If English Canada and francophone Québec have been described as Two Solitudes due to their respective cultural differences and the ensuing lack of communication between English and French Canadians, the debate over Parti québécois Premier Pauline Marois’ proposed “Charter of Québec Values” Bill appears to be an interesting case study that supports the Two Solitudes […]
On September 12, 2013, I attended a meeting organized to consider issues around availability, affordability and sustainability of property insurance in Alberta. The discussion was triggered by a four-year period when insurance claims averaged $670 million annually (compared to the $100 million average from the previous 25 years). While the companies currently doing business here […]
Everyone shares a demand for shelter, that safe place to hold back the elements, provide security and a buffer from life outside. The character of that shelter reflects the culture we live in, the surrounding community and the environmental amenities that define the world around us. It also defines the competition for better locations, those […]
This is a contribution from the Health Policy group at The School of Public Policy. It has been estimated that to raise a child from birth to age 18 in Canada will cost parents $250,000. This is often perceived to be a shockingly high cost. Now, consider that if that child has a significant neurodevelopmental […]
It is perhaps surprising, maybe even shocking, that Dow Chemical and other petrochemical companies are calling for the denial of export licenses for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from North America to the high-priced Asian economies. This no different than the top-hatted monopsonist in the Industrial Age restricting competition so that they can force down input […]
As St. Petersburg prepares to host the leaders of the world’s most important economies at the annual G20 summit, financial headlines are full of worry about the “rout” in emerging markets and the emerging markets bubble popping. The optimism of 2009 and 2010 that growth in developing countries would make up for sluggish prospects in […]
My recent research paper on China’s state owned enterprises (http://policyschool.ucalgary.cahttp://www.policyschool.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/research/china-soes-final.pdf) caused quite a ruckus. Looking at the criticisms of my China paper carefully, most of them appeared to be based on some out of context phrases in the summary of the paper. Though out of context, the words did match the records I researched. Regardless, […]
The June flooding of Calgary and other parts of southern Alberta has been described as “one of the largest natural disasters to ever hit the province”. Thousands of Albertans have been displaced from over 10,000 homes, some of which are damaged beyond repair. Personal losses from the floods are beyond calculation, and total financial losses […]
This is supposed to be the Sovereignty Summer for thousands of disaffected Indigenous people in Canada. Idle No More and Defenders of the Land have been training members to take various forms of direct action aimed at reversing some of the policies of the Harper government. Moreover, divisions within First Nations chiefs and regional associations […]