Down to Business Podcast

This week on Down to Business, Cedric Smith, an analyst at the clean energy think tank, Pembina Institute, talks about the opportunities for this country in the green economy....

This week, on Down to Business, Justin Scheck, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and co-author of Blood and Oil, a new book about Saudi Arabia, discusses how the oil-rich nation is trying to diversify its economy. The book takes a closer look at Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who has been making huge bets on tech companies with money from the country's oil revenues....

The last recession gave birth to the gig economy, in which companies like Airbnb and Uber convinced people to monetize their houses and cars. COVID will make changes too, in commerce and beyond. This week, on Down to Business, Anindya Sen, an economist at the University of Waterloo, talks about how consumer behavior has changed during the pandemic and how that in turn could change our economy....

BHP Group, one of the world’s largest mining corporations, is known for iron ore and copper, petroleum and coal, not potash. But that may be changing. This week on Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman talks to BHP’s new chief executive Mike Henry about the mega-miner’s interest in mining potash in Saskatchewan and how climate change is changing the commodities game....

Despite a record drop in economic activity, 2020 is set to be a bumper year for growth in disposal income — what gives? This week on Down to Business host Gabriel Friedman talks to Conference Board of Canada chief economist Pedro Antunes about the unusual nature of this recession and the speed and quality of the economic recovery so far....

Canada’s finance minister Bill Morneau abruptly resigned last week in the middle of one of worst economic crises since the Second World War. His replacement, deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, has strong experience on Parliament Hill but less on Bay Street. To help break down the news, Down to Business interviewed Rebekah Young, director of fiscal and provincial economics at Scotiabank, who has been keeping a close eye on the state of Canada’s recovery....

On this week’s Down to Business, host Gabriel Friedman speaks with Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. CEO Sean Boyd about what it’s been like to run a gold company amid a pandemic and record gold prices....

On this week’s Down to Business, as part of our series on Reopening Canada, Clementine Van Effenterre, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Toronto, talks about how the pandemic is affecting working families and what that means for the economy...

On this week’s Down to Business, Ernie Johannson, group head of personal and business banking in North America for BMO Financial Group, speaks to host Gabriel Friedman about shifting consumer habits and describes the initial challenges of trying to stabilize bank operations during a financial crisis and a health pandemic....

On this week's Down to Business, Irene Lauro, a senior economist at Schroders, explains the ripple effects of “reshoring” and how deflation is a top concern for economists as the recovery moves forward....

This week on Down to Business, Jaqui Parchment, chief executive of Mercer Canada, one of the largest human resources consulting firms in the world, talks to Gabriel Friedman about what’s happening in workplaces throughout the country, whether in the office or at home....

On this week's Down to Business, CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld talks to host Gabriel Friedman about the shape and speed of the recovery. While some sectors will rebound quickly, a second big chunk of the economy will see a very shallow recovery or no recovery at all....

This week on Down to Business, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip talks to host Emily Jackson about how COVID-19 has affected his business and how he believes the travel industry should evolve once people are free to move around again....

Nadine Spencer, president of the Black Business and Professional Association, talks to host Emily Jackson about the ongoing challenges faced by Canada’s black business community and what can be done to improve access to capital and diversity in the boardroom....

Financial Post columnist Kevin Carmichael talks to host Emily Jackson about the legacy of outgoing Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz, the decision to replace him with Tiff Macklem, what the bank needs to focus on going forward and why leadership at the bank is so critical now to the Canadian economy....

This week on Down to Business, Retail Council of Canada CEO Diane Brisebois talks with host Emily Jackson about the challenges facing retailers as they re-open and how between 25% and 30% may never come back....

This 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....

Demand 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....

Auto 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....

As 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....

This 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....

Canadian 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....

This 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....

Canadian 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....

This 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....

Former 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....

Former 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....

CIBC 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....

CIBC 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....

Ventilators, 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....

Watching 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...

BMO 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....

Canada 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...

Canada 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...

Bombardier 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...

This 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....

Drones 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...

This 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....

Canadians 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....

Seventeen 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...

The 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...

On 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....

Financial 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....

On 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....

This 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....

25 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...

Black 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....

Big 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....

Big 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....

Streaming 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....

Streaming 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....

Canada 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....

At 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....

At 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....

The 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....

Canadians, 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....

Canadians, 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....

It’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....

Anthony 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....

Peter 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....

Rona 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...

Rona 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...

Finance 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....

Finance 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....

Congestion 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....

Business 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....

Industrial 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....

Manulife 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....

Over 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....

On 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 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....

Smoking 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....

Geoff 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...

There 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....

Only 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....

The Government of Canada is reviewing whether to allow Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. equipment in the country’s wireless networks, and getting pressure from the U.S. to ban it. Huawei Canada chief security officer Olivera Zatezalo discusses 5G security with host Emily Jackson on Episode 9 of Down to Business....

Canadian National Railway CEO and President JJ Ruest speaks with host Emily Jackson about CN’s milestone 100th birthday and what it means for the company and what CN is doing to set itself — and the Canadian economy — up for the next 100 years....

Our seventh episode covers A&W breaking new ground with Beyond Meat. Susan Senecal, president and CEO of A&W Canada, joins host Emily Jackson to talk about why her chain was the first national fast-food restaurant to introduce Beyond Meat burgers, and why she thinks the plant-based protein trend is here to stay....

To celebrate the Toronto Raptors making the NBA finals, our sixth episode covers North America's $70-billion sports market. Humza Teherany, the chief technology and digital officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, talks to host Emily Jackson about how technology is changing the business and fan experience of major league sports....

Andrey Pavlov, real estate finance professor at Simon Fraser University, joins host Emily Jackson to talk about what’s really driving British Columbia’s sky-high housing prices: money laundering or constraints on new supply?...

Reporter Naomi Powell joins host Emily Jackson to discuss one of Canada's most important trade relationships — and why it's making  businesses uneasy....

Economist Peter Tertzakian, executive director of the ARC Energy Research Institute, joins host Emily Jackson to discuss Canadian oil, pipelines and Alberta politics....

Ed Sims, CEO of WestJet for the last year, joins host Emily Jackson to discuss the challenges of heading a Canadian airline during turbulent times — how he dealt with headwinds including labour strife, high-fuel costs and the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737MAX8....

Michele Romanow, tech entrepreneur and Dragons' Den judge, joins host Emily Jackson to discuss innovation and disruption in Canadian business....

Coming April 24: There hasn’t yet been a podcast dedicated to a wide range of Canadian business stories. We want to change that.  Down to Business is a new podcast devoted to what you need to know about Canadian business this week in under 30 minutes. Hosted by the Financial Post's Emily Jackson....