Canadian Business

Kyle Jeffers Toronto-based Jeffers specializes in still-life and product photography, cleverly juxtaposing disparate objects—the wackier, the better, he says. “I’m always looking for weirdness and oddities.” Sometimes that’s things like fruits and vegetables alongside tools you’d find in a hardware store. For CB, it was the above headstone in an idyllic field. Andrea Yu As a freelance journalist and contributing editor to Maclean’s and Toronto Life, Yu is a self-described generalist who loves writing human-interest stories. In “The New Hires” (p. 38), she profiles five Canadians who started working remotely for international companies during the pandemic. “It made me realize that remote working is here to stay,” says Yu. Vanessa Hill Inspired by her Mohawk heritage, Hill specializes in photography that shines a light on Indigenous perspectives. For CB, she…

In January, as we were getting ready to send this issue to press, Premier Doug Ford announced a plan to bolster for-profit health care in Ontario by investing in private clinics to reduce wait times and surgical backlogs. The move was met with criticism from medical professionals and opposition leaders, who argued it would push us insidiously close to a two-tiered medical system. But it wasn’t entirely surprising. When we couldn’t get to clinics and GPs’ offices during the pandemic, digital medical start-ups stepped in where government-funded services lagged in technology and scale. And the chronic underfunding of public health care means that those who can afford to use private services have continued to do so after the pandemic in order to avoid long wait times and, often, incomplete or…

CREATED FOR Canada’s rich tapestry of independently owned businesses is a huge point of pride. Independent businesses create opportunities, visibility and contribute in countless ways to the diversity of culture that’s an essential part of our national character. Here at BMO, we’re focused on championing entrepreneurs, one business at a time. That means helping to remove systemic barriers and improve access to support—including financing, educational resources and partnerships. Tailored to the needs of Black entrepreneurs, Business Within Reach: BMO for Black Entrepreneurs is specifically designed to propel Black businesses. More than a banking solution, for Ash Phillips and Miro LaFlaga, co-founders of the Montreal creative branding agency Six Cinquième, the program has provided a vital network that is helping them pay their success forward. Ash and Miro talk about their…

“Independent designers wear all the hats—from sewing to managing supply chains”—WARREN STEVEN SCOTT, PAGE 12 In 2020, more than one million Canadians used Tim Hortons’ mobile app to order their morning coffee. What they didn’t know was that the app was collecting their location data, even after they’d closed it. The federal privacy commissioner’s report from June 2022 found that the coffee chain had violated privacy laws, and the whole mess put a spotlight on the thorny issue of consumer-data collection. Here, Sharon Bauer, founder of Bamboo Data Consulting, and Oshoma Momoh, chief technical adviser at MaRS Discovery District, discuss how consumer data can help businesses—and how it can be collected responsibly. SHARON BAUER There’s nothing wrong with gathering location data for marketing and discounts if you get permission to…

I grew up in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. It was the ’90s, so Fashion File and FashionTelevision were always on. I was fascinated by these models walking down the runway in otherworldly looks. I ended up studying general sciences at college, but after my second year, I told my parents I wanted to try fashion design. They were excited for me, and my mom even helped me find a bridal seamstress on Craigslist to teach me how to sew. I applied to fashion school at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson). I made a pleated hourglass dress, but because I was a beginner, I cut the fabric along the weft for the grain line, so the stretch was vertical rather than crossways. Despite this mistake, I still managed to get…

01 Under the Influence “I listen to this podcast, hosted by Terry O’Reilly, while drafting and sewing in the studio.” 02 Mexico City “It’s on my list of places to travel for 2023. I’d like to try a jewellery or cooking class while I’m there.” 03 A silk blouse “I love the idea of throwing on a special-occasion blouse with jeans to go to the grocery store or even under an apron to cook.” 04 Jann Arden “The 25th anniversary of Arden’s Happy? has me listening to the new acoustic version of ‘Ode to a Friend’ on repeat.” 05 The work of Audie Murray “Murray, a Metis artist from Saskatchewan, adorns everyday objects like toilet paper rolls, socks and teabags with glass beads as a way to question what is…