Conversations That Matter: Recent Episodes
Stuart McNish, Veteran Canadian Newsman
Ep 517 - A crisis of indecision in Canada
Guest: Gavin Dew
By Stuart McNish
On June 26th, Gavin Dew posted disappointing news on his LinkedIn profile. After four years of planning, fundraising, and negotiation with the City of Abbotsford, the Tech District project was pulling the plug. Dew says, “We couldn’t keep spending time and money without a clear signal from city council that this $5-billion private sector investment would be approved.”
Dew said, “I know a lot of people are disappointed. I’m proud of the work we did to develop the project vision, invite people in, and build community support. And I’m obviously disappointed at this lost opportunity to deliver affordable housing, high quality education, and a hub for food innovation in Canada’s most productive agricultural jurisdiction.”
Dew went on to say the lack of a clear signal from city council “is indicative of a crisis of indecision in Canada. We have become the land of the slow maybe, where process has become an end in itself, decisions are elusive, and leaders refuse to lead.”
We invited Gavin Dew to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our inability to get to “yes” and what it is doing to our reputation as a place to innovate and grow.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep - 516 - Weaving Two Worlds
Guests: Christy Smith - Michael McPhie
By Stuart McNish
“The key to the Canadian economy is in the hands of First Nations,” says Christy Smith and Michael McPhie in their book, “Weaving Two Worlds,” a guide to economic reconciliation. According to Smith, “The intent of the book is to help First Nations, governments, and companies work together in the development of natural resources.”
McPhie says, “We believe the resource sector and the people within it have a meaningful role to play in advancing reconciliation. Done right, the outcome will be greater social, environmental and economic well-being for all.”
One court decision after another has been shaping the way Canada can and does develop its resources. According to Smith and McPhie, “Now is the time to create opportunities that provide First Nations access to the economic opportunities that will create ownership, employment, funds for education and will combat poverty.
We invited Christy Smith and Michael McPhie to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the path forward, together.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 515 - Electronic Recycling Done Right
Mohammad Doostmohammadi
By Stuart McNish
“There are six elements that play a key role in optimizing fuel and chemical production,” says Mohammad Doostmohammdi of pH7. “Without them, green hydrogen, low-carbon steel, biofuels and other climate technologies are not possible.” Those six elements are platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium – and they are among the rarest on earth.
While challenging to identify ore bodies with mineable resources, there is an emerging opportunity in recovery. “There are 17.4 million troy ounces of these elements that have already been mined and are available to be recovered from catalytic converters, mobile phones, computer disks and aircraft turbines.”
Until now, the process of recovering these elements was uneconomical. Doostmohammdi says, “These challenges notwithstanding, several factors have combined to spotlight their growing importance.”
We invited Mohammad Doostmohammdi to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the process his team has developed that reduces costs and increases productivity in the realm of critical mineral recovery.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 514 - Real Estate Lessons from Singapore
Guest: Ernst Lang
By Stuart McNish
“We can learn a few things from Singapore,” says Ernst Lang, the founder and CEO of Promerita Group. “Singapore has been getting housing right for many decades. In fact, it has found a way to make most of its housing affordable whilst also protecting the value of privately owned homes.”
According to a report by the Urban Land Institute, “private homes in Singapore are the most expensive in Asia” with an average value of $1.7 million US. However, the ULI report states that public housing in Singapore is the “most attainable” when it comes to home ownership – 90 percent of the people in the country own their home.
Lang says, “Even more remarkable is the cost in relation to median annual income. In Singapore, the median home price to income ratio is 5. In Vancouver, according to Rates.ca, the average home price is 249% more than an average household can afford.”
How and what are they doing in Singapore that we can learn from?
We invited Ernst Lang of Promerita to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Singapore’s housing market and what lessons we could apply here.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 513 - British Columbia’s Lacklustre Prosperity
Guest: David Williams
By Stuart McNish
According to the 2024 British Columbia Prosperity Index, “BC places 11th out of 21 peer jurisdictions for overall prosperity.” The study was developed with the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, which compares BC’s performance on a range of economic, business, social and environmental indicators.
David Williams says, “There is no medal for 11th place and for good reason. This matters for young families and people aspiring to build a future in this province. Prosperity is crucial.” The report is filled with disheartening numbers about BC’s place on the Prosperity Index.
The Index reports that British Columbia is “11th of 21 jurisdictions in Business Well-Being, 15th in Economic Well-Being, 7th in Societal Well-Being, 12th in Labour Productivity, 13th in Innovation Ranking, 13th in Income Inequality and 18th for Housing Affordability.”
We invited David Williams, the Vice President of Policy at the Business Council of British Columbia, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the factors that are driving down prosperity in BC and what we can do to reverse this trend.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
July 12, 2024
Ep 512 - To the Edge of Death and Back
Guest: Paul Dragan
By Stuart McNish
Ten years ago on June 10, 2014, Paul Dragan sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee across the street from his business, Reckless Bikes. He took a sip and as he looked up, a heavyset man wearing a bicycle helmet came around the corner, pulled out a gun and shot Paul in the chest. He landed on the ground, blood pouring out of his chest.
“Were it not for a series of remarkable events, I’d be dead,” says Dragan. “A doctor was standing feet away at the time I was shot. An ambulance miracle – Vancouver Hospital was minutes away and 14 minutes later, I was in the emergency room with my life in the hands of a surgeon who was not going to let me die.”
Six days later Dragan woke up in a hospital bed, his wife and son next to him. For six days, they’ve been racked with the fear that Paul would die. “Classically,” says Dragan, “my first words were, ‘Where am I and what happened?’ I had no idea. I don’t even recall being shot or anything else from that morning.”
We invited Paul Dragan to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his incredible journey to the darkness of death and back.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 511 - Drug Free Kids
Guest: Chantal Vallerand
By Stuart McNish
On Dec 8th, 2022, Jennifer Whiteside was appointed Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. At the time she said, “The Premier has asked me to prioritize accelerating BC’s response to the illicit drug toxicity crisis. The Premier has also asked me to expand new complex care, treatment, recovery, detox and after-care facilities across the province.”
Months later, the BC Centre for Disease Control released its report showing that in 2022, overdoses from opioids and illicit drugs were now the leading cause of death for youth 10 to 18 years old. The Minister issued a statement saying, “The toxic drug crisis continues to have a devastating impact on families and communities in B.C., and the impact on children, youth is heartbreaking,”
These are hollow words to Garth Mullins, an organizer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, who said, “It seems to me that the Minister’s job is to be the official mourner – someone who is there to cry publicly about the mass deaths but isn’t empowered.”
So where does a family turn when they need help? Chantal Vallerand, the Executive Director at Drug Free Kids Canada, says, “We know how difficult it is for families. Most don’t know the boundaries of what they can and cannot say or do. We created Drug Free Kids to help parents facing the life and death reality of drugs where there is no margin for error.”
We invited Chantal Vallerand of Drug Free Kids to join us for a Conversation That Matters about resources and strategies that can and do help families address the growing drug crisis in Canada.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 510 - Post-Pandemic Leadership
Guest: Ron Bremner
By Stuart McNish
COVID-19 disrupted supply lines and our lives. Now that the lockdowns are over, the lingering impact of the dramatic shifts in the workplace remain. During the pandemic, work from home became the rule. Many employees seized the opportunity and not only thrived, but they moved away – far away, so far that coming into the office became a remote possibility.
“The work from home practice was needed during the pandemic; now it poses a new challenge,” says executive coach Ron Bremner. “Going forward, remote work will fracture company culture. For leaders… the new norm will be to manage in a state of chaos where they will need to be remarkably innovative as they strive to create safe, productive and effective workplaces.”
“[The] key to navigating the changing dynamics of a disassociated workplace,” says Bremner, “will be to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset” – a mindset of constant adaptation and continual improvement.
We invited Ron Bremner to join us for a Conversation That Matters about post-pandemic leadership.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 509 - Meet the BC Conservative Leader
Guest: John Rustad
By Stuart McNish
It’s been two years since John Rustad parted ways with the BC United Party over differences about climate change science. Regarding the reason for his removal from the party, Kevin Falcon is quoted as saying, “Climate change is one of the most critical threats facing our future.” And he added that Rustad “does not speak on behalf of [the] caucus on this issue.”
Six months later, John Rustad took over the leadership of the BC Conservative Party. At the time, the party was without a sitting member of the legislature. Today, there are four. Rustad and the BC Conservative party’s rankings are soaring in the polls.
Who is John Rustad and what is his vision for British Columbia, should he do the seemingly impossible and win the next election? We invited John Rustad to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his agenda for British Columbia.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 508 - Generously Giving
Guest: Megan Owen-Evans
By Stuart McNish
In the book “Why Good Things Happen to Good People,” Stephen Post writes that “giving to others” has been shown to increase health benefits. A separate study by Michael Norton from Harvard Business School revealed that “people are happier when they spend money on others versus themselves.” Megan Owen-Evans went far beyond the giving of money – she donated a kidney and part of her liver to two different anonymous recipients.
“Donating a kidney or a part of your liver is an enormous undertaking,” says Owen-Evans. “Not only do you need to take time for the surgery and recovery, [but] you also undergo a plethora of tests that consume vast amounts of time” – time that takes the donor away from work and family. “The cost in lost salary is significant.”
Fully aware of the impact on donors, Owen-Evans set out to change the financial impact on these generous souls who give of themselves. As President of Neptune Terminals, Owen-Evans established a new policy: “paid time off for donors.” It's a concept that is gaining support from other major employers in British Columbia, such as Beedie Development and the David Foster Foundation.
We invited Megan Owen-Evans to join us for a Conversation That Matters about corporate giving that supports employees and offers the gift of life to people in desperate need.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 507 - A Bleak Market for EVs
Guest: Adam Pankratz
By Stuart McNish
“Little did we know how fast the free market would slap the electric vehicle mandate back to reality, while Canadian taxpayers continue to subsidize green fantasies,” says Adam Pankratz, a lecturer at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. The “slap” is in reference to plummeting sales of electric vehicles in North America.
Pankratz says, “The signs emerged in September 2023 when Volkswagen announced it was ‘cutting EV output’ due to low demand and in November, Ford announced it would ‘be scaling back’ EV battery production due to lackluster demand.”
As the new year emerged, EV news stayed on the same trendline. Pankratz said, “General Motors, Mercedes Benz and even Tesla warned EV sales were projected to be significantly lower than predicted.” Add in Hertz’s decision to sell off most of its EVs and the message is clear – the market is cool on electric cars.
We invited Adam Pankratz to join us for a Conversation That Matters on the trajectory of electric vehicle sales and what that says about government directives versus market forces.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us June 18 for Conversations Live - Food Security
Ep 506 - Will AI produce a state of Deep Utopia?
Guest: Nick Bostrom
By Stuart McNish
In his new book “Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World,” philosopher Nick Bostrom ponders what life could be like in a “solved world” – a world where everything works and works better than if human hands got in the way. “What then?” asks Bostrom, is the reason to work? “Is it to earn extra income or because working is an intrinsically valued activity?”
Bostrom is the head of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford and a philosopher with a background in theoretical physics, computational neuroscience, logic, and artificial intelligence. He has been called the “Superintelligent Swede” because of the deep philosophical work he undertakes as he examines the trajectory of human life at the intersection of destruction and possibility.
Bostrum says, “If artificial intelligence can be achieved, it would be an event of unparalleled consequence – perhaps even a rupture to the fabric of history” – a rupture, Bostrom says, “will change the course of human history but is it the end of human history?”
We invited Nick Bostrom to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our flirtatious and tempestuous relationship with the evolution of intelligence.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us June 18 for Conversations Live - Food Sustainability
Ep 505 - Has the Floatel Sunk?
Guest: Christine Kennedy
By Stuart McNish
The District of Squamish denied Woodfibre LNG’s application for a temporary use permit for its Bridgemans “floatel,” citing concerns over safety, environmental, and community impacts. Council also cited a lack of information from the company as its reasons for saying no to the refurbished cruise ship that is intended to act as a floating workforce accommodation.
“[It’s] hard to comprehend,” said Christine Kennedy, the President of Woodfibre LNG. “The District has asked repeatedly since 2019 – to the company and to regulators – that the project workforce be housed outside of Squamish, which is exactly what the floatel delivers.”
Kennedy goes on to say, “A councillor suggested that there are better solutions than a floatel. Housing options were considered and discussed with the District over a five-year engagement process, during which the District repeatedly asked the company and regulators to house non-local workers outside the community due to low vacancy rates in Squamish. Woodfibre LNG responded with the floatel. If Council had better ideas, they had five years to bring those forward.”
On Tuesday May 21, Squamish Council decided to reconsider its decision and has postponed a final vote until June 4th.
We invited Christine Kennedy to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the process the company followed in the development of the floatel and what this potential rejection means to the project and to BC’s investment reputation.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us June 18 for Conversations Live - Food Security
Ep 504 - Vancouver: Beautiful, yes – but!
Guest: Bridgitte Anderson
By Stuart McNish
No doubt about it: Vancouver is beautiful. It’s beautiful to visit, it’s a beautiful place to study, and it’s a beautiful city to retire in. “But,” says Bridgitte Anderson, the CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, “it’s not so beautiful of a place to build a robust economy.” In fact, according to a new report commissioned by GVBOT, “the region’s economic size and mix under-performs when it comes to creating high-paid jobs or high-performing companies.”
Compared to 20 other “high quality mid-sized city-regions, spanning 9 pillars across economy, liveability and infrastructure and sustainability, Vancouver is well below par.” Anderson says. “Vancouver ranked 14 among the 20 cities for prosperity factors.”
Looking ahead, Anderson says, “The region has to address its underlying weaknesses soon if we hope to stay competitive.” Central to our ability to compete is Vancouver’s beautiful geography, an area that is confined by sea and mountains. Anderson says, “The upshot is that we have to innovate more deeply to stimulate housing, job and economic development.”
We invited Bridgitte Anderson, the CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, to join us as a guest on Conversations That Matter about where our attention needs to turn to close our productivity and prosperity gap.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 503 - Canada’s Sagging Productivity
Guest: Jock Finlayson
By Stuart McNish
On March 26th, 2024, the Bank of Canada issued a report titled “Time to Break the Glass: Fixing Canada’s Productivity Problem.” Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers said at a speech in Halifax, “Productivity is a way to inoculate the economy against inflation.”
The question ahead is, why has Canadian productivity sagged and how can it be turned around? Jock Finlayson, the Chief Economist at the Independent Contractors of BC, says, “Canada needs to reorient policy to focus squarely on improving productivity and real incomes per capita – both of which are stagnant and falling.”
We invited Jock Finlayson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Canada’s productivity crisis and why it matters.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 502 - Is Peace Possible in Gaza?
Gidi Grinstein
By Stuart McNish
At the time of the recording of this interview, the war in Gaza raged on. Since Oct 7, when more than 1139 Israelis had been killed and another 240 taken hostage, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas. The atrocities of that day also severely challenged Israeli’s sense of compassion for Palestinians.
In Palestine, the death toll is horrifying – more than 30,000 Palestinians are believed to have died and another 72,000 have been injured.
The war and humanitarian crisis that has resulted has brought calls from around the world for a ceasefire. The government of Benjamin Netanyahu shows little interest in heeding those calls. The level of hate and anger that existed before Oct 7 continues to rise, which leads to the longer term question: can peace ever be achieved?
Gidi Grinstein, the founder of Reut Institute in Tel Aviv, says, “Maybe but the conditions have to be ripe.” He continues, “It won’t be easy; millions of Israelis and Palestinians do not want to live in the same country, much less a shared society.”
We invited Gidi Grinstein, the co-author of (IN) SIGHTS, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about possible paths forward for Israel and Palestine.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 498 - How Canada Saved Me
Guest - Sasha Luchkov
By Stuart McNish
On February 24th, 2022, in the dark of the night in Mukachevo, Ukraine, Sasha Luchkov woke to the news that his country was under attack. Sasha, a piano protege at the age of 17, was already an accomplished pianist. He had recently placed second in the Scherzo International piano competition, where he performed Beethoven’s Sonata #17.
Luchkov also performed at the Horowitz International piano competition and the Perugia MusicFest. When the war intensified, Luchkov says, “I was in fear of my life and I fled from Ukraine – first to Italy and with the help of Thrive Refuge, I made my way to Canada, which accepted me as a refugee.”
Luchkov says, “Canada and Canadians have been remarkably kind and helpful to me.” Through Thrive Refuge, Sasha was able to complete his high school education and is now attending UBC’s School of Music, studying under the direction of Dr. David Fung. On April the 12th, Sasha is performing at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in the Concert for Peace to help raise funds to support Thrive Refuge’s Fine Arts Bursary.
Sasha Luchov joins us for a Conversation That Matters about his journey to finding a second chance in Canada.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us April 23 rd for Conversations Live - One on One with Premier Edy
Ep 497 - Climate Action: The Net Zero Economy
Guest - John Stackhouse
By Stuart McNish
“Population and economic growth spell a demand for much more energy,” states the opening paragraph of RBC’s Climate Action Institute report. The Institute is honest in its assessment of the path forward to a Net Zero economy. The bank’s John Stackhouse says, “Climate pressures spell an imperative for a different mix of energy sources.”
Looking forward, the global population is forecast to exceed 9 billion by approximately 2040. “Can the world population power itself into a new age of sustainable growth?” askes the report. It goes on to ask, “Can Canada, a global leader in energy, create new technologies, realize new opportunities and create value in a Net Zero economy?”
We invited RBC’s Head of Thought Leadership, John Stackhouse, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the highlights of the research the report lays out, its six major conclusions, and the path forward.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us April 2 for Conversations Live - Energy and the Environment
Ep 496 - Ballooning Public Service
Guest - Renaud Brossard
By Stuart McNish
According to the Montreal Economic Institute, Justin Trudeau ranks first among Canadian Prime Ministers over the past 40 years when it comes to the expansion in the size of the civil service. In a recent study, MEI notes that “over the past few decades, the number of employees in the federal public service has fluctuated somewhat under the mandate of successive governments under Justin Trudeau's current government. However, we are witnessing a truly unprocessed identity expansion.”
Renaud Brossard speaks on behalf of MEI and he says, “An expanding public service has consequences that adversely affect the economy, including undue competition with the private sector for employees. And that, in turn, exacerbates the already challenging talent market.” The report goes on to show the increase on a percentage basis from Prime Ministers Mulroney to Trudeau; Mulroney and Chrétien both oversaw about 10% reduction. Martin and Harper also decreased the number of civil servants, but to a lesser extent. Prime Minister Trudeau's increase is a whopping 25%.
We invited Renaud Brossard of MEI to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the report and why a rapidly expanding civil service is a cause for concern.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us April 2 for Conversations Live - Energy and the Environment
Ep 495 - Child Sex Trafficking
Guest - Cathy Peters
By Stuart McNish
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada is February 22nd. It was instituted as part of the government’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. The point was to “raise awareness of the magnitude of modern day slavery in Canada and abroad and to take steps to combat human trafficking.”
In her book, “Child Sex Trafficking in Canada,” Cathy Peters says, “This book should never have been written. But here we are. Society and culture have come to a point where the most vulnerable are not being protected.” Peters goes on to say, “As a society we have a moral obligation to address sexual exploitation immediately, resolutely and robustly.”
Today’s children are targeted in ways that you have little awareness of and from around the world. These children are marginalized, vulnerable, and at risk. Peters says, “They are unaware of the insidious, coercive, and manipulative tactics of the sex industry.”
We invited one of Canada’s leading advocates on behalf of vulnerable children, Cathy Peters, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what we all need to know about child sex trafficking and how to stop it.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 494 - Canada and China: What Happened?
Guest - Dr Paul Evans
By Stuart McNish
In 1970, Canada led the Western world by recognizing China. According to Paul Evans in his book, “Engaging China,” the Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau “believed that many of the world’s major issues ‘will not be resolved completely or in any lasting way unless and until an accommodation has been reached with the Chinese nation.’”
Over the course of the next 50 years, the Chinese economy and its clout grew from 1.7 percent of global GDP to more than 17.3%. China went from one of the poorest countries on earth to one of the most powerful economies. Through that growth, China invested heavily in Canadian energy and technology companies.
Then at the start of this century, the relationship between Canada and China started shifting. China started to flex its muscles and Canada failed to realize it was no longer the dominant member of this relationship. China grew tired of being told what and how to manage its affairs.
Enter Xi Jinping, who had no patience for moralizing and virtue signalling. Canada woke up to China’s influence and the influencing tactics at home and abroad. Over the past five years, the relationship has soured.
We invited Paul Evans, Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, to join us for a Conversation That Matters on what happened between Canada and China and what is happening between us and India.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 493 - A Call to Purpose
Guest - Mike Rowlands
“Redefining success for the purpose economy,” Mike Rowlands says, “is to become a part of the rapidly growing movement toward social purpose in business. The social purpose focus creates healthier communities, restoration of our shared environment and better outcomes for companies’ staff, customers and other stakeholders.”
Rowlands says the path to developing this framework “emerged from our work with the nonprofit sector – a sector that required new brand strategies that enriched and enhanced their organizations' messaging.” The next step on the path to a social purpose framework was the development of “Theory of Change,” which is a methodology to set out intended social change outcomes.”
We invited Mike Rowlands, the CEO and President at Junxion, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about social purpose and how it focuses businesses to accept responsibility for outputs, outcomes and building a better world by being in business.
By Stuart McNish
Researchers at Simon Fraser University and BC Cancer have pinpointed specific physiological traits that they say “can
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 492 - The Fountain of Youth
Guest - Angela Brooks-Wilson
By Stuart McNish
Researchers at Simon Fraser University and BC Cancer have pinpointed specific physiological traits that they say “can help people live longer, healthier lives.” According to a recent study published in GeroScience, the healthiest, older adults live in a “sweet spot,” where more than 100 different physiological traits interact, and that dynamic interaction makes them healthier than their counterparts.
Key to living in the “sweet spot” is homeostasis, which is a collection of mechanisms that your body uses to maintain constancy in blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and body temperature. The more consistent your body is, the healthier you are. Deviations from optimal ranges of vitamin D, calcium, glucose and other mechanisms lead to a higher risk of mortality.
We invited Angela Brooks-Wilson, a co-author of the report, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what we now know about the “sweet spot” of health and how this knowledge may equip you to live longer and healthier.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 491 - The Claims of Life
Guest - Diana Chapman Walsh
By Stuart McNish
The Claims of Life, a new book by Diana Chapman Walsh, traces the emergence of a young woman who set out believing she wasn’t particularly smart but went on to meet multiple tests of leadership in the American academy – a place where everyone wants to be heard and no one wants a boss.
The Claims of Life offers readers an unusually intimate view of a trustworthy leadership that begins and ends in self-knowledge. During a transformative fourteen-year Wellesley College presidency, Walsh advanced women’s authority, compassionate governance, and self-reinvention.
After Wellesley, Walsh’s interests took her to the boards of five national nonprofits, galvanizing change. She kept counsel with Nobel laureates, feminist icons, and the Dalai Lama, seeking solutions to the world’s biggest challenge: preserving our planet.
We invited Diana Chapman Walsh to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a life of openness and endless possibilities.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 49o - Addressing the Infrastructure Deficit
Guest - Mark Liedemann
By Stuart McNish
The backbone of any complex society is its infrastructure. It is the glue that binds communities, provinces and countries together. The concept of infrastructure was central to Rome’s dominance for 500 years. Cody Gregory writes, “One of the key aspects of Roman society and development was its unprecedented utilization of roads, sewers and aqueducts.”
Here in British Columbia, it was the railway that brought us into Confederation and it was the development of hydroelectric power that catapulted the province forward economically. Mark Liedemann, the President and CEO of Infrastructure BC says, “We’re building on those legacy projects to ensure the province has the essential structures needed to thrive.”
In her letter to the Board of Infrastructure BC, Finance Minister Katrine Conroy says, “Government and public sector organizations must continue to advance results that people can see and feel in these key areas – strengthened health care, safer communities, attainable and secure housing, and a clean and fair economy that delivers affordability and prosperity.”
We invited Mark Liedemann to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the never ending work of planning and building the infrastructure the province requires.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 489 - The Path to Urban Net Zero
Guest - Jeanette Jackson
In June of 2021, Canada – along with the other G7 countries – committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is an audacious goal, one that affords Canada with an opportunity to play a leadership role and become the first of the G7 to reach net-zero emissions.
It’s a long way from where we are at the moment. Currently, says Jeanette Jackson of Foresight, “we’re in last place, which accelerates our need to step up the pace and position Canada as a force of nature on the path to net zero.” Over the past decade, Foresight has worked relentlessly toward making net-zero a reality.
Foresight has a 10-point approach to accelerate research and development in clean tech, build regional clusters and host events. Jackson says, “We’re creating the ecosystem that fosters investment in world leading companies that are serving a social purpose, that being achieving net zero by virtue of the products and services they produce and provide.”
On February 6, Foresight is hosting “CityAge Vancouver: The Urban Zero Challenge.” We invited Jeanette Jackson to join us for Conversation That Matters about the opportunities and challenges ahead for us on our path to greenhouse gas reduction.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 488 - A Ministry of Entrepreneurialism
Guest: Naseem Javed
“The world, and in particular Canada, needs to embrace entrepreneurialism as a new frontier to resuscitate our gasping economy,” says Naseen Javed, the CEO and founder of Expothon. “We need a new Ministry of Entrepreneurialism that can ignite an economic revolution.”
Javed says, “This new Ministry will only work if it is managed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Bureaucrats, academics, and economists live in a world where their theories don’t survive contact with the real world. When you put them in charge of entrepreneurship, they pour sand in the gears of innovation, business agility, and the magic small and medium business create in solving the world’s challenges.”
The potential is enormous. Canada has an opportunity to embrace this concept, says Javed. “We are a knowledge-based country. If we seize the moment and create a legislative and tax environment that fosters rather than hinders entrepreneurs, we can turn around Canada’s sagging per capita GDP and boost the economy.”
We invited Naseem Javed to join us for a Conversation That Matters about unleashing the power of entrepreneurship in an effort to turn around Canada’s sinking economy.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Feb 6 for Conversations Live - Lethal Exports
Ep 487 - The Greatest Gift of All
Guest: Paul Sitnam
By Stuart McNish
“Impact investing is an investment strategy that aims to generate specific beneficial social or environmental effects in addition to financial gains,” according to Investopedia. It is upheld as a societal good, but it does not include devoting your life to helping others.
“The greatest gift of giving possible is your life’s work,” says Paul Sitnam. He is a living example having done just that for the past 40 years. Sitnam dedicated his life to international humanitarian work in Africa, the South Pacific and the Middle East. His service to others, he says, has “allowed me to work with people in need of a hand up, rather than a handout. I worked with people to help them recover from disasters that shook their confidence.”
Sitnam says, “I quickly dispelled myself of the notion that I was going to save the world. I just tried to do the best I could with the situation I found myself in and the resources available.” He goes on to speak to the power of empathy over sympathy. “Humanitarian work,” he says, “must facilitate victims of a disaster in a manner that allows them to regain their dignity. They need to be treated as much as possible as partners rather than as vulnerable people or beneficiaries. No one likes to be thought of – and treated – as a beggar.”
We invited Paul Sitnam to join us for a Conversation That Matters about making a difference by being where assistance is needed.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Feb 6 for Conversations Live - Lethal Exports
Ep 486 - Can First Nations Save Canada’s Economy?
Guest: Chris Sankey
By Stuart McNish
“Canada’s per capita growth has been negative three out of the last four quarters,” says Perrin Beatty, the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He adds, “Canada needs to do more to attract investment” – a sentiment that was recently shared by a panel of experts for “Conversations Live” about economic reconciliation. Haisla Chief Counselor Crystal Smith said, “First Nations hold the key to the country’s economic future.”
It is a belief held by Indigenous businessman Chris Sankey, who says that “we can’t afford to obstruct BC’s energy sector any longer.” In an op-ed for the Vancouver Sun, Sankey said, “The chilling effect on the investment landscape of our region and of Canada in general has been terrible.”
Moving forward, Sankey is looking to LNG to generate jobs and economic growth. He says, “More than a billion dollars in indigenous procurement spending and benefits have already been negotiated with Coastal GasLink, Kitimat LNG and Woodfibre LNG. And should the Haisla make a final investment decision on Cedar LNG, the opportunities will continue to grow for everyone – not just First Nations. Everyone.”
We invited Chris Sankey to join us for a Conversation That Matters about economic reconciliation and how it can reverse Canada’s sinking attractiveness to investors.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Feb 6 for Conversations Live - Lethal Exports
Ep 485 - The interconnectedness of all things
Guest: Wade Davis
By Stuart McNish
The Roman emperor Markus Aurelius posited in his book “Meditations” that “all things are implicated with one another and the bond is holy.” At the time of his writing, it was a philosophical concept. Today it has been proven by science – genomics in particular.
Wade Davis, the great Canadian thinker and anthropologist, in his talk at the Dr. Rix Distinguished Keynote address “The Wayfinders of Genomic Wisdom,” said that “studies of the human genome have left no doubt about the interconnectedness of all things.”
Davis went on to say, “Genomic science unveils the profound truth that we are all connected by the same genetic cloth.” He argues that “indigenous perspectives combined with genome insights can revolutionize conservation, restore ecological balance, mend cultural divisions and provide the antidote to heal an ailing world.”
We invited Wade Davis to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the interconnectedness of life.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Jan 23 for Conversations Live - Infrastructure Deficit
Ep 484 - How to Stop Stereotyping Seniors
Guest: Rudy Buttignol
By Stuart McNish
More than 7 million people in Canada are older than 64 – that’s just shy of 20 percent of us. I’m one of those people. The issues that all seniors face include, but are not limited to, financial security, health care, and an end to ageism. Rudy Buttignol, the President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), represents associations across the country advocating with all levels of government on behalf of 330,000 members.
According to Buttignol, “The greatest obstacle to achieving better societal outcomes for senior citizens is ageism.” There is a generally held belief that as you age, your body and mind will fall apart and you’ll be grumpy and lonely and you're going to be ill. Buttignol says, “That’s simply not true. They are, however, the basis of bias directed at seniors.”
Those attitudes towards seniors impact so many other aspects of their lives. Buttignol says, “It’s why families worry that seniors can’t remain in their homes. It affects the way health care providers treat senior patients. It’s discrimination.”
Since 1983, CARP has been working to combat stereotypes about seniors. The organization also advocates for tax policy changes that will support homecare, reframing the concept of retirement residences from “institutions” to “homes.”
We invited Rudy Buttignol to join us for a Conversation That Matters about aging well and why we need to respect our elders.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Jan 23 for Conversations Live - Infrastructure Deficit
Ep 483 - Youthful Cities: Attracting and retaining a young population
Guest: Robert Barnard
By Stuart McNish
How a city attracts young adults to live and work matters. Robert Barnard, the founder of Youthful Cities, says, “Young adults are vital today and into the future. Attracting young people is important. Equally [as] important is retention – that is, keeping their residents in the city.” On that account, Vancouver is good at attracting but not so good at retaining.
