North of the 49th parallel this month, we turn our focus to an exciting organization in British Columbia that came to be because of the vision of its founder, Paola Viviana Murillo. A native of Colombia, Paola came to Canada by way of the United States and saw an opportunity to bring together and celebrate the Latinx communities of Greater Vancouver and British Columbia. Her vision led to the founding of Latincouver - the Latin America Plaza in B.C. - one of the leading organizations in the province, if not in Canada, that is focused on supporting Canada's Hispanic communities.

Major financial institutions are projecting Alberta will lead Canada in economic growth in 2022. Doubling down on investment attraction throughout the pandemic has led to billions in private investment across agriculture, energy, technology, and financial services to flow into Alberta.

Invest Alberta’s clients were part of this journey, announcing $19 billion in investment and over 5,000 jobs last fiscal. As Alberta continues to grow its pipeline of high-impact, high-value investment, new announcements and growing government steps to keep Alberta competitive are paving the way for emerging sectors and continued investment in technology, fintech, agriculture processing, hydrogen and more.

Thank you for the opportunity to describe to your readers what the Government of Canada has been doing in support of Canadian businesses during the past year. Despite continuing to address the challenges of COVID-19 during 2021, the International Business Development team at the Canadian Consulate General in New York was able to make considerable progress in advancing Canadian commercial interests in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware. We brought over 180 high-potential new Canadian business clients to market to connect them with sources of capital for fundraising, investors, mentors, distributors, agents, sales partners and customers.

Québec is all set to become the North American leader in the manufacture and assembly of lithium-ion batteries. An economic powerhouse in its own right in Canada, Québec is strategically located to tap the U.S. market and its enormous potential for electric transportation. The province is primed to make a sizeable investment to develop a battery industry and accelerate the transition to electrified transportation.

The Province of Ontario, Canada, is home to a thriving innovation ecosystem where we pride ourselves in the belief that we, as a province, become stronger and more dynamic when we incorporate diversity into our way of life. Ethnicity, language, and gender combine to paint a vibrant picture of Ontario’s values – a place where everyone is welcome. In Ontario, more than 200 languages are spoken on a daily basis, and people from over 150 countries have been welcomed to and now call the province home. In our provincial capital city of Toronto, more than 50 per cent of residents are foreign-born.

Is it really the right time to seek out new opportunities by expanding to a new country? With all the travel restrictions and drastic changes to immigration policies, you might think its crazy to consider that international expansion right now. Or maybe it’s just being courageous. With the proper perspective it might be just what you need to succeed right now.

Clearly, there has never been a better time for California businesses to expand e-commerce operations to the Canadian market. But before a business decides to take that potentially lucrative step, it’s vital to recognize that selling to Canada is different from selling within the U.S., and requires careful planning, especially with regard to logistics and delivery.

Silicon Beach is more than volleyball, surfing, and enjoying the world famous Southern California surf and sand. A growing number of tech investors believe that “there is really something going on in LA.” The LA-based tech scene is exploding with startups and investors that now call it home. All this activity has captured the attention of top VC funds that now invest in LA. One of the early investors in LA, Upfront Ventures, now invests over 40 percent of its dollars into companies based in the greater LA area. The LA region even has its own hashtag – #LongLA – to capture the investment potential of the maturing startup ecosystem.

For decades, large businesses have chosen to locate in Long Beach to capitalize on an exciting large city with a dynamic community, convenient transportation infrastructure, business friendly governance, and urban beach lifestyle. As the second most populous city in Los Angeles County, Long Beach has also created and preserved an enviable stock of historic buildings retaining an authentic sense of place.

Despite the talk of trade disputes and the apparent political divide between Canada and the United States the two countries continue to be closely connected in many ways, including with respect to consumers and consumer products. Building your brand and product in the United States in many cases means that you have also built a reputation among Canadians due to the frequent travel of Canadians to the United States and the American media presence in Canada. This creates an ideal opportunity for many companies to launch their products and brands in Canada. While there are many similarities between the countries with respect to marketing and selling to consumers and consumer products there are also many differences.