isabelle, joins us to discuss the opportunities and cha…
- Episode 75 - StrategyCorp's Year-in-Review & 2024 Look-Ahead
Our year-in-review and look-ahead episode is back to close out this season of Intended Consequences. Our StrategyCorp guests discuss the most important developments of 2023 at all levels of government and their significance for Canadian po…
- Episode 74 - Preparing for COP28
Convened under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP28 will take place in Dubai between November 30th and December 12th. The event is expected to bring together over 70,000 delegates from all over the world. Delega…
- Episode 73 - Canada's Energy Transition Journey
Enjoy a special episode of Intended Consequences. On November 23, the StrategyCorp Institute hosted a live webinar on Canada's energy transition journey. Our panel of experts looked at how Canada can achieve its energy and climate goals an…
- Episode 72 - Opportunities and challenges faced by Ontario's non-profit housing sector
Ontario faces severe housing affordability challenges on both the homeownership and the rental sides. The current conditions have significant impacts across the entire housing sector, including non-profit housing. StrategyCorp released in…
- Episode 71 - Analyzing the Alberta Throne Speech and what comes next
After winning a majority on May 29th, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP returned to the provincial legislature for the fall sitting. The session began with a Throne Speech that outlined the priorities of the Premier and the tense…
- Episode 70 - Is It Time for a Canadian Sovereign Wealth Fund?
As interest rates rise, countries are increasingly worried about their debt. For commodity-producing states, the impact of the energy transition on their revenues is top of mind. How can jurisdictions navigate these challenging circumstanc…
- Episode 69 - City Managers in a time of change
From extreme weather events to fiscal pressures, municipalities across Canada are facing a wide array of challenges. Having quality municipal management has never been this essential and it often begins with City Managers. Using the book T…
- Episode 68: Uncertainty as Queen's Park Returns
The Ontario legislature resumes on September 25th. MPPs return to Queen's Park after a uniquely eventful summer in Ontario politics, which sets the stage for a heated fall sitting. Alex Armanious, Fraser MacDonald and Aidan Grove-White joi…
- Episode 67: Getting Ready for Back to Parliament
After a busy summer where housing, the cost of living and wildfires dominated headlines, Members of Parliament will return for the fall sitting on September 18th. StrategyCorp has you covered on everything you need to know about how the su…
- Episode 66 - Housing in Atlantic Canada
StrategyCorp partnered with the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce to host a live webinar on housing in Atlantic Canada. Amid rising prices, this timely event looked at innovative solutions and the role of the three levels of government in ta…
- Episode 65 - The Aviation Sector's Push Toward a Sustainable Future
As countries around the world strive to reduce carbon emissions, every industry must adapt. In the transportation sector, electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly popular among consumers. However, electrifying other means of transportation…