'It’s not going to force people to choose a renewable option over a fossil option. There’s just not enough cost there yet,' says Queen's University's Warren Mabee.

A renegotiation of NAFTA might be positive, and there's also export opportunities in Asia to be explored.

Whether or not Canada's supply-management system in agriculture is a focus of new U.S. President Donald Trump, experts say the system is undergoing change and will continue to do so.

Serge Buy, CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, says there is a role for the federal government in electricity prices, even though this is provincial jurisdiction.

Hubs that bring together academia, private sector, and government are ‘a long-term petri dish,’ for skills needed to boost growth, says one academic.

'We have a wonderful opportunity right now, given what’s going on in Europe and given what’s going on south of the border.'

The Conservative innovation critic warns, though, 'companies can't rely on government as their customers.'

Coding in elementary classrooms is only now starting to take hold in Canada. Employers say it’s needed to produce the talent they need.

Last week’s alleged murder-suicide in Nova Scotia puts mental health support at top of mind.

But those treaties need to be updated because they were written decades ago, when society had a different prevailing view on controlling pot, says one drug policy analyst.

At a time when U.S. intelligence agencies are warning of Russian cyber attacks used to interfere with the American presidential election, experts says Canada must be vigilant, and invest in its cyber-security strategy.

Meanwhile, experts are divided on whether the UN is the best mechanism to contribute to peace efforts, and whether Africa is where Canada should be setting its sights.

MiningWatch Canada says the industry is operating on an outdated, weak corporate social responsibility strategy and needs an ombudsman paired with government commitment to enforce sanctions against offending extractive companies.

One oil spill specialist says the government 'missed the mark' on the marine safety plan, while another calls it a 'step in the right direction' that may require more attention if marine traffic increases.

'The biggest elephant in the room when it comes to the Canadian space program is that Canada funds its space program at a rather lower rate than all the other developed countries in the world,' says Gedex technology chief Kieran Carroll.

Food processing gaps, transportation weaknesses, and varying industry-imposed quotas in provinces are some of the hurdles preventing Canada from being a global leader in the food industry, say those within the sector.

'I think the beef industry is going to face a major challenge in learning how to adapt,' says Evan Fraser from the University of Guelph.

Takeover could improve reputation of bio-tech companies in the agri-food industry, but could also shift costs to farmers and leave powerful intellectual property in the hands of few big businesses, experts say.

'This is an important test case concerning aboriginal consultation on natural resource projects,' says Michael Byers a political science professor at the University of British Columbia.

The funding comes from Irving Shipbuilding, which was required to spend 0.5 per cent of revenues from its shipbuilding contract with the government to help create a sustainable marine industry in Canada.

Canadian government commitments to ramp up protected marine areas to 10 per cent by 2020 might cause regions to be chosen based on ease and speed, rather than biological importance, say some critics.

Observers are divided on whether a Canadian claim on the possibly resource-rich pole would be successful, and even whether the bid is worthwhile in the first place.

For startups and companies that push innovation, the provincial differences in financial regulations can be a hindrance.

Is it just part of Canadian culture, or could something be done differently to help homegrown companies achieve world-class scale?