This is a problem, says Barnard. “The vitality of a city is embodied in the young people it attracts to live and work. The key to attracting young people is ensuring cities meet their needs and today, those needs include housing costs, transportation and a commitment to values such as the environment. Essential to keeping those same people are liveable salaries and affordable housing.”
According to Barnard, “COVID-19 dramatically impacted young adults' ability to secure jobs and job skills.” That, in turn, will compound the already decreasing ratio of working-age young people to seniors. Barnard goes on to say, “The impact of the pandemic also means young people have higher levels of debt and housing insecurity.” Youthful Cities has developed a research program called DEVlab, which examines the workforce and skill development gaps of 15- to 29-year-olds impacted by COVID and how to meet those needs.
We invited Robert Barnard of Youthful Cities to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how we engage young people in the building of better cities.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Jan 23 for Conversations Live - Infrastructure Deficit
Ep 482 - Save Our Streets
Guest: Jess Ketchum
By Stuart McNish
At a press conference at the Woodwards development, the new Save Our Streets (SOS) public safety coalition said, “The growing crime, violence, vandalism and theft crisis is impacting local communities and businesses.” The costs associated with addressing security and safety, according to SOS spokesperson Jess Ketchum, are “jeopardizing the financial viability of many businesses and threatening their survival.”
The compounding effects of the rising lawlessness, according to Ketchum, include but are not limited to “concerns for the safety of shoppers, concerns for the wellbeing of staff, and challenges to attract staff.” As a result, business leaders and concerned citizens formed the coalition to call for a “province-wide, non-partisan movement to raise awareness of the issues and the costs that are passed onto families.”
The coalition has developed a 10-point plan, demanding actions from the government to fulfill its responsibility to address a suite of issues related to the current levels of crime, violence, and fear.
I invited Jess Ketchum of SOS to join me for a Conversation That Matters about ways to combat crime and lawlessness.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join us Jan 23 for Conversations Live - Infrastructure Deficit
Ep 481 - CleanBC’s $28.1-Billion Price Tag
Guest: Ken Peacock
By Stuart McNish
The government of British Columbia is aiming to lower CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. It’s a bold ambition – one that will reduce the BC economy by $28.1 billion, according to a model created by the CleanBC Roadmap. Ken Peacock, the Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC)’s Chief Economist, examined the model and discovered the stunning numbers.
Peacock says, “A $28.1-billion setback is significant.” After adding in emissions caps and a scheduled doubling of the carbon tax over the next seven years, Peacock points out, it “will dampen investment and cap exports.”
Peacock says, “We’re concerned about serious job losses and serious impact to income over the next six years.” Canada is already the poorest performing country in the OECD in per-capita GDP growth. According to BCBC’s analysis, provincial average annual economic growth will slow to 0.4 per cent in the second half of this decade.
I invited Ken Peacock to join me for a Conversation That Matters about setting realistic goals and timelines.
You can see the interview on https://vancouversun.com/tag/conversations-that-matter/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 480 - The Impact of Energy Poverty
Guest: Jock Finlayson
By Stuart McNish
Energy poverty, according to the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners, refers to “the experience of households or communities that struggle to heat their homes and power their lights and appliances” – a reality that is playing itself out in the Maritime provinces of Canada, and it has forced the hand of the Prime Minister to offer financial relief.
In his blog, “The Honest Broker,” Roger Pielke Jr. wrote of the “Iron Law of Climate Policy,” a law that demonstrates that when push comes to shove, governments will wilt under pressure from voter’s wallets. “It is,” Pielke says, “a boundary condition.”
The theory of “using higher-priced energy as a tool to accelerate decarbonization makes perfect sense – in bloodless computer models.” Noted economist Jock Finlayson agrees and adds, “In the real world, it is a theory that does not survive contact with the harsh financial realities it imposes on most people.”
We invited Jock Finlayson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the cost of implementing policies that fail to meet their objectives and the hardship they incur.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 479- Social Purpose: The New Business Mantra
Guest: Drew Collier
By Stuart McNish
Social purpose is emerging as an important and necessary part of business. “What is social purpose?” you ask. Drew Collier, the President and CEO of LGM Financial Services says, “Social purpose is the reason to be in business. It is not just a nice-to-have policy. It is the company’s reason for being – its social ambition – and it is the path to profitability.” It is, in the words of Simon Sinek, “the ‘why we do what we do,’ versus the ‘what we do.’”
In 2022, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock (the largest investment firm in the world), in his letter to CEOs, said, “Your company’s purpose is its north star. Putting your company’s purpose at the foundation of your relationships with stakeholders is critical to long-term success. Employees need to understand and connect with your purpose and when they do, they can be your staunchest advocates.”
The focus on purpose is a move beyond corporate social responsibility, which is a focus on doing good things because they were good. “Social purpose,” Collier says, “is a guidepost that informs products, services, a company’s goals and strategies.”
We invited Drew Collier to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a new way of doing business and doing it with an objective of contributing to a better world.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 478- What is Keto Diet?
Guest: Dr. David Harper
By Stuart McNish
“For 30 years, I taught the wrong stuff to generations of students. I taught them that a low-fat high-carb diet was the way to eat to prevent chronic disease and I got it wrong,” says Dr. David Harper, the co-author of the “BioDiet: The Scientifically Proven, Ketogenic Way to Lose Weight and Improve Health.” Harper goes on to say, “We now have 20 years of scientific evidence that a well-formulated ketogenic diet reduces chronic disease.”
Harper is focused on cancer and he stresses that “a ketogenic diet is not a cure for cancer; rather, it is an effective adjunct therapy along with a standard of care.” Until recently, Harper was a visiting scientist at the BC Cancer Research Centre’s Terry Fox Laboratory. His research indicates that a ketogenic diet has multiple health benefits in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and weight reduction.
“The Axis of Illness,” according to Harper are “insulin resistance, obesity and inflammation – all of which are fueled by carbohydrates leading to chronic disease.” A keto diet, coupled with exercise, is an effective way to diminish weight, inflammation and reduce insulin resistance.
We invited Dr David Harper to join us for a Conversation That Matters about food as medicine.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 477 - Canada: The World is a Hard Place
Guest: John Rapley
By Stuart McNish
In the diplomatic spat between India and Canada, a rising India shows Canada that money is power, says John Rapley, a political economist at the University of Cambridge. He goes on to say that Canada is finding the world a hard place, and points out that it comes as a shock to Canada, namely because of its sense of itself.
Canada has historically been dominant – one of the world's biggest economies, a founding member of the world's most powerful military alliance, and a rich country whose aid programs gave it considerable leverage over developing countries. But as Ottawa squares off with New Delhi over the recent alleged assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, Rapley says, “It is being left largely to fight its own battle.”
In other words, Canada has stranded itself diplomatically at a time when the U.S. and U.K. have been building the so-called “quad” with Australia, India and Japan, as a safeguard to rising tensions with China. It gets worse, Rapley says. “Not only does Canada now occupy a less significant geopolitical space, but the country is a notorious shirk, or as an ally, with a recently leaked Pentagon paper revealing that Canada's NATO partners no longer consider us as a serious member of the alliance.”
We invited John Rapley to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Canada's shrinking reputation internationally.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 476 - Eat More - That’s the Message
Guest: Dr Marion Nestle
By Stuart McNish
“We live in a food environment that encourages people to eat as much as possible,” says Dr. Marion Nestle. “Fighting those overwhelming messages and mustering up resistance is next to impossible!” The history of the “consume more” movement, says Nestle, “came about as a remedy to diseases of deficiency.” The message was so successful that Healthline now estimates that “42 percent of Americans are obese and two-thirds are overweight.”
In her book, “Food Politics,” Dr. Nestle demonstrates the impact of the 900-billion-dollar-plus food industry and its ability to influence our health. Dr. Nestle says, “Our over-efficient food industry must do everything possible to persuade people to eat more – more food, more often, and in larger portions – no matter what it does to waistlines or wellbeing.”
We invited Dr. Marion Nestle, whom Forbes magazine listed as the number-two most powerful foodie in the world, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about food.
You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 475 - Rent Control: A Blunt Tool
Guest: David Hutniak
By Stuart McNish
Housing affordability is a North American-wide issue. In the U.S., only seven states and Washington, D.C. have imposed rent controls as a measure to address housing affordability. Only seven states – largely because it is believed they don't work. In a poll conducted by the American Economic Association, 93% of its members agreed that a ceiling on rent controls reduces the quality and quantity of housing.
David Hutniak, the CEO of Landlord B.C., in a recent letter to Premier Eby, said, “Rent control is a flagship political tool and a promise that is far more complex than it first appears. It is not the comprehensive form of tenant protection it is billed to be. It is commonly accepted that rent controls benefit current tenants. It does so at the expense of future ones.”
Hutniak further pointed out that rent control is a blunt tool that continually delivers negative blows to the British Columbian rental housing market. Tenants and landlords both want a balanced rental market. Hutniak adds, “When the provincial government continues to penalize landlords for a problem created by all three levels of government, landlords and developers are less inclined to grow their businesses [and] less likely to build new rental housing.” The result is a reduction in the supply of housing.
We invited David Hutniak of Landlord B.C. to join us for a Conversation That Matters about effective ways to create affordable rental housing. You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 474 - How Markets Shape Cities
Guest: Alain Bertaud
By Stuart McNish
What is a city and why does it exist? That may seem like a simple question but according to Alain Bertaud, the author of “Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities,” the answer is “not merely to house people but rather accommodate labour markets.” He goes on to acknowledge, “People are the most important part. They are the main attraction.”
The challenge for city planners, argues Bertaud, is that “they run into the interdependence between state and markets and the tension that results when allocating resources.” When facilitating the needs of markets, Bertaud contends that “planners are focused on building codes and architecture and not the needs of markets.” He says that planners need to work with urban economists.
We invited Alain Bertaud, the author of “Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how markets shape our cities.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 473 - The Looming Great Relocation
Guest: Laura Alfaro
By Stuart McNish
“Nearshoring, friendshoring and onshoring” are terms that are becoming common in reference to moves within the United States to address a number of issues associated with global value chains. According to co-author Laura Alfaro of a paper that was prepared for the Jackson Hole Symposium in 2023, there is a, “Looming Great Relocation” on the horizon.
Alfaro says, “The evidence is clear – the US reliance on China peaked in 2017. The introduction of tariffs by President Trump, the continued application of those tariffs by President Biden, and the ongoing power play between the two countries has brought about changes to distribution channels.”
According to Alfaro, “Vietnam and Mexico have and [will] continue to rise in prominence as preferred trading partners. And while Canada has slipped over the past 30 years, it still remains a strong trading partner.”
We invited Laura Alfaro of the Harvard Business School to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the shifting trade patterns and relationships that are underway.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 472 - The Importance of Workplace Accessibility
Guest: Joel Dembe
By Stuart McNish
“Accessibility” is a word that you hear more of, and for good reason. Canadian Paralympian Joel Dembe says, “Being accessible is essential when creating a strong and inclusive workplace and society. And it's good business. It’s good business in so many ways – namely it’s good for the bottom line.”
According to Jason Keck, the CEO and Co-Founder of Broker Buddha, “Diverse and inclusive companies are 35% more likely to surpass their competitors.” Joel Dembe adds, “Companies with diverse workplaces are six times more likely to be innovative and anticipate choppy headwaters and then adapt to meet new opportunities.”
According to the Web Accessibility Platform, AudioEye, “more than 1.3 billion people, that’s one in six people who live with some type of a disability.” Joel Dembe points out, “ I often tell business leaders we have to see disability as an economic opportunity.”
We invited tennis and accessibility champion and RBC Senior Manager of Communications Joel Dembe to join us for a Conversation That Matters about removing barriers.
Ep 471 - The Great Remobilization
Guest: Olaf Groth
By Stuart McNish
“In August 2022, when central bankers from around the world gathered for their annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a consensus emerged that the current methods for managing business cycles are woefully insufficient for managing today’s current economic and societal crises.” says Olaf Groth, one of the authors of a new book, “The Great Remobilization.”
“We have the energy crisis. We have the food crisis,” continues Groth. “We have the supply chain crisis and we have the war in Ukraine, all of which have profound implications for the economic performance of the world.”
The book goes on to say the limited abilities of bankers and governments to address large-scale issues demand a new way of addressing challenges. Groth says, “The stakes have never been higher. Incremental changes won’t work. We need step-change redesigns of our global frameworks.”
We invited Olaf Groth, one of the co-authors of “The Great Remobilization,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a framework that will assist leaders to address the tectonic shifts that are underway.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 470 - The Reasonableness of Being Unreasonable
Guest: Bob Stamnes
By Stuart McNish
“The logic of being unreasonable sounds like an oxymoron,” says Bob Stamnes, one of Canada’s most creative ad Execs. “Unless, of course, you know exactly why you are being unreasonable.” According to the Oxford Dictionary, logic is “reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.”
Stamnes says, “Unreasonable logic is when you stick to the facts and make sensible conclusions where others leap to emotionally safe decisions. Reasonable people will always come up with reasons why new or different approaches can’t be done because, after all, no one else has done it that way. Those people are doomed to live in the age of average.”
Stamnes says, “To lift yourself out of average and become unreasonable, you need to commit to being creative, funny, seductive, outrageous or outraged.” Stamnes says to reshape your thinking by “changing what’s cool, what’s normal, and change what people aspire to do.”
We invited Bob Stamnes to join us for a Conversation That Matters about navigating your way through the maze of life in unconventional ways.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Ep 469 - Boosting scientific innovations in British Columbia
Guest: Brenda Bailey
By Stuart McNish
In April of 2023, the government of British Columbia announced a new life sciences and biomedical strategy. The objective is to position BC as a global hub in these sectors. Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Brenda Bailey says, “We’re boosting our world-class talent, innovators, entrepreneurs and anchor companies to create high-quality jobs.”
The Minister’s claim about world-class talent is backed up by the fact that almost every COVID-19 vaccine candidate that reached late-stage development was either initiated, developed or manufactured by a BC company or scientist. Minister Bailey says, “We are focused on building on these made-in-BC accomplishments.”
We invited Minister Bailey to join us for a Conversation That Matters about BC’s strategy to build a vibrant life sciences, biomedical and high-tech base that will help to reshape our future.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 468 - The electric helicopter revolution
Guest: Danny Sitnam
By Stuart McNish
Can we achieve liftoff of electric helicopter passenger service? Danny Sitnam, the President and Founder of Helijet says, "Yes we can! But…"
The “but…” Sitnam refers to is, in fact, many “yes, but”s. Yes, helicopters can be powered by electricity – but the power plant for helicopters still needs to be built. Yes, batteries can carry enough of a charge to fly from Vancouver to Victoria – but the weight will eliminate a number of seats. Yes “we can” – but regulations need to change.
Sitnam says, "These are challenges that we can address and overcome. No – WILL overcome." It may still be years before you’ll be able to hop onto an electric helicopter for a quieter and a low carbon intense flight to Victoria, but those flights will be arriving.
We invited Danny Sitnam of Helijet to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the process of flying in electric vertical-takeoff and -landing aircraft.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 473 - The Looming Great Relocation
Guest: Laura Alfaro
By Stuart McNish
“Nearshoring, friendshoring and onshoring” are terms that are becoming common in reference to moves within the United States to address a number of issues associated with global value chains. According to co-author Laura Alfaro of a paper that was prepared for the Jackson Hole Symposium in 2023, there is a, “Looming Great Relocation” on the horizon.
Alfaro says, “The evidence is clear – the US reliance on China peaked in 2017. The introduction of tariffs by President Trump, the continued application of those tariffs by President Biden, and the ongoing power play between the two countries has brought about changes to distribution channels.”
According to Alfaro, “Vietnam and Mexico have and [will] continue to rise in prominence as preferred trading partners. And while Canada has slipped over the past 30 years, it still remains a strong trading partner.”
We invited Laura Alfaro of the Harvard Business School to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the shifting trade patterns and relationships that are underway.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Nov 21 for Conversations Live - Economic Reconciliation
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 472 - The Importance of Workplace Accessibility
Guest: Joel Dembe
By Stuart McNish
“Accessibility” is a word that you hear more of, and for good reason. Canadian Paralympian Joel Dembe says, “Being accessible is essential when creating a strong and inclusive workplace and society. And it's good business. It’s good business in so many ways – namely it’s good for the bottom line.”
According to Jason Keck, the CEO and Co-Founder of Broker Buddha, “Diverse and inclusive companies are 35% more likely to surpass their competitors.” Joel Dembe adds, “Companies with diverse workplaces are six times more likely to be innovative and anticipate choppy headwaters and then adapt to meet new opportunities.”
According to the Web Accessibility Platform, AudioEye, “more than 1.3 billion people, that’s one in six people who live with some type of a disability.” Joel Dembe points out, “ I often tell business leaders we have to see disability as an economic opportunity.”
We invited tennis and accessibility champion and RBC Senior Manager of Communications Joel Dembe to join us for a Conversation That Matters about removing barriers.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 10 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Workplace Accessibility
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 471 - The Great Remobilization
Guest: Olaf Groth
By Stuart McNish
“In August 2022, when central bankers from around the world gathered for their annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a consensus emerged that the current methods for managing business cycles are woefully insufficient for managing today’s current economic and societal crises.” says Olaf Groth, one of the authors of a new book, “The Great Remobilization.”
“We have the energy crisis. We have the food crisis,” continues Groth. “We have the supply chain crisis and we have the war in Ukraine, all of which have profound implications for the economic performance of the world.”
The book goes on to say the limited abilities of bankers and governments to address large-scale issues demand a new way of addressing challenges. Groth says, “The stakes have never been higher. Incremental changes won’t work. We need step-change redesigns of our global frameworks.”
We invited Olaf Groth, one of the co-authors of “The Great Remobilization,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a framework that will assist leaders to address the tectonic shifts that are underway.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 470 - The Reasonableness of Being Unreasonable
Guest: Bob Stamnes
By Stuart McNish
“The logic of being unreasonable sounds like an oxymoron,” says Bob Stamnes, one of Canada’s most creative ad Execs. “Unless, of course, you know exactly why you are being unreasonable.” According to the Oxford Dictionary, logic is “reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.”
Stamnes says, “Unreasonable logic is when you stick to the facts and make sensible conclusions where others leap to emotionally safe decisions. Reasonable people will always come up with reasons why new or different approaches can’t be done because, after all, no one else has done it that way. Those people are doomed to live in the age of average.”
Stamnes says, “To lift yourself out of average and become unreasonable, you need to commit to being creative, funny, seductive, outrageous or outraged.” Stamnes says to reshape your thinking by “changing what’s cool, what’s normal, and change what people aspire to do.”
We invited Bob Stamnes to join us for a Conversation That Matters about navigating your way through the maze of life in unconventional ways.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 469 - Boosting scientific innovations in British Columbia
Guest: Brenda Bailey
By Stuart McNish
In April of 2023, the government of British Columbia announced a new life sciences and biomedical strategy. The objective is to position BC as a global hub in these sectors. Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Brenda Bailey says, “We’re boosting our world-class talent, innovators, entrepreneurs and anchor companies to create high-quality jobs.”
The Minister’s claim about world-class talent is backed up by the fact that almost every COVID-19 vaccine candidate that reached late-stage development was either initiated, developed or manufactured by a BC company or scientist. Minister Bailey says, “We are focused on building on these made-in-BC accomplishments.”
We invited Minister Bailey to join us for a Conversation That Matters about BC’s strategy to build a vibrant life sciences, biomedical and high-tech base that will help to reshape our future.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 468 - The electric helicopter revolution
Guest: Danny Sitnam
By Stuart McNish
Can we achieve liftoff of electric helicopter passenger service? Danny Sitnam, the President and Founder of Helijet says, "Yes we can! But…"
The “but…” Sitnam refers to is, in fact, many “yes, but”s. Yes, helicopters can be powered by electricity – but the power plant for helicopters still needs to be built. Yes, batteries can carry enough of a charge to fly from Vancouver to Victoria – but the weight will eliminate a number of seats. Yes “we can” – but regulations need to change.
Sitnam says, "These are challenges that we can address and overcome. No – WILL overcome." It may still be years before you’ll be able to hop onto an electric helicopter for a quieter and a low carbon intense flight to Victoria, but those flights will be arriving.
We invited Danny Sitnam of Helijet to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the process of flying in electric vertical-takeoff and -landing aircraft.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 467 - Is Canada Sinking?
Guest: Chris Gardner
By Stuart McNish
“We’re in trouble!” says Chris Gardner. “Big trouble and it's going to get worse, much worse.” The President of the Independent Contractors of British Columbia says, “The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance work in a building 4,427 kilometres from Surrey.” He says, “They’re even further away than that from understanding the challenges facing construction contractors, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and everyday Canadians.”
Gardner makes four compelling arguments: “First - health care is a disaster. Second – our rail, port and road infrastructure has failed to keep pace with growth. Third – we are in the middle of an unprecedented housing affordability challenge. And finally – public safety is at an all-time low and sinking.” His assertions are on the heels of projections from the OECD, which states that Canada is ranked dead last among 38 advanced economies.
Gardner contends, “For Canadians looking to Ottawa to unleash the potential of entrepreneurs, investors, businesspeople, and young workers dreaming about the opportunities the future holds, it’s difficult not to conclude that Ottawa is fighting against them.”
We invited Chris Gardner to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the mess Canada is in, how our international reputation has tanked, and the harsh truth behind how we got here.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 466 - Ozempic and Weight Loss
Guest: Dr Devyn Parsons
By Stuart McNish
It has been called a wonder drug for its unintended benefits to anyone wrestling with obesity. Ozempic does for obese people what their bodies can no longer do – shedding weight. Dr. Devyn Parsons, an obesity specialist, says, “Your body locks onto what it believes is your ideal weight – that, being the highest weight of your life. And it doesn’t want to let go.”
According to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, “the odds of returning to normal weight for a man with obesity is one in 210 and, for women, one in 124. The odds worsen as weight increases.” Dr Parsons adds, “For those who do lose weight, keeping it off is an even more difficult battle. That’s because your body reprograms itself to believe that your highest weight will ward off starvation.”
We invited obesity specialist Dr. Devyn Parsons to join us for a Conversation That Matters about obesity and Ozempic.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 465 - Seeing Street Kids’ Potential
Guest: Krista Thompson
By Stuart McNish
“The reasons why children end up on the streets are complex. Often, their arrival represents an active decision on their part in response to serious rights violations at home,” says Moses Ogutu in “Under The Bridge: The Invisible Lives of Street Children.” Ogutu was a child of the street for five years. Today, he is an international business and trade lecturer at the African Leadership University and a 2017 Mandela Rhodes Scholar.
Ogutu’s life journey is proof that children who end up on the streets can and do rise above the challenges they face. Ogutu points out that homelessness among youth is a global problem and in each jurisdiction, the reason a child arrives on the street is individual and globally similar.
Krista Thompson, the past CEO of Vancouver’s Covenant House, agrees. “There are many successful intervention strategies that work to help young people who clearly have smarts and grit and problem-solving abilities to move forward toward a more positive future.” One such strategy is “Relentless Support,” a program that Covenant House offers.
We invited Krista Thompson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about ensuring that young people are not forgotten, are visible, and supported to grow, develop, and realize their potential.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 464 - Addressing Renewable Energy’s Weak Link
Guest: Matt Harper
By Stuart McNish
Will vanadium redox flow batteries address an issue that has been the Achilles’ heel of renewable energy production – how to store the power generated by wind and solar power generation? The sector has challenges, such as the inability of renewable energy sources to produce consistent on-demand power needed to supply an ever-fluctuating need.
Matt Harper of Vancouver-based Invinity Energy Systems, a leader in battery storage systems says, “Yes. And in doing so, we will be filling a significant need in jurisdictions where there is a huge increase in the amount of renewable power being generated – power that needs a home until it is required for use: places like California, Australia and Alberta.”
We invited Matt Harper to join us for a Conversation That Matters about harnessing, storing, discharging and recharging renewable energy to meet the electricity needs of the future.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 463 - Working Towards Ending Genocide
Guest: Dr James Smith
By Stuart McNish
“More than 60% of the population of Rwanda was born after the genocide in 1994. They feel its effects, but have little knowledge of what caused it to happen,” says Dr. James Smith of Aegis Trust. The ravages of genocide tear familes, communities and societies apart. Smith adds, “It takes decades of reconciliation, peace-building and support to repair the damage done, and constant vigilance to ensure it does not happen again.”
Central to ensuring it doesn’t happen again is the need to help people who have no concept of peace or how to plan to start to envision a future. Dr. Smith says, “The victims of genocide spent years focused on the minutes ahead of them, relying on their wits to stay alive. Tomorrow, next week, next month never existed, so there was no need to plan or work toward a better future.”
Since 2008, Aegis’ peace-building education program has reached thousands of young Rwandans – a “Peace Education” program that is changing attitudes and behaviour among students and their communities.
We invited Dr James Smith from Aegis Trust to join us from Kigali, Rwanda for a Conversation That Matters about working toward the prediction, prevention and ultimate elimination of genocide.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 461 - Life in Canada after fleeing Syria
Guest: Nour Suliman
By Stuart McNish
It’s been eight years since 25,000 Syrian refugees were resettled in Canada. Our country, in keeping with our commitment to the United Nations Commission for Refugees, is “obliged to protect refugees and treat them according to international standards.” Nour Suliman and her family fled to Canada after dodging bullets, landmines and barrel bombs in Syria.
Nour and her family were some of the 13 million Syrians forced from their homes. Some moved within their country; others fled fearing for their lives. In an earlier Conversations That Matter interview, Nour said, “17 of us would pack into my father’s car at a moment's notice. My grandparents, parents, aunt and uncle and my cousins all squeezed into the car to escape numerous deadly threats.”
It has now been 7 years since Nour and her family arrived in Canada. We invited Nour Suliman to join us for a Conversation That Matters to share how life in her new home is unfolding.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 462 - How to reduce adverse drug reactions
Guest: Amani Saini
By Stuart McNish
According to the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, “there are more than 2.2 million serious adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients, causing over 106,000 deaths annually.” The British Pharmacological Society in a “Fatal Adverse Drug Reaction” global study says, “Adverse drug reactions are the most common cause of hospital admission and one of the top seven causes of death.”
In Canada, Amani Saini’s sister had a critical adverse drug reaction to an over-the-counter medicine. Her sister’s near-deadly ordeal led Amani to investigate the causes and rate of hospitalization and death in Canada. The numbers were disturbing. Amani says, “There are an estimated 200,000 adverse drug reactions in Canada. More than 10,000 people a year are dying and the cost to the healthcare system exceeds more than $13 billion.”
We invited Amani Saini to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the work and mission of Adverse Drug Reaction Canada and its mission to reduce ADRs.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 466 - Ozempic and Weight Loss
Guest: Dr Devyn Parsons
By Stuart McNish
It has been called a wonder drug for its unintended benefits to anyone wrestling with obesity. Ozempic does for obese people what their bodies can no longer do – shedding weight. Dr. Devyn Parsons, an obesity specialist, says, “Your body locks onto what it believes is your ideal weight – that, being the highest weight of your life. And it doesn’t want to let go.”
According to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, “the odds of returning to normal weight for a man with obesity is one in 210 and, for women, one in 124. The odds worsen as weight increases.” Dr Parsons adds, “For those who do lose weight, keeping it off is an even more difficult battle. That’s because your body reprograms itself to believe that your highest weight will ward off starvation.”
We invited obesity specialist Dr. Devyn Parsons to join us for a Conversation That Matters about obesity and Ozempic.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 465 - Seeing Street Kids’ Potential
Guest: Krista Thompson
By Stuart McNish
“The reasons why children end up on the streets are complex. Often, their arrival represents an active decision on their part in response to serious rights violations at home,” says Moses Ogutu in “Under The Bridge: The Invisible Lives of Street Children.” Ogutu was a child of the street for five years. Today, he is an international business and trade lecturer at the African Leadership University and a 2017 Mandela Rhodes Scholar.
Ogutu’s life journey is proof that children who end up on the streets can and do rise above the challenges they face. Ogutu points out that homelessness among youth is a global problem and in each jurisdiction, the reason a child arrives on the street is individual and globally similar.
Krista Thompson, the past CEO of Vancouver’s Covenant House, agrees. “There are many successful intervention strategies that work to help young people who clearly have smarts and grit and problem-solving abilities to move forward toward a more positive future.” One such strategy is “Relentless Support,” a program that Covenant House offers.
We invited Krista Thompson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about ensuring that young people are not forgotten, are visible, and supported to grow, develop, and realize their potential.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 460 - Creating Sustainable Pet Food
Guest: Christine Mallier
By Stuart McNish
Cats and dogs are everywhere in Canada and they outnumber children under 14 by a big margin. According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute, there are 16.5 million cats and dogs in Canada. Statistics Canada, for 2021, puts the child population at 15.6% or 6.2 million. In other words, we love our pets.
There are myriad reasons why people love pets. One is they never grow up and move away. According to Mindpath Health, “Pets need you now, next week and years from now; they don’t ask for much and you’ll never have to pay for their college tuition.”
That love of pets led two friends in Chilliwack to create Petcurean, a company committed to producing premium food for pets. The idea took off and sales are soaring, not only because the food is nutritious and delicious, but also because the company is committed to sustainable agricultural practices.
We invited Christine Mallier, the sustainability manager at Petcurean, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about caring for our pets and our planet.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 459- British Columbia’s economy is a question mark
Guest: Jock Finlayson
By Stuart McNish
British Columbia is but a speck on the global GDP map. “We are 0.3% – in other words, not very significant,” says economist Jock Finlayson. He goes on to point out that our place in the world isn’t about to change. In fact, it’s going to slip. “We are entering a lost decade of real per-capita GDP growth, which means growing real salaries will be challenging.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. BC does have some strengths. Finlayson says, “Steady in-migration is creating a positive consumer faced economic setting. We have an educated workforce. There are positive signs in the life sciences and tech sectors. BC has a strong and exceptionally diverse natural resource economy and, importantly, we are the gateway to Asia.”
That’s the good news on the other side of the balance sheet. Finlayson points out, “We are a long way from the economic, political and financial power centres of Canada. The cost of housing is staggering. BC has the highest household debt burden in Canada. When it comes to head offices, there are few and NIMBYism makes getting anything done difficult.”
We invited Jock Finlayson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about BC’s economy – now and for the foreseeable future.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 458 - Vaccinating against rejection
Guest: Dr Eli Joseph
By Stuart McNish
It is common to be intimidated by rejection. The thought of failing or getting turned down for an opportunity that we have always wanted can influence the way we make genuine decisions toward our goals. Moreover, the overall experience of getting rejected can negatively affect our self-esteem.
Dr Eli Joseph says, “You can get over this fear of rejection! In fact, you can become immune to it.” Based on his own experience of thousands upon thousands of rejections, he says, “I emerged from the ordeal of rejection stronger than I was before.” In a sense, he was following Mithridates’ example of dosing poison to become immune to poison.
