The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Wednesday, January 20, 2027
Canada entered 2026 under extraordinary pressure, its political and economic resolve tested by crises at home and confrontation abroad. 2026 was market by a deteriorating CUSMA relationship and an escalating U.S.–Canada trade war. This was the year when Ottawa halted trade negotiations and answered with counter-tariffs, while devastating forest fires—and the U.S. response to them—deepened cross-border tensions. Meanwhile, the Quebec election and the Alberta referendum sharpened fundamental debates about the country’s political future. Yet amid the disruption, the defining story was one of Canadian resilience: The Prime Minister’s investor summit opened a bold push for capital growth and the Government of Canada advanced an ambitious agenda of major, nation-shaping projects, backed by strong public support for building at scale and securing the country’s economic future. Abroad, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s addresses at Davos and the EU were noticed around the world — rallying middle powers to unite against economic coercion and laying the framework for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member.
So, what will define Canada in 2027?
The Empire Club of Canada brings together two of the country’s most influential political journalists—Laura Stone, Queen’s Park Reporter for The Globe and Mail, and Paul Wells, Political Journalist, Author and Host of The Paul Wells Show—to forecast the big political stories that will shape Canada in the year ahead.
Before the panel takes the stage, pollster David Coletto, Founder, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data, will deliver an insightful data briefing on the state of the issues that matter most to Canadians in 2026 and how public opinion is starting to shift. Drawing on fresh research, he will map the fault lines and emerging trends that will frame the year ahead.
Then in a “turn-the-tables” twist, the journalists become the subjects. Prominent political commentator, Scott Reid will be the one asking the questions, breaking with tradition and promising sharp unfiltered insight into the people, pressures, and power struggles that will drive the 2026 agenda.
On January 20, 2027, join us for Empire Nights: “The Journalists’ Forecast – Big Stories of 2027 that Will Shape Canada.” Expect a fast-paced, highly informed evening of analysis and conversation from the people who frame the national narrative and decode the issues for Canadians every day.
Come for the journalism, stay for the conjecture. Scott Reid will be firmly “in the captain’s chair” as he engages Canada’s top political reporters. Enjoy refreshments and networking with fellow stakeholders, insiders, and news junkies in an atmosphere built for real dialogue and fresh perspective.
Named one of Canada’s top 100 most influential people in Canadian politics by The Hill Times, David Coletto is one of Canada’s most recognizable pollsters and commentators on politics, consumer behaviour, and the workplace. He is Chair, CEO and founder of Abacus Data, a full-service market research and strategy firm based in Ottawa and Toronto. With almost two decades of experience in the industry, David and his partners founded Abacus 15 years ago and since then it has grown into one of Canada’s most respected market research firms.
He earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2010 is an adjunct professor at Carleton University in the Clayton H. Riddell Master of Political Management program. He is the host and producer of inFocus with David Coletto a podcast that explores the intersection of public opinion, politics, public policy, and consumer behaviour. He is also the official pollster for the Toronto Star and The Logic.
Scott Reid is one of Canada’s most sought after corporate communications and issues management professionals and a founder of the firm Feschuk.Reid. A former senior advisor to Prime Minister Paul Martin, he has counselled countless CEOs, senior executives and political leaders. Scott currently serves as an on-air analyst for CTV News, Newstalk 1010AM and the Bellmedia network and was previously a columnist forthe Ottawa Citizen. In 2022, Scott was named one of Canada’s 50 most influential Canadians by Maclean’s Magazine for his work on the popular Curse of Politics podcast. He is a Fellow at the Clayton Riddell School of Political Management at Carleton University and is an Adjunct Professor at Queen’s University’s School of Policy Studies where he teaches a course on government & public communications as part of the Masters of Public Administration program. Scott holds a B.A. (Honours) from Queens University and is the father of four sons.
Laura Stone joined the Globe and Mail in 2016, where she reports on provincial and federal politics based at Queen’s Park. Laura was the first recipient of the Michelle Lang award at the Calgary Herald, where she wrote a national series about women’s prisons. In 2015, she won the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Greg Clark Award, which allowed her inside the RCMP’s Senate investigation. Most of all, Laura likes to profile politicians over lunch. She always picks up her own tab.
Paul Wells is one of Canada’s leading political journalists. He hosts The Paul Wells Show, a weekly interview podcast featuring leaders in government, journalism, business and the arts. His subscription newsletter is a leading source of Canadian political news and analysis for a fast-growing and influential audience. For 19 years, he was the lead political writer at Maclean’s magazine. He has also written for the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and The National Post. He has worked extensively overseas, including in Europe, the United States and Afghanistan.
Wells is the author of four books and a frequent commentator on French- and English-language television and radio.
