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Across the country, Canadians are bearing the brunt of an ongoing and painful housing crisis. As the gap between housing supply and demand continues to grow, one thing remains clear: many homes are needed, but too few are being built. At the same time, questions are being raised about Canada’s ability to build and finance the hospitals, schools, roads, and transit needed to accommodate an expanding population and bolster productivity.
Join The Globe and Mail for the Building for Growth event, which will bring experts and leaders together to discuss the solutions, partnerships and policies for the next generation of housing and infrastructure in Canada.
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Marianne McKenna
Founding Partner, KPMB Architects
Alex Bozikovic
Staff Columnist and Architect,
The Globe and Mail
Newcomers are disproportionately flocking to our major cities, creating new demand for housing, education and training, social services, and refugee settlement programs. This interview will explore the shift to higher density housing and services, and the ‘new deal’ Canadian cities need to grow…and grow well.
The Honourable Hassan Yussuff
Senator and Past President, Canadian Labour Congress
Muraly Srinarayanathas
CEO, 369 Global Inc.
Cathie O'Toole,
Chief Administrative Officer, Halifax Regional Municipality
Anna Triandafyllidou
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, at Toronto Metropolitan University
Ann Hui
Demographics Reporter, The Globe and Mail
Recent public opinion polling shows Canadians are increasingly concerned about the added pressure of immigration on housing, services, and infrastructure. Given most of Canada’s population growth stems from immigration, how can Canada address its demographic needs without falling behind on services, housing, and infrastructure? This panel will explore the role and pace of immigration in Canada’s housing crisis and what might lie ahead.
Matti Siemiatycki
Director of the Infrastructure Institute and Professor, Department of Geography & Planning, University of Toronto
Harold Calla
Executive Chair, First Nations Financial Management Board
Shormila Chatterjee
Vice President, EY
Suzanne Le
Executive Director, Multifaith Housing Initiative
Petrina Gentile
Contributing Writer, The Globe and Mail
Canada is faced with a staggering infrastructure backlog, of at least $175 billion, according to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. This panel discussion will shed light on ways that government entities, institutional investors and other private enterprises can work together to close this gap and build the housing and infrastructure Canada needs today and tomorrow
Geoff Smith
Executive Chair, Board of Directors, EllisDon
Mike Yorke
Owner, Mike Yorke Consulting
Petrina Gentile
Contributing Writer, The Globe and Mail
Canada’s construction industry is in the midst of a severe labour shortage, exacerbating delays in housing and infrastructure projects. In Q1 of 2022 the industry had more than 80,000 vacant positions according to Statistics Canada – a number that will climb as workers retire. This discussion will cover solutions for industry, government and postsecondary institutions to ease the shortfall.
Century Initiative is a national, non-partisan charity with a mission to enhance Canada’s long-term prosperity, resiliency and global influence by responsibly growing the population of Canada to 100 million by 2100. Century Initiative delivers its mission by leading, enabling and partnering on initiatives that support long-term thinking and planning in immigration; infrastructure and environment; economy, entrepreneurship and innovation; support for children and families; and education, skills and employment. Century Initiative takes a network approach, prioritizing inclusion of diverse perspectives to inform and advance its work. The Century Initiative is concerned about our future and believes a bigger, bolder Canada benefits us all.
Century Initiative will also be releasing its 4th annual National Scorecard on Canada's Growth and Prosperity which tracks if Canada is leading or falling behind on key metrics tied to our quality of life and standard of living on June 10th. A sneak peek of the key findings will be shared at the event on June 7th. Tune in to learn more. View the 2023 National Scorecard.
The Future Skills Centre (FSC) is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to driving innovation in skills development so that everyone in Canada can be prepared for the future of work. We partner with policymakers, researchers, practitioners, employers and labour, and post-secondary institutions to solve pressing labour market challenges and ensure that everyone can benefit from relevant lifelong learning opportunities. We are founded by a consortium whose members are Toronto Metropolitan University, Blueprint, and The Conference Board of Canada, and are funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Program.