Dr Joseph points out that “the total of human accomplishment is rooted in the fact that everything that has been developed and learned was through trial and error.” According to him, “Failure and rejection are on a continuum; either can stop you in your tracks or they can motivate you to go further, try harder, become stronger and immunize you against undermining your self esteem.”
We invited Dr Eli Joseph, the author of “The Perfect Rejection Resume,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about embracing your bumpy, rejection-laden path through life.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Sept 19 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 457 - Can Fish be Farmed on Land?
Guest: Tony Pantages
By Stuart McNish
In February 2023, federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray announced that licenses for 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms around British Columbia's Discovery Island will not be renewed – a planned cancellation that has now been delayed in large part due to concerns raised by indigenous leaders, who point to problems associated with moving fish farms on shore.
Norway has generated a depth of knowledge and experience in the field of land-based salmon farming in state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture systems and is leading the way, including identifying challenges. According to Norwegian SciTech News, “ land-based fish farming is not free of challenges. The sector suffers from mass mortalities and fish meat tainted with an earthy flavour because the biological conditions in land-based facilities are difficult to control and very young fish are sensitive to poor water quality. In the worst cases, many thousands of smolt can die relatively suddenly, which can lead to major losses.”
BC-based Octaform has developed a land-based construction system that is addressing the issues associated with land-based fish farms in Norway and around the world, and is poised to offer the same technology and construction methods to the sector in BC. Tony Pantages, the CEO of Octaform, says, “We have a technology that addresses the issues related to land-based fish farming.”
We invited Tony Pantages to join us for a Conversation That Matters about protecting wild salmon through the use of new tank materials and construction materials and processes.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me Sept 19 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 456 - A Lost Decade Ahead for Canada
Guest: David Williams
By Stuart McNish
“The Canadian economy is on track to be the worst performing economy out of 38 advanced countries over the next 40 years, with the lowest growth in real GDP per capita,” says David Williams, the Vice-President of Policy at the Business Council of British Columbia. He goes on to say, “Young Canadians entering the workforce today are facing 40 years of stagnant average real incomes, according to OECD projections.”
That is a dire warning to policymakers in Canada: one that demands a need to address the underlying causes. “If they don’t,” Williams says, “there will be a decline in real incomes relative to all other advanced OECD countries.”
We invited David Williams to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the bleak forecast of stagnation young Canadians will face over the course of their careers.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me June 20 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 455 - Women on Corporate Boards
Guest: Jennifer Reynolds
By Stuart McNish
Here, it is 2023 and according to Forbes Magazine, only ten percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by women. The magazine, however, sees that ten percent as “a new milestone. While these numbers may not seem like a cause for celebration, they are when one considers the history of women achieving top leadership roles in business.”
The history of women at the top of Fortune 500 companies has included just two CEOs for decades. Forbes points out that “as recently as 2000, only four women led Fortune 500 companies.” Fast-forward to today and 53 women are in the top spot at those same companies.
Where to go from here? Is it a straight line to gender parity? In a Harvard Business Review study from 2006, “when there is one woman on a board, progress is difficult, but when three or more women are on a board, dynamics shift.” The question, according to the foundation Women Corporate Directors is, “How are these leaders effecting change in the world?”
We invited Jennifer Reynolds, the CEO of Women Corporate Directors, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about changes in the structure of boardrooms and how companies benefit from more women and greater diversity in senior roles.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me June 20 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 454 - The Power of Giving
Guest: John Bromley
By Stuart McNish
In the book “Why Good Things Happen to Good People,” Stephen Post writes that “giving to others” has been shown to increase health benefits. A separate study by Michael Norton from Harvard Business School revealed that “people are happier when they spend money on others versus themselves.”
These are all wonderful reasons to give. As Martin McNish stated in “Give a Damn” (a Conversations That Matter episode), “giving proves that you can make a difference in the lives of others and to not give is to give up on the belief that you can make a difference.” Give a Damn is a small crowdfunding not-for-profit that raises money for micro-charities that do not have the resources to fundraise.
Here’s the challenge, says McNish. “We too are small and only have limited resources, all of which are dedicated to raising awareness and money for other charities.” Enter Charitable Impact, a Vancouver-based foundation that was created to help donors and charities connect. John Bromley says, “It started with the goal of making it easier for people to come together to change the world.”
We invited John Bromley of Charitable Impact to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the power of giving.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me June 20 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 453 - Top Sixty Over 60
Guest: Helen Hirsh Spence
By Stuart McNish
“‘Sorry, you’re too old. Sorry, you’re too experienced. Sorry. Sorry, but we’re looking for someone younger who will stay with us longer.’ These are just some of the reasons employers use to overlook talented over 60 applicants,” says Helen Hirsh Spence of Top Sixty Over Sixty. The mission, according to the organization’s website, is to “provide tools and training to address ageism and promote age diversity in the workplace.”
Organizations that turn their back on workers over 60 are doing themselves a disservice. According to a Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health study, “Older workers are skilled and experienced, they stay with jobs longer and take fewer days off, they have a strong work ethic and they demonstrate [that] age-diverse workplaces make for the best teams.”
The study goes on to point out that “older workers attract more business.” Remarkably, tourism companies that employ older workers appeal to older tourists who have the greatest amount of discretionary income. The study points out that “the Upper West Side of New York Apple store strategically places older workers toward the front of the store so customers who might be overwhelmed by technology feel more comfortable.”
We invited Helen Hirsh Spence of Top Sixty Over Sixty to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the benefits to businesses that are age smart.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me June 20 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall
https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 452 - Wrestling with Democracy
Guest: Dennis Pilon
By Stuart McNish
Justin Trudeau had promised that the 2015 federal election would be the last time a government would be chosen in Canada using the first-past-the-post voting system. That promise promptly evaporated and morphed into support for a proportional representation voting system. In the following months, the Prime Minister directed the Minister of Democratic Institutions to drop the idea.
In 2021, the Liberals set a record for the lowest vote share of a party that would go on to form government, winning 32.6 percent of the popular vote, while losing the popular vote. According to the federal Elections Canada, voter turnout numbers were just less than half of the population of the country. Only 17 million of Canada’s 35 million people voted. The Liberals only received 5.6 million votes, yet went on to form a minority government in a coalition with the NDP, which received only 2.3 percent of the popular vote.
Despite those numbers, the Liberals and the NDP signed a pact to support one another and govern as though they have a majority mandate. The results suggest that democracy is not being served and needs to be reformed. Dennis Pilon, a York University Professor in the Department of Politics, urges caution in making such an assertion. He argues, “Voting system reform has been a part of larger struggles over defining democracy itself.”
We invited Professor Dennis Pilon to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the way in which we choose our government and whether the system needs to be reformed.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Join me June 20 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: BC’s Economy - A SWOT Analysis https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 451 - Cathedral Thinking
Guest: Rick Antonson
By Stuart McNish
Groucho Marx once quipped, “Why should I care about future generations? What have they ever done for me?” According to Rick Antonson, “You have a responsibility to your children’s great grandchildren.” In fact, Antonson says, “You need to wrench yourself from your phone and become a cathedral thinker about the big issues of our times.”
The concept crosses many cultures. Chief Oren Lyons, of the Onondaga Nation, a member of the Iroquois Confederacy, says, “Looking ahead is one of the first mandates given us as chiefs, to make sure every decision that we make relates to the welfare and well-being of the seventh generation to come.”
Antonson rhetorically asks, “Is cathedral thinking a relic of the past or does it still apply?” He says, “Yes. More, now than ever, we need to apply it to social policy issues, racial injustice, technological risks such as AI, public health and space to name but a few.”
We invited Rick Antonson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why we should care about future generations.
Join me May 16 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Life Sciences - BC’s Innovation Future https://www.conversationslive.ca/
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
May 5, 2023
Ep 450 - Fighting Cancer with CAR-T Cells
Guest: Sarah Roth
By Stuart McNish
Cancer – there are more than 200 different types. The odds are high that you or someone you know will get cancer. It is an insidious disease; it can start almost anywhere in your body and spread. Stopping its spread is the work of cancer researchers all over the world and experts in British Columbia are developing breakthroughs.
Recently a multi-site Phase-I clinical trial, launched by BC Cancer and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, of made-in-Canada chimeric antigen receptor T-cells demonstrated positive results. CAR-T cells are powerful new tools for treating cancer that are created by genetically modifying a person’s existing T-cells. These T-cells are being used to target CD19, a protein marker found on all B-cells in patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Phase-II will allow BC Cancer to produce the CAR-T cell product and run the trial for 20 patients in BC over the next two years.
Dr. Brad Nelson, director of Deeley Research Centre, says, “Over the next several years, BC Cancer’s CAR-T cell program will expand beyond leukemia and lymphoma to create new and improved treatments for a wide spectrum of cancers.” Sarah Roth, the CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation, says, “The Deeley Research Centre in Victoria is a world pioneer in immunotherapy, harnessing the body’s own immune system to prevent, control and eliminate cancer – and has already revolutionized cancer care.”
We invited Sarah Roth to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the many research projects underway in British Columbia that will help us defeat cancer.
Join me May 16 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Life Sciences - BC’s Innovation Future https://www.conversationslive.ca/
Ep 449 - Eight Deaths a Day
Guest: Troy Clifford
By Stuart McNish
Eight people in British Columbia will die today from a drug overdose – eight people yesterday, eight the day before, eight the day before that, and so on. On March 22nd, BC’s Emergency Health Service responded to 205 overdose poisoning patients – “a new provincial record” says Troy Clifford, the Provincial President of the Ambulance Paramedics & Emergency Dispatchers of BC. He continues to say, “On April 2nd, BCEHS experienced the nineteenth consecutive day in a row where we attended to more than 100 overdose calls. It’s taking a toll on the system and putting paramedics at risk.”
“Every single one of those calls for assistance brings with it tremendous risks to paramedics,” he says. “We’re first responders who encounter and adapt to a wide range of on-scene hazards at every overdose call. Paramedics, in addition to being medical professionals, need to be highly attuned to apparent and hidden threats [and] employ exceptional interpersonal skills and assertiveness, when needed in order to protect themselves.”
“The working conditions are challenging,” says Clifford. “Paramedics face two types of hazards – immediate ones like uncapped needles and aggressive patients. Then there are the even more worrying ones like weapons, aggressive bystanders, and the threats associated with working in confined spaces, all of which undermine a paramedic's ability to be and feel safe.”
We invited Troy Clifford the Provincial President of the Ambulance Paramedics & Emergency Dispatchers of BC to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the relentless toll drug poisoning is having on patients, the system, and paramedics.
Join me May 16 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Life Sciences - BC’s Innovation Future https://www.conversationslive.ca/
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 448 - Space – The Final Food Frontier
Guest: Prof. Mike Dixon
By Stuart McNish
Captain James T. Kirk starts “Star Trek” by saying, “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore new worlds; to seek out new life and civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before!” Five years is a long time and packing five years of food would be impossible.
While the writers of the series dealt with the production of food in a variety of ways – everything from coloured cubes to a protein resequencer that could replicate certain foods and an onboard hydroponic greenhouse to grow fruits and vegetables. The reality of producing food in space is extremely complex. And if we are planning three and more years in space missions, we need to learn how to grow it on the way and on whichever plant we land.
At the University of Guelph, Professor Mike Dixon and a team of researchers have been tackling this challenge for 20 plus years, and Dixon says, “We can grow food – not all of the food we grow here on earth, but we can grow food.” That, he points out, is just the beginning. “Being in space means you have no choice. You have to have a zero environmental footprint – that means zero waste. The waste you produce has to be recycled and put back to work immediately. We can’t wait for nature because nature isn’t fast enough.”
We invited Professor Michael Dixon to join us for a Conversation That Matters about growing food in space and what lessons we can apply to growing climate-smart food here.
Join me May 16 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Life Sciences - BC’s Innovation Future https://www.conversationslive.ca/
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 447 - One Girl Can
Guest: Natasha Questel
By Stuart McNish
“Every girl should have the opportunity to rise to her full potential,” says Natasha Questel, the CEO of One Girl Can, a British Columbia-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable girls. Questel adds, “Girls with high-potential deserve a chance to rise above extreme poverty and gender inequality.”
As citizens of the world, we have a responsibility to aid others in reaching their full potential. Questel says, “One Girl Can is dedicated to educating, training and mentoring girls – to empower them to achieve their goals, earn a meaningful living and build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.”
One Girl Can is an organization that is built on three foundational pillars: “education, training and mentoring.” Questel notes, “I am a living example of what one girl can do given a chance. I came from humble beginnings in Trinidad – I went on to graduate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business LEAD program and ultimately became the President of Happy Planet.”
We invited Natash Questel to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the mission of One Girl Can.
Join me May 16 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Life Sciences - BC’s Innovation Future https://www.conversationslive.ca/
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 446 - Can data help at-risk youth?
Guest: Bill Warburton
By Stuart McNish
Can “a scientific approach to addressing social issues using administrative data” improve outcomes in education, health, social services and crime? That is the hypothesis of a new paper published by four distinguished Canadian economists. The authors say there is a “relationship between measures of secondary educational attainment and indicators of poor outcome later in life. Poor outcomes are seen to primarily manifest among high school dropouts.”
One of the authors of the paper, Bill Warburton, says that, “By using data, we can identify 2,000 students in a given year that are at extreme risk of having poor educational outcomes.” Warburton goes on to say, “The earlier we can identify these students, the earlier we can provide them with the specific resources they need to dramatically improve the likelihood of graduating from high school.”
The paper boldly states the challenge: “At first blush, the solution seems clear: governments should invest in proven interventions early in children’s lives.” But Warburton says, “The political will needs to be there because, as a BC cabinet member pointed out, there is a deficiency in public trust, noting the very long time between investment and payoff.”
We invited economist Bill Warburton to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the data and how we can use it to improve students' lives.
Join me April 6 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Premier David Eby. https://www.conversationslive.ca/
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 445 - Purpose and how it works
Guest: Jade Simmons
By Stuart McNish
The world as you knew it has been upended. First, by the pandemic; and now emerging from lockdown, what you thought was going to be a return to your old life isn’t happening – and it's not going to. Jade Simmons knows all too well that life does not unfold the way you hope it will. She says, “You have to know what you want and where to find it.”
Simmons says, “Finding purpose in life isn’t easy. It’s not a formula that you pick up on the internet and suddenly realize this is what my life is about. It takes work and it takes the right kind of work.” Simmons knows this – she is a highly-regarded concert pianist and sought-after professional speaker who, one day, said: "I need to shift my focus, I need to shake it up and find my true calling.”
“People are leaving their jobs, changing careers, starting businesses and ministries, often taking bold leaps,” says Simmons. She continues, “I remixed my careers in classical music and professional speaking and I want to empower others to do the same.”
We invited Jade Simmons, the number-one maverick in classical music, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how to find freedom through finding purpose.
Join me April 6 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Premier David Eby.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 444 - Grey Zone Warfare
Guest: Calvin Chrustie
By Stuart McNish
According to “On Track,'' the magazine published by the CDA (Conference of Defence Associations) Institute, “hybrid warfare,” also known as grey zone conflict or unrestricted warfare, is a real and present danger.
“On Track” states that “these are just three terms used to describe the same phenomenon – multi-faceted attacks against a country that have serious implications for its national security and defence institutions. They may include military elements, but may also be mounted using cyber tools, public and commercial corruption, weaponization of legal systems, transnational organized crime, and disinformation campaigns, along with a host of other methods. Effective responses will demand an unprecedented level of cooperation between military, intelligence, cyber and other security experts in partnership with experts in the management of conflict in business, legal and public settings.”
Critical risk expert Calvin Chrustie points out that FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “The Chinese government is a serious threat to Western business. The Chinese government sees cyber as the pathway to cheat and steal. In addition to traditional and cyber enabled thievery, there are even more insidious tactics they use to essentially walk through your front door and rob you… by making investments and creating partnerships that position their proxies… They use elaborate shell games to disguise these efforts from foreign companies… including shutting off data that used to enable effective due diligence… A 2017 law allowed them to force Chinese employees in China to assist in Chinese intelligence operations.”
We invited Calvin Chrustie, a critical risk consultant with a depth of experience in anti-terrorism and complex international investigations and intelligence operations, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the nefarious activities of countries that do not have Canada’s best interests at heart.
Join me Mar 28 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Climate Smart Ag - Raising Better Food?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 443 - Monitoring the Ocean in Real-Time
Guest: Dr. Scott Beatty
By Stuart McNish
The odds are good that you live on the coast. In Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada, 38.3 percent of us live within 20 kilometres of the coast. In the US, more than 52 percent live within miles of the coast. What happens on the waters that lap against our shores matters. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, “we rely on our oceans for food, jobs, [and] clean air. Our social fabric is woven into the vast history of maritime and indigenous traditions.”
What happens at sea is, however, a mystery. Key to understanding what is happening along the vast coastline is data – real-time data. Not just modelling or satellite imagery – real data gathered from the ocean and beamed up in real-time. Enter Victoria-based MarineLabs’ “CoastAware” ocean buoys that are now providing critical information to ships’ captains, coastal communities, port authorities and governments.
Data that helps to ensure safe passage, data that helps ports react to changing weather, and data that ensures coastal communities have time to batten down the hatches in advance of storms and rogue waves.
We invited Dr. Scott Beatty of MarineLabs to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the importance of real-time wind and wave data and the long-term insights it provides to coastal communities and the plan for changing climatic conditions.
Join me Mar 28 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Climate Smart Ag - Raising Better Food?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 442 - What is Putin’s End Game?
Guest: John Stufflebeem
By Stuart McNish
The one-year mark of the invasion of Ukraine has come and we’ve sailed past it with no end in sight. Vice Admiral (Ret) of the US Navy John Stufflebeem says, “Putin continues to ramp up pressure by withdrawing from the New START treaty, implying he's getting closer to going nuclear.”
Stufflebeem says, “For as long as Putin remains in power, he will continue his ‘military operation’ of defending Russia and use it to work to exhaust and destroy American and NATO resolve and weapons.” Stufflebeem goes on to say, “The Russian leader is throwing many more bodies at the front than the allied forces have bullets to shoot back with.”
As a result, Stufflebeem says, “There are two threats at work. First: Putin’s goal of breaking up NATO, which has the Polish government so nervous they will be next, that they’re offering to build a substantial US military base in Poland.” The second threat, Stufflebeem says, is in Asia: “Premier Xi of China is fully aware of the depletion of American armaments and he is calculating what the US resolve will be, should he move to annex Taiwan.”
We invited retired Vice-Admiral and military historian John Stufflebeem to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the tense and fluid conflict in Ukraine that is slowly drawing the major powers into a proxy war between Western and Eastern centres of influence.
Join me Mar 28 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Climate Smart Ag - Raising Better Food?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 441 - Our Digital Technology Supercluster
Guest: Sue Paish
In space, a supercluster forms massive structures of galaxies called filaments or supercluster complexes. Here in British Columbia, the Canadian digital supercluster was designed to build networks of “big and small tech companies to develop, scale and unleash digital technology breakthroughs,” says Sue Paish, the CEO of the Digital Technology Supercluster.
The initiative is a joint Canadian government and member collective that was designed to bring together business, academia, community and government agencies to work on and solve some of our biggest challenges. Paish says, “We have more than 1100 members and growing, who are dedicated to advancing net-zero technologies, securing food supply chains, building a healthier Canada and developing a skilled workforce.”
Since its inception, the digital supercluster has supported over 490 projects that are valued at more than $3.5 billion, a number that includes more than 80 COVID-19 response projects. In 2022, the federal government committed to investing another $750 through to 2028 in the five different innovation clusters.
We invited Sue Paish of BC’s Digital Technology Supercluster to join us for a Conversation That Matters on the progress and challenges of developing a “Silicon Valley North.”
Join me Mar 28 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Climate Smart Ag - Raising Better Food?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 440 - Surviving the Tech Layoffs
Guest: Brian Pulliam
Tech layoffs have been making the headlines. The numbers are staggering, according to TrueUp’s tech layoff tracker. In 2022, through more than 1,400 rounds of layoffs, 220,000 people lost their jobs. And the layoffs continued through January this year, where another 107,000 people were let go. Then in February, the layoffs carried on, and another 35,000 people were shown the door.
The emotional and financial impact is devastating, especially considering the unprecedented growth in the sector between 2008 and now. People hired in 2009 experienced “eleven years of summer,” says Brian Pulliam of Refactor Coaching. He goes on to say, “Don’t lament the loss of your job despite the punch in the gut that it feels like. Refocus and find a new and better path.”
For some, that may seem insensitive. But Pulliam explains, “For many in the tech sector, they are in golden handcuffs. They may not like their jobs, but the money is so incredible [that] they feel handcuffed to it, rather than pursue a career that is more in keeping with their likes and values. Getting fired with severance can [be] – and often – is a gift.”
We invited Brian Pulliam to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how to survive a tech industry layoff.
Join me Mar 28 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Climate Smart Ag - Raising Better Food?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 439 - A Recipe for a Life Well-Lived
Guest: Dr. Doug Clement
“May you live long and prosper” (“dif-tor-heh”) is an idiom from a Jewish term and is popularly attributed to Commander Spock of Star Trek. While that may be so, it is also an apt description of the life of Dr. Doug Clement.
“The questions,” asks Clement, “is how do you do both? Live long and prosper?” The average life expectancy in British Columbia is just north of 82 years. “So living long isn’t the issue,” says Clement, “but living long isn’t a guarantee [that] you will live well, especially when you cross the 60-year mark.”
According to Clement, there are a plethora of factors that contribute to wellness. He says they include “physical and mental fitness, an ongoing sense of purpose and contribution, a sufficient amount of money to alleviate financial stress, and happiness.” Clement also points to the findings of the Grant Study of Adult Development, a Harvard program that tracked the lives of 238 people between 1938 and 2000, which states, “The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health.”
We invited Dr. Doug Clement to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his recipe for a life well-lived.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 438 - Acupuncture
Guest: Dr Linda Rapson
Renowned acupuncturist Dr. Linda Rapson was the 2021 co-winner of the Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Complementary & Alternative Medicine. The $250,000 prize is the largest of its kind and available only to work conducted in Canada. Dr. Rapson is an appropriate recipient.
Throughout her career, she has battled the establishment. From the time she entered medical school in 1965 as one of only 13 women, she has broken down barriers and, as stated on the Dr. Rogers Prize website, “swam uphill developing unfailing courage and a thick skin to ensure that her creative and caring view would reach the conservative medical community.”
In 1974, after years of compassion for her patients who were suffering from acute and chronic pain, Dr. Rapson entered the practice of acupuncture. Once again, she was a groundbreaker. She has advocated for patients' access to acupuncture, gone to battle with regulators, and worked with chiropractic, naturopathic and acupuncture professional organizations and associations.
Dr. Rapson has applied acupuncture treatment in hospices for palliative care and initiated groundbreaking HIV/AIDS treatments. She is currently introducing acupuncture as a treatment for people facing opioid and drug addiction.
We invited Dr. Linda Rapson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about acupuncture and the role of complementary treatment in health.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 437 - The Cold & Flu Rescue Kit
Guest: Dr Samuel Gutman
You feel a tickle in your throat; you notice your child snuffling; or your older parent is zapped of energy. You can’t help but wonder: COVID? Or what other respiratory disease is going to work inside your and your loved ones’ bodies? “We are all hyper-aware, just having endured three years of COVID”, says Dr. Samuel Gutman. “I was an ER doc who, for 3 decades, saw the look of fear on the faces of people who flooded emergency departments looking for answers.”
With more than six million Canadians who can’t get a family doc, patients have few choices to find answers. Gutman says, “So they come to the ER and, in doing so, they are creating another form of congestion – hours-long waits to see a doctor. And who can blame them?”
It’s not just COVID. The list of fears includes Strep A, Influenza A and B, and now RSVs – all of which are sending Canadian families to the ER. “I’ve treated patients who have waited more than 12 hours,'' says Gutman. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Out of compassion and necessity, Gutman and a team of other healthcare professionals went to work to develop a kit that puts the power to diagnose what is ailing you, your child, or your parents in your hands – an at-home tool called the “Cold & Flu Rescue Kit,” which provides accurate and quick test results and is backed up online and over-the-phone. The benefits are many and include knowing what is the appropriate course of action.
We invited Dr. Samuel Gutman to join us for a Conversation That Matters about tackling one of our biggest health care fears, not knowing what is wrong, and whether the government should be providing you with this valuable tool.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 436 - Personalized Cancer Genomics
Guest: Marco Marra
Unlocking the genomic code of cancer – all types of cancer – is an ongoing research endeavour that, when completed, will be a great leap forward. POG is a BC Cancer, Genome BC and Terry Fox Research Institute program designed to offer personalized oncogenomic treatment to cancer patients.
The program is a clinical research initiative that started in 2012. The aim is to decode the genome – the entire DNA and RNA inside the cell – of each patient’s cancer and provide that information in a way that can be a part of treatment planning and decision-making.
The POG program has and is working. Since its beginning, data sharing has been recognized as a fundamentally important component that supports and enhances local, national and international research which drives innovation and science in cancer research.
We invited Dr Marco Marra of BC Cancer to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the final frontier in defeating cancer.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 435 - British Columbia’s Forestry Woes, Explained
Guest: John Brink
In December 2021, Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer penned a startling piece about British Columbia’s forest industry. His headline read, “BC forest companies expanding at a rapid pace, but not at home.” That means BC-based forest companies were and continue to invest heavily in wood product production everywhere except the home province they come from.
The flow of forestry capital out of BC is accelerating, including investments made by Canfor, which last year invested $420 million to acquire Alberta-based Millar Western Forest Products. And the rush to get out of BC continues to spiral upward; on the day of this recording, Canfor announced the closing of a pulp line in Prince George, terminating 300 jobs.
It’s not all bad news. John Brink, the founder of the Brink Group company, is a successful entrepreneur who came to Canada with the proverbial 25 cents in his pocket. He went to work at a sawmill north in the 1960s. He set his sights on owning a wood products manufacturing company. He succeeded and continues to thrive despite the troubles the industry faces. Brink says, “It was my dream and it is my passion to ensure forestry products and jobs remain a vital part of the BC economy.”
We invited John Brink to join us for a Conversation That Matter about how we got to the current state of forestry in BC.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall examines the Rental Housing Paradox
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 434 - The State of Salmon in British Columbia
Guest: Jason Hwang
Salmon are one of the most magnificent species that you rarely get to see, especially when they go to sea. The migratory route from freshwater to the open expanse of the Gulf of Alaska and then back again is unparalleled. No other species travels these great distances without an overhead view – salmon travel to and from their spawning grounds, guided by some internal sonar that is remarkably precise.
Jason Hwang says, “They swim thousands of kilometres and return to the exact same spot. We still don’t fully understand how they do it. It is truly remarkable.” Over the past 100 years, their numbers have crashed. We know many of the reasons why – spawning ground disruption or destruction, coastal eel grass depletion, predators, and the science also points to impacts from open-pen fish farms. Then there is the mystery of what happens when they head out to the open ocean. Add in a changing climate and the impact is devastating on British Columbia’s salmon populations.
Despite the bad news, some salmon populations are showing signs of resilience. Hwang says, “It’s impressive how salmon are able to adapt.” He goes on to say, “It’s important to note they need us to make responsible choices about salmon habitat.”
We invited Jason Hwang, the Vice President of Salmon at the Pacific Salmon Foundation, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the state of salmon in BC.
Join me Jan 17 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Ian Anderson formerly of Transmountain, Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, Mark Jacquard, SFU, Ross Beaty, Alterra Power, and Fortis CEO Roger Dall'Antonia.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Ep 433 - Unlocking the Magic of Probiotics
Guest - Dr. Gregor Reid
In 1983, Dr. Gregor Reid had a wild and crazy idea. He pondered, “Is lactobacilli bacteria good for your health?” It was an idea that was years ahead of its time. Back then, probiotics didn’t exist. No one thought of or considered the microbiome – in fact, the term microbiome didn’t exist. Dr. Reid faced ridicule: “Oh, I was called a whole host of names.”
Dr. Reid looked over the horizon and around the corner of history, and foresaw the use of beneficial microbes to treat and prevent disease. He has been proven to be right and, in doing so, provided a strong vision for the evolution of the field.
From what was an idea, a worldwide industry has evolved. As of 2021, the probiotics field is estimated to generate more than $60 billion annually and it has spanned the development of multiple products that are available and in use around the world.
We invited Dr. Gregor Reid, the 2021 Dr. Rogers Prize co-winner, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about where the future of probiotics will take us.
Join me Jan 17 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Ian Anderson formerly of Transmountain, Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, Mark Jacquard, SFU, Ross Beaty, Alterra Power, and Fortis CEO Roger Dall'Antonia.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Dec 30, 2022
Ep 432 - A Wicked Problem
Guest: Douglas Todd
In his book, “White Angel,” John MacLachlan Gray describes the Vancouver of the 1920s as “a dirty, smelly, corrupt hellhole.” Anyone who passes through the Downtown Eastside of the city today might wonder if he was referring to 2020 – an unfortunate consideration because, in 2008, then-mayor Gregor Roberstson promised to end homelessness.
When Robertson left office, the Vancouver Sun reported that “tent-city organizers said that they ‘savour Gregor’s resignation and the humiliating end of Vision Vancouver.” When he left office, there were 2,181 homeless people in Vancouver. Today, it is difficult to know the exact number because for the second year in a row, the City of Vancouver cancelled its homeless count. No matter the number, the situation is worse.
As Douglas Todd, a senior Vancouver Sun journalist, wrote in a recent opinion piece, “It’s impossible to find someone who doesn’t feel compassion for the residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.” With that said, the situation gets worse year over year. Todd asks, “Why has so much philanthropy and community activism – and arguably billions of dollars of government and charitable money – had such minimal effect? Why does compassion appear to be failing?”
We invited Douglas Todd to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how we got to now in the Downtown Eastside and how to figure out where to go.
Join me Jan 17 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Ian Anderson formerly of Transmountain, Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, Mark Jacquard, SFU, Ross Beaty, Alterra Power, and Fortis CEO Roger Dall'Antonia.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Ep 431 - The Magic, Mystery and Power of Words
Guest: Jonathan Berkowitz
By Stuart McNish
Words are magical things. Words, when spoken out loud in performance, can be and often are like music. When rhythm, timber, pitch and pace are spoken aloud, they are like notes of music. Words – whether spoken, read or thought – ignite a complex series of neural circuits that bring meaning to words.
Words can be and are fun unto themselves. Pulling together a combination of words – like “cantankerous old curmudgeon” – oddly and in a contradictory way, is fun to do. Just ask Jonathan Berkowitz, the author of “The Whirl of Words and Tales from the Word Guy,” who says, “Oh yes, they are!” His love of words, he says, “comes from a home where “life was salted with stories and peppered with puns, each delivered with relish.”
