Welcome to Season 2 of Canada’s Economy, Explained!

Host Marwa Abdou opens the season by stepping back from the usual ritual of economic forecasting to ask a more fundamental question: What happens when the systems shaping our economy are tested in real time?

Before looking ahead to 2026, this episode examines what the past year revealed about the limits of prediction, the persistence of economic constraints, and the growing gap between intention and institutional capacity. Because economies do not run on data alone. They run on decisions. And those decisions ultimately shape trust.

Marwa is joined by returning guest Andrew DiCapua, Principal Economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, who shares his six economic predictions for the year ahead, from interest rates and trade to business investment, consumption and consumer sentiment. Together, they explore why the outlook may be more conditional than certain, and why stability on paper does not always translate into confidence on the ground. But this conversation goes beyond forecasts. It introduces the central lens for the season: How power operates within the economy, who sets the rules and whether Canada’s systems are prepared to deliver on the ambitions they signal. If last season focused on the importance of trust, this season asks what makes trust possible. Because in a world of finite resources, the future is not simply predicted. It is chosen.

Links
- 8 Predictions for Canada’s Economy in 2025
- BDLNow – Data Driven Prediction of the Canada’s Economy
- 6 Predictions for Canada's Economy in 2026

In this special episode, recorded live at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s AGM and Convention, host Marwa Abdou speaks with Minh Tri Dang, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Finance at Wilson, and Karla Congson, CEO and Founder of Agentiiv, about the intersection of work, leadership, and innovation at a critical moment for Canada’s economy.

Technology is advancing faster than our ability to build the skills and leadership models needed to use it well. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rise of AI. Organizations that treat AI as a simple technological upgrade, rather than a shift in culture and capability, will struggle to remain competitive in a market that rewards adaptability, not just adoption.

Marwa, Minh, and Karla examine what this means on the ground. They explore how the labour market is already being reshaped, and why the decline in entry-level roles is creating broken rungs in the career ladder. The traditional pathways that once helped young workers gain experience are narrowing, and the implications for opportunity and mobility are significant.

All three agree on one thing: Canada needs a coordinated national workforce strategy that connects skills, innovation, and inclusion. Without it, the country risks falling behind at a time when the pace of change is accelerating.

Links
- Canadian Labour & Staffing Journal
- Agentiiv

Taxes shape more than government revenue. They shape trust. In this episode, host Marwa Abdou sits down with Heather Scoffield, founding CEO of the Canadian Tax Observatory, to explore how Canada’s tax and fiscal systems influence the country’s ability to build, grow and compete.

Together, they unpack the tensions inside the 2025 Federal Budget, from the renewed focus on large-scale capital projects to the difficult choices around fiscal discipline, human capital, and long-term productivity. Heather explains why a modern industrial strategy must include people as much as physical infrastructure, and why simplifying parts of Canada’s tax system could strengthen the relationship between taxpayers and government.

This conversation goes beyond line items and budget tables. It is a look at how Canada funds its ambitions, how those decisions affect households and businesses, and what a credible, sustainable path to shared prosperity might require.

Links
- Heather Scoffield
- Bricks and mortar build out the federal balance sheet
- Canadian Tax Observatory