Confederation of Tomorrow 2.0

The Mowat Centre hosted the Confederation of Tomorrow 2.0 conference in Toronto on December 11-13, 2017. Over 200 people attended sessions examining the key issues and emerging challenges that are shaping Canada’s future, and the advantages that provincial leadership offers in addressing them. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the original Confederation of Tomorrow conference, a summit of provincial leaders hosted by Ontario’s John P. Robarts which played a crucial role in the evolution of Canadian federalism.

Photos and (where available) videos from each of the conference sessions can be accessed through the links below.

Conference Recaps

Premiers Panel Video

Videos of all Day 1 panels are in recap posts above

Photos

Confederation of Tomorrow Reports

Portraits 2017

December 20, 2017 | Mowat Centre

A Fresh Look at Public Opinion and Federalism

This sesquicentennial year has provided Canadians with an opportunity to celebrate their country’s achievements, to consider how it has changed and to reflect on how it needs to adapt to current and pending challenges. Read More

Balance of Risks

December 11, 2017 | Mowat Centre

Vertical Fiscal Imbalance and Fiscal Risk in Canada

Provincial governments have responsibility for delivering most of Canada’s important social programs, whereas the federal government has the discretion to pick and choose how much it wants to spend to support them at any given time. This results in a fundamental imbalance in the amount of “fiscal risk” federal and provincial governments are exposed to. Read More

Portraits 2017 Reports

Portraits 2017: Regional Differences in Ontario

February 21, 2019 | Mowat Centre Most Ontarians believe that urban and rural Canadians have different values. Our new analysis of data from an Ontario-wide survey conducted in November 2017 shows that, on most issues in Ontario, such an urban-rural divide is not evident. Read More

Portraits 2017: Economic Security and the Social Safety Net

October 30, 2018 | Mowat Centre A decade after the financial crisis of 2008, many Ontarians remain somewhat uncertain about the future, expressing concerns about job security and opportunities for economic mobility, and mixed views about their social safety net. This is the main finding from a new Mowat report analyzing our Portraits 2017 survey data. Read More

Portraits 2017: International Trade & Globalization

March 28, 2018 | Mowat Centre Most Ontarians support international trade agreements and a majority of Ontarians support more rapid globalization. These are among the main findings in the latest report from Mowat’s Portraits 2017 survey series. Read More

Portraits 2017: Immigration & Diversity

March 6, 2018 | Mowat Centre Most Ontarians remain comfortable with current levels of immigration and with the province’s growing diversity, and there is increasing support for welcoming those fleeing conflicts. Read More

Portraits 2017

December 20, 2017 | Mowat Centre

A Fresh Look at Public Opinion and Federalism

This sesquicentennial year has provided Canadians with an opportunity to celebrate their country’s achievements, to consider how it has changed and to reflect on how it needs to adapt to current and pending challenges. Read More

Confederation of Tomorrow Background

In November 1967, the Premier of Ontario convened the landmark Confederation of Tomorrow conference. The event allowed political leaders from all ten provinces to share their perspectives on the country’s promising future and identify priorities for change. The conference laid the foundations for a stronger federation amid the energy and excitement of the country’s centennial.

Fifty years later, the need for provincial leadership in Canada is stronger than ever. From equipping citizens with the skills needed in a society increasingly driven by advanced technologies, to building liveable cities, to providing health care, child care and care for the elderly in a sustainable manner, to transitioning to a post-carbon economy, to building a new relationship with Indigenous peoples, to responding to shifting global patterns of migration, the issues that are shaping Canada’s future are ones that necessitate a visionary response from provincial governments.

Confederation of Tomorrow 2.0 marked the 50th anniversary of the original Confederation of Tomorrow by assessing how provinces can initiate innovative policy responses to these key issues.
 

Event Partners

Related Content

Confederation of Tomorrow 2.0 feature on The Agenda

December 14, 2017 | Mowat Centre Coinciding with the Mowat Centre's Confederation of Tomorrow 2.0 conference, The Agenda discusses the challenges of Canadian federation, and the concerns of the various provinces, territories, and Indigenous groups. Read More

Confederation of Tomorrow Conference, 1967, Background Papers

December 6, 2017 | Mowat Centre Key documents from the original Confederation of Tomorrow Conference. Read More

Robarts’ leadership in unifying the country 50 years ago should be celebrated

November 27, 2017 | Mowat Centre The history books will say that the Confederation of Tomorrow conference was about the Constitution, the Quiet Revolution, official bilingualism, or the expansion of provincial powers. But at its heart, the conference was really about two things: leadership and dialogue. Read More

Video: Quebec’s Place in Canada

October 18, 2017 | Mowat Centre On The Agenda with Steve Paikin, Jean-Marc Fournier, Quebec minister for Canadian relations, joins The Agenda to discuss the government document: “Quebecers: Our Way of Being Canadian.” Read More