He goes on to say, “Words are a part of every language.” For the purposes of this piece, the focus is on English, a global and welcoming language. Berkowitz, in a chapter of his book, called “The Birds and The Bees: Where do words come from?”, said the answer is, “English words come from everywhere, they are created, emerge, are adopted and liberated.”
We invited Jonathan Berkowitz to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the magic, the mystery, and power of words.
Ep 430 - How we can Save Plastic
Guest: Bob Masterson
Plastics are ubiquitous. You can’t go anywhere without them. Your kitchen, for example, is filled with them and most likely you don’t realize how much a part of your life they are. Turn on a light switch – the switch, the face plate, the coating around the wires are all made from plastic. Turn on the tap and drain the sink, and it is plastic that delivers the water and takes it away. Not to mention, all of the wraps on foods that are in your fridge or pantry. And then there are the drink containers and sauces.
Bob Masterson, the President and CEO of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada says, “The overwhelming majority of plastic products last for decades because they were designed that way.” He also says, “Far too much plastic waste ends up in landfills and as litter and in water – and the industry is committed to reducing that waste.”
The industry association has launched a campaign working with producers, recyclers and organizations to repurpose plastic called “Save Plastic.” Masterson says, “It is a call to action – a call for a meaningful change.” He goes on to say, “Almost $8 billions’ worth of plastic waste is sent to landfills – waste that can be recuperated.”
We invited Bob Masterson of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada to join us for a Conversation That Matters about turning plastics into a renewable resource.
Ep 429 - Sounding the Ambulance Alarm
Guest: Troy Clifford
By Stuart McNish
Imagine that a loved one in your family has fallen and hurt themselves. They can’t move. You call 9-1-1 and ask for an ambulance to be sent to your home – at least, that’s what you thought was the best way to care for your cherished family member. “Now, you can’t help but wonder if an ambulance will arrive,” says Troy Clifford, the Provincial President of the Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers of British Columbia union.
From the streets of Vancouver to Valemount and everywhere in between, calling for an ambulance and having one arrive in a timely and life saving manner is becoming iffy. Clifford says, “It’s the service that is on life support and we’re sounding the alarm.” Simply put, paramedics are in the business of helping people when they are having one of the worst days of their lives.
Clifford says, “It’s the system that is failing at the bureaucratic and operational levels; it’s not because our members can’t treat patients.” The union says over 30% of staff are either off work getting treatment for PTSD or still working while traumatized and seeking treatment. The union is asking for public support, by asking you to go to SoundingTheAlarm.ca.
We invited Troy Clifford of the BC Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers Union to join us for a Conversation That Matter about one of our most precious public safety and healthcare services.
Ep 428 - HIV/AIDS is still a Pandemic
Guest: Dr Julio Montaner
By Stuart McNish
In 1996, Julio Montaner hosted the Vancouver International AIDS Conference and, at the same time, shared the HAART antiretroviral treatment that he and a team of committed scientists were pioneering in Vancouver. Since then, he has pioneered the concept of Treatment as Prevention (TasP). Dr Montaner was the first person to advocate for the expansion of HAART coverage to curb the impact on the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to decrease progression to AIDS and death.
Dr Montaner says, “It’s more than that – the antiretroviral treatment is also decreasing HIV transmission”. So effective have been Dr Montaners efforts that TasP has been implemented with great success in British Columbia and it is progressively been embraced in countries around the world; in 2013, it was fully incorporated into the World Health Organization’s Consolidated ARV Guidelines.
We invited Dr Julio Montaner to join us for a Conversation That Matter about HIV/AIDS, where we are in treatment, where we need to go and what roadblocks still need to be removed.
Ep 427 - Working with Artificial Intelligence
Guest: Thomas Davenport
By Stuart McNish
“The world does not lack for management ideas [sic]. Thousands of researchers, practitioners, and other experts produce tens of thousands of articles, books, papers, posts, and podcasts each year. But only a scant few promise to truly move the needle on practice, and fewer still date to reach into the future of what management will become. It is this rare breed of idea – meaningful to practice, grounded in evidence, and built for the future – that we seek to present,” says Robert Holland, the Editor-in-chief of MIT Sloan Management Review.
“Working with AI, Real Stories of Human-Machine Collaboration” endeavours to show that the needle can and will move through the addition of artificial intelligence to the complex work of today’s world. Thomas H. Davenport, one of the co-authors of the book says, “There is no shortage of commentary on what artificial intelligence will do to human jobs. It’s easy to find a multiplicity of predictions, prescriptions, or denunciations. It is not so easy, however, to find descriptions of how people work day-to-day with smart machines.”
We invited Thomas Davenport to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our emerging and ever-expanding relationship with a technology that scares a wide range of people, including Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
Ep 426 - Can Farming Survive Gov Policy?
Guest: Kritjan Hebert
By Stuart McNish
Farming is a risky business and it’s even riskier when bad government policies undermine good farming and agricultural practices. Kristjan Hebert says, “I can deal with a bad year, a bad crop, and even Mother Nature, but I can’t insure against bad policy.” He is speaking to the federal government’s plan to cut back on the amount of nitrogen Canada emits by use of fertilizers.
That plan would see a 30% reduction in emissions from fertilizers – a plan that farmers warn will result in a dramatic reduction in food production coupled with a dramatic increase in the cost of food. Kristjan Hebert says, “Villainizing farmers is counterproductive because farmers are committed to protecting the environment.” He points to the fact that farmers invest heavily in scientific practices in soil testing, crop rotation, nutrient management, and chemical applications.
Adding to that, during the crop rotation process many farmers grow pulses that naturally return nitrogen to the soil. Hebert says, “It all adds up to a care for the land and the environment and farmers do that because the land is their lifeblood.”
We invited Kristjan Hebert to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the myriad ways in which agriculture benefits the environment and how farmers are constantly striving to improve best practices.
Ep 425 - Is Breast Cancer Research Flawed?
Guest: Paula Gordon
By Stuart McNish
If you are a woman in your 40s, don’t worry about a mammogram. At least that’s what Canadian research has been saying since the 1980s. Dr. Paula Gordon, a renowned radiology researcher and clinical professor at the University of British Columbia, says, “The research is wrong!” In a commentary paper that was published in the Journal of Medical Screening, Gordon and colleagues point out the Canadian National Breast Screening Study classified women incorrectly.
Gordon says, “Two trial groups were created – one group where women were given a mammogram and other not. The intent was to determine if a mammogram in women under 40 would reduce the likelihood of death.
Here’s the problem, according to Gordon: “All of the women had a breast examination before the program started. And to complicate matters, the women with existing breast lumps were placed in the study group that would receive a mammogram.”
The result was that the mammogram group saw a higher mortality rate. The women were supposed to be randomly selected, but they weren’t. As a result, the disproportionate death rate diminished the apparent value of a mammogram. Those results led many provincial governments to not fund nor recommend mammograms for women under 50.
We invited Dr. Paula Gordon to join us for a Conversation That Matters about providing women with the best possible information about their health.
Ep 424 - YVR - Gateway Airport
Guest: Tamara Vrooman
By Stuart McNish
Anyone who passes through Vancouver’s YVR airport recognizes that the facility – like the city, the region and the province it services – is beautiful. So many other airports around the world are utilitarian structures designed to move people with no regard for the aesthetics that make people feel as if they are in a special place. Tamara Vrooman, the CEO of YVR agrees: “It’s spectacular!”
YVR is not only beautiful – it's functional as well. Tourism and cargo facilitate 20.2 billion dollars in total economic output and 10.4 billion in total GDP, along with 1.4 billion in revenue to the government. More than 26,000 people work at the airport and another 126,000 indirect jobs are linked to the airport. In other words, YVR is a big deal.
The airport is also a vital part of British Columbia’s role as a gateway between North America and Asia, and North America and Europe. Going forward, the airport’s 2037 Master Plan envisions “strengthening the non-passenger side of the business by putting land assets into productive use in cargo and logistics and activating digital opportunities.”
We invited Tamara Vrooman, the CEO of YVR, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the airport’s role as a diverse global hub.
Ep 423 - Canada’s Gateway Port
Guest: Duncan Wilson
By Stuart McNish
Dock workers, truck drivers, forklift operators, tug boat deck hands, ships pilots, and crane operators rarely make the news. In fact, the only time we hear about them is when, in rare cases, something stops working the way it does 99.9% of the time.
Duncan Wilson, the VP of Environment and External Affairs at the Port of Vancouver says, “These are the people whose work makes our lives work. They are the lifeblood of the country, the province, the region and our city and they are so good at their jobs that sometimes that gets forgotten.” While their work has an impact in Europe, Asia and North America, it is work that doesn’t sparkle the way high tech does, so it is easily overlooked.
Wilson says, “The Port of Vancouver is a shining jewel on the west coast of North America. No other port is as diversified nor has a gateway network like Vancouver.” The Port is so vital to Canada that it generates close to 1% of the national GDP. The Port employs more than 40,000 people and it is linked to more than 100,000 supply chain jobs.
We invited Duncan Wilson to join us for a Conversation that Matters about the role and value of our gateway port.
Ep 422 - Can Genomics Save the Taz?
Guest: Carolyn Hogg
By Stuart McNish
The Tasmanian devil is a less than cuddly carnivorous marsupial with an international reputation, thanks to Looney Tunes. The “Taz” appeared in cartoons in 1954 and was still on television well into the 90s. The devil is important to Tasmania as a tourism attractor because people come from all over the world to see it.
In 1941, the devils became officially protected by the government of Australia. Unfortunately, that protection isn’t protecting their health. Since the late 1990s, devil facial tumour disease has dramatically reduced the devil’s numbers and now threaten the survival of the species. In 2008, the devils were declared an endangered species. In an effort to save them, the Australian government started to send Tasmanian devils to zoos around the world as part of the government’s Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.
For the past 12 years, Dr. Carolyn Hogg has been working with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, utilizing genomics as a vital tool to save this endangered marsupial. Dr. Hogg is a conservation biologist who has been working with threatened species for over twenty five years. Hogg is the science lead for the national Threatened Species Initiative, a program generating genomic resources for Australia’s threatened species, as well as co-lead of the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group at the University of Sydney.
We invited Dr Hogg to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the role genomics is playing in an all-out effort to save the Tasmanian devil.
Ep 421 - Why Canada Needs Immigrants
Guest: Patrick MacKenzie
By Stuart McNish
Even with uncertain economic conditions ahead, Canada’s labour market is still hot – unemployment is running at 4.9%, which is, in essence, full employment. There are more than one million job vacancies across the country. Some sectors, like health care and social services, are seeing vacancies and demand for workers climb higher and higher.
The Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia develops and promotes solutions for BC employers to attract, hire, and retain immigrant talent that can meet current and future labour force needs. Its employer-focused resources and programs help businesses of all sizes and sectors across BC integrate skilled immigrants into workplaces.
Immigrant Employment Council of BC CEO Patrick MacKenzie recently attended a meeting of high-level international officials in Berlin, where they examined migration issues and policymaking processes across Europe, North America, and Australia.
With Canada on track to bring in a record number of immigrants in 2022, MacKenzie says, “It’s worth asking whether non-humanitarian admissions reflect employer and sector needs, whether immigrants will be set up for success if economic conditions worsen, and how we can make BC the number one destination for the talent we need.”
We invited Patrick MacKenzie to join us for a Conversation That Matters about filling staff shortages with high quality talent from around the world.
Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca
Ep 420 - Has Canada Lost Its Way?
Guest: Ken Coates
By Stuart McNish
“Canada is a country without a centre, without a purpose”, says Ken Coates, a Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Indigenous Affairs Program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a Canada Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan. It’s a jarring statement, one Coates says is, “an apt description of the state of the country.”
Coates says, “on one level, the idea that Canada’s future is uncertain seems absurd. The country routinely places well in global comparisons.” While that is true it also masks the reality of crumbling sectors of the economy, investment in education, investment in natural resources and infrastructure projects that are stalled or mothballed. Coates adds, “Canadians don’t seem to care.”
I invited Ken Coates to join me for a Conversation That Matters about Canadians need to turn our attention to the issues that are bubbling to the surface and could dramatically change our quality of life.
Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca
Ep 419 - Searching for Innovative Addiction Treatment
Guest: Hirpal Hundial
By Stuart McNish
The numbers are staggering – almost five people a day in BC are dying from what the Coroners Service calls “illicit drug toxicity,” also known as opioid deaths. That adds up to 1,095 people from January 1, 2022 to the end of June.
Hirpal Hundial says, “There has been nothing transformative or innovative in the field of addiction medicine to assist people going through detoxification for the last 25 years.” The current solution is to switch users from their opioid of choice to an opioid agonist therapy like suboxone or methadone, both of which research demonstrates produce marginal benefits. Hundial says, “Time is up – we need access to innovative and transformative solutions, otherwise there will continue to be escalating numbers of deaths.”
One such alternative is ibogaine, a psychoactive substance that shows promise in the treatment of opioid users. In New Zealand where the use of ibogaine is legal, a study available online at the National Library of Medicine reported that “a single ibogaine treatment reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms and achieved opioid cessation or sustained reduced use in dependent individuals as measured over 12 months.”
The report went on to say, “Ibogaine's legal availability in New Zealand may offer improved outcomes where legislation supports treatment providers to work closely with other health professionals.” The same is not true in Canada.
We invited Hirpal Hundial, the Director of Clinical Services at Universal Ibogaine, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the risks and the benefits of ibogaine in addressing one of our biggest health challenges.
Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca
Ep 418 - Is Ukraine vs. Russia a Proxy World War?
Guest: Jeffrey Simpson
By Stuart McNish
Is the Ukraine-Russia war a proxy World War? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says, “It is!” He contends NATO is “using Ukraine as a battering ram against the Russian state.” He says, “Russia is the target of one of the most ruthless proxy wars in modern history.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a Washington Post article, confirmed that America’s goal is to “‘weaken’ Russia,” saying that “the only way to deal with a rogue regime is to reduce its capacity for harm.”
- Anthony Pfaff, a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, wrote, “With Russia already believing the war is effectively a battle against the West and NATO, there is the possibility that a potential Russian defeat could motivate Putin to expand the conflict by attacking NATO countries.”
More than six months into the conflict, Russian casualties continue to mount and the impact of the war is being felt in countries around the world. Cut off from normal trade, Russia has turned to another pariah state – North Korea – for weapons. This, in addition to Iranian drone purchases, shows sanctions are hurting Moscow. As a member of the Security Council at the UN, will the purchase of weapons from North Korea jeopardize Russia’s status? Will the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalate from a proxy war to a world war, or is it a global conflict already?
We invited Jeffrey Simpson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the expanding risks associated with Putin’s determination to reclaim the Soviet Empire.
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Ep 417 - A New Spirit of Capitalism
Guest: Drew Erdmann
By Stuart McNish
“Even before the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09, the excesses of unchecked capitalism were manifest – what once seemed like a virtuous drive to maximise returns on investment for everyone came to seem like a race to the bottom. The wealthy got increasingly wealthy, workers’ wages stagnated, the environment suffered, and parts of many countries were left behind,” states a new book published by the Trilateral Commission, “A New Spirit of Capitalism.”
It is clearly time for a reset. The book’s authors go on to say, “The problems got harder to ignore once the first bubble popped.” And then came COVID-19 – a pandemic “which exposed weaknesses in globalisation’s relentless pursuit of low cost production; the crisis highlighted instead the value of supply chain security and resilience, and a collaboration between state and business,” emphasises co-author Drew Erdmann.
Erdmann goes on to point out, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrates state and business can and do work together to mobilise assets and economies to serve strategic objectives.”
We invited Drew Erdmann to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the role and manner in which a “New Spirit of Capitalism” can address the issues of our times.
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Ep 416 - BC Legends
Guest: Carole Taylor
By Stuart McNish
“British Columbia is rich with people of legendary status – people who looked the hardships of life in the eye and stared them down,” says Carole Taylor. “Along the way, the tales of their seemingly impossible feats became folklore. In other words, they are larger than life.”
Carole Taylor, a legend in her own right, set out to document BC’s living legends. She says, “I wanted to ensure we recognized and preserved the stories of these extraordinary women and men from them. I wanted to capture their personalities, their drive, their enthusiasm and great devotions.”
Taylor interviews artists, businesspeople, social advocates, environmentalists – along with others like Doug and Diane Clement, who convinced us to get off the couch and move; Ratana and Aaron Stephens, who guided us to consume organic food; Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, who showed us the path to reconciliation; and Jody Wilson-Raybould, who showed us what courage looks like when standing up to a Prime Minister.
Taylor says, “I focused on 26 extraordinary people who have contributed to our province and their reach has been global. These are the people Teddy Roosevelt was talking about, whose ‘faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood. People who err, who come up short time and again.’ Jimmy Pattison, Brandt Louie, Dempsey Bob and Joe Segal are just a few of the BC Legends I sit down with this fall.”
We invited the host of “BC Legends with Carole Taylor” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why preserving the stories of our legends is a gift to future generations – and future legends.
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Ep 415 - Is paper the right environmental choice?
Guest:Dr. Chris DeArmitt
By Stuart McNish
On June 22nd of 2022, the Government of Canada introduced its “Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations,” legislation that states that plastic checkout grocery bags are considered single-use if the bag breaks or tears if “used to carry 10 kilograms over a distance of 53 metres 100 times.” A plastic straw is considered single-use if after washing it 100 times in a dishwasher, it changes shape. Does that make the straw or the bag a bad environmental choice? A paper straw that may survive a single use is not considered a bad environmental choice.
Plastic knives and forks are treated the same way if, after 100 washes, they change shape – then they are considered single-use and a bad choice. The day before recording this conversation, two paper catalogues arrived in the mail: unsolicited and unneeded. They won’t be used – is that a bad environmental choice?
“When it comes to banning single-use, we might be better off focusing on paper rather than plastic,” says leading plastics scientist Dr. Chris DeArmitt. He is the author of “Phantom Plastics,” a book that examines the prevailing thoughts about plastics. He points to the Bank of Canada, which studied plastic versus paper for the country's money and the decision was to print plastic money rather than paper because it was the better environmental choice.
Heresy, you say! How can that be? DeArmitt claims, “Life cycle analysis is the answer. Plastic money has seven times the lifespan of paper money.” When looking at the total impact of paper money, the carbon footprint and environmental costs far exceed that of plastic. DeArmitt starts by pointing to the weight of paper, saying, “The extra fuel required to transport paper over plastic is just one element in the life cycle analysis of money. And then add in the impact of harvesting trees, mashing them into pulp and paper and the limited lifespan.” And he says, “It all adds up to plastic being the best choice.”
DeArmitt continues, “Litter is created by people who can stop doing that by making better choices… When you attach value to plastic, it does not clog drains or end up in the sewer. The proof of that is in money. There are more than eight billion plastic bank notes printed each year and they do not get discarded.”
We invited Dr Chris DeArmitt to join us for a Conversation That Matters about plastics, their myths and their misconceptions.
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Ep 414 - Fighting for Truth and Justice
Guest: Matthew Caruana Galizia
By Stuart McNish
In the afternoon hours of October 16th 2017 in Bidnija, Malta, the car of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was ripped apart by a powerful bomb. “My mother had to go to the bank, she left the house and then I heard the explosion,” said Matthew Caruana Galizia in an interview for the Allard Prize for International Integrity. His mother was a fearless Maltese journalist who was assassinated for ceaselessly uncovering corruption in her country. Her car was found more than a city block from the ignition point of the blast. It was a powerful message to anyone who dared to expose corruption at the highest level in Malta.
In recent news, one of the men accused on the bombing has confessed saying, had he known who she was he would have asked for money to kill her. According to “The Guardian”, George Degiorgio said, “if I knew, I would have gone for 10 million, not 150,000” Euros. He went on to say, “for me it was just business. Of course I feel sorry.”
When the Panama Papers were released, Caruana Galizia traced millions of dollars back to the power elite in Malta. Despite increasing intimidation and threats she dug into the details of the money and those behind it. Her blog was extremely popular and had subscription rates that eclipsed the major media outlets in the country.
Matthew says, “Journalists in Malta were expected to cover up for powerful people, to partake in the culture of silence, and my mother refused to do that. This put her in an ultra minority.” Fellow Maltese blogger Manuel Delia says, “When political parties are threatened by a journalist, they will isolate them, dehumanize them. In the case of Daphne, they will demonise her.” In an interview before her death Daphne said, “They have made me into what is in effect a national scapegoat.”
Daphne Caruana Galizia is the posthumous co-winner of the Peter A. Allard Prize For International Integrity, which was awarded in Vancouver on October 21, 2020. We invited her son Matthew to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the unveiling of corruption and the high price Daphne paid for her brave pursuit of the truth.
Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca
Ep 413 - Do Universities Matter?
Guest: Joy Johnson
By Stuart McNish
If knowledge is empowerment, does the place where you garner that knowledge matter? “The answer is yes, it does matter,” says Joy Johnson, the President of Simon Fraser University. Johnson continues by noting, “a university degree carries with it exceptional career prospects, higher pay and it opens a person’s mind to the realm of the possible and pushes the boundaries of the seemingly impossible.”
There are many careers that are simply unattainable without a university degree such as in health, the sciences, technology, business, law and education. There is also a perception that universities are a place where you can explore ideas from a variety of perspectives and that you are free to do so.
Stuart McNish invited Joy Johnson, the President of Simon Fraser University, to join him for a Conversation That Matters about the complex, diverse, and critical role of universities in our economy and society.
Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca
Ep 412 - Blowing the Whistle on Danske Bank
Guest: Howard Wilkinson
As Russia continues to disrupt the world, we revisit a previous Conversation with Allard Prize for International Integrity co-winner Howard Wilkinson, the man who blew the whistle on the largest money laundering case in history. Wilkinson uncovered and exposed an international money laundering scheme that reached all the way to the Russian secret police, which included relatives of President Vladimir Putin. So corrupt is the regime that more than 230 billion euros passed through bank accounts at the Danske Bank in Estonia.
Wilkinson reported his suspicions to senior officials at Danske Bank – to which the bank responded by letting him go, muzzling, and paying him off. His report, while not acted upon at the time, eventually came to light and he says, “Charges have been laid against 12 former bankers in Estonia and another 10 Danish bankers have been served with preliminary charges.” The scandal rocked the financial world in Europe and the US, where the Securities Commission and the Department of Justice are carrying out investigations.
We invited Howard Wilkinson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the unveiling of the largest money laundering scheme in the world.
Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca
Ep 411 - Smart Mission: How NASA solves problems
Guest: Ed Hoffman
“The COVID-19 global pandemic demonstrates the need for international collaboration to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges,” states a new book on project and program management called “The Smart Mission, NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People and Projects.” Over 37 days, a NASA team of aerospace engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory with no knowledge of medical devices built a working ventilator from off-the-shelf parts. This illustrates how effectively teams learn and share knowledge in real-time contexts.
One of the book’s authors is Ed Hoffman, who was the Chief Knowledge Officer at NASA, who says, “Never has there been more urgency. The social dimension of knowledge and the need for people to collaborate remains constant as projects become increasingly complex and pose technical challenges that we cannot anticipate.”
Hoffman continues saying, “Complex challenges require complex teams in multiple disciplines over multiple jurisdictions and cultures coming together to find solutions – solutions that are possible to achieve if and when knowledge over information is at the core of the team’s approach.”
We invited Ed Hoffman to join us for a Conversation That Matters on how and why NASA is able to accomplish the impossible and how that insight can help you and your team conquer the seemingly impossible.
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Ep 410 - Is Russia Collapsing?
Guest: Diane Francis
The EU just announced its seventh sanctions package, which is set to put an embargo on Russian gold. Gold is Russia’s largest non-energy export. The Russian government’s response was to shrug it off and downplay the impact of sanctions – a position the Union of Gold Producers in Russia disagrees with, noting that “the country’s gold industry may suffer irreparable damage.”
Author, National Post Editor-at-Large, and Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council Diane Francis says, “Russia is in trouble economically, demographically, financially and militarily.” Francis goes on to say, “Punitive Western sanctions, as well as brain and capital drains, are shredding the country’s future.”
In an article titled “To Russia With Malice,” Francis states, “Sanctions against the import of technology such as microchips have caused factories to stop making many consumer products, as well as weapons of war. Automobile production is down by 96.7 percent [and] Aeroflot is using spare parts from outdated aircraft to keep its fleet operating.” Francis warns, “Don’t ever fly Aeroflot and, worst of all, hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of energy, nuclear, and infrastructure projects have been cancelled.”
We invited Diane Francis to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the devastating consequences of Russia’s irredentism toward Ukraine and throughout the remainder of the former Soviet Union.
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Ep 409 - Health Care on Trial
Guest: Dr Brian Day
A recent Research Co. survey on health care shows that confidence in our healthcare system is dropping. “Three years ago, 77% of Canadians were proud of the healthcare system,” says Mario Canseco. “In 2022, the proportion has dropped by 19 points to 58%.” And an Angus Reid poll showed 70% of British Columbians feel the province is doing a poor job in health care and the opioid crisis.
Premier Horgan pointed the finger at Ottawa, saying, “The federal government must come to the table to address a lack of federal funding in health care across the country to protect and improve the services the people rely on.” Dr Brian Day says, “We’re doing an awful job of meeting the health care needs of Canadians. It’s the core reason we started the Cambie Clinic, to give people greater access to health care.”
That’s the backdrop against which the Court of Appeal in British Columbia upheld a ban on paying directly for health care and private insurance. A three-justice panel ruled in favour of the BC Medicare Protection Act. The court rejected an argument that the public system fails to deliver timely quality care.
We invited Dr Brian Day, the man who is the face of private clinics, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what now.
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Ep 408 - Is Ethanol a Good Fuel Choice?
Guest: Marc Rauch
As we all know, the price of gas is skyrocketing. It’s a big issue for the President of the United States, namely because he’s under fire to address inflation. His response to soaring fuel prices was to lift a ban on the sale of E15 fuel. E-15 stands for 15% ethanol in the fuel and adding it to gas saves money and reduces carbon output. “A welcome announcement you’d think?” asks Marc Rauch, the Executive VP of the Auto Channel. “It should be!” he answers his own question, “but it wasn’t!”
“Ethanol,” says Rauch, “is the forgotten alternative fuel – the only one that blends with current gasoline while improving air quality and saving money.” If ethanol is the magic bullet in the fuel sector, why is it so maligned? Rauch says, “It’s historical and the reasons are hysterical.” Namely, he claims it comes down to the power and influence of the Rockerfeller family.
To take us on a fascinating examination of the history of ethanol, we invited Marc Rauch, the author of the “Ethanol Papers”, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the remarkable advantages to a fuel supplement that you can only buy at four gas stations in Canada and sparsely throughout the United States.
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“All of life is a gamble, all of it!” says Kamal Gupta, a man who has taken big risks throughout his life – risks he details in his book “Play It Right,” the story of a young graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology who took a chance in the late 1980s and left India for the United States.
Gupta’s story is more than the story of an immigrant in search of the “American Dream.” His is a story of a man who took big risks. After securing a well paying job in tech, he became bored. To alleviate his boredom, he became fascinated with blackjack. He was determined to master the game and win. And win, he did. He quit his job and became a professional gambler.
Two years later, he bet again and did two things he said he would never do – “work on Wall Street and Live in New York; those were the promises I made to myself,” says Gupta. His journey to the top of the financial markets is fascinating and insightful.
Stuart McNish invited Kamal Gupta, the author of “Play It Right,” to join him for a Conversation That Matters about the value and risks of taking changes and how not taking them is also a gamble.
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Ep 398 - Putin’s Long Game
Guest: Vice-Admiral US Navy, (Ret) John Stufflebeem
By Stuart McNish
The war in the Ukraine has revealed that Russia is ruthless in its tactics, that it is willing to kill noncombatants. And it has also demonstrated that despite a coalescing of NATO nations, Ukraine is on its own. As retired U.S. Navy Vice-Admiral John Stufflebeem points out. Putin calculated the world's political and economic powers have fractured. He noted they did nothing after he annexed Crimea and devastated Aleppo.
So he feels, who's going to stop me? Who would dare? And that is at the core of his thuggish mindset.
Putin has been unabashed in his openness about taking Ukraine under the direct influence of Moscow. He's worked to align Iran, China, North Korea and he's also deepening his relationship with Indian Prime Minister Modi. Stufflebeem says, “Putin has a much larger strategy than the Ukraine and the countries of the former Soviet bloc.”
Stufflebeem believes, “Putin wants to break up the global power grip of the U.S. and believes a multi-front assault in Europe, the Pacific and the Middle East will overwhelm U.S. and allied resources.”
According to Stufflebeem, “Putin has shown he is willing to twitch his finger on nuclear weapons, and he's preparing to or has already launched cyber attacks that will grow in magnitude.” He asks, “Will those cyber attacks be a Pearl Harbor moment that launches a larger global conflict?”
Stuart McNish invited retired Vice-Admiral of the U.S. Navy, John Stufflebeem, to join him for a conversation that matters about the implications of allowing Russia to go unopposed in Ukraine.
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Ep 397 - It’s Lonely at the Top
Guest: Ron Bremner
By Stuart McNish
"It's lonely at the top" is the famous line in Shakespeare's Henry IV. The King had a very challenging reign; he felt alone in his misery. “It’s lonely at the top” speaks to the theory that leaders are not only lonely, they’re also isolated – which raises the questions: are they? And if so, where do they find companionship and trust?
Executive coach Ron Bremner says, “One of the challenges is as a CEO or executive leader, you can’t ponder or wonder or muse about anything with the people who report to you. What you do, say, think, and decide impacts them and they all want to know you are in control and in charge.”
Bremner goes on to say, “If you appear to be uncertain or inconsistent, your team will lose confidence in you and that’s why you need to find a trusted advisor to work your way through the many challenges you face.”
Stuart McNish invited Ron Bremner to join him for a Conversation that Matters about why and how executive coaches play an important role in the lives of leaders.
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Ep 396 - Is Vancouver a Headquarter Ghost Town?
Guest: Jock Finlayson
By Stuart McNish
Is Vancouver a head office ghost town? “The numbers say no, but they also say we’re not doing well and the prospects of a change of fortunes are slim and dim,” says Jock Finlayson, the past chief economist of the Business Council of BC.
Head offices are highly sought after by any city because they generate employment, taxes and attract professional and financial services that support corporate headquarters. Calgary has established itself as more than just an energy hub – it is also the most concentrated headquarter city in Canada.
The presence – or lack of presence – of head offices speaks volumes about a city. Is it business focused? Does the city government understand or appreciate the needs of a corporate head office and do they care? Why should you care?
Finlayson says, “Vancouver is in a tough spot given our woeful combination of sky-high housing costs and modest incomes. The city has long struggled to expand and retain a base of corporate head offices, trailing Toronto and Calgary.” As well, based on a percentage of HQ’s per 100,000 people, we do even worse. In fact, Regina has a higher concentration than Vancouver.
Stuart McNish invited Jock Finlayson to join him for a Conversation That Matters about why Vancouver’s only hope is to work with and help grow existing firms.
