Annual Report
We empower and inspire leaders to build a stronger future for all Canadians through our trusted research and unparalleled connections.
Annual Report Message FY25
A legacy of excellence.
For more than 70 years, Signal49 Research, the country’s leading independent applied research organization, has been providing rigorous actionable insights that help leaders make decisions based in evidence.
Ongoing responsible fiscal management put the organization in a good financial position to undertake three major initiatives in fiscal year 2025. These initiatives deliver on the goals of our Northern Lights strategy, with an overarching aim to put applied research in the hands of Canadians and civil society.
In fiscal year 2025, Signal49 Research acquired Vicinity Jobs, Inc. By enhancing our labour market research capabilities with Vicinity Jobs’ real-time big-data and AI-powered analysis of job postings, this acquisition means we can now provide deeper, more granular insights into Canadian labour markets.
The unrivalled technology and data capabilities of Vicinity Jobs Inc., combined with our research rigor also means we can offer innovative new labour market research products for leaders across the country. The acquisition will further serve to improve employment outcomes by providing more timely and actionable information to job seekers, employers and policymakers.
This exciting addition to Signal49 Research builds on many years of collaboration between our two organizations and enhances our commitment to provide Canada’s leaders with deep insights and unparalleled research.
Canada is at a critical juncture. Without bold action, our country’s current trajectory risks further eroding our long-term resilience, productivity, and prosperity. Creating a truly national dialogue is essential to addressing the current challenges and seizing new opportunities and is why we launched the Centre for Canadian Growth and Prosperity.
By convening leaders, innovators, and changemakers across sectors, we can align priorities and surface solutions that will secure a stronger future for all Canadians. In FY26, we began taking important steps to advance the dialogue through a national convening initiative, Bold Ideas for Canada, complemented by a digital town hall.
As part of this commitment to Canada’s future, in FY25 we also launched a new research series Canada in A Changing World to address the geopolitical situation we are facing as a nation.
This series has explored topics such as the impact of tariffs on trade, tourism, and industries and a deep review of the economic potential of strategic partnerships around the world. This series supplements our national, provincial and municipal growth forecasts.
A major milestone for the organization was the full launch and implementation of our Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) and ERP (Business Central) financial system.
These systems will help us to work more efficiently and effectively through a comprehensive, holistic approach to clients, subscribers, funders and members as well as by streamlining existing internal processes. Regular communication, combined with training sessions and other tools and resources were made available to ensure successful adoption.
In fiscal year 2025, Signal49 Research issued more than 500 research outputs. This included the pressing economics topics covered in our Canada in a Changing World series, but also in the areas of disaster management from our Sustainability knowledge area, and in our Innovation and Technology area, which drove the launch of a new series, AI on the Horizon, and a new AI economy report.
Our work in education and skills included research on neuroinclusion, and in the Human Capital area we developed a study Connection over Configuration that looked at engagement levels between in-office and remote work in addition to our continuing HR Spotlight series. Research in the Indigenous knowledge area included our Learning from One Another series that looked at skilled trades in Nunavut, Northern Ontario and Yukon.
In the Health space, we issued research on community pharmacies being integral to primary care, and a report Modeling Outcomes for new Blood Cancer Therapies. Work in the immigration area resulted in an extremely timely report—The Leaky Bucket: A Closer Look at Immigrant Onward Migration in Canada.
Custom research included work for the Assembly of First Nations on Closing the Infrastructure Gap in First Nations Communities which shows how strategic investments in First Nations infrastructure can drive significant socio-economic benefits for Indigenous peoples and the broader Canadian economy. Our study on CANDU Monark reactors showed how they can provide a substantial boost to Canada’s GDP.
As a result of our delivery of timely and topical research, we also enjoyed increased media profile, with our print and broadcast coverage reaching a five-year high with close to 16,000 media hits, complemented by an increase in our top-tier media presence, and a continued share of voice that surpassed our competitors. Our social media presence also continues to grow, and our website attracted 1.3 million hits. We participated in close to 150 speaking engagements and made close to 20 presentations to government.
Our employees are at the heart of everything we do and everything we achieve. In support of our employees, in FY25 we launched a comprehensive new Learning and Development curriculum, The Academy, an offering that includes courses on Research, Bettering the Business, and Leadership Development. This enriched curriculum supports employee development as the crux of our success and builds on the value and performance awards introduced in FY24 to celebrate and reward exceptional contributions, achievements and the dedication of our employees.
We look forward to continuing to be a trusted voice and sought-after resource for insights for Canadians that are neutral, non-partisan and objective.
We would like to thank outgoing board member Steve Odland for his service and dedication and are thankful to our existing outstanding board members for their ongoing commitment and support.
Financials FY25
Access our complete audited financial statements.
