Olivier Legault of Rues Principales highlighted that the communities which emerged strongest from past crises—such as the COVID-19 pandemic—were those with a strong local customer base. He cautioned that trends like “buy local” often surge in response to crises but tend to fade without sustained policy support. Legault advocated for long-term strategies centered on densifying…

Alkarim Devani stressed the importance of public education in addressing Canada’s housing crisis, particularly around the misunderstood concept of “missing middle” housing. His company, mddl, has engaged with over 700 participants through intensive training to demystify the development process. Devani argued that enabling homeowners—especially older Canadians—to become small-scale developers could catalyze a transformation of underused…