

The Peak Daily
The Peak / Curiouscast
Fast Canadian business news. Get up-to-speed quick with a fun and smart breakdown of the three biggest Canadian and global business stories in less than 10 minutes.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 30, 2023 • 9min
Busy parks 🏞️ — Canada’s national parks are selling out fast. A tale of two job markets complicates labour shortage story. And Quebéc gets stricter on immigration.
Ahhh, spring. If you ask us, there’s no better time to take advantage of the great Canadian outdoors… that is, if you can snag a reservation.We’ve all heard plenty about Canada’s labour shortage by now, but a new StatsCan report shows that understanding the state of the job market is way more complicated than counting the number of “help wanted” signs.*If you don’t know your j’ai fini from your [je suis finis](https://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/yoursay/lost_for_words/french/deadly_food.shtml#:~:text=Je suis finis.,simply%3A J'ai fini.),* you might have a hard time migrating to Québec in the coming years.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO-We're looking to learn more about YOU! Please click the link below to take part in a short survey and get entered into a draw to win a $50 Visa Gift Card:https://tinyurl.com/TPDTS

May 29, 2023 • 15min
Hard to sell 🌿 — Don’t believe everything you see. Weed is too hard to sell. And Albertans go to the polls.
It’s time to update the old warning, “Don’t believe everything you read,” to “Don’t believe everything you see.”Here’s an only-in-Canada story for you: Government officials are worried that it’s too difficult to sell people weed right now.Voters in Alberta will decide on their next premier today in a close election that’s being watched around the country.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO-Loblaw purchase announcement:https://www.loblaw.ca/en/In-a-canadian-first-loblaw-to-purchase-electricity-in-alberta-that-is-generated-by-wind-sun-and-water-helping-to-cut-its-nationwide-operating-carbon-emissions-by-17-per-cent/Loblaw ESG report:https://www.loblaw.ca/en/responsibility/-We're looking to learn more about YOU! Please click the link below to take part in a short survey and get entered into a draw to win a $50 Visa Gift Card:https://tinyurl.com/TPDTS

May 26, 2023 • 9min
Critical minerals 🪨 — Canadian banks hurt by weak earnings. Falling behind on critical minerals mining. The era of easy returns is over.
Our high-level bank earnings summary: “Not great, but things could be worse.”How do you mine critical minerals in Canada? Very slowly, according to one of the largest miners in Ontario’s Ring of Fire.The days of no-questioned-asked returns are numbered, as retailers crack down on one of their biggest profit suckers in a worsening economic climate.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 25, 2023 • 9min
AI podcasts 🎤 — We’re number one (in debt). AI comes for the podcasters. Why cities can’t have nice things anymore.
Sometimes being number one isn’t anything to brag about—take Canada’s household debt situation, for example.There are a lot of podcasts. About 4 million, to be exact. From old roommates to distant relatives to yours truly, starting a podcast has become a right of passage into adulthood.We regret to inform you that city budgets across the country have gotten so tight (relatable) that they’re starting to take away the fun stuff.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 24, 2023 • 9min
Post-plastic 🥤 — Ontario clears path for foreign trained engineers. Welcome to your (sort-of) post-plastic future. And no public inquiry needed.
Becoming an engineer in Ontario just got easier (you know, aside from all the math).By the end of this year, plastic straws are set to officially become a relic of the past.After taking a look into allegations of China’s interference in Canadian politics, former governor general (and current “special rapporteur”) David Johnston has decided the whole thing represents an “increasing threat to our democratic system” but has not called for a public inquiry into the matter.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 18, 2023 • 10min
Trucker tax 🚛 – The CRA is looking into a trucking scam. Who’s paying for the EV transition. And no such thing as a free TV.
A group representing Canadian truckers is sounding the alarm about a scam it thinks has reached a “crisis level.” And unlike a novelty mudflap, it’s no laughing matter.Everyone wants to be a big EV player… as long as someone else pays for it.A startup called Telly has dominated the news headlines after offering a smart TV with a market value of $1,000 for free. The catch? To subsidize your free TV, the screen comes with a small display attached to the bottom that will run advertisements as you watch.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 17, 2023 • 9min
Regulating AI 🤖— Altman testifies to Congress. Inflation is going the wrong way. And WestJet pilots are threatening to walk.
If anything can bring two sides of the aisle together, it’s regulating artificial intelligence.Some surprises are good, like a b-day party or finding a $20 bill in your coat. Others are less good, like a cancelled reservation or a blister. Recent inflation data is one of those surprises.If you thought long weekend travel couldn’t possibly get any more chaotic, think again.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 16, 2023 • 9min
Troubling wildfires 🔥— Vice is selling. Western Canada is suffering from wildfires. And Hollywood disapproves of Canadian content laws.
Vice, which started out as a tiny punk zine in Montréal before becoming the bad boy idol of new media brands, filed for bankruptcy protection. A group of its creditors put in a US$225 million bid to buy the company, an amount that would be covered by existing loans.Western Canada has seen more than 600 wildfires so far this year, but officials say the season is just getting started.The Motion Picture Association (MPA)—a trade group made up of major Hollywood studios, including Disney and Netflix—published a report claiming that Canada’s system for defining homegrown content is unusually narrow and out of step with the rest of the world.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 15, 2023 • 8min
TikTok trouble 🎥 — Former TikTok engineer could discredit the company’s position. Used cars tell us lots about inflation. And middle market struggles
A new lawsuit against TikTok owner ByteDance could discredit the company’s primary defence against efforts by some Western lawmakers to ban the app.The Bank of Canada is determined to crush inflation, but that doesn’t mean prices are going back to pre-pandemic levels. For proof, look no further than the used car market.The last year has been tough if you’re a middle-of-the-pack consumer or retailer.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

May 12, 2023 • 9min
Private stations 🛰️ — Softbank loses big. Private companies are getting in the space station game. And Canada looks for health care workers.
Only Softbank Group would lose US$7.2 billion and give itself a little pat on the back.Space startup Vast partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch a school bus-sized space station into orbit by 2025, as more private companies race to capture low-orbit real estate.Canada’s search for health care workers continues!Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO


