Latest from James Dunne
AI and robotic arms flex new tech muscles to boost lagging home construction in Canada
Entrepreneurs who are adapting robotic arms used for manufacturing automobiles to help with homebuilding say the construction industry in Canada needs to innovate. Using robots to do more on construction sites could speed things up and help with the shortage of skilled labour.
A huge hack of U.S. phone companies means your text messages may not be safe
After a massive cyberattack on U.S. telecom firms and dozens of countries by a hacker group backed by China, security experts are worried about communication networks and even the privacy of text messaging for individual citizens.
Walmart is the largest retailer to roll back diversity policies. What might it mean for Canadian employees?
Walmart, the world's largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists. It's not clear what impact these changes will have at Walmart Canada.
Free transit actually is a thing, and you might be surprised where
While public transit in many Canadian cities is struggling with rising fares and falling ridership, one Ontario community has more than doubled its transit use in the past two years. Orangeville has made its buses free, joining a list of much larger communities that have gone fare-free.
Uber started using 'algorithmic pricing' in Canada. Is that a good or bad thing?
Uber rolled out a new pay model this week in Ontario, where an AI-powered algorithm determines what drivers earn beyond the distance and duration of each ride. The new pay was launched in B.C. last month and has been used in the U.S. for two years, where worker advocates and drivers say it's a bad deal for them that also hurts consumers.
Could free therapy help more entrepreneurs succeed?
A survey from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) found that 24 per cent of entrepreneurs are struggling with their mental health, and that the numbers are even higher for younger, diverse and female entrepreneurs. Now, the BDC and other organizations are providing free therapy for business owners in need.
Corporations are buying local vet clinics — raising questions about price, choice and quality of care
Large and often international companies have been snapping up local clinics around Canada, raising questions come about who's in control of animal care, costs and the future of the independent vet.
Can a Canadian ride-hailing startup compete with Uber and Lyft?
A new ride-hailing app promising fair pay to drivers is launching today, starting in the Toronto area, to take on Uber and Lyft. The company believes it will attract drivers by paying them 100 per cent of fares and charging only a membership fee to work for the service.
What could a $5B government loan program do? Turn Indigenous communities into powerful investors
Indigenous leaders say a new loan guarantee program from the federal government, announced last week in the 2024 budget, will be a huge boost for economic reconciliation.
Finance deal struck help Indigenous communities build infrastructure
The Canada Infrastructure Bank has signed a $100-million deal with the First Nations Bank of Canada to help Indigenous communities borrow money to build infrastructure.