Canada's Productivity Initiative: Ottawa

Canada’s Productivity Initiative will gather experts from across the country to explore multiple aspects of our nation’s economic growth and productivity. Taking place on February 27, 2025, the session in Ottawa will be hosted by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and take place at the Fairmont Château Laurier.

The Ottawa session will address taxation, competition policy and the regulatory environment. It will include an experts-only workshop in the morning followed by lunch with a keynote address, panel discussions on the three topics and an evening networking reception. Sessions will also be held in Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, Saskatoon and Toronto throughout 2025.

Why attend?

Productivity is at the heart of any robust economy, underpinning long-term improvements in living standards, and it has far-reaching implications for almost all areas of public policy. There are countless factors that impact economic performance, but relatively little is known about the reasons for Canada’s recent challenges. Since 2015, real disposable income growth of Canadian families has been slower than any other eight-year period outside of the Great Depression or the 1990s recession. Explanations range from a lack of business innovation, lacklustre capital investment and interprovincial trade barriers, to inefficient features of our taxation and regulatory system. This Ottawa session will examine how we can invigorate growth and increase economic stability for the benefit of Canadians in the future with regards to three key subjects, taxation, competition policy and the regulatory environment. 

"Aligning Canada’s tax framework more closely with global peers, particularly the United States, is essential for maintaining a competitive edge in attracting investment and retaining top talent."

-- Excerpt from the What We Heard Report from Canada’s Productivity Summit.

Continue to check back as we frequently make updates to our program agenda.

"Political resistance to comprehensive tax reform was a major concern. Tax policy remains highly contentious and politically sensitive. Panellists described it as “political kryptonite,” noting no major party is willing to champion comprehensive reform due to the political risks."

-- Excerpt from the What We Heard Report from Canada’s Productivity Summit.