Cars or Care? Time to Turbocharge Differently?

I grew up in a household supported by my dad’s GM paycheque. There were lean times—especially during the strikes—but overall, we did pretty well. One income. Seven people. A comfortable home. Thanks to GM, my dad also enjoyed a secure retirement and solid healthcare benefits.

So yes, I get the importance of the automotive industry. 

But lately, rumblings from the roots are raising questions about whether it still deserves the level of attention it gets.

All that chrome and horsepower—it makes a lot of noise. Yet in 2024, the auto sector accounted for just under 1% of Canada’s GDP. Broaden the lens to include upstream and downstream industries, and you get closer to 4%. It employed about 603,500 people, directly and indirectly, across manufacturing, parts, retail, dealerships, and maintenance.

It builds cars, creates jobs, and revs engines. But it also stalls. Without ongoing subsidies and incentives, it doesn’t always make it up the hill on its own.

Put simply: it’s shiny, it’s loud, but under the hood, it might not be driving our future nearly as much as we think.

Now, pop the trunk on Canada’s social purpose sector. It rarely makes headlines, but it’s huge—and humming quietly in the background. This sector includes charities, non-profits, foundations, co-ops, and businesses with a primary social purpose built to do good rather than focus only on profit.

In 2024, the social purpose sector powered 8.9% of Canada’s GDP. That’s about $211 billion and roughly 2.4 million jobs—around 14.5% of all employment in the country.

Social purpose organizations fuel healthcare. They feed families. They run shelters and community programs. They make sure your arts festival doesn’t turn into karaoke night in the park. They keep communities running smoother than a freshly waxed Prius.

So why do we treat them like the beat-up hatchback in the driveway while polishing the roadster?

If the automotive sector is Canada’s fancy car, the social purpose sector is our all-wheel-drive minivan—reliable, steady, and built for the long haul. It might not win any drag races, but it will definitely get us further, together, with fewer breakdowns.

Next time you see an economic pie chart, don’t just ogle the hubcaps. Cheer for the pit crew—the people who keep our communities running. Maybe it’s time we invested less in turbochargers and more in turbocharging kindness.

#SocialPurpose #ImpactEconomy #SystemsChange #CDNeconomy #SocialInnovation #CommunityLeadership #FutureOfWork #PurposeDriven

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