Latest news with #BrandonUniversity
Calgary Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Balsillie tapped to help lead Manitoba's new technology task force
Article content Former BlackBerry Ltd. co-chief executive Jim Balsillie will help spearhead an innovation and productivity task force aimed at setting Manitoba's technology strategy, the government announced this week. Article content '(These) efforts will position Manitoba as a leader in 21st-century digital governance and economic competitiveness,' said Mike Moroz, Manitoba's innovation and new technology minister, who will co-chair the task force. Article content Article content 'But Donald Trump has laid bare the need for our businesses (provincially) and nationally to have more sovereign control,' Balsillie said. Article content That, he added, means controlling the AI, the related intellectual property and the companies that use it. Article content The task force is set to meet over the next six months and create a strategic plan that will act as a north star for the province's innovation and productivity efforts. Article content Other committee members include Manitoba Chamber of Commerce's Clara Buelow; Gautam Srivastava, a professor of computer science at Brandon University; and Debra Jonasson-Young, the executive director of entrepreneurship at the Asper School of Business. Article content Article content Prime minister Mark Carney recently announced the creation of Canada's first-ever cabinet for AI and digital innovation, appointing former journalist Evan Solomon to the role, signalling the importance of tech for this government. Article content Article content While Balsillie declined to say how much Manitoba would spend on its tech initiatives, the federal government's tech mandate means that 'you're going to see a lot of money on the table,' he said. Article content Alignment with Ottawa will be a major part of the group's work, but Balsillie said he is waiting to see how new Prime Minister Mark Carney's government follows through on his promise to transform the country's economy. Article content
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Province unveils innovation, productivity task force with eye on AI, IP
By the end of the year, Manitoba should have a strategy on artificial intelligence, data security and future innovation. The provincial government unveiled an innovation and productivity task force — comprised of industry members — to oversee the strategic plan's creation. 'The world has changed seismically over the last 30 years from a traditional production economy to one that's based on intangibles of intellectual property and artificial intelligence and data,' said Jim Balsillie, who will co-chair the new group with provincial Innovation Minister Mike Moroz. Balsillie chairs the Council of Canadian Innovators and is former co-chief executive of BlackBerry Ltd. The task force, which includes seven more members, will provide a swath of recommendations to government. Balsillie said he was tapped by Premier Wab Kinew months ago to spearhead a plan ensuring Manitoba's economy is 'prosperous and secure and safe' in the changing world. He and peers will look at potential protections as artificial intelligence use grows and the infrastructure needed to foster AI use. The group will delve into intellectual property and sovereignty within Manitoba. 'Being more sovereign, being more value-add, has been a priority for decades,' Balsillie said. 'But it's been laid bare in the last couple months.' The task force will meet every couple weeks over the next six months. The team held its first meeting Wednesday. Determining who to reach out to, and what, exactly, they need to research to fulfill the premier's vision is a journey they're just beginning, Balsillie relayed. The province listed government agencies, industry experts, researchers and Indigenous communities as groups that'll be involved in the strategy's creation. A plan should be completed by November, Balsillie confirmed. 'I have every confidence the everybody's stepping up and going to meet the deadline.' Gautam Srivastava, a Brandon University computer science professor, is one of the task force members. He researches artificial intelligence and data security and privacy. Srivastava considers it a 'strategic time' to be building such a report. 'Everyone wants a piece of this artificial intelligence and data analytics pie,' he said. 'I think our agility here in Manitoba, to create an ecosystem to provide that, could be really prosperous.' If Manitoba can offer computation and infrastructure for computation, it'll draw entrepreneurs, Srivastava said. He plans to research education opportunities — like additive post-secondary programs — in his task force position. Other task force members include Adam Herstein, a partner at Pitblado Law; Clara Buelow, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce communications director and previous lead of the Digital Manitoba Policy Initiative; Jacqueline Keena, managing director of Enterprise Machine Intelligence Learning Initiative (EMILI); Gerry Price, president of Price Industries; Debra Jonasson-Young, executive director of entrepreneurship at the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship in the University of Manitoba; and Ernest Cholakis, founder of Cholakis Dental Group. The province launched its department of innovation and new technology in November. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
MP-elect Jackson gets ovation for defying Tory advice
