Category: Canada

Canada, Economics, EU

EU and Canada plan far-reaching alliance to strengthen partnership

Colin Henderson

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce the plans on Sept. 16 EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds a press conference in Nuuk, Greenland, on Sept. 7, 2026. Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images The European Union and Canada are working toward a new, all-encompassing relationship that will range from trade to security, as the transatlantic partners seek to build a new alliance to offset the global power politics dominated by the U.S. and China. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the top executive of the EU, is expected … Continue reading EU and Canada plan far-reaching alliance to strengthen partnership

Canada, Payments

Real time, real possibilities: 60 per cent of Canadian businesses ready to adopt real-time payments

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ August 20, 2026 Author Jon Purther Director, Research, Payments Canada Jon’s career encompasses more than 25 years of senior management experience in forensic research and strategic marketing management, including domestic and international assignments. With Payments Canada, Jon is spearheading a team involved in both strategic foresight and product/market research. Key takeaways:  Canada’s Real-Time Rail (RTR), a new piece of critical national payment infrastructure, is scheduled to launch in Q4 2026, following a comprehensive testing period, which will enable system participants to offer new, efficient payment options to businesses.  60 per cent of Canadian businesses are ready to adopt … Continue reading Real time, real possibilities: 60 per cent of Canadian businesses ready to adopt real-time payments

Canada, Payments

Financial flexibility: The power and potential of real-time payments for Canadian consumers

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ August 17, 2026 Author Jon Purther Director, Research, Payments Canada Jon’s career encompasses more than 25 years of senior management experience in forensic research and strategic marketing management, including domestic and international assignments. With Payments Canada, Jon is spearheading a team involved in both strategic foresight and product/market research. Research shows appeal and readiness for real-time payments across demographics and payment scenarios. Key takeaways: Canada’s Real-Time Rail (RTR), a new piece of critical national payment infrastructure, is scheduled to launch in Q4 2026 after a comprehensive testing period, introducing faster and more efficient ways for Canadians to pay … Continue reading Financial flexibility: The power and potential of real-time payments for Canadian consumers

Canada, Payments

Why Canadian payments platform Moneris is being sold to U.S. private equity

Colin Henderson

 Summary ​ Uday Rana2:07 Canadian commercial solutions and payment processing platform Moneris will soon have a new owner in an American private equity firm. Moneris, one of Canada’s largest commerce solutions providers, is jointly owned by the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada. American private equity firm Francisco Partners, which specializes in dealing with technology companies, will buy the platform for $2 billion, Moneris said in a statement. RBC and BMO will each get a 50 per cent share from the Moneris sale. Both banks saw their shares jump on Monday. Partnering with the U.S. private equity firm will … Continue reading Why Canadian payments platform Moneris is being sold to U.S. private equity

AI, AI_regulation, Canada, EU, Europe, Frontier_AI, Innovation, US

AI sovereignty at G7: Europe’s structural complaint goes formal

Colin Henderson

AI sovereignty at G7: Europe’s structural complaint goes formal European leaders arrived at Évian with a specific grievance: US AI export controls — including the Mythos export restrictions — have exposed European dependence on American cloud, chip, and AI infrastructure. Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez (who acquired Aleph Alpha) framed the session goal as expanding sovereign AI ecosystem partnerships to all G7 nations. The EU AI Act high-risk compliance deadline of 2 August 2026 is six weeks away. New today: CNBC reports that Mythos and GPT-5.5 Cyber export controls have “changed everything” in the transatlantic AI relationship; the G7 AI session … Continue reading AI sovereignty at G7: Europe’s structural complaint goes formal

AI, Business Models, Canada, EU

The EU is attempting to decapitalise its 80%+ dependency on non-EU digital infrastructure by regulating procurement, incentivising domestic production, and legislating cloud sovereignty criteria.

Colin Henderson

Re from today’s briefing : Why it matters: ⚑ This is a structural break, not an incremental policy. The EU is attempting to decapitalise its 80%+ dependency on non-EU digital infrastructure by regulating procurement, incentivising domestic production, and legislating cloud sovereignty criteria. At the same time, Brussels is acknowledging it is in a three-way technology contest with the US and China. Long-term implications for US hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) operating in Europe are significant. Renew Europe bloc called it “a step when we needed a leap” — the debate over how binding the measures will be is just beginning.” … Continue reading The EU is attempting to decapitalise its 80%+ dependency on non-EU digital infrastructure by regulating procurement, incentivising domestic production, and legislating cloud sovereignty criteria.

Canada, regulation

OSFI Annual Risk Outlook 2027

Colin Henderson

OSFI Introduction Current risk environment Global markets continue to experience episodes of volatility as investors shift between exuberance and sharp selloffs often triggered by geopolitical events. The Canadian economy continues to contend with the negative impacts of the current geopolitical and trade environments. To date, subdued growth and a softer labour market, particularly in regions most impacted by the changing trade dynamics, have characterized our risk environment. While considerable progress is underway to address these challenges, near-term economic threats remain. Geopolitics can act as a driver of risk and can trigger scenarios that have negative outcomes. In this uncertain environment, … Continue reading OSFI Annual Risk Outlook 2027

AI, Business Models, Canada, EU, Geopolitics, NATO, unbanked, US

Morning Briefing — Tuesday, April 14, 2026 · 07:51 EST · 1,285 words

Colin Henderson

Today’s environment is dominated by a single cascading event: the US naval blockade of Iranian ports that took effect at 10:00 AM EDT Monday, immediately after the collapse of the Islamabad ceasefire talks. The blockade has set off simultaneous shocks across energy markets, NATO unity, and Gulf security. A partial relief signal arrived this morning — Trump says Iran has “called” and wants a deal — creating a whipsaw between escalation and diplomatic revival that will define the day’s market and political moves. Hungary’s watershed election result, landing Sunday, adds a structurally significant European political shift to the mix. 1. … Continue reading Morning Briefing — Tuesday, April 14, 2026 · 07:51 EST · 1,285 words

Business Models, Canada, Economy, EU, Geopolitics, Military, NATO

EU Air and Space Shield

Colin Henderson

Some background to something I am watching and which will structurally change risk assessment and global finance. https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9db42c04-15c2-42e1-8364-60afb0073e68_en?filename=Joint-Communication%20_Defence-Readiness-Roadmap-2030.pdf https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/b97e2ffb-4008-463d-bae7-e0ef519847af_en?filename=15102025_Readiness2030_FactsheetSPP_0.pdf The CWP 2026 foresees a European Space Shield Action Plan for Q2 2026. According to the European Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, the European Space Shield is intended to reinforce the defence capabilities of the Member States and to secure the resilience and protection of space assets and services in response to an increasingly hostile threat environment. It forms part of the broader effort to achieve defence readiness by 2030 through the integration of national and commercial space assets with support from existing … Continue reading EU Air and Space Shield