The Ontario Provincial District Council (OPDC) is a certified council of trade unions made up of affiliates of the Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).
The OPDC has ten affiliated local unions located throughout the Province of Ontario. Our affiliates specialize in representing construction workers, however, they also represent workers in many other industries including manufacturing, hospitality, cleaning, convention and show services. The role of the OPDC, within LIUNA, is to support local union affiliates in Ontario. We do this by overseeing the negotiation of province-wide collective agreements, assisting in the enforcement of collective agreements, supplying political advocacy and providing legal advice.
Mark Wiseman is a Canadian investment manager and business executive and an industry-leading expert in alternatives and active equity investments. He is a Senior Advisor and Chairman of Canada at Lazard and a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of NOVA Chemicals.
Previously, Mark was Chair of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation’s (AIMCo’s) Board of Directors. He was also a Senior Managing Director at BlackRock, Global Head of Active Equities, Chairman of its alternatives business, Chairman of BlackRock’s Global Investment Committee and also served on BlackRock’s Global Executive Committee.
Prior to joining BlackRock in 2016, Mark was President & CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Mark joined CPPIB in June 2005 as the organization’s Senior Vice-President, Private Investments. He was later named Executive Vice-President, Investments, responsible for managing all of the investment activities of CPPIB. He was named President & Chief Executive Officer in 2012.
Prior to joining the CPPIB, Mark was responsible for the private equity fund and co-investment program at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Previously, Mark was an officer with Harrowston Inc., a publicly traded Canadian merchant bank and a lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell, practicing in New York and Paris. He also served as a law clerk to Madam Justice Beverley McLachlin at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Anna Triandafyllidou holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is also the Scientific Director of a $98.4 million multi-university and multi-partner program entitled Bridging Divides funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Prior to joining TMU in 2019, she held a Robert Schuman Chair at the European University Institute, in Florence, Italy. She is Editor of the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. In 2021, the University of Liège awarded Triandafyllidou a doctorate honoris causa in recognition of her contribution to migration scholarship. She has published widely on migration governance and migrant integration.
Matti Siemiatycki is Director of the Infrastructure Institute and Professor of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on delivering large-scale infrastructure projects, evidence based infrastructure investment decisions, and the effective integration of infrastructure into the fabric of cities. His recent studies explore transit policy decisions, the value for money of public-private partnerships, the development of innovative mixed-use buildings as a form of place based infrastructure policy, and the diversity gap in the infrastructure industry workforce. Matti consults widely on infrastructure policy and is a frequent media commentator on infrastructure and city planning.
Hassan Yussuff is one of Canada’s most experienced labour leaders. As the past President of the Canadian Labour Congress, he was the first person of colour to lead Canada’s union movement.
After emigrating from Guyana, Mr. Yussuff worked as a truck mechanic with General Motors for 10 years before getting involved in the labour movement. In 1988, he joined the Canadian Auto Workers union as the National Staff Representative, and later became their first Director of Human Rights. In 1999, he became Canadian Labour Congress’s first person of colour elected to an executive position, as Executive Vice-President. He went on to be elected as Secretary-Treasurer for three terms, from 2002 to 2014, before being elected President in 2014. He was re-elected in this role in 2017.
In addition to his work in Canada, Mr. Yussuff is a prominent international activist. In 2016, he was elected for his second term as President of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, an organization uniting 48 national organizations and representing more than 55 million workers in 21 countries. He was also a member of the Executive Bureau and General Council of the International Trade Union Confederation and a member of the Ministerial Council of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Mr. Yussuff served on the Government of Canada’s NAFTA Council and its Sustainable Development Advisory Council. He also contributed to numerous other task forces and organizations, including as co-chair of the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Disability Management and Research. He was recently appointed to the Net-Zero Advisory Body by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. He has recently been part of the Industry Advisory Roundtable on COVID-19 Testing, Screening, Tracing and Data Management and the COVID Communications Partners Roundtable.
