%20(3).png)
On this week’s episode of Free Lunch by The Peak, we sat down with Tyler Meredith to talk about how the federal government puts its budgets together. Before becoming a partner at Meredith Boessenkool Policy Advisors, Tyler was one of the driving forces behind no fewer than six federal budgets and served as the top economic advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and two finance ministers.
Get smarter about what matters.
Sign up for the free 5-minute daily email on Canadian business, tech, and finance that you'll actually enjoy reading.
%20(11).jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
Canadian screenwriters are making moves towards a possible strike. (But don’t worry, it won’t impact your favourite Canadian content: this newsletter.)
Driving the news: For the first time in its 33-year history, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) has voted to authorize a strike if it can’t reach a deal with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) that secures things like better pay and protections against AI.
.gif)
As travel season shifts into high gear, Venice is asking visitors to cough up some extra cash before hopping on any gondolas.
What happened: Venice’s pilot for the first-of-its-kind ticketing system for day trippers began this week. For 29 high-traffic days this year, tourists visiting but not staying overnight must buy a €5 ticket to enter.
.png)
Investors who were unnerved yesterday morning ended up sleeping easy, thanks to some better-than-expected financials from major tech companies.
.png)
A lot of new technology goes through an initial “what is this good for” stage, but when it comes to generative AI, some folks are getting impatient for an answer.
.png)
Parameters are connections between data in an AI model. Developers refine parameters to guide an AI’s behaviour — giving connections more or less weight tells the AI that certain data and actions are more important than others.
%20(1).jpg)
The market for cigarettes might be going up in smoke, but Big Tobacco has new products ready to take their place.
Driving the news: Tobacco giants Philip Morris and Altria both posted revenues last quarter that blew past analyst estimates thanks to booming demand for smoke-free cigarette alternatives like nicotine pouches and heated tobacco sticks.
Even with AI tools, highly caffeinated beverages, and a roster of podcasts eager to tell us all how to work “smarter,” Canadians are in a bit of a productivity slump.
Driving the news: Canada’s economic output per person has fallen below its long-term trend by 7% — a loss of around $4,200 per person — according to a new report by Statistics Canada.
.jpg)
Like a rapper officially releasing a leaked diss track, Honda has dropped a long-awaited project that’s making waves throughout the industry.
What happened: Honda officially announced its $15 billion electric vehicle investment plan in Ontario, with designs to build four — count ’em, four — new EV plants in the province. The federal government touted the move as the “largest auto investment in Canada’s history.”
