On Jan. 14, Evan Solomon, the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, came to visit Waterloo, holding an event at STC. With a room full of students, the Dean of Science Chris Houser, Dean of Math Jochen Koenemann, Dean of Engineering Mary Wells, and Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger, Solomon spoke about AI and Canada’s talent advantage. 

As a preface, Solomon informed the room to be authentic and honest, stating, “we want to hear from you.”

Solomon then begins explaining why he’s here at the university. He described being on a plane after attending one of the largest AI conventions in Montreal, Que. when he began chatting with a fellow passenger. Lukas Wormald, a UW graduate says, “Are you the minister of AI? I’m a Waterloo student.” 

They continue a conversation in which Wormald identifies a core problem for students: they want to stay in Canada, but there may be more opportunities in the U.S. Wormald eventually asks Solomon to come to UW to speak to other students with similar concerns, and Solomon agrees.

Solomon expresses that Canada provides a nourishing environment for education, with outstanding teachers, and he doesn’t want the students to leave, stating, “There’s lots of reasons to leave, but there’s way more reasons to stay.”

When speaking about UW math, engineering, and science students, Solomon states, “Every single person in this room, is among now the most in demand students in the world… the global market has already noticed you.” He also describes a conversation he had with Bill Gates nearly two decades ago, in which Gates identified the best people to inspire to work for him were here in Waterloo. 

Solomon speaks on his previous work as an entrepreneur and encourages students to build, iterate, and see risk and inexperience as an asset.

Solomon also reveals a new AI strategy that operates on an, “AI for all” principle. It aims to serve Canadians, whether it be urban, rural, Indigenous, etc. Further principles include building, protecting, and empowering. Execution includes a $3 million compute access fund, $1.7 billion investment to attract top global talent, and legislation regarding privacy data. As a bid to “bet on this experiment called Canada,” Solomon further states, “The assets are all here, you can build here and trade with the world. It’s hard but when you build here, it works and it lasts.”

Further into the event, Wormald moderates a Q&A session with Solomon, starting to address the common belief that it’s easier to build a start up in the U.S. than it is in Canada. Solomon addresses this by identifying a lower marginal effective tax rate in Canada and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit. One particular student questions why this might be helpful at all, interrupting Solomon, but abruptly leaves halfway through the response calling the event a disgrace.

Other students ask questions akin to why it would be better to stay in Canada when there are better opportunities in the U.S., especially if they don’t have the desire or expertise to start their own company. Solomon expresses an understanding of the desire to leave and that there are opportunities. He wants to build policies for companies so students can choose to stay and states, “There are opportunities, but it’s not terrible to know that Canada wants you.”

Chloe Nguyen, in her second year of systems design engineering, questions why she should stay in Canada if it would be quicker to receive funds in the U.S. While Solomon candidly states that it may be difficult to ensure policies that can get VC capital to flow at the same rate, he also states, “Their appetite for risk is higher… when people give you money quick, they put a hand on a steering wheel… Access to capital might not be the only reason to relocate.”

When later asked if she felt her question was answered, Nguyen expresses the understanding that a more detailed response would have required a different format, and can understand the benefit of how the minister catered his answers to the general audience, including those that may not have start-up experience. However, for Nguyen, she’s part of the ecosystem and hears a lot about the pains of having to raise funds stating, “I want a healthy ecosystem where my friends want to stay because of the genuine advantage they have here.” 

Dean Wells closes the event off by informing students that the school is focused on creating opportunities for people wanting to stay. She also states that around 2008, the term ‘Cali or bust’ was created as a premier mark of success and she wants to change it to ‘Team true north or bust.’