BRANDON — Grant Jackson defied advice from his party and it earned him a big round of applause during a debate at Brandon University prior to Monday's federal election. The cheers came after a panellist told the room that despite pressure from the Conservative Party of Canada not to participate in local debates, Jackson showed up to discuss issues in the Brandon-Souris riding. 'When it was made clear that he did, in fact, make the decision, probably at some potential personal and professional cost … voters really responded to that in a very positive way,' said Brandon University political science Prof. Kelly Saunders, who was a panellist at last week's debate. Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Files Conservative Party of Canada candidate Grant Jackson, who resigned as MLA for Spruce Woods in March to run federally, was one of the few Conservative candidates in the country to participate in a constituency debate when he took part in one at Brandon University prior to Monday's federal election. 'I think good on him for making the decision to do that. It was the right decision.' The applause was local to Brandon-Souris, but the sentiment behind it carries nationwide, Saunders said. A primary frustration for voters today, she said, is that candidates are placed under too much party discipline, and voters increasingly feel their representatives have to toe the party line. Jackson, who resigned as MLA for Spruce Woods in March to run federally, was one of the few Conservative candidates in the country to participate in a constituency debate, panellist Deveryn Ross told the audience. His appeal and reputation increased across party lines as he struck that chord with audience members, Saunders told the Brandon Sun. 'That's exactly what we saw play out,' Saunders said. 'I was talking afterwards to people that weren't necessarily supporters of the Conservative party and they were impressed with what Grant did. I think that just goes to show how desperate we are for that kind of realism in our politicians.' Jackson said his decision wasn't difficult. He said he was aligned with the Conservative platform and felt confident defending it — but he also sees local debates as crucial to elections. 'I think it is an important opportunity to be able to understand who the candidates are that are running,' Jackson said. 'If you're a voter, it's an opportunity to see how candidates react when they're questioned and sometimes receive some pushback on an answer, or how they articulate their views on a certain issue.' On election night, Jackson won the riding with 62.5 per cent of the vote, finishing nearly 17,500 votes ahead of Liberal candidate Ghazanfar Ali Tarar. NDP candidate Quentin Robinson finished third with 14.4 per cent. Some candidates have taken flak for skipping debates. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Sarnia News Today reported last month that Conservative incumbent Marilyn Gladu was the only candidate who was absent at the community's local debate. Gladu instead submitted a prepared statement, which 'was met with a smattering of boos' when it was read at the event. All six other candidates in the riding attended the debate, the newspaper reported. Despite her absence, Gladu was re-elected in her riding Monday night. The strategy can reflect poorly on a party, but it also has its upsides, Saunders said. With fewer candidates speaking off script at debates, a party has an easier time presenting a united, stable message to voters. During last week's debate, Jackson was questioned for two hours about topics such as taxes, policing and his personal strengths, alongside NDP candidate Robinson. Between them was an empty chair, laid out for Liberal candidate Ali Tarar, who did not attend, citing a family medical emergency. — Brandon Sun
CBC
08-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Brandon businesses look for ways to hire, retain young professionals in southwestern Manitoba
A Brandon University professor says southwestern Manitoba's biggest city needs to find a way to compete with urban centres when it comes to retaining young professionals. Manitoba faced an eight per cent net skill loss of young skilled workers, according to a 2024 Statistics Canada report. Cora Dupuis, Brandon University's co-operative education co-ordinator, said without community efforts to retain talent, the city of 54,000 and surrounding region's workforce will struggle. Individuals, institutions and government need to work together to create a strategy to track what's working when it comes to recruitment and retention of young professionals, she said. "We're big enough to make change, but we're small enough to have all the change-makers at the same table," said Dupuis. Growing up in rural Ontario, Dupuis was inundated with messages she had to leave to build her career — a message many young professionals still receive, she says. Dupuis wants to break that cycle, because when young people move away for work, Brandon loses out. "I can't help but think that if someone stood on a stage and said that there is room for you here, then my story would be different," Dupuis said. It's up to business owners and institutions like Brandon University to challenge those narratives and highlight how Brandon offers young people a place to grow their careers in an affordable community, Dupuis said. The city still has a small-town feel, so it's easier to make helpful connections, but it's also only a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Winnipeg, 200 kilometres to the east. Some businesses are already taking action. Through Brandon University's co-op program, local companies are meeting and hiring students to retain talent, she said. A challenge finding workers Brandon's Greenstone Building Products — a manufacturing plant making panels for the outer shell of buildings — is trying to catch young professionals as soon as they graduate, says business manager Tilda Fortier. Greenstone has about 60 employees, but it's been challenging getting roles filled. She says job vacancies can sit empty for more than a year — a problem worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. Greenstone has three programmers on site and five drafting seats. Fortier says all are from Manitoba, and partnerships with post-secondary programs like Dupuis's co-op program helped Greenstone make connections with the workers. "The solution … is to not let our talent go away to begin with," she said. "If we can engage with them right out of the gates and show them what the city has to offer professionals … we can avoid that drain." When it comes to recruiting and retaining employees they follow the golden rule of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," she said. "People like working here and they want their friends to come work with them." Andrew Suggett didn't see a future in Brandon until he connected with Greenstone while enrolled in computer sciences at Brandon University. Starting as an intern in 2021, he's now a full-time IT and software developer at the company. "I thought I would have to move to Vancouver or Toronto to find a tech job. But it turns out there's a lot of tech jobs in Brandon," he said. He's referred a friend to Greenstone, but others haven't been as lucky, moving to larger urban centres like Calgary because they can't find work, Suggett said. He's grateful