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April 15 , 2022
Ep 395 - Financial Cold War
Guest: James Fok
By Stuart McNish
Are China and the US sliding into Thucydides’s Trap? Are they bound to follow history or can they work together to avoid war? In “Financial Cold War,” author James Fok examines “the relationship between the two superpowers through the lens of financial markets.” The book reveals how the global financial system is contributing to geopolitical tensions and offers a pragmatic approach to de-escalation.
Fok explains, “Little attention has been paid to the diverse range of policies, regulations, infrastructures, and conventions that support the global financial system. Without an appreciation of these and the history of how the system has come about, it is difficult to understand the full scope of the systemic financial challenges facing the world’s two largest economies, much less devise effective strategies for navigating the treacherous waters we’re in.”
Stuart McNish invited James Fok to join him for a Conversation That Matters about potential outcomes of the tensions between the US and China and what you need to pay attention to as Premier Xi strives to make China great again.
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April 8 , 2022
Ep 394 - The Great Wealth Transfer
Guest: Nicole Garton
By Stuart McNish
According to Forbes magazine, “Over the next two decades, an unprecedented shift of demographics and finances will take place and will likely be felt by every American” and, by extension, every Canadian. That’s because baby boomers are expected to transfer in excess of $30 trillion to the next generation – an exchange of wealth that has been dubbed the “great wealth transfer.”
Much (while not all) of that wealth is in the form of family-owned businesses – businesses that, even when endowed with huge amounts of money and support from the best lawyers available, still blow up. Look at the Rogers family as an example: a nasty family feud that arrived on the headlines on the heels of the Stronach civil war.
“If the rich can’t handle it,” wonders Nicole Garton, “how can the average - to medium - to small-sized family business hope to navigate the choppy waters of succession?” In her book “Harnessing Conflict: How Family Businesses Can Thrive and Survive,” Garton addresses the myriad issues that need to be attended to when passing ownership of the family business onto the next generation.
Stuart McNish invited Nicole Garton to join him for a Conversation that Matters that every family business must have when planning a transfer of ownership.
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Ep 393 - Social Media - Good or Bad?
Guest: Dr Cody Buntain
By Stuart McNish
Don’t you wish there was an app that lets you know which one of the people you know is an opinionated, bigoted, racist, mysoginistic, conspiracy theory idiot? Oh wait, there is! In fact, there are many and collectively, they are known as social media. “That is a big problem,” says Dr. Cody Buntain, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information.
Dr. Buntain points out that “TikTok is trying to address this issue by launching its ‘Ineligible For Your Feed,’ whereby the app will automatically control your feed.” The feature is part of TikTok’s policy change aimed at promoting safety, security, and well-being for users.
“All of those issues are part of the dark side of Social Media,” says Buntain. He also points to the American Economic Review study “The Welfare Effects of Social Media,” which states that “the rise of social media has provoked both optimism about societal benefits and concerns about harms such as addiction, depression and political polarization.” Or as John Vervaike, the author of, “Zombies in Western Culture,” posits: “Are we losing touch with reality?”
Stuart McNish invited Dr. Cody Buntain to join him for a Conversation that Matters about the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media and what you can do to protect yourself.
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Ep 375 - Beef Industry’s Commitment to Carbon Reduction
Guest: Ruaraidh Petre
The beef industry is feeling the heat. That heat is the ongoing campaign directed at cattle as a negative force upon the environment and in particular climate. While the industry in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America is already striving to reduce the environmental impact of cows, the rest of the world is also getting on-side.
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is a worldwide organization that has set an ambitious 30% greenhouse gas reduction target through responsible and innovative agricultural practices, coupled with the use of new technology. Ruaraidh Petre, the Executive Director of GRSB says, “Paramount in our mission is animal health and welfare. Cattle require an environment in which they can thrive.”
Essential elements in ensuring the industry meets its targets are grassland management and herd size. Professor Myles Allen, an IPCC climate scientist and professor at Oxford University says, “A stable herd size is one that is not adding new methane and therefore has a minimal impact and, more interestingly, if the herd size declines, the impact on climate will actually be a reduction in global temperatures.”
For the Global Roundtable, it says that is just one element of its comprehensive plan to address climate and environment. Petre says, “Many producers and farmers are already net positive contributors to nature and for those that need assistance in making positive changes, the GRSB offers financing, and developmental support.”
We invited Ruariaidh Petre to join us from Nelson, New Zealand for a Conversation That Matters about the global effort underway to ensure cattle are a sustainable nutritional and environmental part of the world food supply.
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Ep 374 - It’s time to Separate
Guest: Professor Barry Cooper
Forget alienation, says University of Calgary Professor Barry Cooper – “Call a referendum on separation.” Cooper maintains it’s time for a new relationship with Ottawa, that it’s time to reset the agreement in Confederation, one that was established to ensure Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories would never have the power base needed to dictate the direction of their own territory, let alone the country.
Stuart McNish invited Professor Barry Cooper to join him for a Conversation That Matters about Alberta’s mistreatment by Ottawa from the moment it was created to now.
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Ep 373 - Sacred and Strong
Guest: Dr Shannon McDonald
We want the right to choose and control our health; it is our right in British Columbia. Not so if you are a First Nations person and even less so if you are First Nations female. “Sacred and Strong” is a recently published report from the First Nations Health Authority focused on the health and wellness of First Nations women and girls living in BC.
The purpose of the report is to “reclaim First Nations teachings and protocols around birth, pregnancy and mothering, empowering women as life givers is restored.” The report contains data from a wide range of sources; it encourages and embraces a holistic health approach highlighting the many ways that First Nations women and girls can and are thriving.
The report also lays bare systemic barriers that have created health inequities, along with steps to move beyond a hostile history in Canada. While acknowledging the pain and suffering of treatment within the health care system in Canada, the report also shows the way forward. “Sacred and Strong” is about First Nations women and girls as the hearts of their communities and Nations.
The FNHA says these “women and girls are the current and future matriarchs of our communities; they are the life givers, the grandmothers, mothers, aunties, sisters and daughters who are vitally important caretakers of First Nations culture – they keep it alive and communities strong. They are, and have always been, both sacred and strong.”
We invited Dr Shannon McDonald the acting Chief Health Officer of the First Nations Health Authority to join Stu for a Conversation That Matters about developing supportive systems that are the roots of wellness that ensure healthy bodies, minds and spirits of First Nations women and girls.
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Ep 372 - A Survival Guide in Rogue Times
Guest: Jonathan Brill
When COVID-19 hit, the world went into shock. Virtually no one was prepared for the dramatic shift in every aspect of their lives that was cascading down on us. Well, not everyone. In 2015 at a TED Talk, Bill Gates warned a “Spanish flu”-like pandemic was coming. He observed the response to West Africa’s 2014 ebola outbreak and the poor response from the rest of the world. Gates rightly predicted a future pandemic was going to hit us.
It was as if the world was hit by a “Rogue Wave,” says global futurist Jonathan Brill, the author of a book by that name, in which he points out rogue waves are far more likely to happen than previously understood – that in fact, they are not rogue waves. Rogue quantum harmonic oscillations or modulation instabilities are present in a wide range of media and environments. The key, according to Brill, is to spot the harmonic changes on the horizon that foreshadow their arrival.
Spotting the telltale signs is, however, only step 1 in the development of appropriate responses that ensure you can successfully navigate the choppy waters ahead. Brill encourages readers to adopt a “Sherlock Holmes” approach to observing, assessing or deducing and then eliminating the impossible, which means that whatever remains, no matter how mad it seems, it must be the truth.
The challenge with this approach is that it is antithetical to the processes most of us individually and as companies employ – those processes were built for less volatile times. Brill says those processes “presume that you can deliver compound growth year after year, if you reduce risk, improve efficiencies, and keep your products up to date.”
We invited Jonathan Brill, a Global Futurist and the author of “Rogue Waves,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how you can future-proof yourself and your business to survive and profit from radical change.
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Saving Private Bookstores
Guest: Marc Côté
“Bookstores are important, because they sell the cultural objects that feed and shape our souls – books and the stories they contain make us more human. They improve our ability to empathize, and empathy is the glue that holds societies together,” says Marc Côté, the publisher of Cormorant Books.
Ask yourself this: when was the last time you bought a book in a bookstore in Canada written by a Canadian? Not from Amazon, but in a bookstore with a person to talk to who knows about books. The number of bankrupt bookstores suggests not many of us have purchased a book in a book store in Canada, let alone a book written by a Canadian.
The “More Canada” report proves it: “Canadian book-sells lost 50 percent of their market share from 1995 to 2015.” Côté says, “With shrinking market presence comes shrinking book sales and revenues — money that makes possible the discovery and nurturing of literary talents known throughout our country and abroad.”
If you are reading this and feeling badly that you didn’t go into the local bookstore before it closed, you’re not alone. Did you know your local library also orders online from the United States, even when buying Canadian books?
Côté says, “Answering the disappearing Canadian bookstore conundrum won’t be easy. It’s going to take more than just consumers – governments also have to get involved and provide a menu of incentives, tax breaks and subsidies.”
We invited Marc Côté of Cormorant Books to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the important role bookstores play in neighbourhoods and our lives.
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Ep 370 - Was Popeye Wrong?
Guest: Andrea Bertaglio
“I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eats me spinach” is one of Popeye the Sailor Man’s favourite quotes. Wrong, says Italian environmental journalist Andrea Bertaglio. He says Popeye helped create the perception that all you need are veggies to live a healthy life.
“It seems the whole world has suddenly decided not to eat meat,” he says. “But have you ever wondered why?” He did and so he set out to find out the answer. Namely, Bertaglio says, “The editorial world is to blame. When it comes to diet, nutrition and health is more interested in selling papers and garnering ad revenue than in the truth.”
In Bertaglio’s book “In Defense of Meat,” he points out spinach is not the best source of iron. Meat is, and it’s not just iron that vegetables don’t deliver in the way meat does. Bertaglio says, “Meat provides the body with significant quantities of essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium and B vitamins in an easily digestible form.”
He claims, “Some vegetables may contain vitamins and minerals in greater quantities than meat but in reality, the human body is capable of assimilating a very low percentage of them. In fact, plant nutrients are ‘trapped’ in an insoluble and indigestible matrix of fibres that make them difficult to absorb and use.”
Vegetables also contain “anti-nutritional factors such as phytic acid, which binds minerals, making them less available to our body. So yes, the nutrients in the vegetables are there but they are not easily usable."
We invited Andrea Bertaglio to join us for a Conversation That Matters about eating a balanced diet that includes meat and vegetables.
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Ep 369 - The importance of early detection of Breast Cancer
Dr Paula Gordon
“I had suddenly gone from being the healthiest person I knew to having breast cancer,” said Christine Hazle during an interview for a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign produced for BC Cancer.
She continues to say, “I hadn’t been sick a day in my life, I’m the person who never gets a cold, never gets the flu and that was my perception of myself.” Despite her clean bill of health, she went for her mammogram. Her cancer was aggressive and so was her treatment. And then the onslaught of advice was endless – she was told to “eat only meat; no, eat only veggies; no, try this, try that.”
In an Atlantic Monthly article, Caitlin Flanagan says, “Laugh and the world laughs with you; get cancer and the world can’t shut its trap. Stop eating sugar; keep your weight with milkshakes. Listen to a recent story on NPR; do not read a recent story in Time magazine. Exercise – but not too vigorously; exercise – hard, like Lance Armstrong. Join a support group, make a collage, make a collage in a support group, collage the s**t out of your cancer. Be positive.”
On and on, goes the advice. But that’s after you are diagnosed. According to Dr Paula Gordon, one of Canada’s leading experts in breast cancer detection and diagnosis, “More importantly, do not put off getting a mammogram. In fact, insist on it and do not miss an appointment.” Both Christine and Caitlin went for their mammograms. Both were diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and both survived. The reason they survived was timing – they were diagnosed early enough to increase the chances they would live.
We invited Dr Paula Gordon to join us for a Conversation That Matters about everything to do with breast cancer, from prevention to detection.
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Ep 368 - Your Brain on Fruits and Veggies
Guest: Dr Bonnie Kaplan
Imagine, if you will, a wonder treatment that can help you overcome anxiety, combat depression, reduce ADHD and stress. “What a blessing that would be!” says Dr. Bonnie J. Kaplan, a research psychologist and co-author of “The Better Brain.” Kaplan goes on to say, “There is a paradigm-shifting approach to treating mental disorders with food and nutrients.”
For Kaplan, that approach is a broad spectrum one – an approach that was contrary to the magic bullet approach to medicine. She says, “When we learned about nutrition, it was one nutrient, one disorder… That’s not the way the brain works. Your brain needs all 30 micronutrients: a mix of vitamins and minerals.”
At the turn of the century, her research was met with skepticism and outright rejection. In fact, she was shut down. “Health Canada shut down my research,” says Kaplan. “The Director General of Health Canada told me to stop my clinical trial and return all the patients to their psychiatrist and get them back on medication.”
Naturally, no one would fund her research because, as she was told, “vitamins and minerals are of trivial importance to your mental health.” Then in 2009, she led a team of 12 scientists to determine the relationships between maternal nutrients before, during, and after gestation on maternal mood, birth outcome, and infant neurodevelopment.
In 2013, Dr. Kaplan became a founding member of the International Society of Nutritional Psychiatry Research, an organization that emphasizes the importance of nutrition “above the neck.”
In 2019, Dr. Kaplan was awarded $250,000 by the Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Complementary and Alternative Medicine – money that she has added to the more than $750,000 she has committed to fund ongoing research through two donor-advised charitable funds, one in Canada and one in the United States.
We invited Dr Bonnie Kaplan, the co-author of “The Better Brain,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the broad spectrum approach to a healthy and better brain.
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Oct 1, 2021
Ep 367 - Will the 2020s be a decade of rage?
Guest: Alec Ross
Are we on the cusp of a paradigm shift? “Hopefully,'' says Alec Ross. “If we don’t, the 2020s and beyond may well be known as the decade of rage.” The source of that rage is a symmetrical distribution of wealth to the rich and the rest of us. In his book, “The Raging 2020s,” Ross points out that “over the past 30 years, the top 1 percent have grown $21 trillion richer while the bottom 50 percent have grown $900 billion poorer, and the middle class has stagnated.”
The source of this inequality, says Ross, is rooted in a philosophy espoused by Milton Friedman – that being “shareholder capitalism” versus “stakeholder capitalism.” According to Friedman, any company that was not maximizing profits was poorly managed. That philosophy led to wave after wave of assault on legislators in the US to loosen laws that hampered unrestricted corporate growth.
As Ross points out, “Shareholder primacy melded perfectly with the Reagan and Thatcher eras, providing an intellectual cornerstone for deregulation and trickle down economics” – an economic approach that was crystallized in a line from the movie Wall Street, where the character Gordon Gekko says, “Greed is good.”
Fast forward to today and the power and influence of multinational corporations goes beyond the power of the state to control them. Ross says that “the social contract has been broken” and that greed is not good – in fact, it has taken us to the brink of rage.
We invited Alec Ross to join us for a Conversation That Matters about rewriting the social contract between business, governments and we, the people.
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Ep 366 - Every Child Matters - The Lonely Death of Chanie Wenjack
Guest: Michael Downie
On January 19, 2022, Chanie Wenjack would have turned 67 years of age. He died in 1967 at the age of 12 after running away from a residential school in northern Ontario. He tried to walk close to 400 miles in the cold weather to get back home.
Chanie was a member of the Ojibway and he was attending the Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School in Kenora, Ontario. He became lonely and ran away. He died trying to get home to see his father. His story is heartbreaking. It is one that Gord Downie of Tragically Hip shares in “Secret Path,” the beloved singer's last solo musical and video release.
Downie said, “I never knew Chanie, but I will always love him. He haunts me. His story is Canada’s story. We are not the country we thought we were.” In his last on-stage performance, he called out to Prime Minister Trudeau to fix the problems in northern Canada, saying, “It’s maybe worse than it’s ever been, so it’s not on the improve.”
According to the “United Nations Index on Human Development - Quality of Life,” people who live on band or reservation lands in Canada have a standard of living that is ranked 63rd in the world. The rest of Canada is ranked 6th. According to former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde, “6th versus 63 is an enormous gap in the standard of living. It’s a gap that represents a disproportionate number of First Nations people in prisons; it represents the high youth suicide rate, which is four to five times the national average; it represents 40,000 indiginous children in foster care and it represents a cap on education funding that is close to half of provincial averages.”
Micheal Downie, the Tragically Hip singer’s older brother and the filmmaker who produced “Secret Path,” carries on the work of the foundation the two set up, the “Downie Wenjack Fund.” The fund calls on Canadians to build a better country and to see the people we’ve been trained to ignore.
Stuart McNish invited Michael Downie to join him for a Conversation That Matters about the need to build awareness, advance education, and enhance connections between all peoples in Canada.
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Ep 365 - Corporate Farmers - Who Are They?
Guest: Adrienne Ivey
Adrienne Ivey asks you to close your eyes and form an image of a corporate farmer – a corporate farmer with a board of directors who has shares and receives dividends, a corporate farmer that owns a large 10,000-acre ranch with 1,000 head of cattle, a corporate farmer that runs the business based on the numbers, and who sells products into a food production network, not at farmer's markets.
She then asks you to open your eyes and look at her, a mother in her 30s who, along with her husband and in-laws, run their corporate ranch. The shareholders are her family – a business that has a succession plan, a succession plan to pass on ownership to her children.
Ivey says, “We're not alone. We’re not outliers in agriculture.” More than 95% of farms of consequence in Canada are family-owned and -operated businesses. Ivey is a strong and proud rancher who says, “We’re worried that Canadians are being told to fear me. I’m not to be trusted, I’m to be feared, that I don't care for the land or the animals that I raise, that I’m only in it for the money.”
She says, "Look at me. Is that what you see?" Adrienne Ivey says the images that others are using to promote their products at the expense of people like her and her family are wrong. So she decided to stand up, and in the words of Paul Harvey, "Tell the rest of the story."
Stuart McNish invited blogger, speaker, and one of the voices of ranching in Saskatchewan, Adrienne Ivey, to join him for a frank Conversation That Matters - Food for Thought episode about cattle ranching.
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Ep 363 - Power for All
Guest: Julie Battilana
“Power is one of the most misunderstood and therefore vilified concepts in our society,” says Julie Battilana, the founder and facility chair of the Social Innovation and Change Initiative at the Harvard Business School. Battilana goes on to say, “Most people assume power is predetermined by personality or wealth, or that it is gained by strong-arming others.”
According to Battilana, the myths associated with power stand in the way of access to it for the vast majority of people who are unaware of the structure's power. In her book, “Power for All,” she and fellow author Tiziana Casciaro, a professor at the Rotman School at the University of Toronto, point out that we all have access to power if we understand the dynamics of power.
Battilana points out, “Power is not a dirty concept to be vilified and it is not a zero-sum game.”
We invited Julie Battilana to join us for a Conversation That Matters about understanding power and how to develop it so that you can gain control over your life.
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Ep 362 - Is Data Mapping a Crystal Ball?
Guest: Will Cadell
Maps – try to go anywhere without them. You can get to places for sure, especially if the terrain is familiar. However, venture outside of your familiar neighbourhood and then your journey is one of trial and error. You wonder what is over there or over there or there and with each foray, you discover something new – new, but not necessarily helpful.
Data is a form of mapping; so is remote satellite imagery. Now combine the two and your understanding of that place expands exponentially – not just the place as a static point in time, but minute by minute. Imagine the power to retailers, governments, insurance companies and others in knowing not just the place, but the place and minute-by-minute historical activity. It’s as if Heisenberg’s “Uncertainty Principle” suddenly became certain, namely you can now know the location and speed of an object.
The power of the information also arms the holder of it with prescient knowledge – in other words, the ability to predict what will come next. It’s a mind boggling concept and if Sparkgeo, a Prince George, British Columbia company, continues to deliver on the promise of marrying low earth satellite imagery with trillions of bits of information into powerful diagnostic tools, then the holder of that information will be armed with a reliable looking glass.
Stuart McNish invited Will Cadell to join him for a Conversation That Matters about the power of accurate time-, space- and velocity-based intel.
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Ep 361 - Leadership Inside Out
Guest: Susan Ney
The topic of leadership is confounding. There are so many theories and concepts and guidebooks and textbooks that contradict one another and create confusion. Do I stand tall and lead from the front, or do I lean in or support from the sidelines?
It’s easy for me to say I have no idea what it means to be a leader. I really don’t. I’ve just had to trust my gut that somehow I was doing the right thing. I know quickly enough when I’m doing the wrong thing, that feedback is immediate. But the right thing, the evidence unfolds slowly, it’s effect is incremental at best and mostly it is invisible.
I was relieved recently when Susan Ney published her book, Leadership Inside Out. “It’s a book about unearthing the leader inside you and changing your world for the better”, says Ney. Getting to that place of self discovery and confidence is a journey she goes on to say, “is a journey filled with awe, wonderment, a tinge of sadness and disappointment but ultimately it is about developing an appreciation of who you are and the confidence that comes with it.”
Stuart McNish invited author, speaker, HR Professional and philosopher Susan Ney to join me for a Conversation That Matters about leadership from the inside out.
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Is today finally hydrogen’s day?
Guest: Jessica Verhagen
To say hydrogen’s day has been coming for a long time is an understatement. It was discovered by Henry Cavendish in 1766 and it was quickly identified as the most abundant chemical substance in the universe – the entire universe. In other words, there is no “peak hydrogen.” We can use the stuff forever and we can use it to store energy and to fuel transportation. And maybe, just maybe, today is the day hydrogen takes centre stage as the fuel of choice.
In transportation, the electrification of heavy vehicles and service vehicles like taxis and police cars and delivery trucks just isn’t practical. The practical alternative is hydrogen. Practical is so many ways such as storage, storage capacity in the vehicle, the fact that hydrogen and gas mix. Heck, hydrogen and methane mix and so does hydrogen and diesel.
And the sources of hydrogen are ubiquitous – they are everywhere. With that said, in a world that is endeavouring to lower GHGs, green hydrogen is treasured. That means the electricity used to produce the hydrogen is, well, green. Well, what about waste by product hydrogen – the hydrogen you can produce using landfill waste? Not only do you reduce methane emissions from landfills, but you also create clean burning hydrogen.
It’s an exciting new world. But wait – there’s the challenge of switching vehicles from diesel or gas to hydrogen. That can be costly. And who do you turn to and how does it work? Enter British Columbia-based Hydra Energy, which offers hydrogen to trucking fleets as a service.
Stuart McNish invited Jessic Verhagen, the CEO of Hydra Energy, to join him for a Conversation That Matters about hydrogen’s role in a low carbon world.
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According to Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, one of the most important changes in the food supply network is social media. “Consumers,” he says, “finally have a voice and they're using it. They're talking a lot about food and where to buy it.” Previously, the food relationship was a push from manufacturer to grocer and then to consumer. But he says, “Now it's a pull in the other direction. And this, in essence, is putting tremendous pressure on the food industry in Canada.”
Charlebois says it's democratizing the supply chain and it's giving everyone a chance to establish direct relationships between producers and consumers. And according to him, “Big-name producers like PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Gordon Food Services, and Sysco – to name but a few – are now selling directly to consumers.” This shift in the relationship is also introducing food choices that didn't exist before, and that's because small or specialized producers couldn't access the market. Charlebois, who consults with food startup companies, says, “You will now see more and more small specialized producers connecting online with consumers and offering them a wider range of products.”
Stuart McNish invited food specialist Dr. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University to join him for a Conversation That Matters, Food For Thought episode about the dramatic changes underway in food production and supply thanks to consumer empowerment.
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The hunt is on for the source of the coronavirus. Was it a natural leap from animal to human via another host animal or was it a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology? To date, we don’t know. And the answer is vitally important to a large swath of people and the Chinese and American governments.
Early in the pandemic, we were heavily influenced to believe it was a natural emergence. The reason we were nudged in that direction was statements from two significant scientific groups – statements that, according to science journalist Nicholas Wade, “were not at first examined as critically as they should have been.”
On February 19, 2020, The Lancet published a statement that said, “We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.”
Wade says, “Contrary to that assertion, the idea that the virus might have escaped from a lab-invoked accident, not conspiracy – it surely needed to be explored, not rejected out of hand. A defining mark of good scientists is that they go to great pains to distinguish what they know and what they don’t know. By this criterion, the signatories of the Lancet letter were behaving as poor scientists.”
We invited Nicholas Wade to discuss his investigative work to have a Conversation That Matters about what we do and don’t actually know about the source of COVID-19. ---
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SHOW LESS
Does context matter? It’s an odd question to ask, especially of yourself. After all, isn't your point of view yours and therefore it’s correct? So who cares? Well, Vince Taylor cares. He cares so much he wrote a book about his journey of self-discovery.
Taylor says, “Before I really understood context, I understood nothing.” If you sit back for a moment and think about Taylor’s assertion, it seems implausible that you could be so far off base because you haven’t taken the time to consider the context. According to him, “Context is the most powerful, naturally occurring interruption of the conscious mind I have ever experienced – a neural concoction so influential that even the best and brightest suffer from incredible and inexplicable bias. The result is that now, to consider my opinions ‘right’ and other opinions ‘wrong’ has become preposterous and embarrassing.”
In fact, he was so moved by what he learned, he spent ten years writing a book that, should you read it and absorb the messages, you too will challenge yourself and your perspectives and biases. And if you decide to travel on that journey – one that Dr Scott Peck calls the “Road Less Traveled” – well, put on your seatbelt and wear a helmet because the road is bumpy and long.
Stuart McNish invited Vince Taylor, author of “Beyond the Blindfold: Harnessing the Secret Power of Context,” to join him for a conversation that matters about a path to enlightenment that is humbling and rewarding.
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Ep 356 - Will the cruise ships ever come back?
Guest: Ian Robertson
Where have all the cruise ships gone?
They were a long time coming. It’s important to remember they didn’t come here by chance.
In the 1980s, the Honourable Grace McCarthy set her sights on building a sustainable tourism business and she knew the growing Alaska cruise ship industry was a perfect fit. She worked with the Feds and built Canada Place in Vancouver, not just as a convention centre but also as a world class cruise ship terminal that would bring millions of passengers and their money to Vancouver.
In the 1990s, the focus expanded to include rebuilding Ballantyne Pier and to include Victoria. And it worked brilliantly. Central to the success of the campaign is a provision in the Jones Act called the Passenger Vehicle Services Act, which requires ships carrying passengers to stop at a foreign port between two US ports.
This provision meant Vancouver and Victoria were perfectly located in the Alaska cruise ship industry. Ships could travel from Alaska to British Columbia and back again, or Alaska, BC and Seattle and back again. In 2018, “Cruising in Alaska” reported “about 3.8 million port-of-call cruise passenger visits, or approximately 61%, of all port-of-call cruise visits in the United States,” making Alaska the number one cruise destination.
Over the last three and a half decades, Canadian governments appear to have taken the industry for granted, so much so that when Alaska reached out to Premier Horgan and Prime Minister Trudeau to find a way around the Canadian government's COVID closed-border rules, neither leader even returned the call or email.
Rather than sit by and do nothing, Senator Mike Lee of Utah introduced three bills (that weren’t approved) to repeal the PVSA, saying it is blatantly “Canada First” and it needs to go. Then Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced a bill that was passed and now allows cruise ships to bypass Canada while our border remains closed.
Stuart McNish invited Ian Robertson, the CEO at the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, to have a Conversation That Matters about why taking the cruise ship industry for granted is a bad idea.
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Ep 355 - Is cattle ranching sustainable?
Guest - Cherie Copithorne-Barnes
We need protein – plain and simple, we need it. And we need protein from nutrient rich sources. Beef, chicken, pork are all nutrient rich and when cooked, these are the foods that propelled the development of the human brain. They remain important to our brain health and the replacement of protein in our bodies that is continuously breaking down.
Alberta cattle rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes says, “Cows are an exceptional source of protein. They eat plant matter and bio-pack it into nutrient rich food for us.”
Today, there are approximately 70 million cows in North America. That’s down by close to 50 million cows from a peak in the 1970s. These are large grazing animals that we eat. 50 million cows is still a lot of animals eating a lot of grass and grains and barley. They take up a lot of space and they burp methane.
“Yes,” says Copithorne-Barnes. “And they play a vital role in the health of marginal agricultural lands – land that you cannot grow anything else on,” to which Copithorne-Barnes points out, at over 1,300 metres above sea level in Alberta, no other agricultural product will grow and produce food humans can eat.
The question then is, are cows bad for us? Bad for the environment? Or are they good for the environment and good for us? And that begs the question – is cattle ranching sustainable?
Stuart McNish invited fourth generation rancher Cherie Copithorne-Barnes to join him for this episode of Conversations That Matter, Food for Thought to ask her about beef.
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Ep 354 - Setting the Standard for Renewable Cities
Guest - Dr Walter Mérida
As much of the world switches over to electric transportation, the “What about this?” and “What about that?” questions are popping up from those people who are saying, “Not possible.”
On the other side of that discussion is Dr. Walter Mérida, who prefers to ask “What if?”, as in “What if there was a way to integrate all of our disparate urban infrastructure systems to create a cohesive, comprehensive, and connected platform – driven by low or no-carbon technologies?”
Dr Mérida isn’t just asking – he’s doing. His labs, which are energy innovation hubs, recently secured $23 million in public and private funding to convert a city-sized block on the University of British Columbia campus into a smart energy district.
The plan is to build an advanced solar array on top of a parking lot next to a substation. The parking lot will be retrofitted with bidirectional electric vehicle charging stations. That means these stations are equipped so that when vehicles plug in, the stored energy in the battery is sent into the grid and back again. In other words, reversible EV charging.
Reversible EVs have passive energy in a sitting car that can be used by active participants in a smart energy storage network. Electricity is used on demand and will be directed to an electrolyzer to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, supplying the refuelling station for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
The hydrogen produced by this process is 100 percent renewable or “green hydrogen.” A secure 5G wireless technology platform will connect the system’s components to each other and to other on-campus systems and assets for optimal productivity and efficiency. It’s a complicated system, one that is needed to realize renewable cities.
Stuart McNish invited Dr Walter Mérida to join him for a Conversation That Matters about the complex and achievable process of integrating renewable energy into the transportation and energy grid we need to successfully transition to electrified transportation.
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Ep 353 - Cannabis as Medicine
Guest - John Tse
The idea of lighting up a doobie for medicinal purposes sounds fantastic. I’m stressed; I’ll take a toke, right on! I’m in pain; I’ll toke a little more, fantastic! I can’t sleep; yeah you got– you’re just a few tokes away for a night of bliss.
The problem, according to pharmacists and medical cannabis practitioner John Tse, is “cannabis as a medication doesn’t work that way – medical cannabis is not inhaled and the prescribing of it is complicated.”
Medical cannabis has many potentials and potential pitfalls. Tse says, “The study of cannabis and health is so new that it’s early days in our understanding of the chemical properties and the way our bodies respond. And just like any other drug, how those chemicals act and react in your body is different from how they will react in others.”
