Canada25

Canada25 was a Canadian non-profit and non-partisan policy organization focused primarily on engaging people in their twenties and early thirties in public debate. Founded in 2001 by a small group of recent Queen's University graduates, it sought to give younger Canadians a structured role in discussing national priorities and developing practical policy ideas. Rather than functioning as a political party, advocacy campaign, commercial consultancy or permanent think tank, Canada25 used forums, regional roundtables, research and published reports to connect young professionals and other participants with questions affecting Canada's long-term direction. The organization began by addressing the movement of highly educated Canadians abroad, commonly described at the time as human capital flight or the brain drain. Its first national forum took place in Muskoka in May 2001. The resulting report, A New Magnetic North: How Canada Can Attract and Retain Talent, argued that retaining Canadian talent and attracting international talent required more than economic incentives. It called for an innovation-oriented culture that created challenging opportunities, recognized achievement and enabled individuals to use their skills, alongside strong social institutions and a healthy cultural and physical environment. Canada25 then broadened its work to the relationship between cities and national prosperity. Building Up: Making Canada's Cities Magnets for Talent and Engines of Development, published in 2002, drew on a national forum near Victoria, British Columbia, and 11 regional roundtables. It identified dense, mixed-use urban cores, social and cultural diversity, and opportunities for discovery and innovation as characteristics that could make cities attractive to talented young people. The organization also produced regional studies including work on Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg, and examined issues such as Alberta's economic prospects and Canada's response to the Kyoto Protocol. Its third national report, From Middle to Model Power: Recharging Canada's Role in the World, published in 2004, considered how the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the North American Free Trade Agreement had changed the relationship between individuals, markets, institutions and foreign policy. The report argued that citizens, companies and self-organizing groups could influence Canada's international role in ways that challenged traditional state-centred diplomacy. It also addressed global markets, Canadian business and consumer activity, military intervention criteria and postwar reconstruction expertise. Canada25's final national report was Canadians and the Common Good: Building a Civic Nation Through Civic Engagement, published in 2007. Based on a 2006 Calgary national forum and 13 roundtables held in locations across North America, it proposed 20 recommendations intended to increase youth participation in civic life. Topics included ceremonies or events marking the transition to adulthood, greater use of the Internet in elections, tax treatment of contributions to non-profit organizations, and the renewal of public spaces and civic facilities. After six years of operations, Canada25 closed in 2007 because it could not secure a stable source of funding. Its legacy consists primarily of its four national policy reports, regional publications and a model of youth-oriented, non-partisan policy engagement.

Canada25 emerged in 2001 from a group of recent Queen's University graduates who wanted to create a stronger role for younger Canadians in national policy discussions. The organization was non-profit and non-partisan, and its principal method was participatory policy development: it convened forums, conducted consultations, organized regional roundtables and published reports based on the resulting discussions and research. Its core audience consisted mainly of people between approximately 20 and 30 years old, although its work addressed broader Canadian institutions and public-policy communities. The first major initiative was a forum held in Muskoka in May 2001. Its central concern was the loss of educated and ambitious Canadians to opportunities abroad. Canada25's first report, A New Magnetic North: How Canada Can Attract and Retain Talent, treated the brain drain as a problem involving culture, institutions and quality of life as well as employment. It argued that Canada needed an innovation culture with challenging opportunities, recognition for success and room for individuals to apply their skills and ideas. It also emphasized social strength and a healthy cultural and physical environment. In 2002, Canada25 turned to cities and their role in attracting and retaining talent. Building Up: Making Canada's Cities Magnets for Talent and Engines of Development followed a national forum near Victoria, British Columbia, and 11 regional roundtables. The report linked urban design and civic culture to economic development, highlighting dense mixed-use cores, social and cultural diversity, and opportunities for discovery and innovation. Related regional projects addressed Montreal's renewal, Vancouver's ability to attract talent and the perspectives of young talent in Winnipeg. The organization also examined the Kyoto Protocol and Alberta's development prospects. The 2004 report From Middle to Model Power: Recharging Canada's Role in the World extended Canada25's approach to foreign policy. It argued that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the North American Free Trade Agreement had helped place individuals and markets at the centre of important political and economic changes. As a result, Canadian citizens, companies, consumers and self-organizing groups could act both as influences on and instruments of the country's international role. The report called for a reconsideration of traditional diplomatic institutions, discussed the international effects of Canadian business and consumption, criticized the lack of predictability in military deployment strategy, and supported transparent intervention criteria and specialized postwar-reconstruction expertise. Canada25's fourth and final national report, published in 2007, was Canadians and the Common Good: Building a Civic Nation Through Civic Engagement. It was based on research connected with a 2006 national forum in Calgary and 13 member roundtables held in different locations across North America. The report offered 20 recommendations intended to deepen civic participation among young people. Its subjects included public recognition of the transition to adulthood, online election tools, tax reform related to non-profit contributions, and investment in public spaces and civic facilities. The organization completed dozens of regional projects during its existence and developed a recognizable model of youth-led, evidence-informed public discussion. It ended operations in 2007, after six years, when it was unable to establish a stable funding base. No successor organization or continuing commercial parent is identified in the available reference material.

