“Just hire domestically.” It’s the standard retort to anyone suggesting recent federal immigration shifts are placing unprecedented strain on workers and employers alike. At the Brampton Board of Trade (BBOT), our members tell us clearly that the local labour pool needed to meet operational demands simply isn’t there. Yet skeptics like Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern feel that labour shortages are overstated. Who has it right? ...
Read MoreSuccess can conceal the very conditions that eventually constrain growth. Organizations that have built strong reputations, loyal customer bases, capable teams, and consistent results often reach a stage where the practices that enabled early success must evolve to support continued growth. Organizations do not usually stall because they lack vision or commitment. They stall when...
Read MoreNavigating global headwinds, shifting trade policies, and economic recalibration is no easy feat. Yet, as the data from the newly released Peel’s Economic Pulse: 2025 Performance and Strategic Outlook reveals, Brampton and the broader Peel Region continue to show remarkable underlying strength, adaptability, and long-term promise. While 2025 presented real economic friction, it also highlighted...
Read MoreWhen most people think about child care, they frame it through a strictly personal lens. At best, it’s viewed as a necessary expenditure to keep a career going—a sunk cost that families must absorb on their own. And unless you have a young child, it’s an issue that rarely polls as a top priority. I recently made a video about why we need immigration to build our workforce....
Read MoreThis week’s announcement that the Government of Canada will invest nearly $2 billion to procure an additional 190 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems Canada is welcome news on several fronts. The investment supports the modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces while helping Canada move toward its NATO defence spending commitments. It also secures high-value manufacturing jobs in London,...
Read MoreMany business owners assume growth will solve their problems. More revenue. More employees. More customers. But growth often creates a new set of challenges that few people talk about. Over the years, I’ve worked with leaders and teams across municipal government, healthcare, education, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. While every organization is different, the challenges that emerge as...
Read MoreOn the latest episode of Never Bored of Trade, Jaipaul and I dove headfirst into the federal government’s controversial new plan to bulk-buy unsold Vancouver condos. At first glance, it screams “developer bailout”, but we acknowledged that it comes down to implementation. Because details were scant when we recorded, we mapped out the thin line between a good public policy and a total disaster: Good Policy: The government capitalizes on...
Read MoreIn conversations with Brampton businesses across manufacturing, logistics, development, hospitality, healthcare, and technology, one concern continues to come up again and again: “We can’t find the people we need to grow.” Much attention has rightly been paid to tariffs, trade uncertainty, and geopolitical instability as those pressures on businesses matter. But workforce availability is different....
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