Canada's Best Executives 2025
Rachel MacAdam, VP of Marketing at Skip, at the company's Juno Awards pop-up in Vancouver's Robson Square, in March, 2025.
Alison Boulier/The Globe and Mail
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Montreal Gazette
29-05-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Legault wants Ottawa to pay for power line from Churchill Falls
Quebec Politics By QUEBEC — Premier François Legault wants Ottawa to pay for a new power line carrying energy from Newfoundland and Labrador to Quebec. Answering a question Thursday in the National Assembly, Legault revealed each Canadian premier plans to respond to Prime Minister Mark Carney's request for infrastructure projects at a meeting in Saskatoon Monday. 'I can tell you right now that my project is that the federal government finance a line transporting electricity between Newfoundland and Quebec,' Legault said responding to a question from Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal. The Globe and Mail reported Thursday that Carney plans to brief the premiers on his nation-building plans when they meet. Carney intends to present legislation to fast-track significant infrastructure projects through upfront regulatory approvals and remove all federal barriers to interprovincial trade. The proposed 'One Canadian Economy,' legislation has been shared with Indigenous communities. The goal is to get approval for all projects within a two-year time frame. During the election campaign, Carney pledged to run deeper deficits to grow spending on infrastructure to reduce Canada's dependence on the U.S. economy, a statement Legault and other Canadian premiers made note of. In a separate interview with the CBC Tuesday, Carney said he will ask first ministers to provide lists of infrastructure projects that could get up and running quickly. In their first conversation after Carney was elected in April, Legault revealed infrastructure money was among the subjects they discussed. And Legault believes he has an ideal candidate for federal money. In December 2024 he and then Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey reached a new deal for energy from the Churchill Falls power plant in Labrador. The deal included construction of a new power plant near the existing Churchill Falls plant and a run-of-the-river generating station at Gull Island in Labrador. The new deal also included new costs of a $2-billion to $3-billion transmission line in Quebec and Labrador. Legault, who has said he and Carney are on the same wavelength because they both are interested in the economy, heads Sunday to Saskatoon. Officials in Legault's office said later that 'Quebec will make representations for different projects,' including the power line. 'We will let the discussions take place in Saskatoon,' an aide to Legault said. The Quebec government Friday will also move to deflect criticism it is not doing enough to reduce trade barriers with the other provinces, another priority item for Carney in order to shore up the economy. Economy Minister Christopher Skeete, who has been working behind the scenes for months on the question, has given notice on the legislature's order paper of plans to present fresh legislation doing away with some costly barriers. To be tabled first thing Friday morning, the new bill will be called: 'An act to facilitate the trade of goods and the mobility of labour from the other provinces and the territories of Canada.' In an interview in March, Skeete revealed some of the scope of the plan, saying the measures will reduce red tape for funeral directors, real estate brokers and racehorse owners. The government is also looking to harmonize regulations on consumer goods with other provinces as part of a countrywide effort to boost internal trade. On Thursday, the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), a think tank, published a study saying removing barriers between Quebec and the rest of Canada could grow the Canadian economy by $69.9 billion.
Toronto Star
29-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Skip the human? Food delivery service test drives robots in downtown Markham
The food delivery service Skip is now using a small fleet of cooler-sized, orange robots to make deliveries, as part of a three-month pilot project in Markham. The four robots have locked, insulated compartments that can hold up to 50 kilogram, with cameras inside that can detect a spill. On the Skip app, customers within a two-kilometre radius in downtown Markham can choose to have a robot make their delivery. The customer inputs their order number, the box opens, they take their food, and the robot wheels away. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The food delivery service Skip is now using a small fleet of cooler-sized, orange robots to make deliveries, as part of a three-month pilot project in Markham. Skip, the app formerly branded as Skip the Dishes, is the latest North American delivery service to try out robots on sidewalks as a way of making shorter runs in congested urban centres quicker and more efficient than cars or bike couriers. 'Driving 20 minutes in downtown Toronto or downtown Markham, you know, that maybe means 10 feet, 50 feet,' Paul Sudarsan, Skip's VP of retail and new verticals, said in an interview on Wednesday. But the technology has been controversial, especially in Toronto. In 2021, a similar robot delivery project by Tiny Mile fizzled, after the city banned robots, or 'automated micro-utility devices,' on sidewalks and bike lanes over fears that they'd become a hazard to pedestrians with vision loss or mobility issues. The Skip test run is using human 'robot guides' who follow closely behind, keeping tabs on how the robots interact with the people they encounter on the sidewalk. A human pilot is also on hand, at an undisclosed overseas facility, to take remote control of the robot when they encounter an obstacle. 