The science of pharmacogenomics adds insights into how cannabis interacts with your body. However, the data is still limited, and then add in the fact the study of cannabis is even newer because up until Canada made it legal, research was illegal. In other words, we know a sliver of the scientific information we need.
And what about drug interactions? How does cannabis react with a statin you’re taking for your heart or your diabetes medication? And should you use CBD, CBG or CBN? Or should you consume cannabis with THC? Then how do you dose and how often?
Stuart McNish invited John Tse to join him for a Conversation That Matters about how and when to use cannabis as medicine.
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Ep 352 - Can Granville St be Re-Imagined?
Guest - Chris Fair
Granville Street – at least the part of it that is within the downtown area – was redesigned in 1974 and it was “supposed to reflect Vancouver’s unique identity, character and sense of place,” according to Heritage Vancouver.
The street, unfortunately, is a mishmash of planning over the decades that don’t always work as well as hoped for. And let’s face it, the street is supposed to be a pedestrian mall where people want to be. They want to eat, shop, and be entertained in a lively and friendly space.
One element of a pedestrian mall is to be pedestrian. Granville Street is kinda pedestrian and kinda not. It’s really a transportation corridor that begrudgingly accommodates foot traffic and cyclists along with hundreds of buses and taxis and police cars. In other words, it is not even close to a true pedestrian mall.
The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association says, “It’s sorta working but with adjustments, it can be fantastic. We did it in 2010 for the Olympics and it was great. Let’s do it again.” To that end, DVBIA hired Resonance Consultancy to re-imagine Granville Street. The company is a Vancouver success story – the team has worked with huge international players who sought to and accomplished stunning upgrades and turnarounds around the world.
Stuart McNish invited Chris Fair, the CEO and the 2013 Place Brand Thought Leader, to join him for a Conversation That Matters about Re-Imagining Granville Street.
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Ep 351 - Let’s Talk GMOs with a GMO Scientist
Guest - Dr Larry Gilbertson
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, otherwise known as CRISPR. It's a word many people know is associated with genetic engineering – the genetic engineering of food. But what most of us don't know is, what exactly is genetic engineering?
The science of adjusting the genetic makeup of plants has been in process for thousands of years. From the time humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers, we've been tinkering with food. This plant has those characteristics and if we wed them to this one, will it grow better in this environment? Will it taste better? Will it be drought resistant? Will it be disease tolerant? And so on.
By the middle of the last century, scientists were rapidly moving toward sequencing the genomes of everything, including people. Genetics now play a vitally important role in innovations in medicine, trees, food, and so on. And somewhere along the way, genetics and food got a bad rap, so much so that many people are openly campaigning against bioengineering of plants.
Stuart McNish wanted to ask someone who actually does this type of work, what they do, why they do it, and can we trust them and the foods they produce. He invited Larry Gilbertson of Bayer Crop Sciences to join him for a Conversation That Matters about innovations in plant biotechnology.
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Ep 350 - BC Mining leading the World!
Guest - Adam Pankratz
For generations, mining operations across British Columbia have provided high-paying jobs and economic activity in every region of the province. According to the Mining Association of BC, “mining continues to be vital to the provincial economy and standard of living. BC’s minerals and metals are key ingredients in clean energy technologies and are helping the world transition to a cleaner, lower carbon economy.” The Association goes on to point out that “BC’s mines and smelters support more than 35,000 workers across the province from Campbell River to Cranbrook, and from Victoria to Vanderhoof.”
BC’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation forecast the total value of mine production in the province to exceed $9.2 billion for 2020 and that was before copper and gold prices rose. The province is endowed with a vast array of minerals and deposits; it is Canada’s largest coal producer, a leader in the production of copper and the only producer of molybdenum. As well, there is significant production of gold, silver, lead and zinc – just some of the more than 30 industrial minerals produced in BC.
Adam Pankratz, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Business Economics at UBC’s Sauder School of Business says, “BC isn’t home to many world company headquarters except when it comes to mining.” Pankrantz says the province and Vancouver in particular are centres of excellence in every aspect of mining. The Mining Association confirmed this in a recent report, stating, “Most of the major players operating in the province are either BC-based or Canadian companies. Over time, this has led to the Lower Mainland becoming a global mining centre, with one of the largest concentrations of industry-related professionals in the world.”
Stuart McNish invited Adam Pankratz of the Sauder School of Business to join him for a Conversation That Matters about mining in BC.
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Ep 349 - Let’s Talk About CRISPR People
Guest - Henry T. Greely
The science and ethics of editing human DNA went on high alert in November of 2018 when it was revealed that two babies had been born after their embryos were CRISPed. Professor Henry T. Greely, the Director of the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences, was notified and within minutes of the news, he was drawn into an ethical debate that we all must consider. Greely asks and attempts to answer the question, “Is it ethical to mess with human embryos?”
In his new book “CRISPR People,” he says, “Things are about to get interesting. This is an experiment that feels like a cross between bad fiction and reckless fiasco, shrouded in a deep fog of secrets.” The experiment in question took place in China by scientist He Jiankui, who attempted to edit the CCR-5, a gene known to be important in providing a gateway for HIV to infect some human cells.
Greely says, “The goal of the experiment was to make the gene inoperative and thus deprive HIV of that gateway for infection. The two edited embryos, of non-identical twin sisters, were transferred into their mother’s uterus sometime in late March or early April 2018. Sometime in October, somewhere in China, they were born.” On the surface, a noble idea – the reality of the experiment is nothing short of an attempt to win the Nobel Prize.
Dr. He forged documents giving him permission to conduct the experiment and now he is in prison in China. His imprisonment has frustrated many who want to know more about his experiment, which appears to have been an exercise in his own aggrandizement.
Stuart McNish invited Henry Greely to join us for a Conversation That Matters about human germline editing.
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Ep 348 - Addressing Anti-Asian Racism
Guest - Franco Ng
Anti-Asian racism is increasing. Over the past 12 months, reports of discriminatory incidents in Canada have more than tripled, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Toronto and U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. And the reason for the increase, according to the authors of the report, is COVID-19.
Anti-Asian racism unfortunately is not new to Canada. People of Chinese discent have experienced racism, segregation, intimidation, violence and murder because they were Chinese. The Canadian government officially introduced the Chinese Immigration Act in 1885, which imposed a heavy head tax on anyone from China. Then in 1923, the Act banned Chinese Immigrants from entering Canada.
The Act was repealed in 1947 when Chinese people were allowed to become Canadian citizens. Despite citizenship rights, it wasn’t until 1962 that immigrants from China were allowed into the country. In other words, as a country we have been hostile, disrespectful and physically aggressive towards people from China.
Over the past 60 years, anti-Asian discrimination was fading. In fact, most young women and men of Asian ancestry or new immigrants rarely experience racism. Then COVID-19 dramatically changed the way Asian people are being treated.
My guest today, Franco Ng, is one of a group of young people who says part of the problem is their generation needs to step up and get involved. Co-chair of the Youth Forum for Asian Representation Lauren Tse says, “A lack of Asian representation across all spectrums of Canadian government has hindered the ability for the community to effectively address the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes.”
Stuart McNish invited Franco Ng, one of the driving forces behind the Forum, to join us for a Conversation That Matter about addressing anti-Asian racism.
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Ep 347 - BC’s World Class Life Sciences
Guest - Wendy Hurlburt
Let’s start with a quiz. What are life sciences and why should you care about them, especially if you live in British Columbia?
We know, it’s not a topic on the tip of your tongue nor is it top of mind. But maybe – just maybe – it ought to be. Not just because we’re past the one-year mark of a global pandemic that desperately needs life sciences to vaccinate and treat COVID-19 and all of its variants.
Life sciences are the disciplines that study the sciences of biology, biochemistry and biomedicine – cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, botany and more.
Why you should care is because British Columbia is home to more than 1100 life sciences companies that employ more than 18,000 people, all of them with well-paying jobs. And at the university level, more that 22,000 students are studying life sciences in BC.
It all adds up to a tariffic shot in the arm to the BC economy. $5.4 billion in revenue, $1.6 billion in GDP and more than $500 million in exports. While the resource sector in BC remains at the core of the province’s economy, life science success stories like Stemcell Technologies and Zymworks are forming a centre of excellence here that is growing.
All good news, until you realize most emerging life sciences companies run into an age old problem in BC – capital. The investment money that is needed to push these companies onto the world stage is hard to come by. In fact, of the more than 1100 companies in the sector, most have fewer than 50 employees.
Stuart McNish invited Wendy Hurlburt, the President and CEO of LifeSciences BC, to join us for a Conversation That Matter about the remarkable intellectual assets we have in BC and why we need to support them to the benefit of all of us.
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The Right Stuff
Guest - Judy Desjarlais
“The Right Stuff” is a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe that celebrates the remarkable heroics for the flyboys that beat the odds and slipped the bonds of the Earth for the first time. The focus of the book is on the guts and determination it took to risk it all in the pursuit of a worthy cause.
Judy Desjarlais is made of that same stuff – fearlessness, drive, determination, the ability to see opportunity where others don’t, and the willingness to go for it knowing full well that she doesn’t have all the answers. Judy says, “Sometimes you just gotta put yourself out there, you gotta start and not stop.”
For the past 18 years, Judy and her business partner and husband Boomer have been beating the odds in British Columbia’s oil patch. They fought their way through the great recession of 2008. They survived the decimation of the energy sector. And now they are poised to benefit from a resurgent economy in northeastern BC.
Judy says, “The key to success is a willingness to do what others won’t, for more hours every day than you can imagine. And at times, you have to say to your family: I love ya, but I just gotta do this.” She adds, then you need to add in a healthy dollop of faith because “faith is what got Boomer and me through some really tough times. It was needed as support for the nerves of steel we required to get through.”
Stuart McNish invited Judy Desjarlais of TOP NOTCH Oilfield Contractors to join him for a Conversation That Matters about a mindset that will not accept defeat.
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Is all Methane Created Equal?
Guest: Robert Howarth, PhD
The debate over agricultural methane is raging – cow burps and cow manure are in the eye of the storm. Dr Robert Howarth of Cornell University says, “Teasing the global warming potential of agricultural methane out of the global warming equation as less potent doesn’t matter because methane is methane.”
Haworth, however, acknowledges that “cow-produced methane is not the big culprit in global warming potential. It is by far and away the fossil fuel industry and in particular shale gas production that is of the greatest concern.” The reason Haworth says that shale gas-produced methane is a more potent greenhouse gas is because of the carbon isotope within it. Haworth says, “If you look at CO2 from fossil fuels and from most methane, the C-12 isotope is present, whereas in shale gas, the larger C-13 isotope is also present and it has different GHG impacts.”
Haworth agrees with Dr. Myles Allen of Oxford University, who says, “The traditional way of accounting for methane emissions from cows overstates the impact of a steady herd by a factor of four. The errors distort cows' contributions – both good and bad – and, in doing so, give fossil fuel CO2 producers a free pass on their total GHG contribution."
Stuart McNish invited Dr Robert Howarth of Cornell University to join him for a Conversation That Matters about digging deeper to understand the complex world of methane.
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One Billion Plastic Bottles
Guest: David Katz
Plastic, plastic, plastic – it is everywhere. It is woven into the fabric of the human experience in every country in the world. Plastic delivers water to your tap; it takes that same water away after it exits your sink. Plastic is wrapped around the wires in your home and it has reduced the likelihood of fire inside your home dramatically.
You can’t live without the stuff. In most cases, plastic is the better environmental choice. The life cycle assessment of plastic over glass for bottles tips in favour of plastic by a long shot. That is, until that flimsy plastic bottle that is filled with a beverage gets tossed aside with no regard to where it will end up. The same is true of plastic over paper straws.
Not to be high and mighty about it, but plastic bottles in most advanced countries do not end up in the ocean or rivers, streams and lakes. They end up in landfills, which is better than in a body of water. But even in a landfill, plastic poses problems.
The big problem is plastic that isn’t headed to a managed garbage dump. Rather, it simply gets tossed aside. David Katz identified this problem seven years ago and that motivated him to start the Plastic Bank. He just reported, “Plastic Bank has now directed more than one billion plastic bottles from entering the world’s oceans. That’s 20 million kilograms of plastic.”
Katz says, “We worked with more than 17,000 individual collectors in Haiti, the Phillipine, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt to collect plastic from vulnerable coastal communities.”
We invited David Katz of Plastic Bank to join us for a Conversation That Matters about working to ensure plastic can be recycled, can be a part of the circular economy and can continue to play a positive role in people’s lives.
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Farming is a Risky Business
Guest: Kristjan Hebert
Farming is a risky business.
According to Kristjan Hebert, reducing that risk comes down to numbers. “You used to be able to blame financial losses on the weather,” he says, “You can’t do that anymore.”
He uses an 8,000-acre (32 square kilometre) farm as an example. To him, that’s one seeder, two combines, one sprayer and three full-time workers plus the owner.
“The cost to operate that farm runs about $400 an acre, he says. It means the farmer needs to have access about $3.2 million in cash and working capital to operate the farm from January through to harvest. The farmer also needed another $350 an acre in capital investment.
Knowing the farm’s costs exactly allows farmers and their lenders to make informed decisions and run sophisticated enterprises.
“Central to risk management,” he says, “Is the adoption of technology in farming.”
Hebert said technology today allows much more sophisticated data collection, allowing farmers to produce budget projections while allowing for unpredictable weather. Through the use of proper risk management programs, “you can get your variants to be a lot smaller” on the downside.
We invited Kristjan Hebert for a Conversation That Matters episode about the business of farming in Canada.
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Ep 342 - Do you put your money where your mouth is?
Guest: Sean Carter
“Social entrepreneurship is the road less travelled, but is one of the paths that can lead to the building of hybrid businesses with triple bottom line,” said Oscar Auliq-Ice, the founder of Icetratt. The company focuses on investments in socially responsible companies that include the arts.
Auliq-Ice also said, “There is no better way to make money than doing what you love and are passionate about” – which is a great idea and a wonderful concept, right up until the moment you realize you don’t have the money nor the network. John MacLachlan Gray knew this when he wrote and produced “Billy Bishop Goes to War.” Fortunately for Gray, angel investor Haig Farris came along with money and a network of people who took an East Vancouver production to stages internationally. Farris says the success of the play “was a career highlight.”
Not all artists are so fortunate. Sean Carter knows this and he is a passionate supporter of passionate artists. And he wants you to be as well. He just published a book titled “Creative Impact - Impact Investing” – a book that speaks about a growing number of foundations that support the arts. Carter says, “Artists raising money is extremely difficult because when they sit down across the table from millionaire venture capitalists, there is a deficit of legitimacy” making it next to impossible to raise money and stay in control of artist ownership.
We invited Sean Carter to join us for a Conversation That Matters about putting your money in investments that support artists.
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Ep 341 - Is British Columbia leading the way in digital health?
Guest: Sylvain Moreno
When the COVID-19 pandemic forever changed our lives, it also forever changed the way we receive primary healthcare. In an instant, healthcare went digital. Thankfully, foundational tools were in place that allowed us to connect with our doctors and clinics and we were afforded the opportunity to receive basic care.
Telehealth has been in place for seniors in remote and rural communities that were enrolled in the community paramedic program. That same healthcare interface was not available to most British Columbians; they were required to visit their doctor even if they had mobility challenges.
Now we’re all eligible to receive ongoing monitored health care from home. The delivery of those services, however, demands a complex and multi-disciplinary approach that relies heavily on technology. It can be done, but doing so will require a rollout of many new mobile applications that we apparently want. In a recent poll, more than 55% of us said yes, we like digital health and we want more of it. In other words, no going back please.
That’s great. However, developing, testing and implementing healthcare technology is challenging. Healthcare professionals are not technology developers and vice versa. Thankfully, we’re on the cutting edge here in BC. The Digital Health Circle is drawing on a centre of excellence in technology development in BC, coupled with healthcare rollout experts.
We invited Dr Sylvain Moreno of Digital Health Circle to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the delivery of healthcare going forward, the expertise he and his team bring to technology innovators, and why BC is positioned to be a world leader in online healthcare.
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Ep 340 - What is the Magnitude of the Alienation Plan?
Guest: Preston Manning
Western Alienation is one thing – separation is another. Preston Manning says, “Separation does not enhance Alberta’s clout. In fact, it diminishes it.” As a standalone landlocked entity, Alberta will have less bargaining power than it has now, according to Manning. He says it’s time to think big.
Alberta was carved out of the massive region known as the Northwest Territories to limit its influence politically and economically in 1905. And Manning asks, “What is the magnitude of your objective? Do you want to be a small little country that would be under tremendous pressure to join the United States within 20 to 30 years? Or do you want to re-invigorate the role and magnitude of the great northwest?”
Manning maintains that the future belongs to the West: “We’re on the right end of the country as Asia-Pacific influence continues to grow.” With a smile, he says, “That’s my optimism showing!”
We invited Preston Manning to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Alberta, the current state of discontent and a potential path forward.
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In a Conversation with Patrick Moore, he stated the Great Barrier Reef is not dying. Marine biologist and reef expert Gareth Phillips says that is true. “The reef is not dying. It is the healthiest reef in the world but that’s not to say it isn’t being affected by changes in climate.”
Phillips runs Reef Teach located in Cairns, Australia, which is about 50 kilometres by boat from the closest point of contact to the reef. And he says, “The reef is beyond great – it’s gigantic. It’s made up of trillions, gazillions of jellyfish-style animals the size of a pinhead, known as coral polyps. These polyps are the nucleus of the ecosystem that is home to 70 unique bioregions that are a living, breathing organism which changes to meet environmental conditions.”
It’s important to know the reef is a living organism and like all living beings, it is affected by changes in its environment. Phillips says, “Just like you and me, when the temperature changes we change, we shed and we embrace elements in our bodies that are going to ensure our comfort and survivability. It’s the same with the reef.”
One way the reef stays healthy is through bleaching, which Phillips says “is a natural part of the life cycle of a reef. Mass bleaching, however, isn’t. And when that happens, it is a sign of stress and a telltale sign of human impact such [as] was seen in 2016 and ’17. The good news is we are not seeing the mortality rates that were originally predicted.”
We invited marine biologist Gareth Phillips to join us for a fascinating Conversation That Matters about the Great Barrier Reef and what we can all do to ensure it remains as healthy as possible.
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Ep 338 - Agriculture - Problem or Solution?
Guest: Dr Jeff Seale
Agriculture and climate are inextricably connected, according to Jeff Seale, the Director of Climate Policy and Strategy at Bayer Crop Science. Agriculture is the number two contributor to atmospheric greenhouse gases.
The good news, according to him, is that agriculture can be a part of the solution. Seale says, “Essentially, it boils down to the things we can do on the farm to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. The soil, he says, has the potential to be the second largest carbon sink on the planet behind the ocean.
Seale goes on to ask out loud, "How do we leverage that?" Central to the answer is an understanding of the relationship between growing organisms and carbon in the photosynthetic process. All plants, grasses, trees, fruits, and vegetables utilize carbon as the cornerstone of their structure. The enzyme RuBisCo separates carbon from oxygen and keeps the carbon as the building block of the plant and returns the oxygen to the atmosphere.
Seale says, “The question is, how can we more effectively drive more of that carbon below the ground? As well as, once it's there, how do we keep it there?” He claims one of the exciting aspects of his work is determining how to work with microbial species that exist in the soil below the ground.
We invited agricultural climate specialist Dr. Jeff Seale to join us for a Conversation That Matters, Food For Thought episode, about working with plants to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
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Ep 337 - Did Four Pillars Fail?
Guest: Julian Somers
Twenty one years ago, the city, the province and the feds signed the Vancouver Agreement, which is better known as the Four Pillars strategy. It was designed as a shared “vision of creating a healthy, safe and sustainable” Downtown Eastside. A long list of objectives were designed to improve health and access to emergency and crisis interventions, better access to hospital care; reduce preventable deaths; reduce overall costs to the economy related to substance misuse; reduce crime; make the Downtown Eastside safe; and promote economic links between it and the city as a whole. The list of missed objectives is long.
According to Dr. Julian Somers, a Simon Fraser University addictions, mental health and homelessness expert, “If we want to bring about real change, you can’t do it the way we are. To affect real change, we have to come to understand the causes of addiction and the conditions that promote positive change. Under the current leadership, we have been backed into a corner where the civic duty of every British Columbian now includes knowing how to administer narcan.”
We invited Dr. Julian Somers to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how we can develop a path to recovery from homelessness and addiction – a path, he maintains, is attainable for everyone but not by the current methods.
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Ep 336 - Can Business be a Social Enterprise?
Guest: Chief Clarence Louie
In 2020, Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie was inducted into the Business Laureates of BC Hall of Fame. It was another recognition of the business successes that he and Band Council have developed. Since 1988, the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation has focused on business development as a social enterprise.
Louie says, “These businesses are owned by the band and they are managed and run by Chief and Council with the sole purpose of creating opportunities for our members and generating revenue to support the community.” The band has 460 members and employs more than 700 people. “We have a job for every member of our band,” Louie emphasizes.
We invited Chief Clarence Louie to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his businesses, his strategies and how he manages his dual roles as Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band and as head of the development corporation.
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Ep 335 - The Age of Uncertainty
Guest: Dr. Vikram Mansharamani
When you cast your eyes out over the horizon, do you see storm clouds rising? When you do, what is your response? Do you rely on insights from experts and technology or do you think for yourself? Do you have a default reaction to threats or do you employ a multidisciplinary approach?
These are valid questions especially after the year we all have endured. Nothing is as it was, which begs the question – how do you prepare for what may be? According to Harvard lecturer Dr. Vikram Mansharamani, you have to connect dots and think for yourself. He says, “Generalists may be better suited to navigate ambiguous situations than specialists.”
The key, he says, is to learn how to anticipate the future, manage risk and spot opportunities. In his book, “Think For Yourself,” he urges a return to common sense. He says, “You have to look at each situation through a variety of lenses. Some are financial. Others include a technological perspective as well as changing demographics, to name a few.”
We invited Dr. Vikram Mansharamani to join us for a Conversation That Matters on how to navigate uncertainty.
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Ep 334 - Do Catastrophic Predictions Come True?
Guest: Dr Patrick Moore
In the course of our lifetimes, we have been bombarded with dire warnings about the fate of the planet. In the late 60s, Paul Ehrilich’s book “The Population Bomb'' predicted the Earth would not be able to feed three and a half billion people. Today, there are more than 7.8 billion people and climbing. Ehrilich was wrong. Not only are we feeding more people, the percentage of people who are undernourished has been steadily falling since 1990.
In the 1970s, the news about climate indicated we were headed for another ice age. That didn’t happen.
The Maldives are supposed to be underwater by now, based on a 1988 prediction. That 30-year prediction was revised in 2015 to happen in 30 years from now.
In the early 2000s, polar bears were apparently on the brink of survival. National Geographic wrongly published a photo of an ailing polar bear with the headline, “This is What Climate Change Looks Like.” The magazine has since said it “went too far” with the caption. Recent population numbers of polar bears are up from 24,000 in 1984 to more than 26,500 at a minimum today.
Last year, we interviewed a scientist who was part of an expedition to the Gulf of Alaska in search of plastics in the ocean. His thesis was that plastics are impacting salmon in the Gulf of Alaska. Upon his return from five weeks of sampling, he was speechless. At first, he thought he had made a mistake. Months later, after reviewing his work and analysis, all he could say was that he didn’t find plastics in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter of 2019.
In January 2021 the Sahara Desert was blanketed with ice and recently it snowed in Madrid and Malibu, California. What is going on? Patrick Moore, one of the controversial environmentalists on the planet, says, “Predictions of invisible threats aren’t real.” He says we’ve been duped.
We invited Dr. Patrick Moore to join us for a Conversation That Matters about predictions of catastrophic threats.
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Feb 5, 2021
Ep 333 - Are Cows Accelerating Global Warming?
Guest: Dr. Frank Mitloehner
Cows have rapidly moved into the crosshairs of climate change and diet. Dr. Frank M. Mitloehner of UC Davis says much – if not most – of what you think you know about ruminants and climate change is inaccurate. His findings align with those of climate scientist Dr. Myles Allen, an IPCC contributor and Oxford professor who says the global warming potential carbon equivalency formula applied to livestock is incorrect.
Both Mitloehner and Allen point to the impact a stable or declining herd has on methane production. Add in improving dietary and animal husbandry practices, along with methane capturing systems, and the picture in northern hemisphere countries is positive.
We invited Dr Frank Mitloehner to join us for a Conversation That Matters about cows, cattle, the environment and how we can’t live without ruminants.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 332 - Do you KNOW GMOs?
Guest: Nick Saik
Everything you eat has been modified.
When it comes to plants, fruits and vegetables, everything you put in your mouth has been modified one way or another. Cross-pollination, hybridization, open pollination, mutagenesis and genetic engineering all change the makeup of food.
These four methods are processes that can produce new strains of food – can. Won’t necessarily, but can. And when they do, they are accepted into the food supply after appropriate testing. These are shot-in-the-dark best guess tries. Some work; most don’t.
Mention genetics and for many, it is an out-of-bounds topic. “Franken-wheat” or “Franken-tomatoes” or corn or papayas from Hawaii. Yes, Hawaii, where three counties tried to enact laws forbidding genetically modified foods but were overruled by the state government and the courts.
The debate, the rules and the process of going into the lab and helping a plant or fruit fight off a virus or bacteria or be drought resistant is so onerous and expensive few companies are willing to invest their time and money.
As Nick Saik, the host of KNOW - GMO says, “It costs, on average, 10 years and a hundred million plus dollars to deregulate a crop.” He goes on to say, “The delay is largely driven by the public fearing these crops.” And these delays and the costs could very well mean we will never be able to grow the food billions of people will need.
The gap between perception and what his research was telling him led Nick to create a video series about GMOs. We invited Nick Saik to join us for a Conversation That Matters about GMOs and what we need to know about them if we hope to feed the world of 2050.
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Ep 331 - Canada shouldn’t get too smug about democracy
Guest: Yasir Naqvi
The storming of Capital Hill in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 came as a shock. The storming of the Capitol Building seemed inconceivable in the United States and to many Canadians it seems even less likely that it could happen here. “Not so,'' says Yasir Naqvi, the CEO of Inclusion Canada and the former Attorney General of Ontario.
Naqvi points out, “Canadians are often smug when it comes to American politics. We like to believe that we are more progressive than our southern neighbours, that we could never elect our own Trump, that we are somehow better, less corrupt, nicer.” He believes “that thinking is more than ignorant – it’s dangerous.”
It’s dangerous because we can be blind to the threats that give rise to an insurrection such as was witnessed in the United States. The key elements to be aware of, according to Naqvi, are “a rise in alt-right media, the undermining of science and facts, violence against others and the chipping away of trust in public institutions.” All of these elements are present and active in Canada.
The responsibility of citizenship in a democracy is to debate in a civil manner, to endeavour to enhance society with courage, to seek justice and compassion. We all have that responsibility, which is to challenge misinformation, to defend the rights of all and to work through challenges in pursuit of better communities.
We invited Yasi Naqvi to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the state of democracy in Canada, the ever-present threats and our responsibilities as citizens.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Jan 15, 2021
Ep 330 - Is our single use plastics focus off base?
Guest: Dr. Chris DeArmitt
“When it comes to single-use, we might be better off focusing on paper rather than plastic,” says leading plastics scientist Chris DeArmitt. He is the author of “Phantom Plastics,” a book that debunks the prevailing thoughts about plastics. He points out that the banks of Canada and England both studied plastic versus paper for the country's money and in both jurisdictions, the decision was to print plastic money rather than paper because it was better for the environment.
Heresy, you say! How can that be? DeArmitt claims, “Life cycle analysis is the answer. Plastic money has seven times the lifespan of paper money.” When looking at the total impact of paper money, the carbon footprint and environmental cost far exceeds that of plastic. DeArmitt starts by pointing to the weight of paper saying, “The extra fuel required to transport paper over plastic is just one element in the life cycle analysis of money. And then add in the impact of harvesting trees, mashing them into pulp and paper and the limited lifespan, and it all adds up to plastic being the best choice.”
DeArmitt continues, “Litter is created by people who can stop doing that by making better choices… When you attach value to plastic, it does not clog drains or end up in the sewer. The proof of that is in money. There are more than eight billion plastic bank notes printed each year and they do not get discarded.”
We invited Dr Chris DeArmitt to join us for a Conversation That Matters about plastics, the myths and misconceptions.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Jan 8, 2021
Ep 329 - Are First Nations and NGOs a good fit?
Guest: Chris Sankey
Chris Sankey says, "It's time for NGOs to butt out of First Nations business. What they are doing is tantamount to environmental colonialism." Sankey wants outsiders to stay in their lane and stop pretending to speak for First Nations.
He says, "NGOs show up to run a campaign where it suits their interests and once they have thwarted a resource development they leave. And when they leave, they leave that First Nation doomed to further poverty."
Sankey says First Nations now have a place at the table and on the balance sheet of resource development. That place in Canadian history was not available to First Nations until landmark court cases recognized the inherent right to consult and participate in development on traditional lands.
Resource development for many First Nations provides access to economic opportunities that create jobs and support community infrastructure. These are the building blocks of an improvement in quality of life and self actualization.
Sankey says, "Now, along come these NGOs who have an agenda that, in essence, tells us to forego these opportunities and destine ourselves to continued poverty. I'd like them to stay out of our business."
We invited Chris Sankey to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why it is time for First Nations to speak up and tell others to butt out.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 328 - Are there Ten Years to Midnight?
Guest: Blair H. Sheppard
Blair Sheppard thinks big and from his vantage point, he says there are only “Ten Years to Midnight” – which is the title of his book that addresses four urgent global crises and the strategies needed to solve them. It is not a book he wanted to write. He didn’t seek out these crises. Rather they emerged as he travelled the globe, observing trends in India, Spain, the UK, the United States, along with a dozen other countries.
Sheppard is the former Dean of the Business School at Duke University and the Global Head of Strategy and Leadership at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is an optimist by nature and he’s worried about our collective future. The reason he’s concerned is the scope of the challenges the world faces and the big thinking that is needed to address them by people with the power to make the necessary changes.
We invited Blair Sheppard to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the major issues facing us all and the insights, strategies and courage needed to address them.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 327 - Is he the Wayne Gretzky of pulse crops?
Guest: Murad Al-Katib
“Sustainable three-crop rotation” does not roll off your tongue, nor is it an idea that can be easily comprehended. Yet sustainable three-crop rotation is at the heart of a transformation in agriculture that started in Saskatchewan about 20 years ago.
What is sustainable three-crop rotation, you ask? They are cereal, canola and pulse crops. The first two, you’ve heard of. But pulse crops – what the heck are they? And why should we care?
The reasons to care are environmental, economic and security. First, environmentally: pulse crops, like lentils, affix nitrogen into the soil, which means the field does not have to lay fallow to rejuvenate. That, in turn, means a new crop can grow and while doing so, it captures carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it. Both effects make pulses environmentally beneficial.
