Event

Securing Growth, Securing Canada: Strategic Investment Choices in a New Geopolitical Era

Virtual invitation-only member event

February 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. + Google + Apple + Outlook + Yahoo

Virtual - Zoom

Today, Canada faces a generational challenge: we must strengthen our economy and reaffirm our sovereignty amid a shifting geopolitical order. Through his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney put into words the opportunities created by the monumental shifts taking place on the world stage. While “the powerful have their power,” middle powers like Canada have something too: the power to “build or strength at home,” recognizing that building a strong domestic economy “should be every government’s immediate priority.”

PPF’s dual lens framework to identify high-impact sectors of the economy, introduced through our report, “Canada’s super sectors: A focused strategy for economic growth,” will provide a concrete, transparent and strategic guide for where governments should invest scarce resources for maximum return on investment.

When layered, these lenses put a spotlight on four sectors where economic and strategic centrality converge. They are:

Energy and natural resources (mining, oil and gas, utilities);
Manufacturing and advanced industrial production;
Transportation, warehousing and communications infrastructure; and
Professional, scientific and technical services (including information and communication technology; research and development).

On Monday, February 9, 2026, at 1:00 pm ET, join the Public Policy Forum (PPF) for a virtual conversation with report authors, Sean Speer and Trevor Tombe, to explore how PPF’s dual lens framework brings into focus the mission-critical sectors where Canada must focus to drive its national ambitions.

If you are a PPF Member and would like to register, please contact membership@ppforum.ca.

Speakers

Sean Speer

PPF Fellow

Sean Speer is PPF’s senior advisor of strategic competitiveness. He is also the editor at large at The Hub and a senior fellow at Carleton University’s Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management and the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. Sean previously served as a senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Trevor Tombe

PPF Fellow

Trevor Tombe is a professor at the University of Calgary’s Department of Economics and the Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at the School of Public Policy. He received his PhD in economics from the University of Toronto and undergraduate degree in finance from Simon Fraser University. His research explores a broad set of topics, from international trade to public finances to fiscal federalism.

He has published in top economics journals, is co-author of the textbooks Public Finance in Canada Macroeconomics, co-editor of the recent volume Fiscal Federalism in Canada, and co-director of Finances of the Nation. In addition to his academic work, he actively advises various governments on a wide range of issues and contributes to policy development and discussions through regular op-eds, articles and media engagement.

Moderator

Murielle Peyer

Senior Director, Policy, Public Policy Forum

Murielle Peyer brings a breadth of experience delivering complex policy and program initiatives at the federal and provincial levels, spanning areas that include intergovernmental affairs, trade and economic development, housing and social services.

Before joining PPF, Murielle led efforts to advance key elements of Canada’s National Housing Strategy as Senior Manager at both Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Prior to that, she held several roles within the Ontario Public Service, including as Senior Advisor to Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs — working with partners to advance the province’s interests in intergovernmental forums — and as Community Strategy Lead with the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Murielle started her public service journey with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, where her commitment to sound policy took root.

She holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University, a Certificate in Public Sector Management from York University, and an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Ottawa.

Murielle joined PPF in 2025.

This is a virtual invitation-only member event. If you are interested in learning more about membership, please contact the Business Development Team at membership@ppforum.ca.

PPF MEMBERS

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