AlbertaBETTER

In an average year, Canada loses 2 million hectares of forest to wildfires. But in August 2023, Canada has already lost 15 million—and counting.

On this episode, we speak with Rick Doman, Corporate Director for the Business Council of Alberta, and a forestry expert with over 45 years of experience in the industry.

Rick helps us define what forest management means, explains the impact of the mountain pine beetle and the spruce bud worm on the health of Canada’s forests, and provides some perspective on how we can best deal with our forests to minimize the impact of the devastating wildfires if we started making changes today.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

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What does it look like to be a leader?

For most of us, being a leader means building and supporting teams, and helping them their goals.

But for Sue Riddell Rose, President & CEO of Perpetual Energy and Rubellite Energy, being a leader means leaving the world better then she found it and ensuring all voices are heard at the boardroom table.

On this episode, we speak with Sue about her journey to the C-Suite, the importance and value of women in the national energy conversation, and the future of oil and gas production in Alberta.

We also talk to Sue about what she’s learned from husband and fellow BCA Member, Mike Rose from Tourmaline Oil, and her long-term view for the province.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
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The term “Alberta beef” is synonymous globally with exceptional cuts of meat and delicious tastes, and yet, only 2% of Canada’s population is involved in the production of said agriculture. So what exactly does it take to run Canada’s beef industry?

On this episode, we speak with Kee Jim, Managing Director of G. K. Jim Farms, and Global Head of Animal Health and Agriculture for TELUS Agriculture.

We talk to Kee about his journey from high school to the C-Suite, what it takes to run the world’s biggest feedlot, the future of Alberta’s beef and feedlot industries, and key innovations coming out of the agri-food industry.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QaetHE
• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV

The term “Alberta beef” is synonymous globally with exceptional cuts of meat and delicious tastes, and yet, only 2% of Canada’s population is involved in the production of said agriculture. So what exactly does it take to run Canada’s beef industry?

On this episode, we speak with Kee Jim, Managing Director of G. K. Jim Farms, and Global Head of Animal Health and Agriculture for TELUS Agriculture.

We talk to Kee about his journey from high school to the C-Suite, what it takes to run the world’s biggest feedlot, the future of Alberta’s beef and feedlot industries, and key innovations coming out of the agri-food industry.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QaetHE
• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV

Alberta's opportunity to contribute to global solutions in agriculture, energy, and health is immense. Seizing this opportunity will take big ideas, lots of collaboration, and a little “can do” attitude.

In the special series of The Brief, called Missions & Moonshots, we are talking to top experts, business leaders, innovators, and thought leaders across Alberta and Canada exploring solutions to the world’s biggest challenges in energy, agriculture, and health.

Our guest is Dr. Breanne Everett, co-founder and CEO of Orpyx Medical Technologies, a leading digital therapeutics company in Alberta, to discuss what health care could look like in Alberta and a few strategies to build a system that supports health, wellness, and longevity for all. The discussion includes:

• Gaps in Alberta’s health care system
• Importance of social determinants of health in health care planning
• Applying the Alberta Advantage to health care
• Four strategies to improve health care access and delivery

Dr. Everett’s discussion paper can be read here: http://bit.ly/3h5Lb0k

About Dr. Breanne Everett

Dr. Breanne Everett serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of Orpyx® Medical Technologies Inc., in addition to being a medical doctor with residency training in plastic and reconstructive surgery from the University of Calgary. Recognizing the significant impact of diabetic foot complications on patients and healthcare systems, she established Orpyx, a pioneering digital therapeutics company dedicated to enhancing the health span of individuals living with diabetes through customized remote care.

Dr. Everett's achievements have earned her numerous accolades, including the Governor General's Innovation Award, Alberta Women Entrepreneur Upsurge Entrepreneur Award, the Calgary Award in Commerce, and in 2023, she became the first recipient of the Alberta Business Hall of Fame’s Young Innovator Award, which recognizes the achievements of business leaders under 40. She has also been named one of Avenue Magazine's Top 40 Under 40, one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and the University of Calgary's Graduate of the Last Decade. As a Loran National Scholar, she actively participates in the Loran Alumni Community and serves on the Canadian Medical Association's Joule Innovation Council and the Governor General Innovation Award Selections Committee.

Since our previous update, the hottest headline has been interest rates and the Bank of Canada’s decisions to continue to increase rates to bring inflation down as quickly as possible. However, these interest rate decisions have been taking their toll on Albertans.

While wages have finally grown more than prices, more Albertans are grappling with high debt-to-income ratios, increased housing costs, and insolvencies. In recent months, Albertans now feel the economy is getting worse, despite growth in many areas.

In this episode, we look at growth in employment, Alberta's population, and overall wages, discuss results from our latest Business Expectations Survey, and check in on the spending habits of Albertans and Canadians.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QaetHE
• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV

When given the chance to advance one’s career by going to India, Bermuda, or Calgary, you may be surprised to hear someone chose the sunny Alberta city given the options. But after four kids, nine grandchildren, and a successful merger to create a North American powerhouse, there’s nowhere Alan Norris would rather be.

On this episode, we speak with Alan Norris, Executive Chair of Brookfield Properties, about his journey to the C-Suite, his experience taking an ailing company from the edge of bankruptcy into a successful merger, and the role of an Executive Chair.

We also discuss housing affordability in Canada and North America, the importance of being present within the community, and the value of passion in one’s career.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QaetHE
• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV

Productivity is a word spoken around boardroom tables, but rarely is it spoken around dining room tables.

But it should be.

Because productivity, which very simply means getting more and doing more with less effort, is directly related to our standard of living, our wages, and to our kids’ futures.

In this episode, we are joined by economist Trevor Tombe to explore this topic, diving deep into what productivity is and isn’t, why it matters, how Canada stacks up against the US, why we’re no better off than we were in 2017, and why we need to shift our mindsets around policymaking to ensure that productivity is a core aspect of all future policy.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
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• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV

When we talk about climate change, emissions reduction, or major development in Canada, one aspect that has become more and more centred in the discussion is the importance of Indigenous partnership and participation.

From the historic deal between Enbridge and 23 First Nations in Alberta to Cedar LNG in BC and other projects across the country, Indigenous communities are changing how we do business in Canada—for the better. But there’s still work to do.

On this episode, we are joined by Karen Ogen, former Chief of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation and current CEO of the First Nations LNG Alliance, a collective of First Nations participating in, and supportive of, sustainable and responsible LNG development in BC.

Karen sheds light on the importance of Indigenous ownership in major projects to not only improve the economic well-being of Indigenous communities, but to enable them with the resources to care for the housing, health, and healing needs of their people.

We also discuss the importance of energy literacy, the realities of Canada’s regulatory systems and their current challenges to enable Indigenous engagement, and advice to other Indigenous communities eager to participate in major projects.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QaetHE
• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV

Technology has improved our lives in incredible ways, but often we don’t truly know by how much.

The vehicles we drive, the computers we operate, and the connections we have to people around the world have all been bolstered by modern technology systems and automation processes that make the world a better place. But how did they come to be?

On today’s episode, we speak with Grant Wilde, President & CEO of Spartan Controls, a company that provides industrial automation solutions to Western Canada.

We talk to Grant about his near 30-year career at the company, his leadership perspective and what influenced it, and why he swears by the power of meditation.

We also dig into the company’s story and Grant’s outlook on its future and the future of Alberta.

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About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

Check out recent episodes of AlbertaBETTER: https://bit.ly/3bHlfFB

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BPxDhv

Follow us on social media:

• Twitter: https://bit.ly/3P7pgB0
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Qx6B2J
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QaetHE
• YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QswqAV