In celebration of our community on the occasion of our 8th anniversary, we are honoured to share our interview with U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, who came to Ottawa in 2021 as President Biden's personal representative in Canada.
As he shares in our interview, "...my priority is maintaining and advancing the U.S.-Canada relationship. That includes restoring trust, and re-instilling confidence between partners. Everywhere I go, I want to make sure Canadians know that the United States is back and that we want to strengthen our partnership with Canada."
Expanding Your Canadian Business to the U.S. : Cross-Border Tax
Expanding your Canadian business to the United States unveils an exciting growth opportunity that requires a well-planned roadmap. This article aims to identify key tax factors that owner-managers often consider when navigating cross-border business opportunities. Unfortunately, some business owners leave tax issues to the end not recognizing they are foundational to your business and in some cases are difficult to resolve later. In addition, unlike Canada’s relatively uniform federal and provincial taxes, the U.S. has over 13,000 taxing jurisdictions between federal, state, county and other political subdivisions for income, sales and other taxes. Even in an electronic world, U.S. tax law at all these levels may amount to a paper blizzard. This article will focus on the U.S. federal tax consequences.
Fast In The 6: In Uncertain Times, Stronger Together
It was over a family dinner in in 2016 watching divisive rhetoric grow and sharpen over social media and during election cycles, that my wife Lisa and I thought we had to do something – anything – to resist what we saw as the false logic of many political leaders. Worldwide, we had observed the rise of “populist” movements and wondered how much they could take hold. Populism on any end of the political spectrum can be dangerous. The simplicity of the message is good at capturing raw emotions, but ultimately just reflections of false prophethood that don’t offer real solutions to real problems. It also leads to political sectarianism that excludes rather than unites when we all know we are always stronger together, especially in these uncertain times. Like many, Lisa and I stood wondering what this century will bring for our children. And how we might resist.
How about having everyone over for dinner?
The Time to Deliver the Goods on Sustainable Shipping is Now
The rising call from consumers and business partners is increasingly clear: it is not only the right thing to do, but it is in fact the responsibility of companies to prioritize sustainable business practices.
When it comes to the shipping industry this responsibility takes on heightened importance. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, if the shipping industry were a country, it would be considered the sixth largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
The Latino GDP Project
The Latino GDP Project seeks to provide a factual view of the large and rapidly growing economic contribution of Latinos living in the United States. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a broad measure of economic activity, representing the value of all finished goods and services produced within a geographic area in a given year. GDP growth is a nearly universal summary statistic for the performance of an economy.
A New Revolution on Long Island
Unleashing Innovation and Collaboration: Ontario, Canada's Life Sciences Sector Leads the Way
The life sciences industry has long been a major player in North America, with Ontario, Canada being at the forefront. With a rich history of medical breakthroughs, including insulin, stem cells, and remote robotic surgery, Ontario's life sciences sector is Canada’s largest, employing over 70,000 people and generating over $65.2 billion in revenues from 1,900 firms. Over the past two and a half years alone, global biomanufacturers have invested nearly $3 billion in the sector and in diverse regions across the province, from Windsor to Hamilton and Ottawa to Thunder Bay, which underlines Ontario’s appeal as a destination for life sciences.
Cybersecurity Smarts are an Integral Part of Project Arrow - The First All-Canadian Electric Vehicle
It is no secret to this audience that Canada is a global leader in emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles and robots, artificial intelligence software, and Industry 4.0 or the digital revolution. So, you won’t be surprised to learn that Canada is now motoring towards producing an all-Canadian made electric automobile.
The initiative called “Project Arrow” is organized and managed by Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (“APMA”). According to Flavio Volpe, APMA’s president, this effort is “the biggest industrial collaboration project in Canadian automotive history” … likening the program to “Canada’s moonshot”.
M&A into Canada: Five Areas of Interest for U.S. Buyers
Gesta Abols and Neil Kravitz, Co-Leaders of the Cross-Border and International Practice at Fasken together with Paul Blyschak, Counsel, identify 5 areas of interest that U.S. buyers should be aware of when pursuing M&A opportunities in Canada.
The authors point out that private M&A in Canada, as well as Canadian business practice, are very similar to the U.S. It is no surprise then that Canada is consistently amongst the most popular destinations for U.S. outbound investment.
