The Quay, 100 Queens Quay E, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1Y3
In Person
Amid global uncertainty, Ontario businesses are increasingly recognizing the need to integrate our national economy. Regulatory fragmentation and inconsistent standards hinder the flow of goods, services, and talent, leading to operational delays, increased costs, and missed opportunities.
Federal and provincial government leaders have begun taking steps to integrate Canada’s regional economies, including adopting several legislative tools and signing the landmark Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods (CMRA). Despite welcome progress, however, the work is far from done.
This invitation-only event will bring together 100 of Ontario’s most influential business leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders to develop a roadmap for national economic integration.
Through a series of working roundtable sessions, participants will design solutions to bypass barriers and identify strategies for building a unified Canadian market. Findings from this event will form the basis of a call-to-action to government to establish a business-forward blueprint for a more resilient and integrated country.
As Canada’s largest provincial economy and a hub for innovation and trade, Ontario has both the leverage and responsibility to lead reforms that streamline cross-border commerce and workforce movement. Addressing interprovincial barriers will strengthen Ontario’s competitiveness and contribute to a stronger, more unified, and prosperous Canadian economy.
Agenda
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration and Networking
9:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Welcome Remarks
Giles Gherson
President & CEO
Toronto Region Board of Trade
9:10 AM – 9:15 AM
Opening Remarks
Kelly Hoey
Executive Director
Halton Industry Education Council /
ApprenticeSearch.com
9:15 AM – 9:40 AM
Opening Panel Discussion
Competitive Ontario, Unified Canada
Realizing a unified national market
requires Ontario to match the boldest reforms seen
across the country. This panel convenes leading
policy voices from beyond Ontario’s borders to
deliver a candid assessment of the progress made
in dismantling internal trade barriers. By drawing
on successful models from other jurisdictions,
speakers will pinpoint the critical policy areas
where Ontario’s leadership is most needed to drive
lasting, meaningful change.
Prabha Ramaswamy
Chief Executive Officer
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
Shauna Feth
President & CEO
Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Moderated by:
Daniel Tisch
President & CEO
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
9:40 AM – 9:50 AM
Break
9:50 AM – 10:55 AM
Roundtable Break-Out Sessions
-
Labour mobility
Ontario must spearhead a borderless national labour market to resolve critical workforce shortages and secure our competitive edge. This session will identify regulatory reforms required for the seamless movement of talent, with participants evaluating how to eliminate licensing redundancies and administrative hurdles impacting priority sectors, from health to mining to construction. -
Housing & Construction
Harmonizing building codes and permitting systems presents an opportunity to accelerate how we build housing and infrastructure across Canada. This session will identify disparate requirements and codes that delay timelines and drive up costs. Participants will discuss the digital integration of interoperable permitting and licensing systems and the adoption of uniform standards for housing across the continuum, with a view of empowering Ontario’s construction sector to meet urgent housing demands. -
Transportation
Standardizing the rules governing Canada’s transportation networks is essential to Ontario’s role as the central hub for national trade. This session will focus on the technical and regulatory requirements for a seamless national trade corridor, linking Western resources and Eastern ports through Ontario’s strategic infrastructure. Participants will assess policy gaps in trucking, rail, marine, and air connectivity, with a view of enabling synchronous multi-modal transportation from coast-to-coast-to-coast. -
Food, Beverages & Goods
Eliminating protectionist barriers and regulatory overlap is essential to scaling Ontario’s goods and services across the national market. This session will discuss market access challenges across jurisdictions, with a particular focus on regulatory overlaps than can stifle growth in the food and beverage sectors. Participants will evaluate barriers to digital commerce and direct-to-consumer beverage alcohol sales, and discuss the role the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods will play in enabling Ontario’s high-growth industries to compete without penalty. -
Capital Mobility
Deepening Canada’s capital markets can unlock the investment required for large-scale economic growth. This session will identify the regulatory barriers to interprovincial capital formation and the administrative hurdles that restrict firms from investing across provincial lines. Participants will consider how harmonizing securities regulations and streamlining the flow of private investment can ensure Ontario remains a primary engine for national prosperity.
10:55 AM – 11:05 AM
Break
11:05 AM – 11:10 AM
Video Remarks
Hon. Victor Fedeli
Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation
& Trade
11:10 AM – 11:50 AM
Plenary Session
Roundtable moderators will reconvene on stage with Ryan Manucha, Research Fellow on Interprovincial Trade, C.D. Howe Institute, to unpack findings and lay the groundwork for clear calls to action.
11:50 AM – 11:55 AM
Remarks
Hon. Ali Ehsassi, MP
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade,
Intergovernmental Affairs, and One Canadian
Economy
11:55 AM – 12:05 PM
Closing Remarks
Daniel Tisch
President & CEO
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
* Please note that, while every effort will be made to accommodate specific requests, participants will be assigned to roundtables by the organizers.
Speakers
Tickets & Registration
This event is free and requires registration.