Credit rating agency DBRS says without measures to rein in its finances, Alberta is at risk for another downgrade. In July, the agency changed its long-term outlook for the province from stable to negative while maintaining Alberta’s ‘AA (high)’ credit rating. Lower oil prices hitting Alberta budget, forcing drop in this year’s price forecast But DBRS […]

As regulators continue to examine whether sales fees should be unbundled from investment products, a new report suggests the move could have serious ramifications for Canadians’ access to financial advice and raise issues of investment choice, industry concentration and price transparency for clients seeking financial advice. The report, released Thursday by the School of Public […]

Cost overruns at the North West Redwater Partnership’s Sturgeon refinery are back in the news. The Government of Alberta has confirmed that capital costs are now estimated at $9.3 billion, about a billion more than the last estimate in 2014. And that estimate was $2 billion higher than the 2011 estimate of $6.5 billion. It […]

Why has Canadian productivity lagged so much compared to the United States? Is it risk-averse management in Canada? Too much taxation and regulation? Too little infrastructure and innovation? These are perennial questions that are highly important to our standard of living, which continues to take at least a 20-per-cent haircut relative to the U.S., with […]

Desjardins has announced the temporary suspension of lending for pipeline projects, including Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline. If the decision becomes permanent, Desjardins might not fund other Canadian pipeline projects such as Enbridge’s Line 3 and TransCanada’s Keystone XL and Energy East. Canadian lender Desjardins may stop pipeline loans Michal Moore, senior research fellow with the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, spoke […]

Calgary is the least-affordable city in Canada — if you’re poor. That’s according to a new analysis that looked at decades’ worth of data on rental costs and social-assistance rates. Average housing costs may be higher in Vancouver and Toronto, but it’s actually harder for single parents living on a low income to afford a low-end […]

If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to leave a lasting positive legacy that will be remembered by Canadians for all time he’ll need to do more than legalize marijuana, hike taxes and run record deficits. That’s why Trudeau would be wise to heed the recommendations of a Senate committee report born from research originating at […]

Research from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy suggests there’s a connection between domestic violence and certain sporting events and holidays. The study found domestic violence calls in Calgary were up 15 per cent on some days in the latter half of the 10-day Calgary Stampede compared with an average day. For professional […]

Alberta’s financial footing has taken another hit, this time by credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s. S&P reported Friday it was lowering the province’s rating by two notches from AA to A+, citing budgetary performance deterioration, growing debt and depending on oil prices to rebound. “Our expectation is that this will lead to further rapid […]