After thirteen years as Chair of the Board of Directors, Ms. Louise Roy concluded her mandate at the CIRANO Annual General Meeting held on September 23, 2025. Involved with the organization since 2003, she notably chaired the Forum sur le leadership d’avenir and left a lasting mark on CIRANO through her visionary leadership, her rigor, and her constant determination to bridge the gap between scientific research and decision-making circles. Her contribution has played a decisive role in strengthening the organization’s credibility and visibility in Québec, in Canada, and internationally.

Ms. Roy will remain associated with CIRANO as an Honorary Guest Fellow, in recognition of her outstanding contribution. “Louise chaired CIRANO’s board with visionary leadership, combining rigor and excellence. She inspired our researchers and partners by consistently reminding us of the importance of connecting scientific research to informed decision-making,” emphasized Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, President and CEO of CIRANO.

On the occasion of CIRANO’s 30th anniversary, Ms. Louise Roy was honored for her more than ten years as Chair of the Board of Directors, alongside CIRANO founders Marcel Boyer and Robert Lacroix, as well as President and CEO Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin.

          SUMMARY          

CIRANO and the GVCdtLab at the Heart of Discussions on the Future of the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes Corridor

On September 29, 2025, nearly one hundred leaders of the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes Corridor gathered at the Port of Montreal to chart the course for strengthening this vital corridor for North American trade and competitiveness. Among the participants were CEOs of ports, shipping companies, railways, and the St. Lawrence Seaway, as well as the three co-chairs of the event: the Honourable Jean Charest, the Honourable Lisa Raitt, and Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

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CIRANO Researchers’ Assembly 2025-2026

On September 17, CIRANO held its annual Researchers’ Assembly. The event welcomed new members, provided an opportunity to exchange on ongoing projects, share organizational updates, and awarded the Claude Montmarquette Scholarship to Geneviève Vaillancourt, a student at the Université de Montréal.

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Launch of the 2025-2026 Annual Theme: a panel rich in discussions at CIRANO

On September 17, CIRANO launched its 2025-2026 Annual Theme Education and Workforce: Toward a More Productive and Equitable Society, in the presence of about 80 guests. A panel of researchers sparked discussions on school dropout, the alignment between labor supply and demand, and the impact of AI on social inequalities.

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Welcome to the two new CIRANO researchers

CIRANO is pleased to welcome two new researchers:

Fernando Saltiel, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at McGill University, and Jean-François Gauthier, Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at HEC Montréal.

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An evening rich in discussions for the launch of the book Québec: A Health System Profile

On September 23, CIRANO was pleased to welcome nearly sixty guests for the launch of the book Québec: A Health System Profile, co-authored by Emmanuelle Arpin (School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, CIRANO), Amélie Quesnel-Vallée (McGill University, CIRANO), and Lara Gautier (School of Public Health, Université de Montréal), and published by University of Toronto Press.

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Roundtable on Immigration and Integration into the Labor Market

On September 26, a roundtable on immigration was held as part of the Government-Oriented Research Program (PRPG). Brahim Boudarbat (Université de Montréal, CIRANO) presented the key findings of his analyses published in the PRPG report on public policies and the labor market, followed by discussions between CIRANO researchers and government representatives on integration policies and the role of entrepreneurship.

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Sonia Laszlo appointed Associate Dean of Research and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at McGill University

A CIRANO study informs INESSS’s recommendation to expand breast cancer screening

Catherine Haeck contributes to the documentary L’écart silencieux on boys’ undereducation

Four CIRANO members receive the Prix Publication en français

Nadia Sourial receives nearly $1 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Jean-Philippe Meloche’s presentation to the ARTM Service Quality Committee

External Event – Dialogue with Daron Acemoglu and Yoshua Bengio on Artificial Intelligence

On October 6, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., UQAM will host the event Artificial Intelligence and Its Challenges for Society, an exceptional dialogue bringing together Daron Acemoglu (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Yoshua Bengio (Université de Montréal). Organized by the Chaire de recherche sur les enjeux économiques intergénérationnels (CREEI), the event will be moderated by Raquel Fonseca, CIRANO Researcher and Fellow and Principal Investigator of the Inequality and Poverty theme, and is supported by several institutional partners, including CIRANO.

Faced with public support for increased health care spending in Québec, what options are available to the government?

In a recent CIRANO study, Olivier Jacques (Université de Montréal, CIRANO) and Philippe Chassé show that health ranks highly in public priorities, especially in Québec. The authors will present their study “Priorité à la santé : les préférences des Québécois et Québécoises en perspective comparée.” Antonia Maioni, Professor in the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy at McGill University’s School of Population and Global Health, and Philippe Lachance, Director General of Access and Primary Care at the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services, will join the discussion.

Growing Together: Canada–Norway Perspectives on Early Childhood Education

On October 21, a conference will explore Canadian and Norwegian approaches to early childhood education. Three key themes will be addressed: equity and the participation of families from vulnerable backgrounds, the quality of services in a mixed public/private system, and the recognition and appreciation of early childhood professionals. The Scandinavian perspective will be presented by Professor Henrik Zachrisson (University of Oslo), and the Québec perspective by Professor Sylvana Côté (Université de Montréal, CIRANO). The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Marie France Raynault. The conference will be held in both English and French.