Mr. Yussuff and the Canadian Labour Congress, with their tripartite partners, are recipients of the 2021 Canadian Freedom of Association Award for their instrumental collaboration in Canada’s 2017 ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 98. Mr. Yussuff has been a recent recipient of the Pearson Centre Progressive Leadership Award. He has also received honorary Doctorate of Laws from Brock University and Ryerson University.
Muraly Srinarayanathas is Chief Executive Officer of 369 Global Inc., a rapidly growing business conglomerate with interests in education and training, financial services, creative and entertainment and venture capital. As a global citizen who has lived and worked around the world, Muraly possesses not only a strong business acumen but also a unique global perspective and the ability to bring diverse groups of people together around a common goal.
Muraly is a strong believer in the power of philanthropy and has been since launching his first social purpose business under the guidance of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He leads the Srinarayanathas Foundation which is focused on building a prosperous, inclusive, and influential Canada at home and around the world. The foundation takes a culturally responsive approach to giving back by prioritising all eight pillars of wellness – physical, social, emotional, occupational, financial, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental – often overlooked when thinking about the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in Canada and vulnerable populations around the world.
Muraly often speaks about the importance of creating a sustainable and equitable future for newcomers and has been featured in leading publications including the Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, Toronto.com and Toronto Life.
Pedro Barata is Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre, a forward-thinking hub dedicated to researching, testing, evaluating and building innovative skills solutions to help job seekers and employers in Canada navigate labour market changes.
Grounded in a commitment to inclusion, Pedro has advised all levels of government on social & economic policy and implementation related to skills and workforce development, poverty reduction, income security reform, seeking breakthroughs on housing and homelessness, and immigration reform.
Pedro’s work and extensive volunteer activities in the non-profit sector span two decades, focused on impact strategies, public policy, community building and communications. His career path has traveled through United Way Greater Toronto, the Atkinson Foundation, Family Service Toronto, Social Planning Toronto and the City of Toronto.
Pedro holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto.
Alex Bozikovic has been the Architecture Critic for The Globe and Mail since 2013. He covers architecture, planning, landscape architecture and related subjects ranging from the details of the physical city to housing policy. He also writes occasionally on Toronto and Ontario politics.
His book 305 Lost Buildings of Canada (written with Raymond Biesinger, 2022) was a national bestseller that unpacks the social and architectural history of cities across the country.
House Divided (2019), for which he was an editor, catalyzed a conversation in Toronto and across Canada about the state of city planning.
His first book, Toronto Architecture: A City Guide (2017) was a new edition of the definitive guide to buildings in Toronto, first written by the late Patricia McHugh. Alex brings a deep understanding of Toronto's past and of architectural history.
A leading national voice on architecture and city planning, he has been a keynote speaker, design juror or visiting critic for organizations across the country including the Ontario Association of Architects, the Architectural Institute of British Columbia, and the cities of Calgary, Hamilton and Toronto. Alex has been a consistent advocate for intensification within cities, for social, economic and environmental reasons.
Mark Carney is the Chair of Brookfield Asset Management and Head of Transition Investing. In this role, he is focused on the development of products for investors that will combine positive social and environmental outcomes with strong risk-adjusted returns.
Mr. Carney served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, and prior to that as Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 until 2013. He was Chairman of the Financial Stability Board from 2011 to 2018. Prior to his governorships, Mr. Carney worked at Goldman Sachs as well as the Canadian Department of Finance.
He is currently the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Co-Chair for the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero.
He is also Chair of the Group of Thirty and Bloomberg LP’s Board of Directors, as well as the Board of Stripe, a member of the Global Advisory Board of PIMCO, the Board of Overseers of Harvard University, and the boards of The Rideau Hall Foundation, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Blavatnik School at Oxford, and the Hoffman Institute at INSEAD; as well as Senior counsellor of the MacroAdvisory Partners, and President of Chatham House.
Mr. Carney holds doctorate and master’s degrees from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.
A founding partner of KPMB Architects, Marianne has been honoured as an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contributions to creating “architecture that enriches the public experience.” Marianne is an ardent advocate for putting architecture into the service of fostering community and combining sustainability and innovation for the most positive impact on the urban and natural environment.
