Former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz, who served at the helm of the country’s central bank from 2013-20, will be speaking to Ottawa Numismatic Society (ONS) members in the nation’s capital later this month.
On May 29, the ONS will meet in person and online via Zoom, the latter of which can accommodate up to 100 attendees, centring on a discussion of the current state of the economy—”how we got to where we are,” according to ONS President Jacob Lipson. Interested virtual participants can email Lipson for login details. The presentation will close with a question-and-answer session, and attendees can have signed by Poloz banknotes already featuring his printed signature plus his recently published book, The Next Age of Uncertainty.
The 304-page book, published last year, “offers accessible insights into how factors such as climate change and an aging population—with a dash of pandemic thrown in for good measure—are making the economy more volatile and the world more uncertain,” wrote reviewer Ethan Lou, the author of Once a Bitcoin Miner and Field Notes from a Pandemic, for the Walrus.
“There’s an anecdote where a flight attendant is unable to name the Bank of Canada governor or recognize Poloz. Those days are long gone—Poloz’s successor, Tiff Macklem, probably needs a security detail these days. Even in its little details, Poloz’s book is a stark reminder that the world is changing and that, to survive and thrive, we need to reexamine all that we’ve taken for granted.”
“Although our meetings are usually limited to strictly numismatic topics, our members, by definition, have an interest in economic affairs,” said ONS President Jacob Lipson. “This will be a unique opportunity to hear directly from Mr. Poloz about a range of topics, including interest rates, inflation, wages, real estate, demographic changes, etc. It’s sure to be an interesting discussion.”