MaRS

Sean Macalister and Jeff Ferguson with their Nordmann fir trees

Well, Christmas is upon us. If there was ever any doubt that we’re heading straight into the belly of the holiday beast, a trip to any mall in Canada could probably clear that right up.

With Christmas comes Christmas traditions—chestnuts roasting on an open fire, turkeys roasting in a warm oven, hot toddies… and, of course, Christmas Trees.

While local garden centres traditionally provide cut conifers to the masses, two Vancouver-area entrepreneurs are now offering a green alternative to your regular old Christmas tree.

Toronto: Vital to Canada's economic prospects

Trust the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to refresh the discussion about the competitiveness of Canadian cities. In a wide-ranging territorial review, the Paris-based think tank said that boosting innovation in the Toronto region is vital for improving Canada’s economic prospects.

Virtual conferences: Coming soon to your couch

Save money. Save time. Save the environment.

Welcome to the world of virtual conferences.

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, more and more organizations are choosing to offer virtual conferences instead of traditional ones. Attendees can watch webcasts of sessions or download videos at their leisure. They can interact with each other through forums, blogs and Twitter. And, best of all, they can avoid airport line-ups, security checks, travel expenses, bland meeting rooms and the huge carbon footprint of air travel—the beauty of a virtual conference is that it can be attended from the comfort of your ergonomic office chair. (or couch. Or bed. Or wherever.)

The business of aging: A golden market

There is a vast untapped market worth an estimated $20 billion by 2020. Those with 2020 vision will set their sights on this potential goldmine.

The anticipated wealth derives from the range of products and services being developed to ensure a healthy and engaged population at all stages of life − particularly in older age. The power of this positive vision was highlighted at the Business of Aging Innovation Summit held recently at MaRS.

There are lots of ways to tell the world about scientific discoveries. The Ontario Innovation Trust has done it with a beautiful legacy report: Using our Heads: Building Ontario’s economy through research showcases some of the best recent research and discoveries that have happened right here in Ontario.

Not only does the book include feature articles about leading Ontario scientists and Q and A’s with some of this province’s most innovative leaders—it’s also spectacularly illustrated by 23 talented artists, painters and graphic designers and (perhaps best of all) it can be yours for the low, low price of zero dollars.