'They yield to pedestrians. They yield to wheelchairs. They yield to to strollers,' Sudarsan said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Asked whether the robots could potentially replace human couriers, he said they're only meant to compliment Skip's other delivery methods. 'Couriers will always be integral to our business,' he said. Skip's robot operations are run by Real Life Robotics, a firm based out of a startup incubator at the University of Waterloo. The company operates Skip's robot mission control out of a third-floor office in downtown Markham. Each night, after the robots end their shift at 9 p.m., a staff member comes down to meet them. RealLife Robotics CEO Cameron Waite, left, and head of growth Sharif Virani. 'This is very, very real,' Waite says of the bots being tested in Markham. 'The technology itself is mature. It's been tested. It's been vetted.' Steve Russell/ Toronto Star The robots enter 'follow me' mode and line up behind the human, like ducklings behind their mother, and together they walk into the lobby, up the elevator and into mission control for recharging and sterilization. On Tuesday, Real Life Robotics CEO Cameron Waite wanted to demonstrate how the whole thing worked. He opened the Skip app on his phone and ordered two croissants from a bakery across the street. Within a few minutes, on a large screen at the centre of the mission control room, Robot 4F140, who goes by Maple when interacting with the public, was assigned the order. At its home base, parked in a courtyard outside a bubble tea cafe, Robot 4F140 turned on and started rolling toward the bakery about a block away. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Now we're driving,' Waite said, watching a map on the screen as a little green icon representing 4F140 started moving. Waite started moving around to different windows in mission control, trying to spot 4F140 and its guide on the street below. 'It'll come out,' Waite said. 'He might take a left.' The robot crosses the street, which at this point in the trial is being done with assistance from a human pilot overseas (the company wouldn't say where the pilots are located.) But the robots have sensors to detect when a light turns green and it's safe to cross. The Skip app allows customers within a two-kilometre radius of downtown Markham to choose a robot for their delivery. Steve Russell/ Toronto Star 'This is very, very real. It's very capable,' Waite said, watching as the robot parked outside the bakery and waited for its guide to go in and collect the croissants. 'Now it's more about commercializing these operations. The technology itself is mature. It's been tested. It's been vetted.' Like other robots used for commercial deliveries, the orange Skip robots have human features. A digital screen on the front makes it look like they have eyes, which is meant to make locals accept the robots as a 'member of the community,' said Sharif Virani, head of growth at Real Life Robotics. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW If the machines are seen to have human qualities, they're less likely to be vandalized or stolen, he said. E-scooters, on the other hand, don't have human features and frequently have people 'throwing them around.' 'They didn't see it as part of the community,' Virani said. A few minutes later, Robot 4F140 arrived outside the office tower. Virani and Waite went down to meet it. They scanned the QR code on the robot, and a form popped up on the phone so they could type in the order number. After that, the lid opened and Virani took the croissants. As the robot headed back to its home base, at about five km/h, it came up to an older man and slowly swerved around him. The man smiled. 'That's what happens when you have that face,' Virani said, watching the robot and the man. 'If you didn't have a face there, there's nothing to smile at.' But shortly after the robot returned to its spot in courtyard, a middle-aged couple had a different reaction. 'We are too old to accept that,' said the woman. 'This robot's on the street?' her husband asked, shaking his head. 'Unbelievable.'
Globe and Mail
28-05-2025
- Globe and Mail
AI Innovations for Future-Ready Business Leaders
Event summary produced by The Globe and Mail Events team. The Globe's editorial department was not involved. AI is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, presenting organizations with both transformative opportunities and complex challenges. To stay ahead, business leaders and experts are seeking actionable insights on driving innovation, optimizing efficiency, and overcoming the hurdles of AI adoption. Success in this evolving landscape hinges on addressing critical factors such as regulatory compliance, ethical considerations, and seamless integration strategies—ensuring organizations unlock AI's full potential while mitigating risks. On Wednesday, May 21st, The Globe and Mail hosted a half-day hybrid event dedicated to exploring the most effective AI strategies in practice today. Through insightful discussions, industry leaders emphasized the importance of governance and safeguards while offering a forward-looking perspective on emerging innovations set to shape the future. Panelists and speakers shared groundbreaking solutions to help businesses maintain a competitive edge, providing strategies to enhance IT frameworks and maximize AI-driven investments. The event also spotlighted key themes such as data management and operational optimization, with thought-provoking conversations on harnessing AI for smarter decision-making and streamlined workflow efficiency. Missed the live event or would like to view it again? Scroll down to the video below. Speakers: The Globe and Mail presented the event with sponsor support from NOVIPRO Group. To learn about upcoming Globe and Mail events visit