he found a job at Greenstone because he gets to stay close to his family in Portage la Prairie, build his career and save money due to Brandon's lower cost of living. Suggett can see building a tech career in Brandon, but stressed businesses must connect with young professionals so they know they're needed in the city, he said. Connecting with youth Jennifer Ludwig, the Brandon Chamber of Commerce's vice-president and the president of Super Thrifty Drugs Canada, says concerns about skilled labour shortages are ongoing, and more businesses are trying to connect with young professionals like Suggett. In 2021, the province's Manitoba Labour Market Outlook said the southwest region — including Brandon — had a workforce of 55,700 individuals and more than 7,200 job openings. While businesses are tapping into Assiniboine College and Brandon University to help train and get people into the workforce, there are still some obstacles, said Ludwig. Super Thrifty needs pharmacists, but competing with bigger cities is a struggle, she said. The business needs to fill six positions, and has been looking for a couple of years. There's no pharmacy school in Brandon, which makes recruitment harder. She said one of the biggest challenges is perception, as many falsely believe Brandon lacks career opportunities and the excitement of larger centres. Ludwig wants to help change the narrative by showing everything Brandon has to offer those starting their careers. "They're the ones that are going to be carrying the torches of … [businesses] that were built by stakeholders that started them years ago," she said. "We need those young people to carry them forward."
CBC
15-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Brandon University students, instructors take a stand against DEI pushback in U.S.
Social Sharing Students, teachers and advocates at southwestern Manitoba's largest university say they're taking a stand against the growing political pushback against equity, diversity and inclusion. President Donald Trump signed a series of sweeping executive orders that effectively dismantle federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the United States in his first week back in the Oval office. Brandon University student Eden-Lee Mitchell worries anti-DEI politics and policies could grow in Canada. "Every single part of my identity … is kind of under attack a lot of the time in politics right now," said Mitchell, who identifies as a transgender man and has autism and ADHD. "It's just important to me that those parts and those factors of my identity are recognized, because they're very important parts that impact me daily." Nora Wilson, an associate professor at the university, echoed Mitchell's concerns. She says right now she's fighting for her identity to be valued and recognized as a trans woman. She thinks the rhetoric coming out of the United States has emboldened conservatives in Canada to target marginalized communities politically. Wilson says she's terrified for the future because equity, diversity and inclusion has become a powerful political issue that's already hurting marginalized communities. She says it's frustrating and upsetting because it's a constant battle against misinformation. "This fight is not just for marginalized communities … we need allies," Wilson said. "We want more people to join us because what those in power want is to divide us and to pit us against each other." Wilson says her students — especially those who belong to marginalized groups — are scared because they see a future that includes the erosion of their rights and the amplification of violence. Ariane Hanemaayer, vice president of equity with the Brandon University Faculty Association, says while the university has fostered a safe community on campus, she already sees people feeling emboldened by anti-DEI political messaging. "We need to act right away … What we risk is losing a lot of that ground that we've tried to create," she said. "These environments that give the possibility of equal access to resources to lots of different communities to see people … actualize their full potential." Fighting back against discrimination Hanemaayer likened this messaging to political dog whistles against the rights of women, the gender-diverse, people of colour and others. The faculty association has been pushing officially to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion since 2023. It reformulated its executive to have members who represent different groups, including an equity member and Indigenous member, and other members who can represent visible minority members, says association president Gautam Srivastava. Diversity, equity and inclusion were included in contract negotiations with the university in 2024 to ensure the university and the association better represent equity-deserving members, he said. It also created a committee to review five years of hires within the union to try to rectify any salary anomalies that equity-deserving members have faced. "We want to be ahead of this because we think it's important and we want to help represent unions all across Canada that show that EDI is important and that they can take similar initiatives," Srivastava said. Srivastava says the faculty association is taking what's happening in the U.S. to heart and actively fighting hateful rhetoric about DEI. He likes to think Canada will remain strong, but cautions Canadians are not inoculated against this type of political rhetoric. Power of community Janis Kim, a Brandon University alumna, says the political attacks on DEI speak to rising levels of fascism in the world that have her worried for Canada's future. She says language is being warped to make diversity, equity and inclusion seem like dangerous things. "That's making me feel very scared because it's changing the narrative of what it actually means," Kim said. "People in power who want to stay in power with the rise of fascism, they want to divide people. And I think finding the humanity in each other is really important." Mitchell says it's scary because it feels like the world is going backwards when it comes to keeping everyone safe. He worries that with the upcoming federal elections in Canada, there could be a shift in the country based on the political party in charge that compromises his safety and freedom: "It's worrying to see just because I want my identity to be more important to people than the price of their gas."
