Time to improve care for the seriously ill elderly
Between 2001 and 2006, the number of Canadians aged 80 years and over grew by 25 per cent. This rapid growth in our senior population is projected to last until 2031, when it is anticipated that seniors will account for between 23 per cent and 25 per cent of all Canadians. The number of […]
Improved labour mobility and immigration reforms needed in an aging society, says University of Calgary researcher
The author of a study sounding the alarm over the impact of the federal government’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program on Canada’s labour market says that a prolonged over-reliance on the program could have troubling consequences as more Canadians retire in the coming decades. University of Calgary sociology professor Kevin McQuillan told The Hill Times […]
Canadians working longer, businesses learning to accommodate aging baby boomers
An unprecedented tide of workers reaching retirement age will reshape the way Canadians work and do business, say experts. “In 2011, census data showed for the first time that there were more people aged 55 to 64, typically the age group where people leave the labour force, than aged 15 to 24, typically the […]
Feds bracing for slow growth and a fiscal squeeze
The federal government says that social program and labour market reforms are necessary policies in responding to Canada’s aging population, but critics accuse the majority-governing Conservatives of using the demographic shift to weaken Canada’s social safety net and benefit the private sector. According to Finance Canada’s 2012 report on The Economic and Fiscal Implications […]
It’s time to put knowledge to work in Canada
Post-secondary institutions are now working to exploit more effectively the knowledge they develop, and in which governments invest, to the benefit of the Canadian economy. In the past, such efforts primarily occurred through the licensing of inventions developed in universities and colleges. This approach has proven to be disappointing. In Canada, licensing produces annually some […]
Conservatives fail to implement digital economic strategy today
Why has the federal government failed to develop a comprehensive digital economic strategy that will ensure Canada regains its role as a world leader in innovation and technology? In 2010, the Conservative government recognized the need to develop a new strategy for Canada’s digital economy and even launched public consultations on how to improve […]
B.C. universities poised to become ‘one-stop shop’ for the Prometheus Project
Three of British Columbia’s leading universities and one polytechnical institute are poised to become a “one-stop shop” for materials science and engineering innovation after receiving $7.7-million in federal funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which is expected to be matched by the province, to launch the collaborative Prometheus Project. “[B.C. has] always had […]
Investing in state-of-the-art research infrastructure pays off, today and tomorrow
When Philippe Schick, the vice-president of engineering at Cooledge Lighting Inc., began looking for a laboratory to help his company make its product market-ready, he considered options across Canada and beyond. In the end, the Burnaby, B.C.-based business discovered that the best place to test its thin-film technology was right in its own backyard. […]
Digital health innovators embrace the challenge
OTTAWA—“There’s a way to do it better—find it,” said Thomas Edison decades ago. A similar motivation drove the Canadians who developed insulin, cardiac pacemakers, electric wheelchairs and prosthetic hands. These and other health innovations have since improved the lives of an untold number of patients from around the globe. Indeed, we can be proud of […]
Industry insiders applaud Automotive Innovation Fund renewal, but experts say it’s a political move
Automotive industry associations in Canada are applauding the federal government’s decision to renew the Automotive Innovation Fund for another five years and say the $250-million “is a highly-welcome decision,” but economic experts say opening up Canada’s market to more competition would better stimulate innovation within the industry. “It’s something which we had suggested to […]
