Government of Canada announces fund that will have a real impact for the middle class

$755-million investment will launch Canada’s first Social Finance Fund

 

Mississauga, Ontario - Canada’s economy is strong and growing, with more jobs and opportunities for the middle class and people working hard to join it. There are more good, well-paying jobs for Canadians, wages are growing, consumer confidence is strong and business profits are up—good news for Canadians and the communities they call home.

 

Minister Navdeep Bains was in Mississauga, Ontario, to highlight the Fall Economic Statement 2018, which updates Canadians on results already delivered by the Government’s investments and lays out the next steps in the Government’s plan to grow the economy by investing in middle-class jobs.

 

In the Fall Economic Statement 2018, the Government of Canada proposes to support innovative solutions to some of Canada’s big challenges through a Social Finance Fund that will give charitable, non-profit and social-purpose organizations access to new financing and connect them with non-government investors. The Social Finance Fund is expected to help create thousands of jobs, foster economic growth and help build a more equal and fair Canada.

 

The new Social Finance Fund is a significant first step toward ensuring community organizations are provided with new tools and funds they need to solve the big challenges they are facing, such as the opioid crisis, homelessness and long-term unemployment.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.