Canada West Foundation

I’m excited to announce that Gary Mar will be installed as MacEwan University’s next chancellor. He is a big thinker who has a lot of experience being a champion for our city, our province and our country. I look forward to working with him to share the outstanding work MacEwan is doing to grow our institution, provide value to our students, develop talent that helps our communities, and create an environment for youth to thrive. Please take a few minutes to learn more about Gary on MacEwan.ca

Exciting news 🎉 – Gary G. Mar, President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation, has been selected as the next chancellor of MacEwan University in Edmonton. Gary will serve as the school’s ceremonial head on a four-year, non-renewable term, working to build connections and relationships that increase MacEwan’s profile. “To me, if you’re doing a great job, how many people know about it? The answer is always not enough. Helping burnish the reputation of MacEwan for the good work it does is important,” he said. Gary will be the school’s second chancellor. We’re thrilled to have our leader fulfilling such a prestigious role at one of Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. Congrats Gary! https://lnkd.in/gqWZpnDA

How can Canada create a more stable trade network for its canola producers? In the face of new tariffs from China, Ottawa and industry can work to improve resiliency for this integral export through diversification and expanded domestic processing capacity. Here are a few ideas: 🔸 Ottawa should create stable incentives such as tax credits, loan guarantees and a predictable investment climate for crushing plants and renewable fuel facilities. 🔸Programs such as AgriStability should evolve from crisis cushions into tools that reward resilience. 🔸Diversification relies on the speed and efficiency of our trade networks. Rail, ports and inland terminals require investment, while regulatory approvals need to be streamlined. Read our latest op-ed to learn more about the options in Canada’s resiliency toolkit: https://lnkd.in/gwyymm6z

What challenges are facing the world's electrical grid? Members of the Canada West Foundation research team attended the 2025 WIRED Grid Resilience Symposium at the University of Calgary earlier this month to find out. The symposium convened electricity, energy and wildfire experts from across North America to tackle the pressing challenges of electricity grid resilience, including: Wildfire🔥 – electric grids are both vulnerable to and potential causes of wildfire. Extreme weather ☀️– extreme heat and extreme cold both place additional stressors on power grids. Cyberattacks 💻 – North American grids are vulnerable to malicious actors. Large loads🪫– new technologies (AI data centres, cloud computing) are rapidly increasing demand for electricity in many jurisdictions. 📸 CWF's Stephany Laverty, Margi Pandya and Ryan Workman were among the dozens of attendees at the symposium. Photo courtesy: WIRED Global Center.

Canada is about to enter a new era of nation-building. The stakes for our economic future are high: that's why we're launching Building for Tomorrow, a series that tracks, analyzes, explains and critiques the policies, projects and politics shaping Canada’s trade-enabling infrastructure. In this issue:  🔴Canada's new trade corridor agenda 🔴A list of potential national projects 🔴The Major Projects Office 🔴What's next? Read the first edition of Building for Tomorrow, from Canada West Foundation Policy Analyst Ryan Workman, for more: https://lnkd.in/gz_Xqx2V

China’s new tariff on Canadian canola seed highlights how vulnerable our agricultural sector is to geopolitical tensions. CWF's Gary G. Mar highlighted some of the actions Ottawa and industry can take to stabilize canola’s market volatility in his latest op-ed for the Financial Post.   "The canola story is a canary in a coal mine. Trade diversification isn’t an aspirational talking point for a politician. A toolkit for resiliency includes specific actions Ottawa and industry can take now to stabilize market volatility through diversification and expanding domestic processing capacity."   Overreliance on the U.S. and China continues to create instability, showing why diversification and resilient supply chains are not optional but essential. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gnq99ARa

Are people on the Prairies more satisfied with the direction of the country now than they were last year? A recent poll suggests yes. Data from Environics Institute for Survey Research shows that the prairie provinces experienced the largest drop in dissatisfaction with the way things are going in Canada over the past year. While the dissatisfaction in the Prairies is still the highest in the country at 53 per cent, the decrease from 67 per cent in 2024 puts it much closer to the national average. Charles DeLand, CWF’s Vice President, Research, commented on the survey’s findings in a recent article in The Globe and Mail, saying that “the concerns on the Prairies aren’t permanent barriers but rather hurdles that can be cleared with the recognition and prioritization of Western Canada’s key role within Confederation.” "Further initiatives, like a national trade infrastructure plan and energy export strategy, would help make the people and industries on the Prairies feel like they are a priority for Ottawa." The research was conducted as part of the Confederation of Tomorrow series. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gUSmyDt3

What options are available to help Canadian youth get the experience they need to enter the workforce? Youth unemployment reached 14.2 per cent in June 2025—the highest rate in three decades. Here are a few recommendations to help: 🔘Canada could expand apprenticeship options to resemble Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems, which combine part-time classroom instruction with paid workplace training. Countries that have adopted the VET model, such as Switzerland, Germany and the U.K., typically have more stable youth employment during times of economic stress.  🔘 Strengthening youth experience pathways that were disrupted by the pandemic, including volunteering and internship programs, could provide essential skills, readiness and opportunities.   🔘 Broadening credential recognition, bridging programs and mentorship programs would give newcomers opportunities to leave “survival jobs” and get into careers. These are just a few ideas that could help more Canadian youth find jobs. Read the latest issue of the Future of Work and Learning Brief for more: https://lnkd.in/ggdtyru7

Our latest FWL brief, by a brilliant young man - Julien Côté - who just finished his stint with our research team. The world of work is shifting rapidly and the systems (both public and private sector) that need to generate and maintain the workforce the economy needs are failing - and Canadian youth are paying the price.

Here’s a paradox: Youth unemployment is at its highest rate since the 1990s, but employers across Canada still report labour and skill shortages.    Between AI, the pandemic and pressures on entry-level jobs, such as the retail sector, young people aged 15–24 aren’t gaining the experience employers are looking for. 🔹 Digitalization, automation and AI are affecting entry-level roles: 42 per cent of tasks within roles commonly held by youth in Canada are at risk of automation.  🔹 Pre-COVID experience pathways are eroding: volunteering hours countrywide dropped 28 per cent between 2018 and 2023.  🔹 The retail sector provides nearly 29 per cent of student jobs, but it’s also the most exposed to economic pressures like tariffs.   Expanding apprenticeship programs and strengthening youth experience pathways in Canada could help provide more employment stability in an ever-shifting economy.  Read the latest issue of the Future of Work and Learning Brief to learn more about the options that could help Canadian youth get the experience they need. https://lnkd.in/ggdtyru7