• 2007

  Final national report is published

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Canadians and the Common Good presented 20 recommendations intended to strengthen civic engagement among young Canadians.

• 2007

  Operations end

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Canada25 closed after six years because it lacked a stable source of funding.

• 2004

  From Middle to Model Power is published

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  The third national report reconsidered Canada's international role in light of the influence of individuals, markets, companies and civic groups.

• 2002

  Building Up is published

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  The second national report applied the talent-retention question to cities and identified density, diversity and urban discovery as important advantages.

• 2001

  Canada25 is founded

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  A small group of recent Queen's University graduates established the non-profit and non-partisan organization to involve younger Canadians in public-policy discussions.

• 2001

  First Muskoka engagement forum

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Canada25 held its first engagement forum in Muskoka in May, focusing on human capital flight and the retention of talented Canadians.

• 2001

  A New Magnetic North is published

  [1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  The first national report proposed an innovation-friendly culture and supportive social, cultural and physical conditions as ways to attract and retain talent.

A youth-oriented, non-partisan Canadian policy and civic-engagement organization that used research, consultation and public forums to develop practical ideas for Canada's social, economic, urban and international future.

• National policy report · 2001

  A New Magnetic North: How Canada Can Attract and Retain Talent

  Canada25's first national report examined the loss of skilled Canadians and the challenge of attracting global talent. It argued that talent policy should combine innovation, challenging opportunities and recognition of achievement with strong social institutions and a healthy cultural and physical environment.

• Urban policy report · 2002

  Building Up: Making Canada's Cities Magnets for Talent and Engines of Development

  The second national report explored how cities could attract young professionals and support development. Drawing on a national forum and 11 regional roundtables, it emphasized dense mixed-use cores, social and cultural diversity, and opportunities for discovery and innovation.

• Foreign-policy report · 2004

  From Middle to Model Power: Recharging Canada's Role in the World

  This report examined Canada's changing international role and the growing influence of individuals, markets, businesses and civic groups. It also addressed global markets, military intervention criteria and the development of specialized Canadian expertise in postwar reconstruction.

• Civic-engagement report · 2007

  Canadians and the Common Good: Building a Civic Nation Through Civic Engagement

  Canada25's final national report proposed 20 measures to increase participation in civic life. Its recommendations included marking the transition to adulthood, expanding Internet use in elections, reforming tax treatment of non-profit contributions and renewing public spaces and civic facilities.

• Regional policy research

  Regional policy projects

  Canada25 produced numerous regional projects covering healthcare, climate policy, urban development and economic opportunity. Identified examples include Investing in the Next Alberta, Cooling the Hot Air: Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, Batir pour l'avenir: A Montreal Renaissance, Ripe With Potential: Vancouver as a Destination For Talent and Views From Young Talent in Winnipeg.

• 2007

  End operations after failing to secure stable fundingStrategy

  Background

  After six years of policy research, forums and regional consultations, Canada25 did not have a stable funding source to continue its work.

  Action taken

  The organization closed its doors in 2007.

  Aftermath

  Its four national reports and regional projects remained as its principal public record. No continuing parent organization is identified in the available material.

  Source

• 2007

  Canada25 publishes its final national policy report[1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Canadians and the Common Good presented 20 recommendations for strengthening youth participation and civic life, including proposals concerning elections, non-profit donations and public spaces.

• 2007

  Canada25 closes after six years of operation[1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy

  The organization ceased operations because it lacked a stable funding source.

• 2004

  Canada25 publishes a report on Canada's international role[1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  From Middle to Model Power explored how individuals, markets, companies and civic groups were reshaping Canada's foreign-policy environment and also discussed military intervention and postwar reconstruction.

• 2002

  Canada25 examines cities as engines of talent and development[1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization published Building Up after a national forum and 11 regional roundtables, focusing on urban characteristics that could attract young professionals and support economic development.

• 2001

  Canada25 publishes its first national report on attracting and retaining talent[1]Canada25en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following its first national forum in Muskoka, Canada25 released A New Magnetic North, a report on the brain drain and the conditions needed to retain talented Canadians and attract international talent.

1. 1Canada25en.wikipedia.org