Economically, the value to the Canadian economy is in excess of three billion dollars a year and growing. That, in turn, leads to jobs and further economic growth. And the phenomenal success of AGT Terminals, headed by Murad Al-Katib, has increased the production of foods from pulses and increased food security in Canada.
Central to AGT’s success is science and technology. Al-Katib’s company employs more than 30 researchers who are not only growing an abundance of food, they are also producing and milling it in Canada – plant-based foods that produce protein rich foods that require less land and less water than traditional protein products.
Data, analytics, decision support, artificial intelligence, better cameras and drones are all a parts of the agriculture equation that are enhancing the ability of farmers to produce a bounty of food for a world of more than 9.5 billion people by 2050. The farms of today and tomorrow employ IT teams to help run efficient and sustainable businesses.
We invited Murad Al-Katid, the 2017 Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year, the man Professor Sylvain Charlebois calls the “Wayne Gretzky of pulses,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters - Food For Thought episode about the limitless possibilities in Canadian agriculture.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Dec 18, 2020
Ep 326 - Are you a word nerd?
Guest: Jonathan Berkowitz
What’s a 14-letter word for a crossword puzzle lover that, when used, makes you sound sesquipedalian? Naturally, the answer is as plain as day: it is “cruciverbalist” which the enigmatologist Will Shortz says “is a person who loves to have the cruciverbalist pleasure centre in their brain tickled.”
Crossword puzzles are a gift, not just for Christmas or for filling endless hours of pandemic isolation. They are simply a gift to the spirit – the imagination and the mind of solvers. As Margaret Farrar wrote, “You can’t think of your troubles while solving a crossword.” Ms. Farrar was one of only four editors of the New York Times crossword puzzle which is the gold standard in North America.
The wonderful thing about crossword puzzles is they are for everyone. There is a puzzle-solving level that meets your enthusiasm to solve the puzzle. As Jonathan Berkowitz says, “Puzzle creators actually want you to solve their puzzle.” And how you do that is up to you. There are no rules. You can click through letters on your keyboard with the “error check mode” on or off; you can call a friend or you can look it up. You can solve the puzzle any way you choose.
In the solving of the puzzle, you often discover new words that ignite thoughts and open doors to history, geography, law, the sciences – and they are the key to your imagination. Crossword puzzles are much more than entertainment. They are a launching pad to worlds you can discover and rediscover.
We invited Jonathan Berkowitz, cruciverbalist extraordinaire, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the deep rich world of puzzling.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Dec 11, 2020
Ep 325 - Are cows getting a bad GHG Rap?
Guest: Myles Allen, PhD
Leading climate scientist Myles Allen says, "The traditional way of accounting for methane emissions from cows overstates the impact of a steady herd by a factor of four” – which, he says, is a problem. Allen goes on to say, "If we are going to set these very ambitious goals to stop global warming, then we need to have accounting tools that are fit for purpose… The errors distort cows' contributions – both good and bad – and, in doing so, give CO2 producers a free pass on their total GHG contribution."
Allen is a heavyweight in climate circles. The BBC described him as the physicist behind Net Zero. Based on his work with the IPCC in 2001, when quantifying the size of human influence on observed and projected changes in global temperatures. In 2005, he proposed global carbon budgets and in 2010, he received the Appleton Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics for his work in climate sciences.
Over the past few years, he has been the coordinating lead author for the 2018 IPCC special report on “1.5 degrees” and he has long been a proponent of fossil fuel producers being made to take responsibility for cleaning up after the products they sell, rather than shifting that onus on powerless consumers. All of this leads to cows and why he cares that the math is right.
According to Allen, cows get lumped into the CO2 equivalent measurements, which the Oxford professor says is wrong. "And that," says Allen, "lets carbon producers off the hook because they can and do point to incorrect – yet widely accepted accounting of cows' contribution to GHG production. In essence, they're blaming the cows rather than taking full responsibility."
We invited Myles Allen to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why a steady herd size of cows is not the problem and a slow decrease in herd size, may in fact be part of the solution.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Dec 4, 2020
Ep 324 - In the name of Jack Webster; What Precisely is happening to News?
Guest: Jas Johal
He was known as the King of the airways in British Columbia for close to 40 years. Since his retirement the foundation in his name has been recognizing and celebrating excellence in journalism. This year on Dec 8, the awards dinner is being netcast opening up attendance, for the first time to the general public who can join in on the celebration.
Back to Webster the reporter, if it was on the public agenda, he was there. When prisoners at the BC Penitentiary rioted and took hostages in 1963, they asked Webster to resolve the standoff. They asked for him because he was trusted at a time when mainstream media was believed to be fulfilling the responsibilities for the fourth estate – to step in, stand up, advocate, call out, and record the people and events of our lives.
Since Webster’s retirement in 1988, the media landscape has changed dramatically. In Vancouver, for example, the major powerhouses of media in print, radio, and TV have all seen their constituencies dwindle. Along with the shrinking audiences, so too goes ad revenue which, in turn, leads to cuts in newsrooms and that leads to further reductions in audiences.
The money simply isn’t there to support media outlets that we trust to provide an overview of our province, regions, cities, and municipalities. There aren’t enough resources to go around and that robs readers, listeners, and viewers of valuable and vital information they need to make informed decisions.
Alternative or non-mainstream media outlets have popped up and are attempting to fill the void. The challenge, however, is that most of those outlets – including this show – have fewer resources than the big players. Then add in a less than full-bodied embrace of journalistic standards, and the value of the information shared through smaller or single issue outlets can diminish and be dismissed.
We invited two-time Webster Award Winner and former MLA for Richmond-Queensborough Jas Johal to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his take on the state of media.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Nov 27, 2020
Ep 323 - Is Alberta right about independence?
Guest: Paul Hinman
According to George Bernard Shaw, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Dialogue – healthy dialogue – is the foundation of solid respectful relationships. For anyone who looks at and understands the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta, they know it has been toxic, controlling and hostile. Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier in 1905 divided up the Northwest Territories and, in doing so, forever ensured that Alberta would be subservient to Ottawa.
Laurier’s Minister of the Interior Clifford Sifton in 1904 said, “We desire – in fact, every patriotic Canadian desires – that the great trade of the prairies shall go to enrich our own people in the east, to build up our factories and our workshops and contribute in every way to our prosperity.” The Canadians Sifton was referring to were those in Ontario, not Canadians from coast to coast.
It is a mindset and it has been the practical reality since Alberta was created by Ottawa in 1905. Ottawa was fully aware of the oil in the Athabasca basin going back to the late 1800s. The basin is also home to one of the world’s richest high-grade uranium supplies. The region, all of which was the Northwest Territories, was and continues to be the economic engine of Canada.
The winds of separation blew through Alberta in the 80s but were calmed when investment in the oil sands soared, providing billions of dollars in employment and taxes. Any hint of discontent literally evaporated during the early 2000s. Then the Saudis, in an effort to undermine American oil production, crashed the price of oil and also crashed the Alberta economy.
Over the years, Ottawa received in excess of $600 billion in transfer payments from Alberta alone. Then as Alberta’s economic boom calmed, tensions between Ottawa and Edmonton grew. They grew to the point where an appetite for separatism reemerged and continues to grow.
Independence parties started to crop up and now a coalition of separatist groups has formed under the Wildrose Independence Party banner. We invited Paul Hinman, the leader of the Wildrose Independence Party to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why he says the time to act is now.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Oct 30, 2020
Ep 322 - Fighting for Justice
Guest: Matthew Caruana Galizia
In the afternoon hours of October 16th in Bidnija, Malta, the car of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was ripped apart by a powerful bomb. “My mother had to go to the bank, she left the house and then I heard the explosion,” said Matthew Caruana Galizia in an interview for the Allard Prize for International Integrity. His mother was a fearless Maltese journalist who was assassinated for ceaselessly uncovering corruption in her country. Her car was found more than a city block from the ignition point of the blast. It was a powerful message to anyone who dared to expose corruption at the highest level in Malta.
When the Panama Papers were released, Caruana Galizia traced millions of dollars back to the power elite in Malta. Despite increasing intimidation and threats, she dug into the details of the money and who was behind it. Her blog was extremely popular and had subscription rates that eclipsed the major media outlets in the country.
Matthew says, “Journalists in Malta were expected to cover up for powerful people, to partake in the culture of silence, and my mother refused to do that. This put her in an ultra minority.” Fellow Maltese blogger Manuel Delia says, “When political parties are threatened by a journalist, they will isolate them, dehumanize them. In the case of Daphne, they will demonize her.” In an interview Daphne said, “They have made me into what is in effect a national scapegoat.”
Daphne Caruana Galizia is the posthumous co-winner of the Peter A. Allard Prize For International Integrity, which was awarded in Vancouver on October 21, 2020. We invited her son Matthew to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the unveiling of corruption and the high price Daphne paid for her brave pursuit of the truth.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Nov 13, 2020
Ep 321 - Surprising Farm Facts
Guest: Andrew Campbell
Did you know that more than 95% of farms in Canada are family-run operations? Families that have been working the land for three and four generations. You probably have little or no reference to the world of farming. I didn’t.
Andrew Campbell does. He’s a third generation dairy farmer and he’s also a storyteller, to which he says “is an unusual combination because most farmers work the farm for a reason. They really like Mother Earth and all of its inhabitants. They have been content doing their jobs with little fanfare. In a world of social media and environmental campaigns, that is not a good idea.
Farming is under the microscope from a variety of different constituencies that include (but are not limited to) consumers, regulators, politicians and activists. Campbell says, “If we don’t share our stories – the real stories of farming – then someone else is going to and they are going to get it wrong.”
Campbell operates a dairy farm in Southern Ontario and he is also out telling the story of farming. One year, he challenged other farmers to join him and post a photo a day online. Then he took a huge leap forward and produced 52 did-you-know videos about farming called “Dinner Starts Here,” where he took viewers onto 52 farms across Canada.
Fresh Air Media, his production company, continues to produce videos and podcasts because Andrew Campbell says farmers need to be heard as the food production authorities they are.
I invited Andrew Campbell to join me for a Conversation That Matters - Food For Thought about food production from the farmer’s perspective.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Nov 6, 2020
Ep 320 - What’s the Beef with Beef?
Guest: Bob Lowe
There is a growing portion of Canadians who have a beef with beef. The belief appears to be that beef is bad for humans and cattle are bad for the environment and the atmosphere. In fact, according to the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, one-third of us are negative about food production in Canada and another third are losing faith in the system.
Beef is front and centre. There are incorrect arguments that suggest we could eliminate cattle and substitute it with plant-based protein and in doing so, we’d all be better off and so would the environment. Bob Lowe, the President of the Cattlemen’s Association has heard it all and he says, “It simply isn’t true. In fact, if you take cattle off of the grasslands, then those grasslands and the thousands of species that call them home will die.”
He’s right – science has demonstrated that large grazing ruminants are essential to the health and well-being of grasslands. Cows graze, they turn over the soil and their saliva, urine and poop fertilize the land. When they chomp on the grasses that, in turn, stimulates growth.
What they are eating is sequestered carbon and they then convert those grasses into protein-rich nutrients. They also eat corn and barley and potatoes that are not fit for human consumption and they convert those carbon based organisms into protein and in the process reduce food waste.
And then there is their place in the flow of carbon. Cow burps are the by-product of carbon conversion that happens in their bodies, which is then emitted as methane which eventually returns to carbon and is once again sequestered in the vegetation the cows eat.
I invited Bob Lowe, the President of the Cattlemen’s Association to join me for a Conversation That Matters about the vital role cattle play in our well-being and the well-being of the environment.
Before we get to that conversation, here is an excerpt from the documentary “Guardians of the Grasslands”
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 319 - Blowing the Whistle on Danske Bank
Guest: Howard Wilkinson
He is the man who blew the whistle on the largest money laundering case in history. Howard Wilkinson uncovered and exposed an international money laundering scheme that reached all the way to the Russian secret police, which included relatives of President Vladimir Putin. More than 230 billion euros passed through bank accounts at the Danske Bank in Estonia.
Wilkinson reported his suspicions to senior officials at Danske Bank – to which he was let go, muzzled, and paid off. His report, while not acted upon at the time, has come to light and he says, “Charges have been laid against 12 former bankers in Estonia and another 10 Danish bankers have been served with preliminary charges.” The scandal has rocked the financial world in Europe and the US, where the Securities Commission and the Department of Justice are carrying out investigations.
Wilkinson is the co-winner of the Peter A. Allard Award For International Integrity, which was awarded in Vancouver on October 21, 2020. We invited Howard Wilkinson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the unveiling of the largest money laundering scheme in the world.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 317 - Food Integrity in Canada
Guest: John Jamieson
There is only one thing you do more often than eat, and that is breathing. Food is vitally important to your well-being, your lifestyle and your ability to work. “In Canada, we are extremely fortunate,” says John Jamieson of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. He goes on to say, “The average Canadian grocery store has 50,000 items in it. We have tremendous choice and we know that food is safe to consume.”
Despite the robust nature of our food system, the CCFI, in its 2019 Public Trust Research survey, found that only one in three Canadian consumers believe Canada’s food system is headed in the right direction and another large segment of the population isn’t sure.
How can this be? Canada not only feeds itself, it also exports in excess of $57 billion of food annually to countries around the world. Jamieson says, “Those countries boast about Canadian food as a benchmark in quality and yet we are seeing a disconnect here at home.”
Jamieson says, “Agriculture today is based on science and technology. We are able to produce more per acre. We're able to feed more people per acre because we do a good job of what we do and we use the tools that are available to us and it's very safe. There's so many checks and balances. There are inspectors at every step along the way. Industry associations have codes of practice and processors have regulations and requirements they must follow.”
We invited John Jamieson, the CEO of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the safety and integrity of Canada’s food supply.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 314 - Ruthless Consistency
Guest: Michael Canic, PhD
It’s not uncommon to believe you have the will to win. Most of us want to come out on top. It’s a nice idea, one that really gained acceptance with the “believe it and you can achieve it” movement that sprang forth from California in the 1980s. It was as if all you had to do was think and believe, and it would come to be because you were attracting the right energy.
Not so fast, says Michael Canic, a human performance specialist and author of a new book titled “Ruthless Consistency.” Canic says, “A lot of people say they have the will to win but do they have the will to do what is needed to win?” In other words, are you willing to work long enough, hard enough and make the sacrifices to win?
Muhammad Ali said, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” Canic agrees. He says most change initiatives – be they personal, professional or organizational – fail. Why? “The reasons are many and they are complex,” says Canic. Foremost amongst them is a lack of consistency.
Canic says, “You may think you’re consistent but you can’t see yourself the way those around you see you. You need a strategy that helps you define what you do, why you do it, [and] how you will do it. And then you have to be willing to do the work – the hard work of every day, staying on task.”
We invited human performance expert and author Michael Canic to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a shift in mindset that can propel anyone in any discipline on a path to consistency.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 313 - Empowering Female Entrepreneurs
Guest: Laurel Anne Stark
“Self-employment should empower women to earn more money, but studies show the wage gap persists in self-employment and it’s even worse in the gig economy for many entrepreneurial women. Regardless of parity in education, work experience, number of hours worked or occupation, women earn less than men in self-employment,” says Laurel Anne Stark, an entrepreneur and co-author of a new report on the State of Female Entrepreneur Mental Health.
Key to understanding the reasons why women face unique challenges lies in their motivation to start a business. For women, many (if not most) have to start a business because they have few employment choices. Women tend to be entrepreneurs of necessity, which means they were victims of a system that didn’t compensate them appropriately, didn’t promote them, their work-life balance was off-balance or they were harassed – to name but a few of the reasons for going out on their own.
The good news is that research shows women are uniquely suited to entrepreneurship. They are adept at understanding the needs of others, which is essential in the development of strong client relationships. As well, Stark says, “Their potential is enormous given their ability to succeed and exceed the profitability of many companies created by men, despite the crippling barriers they face.” One such barrier is access to capital. Stark says, “The harsh reality is, women simply do not have the same access as men do to financing.”
While launching an enterprise ought to provide protective factors for women such as increased control over work schedules and a better work life balance, it does not alleviate the concerns that motivated women to start a business. Stark says, “Our research shows self-employment does not provide relief from gender bias, the gender pay gap, workplace harassment or the other stressors unique to women.” Add it all up and female entrepreneurs burn out more frequently and are significantly more likely to encounter mental health challenges than their male counterparts.
I invited entrepreneur Laurel Anne Stark to join me for a Conversation That Matters about empowering female entrepreneurs with the resources needed to support a vital sector of our economy.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 312 - Reclaiming Power and Place
Guest: Marion Buller
“Persistent and deliberate human and indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root causes behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirited people.” This is stated in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The numbers are horrible: indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirited individuals are 12 times more likely to experience violence and seven times more likely to be murdered.
Chief Commissioner Marion Buller says, “The inquiry was gut wrenching. It was difficult to hear the stories of survivors. However, those stories needed to be told, they needed to be heard, and they needed to be recorded.” The final report contains the truths of more than 2,300 family members, survivors, experts and traditional knowledge keepers that were shared over the two-year mandate of the inquiry.
There are 231 calls for justice in the final report: calls for justice that are directed at all Canadians and at every level of government, for First Nations through to the federal government – calls for justice that some feel will go unheard. Buller disagrees. “The act of acknowledging and recording the truths of victims' families, survivors and others raises awareness and that [in] its very nature instigates change: change that takes time, but change that has already begun. One of the lessons I have learned working in the justice system is that real change has to happen at the grassroots.”
We invited MMIWG Chief Commissioner Marion Buller to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the path forward in reducing harm and violence afflicting indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirited people.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 311 - Intentional Integrity - Do you have it?
Guest: Rob Chesnut
Are you honest in all you do? Do you have integrity? You’d probably like to think you are. The reality is like most of us, you may be soft around the edges. You might hold back the truth a little here and a bit there. It’s easy to justify that you’re doing so because you have your eye on the bigger picture.
And if you cheat a little here and little there, you do so in the belief that you know where to draw the line. Small things unfortunately lead to bigger things and they shift because what was unacceptable yesterday is today’s norm. It’s like a man who is growing a beard. It started off as not shaving for a few days, then after a little while and somewhere along the way, it became a beard. It’s difficult to define that moment when it went from not shaving to a beard because it changed status due to the accumulated aggregation of change.
The same is true of lying and cheating – in communities where we know our neighbours and the store owners we buy from; in places where employers and employees know each other and their families’ impact of dishonesty is more direct. However, as we grow into a global international chain store online marketplace, buyers and sellers don’t know each other. That, in turn, makes it easier to turn a blind eye to transgressions.
Rob Chesnut has spent his career dedicated to telling the truth, first as a US Federal Prosecutor and then as the ethics lead at major online organizations in the sharing economy. Chesnut, in his new book “Intentional Integrity,” asks and answers questions like, “Are these platforms enabling new flexible ways of working that unlock human potential, or just enabling large companies to exploit ‘gig’ workers by avoiding employment laws?”
We invited Robert Chesnut, the author of Intentional Integrity to join us for a Conversation That Matters about integrity, the challenges of being a person of integrity and why it is vitally important that we demand it of ourselves and others.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 310 - The First Female Recession
Guest: Chabeli Carrazana
More than 11 million women lost their jobs in North America between February and May 2020. Chabeli Carrazana explains, “The losses erased decades of job gains by women in the labour force.” She goes on to say, “About eight per cent of the women who lost their jobs stand zero chance of being called back to work.”
Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute, agrees. “There is a real possibility many jobs lost by women will never come back.” It is a shocking loss of employment and representation of women in the labour market.
According to Carrazana, “In January, when unemployment in the US was just 3.6 percent – among the lowest recorded rates in the last 60 years – women were the majority of the workforce and within weeks, that all changed.” Carrazana reports, “In 1958, women made up less than a third of the labour force. It took 30 years to reach 45 percent, a pace of growth that ushered in the most significant change in labour markets in the past century.”
The job losses cross all sectors – less so in management but even there, women were more likely to cut back or lose their job. Carrazana says, “The realities of the lopsided division of care inside homes has been on full display since the pandemic hit. Women in 2020 still take on the overwhelming majority of child care responsibilities.” And then child care facilities started to close – a double-hit. One in four women in child care lost their jobs and without child care, more women either had no choice or opted to stay at home to look after their children.
I invited Chabeli Carrazans of the 19th to join me for a Conversation That Matters about the devastating impact of COVID-19 on women and the employment realities that are crippling them professionally and financially today and for decades to come.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 306 - Population
Guest: Stein Emil Vollset, PhD
A new study, published by The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, estimates the global population will rise through to the mid-60s and then plummet in much of the world, while soaring in Africa. The study examines fertility, mortality and migration, and projects global population to rise to 9.7 billion in 2065 and then rapidly decline by close to one billion people by the end of the century.
Beyond the numbers are the dramatic population drops in Europe, most of Asia, South and Central America, juxtaposed against large increases in Africa. The societal and economic challenges will be immense. No one country can address the issues alone that will arise.
We invited Dr Stein Emil Vollset, the lead author of the extensive report on global populations, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the significance of huge population swings on countries around the world.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 304 - William Vogt - The Grandfather of Environmentalism
Guest: Charles C. Mann
Chances are you have never heard of William Vogt yet, according to Author Charles C. Mann. “His philosophy is one of the few that was born in the last century and is as relevant today, if not more, than when Vogt started campaigning to save the environment.”
William Vogt is responsible for defining “The Environment” which, before he so perfectly gave shape to the environment as a global and interconnected system, ecological issues were deemed to be local or site specific. Mann goes into great detail in his book, The Wizard and The Prophet”, about Vogt and the development of his philosophy that says “the carrying capacity of the earth is limited.” Vogt believed that the biggest threat to Mother Nature is an outbreak of humans.
I invited Charles C. Mann to join me for a Conversation That Matters about the incredible influence of William Vogt in shaping the environmental movement.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 303 - Was Bloomberg Wrong about Farmers?
Guest: Robert Saik
Yum yum, food – glorious nutritious and delicious food produced in Canada. In his book, Food 5.0 Agrologist and international consultant Robert Saik points out that less than 0.2 percent of the population of this country are farmers of consequence. That’s just enough people to fill the stands at a professional hockey arena and it’s enough skilled people to feed Canada and millions – if not billions – of others around the world.
Contrary to what Michael Bloomberg said: “I could teach anybody to be a farmer. It’s a [process]: you dig a hole, you put a seed in, you put dirt on top, add water, up comes corn.” Not even close, says Robert Saik: “The production of food is extremely complex. Seed varieties change to meet soil and weather conditions on a county-by-county basis. Tractors use laser guided GPS systems to line up row after row of seeds.” Tilling is a doctoral study unto itself. In the vast prairies of North America, tillage is an out-of-date practice, yet tilling the soil in the wetlands of coastal BC may or may not be required depending on soil conditions. There is no-one-size-fits-all in agriculture.
To grow food, you need four elements: fertile soil, sun, water and carbon. Those are the building blocks of photosynthesis, a combination that has to be just right. Getting it just right is not easy. Rain, snow, hail, wind individually and, at times, collectively make farming an art that relies on science and technology to get it right.
Saik says, “The next 30 years are arguably the most challenging years in agriculture's history. As the global population grows from 7.6 to 9.5 billion people, the question is, ‘Will we be allowed to feed them?’” Saik contends that agricultural policies that are developed by voters who have never set foot on a farm, mixed in with a heavy application of the precautionary principle, those policies will ensure we cannot feed the world.
We invited Robert Saik, author of Food 5.0 and ag industry thought leader, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the remarkable world of farming in Canada.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 302 - Psychedelics in Therapy
Guest: Dr Evan Wood - Payton Nyquvest
The numbers are staggering. Mental health is crippling Canada.
Here are the estimated costs both human and financial: One in five Canadians suffer from an addiction in any given year. Fifty percent of us will experience a major depressive episode. PTSD affects close to 10% of the population and 4,000 Canadians will take their own lives this year.
Payton Nyquvest - the founder of Numinus, a Vancouver-based company - is working with Dr Evan Wood to address these pressing issues, utilizing the potential of psychedelics in mental health treatment. Nyquvest openly admits he was struggling with depression. He says, “I had to get treatment, lasting treatment. I sought it out internationally and it worked.” It worked so well, he set out to provide the same opportunity for others in Vancouver.
Dr Evan Wood, a leading figure in addiction research and treatment, is the company’s Chief Medical Officer. Wood says, “Studies at Johns Hopkins University and other institutions are showing tremendous gains in mental health and addiction outcomes when psychedelics are added. The therapeutic outcomes are significantly better than current common treatments. It’s cutting edge but it is an exciting development in treatment.”
We invited Dr Evan Wood and Payton Nyquvest of Numinus to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the positive outcomes psychedelic treatments are offering in therapy.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 301 - Petter’s Legacy
Guest: Andrew Petter
As he wraps up ten years at the helm at Simon Fraser University, Andrew Petter says, “Universities are more important now than ever. In a post-COVID environment, universities have a vitally important role to play in scientific research, addressing workplace dislocation with retraining of talented people who will play a role in restarting and shifting the economy.”
Petter says that the role of the university is paramount in addressing “diversity, equality, inclusion and innovation in a greener economy.” COVID-19 has exposed inequalities in society and in the workplace. Petter says, “Many of the people who work on the frontlines have been hard hit. There is now an opportunity to harness education right across the spectrum to harness the capacity of education to retrain and upskill people and, in doing so, provide them with greater opportunities and level the playing field.”
We invited Andrew Petter to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his term as President of Simon Fraser University, how it has changed and grown during his term, and his thoughts about the future of university education.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 300 - Covid - 19 Deaths of Despair
Guest: Dr Benjamin F. Miller
In May in British Columbia, 170 people died from suspected illicit drug use: that’s more than five people a day. That’s a 93 percent increase in death due to overdose over last May. Compare that to 52 deaths to COVID-19 in May and it is not unreasonable to ask if the spike in overdose deaths is related to the lockdown associated with C-19.
According to Well Being Trust, the number of additional deaths attributable to COVID-19, as a result of deaths of despair, could be as high as 150,000 people in the US. Death from alcoholism, drug overdoses and suicide, also known as deaths of despair, were already at record levels in the United States before COVID-19.
Dr Benjamin F Miller says, “We know the stressors that accompany this pandemic. They are job loss and financial instability, anxiety, grief, depression and other factors. Add in social isolation, a loss of hope and many health care programs that weren’t accessible.” Miller follows up saying he is very worried about people who need help.
We invited Dr Benjamin F. Miller of Well Being Trust to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the desperate need to reopen assistance programs that can and will save lives.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 03
Chris Sankey
Having Real Talks About Racism
Finally and thankfully it looks like we’re on the cusp of having a real discussion about racism.
It’s something I know all too well. I was beaten down by society's judgments of who they perceived me to be, through discriminating mockery with a smile, aggressive language and stereotyped views that included thinking I am a lesser person and will amount to nothing more.
Why? Well because I’m an indigienous person in a country that didn’t want me.
Am I bitter? No. Did it make me stronger? Absolutely, anger wasnt getting me anywhere.
Was I going to let the actions of others determine who I would become and what I could accomplish?
No, that thought never crossed my mind.
I put my mind to being a successful person and I also wanted to set an example. I wanted to break down racist barries, not build em up.
June 12, 2020
Ep 299 - What role Faith?
Guest: Happy Kreter
Who are you? What is your purpose in life? Do you matter? These are questions most of us ask ourselves during the course of our lives. “How do I define ‘I’ and how does my faith influence that definition?” asks Chaplin Happy Kreter, the host of a new podcast that looks at our relationship with faith and how that, in turn, guides the principles we live by, and then how do we manifest those principles in our modern secular society.
For Kreter, these are the questions he asked himself as he reconnected with faith. In the podcast series, he will be engaging with people from diverse spiritual backgrounds. “I want to talk about what it means to be human and our relationship with something we know is greater than our individual selves, that we are a part of something that is magnificent.”
We invited Chaplin Happy Kreter of Portland Hotel Society to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our relationship with our faith and how that guides us in our lives.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 298 - Food and Fossil Fuels
Guest: Quick Dick McDick
Saskatchewan farmer Quick Dick McDick has decided to throw himself into a number of hot-button issues. Food production and its reliance on fossil fuels is a common theme. From his perspective: “You can’t have one without the other.” It’s a point he believed was being drowned out by people in urban settings, who as he put it, “have no idea what it takes to produce food in Canada.”
Rather than moan and whine, Quick Dick decided to employ cutting humor and a raw on-camera presence to make his point. Namely, he feels that decisions about how to produce food and the increasing cost of energy are out of touch with the reality of farming. His concern is: “I worry that we’re needlessly driving up the cost of food production while the commodity price on crops has not gone up, making it even more difficult than it already is to be a farmer.”
His style is a no-holds-barred poke-ya-in-the-eye one that has gained him a huge online audience. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney shared QDM’s “Protestor Diet” video and, in doing so, ignited interest in Quick Dick’s YouTube channel. Now he is an internet sensation and before C-19, he was in hot demand as a speaker.
We caught up with QDM on his farm in Saskatchewan as he was seeding one of his fields. We invited him to join us for a Conversation That Matters about him, his message and why he is not going to stop sharing his down-to-earth messages.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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May 29, 2020
Ep 297 - Greenhouse Farming
Guest: Dawn Buschert
Fresh beautiful veggies from a well managed greenhouse are a delicious and nutritious addition to your table. Producing these vegetables is hard and detailed work. As a result, farmers need to charge more for their produce. Therein lies a significant challenge: will wholesalers support those prices? Will consumers?
In Canada, there are a number of producers who sell their products into the well established food supply system. When they sell into the system, they are competing with vegetables from California and Mexico, where they are grown in significant quantities. The price the farmer is paid fluctuates based on the market supply.
For some farmers, that price won’t support the cost of their operations, which leaves them with few options. Either they stop farming or they opt out of the system and sell directly to consumers. For some consumers, these products are highly sought after because the product is delivered from farm to table and isn’t touched by so many hands.
Farmers markets play host to a number of producers who have decided to grow, package and sell their products. It’s also a lot more work. In addition to nurturing the plants to maturity, the farmer needs to design and source packaging. They also need to complete the packing process and transport them to the market. Once there, they need to set up their site and sell. As Dawn Buschert of Shirley’s Greenhouses says, “It’s a lot of work but for us, because we are small, it is the only way we can survive financially. We can’t produce at a rate that competes with imported prices.”
We invited Ms. Buschert to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the work of operating a greenhouse in Canada and why it is important that she and others take on the arduous task of complementing the food supply system.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 296 - Western Alienation
Guest: Mark Milke
Alberta and the prairie provinces have been hammered like everyone else by the shutdown of their economy by the coronavirus. It is another blow to an already beleaguered region. Oil and gas revenues tanked over the past few years when the price of a barrel of oil plunged.
Add in a chorus of voices, both domestically and internationally, calling for the demise of the Canadian energy sector and the current federal government’s mixed messages about the development of resources in Alberta in particular.
