British Columbia Chapter Update

CIRI BC hosted a packed room in late January for an exclusive event featuring Bart Melek, Managing Director and Global Head of Commodity Strategy at TD Securities. Melek provided valuable insights into the 2025 commodities market outlook and its intrinsic connection to the broader economic landscape.

The event was moderated by Fraser Ince, Director of Investment Banking at TD Securities, and covered a range of critical topics, including:

• A review of the 2024 commodity markets and an outlook for 2025; and
• Key macroeconomic trends to watch, such as: the potential impact of a Trump 2.0 presidency; the Federal Reserve’s policy trajectory; and currency markets and geopolitical risks.

A Q&A session allowed attendees to engage directly with Melek, making this an invaluable opportunity for Vancouver’s IRO community to kick off 2025 with strategic insights.

Following a sold-out summer social in 2024, CIRI BC is excited to host its second annual Canadians Baseball Game, bringing together IROs from across BC to connect, learn and network in a fun and relaxed setting.

Ontario Chapter Update

CIRI Ontario kicked off the year with its signature Economic Update, featuring Douglas Porter, Chief Economist at BMO. Members joined both in person and virtually for an engaging discussion on macroeconomic trends, particularly in light of uncertainty surrounding looming U.S. tariffs. The session sparked lively conversation and audience participation.

The Chapter also hosted a virtual webinar on market shorts with Ari Scheer, Head of Issuer Services at Generation IACP. Sheer provided issuers with a deeper understanding of trading algorithms, their impact on stock performance, and how to conduct shareholder identification through trading activity. The well-attended session shed light on this often opaque aspect of the market, equipping IROs with practical insights.

To further enhance member engagement and value, CIRI Ontario sent out a survey seeking feedback on ways to strengthen relationships and improve the value proposition for members. We appreciate the insights shared and look forward to incorporating them into our future initiatives.

With a productive first quarter behind us, we now look ahead to our upcoming AGM in Q2.