Posts in Innovation
Open Banking in Canada: The Time is Now

There have been many conversations recently about Open Banking. For those who aren’t aware, Open Banking provides a secure way for consumers to control and share their financial data with third-party providers and ultimately benefit from a greater range of innovative financial services. According to the Berlin-based Open Banking Project, almost 100 countries have either adopted or are considering adopting some form of Open Banking this year. While this is undoubtedly the way of the future, here at home, Canadians are still waiting. A diverse chorus of voices have been advocating for action and notably, implementation of a hybrid, made-in-Canada solution, as per the latest report from the Government of Canada’s Advisory Committee on Open Banking.

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Meeting vital payroll requirements for family-owned and other small businesses

Many family-owned businesses have limited resources to have a full-time payroll administrator on staff, but they recognize the value of professional payroll services.  One option family enterprises and other small businesses appreciate is to draw on the services of a payroll contractor, and for Mary Beaton, that makes for a thriving business of her own in the small Nova Scotia community of Five Mile River.

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‘Other ways of knowing and being’ that enrich our lives

When Xavier met Anna-Belle, his posture suggested he wasn’t ready for a relationship. His eyes obscured by sunglasses, his arms crossed, his skin hidden under extensive tattoos: all suggested he was unapproachable. Yet Anna-Belle was undeterred, and after a day and a half, Xavier (not his real name) considered her family.

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AI everywhere, with benefits for everyone

Once the realm of science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) has now advanced into all areas of society – transforming the way we live, learn and work. Are Canadians ready to embrace this shift? What are the skills and competencies that can enhance our ability to unlock AI’s powerful potential? And how can we ensure AI is leveraged for the greater good?

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Developing the workforce of tomorrow

Quentin Navarre knew virtually nothing about woodworking when he enrolled in the two-year Heritage Carpentry and Joinery diploma program at Algonquin College nine years ago. Today, he and his wife Amy Webster, a fellow Algonquin graduate, have their own business – Wildwood Designs – in Perth, Ont., specializing in high-end architectural millwork and hand-crafted furniture.

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Celebrating the payroll professionals at the heart of business

The National Payroll Institute’s Portraits of Payroll program

Payroll professionals are typically used to working behind the scenes, quietly getting important things done with little attention on them and their efforts – as long as pay ends up in employees’ accounts. The National Payroll Institute had a different idea – creating its Portraits of Payroll program to shine a spotlight on the expertise and contributions of those who work in these pivotal roles in organizations across Canada.

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World Green Building Week calls for transition to sustainable built environment

Across Canada, there is wide recognition about the transformative power of green buildings.

It was here that the Zero Carbon Building standards were first created and launched, and where the government is committed to rolling out a Green Buildings Strategy – and putting effort behind developing a greener, cleaner grid and financing deep carbon retrofits. What’s more, Canada has global leaders setting the pace, including companies and cities that have signed the international Net Zero Commitment.

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Time for change

Fundraising professionals urge the creation of a single secretariat for the charitable sector

Canada’s nonprofit sector makes up 8.4 per cent of GDP – more than oil and gas – and provides 2.7 million jobs, yet it continues to suffer from a Cinderella syndrome, unrecognized for its important place in the country’s economy and lacking representation at the highest levels of government.

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Helping vulnerable kids thrive

Two world-leading programs spearheaded by researchers at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) are poised to make a significant difference in key areas of pediatric care: pain management, and improved participation in simple, everyday tasks by children with severely restricted mobility who are unable to communicate through speech.

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