The combination of hits fueled feelings of alienation and growing support for separation. Premier Jason Kenny, in reading the mood of Albertans, commissioned the “Fair Deal Panel” in an attempt to get feedback on ideas that would provide Alberta with greater control of its destiny.
Then in the midst of the pandemic that is affecting the entire country, Green Party outgoing leader Elizabeth May warned the Prime Minister to not put money into supporting the oil and gas sector because, as she put it, the industry is dead.
All indications are that Ms. May is wrong. The Energy Information Administration says the demand for oil will remain strong for decades to come. Her comments and those of the Bloc Quebecois leader are one of the many elements fueling a growing interest among Albertans to leave Canada.
We invited Mark Milke to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Alberta and the western provinces’ contributions to Canada and how to find a path back to a calmer relationship. This is the first in a series of interviews focusing on alienation and a push toward separation by Alberta that will be published on the Conversations That Matter YouTube channel.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 295 - Investment Uncertainty
Guest: Murray Leith
The stock market plunged and now it’s rebounding. Is that an indication that the economy will do the same? Or are the markets acting in a hopeful manner? Or are they a reflection of opportunists trying to capitalize? Or not! Those who are fortunate enough to have money in investments are watching the swings and asking themselves, “What do I do?”
If you have money in the market, you may very well be asking, “Do I hang on, or do I sell this stock and buy another one? Do I get out of the market now and take a wait and see attitude?’ The questions are many and the answers are varied.
Murray Leith is the Executive Vice President and Director of Investment research at Odlum Brown’s he says, “Quality companies are essential to a well rounded portfolio, they provide stability.” However, wild fluctuations create opportunities and capitalizing on those opportunities requires an in-depth understanding of how markets function. Leith says, “There’s a real tough trade-off in markets where out-of-favour stocks sometimes get so cheap and so hated that they can do well as stocks, even while the business struggles. They can go from hated to just disliked and in doing so jump 50% in value.”
Leith goes on to say in the past, that strategy has proven to be successful. But he says, “The underlying fundamentals of the market were different then than they are now.” He says you need to have a long term strategy that takes into account the economic backdrop and what types of companies you want to invest in.
We invited Murray Leith to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the state of the investment world, its relationship to the economy and how to proceed if you are in a position to invest.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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May 8, 2020
Ep 294 - The Era of the Safety State
Guest: Dr Mark Mullins
In a matter of weeks, our lives have been turned upside down. Amid one of the strongest financial rallies ever, suddenly everything changed when it became clear the coronavirus was spreading around the world, killing hundreds of thousands of people. As of May 5, 2020, “Worldometer” reports that more than three million cases have been reported and 253,000 people have died.
The spread of the virus also spread fear. That fear may, in the short term and likely into the long term, be even more significant than the virus itself, according to Dr. Mark Mullins of Veras Inc., an expert on global markets, macro investing and public policy. “In the same way that 9/11 was a one-day event that triggered an endless global war on terrorism and the rise of the security state,” Mullins says, “the social and political response to the pandemic is ushering in the era of the safety state - a fundamental change and a response to today’s complete breakdown of social trust and stability.”
Mullins goes on to say, “The crisis moment will dissipate with time but the safety state will continue, bolstered by permanent policy actions and the barnacle-like development of new institutions, technologies, and social habits.”
We invited Dr. Mark Mullins to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the shape of our world during and after this once-in-a-century public health crisis and how the aftershocks will last much longer than the virus.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 293 - In Udder News
Guest: Julaine Treur
Over the past 70 years, there has been a silent exodus from farming in North America. In the United States, the number of farmers fell from 30 million to less than 3 million between 1950 and 1980. The reasons are many: the allure of the city, the bone numbing and exhausting work in an ever and challenging landscape, crop failures, weather conditions, poor market prices, lack of access to farm workers.
Today, we may be witnessing a small and slow reversal of that trend - a trend that, in part, is motivated by dedicated farmers like the Truer family. “We love it,” says Julaine Treur. “Farming was in my blood, it was in my husband’s blood but our families had moved away from the farm. We decided to return to dairy farming and we couldn’t be happier.”
A visit to Creekside Dairy makes farming appear idyllic; it is only so because the Truer’s make farming look easy. That in itself is difficult to do. Central to their success is their passion for their work, their animals and for their place in Canada’s food supply system.
A system that is under intense scrutiny - according to the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, “As of last year, only one in three Canadians believe our food system is headed in the right direction.”
The top issues of concern are a rise in the cost of food (especially healthy food), coupled with rising health care costs, rising energy costs and the safety of food imported from elsewhere. Then add in climate change, the treatment of animals and concerns about an ample supply of food.
We invited Julaine Truer of Creekside Dairy to join us for a Conversation That Matters about her and her family’s approach to farming and why she believes that Canada has an exceptional food security and supply system.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 292 - Chronic Health and COVID-19
Guest: Dr Scott Lear
The coronavirus pandemic is exposing how poorly we manage patients with chronic diseases. According to Dr Scott Lear, a Professor of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, “This is because the system relies on the unnecessary requirement of having patients attend hospital clinics for treatment, instead of using ubiquitous communications technology.”
Lear says, “Approximately 12.8 million Canadians have a chronic disease and more than half of them have two or more. On any given day, hundreds of these patients go to hospitals for clinics, simple physician consultations and rehabilitation sessions.” But he stresses, “Hospitals are the last place they should be. And this is now being recognized as hospitals across Canada have stopped all clinic visits due to the coronavirus crisis.”
Why, you ask, does the system function this way – especially in a digitally connected world? Lear says, “Our healthcare system is a late adopter. It was designed more than fifty years ago when people were either cured or died in hospital.” He goes on to say the entire system has hung onto outdated models including billing.
“The coronavirus pandemic is a call to action for the Canadian healthcare system. Adversity brings with it challenge but also innovation,” says Lear. He goes on to say, “Coming out of this crisis, this crisis is showing us there are better ways to care for patients with chronic diseases. And once over, we must resist the urge to go back to business as usual.”
We invited Dr. Scott Lear of the Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the potential benefit to our healthcare system now that COVID-19 has forced the system to adapt to one where chronic care patients may never have to step into a hospital again.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 291 - The Bravery of Whistleblowers
Guest: Jeffrey Sterling
According to Fuad Alakbarov, the Azerbaijani-Scottish human rights activist, “Every country needs its whistleblowers. They are crucial to a healthy society. The employee who, in the public interest, has the independence of judgement and the personal courage to challenge malpractice or illegality is a kind of public hero.”
Brave heroes to be sure. Take the example of Dr Ai Fen, the Director of the Emergency Department at the Central Hospital in Wuhan, who shared information about COVID-19 with other doctors in late December. Dr Ai and the others have since been arrested or their whereabouts are unknown, according to the Times of Israel.
According to the University of Southampton, if China had intervened at that time, the transmission of COVID-19 could have been reduced by 95 percent. The government of China hid the truth. At great risk to themselves, people stand up to the suppression of the truth, be it in China or any other country where those in power seek to conceal the facts.
In the United States, the Whistleblower Protection Act was enacted in 1989 - an act that many whistleblowers say provided them with little or no protection. Former CIA agent Jeffrey Sterling in his book, “Unwanted Spy,” says the very act of carrying out his duty to report wrongdoing cost him his job and eventually his liberty.
What started as a discrimination complaint turned into allegations of leaking confidential information that led to jail time. He has since been released from prison and continues to shine a light on government wrongdoing.
Thanks to the support of the Allard Prize for International Integrity, we were able to arrange an online interview with Jeffrey Sterling for a Conversation That Matters about the overwhelming need to protect the brave women and men who simply can not turn their heads away from an injustice.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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Ep 290 - Killing Microbes is Hard
Guest: Carolyn Cross
Antimicrobial resistance or drug resistance is one of the top five human health threats. That’s when viruses, bacteria and fungi can no longer be killed by the drugs that we have to deal with them. According to the World Health Organization, drug resistance will kill more people than cancer, diabetes and cholera combined.
When it comes to surgery, self infection of the surgical site is a problem. Your nose is home to many harmful germs (and even superbugs) and is a leading source of healthcare associated infections. In the U.S., up to 60% of hospitals remove these nasal germs with topical antibiotic presurgical nasal decolonization for major surgeries to reduce the likelihood of surgical site infections. Despite challenges that include low patient compliance, a five-day treatment regime and increasing antibiotic resistance, numerous randomized control trials indicate a 40% to 60% drop in these hospital acquired infections. For this reason, the World Health Organization recommends this pre-surgical treatment for ortho, spine and cardiac surgeries.
In Canada, only Vancouver Coastal Health requires universal presurgical nasal decolonization for all its major surgeries involving Ondine's Photodisinfection technology, a six-minute painless procedure. The infection reduction results have been significant over the past 9 years, since this health authority has implemented this first-of-a-kind technology. The addition of eliminating nasal pathogens with Ondine's Photodisinfection just minutes before major surgeries has contributed to the 80% reduction in serious infections. To date, more than 1,000 patients have been spared from these post surgical infections, saving millions of dollars annually. Ondine and Vancouver Coastal Health are now exploring if this same nasal decolonization treatment can be used to help prevent or treat COVID-19.
We invited Carolyn Cross of Ondine Biomedical to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the laser treatment her company has been developing to reduce surgical site infection rates.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 289 - Hotline for First Responders
Guest: Dr Allan Holmes
First Responders are the people rushing into a crisis when the rest of us are rushing away. They are there when criminals break the law, when a building is on fire, when someone has been hurt or is extremely ill or someone has fallen ill due to a pandemic.
COVID 19 not only compromises health and takes lives, it also adds emotional and psychological stress to the women and men who respond to emergencies and crimes. Dr Allan Holmes has been working with first responders for decades providing them with training and strategies designed to improve their workplace and their work. Working with Fire, Police and Ambulance, he and the team at Iridia Medical have now set up a support hotline for First Responders looking for help in addressing the many questions they face regarding their well-being, that of their families and their colleagues. The hotline is via email, if you are a first responder and you have questions about your health and what you should do, the email address is Covid 19 support @ iridia medical .com
We invited Dr Allan Holmes of Iridia Medical to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the questions First Responders have about COVID 19 and how to determine when they should or shouldn’t go to work.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 288 - Your Pharmacist and Covid19
Guest: Annette Robinson - Derek Desrosiers
Are pharmacists an underutilized health care resource in the fight against the Coronavirus? “Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals in BC,” says Annette Robinson, the Vice-President of the Pharmacy Association. “One reason pharmacists may be overlooked is due to a perception that they are merely prescription fillers.”
Past BCPhA President Derek Desrosiers says, “Pharmacists are the drug specialists for sure, but the scope of practice for them has expanded over the years. Past health care crises forced the healthcare system to empower and enlist pharmacists to not only provide flu shots, but fill emergency prescriptions and manage adaptations.” What it adds up to is an additional health care provider who is available seven days a week, from early in the morning to late at night.
We invited Annette Robinson and Derek Desrosiers to join us for a Conversation That Matter about a health care resource you may have overlooked.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 287 - The Right to Be Cold
Guest: Sheila Watt-Cloutier
On February 18th, SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue presented Sheila Watt-Cloutier with the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue in recognition of her outstanding global leadership using dialogue in her work as an advocate for indigenous, environmental and cultural rights.
Shauna Sylvester, Executive Director of the Centre says, “Sheila’s quiet determination has moved thousands – from global leaders to young climate advocates. She is an educator, dialogue innovator and elder who has helped us understand the experiences of the Arctic and learn about what this means for our shared future.”
Watt-Cloutier previously held the role Canadian President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), later to become the International Chair where she worked extensively to open space for dialogue that welcomes and invites the voices of indigenous peoples. Watt-Cloutier’s dialogue approach brings in indigenous storytelling as an empathy-driven connector between the minds and hearts of those she works with.
Watt-Cloutier is author of the memoir, The Right to Be Cold, a chronicle of Canada’s North detailing the devastating impact of climate change on Inuit communities.
We invited Sheila Watt-Cloutier to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the changes she has witnessed in the arctic.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 286 - Mission Possible
Guest: Matthew Smedley
Do companies have a responsibility to provide employment for the disenfranchised? Matthew Smedley says, “Yes, they do and doing so is good business!” He goes on to say, “Society, not the economy, is the real marketplace. And smart companies realize that looking after people – all people, including those who have been marginalized – builds better societies and stronger economies.”
Smedley also says, “People who are currently outside of the workforce are there for a host of reasons that include seen and unseen diversabilities. Many are eager to work and they represent an untapped talent pool.” Reemployment for many after extended absences from the rigors of work, he acknowledges, is challenging.
Mission Possible is a community based organization that, since 1992, has been providing people who have been unemployed with the skills needed to regain employment. The other side of the equation are employers who frequently are reluctant to create opportunities for people who need flexible work environments. Mission Possible is there for them as well.
We invited Matthew Smedley to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why hiring people with challenging lives benefits them, the companies they work for, and the community.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 285 Thank you Canada - A Syrian Refugee’s story
Guests: Nour Suliman
Imagine, if you can, that for three of your 14 or 15 years of life you have been on the move in your homeland – staying one step ahead of the guns, the bullets and the bombs that are devastating you, your family and your community. You and 16 of your family squeeze into a car so that your grandmother, your uncle, your mother and father, along with your siblings and your cousins can wake up one more day.
Finally, you arrive at what you hope will be a safe house. You’re there for a matter of hours and your father says, “We have to move.” By now, his sense of survival is so finely tuned that he is aware of pending danger. You are exhausted. You were hoping for at least one night of sleep but your father insists, “Everyone get back in the car!”
You do as you are told. All 17 of you drive through the night, hoping to get to the Jordanian border – a border that is officially closed to refugees. Your father and uncle pay a guy with no name, a guy you don’t know who says he can get you all to the border but only in the dead of night. As you walk through harsh terrain, with no light, no water and no options, you learn the house you hoped to be sleeping in last night was bombed and destroyed. The house had been targeted because you and your family were there.
The nightmare continues as you enter Jordan and are accepted into a refugee camp. The water is putrid, the air is thick with aromas that make you gag. And through all of it, you hope that one day you will escape the nightmare of your life. You pray for a miracle.
We invited Nour Suliman to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the journey she and her family endured and the blessed miracle of Canada’s welcome.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 284 CO2 and your brain
Guests: Dr David Smith
A woodpecker slams its head into a hard object about 80 million times in its lifetime and doesn’t suffer from traumatic brain injury. Why? That was the question that was posed at a DARPA (or Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) event a number of years ago. Those in attendance laughed at the question. Well, everyone but Dr David Smith, an internist who started to look into why woodpeckers can endure repeated jarring of their skulls and brains.
He learned the mechanisms in their skull, shoulders and the way in which the woodpecker’s tongue is attached to the skull and attaches to the Omo-Hyoid plays an important role in reducing TBIs. It appears their physical makeup and the interaction between them combines to trap blood and cranial fluid inside the skull preventing or reducing brain slosh.
Smith wondered if the same could be true for people, so he ran experiments on humans that demonstrate that pinching the Omo-Hyoid pinches the jugular and increases the volume of fluid in our skull, preventing brain slosh. That was part one of the non-traumatic equation. Part two involves CO2, a gas that Dr Smith says is vitally important in preventing and healing traumatic brain injury.
Smith says, “CO2 is my favorite gas!” He once again turned to the woodpecker which lives inside a small cavity in a tree where CO2 levels are about 5%. His research led him to study other animals that ram their heads into objects (and one another), like giraffes and bighorn sheep. Once again, their exposure to CO2 levels was high – some by where they live and others by CO2 manipulation.
We invited Dr Smith to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his research in reducing and healing traumatic brain injury.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Coffee is good for you. No wait, it’s bad for you. Red wine? Well yes, it’s good for you. No, it’s not! Yes it is! Everywhere you look, there is a new study, a new opinion and a new fad about health – so many of them that it is extremely difficult to know which study or person you can trust.
Dr Chana Davis says, “You need to be very careful about whom you trust. Check the source, check the funder and determine if the research is peer reviewed.” Davis goes on to suggest that you double-check the findings: “Who else agrees? Does the WHO agree? What about the Canada Food Guide? And what does Pubmed.gov have to say?”
It’s easy to get swept up in the hype around diets. Your aunt, your uncle, and your mother’s best friend may all have lost weight on a low carb or high protein diet. Davis says, “While that may be true, you don’t know why. It may have been strict adherence to the plan. It could have been their particular metabolic make up.” In other words, anecdotal evidence isn’t enough to make an informed decision about a diet.
We invited Dr Davis to join us for a Conversation That Matters about where to find trustworthy information – one place for sure is on her new video podcast show Get Real Health on YouTube.
Dr Davis also suggests you check in with these organizations. Disease organizations (like Diabetes Canada, Diabetes UK, Heart & Stroke Foundation) Clinical care organizations (e.g. Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health) Public health organizations (e.g The World Health Organization, UK National Health Services) Dr Chana Davis obtained her PhD in genetics from Stanford University, and spent the first decade of her career in cancer research and personalized medicine (https://www.gene.com / https://www.genomebc.ca / https://www.canaryfoundation.org ).
In 2018, she founded Fueled by Science as a platform to help others get science-based answers to questions about diet and health. Check it out at https://fueledbyscience.com or search @fueledbyscience on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. ---
Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future. Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs This show is produced by Oh Boy Productions, video production, podcast and vidcast specialists located in Vancouver. To find out more, go to http://www.ohboy.ca
Ep 282 Love Avoidance
Guests: Areej Siddiqui
“She loves me, she loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not” is a game played by someone while plucking petals off of a flower. The petal supposedly represents the truth between the object of their affection loving them or not.
On Valentine’s Day, it’s not unusual to want to know you are loved and that you do love. However, as family and couples therapist Areej Siddiqui says, “Love is not always embraced by everyone. In fact, there are people who are love avoidant.” In other words, they choose to remain single.
The factors are complex but are linked to the primary caregiver early in life. Siddiqui says, “There may have been a negative relationship; there may have been a smothering relationship; there may have been an emotionally vacant relationship.” All are factors that could lead a child to be reluctant, suspicious or afraid of intimacy.
We invited Areej Siddiqui to join us for a Conversation That Matters about love, our need to connect and how to get past avoidance.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 281 Governing in the Name of Public Interest
Guests: Baldev Gill - Darin Germyn
In his series “Better Boards for Better Communities,” Ken Haycock points out that not-for-profit boards of directors play a foundational role in the communities they serve. Boards, he says, “help to define the strategic direction and purpose of the organizations they oversee.”
Recent changes in governance standards require almost the same degree of accountability for nonprofit boards as businesses, so it makes sense for nonprofit boards to be diverse and to take their responsibilities just as seriously.
It’s an important process and one we rarely get to see at work. The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s President, Darin Germyn, recently suggested a Conversation That Matters about some of the challenges his Board faces in changing its by-laws saying, “We are willing to spell out the challenges for all to consider”.
CEO Baldev Gill said, “We’re willing to be transparent and share the process of bringing our bylaws into line with current protocols.”
In this episode of Conversations That Matter, the CEO and Board President of the FVRB join me to dig into the process of changing a bylaw and why it matters to members and, most importantly, the public at large.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 280 UNDRIP
Guest: Ellis Ross
On November 26, 2019 ,the government of the Province of British Columbia introduced legislation aimed at adopting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). The stated purpose is to ensure that all laws in BC affirm the rights of indigenous peoples.
When introduced, it was celebrated on both sides of the house as a significant step forward. Bill 41 - 2019 passed unanimously with a caveat, that being concerns voiced in the house by Ellis Ross, the Liberal MLA for Skeena and a former Chief Councillor for the Haisla First Nations.
In the House, Ross questioned the meaning of the declaration’s guarantee of “free, prior and informed consent” to First Nations over land and resource development within their traditional territories and the need to introduce the legislation.
Ross asked, “If there are two parties at the table (First Nations and the Crown), and the First Nation doesn’t agree, what happens?... Does the Crown still go ahead and make a decision based on the interests of BC as a whole? Or do they just withhold their decision? Making no decision is still a decision.” Ross went on to ask, “Isn’t that a form of veto?”
We invited Mr. Ross to join us for a Conversation That Matters about UNDRIP, what it means, its implications and the path forward. This is the first in a series of more than 10 conversations that we recorded at the “Finding a Path to Shared Prosperity Conference” in mid-January that you can find on the Conversations That Matter YouTube channel.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 279 Government of Canada Climate Scientist explains Climate Part 2 of 2
Guest: Greg Flato
In part two of my conversation with Environment Canada Climate Scientist Greg Flato we discuss the dynamics of co2 in the troposphere, the tropopause and the stratosphere. Carbon in one layer of the atmosphere has a completely different effect on the admission and containment of heat from the sun than in the other.
We dig into the various greenhouse gases, for example did you know that by far and away water vapour is number one followed by co2 and methane or natural gas. We also discuss the fascinating make up of methane or natural gas which has been labelled as the cleaner greenhouse gas but isn’t true. In fact natural gas is 20 times more effective than co2 as a greenhouse gas. The saving grace is that there is considerably less methane than co2 being used to produce energy.
Most importantly this conversation concludes on a positive note, Mr Flato, like climate scientist Simon Donner, is optimistic that collectively we will find solutions to the climate challenges we face.
Here now is part two of my Conversation That Matters with Environment Canada Climate Scientist Greg Flato.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 278 Micro Mobility
Guest: Paul Dragan
In a world of climate change, the bicycle is playing a vital role in reshaping the way people get around in dense urban environments. Micro mobility refers to a host of small (mostly two-wheeled) alternatives to cars and commercial vans.
The pressure this transformation is putting on cities that, for the past 70 years, were designed to accommodate automobiles is increasing. Bikes, mopeds, skateboards, scooters and pedestrians are demanding more and more of the available space. The conflicts are inevitable.
Automobile drivers who pay the majority of the taxes that pay for the byways of our cities are being relegated to second-class citizens. I recently heard car drivers described as the new smokers. As in, yuck, you drive a car!
Local governments are challenged on how to build the appropriate spaces for this onslaught of traffic that frequently spills out of its designated lane and into the path of cars, buses and trucks.
Bike theft is a huge issue that stops many from cycling to and from work. The more bikes there are, the more they get stolen. Bicycles are the perfect item to fence for quick cash. We are at a collision point: car bike tension, rules of the road and theft. These issues will need to be addressed if we hope to get more people out of cars.
We invited Paul Dragan, the Big Wheel at Reckless Rider, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the transportation transformation that is reshaping our cities.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 277 Are Honey Bees the Canary in a changing environment?
Guest: Amanda and Jeff Lee
Honeybees are a foundation species; without them, our food supply diminishes. When bees die, the outcome reaches right inside everything that is on your plate when you sit down to eat. If bees can’t or don’t pollinate, then you don’t eat and neither do the other animals in the food chain.
Colony collapse disorder is the term given to hives that lose the majority of the worker bees, leaving behind a queen – plenty of food, but only a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees.
From 2007 through to 2013, more than 10 million bee colonies around the world were lost to colony collapse disorder. There are several possible causes for CCD that include pesticides, infections, pathogens, changing climate and environments and the introduction of neonicotinoids.
And then there is the honey. Nature’s nectar which in its pure, raw form is a delicious natural sweetener. The key to buying good honey, as you will hear, is to know your honey bee farmer.
We invited beekeepers Amanda and Jeff Lee of Swan Valley Honey to join us for a Conversation That Matter about the intricate relationship we have with pollinators who ensure we all can enjoy a plentiful and delicious diet.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 276 Gluten and Leaky Gut
Guest: Alessio Fasano
The discovery that “leaky gut” contributes to celiac disease and autoimmunity was treated with great skepticism. Five years after the formulation of the hypothesis, Dr Alessio Fasano and his team discovered zonulin, a protein that reversibly modulates intestinal permeability.
Zonulin’s effect on gut permeability involves the regulation of tight junctions in intestinal and extra-intestinal cells, including the endothelial cells of the blood brain barrier. Why should you care? Well, it plays an important role in gut permeability, otherwise known as leaky gut syndrome.
It turns out there are several potential intestinal stimuli that can trigger zonulin’s release. One is bacterial dysbiosis and the other is gluten. The discovery that zonulin causes aberrant intestinal permeability led to the appreciation that this protein is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
We invited Dr Alessio Fasano to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our guts, our microbiome and what we can do to manage our own well-being through diet and lifestyle.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 275 Government of Canada Climate Scientist explains Climate Part 1 of 2
Guest: Greg Flato
If you are like me you watch and read a wide variety of reports about climate. The consensus is that arctic ice is melting, ocean levels are rising, ocean pH is changing and not getting better, global temperatures are rising.
Then I read reports that say the above is not true. Arctic ice is actually growing and at astounding rates, ocean levels are not rising and while the temperature has gone up it is insignificant.
I look up reports that are cited from either side of the argument and within minutes realize I do not have the appropriate knowledge to begin to understand what they mean. They are complex, they are extremely specific because science demands that the hypothesis focus on defined elements. The results of an individual experiment are just that and need to be taken in the context of the whole which is challenging because the world we live in is extremely complicated.
I have reached out to a wide range of people who read the reports differently from one another. This week I read in a Canadian newspaper, that the World Meteorological Organization, a trusted source, says Canada had a very cold 2019. So I looked it up. I couldn’t find that statement, instead I read, “2019 concludes a decade of exceptional global heat and high-impact weather”
Where is the truth? In this Conversation That Matters I talk online to Environment Canada Climate Scientist Greg Flato about climate and he clears up a number of issues for me. And because our conversation extended far beyond my broadcast window, I have broken this Conversation into two parts. Here now is part one.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 16 Shauna Sylvester
Executive Director, Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue
Dialogue is a tricky thing. It’s not just the exchanging of words: it is the sharing of ideas. On the surface, that sounds straightforward – until you realize it is a complex interplay of thoughts, agendas, emotions and competing interests, to name but a few.
Then add in the demands of running a program at Simon Fraser University complete with intelligent staff and associates. But don’t stop there: be a professor too. Then take a break from the job and run for mayor of Vancouver.
What does this career look like and how do you ever plot a course to it? In this episode of Careers That Matter, Shauna Sylvester takes us inside her world and her career.
Ep 15 Dr Claire Fraser
Mapping the Microbiome
The mapping of the human genome was a fearless plunge into groundbreaking science. Dr Fraser says, as a scientist, she had to take risks that allowed her to answer the questions she was asking in molecular biology, at the time a nascent field. She dared to fail at a time when that was still an option.
Her PhD and her early work at NIH was focused on G-protein coupled receptors and that lead to exploring the receptors at a fundamental molecular level. She asked how do you discover new members of this protein family and that question led her to an intersection of disciplines, such as automated DNA sequencing which ultimately put her in line to map the human genome.
In this episode of Careers That Matter, Dr Claire Fraser walks us through her remarkable career.
Ep 274 Give a Damn
Guest: Martin McNish
“It’s more blessed to give than receive.” (Acts 20:35) – but not if that is the reason to give. Giving with a purity of purpose manifests if your intention is in the true spirit of giving. Giving of oneself, one’s time, one’s skills, one’s heart and sometimes their money.
Giving helps others and improves lives. Now, imagine you can come together as a small group of people who can make a difference to small charities that make a difference in the lives of people in need.
Margaret Mead is credited with saying, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” It’s a quote that also epitomizes what Martin McNish and a 100 or so of his closest friends are doing. They are changing the lives of hundreds of people who rely on small charities.
So rather than wait for the opportunity to give to come to him, McNish sought out a way to build his own small group of committed citizens. What started as 100 men who give a damn morphed into an expanding group of women and men who show up at four events each year to support micro charities.
Give a Damn is about believing you can make a difference. Martin McNish, at each quarterly event, emphasizes the point that not giving a damn is to resign yourself to believing you can’t make a difference.
We invited Martin McNish to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the gift of giving.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 14 Mario Canseco
Taking the Temperature of Society
Every day you see some poll, some insight into how people shop, relax, vacation, choose their job, pick a favourite beer – and how they say they will vote. Have you ever wondered who the people are who gather all of that information?
What do they do? How many people do they have to talk to? And what kind of training do you need to speak to and gather information from thousands of people?
In this episode of Careers That Matter, the insightful Mario Canseco takes us on his career journey.
Ep 273 - First Responder PTSD
Guest: Bob Rich
The average person experiences about four events in their lives that could trigger PTSD. The average career cop encounters between 100 and 400 incidents that could trigger PTSD. Retired Abbotsford Police Chief Bob Rich knows this all too well.
In early 2015 Chief Rich lost two active members of the police department by their own hand. Their deaths shook him to the core. He was forced to look inward at his leadership, at the culture within his police department and in the first responder community. What was happening that PTSD and stigma rates were so high?
Chief Rich took on the responsibility of identifying the source and changing the culture. His first priority became the wellness of his team. Rich says, “These are women and men who put their lives on the line everyday to keep their community safe. In return, it is my job to keep them safe.”
He identified that a “suck it up” culture was one of the root causes and it was counterproductive putting everyone at risk. He and his team went to work to implement those needed changes. Then came the killing of Constable John Davidson, which rocked the policing community in Abbotsford, the Lower Mainland and the province.
Thanks to the support of the Vancouver Police and other police officers who took over law enforcement duties in the city for more than a week, the Abbotsford PD was able to take a knee, psychologically, physically and emotionally. Bob Rick says, “As a result, we didn’t lose another member – which can happen.” In Ontario over the past year, nine officers took their own lives.
Bob Rich is determined to help other police departments do what Abbotsford has begun to do – create a culture that understands the trauma of horrific incidents and supports one another.
We invited Bob Rich to join us for a Conversation That Matters about caring for the well-being of all first responders who care about us.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs
Ep 272 - Looming Industrial Lands Crisis
Guest: Eric Aderneck
Vancouver has a problem! Hemmed in by water, mountains, agricultural land, the border and the Port of Vancouver, industrial land is severely squeezed. Virtually no one is paying attention because industrial employment land isn’t sexy. It doesn’t capture headlines nor votes, and it’s complicated. Metro Vancouver is endeavouring to develop a plan, but with 21 different city and municipal governments – all with different agendas – addressing the many issues collectively is next to impossible.
It’s an important issue because without industrial lands that are available, affordable and adaptable to the changing needs of businesses of all sizes, the consequences will be felt on the roads, in the community, in the environment and in the economy.
As with residential and commercial property, the inspiration to come up with innovative solutions is dumped onto developers who have to weave their way through an increasingly complex set of rules, regulations and processes. Many of the design rules are set in the past and don’t take into account the need to build sites that go skyward and include some commercial office space.
It is projected that within the next four to five years, the Lower Mainland will simply run out of industrial lands. You may ask yourself, “Why should I care?” You don’t have to and most people dismiss it as a minor issue.
But Eric Aderneck, an expert in industrial and employment land use says, "There will be opportunity costs that are lost. Businesses that may want to expand can't, and so they leave, and larger international organizations that may want to come to Vancouver don't because there isn't available space”.
We invited Eric Aderneck to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our need to think in innovative ways about the region’s industrial lands.
Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.
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