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CIRANO invites its community and all young people wishing to better understand today’s economic challenges to attend a conference dedicated to the economic outlook for 2026. This event, which will take place at CIRANO on January 21, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., will also serve as the setting for the official launch of registration for the Bourstad 2026 competition, marking the kickoff of the 39th edition of this online educational competition. The competition invites high school students, CEGEP and university students, as well as the general public, to become familiar with financial markets by managing a virtual portfolio.
The evening will open with a conference by Matthieu Arseneau, Deputy Chief Economist at the National Bank of Canada, focusing on current economic trends and forecasts for 2026.
This analysis will be complemented by a presentation from Dalibor Stevanovic, Professor at ESG UQAM and Researcher and Fellow at CIRANO, who will present the work of the Chair in Macroeconomics and Forecasting, as well as the economic modeling tools for the Québec economy developed within this framework.
Following this conference, CIRANO will proceed with the official launch of the Bourstad 2026 competition. The honorary president of the competition, Julie-Andrée Côté, Chair of the Board of Directors of CFA Montréal, will deliver an address, followed by a presentation of the main features of the competition, including its educational objectives, format, and the skills it mobilizes. Registration for the competition will open at the conclusion of the event, ahead of a competition that will take place from February 9 to April 10, 2026.
This launch event is particularly intended for young people who wish to better understand current economic issues and put their knowledge into practice through a concrete investment experience.
Register for the conference: https://cirano.qc.ca/fr/evenements/1324
Join the Bourstad movement
CIRANO’s Bourstad financial education activity is made possible thanks to the support of numerous partners: the Autorité des marchés financiers, its principal partner, TD Bank Group, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, CFA Montréal, Finance Montréal, TMX Group, Hyprasoft, QuoteMedia, and the Responsible Investment Group.
During the 2024–2025 school year, this financial education program reached more than 20,000 new participants, including nearly 3,100 participants in the Bourstad 2025 competition.
Register now at bourstad.ca and discover the fascinating world of investing.