Intended Consequences – Details, episodes & analysis

Making location decisions has never been as challenging for companies. Global and local factors are extensively influencing investment dynamics and shaping economic development.

Gregg Wassmansdorf, Senior Managing Director of Global Strategy consulting at Newmark, joins the podcast to discuss the state of site selection in Canada and the United States. He provides expert insight into investment readiness, business retention and expansion (BR+E), tariffs, and how politics and policy influence site selection.

Joanne Chianello and Stacy Hushion join the podcast to discuss StrategyCorp's 2025 Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey  . With a municipal election a year away, longstanding pressures facing local governments and Trump-induced uncertainty, it was an interesting time to engage with CAOs to hear their views. Our guests share the Survey's insights into the local impacts of geopolitics, incivility, strong mayor powers, and provincial-municipal relations.

The StrategyCorp Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2024 highlighted that municipal finance is a top area of concern. The report noted that "many CAOs spoke of financial challenges not just in terms of the gaps and shortfalls they are trying to fill, notably with respect to infrastructure, but in the context of affordability for residents."

Two StrategyCorp Senior Advisors, Michael Fenn and Tony Haddad, join the podcast to talk about the state of municipal financial sustainability in Ontario. They provide their insight on the financial challenges municipalities face and the importance of financial planning to navigate uncertain times. Tony and Michael also discuss ways senior levels of government can help alleviate some of the financial pressures municipalities are dealing with.

How will COVID-19 change the Canadian economy? What do policy makers need to do to ensure we can properly recover from COVID-19? Where can relief packages be strengthened and what policies are needed next? On this episode, we're joined by Karim Bardeesy - former Deputy Principal Secretary to the Premier of Ontario and current head of the Ryerson Leadership Lab to talk policy shop related to COVID-19. Listen to Karim's unique thoughts and ideas on everything from auto insurance relief to a made in Ontario small business lender to the need to protect equality and human capital in the policy responses in the months to come. 

On this episode we're joined by Bonnie Lysyk, Ontario's first female Auditor General. The Auditor is a non-partisan officer of the Legislature responsible for ensuring value for money spent by government. Auditor Lysyk was appointed in 2013 in the middle of an infamous audit on the true costs of the 2011 gas plant scandal. After releasing that report it became clear that the new Auditor was competent, sharp, and determined to get to the bottom of Ontario's finances. Throughout her term she's seen her power to veto government advertisements removed and had two major accounting disputes with government over the Fair Hydro Plan and pension surpluses. How did that happen? How do these multi-billion dollar issues get resolved? What changes need to be made for the Auditor to continue to provide a trusted and important role? We dig into all that and more!

The Ring of Fire may be the single largest resource development opportunity Ontario will ever see. The only problem is the Ring's mineral deposits are located hundreds of kilometres from the nearest road. The Province has put aside $1 billion to build a set of roads to the Ring, but everything from negotiations with local Indigenous communities to complex infrastructure requirements have to be sorted first. Noront owns over 70% of all mining claims in the Ring of Fire. Noront's CEO, Alan Coutts, joins us to discuss this once in a generation opportunity.

The fourth episode of the podcast features Dr. Bob Bell, former Ontario Deputy Minister of Health and a 40 year medical expert. Dr. Bell talks about the challenges of dealing with Corona Virus in Ontario and what comes next on that front. He also touches on managing a $64 billion Ministry, the future of Ontario health care, and what drove him to become a partisan Liberal for the first time in a more than 40 year career. 

The third episode of the podcast features Kim Moran, CEO of Children's Mental Health Ontario. Kim discusses the challenges of navigating Ontario's mental health system for the 28,000 children and youth currently on waiting lists for treatment. She candidly shares her personal experiences with the system and explains what Ontario can do to solve the growing backlog.

The second episode of the podcast features Canada's former Ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton. The episode covers his time as Principal Secretary to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his key role throughout the re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with President Donald Trump's administration.

This first episode of the podcast is meant to introduce listeners to the StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy and its podcast, Intended Consequences. It features a live interview from the Institute's launch event.