Research and Data in Education: Informing Public Policy

CIRANO and CIQSS are organizing a full day of dialogue on research and data in education, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. The morning will highlight various education research projects that leverage diverse data sources to deepen understanding of educational issues and inform public policy. In the afternoon, several data sets from different organizations will be presented, covering a range of topics — some still underused — to open new perspectives. At the heart of the day, Marie Connolly (UQAM, CIRANO) will share her findings on the economic benefits of closing the graduation gap for boys in Québec, as well as her work on school dropout.

Special Session – CIREQ-CIRANO-RRECQ Workshop on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

For several years, from January to April, CIRANO, CIREQ, and RRECQ have been organizing workshops on environmental and natural resource economics. On Saturday, November 1, a special session will be held in honor of Robert Cairns, one of the long-standing members of the organizing team. This event will highlight his significant contribution to the workshops on natural resource and environmental economics.

Investigating the determinants of e-commerce driven deliveries

Jean-Philippe Meloche, François Vaillancourt, Martin Trépanier, Brigitte Milord et Feriel Grine

The democratization of internet use has profoundly changed the way we search for information about the products and services we consume. Today, it is possible to access, in just a few clicks, a vast range of products and increasingly diverse and competitive delivery options. This new economic and logistical model of retail trade has led to a rise in the circulation of freight vehicles in residential neighborhoods. The potential increase in traffic and the logistical footprint of the market — known as the “last mile” issue — are raising growing concerns in cities. A CIRANO study (Meloche et al., 2025) examines these challenges and suggests that regulating e-commerce and the home deliveries it generates is not as straightforward as one might think.

Investissements en santé publique au Québec et ailleurs au Canada

Olivier Jacques, Emna Ben Jelili, Alexandre Prud'homme et Emmanuelle Arpin

Recent analyses by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) suggest that Québec is the province that spends the least on public health. But is that really the case? In a CIRANO report (Jacques et al., 2025), the authors examine this question and offer a new perspective on Québec’s public health efforts. By reviewing public spending in four provinces using a common definition of public health, they show that CIHI tends to overestimate public health expenditures in all provinces except Québec. Once budget categories are harmonized, public health investments prove to be similar across provinces.

L’écart de richesse se creuse entre les Québécois et les Ontariens et le facteur critique c’est l’immobilier

Raquel Fonseca, Simon Lord et Markus Poschke

In terms of wealth, Québec lags behind its neighbor Ontario — a gap that has widened over the past 25 years. A CIRANO study (Fonseca, Poschke and Lord, 2025) provides an in-depth portrait of the wealth of different socioeconomic groups in Québec and Ontario, based on a detailed examination of the evolution of total household wealth and its various components. The authors show that real estate assets are the main factor explaining the wealth differences between Québec and Ontario.

Be like your sister and stay in school: The benefits of increasing Quebec’s male graduation rates

Fabian Lange et Marie Connolly

Despite significant progress in schooling over the past decades, Québec continues to perform poorly when it comes to school dropout, particularly among boys. In 2021, 234,000 men did not have a high school diploma. Among those aged 25 to 34, 12% had no diploma or qualification — the worst performance among all Canadian provinces. This undereducation of boys represents a substantial loss of productivity potential. A CIRANO study (Connolly and Lange, 2025) shows that if the dropout rate among boys were reduced to match that of girls, it would generate significant gains for them and for society as a whole. Over the next 20, 30, or 40 years, the number of men without a diploma in the labor market could be cut in half.

PROJECT REPORTS

Modèles de volatilité stochastique à haute dimension: applications à l’incertitude macroéconomique au Québec et au Canada

MD Nazmul Ahsan, Jean-Marie Dufour et Gabriel Rodriguez

Stochastic covariances are essential for macroeconomic and financial modeling, particularly to capture uncertainty and dynamic interdependencies. This study introduces the Dynamic Factor-Augmented VAR with Higher-Order Multivariate Stochastic Volatility (DFAVAR-HMSV) framework and proposes a computationally efficient estimation methodology. The proposed model captures complex dynamic interdependencies, leverage effects, and higher-order persistence in volatility structures. By applying this framework to the construction of uncertainty indices for Canada and Québec, the study provides critical insights into regional and national macroeconomic dynamics.

FOR REFLECTION

Entre public et privé : le système de santé du Québec à la croisée des chemins

Lisa Bellemare, Jani Boyer, Yasmine Benzidane, Emmanuelle Arpin, François Castonguay et Olivier Jacques

The 42nd Jean-Yves Rivard Colloquium, held on May 1, 2025, focused on the theme “Between Public and Private: Québec’s Health Care System at a Crossroads.” This day of reflection brought together researchers and professionals for conferences and roundtables on dental care, psychological care, and the financing of the health care system. The discussions highlighted growing tensions between public and private approaches, notably due to chronic underfunding in certain sectors and the expansion of the private health care market. Public opinion analysis revealed a population strongly attached to the value of universality but sensitive to access issues. Panelists called for better alignment between public initiatives and private practices, as well as greater investment in prevention, territorial planning, and equitable access to care. This report offers a critical and interdisciplinary overview of ongoing reforms and possible pathways for transforming Québec’s health care system.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS

The College Premium Rollercoaster and the Rebound of Lifetime Wage Growth: A Structural Analysis

Raquel Fonseca, Étienne Lalé, François Langot, Thepthida Sopraseuth

Territorial Control of Data and Compute in Generative AI: A New Paradigm of Competitive Advantage

Frédéric Marty, Thierry Warin

Economic Interdependencies in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Region: A Dynamic Analysis of Manufacturing Connectedness

Adam Abdel Kader Touré, Martin Trépanier, Thierry Warin

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