The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Friday, December 4, 2026
As Canada’s economy weathers economic shifts from global instability and pressure caused by the Canada-US trade war, one thing is certain: the Ontario workforce is one of Canada’s key assets in weathering this storm.
Ontario’s new labour minister, accepts this position at a crucial time for Ontario in building resilience in our workforce. An escalating trade war with the United States is putting pressure on the manufacturers, suppliers and communities that have long anchored the province, while global instability makes every hiring and investment decision harder. Through both, one asset matters more than any other: the people who do the work.
Ontario is not short of ambition, but what comes next? Meeting the moment depends on training that keeps pace with employers, immigration that fills real gaps and career pathways that people can see and trust.
On December 4, join the Empire Club of Canada for Building Ontario’s Workforce, the Inaugural address by the Honourable Trevor Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
Minister Jones will sit down with moderator, Amanda Galbraith, Partner, Oyster Group to outline his approach to building Ontario’s workforce and advancing an ambitious skills-development agenda: strengthening pathways into in-demand careers, aligning training more closely with what employers need and equipping workers with the skills to deliver the province’s next wave of major projects.
Minister Trevor Jones is Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and Member of Provincial Parliament for Chatham—Kent—Leamington. Since being elected in 2022, Jones has served as Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Job Creation and Trade before becoming Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness in 2025.
In those roles, he helped communities when they needed it most and worked alongside farmers and agrifood businesses to strengthen market access and advance innovation across Ontario key sectors.
A graduate of the University of Windsor, he spent more than 15 years serving with the Ontario Provincial Police before moving into Ontario’s greenhouse industry where he worked as a business executive.
Bringing his experience in both the private and public sectors to his new role, Jones is focused on building a more resilient workforce by removing barriers to employment, strengthening worker protections, expanding pathways into good-paying, in-demand careers and helping ensure Ontario has the skilled workforce it needs to build, grow and compete.
Trevor is a proud resident of Leamington, where he lives with his family.
A dynamic force behind a mic and in the media, Amanda is one of Canada’s leading crisis communications and reputation management experts.
After two decades on the front lines of the most high-profile issues in Canada, her track record navigating media, business, and government speaks for itself, making her a sought-after advisor to political and corporate leaders.
A popular commentator known for her humour and sharp insights, Amanda hosts Free For All Friday, a weekly national publics affairs show on the Bell Media iHeartRadio Talk Network. Amanda is also a regular contributor to CBC Power & Politics and Toronto’s Newstalk 1010.
Amanda has previously worked as a journalist, consultant and communications advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada and the Mayor of Toronto.
When she’s not building a business or behind a mic, Amanda can be found chasing after her two young kids, wistfully remembering what it felt like to sleep.