Our Interview with Tom Clark - Canada's New Consul General in New York
This month we are honoured to interview Tom Clark, Canada's new Consul General in New York appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. CG Clark is certainly a familiar face to millions of TV viewers across Canada as he was one of the country's most respected broadcast journalists. Most recently, he served as chair of Global Public Affairs, one of Canada’s largest public affairs and strategic communications firms. Our New York Chapter looks forward to supporting CG Clark as we promote economic ties between Canada and New York State.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LANDSCAPE
As we enter 2023, the commercial real estate world continues to prove it is not one story, but several unique narratives based upon geographic location and product type. While we all attempt to underwrite the markets based upon detailed analytics using the best information we have, like all asset classes, real estate is subject to many external factors that often cloud our crystal ball. The only real constant is change.
2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: CHALLENGING MARKETS AFTER A RECORD YEAR
Coming off of a record year is always a challenge and that was certainly the case for the North American public markets in 2022. With record financings and initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2021, the significant downturn that occurred last year was particularly poignant, driven by markets reacting to geo-politcal tensions, ongoing impacts from the pandemic and supply chain issues, and interest rate hikes.
MAPLE® Business Council 2022 - A Year in Review
Immigration Design Thinking - New Employer Strategies to Address the Skills Crisis
We are pleased to follow-up on our announcement earlier this week of our newest organization member, Toronto-based immigration law firm Greenberg Hameed PC, with their thoughts on 'Immigration Design Thinking' as a new employer strategy to address the skills crisis. Co-founders Howard Greenberg and Naumaan Hameed introduce us to this strategic approach to meet the challenges of securing top talent.
5 Easy Wins for Your Employee Benefits Program
Employee benefits are essential for attracting and retaining top talent. But with the ever-changing landscape of benefits, it can be hard to keep up. What’s more, employees are becoming increasingly demanding when it comes to their benefits. They want more than health insurance and a retirement plan. They want perks that make their lives easier and work-life balance programs that give them time to enjoy their personal lives. As an employer, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to employee benefits. Not only will it help you attract and retain the best talent, but it will also improve morale and increase productivity in the workplace. Here are five easy wins for your employee benefits program that will help you stay ahead of the competition.
TIMBITS® in California - Real or Fake?
The “Timbit” donut holes were introduced in Canada in 1976 by beloved Canadian coffee house and restaurant chain Tim Hortons. TIMBITS® donut holes are widely sold in Tim Hortons locations throughout Canada and have become an icon of Canadian culture. Just last year, Tim Hortons teamed up with Canadian-born superstar Justin Bieber to release three new TIMBITS® flavors, which they called “Timbiebs Timbits.”
But what if Tim Hortons planned to keep TIMBITS a Canadian secret by not launching in the United States, and a third-party began selling TIMBITS-branded donut holes in California (where even today there are no Tim Hortons locations)? You may ask yourself if this trademark scenario is even possible, and if so, what if anything could Tim Hortons do about it?
An Interview with MAPLE Colorado Executive Director Rob Mancey
We are excited to be sitting down with Rob Mancey, Executive Director of the new Colorado Chapter of MAPLE Business Council, to learn more about the future plans for Colorado. On November 8th, Rob hosted the inaugural reception for MAPLE Colorado to a standing-room only audience in Denver with presentations by Canadian Consul General Sylvain Fabi, former Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Derek Burney, and Molson Coors Vice President of Government Affairs, Will Kinzel.
Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace
Back in the day, when faced with an employment or investment decision, I would look up the company and immediately go to its leadership and board of directors’ web pages. I wanted to know if they were walking the talk from their diversity pages and how many women and people of color were on their leadership teams. But today, that method for assessing a company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts is out of step. The majority of employees now, largely Millennials, prefer a fresh perspective on DEI topics.
The Canadian Century? Time to Lace Up for the Big Game
Amidst the whitewaters of a pandemic, global supply chain issues, a war in Europe, and a global labour shortage, is this the time for Canada to lace up for the big game? Maryscott "Scotty" Greenwood, CEO of Washington D.C.-based Canadian American Business Council, explores how this moment in history is an opportunity for Canada to flex its inherent advantages to contribute to the good of the democracy-led, rules-based international order. It's a thought provoking read.
An Interview with Daniel Silverman, Vice President, Foreign Direct Investment at Investissement Québec International
We have the pleasure of revisiting the Québec market and the work of the province's leading investment attraction arm, Investissement Québec International. Daniel Silverman, vice-president of foreign direct investment, shares perspectives on the strengths of the Québec market and the momentum that his organization continues to create in attracting US and global investment to Québec.