Marianne was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Financial Post, one of the top 30 Essential Women in Architecture and Design by Azure, and one of the 50 Most Influential Torontonians by Toronto Life. In 2021, McKenna was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Design Futures Council, and in 2023 was awarded an Honorary Degree from Swarthmore College.
Recently, Marianne led the revitalization project for Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall and Allied Music Centre, and in Calgary, she is spearheading the expansion and modernization of Arts Commons, Calgary’s largest arts centre. She is also working on a new Dramatic Arts Building at Yale University, and a series of community-building residential projects for Kindred Works’ national housing portfolio.
Her love of architecture extends to teaching, community activation, and mentoring. For six years she served on the board of Metrolinx, Ontario’s public transportation agency, advocating for design excellence during a time of expansion. She has been a Norman R. Foster Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Architecture and currently sits on the International Advisory Board for the McEwen School of Architecture at Laurentian University. Marianne holds a degree in art history from Swarthmore College and received her Master of Architecture degree at Yale University.
Cathie O’Toole, as of January 1, 2023, is the first female Chief Administrative Officer of Halifax Regional Municipality, since amalgamation. Cathie is known for her inspiring, collaborative leadership, and has a proven track record of effective financial and operational management.
Cathie brings more than three decades of leadership and public sector experience to the role. Most recently she was the General Manager of Halifax Water, a role she had held since 2019. From 2011-2019, Cathie was the Director of Corporate Services/CFO for Halifax Water. Prior to joining Halifax Water, she worked with the Halifax Regional Municipality for 10 years in a variety of roles, including Director of Finance/CFO and Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management.
Cathie has a Master of Business Administration from Laurentian University and a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University. Cathie is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA) of Nova Scotia. Cathie is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and currently services on a number of Boards.
Goldy Hyder is a seasoned strategic leader with more than 25 years’ experience advising business leaders, boards of directors, government officials and a broad spectrum of community stakeholder groups.
As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada (BCC), he represents Canadian business leaders across the country and around the world. The BCC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose membership is comprised of more than 170 chief executives and entrepreneurs of Canada’s leading and largest companies. Mr. Hyder works directly with these leaders to develop and promote sensible public policy solutions in support of economic growth, including in the areas of the energy transition, innovation and industrial policy, cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, workforce development, and trade diversification. He led the BCC through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping coordinate the Canadian business community’s response to the crisis.
Mr. Hyder is a member of the Board of Directors of Open Text Corporation. In addition, he has a long track record of service on behalf of several charities and non-profit organizations, including the Coalition for a Better Future, the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and Canada’s World Trade Organization Business Advisory Council. He sits on the advisory boards of two leading organizations promoting advancement of women leaders: Catalyst Canada and the 30% Club (Canada) and is a member of the selection board for A Seat At The Table, an initiative to encourage greater representation of people with disabilities on corporate boards.
Prior to the BCC, Mr. Hyder was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hill+Knowlton Strategies in Canada. In a series of increasingly senior roles, he provided clients with strategic counsel on public policy reform and regulatory approvals for corporate transactions.
Mr. Hyder is a regular commentator in Canadian media on business, politics and leadership. He is also the host of the “Speaking of Business” podcast, which features interviews with Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Calgary.
As The Globe and Mail’s demographics reporter, Ann Hui writes on the seismic shift taking place in the country's demographic makeup. She's particularly interested in the challenges Canada faces from its rapidly aging population, on the effects of Millennials and Gen-Zs outnumbering other demographic groups in the workplace, and the impacts of record numbers of immigrants entering the country.
Previously, she covered food, Toronto city politics and national news at The Globe and Mail. As the Globe’s food reporter, she and colleague Ivy Knight were behind a 2018 investigation that revealed a wide pattern of sexual harassment and misconduct at one of the country’s most renowned wineries.
And her reporting on the economic (and animal welfare) realities of cage-free egg production was nominated for a 2016 National Newspaper Award.
