At a policy decision on Wednesday, the Bank of Canada kept its policy rate unchanged at the current prohibitively high levels (with the overnight rate at five per cent) but indicated it will cut as early as June, should inflation data continue to show signs of easing between now and then.

Thought leaders from across Canada exchanged their perspectives on the rural socio-economic landscape at Wednesday’s discussion on Parliament Hill.

Some saw Bank of Canada's No. 2 official's recent speech on the nation's awful productivity numbers as a criticism of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's economic record. Why did this speech get so much attention?