BCA Podcasts

As Alberta producers and farmers prepare for seeding season, we’re taking a moment to focus on Alberta’s agriculture industry, looking retrospectively at the 2021 season, the state of the sector today, and expectations for 2022 and beyond, especially as many forces threaten the global food supply chain. To help us understand what’s going on in Alberta ag, we invited JP Gervais, Chief Economist, Farm Credit Canada to the show.

Mac Van Wielingen is known by many as the maverick of Canadian business. He’s also the founder and current Board Chair of the Business Council of Alberta. Discussing his leadership philosophy and the way he hopes to make life better for Albertans, we talk about everything from ESG and the evolving role of business to the state of Alberta and the importance of big ideas such as cohesion and collaboration to Alberta’s future.

An expert in advancing women’s entrepreneurship in Canada, Shannon Pestun is a former business banker in Calgary, who has helped women entrepreneurs across the country start and scale businesses. In this episode, Shannon shares her insights on the current state of women’s entrepreneurship in Canada and in Alberta as well as best practices to close some of the most common barriers women experience when starting and scaling businesses and/or moving into leadership positions within companies or on boards.

With over 50% of Alberta's population living in Calgary and Edmonton, the success of these two cities is vital to the future of the province. And at the helm of each are Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of the City of Calgary, and Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor of the City of Edmonton. As Alberta faces big challenges, we sit down with each leader to discuss what is keeping them at night, their top priorities for Calgarians and Edmontonians, and the importance of working together for the social and economic benefit of all Albertans.

Just as climate change is a global challenge, climate action is a global solution. Tackling this challenge will require many actors—investors, innovators, business leaders, policymakers, and advocates, among others—to work towards our common goal: to reduce emissions globally. The Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero Alliance is a groundbreaking and historic initiative that proposes multiple solutions embedded within Canada’s oil sands to drive down emissions and help the oil sands become net zero by 2050. Leaders from three of the six-member companies—Martha Hall Findlay (Suncor), Pam McIntyre (Canadian Natural Resources), and Rhona del Frari (Cenovus)—join the show to discuss the Pathways initiative, the opportunity within the oil sands, and what we need to reach the goal of net-zero.

The economy may be close to back to normal, but daily life sure isn’t. In this episode, BCA economists Alicia Planincic and Mike Holden join Scott and Brittany to break down the data you need to know about Alberta’s economy—unemployment, labour shortages, return to normal daily activities, inflation—and how the pandemic has shifted our understanding of economics.

What’s on the minds of Albertans heading into 2022? From questions around COVID, to thoughts on the economy and education, to better understanding Alberta’s place in Canada, we spoke with renowned Alberta pollster, Janet Brown of Janet Brown Opinion Research to answer these questions and understand what exactly Albertans are focused on the most to start off the new year.

We’re closing out our 2021 podcast season with some reflections on the past year, from the big events to policy wins for Albertans, and giving listeners a sneak preview of what BCA will be working on in 2022, featuring special guest, BCA’s President, Adam Legge

In our final episode of the 2021 season, we’re speaking with a CEO that almost needs no introduction. Nancy Southern has long been a pillar in Alberta’s business community, marked by her impressive track record, expanding global footprint of companies, and even more so, by her passion for her province and its people. This episode covers her career journey, why she founded the Business Council of Alberta, and why she is so optimistic about Alberta’s future.

As one of Canada’s largest integrated energy companies, Suncor has long been the energy supplier of choice in Canada—and is now emerging as a leader in developing low-carbon fuels and emissions reduction technologies. And at the helm of this evolution is long-time energy leader, Mark Little. In this episode, Mark talks his career journey, Suncor 4.0, emissions reduction and clean energy investments, and the groundbreaking Oil Sands Pathway to Net Zero alliance.