In 2019, Ann expanded a Globe feature on the lives of small-town Chinese restaurant owners into the bestselling book Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada's Chinese Restaurants, published by Douglas & McIntyre. Chop Suey Nation was named one of the best books of 2019 by the Globe, The Walrus, and the CBC, and won the 2020 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Shormila Chatterjee is an accomplished infrastructure professional with over 15 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Currently serving as Vice-President, Infrastructure Advisory in EY's Ottawa practice, Shormila brings a results-driven approach to supporting public sector clients on some of Canada's largest infrastructure projects.
Prior to her time at EY, Shormila worked for the Government of Canada where she led the market-facing engagement strategy and commercial discussions for several key infrastructure projects. She also worked at SNC-Lavalin for over a decade during which she developed investment strategies for a portfolio of infrastructure opportunities of over $8 billion in North America.
Aside from her professional pursuits, Shormila is passionate about supporting underserved communities and promoting diversity. She is on the organizing committee for the Women in Infrastructure Network’s (WIN) Ottawa Chapter and is a board member of PAL Ottawa, a non-profit, working to provide senior arts workers in Ottawa with affordable housing in a creative, caring community.
Suzanne Le joined Multifaith Housing Initiative, a federally incorporated charitable housing provider, as Executive Director in 2013. Since that time, she has led the organization in a period of rapid growth – doubling MHI's membership, more than tripling MHI's unit count and operational budget. In addition to overseeing the construction and operations of the award-winning Haven community, Suzanne has led the creation of MHI's Veterans' House project. She is known as an inspirational and ethical leader and a champion for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is passionate in her pursuit for social justice, and with a strong belief that "everything is possible."
Suzanne has her Masters degree in Conflict Studies from Saint Paul University in Ottawa, and has a Bachelors degree in Comparative Religion from Carleton University. Her research and academic studies into the core causes of conflict has led to her personal quest for those most at risk in our society and her stance that everyone, regardless of background, deserves an equal opportunity in life.
Harold is a member of the Squamish Nation located in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
After many years of experience in international business, he worked with the Squamish Nation as a negotiator in the areas of economic development, land management and finance and served eight years on the Squamish Council.
He has also acted as an advisor and an arbitrator for First Nations in Western Canada.
Petrina Gentile is an award-winning automotive journalist -- one of the few women who cover cars in Canada. Petrina has been writing for The Globe and Mail’s Drive section since 2004. She also covers the automotive beat for CTV NewsChannel on her bi-weekly national segment called "Up to Speed" and has appeared on CP24, CBC, and BNN Bloomberg TV. She produced 18 seasons of the national TV show Car/Business with Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan, which was broadcast weekly on CTV and BNN. She has written several non-fiction books for kids including "Big Trucks, Big Wheels," "Dirt Movers," and "The Ballet School." Before focusing on cars, she was a news writer at CTV and a producer at BNN. She has a Master of Journalism (MJ) from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo.
Noel Baldwin is appointed Interim executive director of the Future Skills Centre (FSC) effective June 3, 2024. With nearly two decades of experience in leading strategic initiatives and policy development, Noel brings extensive expertise to his new role.
Since joining FSC in 2019 as director of government and public affairs, Noel has been integral to the organization’s impact, demonstrating exceptional leadership in navigating the skills ecosystem and working with diverse stakeholders to foster innovation in skills development that addresses the evolving needs of the workforce and promotes inclusive economic growth.
Throughout his tenure, Noel has forged strong relationships with federal departments, provinces, territories, municipalities, and international organizations like the OECD. His efforts drove FSC’s early strategic initiatives, including targeted investments addressing critical gaps across regions and sectors. Under his leadership, impactful regional partnerships were formed, with plans for more. Additionally, Noel enhanced FSC’s policy capacity, briefing officials and testifying before parliamentary committees on skills and workforce development.
Prior to joining FSC, he was the coordinator of postsecondary education and adult learning at the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), where he spearheaded pan-Canadian initiatives addressing future skill. He has also served with the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation and Transport Canada.
